It’s impossible to take any tech industry blog post (e.g. marketing, programming, growth hacking, etc.) seriously while listening to Lightnin’ Hopkins sing “Going Down Slow.”
And I believe that, in general, this is the right attitude to take as it relates to this internet business of ours. All too often, I run into industry colleagues who get swept in a frenzy of algorithm chasing, (not provided) lamenting, and character count obsession. There’s really no reason for that. In fact, I think that taking oneself and their craft too seriously can be a detriment to their long-term professional prospects.
And perhaps their personal ones as well.
I ran into one of my closest industry colleagues - a true friend – on the subway yesterday. And we got to talking. About a lot of things. Absinthe, the good old days, and what it takes to be true leader.
The yeller and screamer type is out – both in the NFL and in Corplandia. Nobody has time for the pissing and moaning type either. The worrier is out too (and won’t live long). But the over zealous micro-manager is by far the worst offender.
Mind you, we all have a little of all four in us. Our job is to wring them out of our existence one laid back moment at a time.
I was outside walking my dog earlier tonight, and I swear that I saw a mini Tsunami rolling into the Western coast of the Hudson River. Charlie barked. I got to thinking about the fleeting, frail nature of life. There’s no time for getting hung up on the nitpicking, not-going-to-move-the-needle-anyway details.
So just take it easy. Your data is directional? No worries. Taking a long time to convince the Powers That Be that original content makes measurable money? No biggie. Google did something that upset the apple cart you’re little world balances on? So what.
Just focus on making friends and providing value when/where you can. You’re not going to win every battle. The internet is a very new place, so some people from the pre-internet generation are never going to fully grasp it. And guess what? Those people are often the real movers and shakers in an organization. So until those generations fully adapt – or more likely – fade into the retirement sunset, it’s probably not a good idea to annoy the crap out of them by constantly insisting that your channel(s) is the most important thing in the world and that it – and you – should always be the first consideration.
P.S. What’s his name statistician (you know, the famous one that predicted the election) suggests that you ante up and teach yourself proper statistics. He’s right on. That’s the future (and present) in virtually every professional field and domain.
The best career advice I can give? Take it easy.
