On building of All Trades
Given the pace we are working at, we look foremost for flexibility and initiative. The ability to build constructively in a limited-resource environment (potentially having to wear several hats) is the most important to us.
Lenny Rachitsky • How Perplexity builds product
Perplexity founder’s take on how they prioritize early hires
The researchers, Todd Rose and Ogi Ogas, were interested in people who took a less conventional approach to life. They interviewed hundreds of high-achieving, wildly successful “dark horses”: people who swerved in and out of jobs—and often industries—to find a good fit. From symphony conductors to chess masters, Apple execs to dogsled mushers,... See more
Simone Stolzoff • In Praise of the Meandering Career
Instead of doing broad but thin market research (e.g., customer surveys), focus on one person (or a small group) and go as deep as you can, learning everything about how your product fits into their broader lives. Or become your customer—spend a day, a month, or even a few years in the role you're trying to sell to before attempting to build a... See more
Casey Rosengren • The Power of Designing for a Single User
Learning to thrive in a resilient culture is essential. Being indoctrinated into a rigid and fragile mindset is not.
Manipulation, indoctrination and addiction
Paul Graham said, “when people visit your startup, they should be surprised how few people you have.”
The Operating as One Issue
Generalists get you more with less.
- Reflect on your progress. While job titles are fixed, your daily accomplishments are not. Writing every day to think about what you actually did today that made you a better version of yourself is a great exercise to ensure you focus on the right things. Journaling is a powerful tool to add to your mental gym.
- Conduct personal experiments. Making
Anne-Laure Le Cunff • The tyranny of job titles: from vanity growth to personal growth
These are direct actions we take internally in our rituals for generalists at oAT — so cool to see this mirrored back to us.
