Life Lessons From a 20-Something Year Old: Barry Diller
If you’ve read my last piece on NFTs, you already know I am a 20-year-old college student who thinks they know a lot… about a lot. Well, I don’t know that much, but I try to dig deeper every day. You’re here because you are a part of the Kindred community, and so am I. Therefore, I use my available resources to do that deeper dig. Recently, I revisited KindredCast’s podcast with Barry Diller, ‘In His Own Words.’ Mr. Diller is unmistakably one of the most accomplished American Businessmen. He acts as Chairman and Senior Executive of IAC and Expedia and founded the Fox Broadcasting Company. On top of numerous accomplishments in the philanthropic and television world, he also created Little Island in NYC, a hotspot featured in one of our reopening guides. Mr. Diller’s podcast was recorded at the beginning of January 2021, but is as applicable now as it was then (and will be in 20 years). To hear from someone so accomplished in the business world is always a treat, and to have it recorded and etched in the world wide web eternally is even more of a gift. However, as someone who has seen specks of the business world for most of my life, I know how much deeper this world takes you. Barry Diller takes on predictions and philosophical life lessons through relationships, decision-making, and strategic living, both in this podcast and in life. ‘In His Own Words’ was released at the height of “back to normal.” So naturally, topics incorporate COVID and its implications on the world. Mr. Diller speaks about working from home, life in cities, politics, travel, and more.
“Life Will Never Be The Same”
A statement we’ve all heard throughout the past two years. This is a statement Mr. Diller completely disagrees with. In my opinion, it depends. As with everything in life, we ebb and we flow. In constantly keeping up with our day-to-day lives, the interactions we share on a daily basis shape who we become... The challenges we face make us who we are. This is essentially the worst thing to say to someone who is currently going through life challenges, but it is true. We are shaped not only by the elements in life that benefit us but the elements that we think will ultimately do the most damage. This is how we learn and grow. Relating to COVID, we are still the same people. As Diller points out, the habits of people and the wiring of our human minds are constant. We all went through our own struggles during this challenging and isolating time. Still, we take the innovative components that lifted us up and made life easier with us.
One example of post-COVID innovation from Mr. Diller’s podcast is within technology. The past two years have been one of the most innovative and revolutionary moments in the tech world. This new technology has bled into a majority of our everyday industries. Financial process automation and new inventions in the Fintech world will make lives more manageable and regulated. Web 2.0 is rising with NFTs, Artificial Intelligence, and (one of my favorites) the metaverse. The education and employment sector have figured out ways to make learning and interviewing efficient and practical for students and individuals entering the workforce. These are technological innovations that will be intertwined and updated in our lives from now on.
From the perspective of a student and soon-to-be job hunter, I have a different opinion on the inclusion of technology in these fields. My last piece on NFTs illustrates a general philosophy of mine. I see myself as an old soul… and I love it. Part of this mindset leads me to see value in face-to-face interactions. It is necessary for me as a student and individual. Now, you do not have to be a self-proclaimed ‘old soul’ to take my view on this. Every student and employee is different and works in many different ways. I value putting pen to paper and putting faces to names. Not only do I value it, but this is how I succeed in the world of academia. Computers distract me, and phones are a necessary evil. Nothing helps me absorb knowledge and do well on exams better than notecards and a college-ruled notepad. Diller also touches on the idea of ‘Work From Home,’ or ‘WFH,’ stating how it will not entirely follow us out of the post-COVID world. Mr. Diller is a big believer in being “a stimulating environment next to your colleagues… in and around them, passing them in hallways, etcetera.” In other words, we need people. We need interaction. This is difficult for me to grapple with. Being a pen-to-paper student, you’d think this idea is right up my alley. I have some thoughts. We need people. We require a stimulating environment that helps us to learn, grow, and do our best. While being a student, I have been lucky enough to work simultaneously in media for two years. Through the era of remote work, I have discovered more about myself. I actually prefer working from home. As I said, every student works differently; this applies everywhere. Every individual works better in different situations, and productivity comes out in a multitude of ways, however odd your routine may seem to be. I am someone who functions on to-do lists, notepads, and an infamous performance style of multitasking. While sitting in meetings, I have a tendency to burst into my own world of ideas. I take notes, google terms and concepts, add more to my to-do lists while concurrently paying attention. I am not naive in my nature and realized quickly how this could be interpreted as a shift in focus, sometimes perceived as rude. This is a predicament I have luckily faced early on and have time to improve. However, WFH has made it easier for me to work in my own fashion while being the most productive employee I can be. That being said, I am a social person who is undoubtedly driven by my environment. So, for now, there is some hypocrisy weaved through my tendencies and methods. Still, I’m going to have to side with Barry Diller on this one — ebbing, flowing, and adapting to this new but consistent way of life.
Watch the full interview or listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts.
