“Are you relevant?”
An existential question to build a career in technology
In this fast-changing technology world, this question comes to my mind more than ever. It shapes my thoughts, actions and the outcome.
I like to think that building a career is, in many ways, similar to a journey of an entrepreneur wherein you need hard work, dedication, money, some sleepless nights, and even some failure before you succeed. But time and again, I’ve come back to think what is that fundamental thing that converts a great idea (read: a great vision) into a successful startup (read: successful career).. and among many other factors, one of the existential questions in our times has become, “Am I relevant?”
As a founder of my career, I should think if my skills are relevant to the current economy and businesses? Am I fluid enough to change course when needed? Am I willing to go out of the comfort zone to innovate and, may be, re-start if needed?
“Zero to One” is a phrase popularized by PayPal co-founder, Peter Thiel, in his book Zero to One. This is said to be the first, and most challenging stage in building a company. For a startup, this is the time when you have to secure product-market fit, or simply put, prove that your idea is actually good. In this fast changing technology world, this phase has gained importance and meaning more than ever.
In terms of my career journey, Zero to One is a phase when I pivot so that my skills are a “good fit” to the current market. Once I’ve found my fit, my journey from “one to 10” will be about doubling down on what is working and continuously iterating on my strategies in order to scale.
My journey so far has been about having a beginner’s mindset, always pivoting to stay relevant. I had no specific, set in stone, preconceived picture of the end goal when I had started. I was fortunate to grow up in a capital city, have a nurturing family, and study in one of the very good schools of the country. Coming from a humble family background, education was given utmost importance always. I was tuned to build a career that yield economic independence and proficiency. I was not taught about setting specific hard goals, rather it was always about process and directional goals. In a big picture, it was about staying relevant to the business and society at large. With this elderly wisdom and years of working in technology, different companies and with diversity of people, I realized that my existential question of being relevant can be broken down into two important metrics:
- Am I creating value for my team/business/society?
- Am I aligned with people I work with?
These questions became the guiding light and while I didn’t have direct answers to a lot of Who, Where, What, How, and When, I believed in self-reliance and continuous learning and kept venturing into the unknowns to find my oasis. I met new people, new culture, learnt new technologies, made friendships, learnt lessons, failed, and re-started.. all this while making sure that I stay relevant to the economic and business environment. As a part of it, I was sure that continuous growth and development was going to be integral part of whatever I do.
Here is my Journey from Zero to One of how I built a career using STEM skills and pivoting across different business segments, starting from market research to Corporate Strategy, Product, and currently, Sales. Anyone looking to build a career at the intersection of business analytics and engineering, this is a “Must Read”.
Follow me on Twitter to learn about my on-going learning journey into the world of startups and analytics.
