11. Cool doesn’t mean popular and vice versa
In the ’90s I was into rock music. I was surrounded by talented, passionate musicians. Sometimes at parties I would meet people who were much better musicians than those we hear on the radio or who play in clubs. This is when I figured out that with gigging, it’s not about how great you are, but more about who you know. You don’t necessarily have to be friends with the club owner, but if you know someone who played here before, you have more chances to be invited, too.
A similar principle applies to professional conferences: you are more likely to be invited if you know someone. We end up listening to the same old speakers presenting the same cases for years, while other, more valuable experts don’t have the time to attend those conferences even as listeners. They prefer to educate themselves online and don’t bother networking. You don’t usually get to meet these professionals unless you work on the same project, or by pure accident.
Tales of a Product Owner: concentrated wisdom about project management, team creation and UX. New tale every Tuesday and Thursday!
