On building of All Trades

Projects rarely unfold in a linear fashion; they require frequent course correction. Most trainees should spend more time on a project’s decision tree than they currently do. Once you get into a project, you will have learned from your initial experiments, new papers will have been published, and technology will have advanced. As a result, at any... See more

Problem choice and decision trees in science and engineering: Cell

Job descriptions are never exhaustive, even from the beginning. They represent a set of needs for a specific context and time, which after a few months no longer reflects reality. Yet companies hire people based on their ability to match that fixed job description. They hire for the short-term.

Why start from something so specific? Instead, find... See more

Sharan Bal • Hiring Humans, Not Resources

“Hire for soul, not role”

New approaches will never be embraced by everyone at first. If you need unanimous consent, you’re not going to move forward.

And it’s not convenient. If it were, someone would have done it already.

Finally, it’s not sure to work.

If you need any or all three of these things for your project to move forward, you probably should pick a different... See more

Three things about innovation

Education can be the biggest time investment for founders who are bringing something to the work that isn’t unanimously accepted, isn’t convenient, and is beautiful at scale (but not there yet).

The year of everyday risks

How does one live more alive ?

The concrete way I will try is taking more risks.

Not Bet the farm on red, or Climb Mt. Everest -type risks, but rather, the everyday ones.

Everyday risks — the small actions that come with a twinge of discomfort.

The Looking Glass: The Year of Everyday Risks

"Today’s “best practices” lead to dead ends; the best paths are new and untried."

Peter Thiel • Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

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

Job titles are just the most visible ladder of them all. It’s interesting that pompous executive job titles were invented during the Victorian era. This is when we started the trend of calling a cleaner a hygiene technician. A bin man became a waste management and disposal technician. Later on, a call-center worker became a communications... See more

Anne-Laure Le Cunff • The tyranny of job titles: from vanity growth to personal growth

Generalists have shirked the the notion of a true job title to fit their work and have followed the thread of providing value and making an impact. No wonder there’s a group of talented professionals hiding in plain sight given how constricting the traditional job titles have become in affirming our professional worth.

Culture is what happens when the community insists.

Normalizing selfishness

A solid foundation requires a robust team structure. Hiring individuals who not only have the requisite skills but also align with the company’s culture is crucial. However, building a foundation goes beyond just assembling a team; it involves nurturing and equipping them with the tools and knowledge to excel. Continuous training and professional