Don't believe the hype
Linkedin is a great business resource for new entrepreneurs. You will read a lot of inspiring words; you will also hear a lot of myths. Many of them can be discouraging, and many of them will make you feel lesser than, but don't believe the hype. Here are some myths:
Myth 1. "I sold my house and all my possessions, moved to a city and ate ramen for a year to start my business. If you're unwilling to do that, you don't want it enough".
Fact: While of course those who give it all up in pursuit of a dream should be lauded, it's not the only way. Whether for financial reasons, family reasons, or otherwise, most people are not in a position to do that, and that's ok. Successful businesses are started all the time by all kinds of people in all kinds of situations.
Myth 2. "You must work 90 hours a week to be a real entrepreneur."
Fact: I wish I was a robot who didn't need any sleep or food. I'd finally be able to catch up on back issues of the New Yorker and I am sure I would get a lot of work done. There's always someone who is going to work longer hours than you, who needs less sleep, who eats only Soylent bars and takes a 1 minute shower. Good for them, but once again, that's not the only way to do it. Your body needs sleep and food, your brain, and family, and friends need social interaction, and I'm sure everyone appreciates when you have good hygiene. Tim Ferris has a lot of great material about working shorter hours and being smarter about time management, and there are a lot of articles that suggest the same thing.
Myth 3. "I offered him/her the position of a lifetime, but they wanted more money. They missed out by being greedy and didn't see the big picture!"
Fact: They missed out all right, on a boss who has unrealistic expectations before they're even hired. This is similar to the old trope of asking someone to do something for free, for the gift of exposure. Sure, beginners in any field could benefit from exposure and sure, beginners with few opportunities would be wise to take any position that's offered, but not everyone is a beginner. There was a story about a social media influencer who asked a hotel to give them a free stay for social media exposure, and the hotel owner responded perfectly, "Who's going to pay the employees of the hotel, keep the lights on and the water running?"
Employees with experience have bills to pay also, and the bills will not evaporate if they decide to take a pay cut. In addition, there are market rates for positions that can be looked up on glassdoor, monster or plenty of other sites. You would get few applications for a CEO position at a Fortune 500 that pays $10K, and if the top prize in boxing was $10k, few would box. To be fair, there will be some applicants and some boxers who would participate, but they're not the quality candidates you want. Being reasonable is not being greedy.
Myth 4. Buzzwords
Fact: On Linkedin you see buzzwords such as "Growth Hacker", "Disrupting a Market", or the classic "Synergistic Management Solutions". To me, it makes more sense when you say social media marketing instead of growth hacker, bringing new ideas to industries instead of disrupting a market, and synergistic management solutions might as well be written in Sanskrit. In addition, if you do want to list a buzzword, make sure it's something you're doing on a constant basis. If you work with blockchain or are actively involved in the cryptocurrency market such as Nazareth Qarbozian or are by definition a growth hacker such as Josh Fletcher by all means, list it in your linkedin profile. Otherwise it won't do you any favors.
I have seen several linkedin profiles where the tagline is a string of buzzwords separated by commas. Sure, their tagline gets people's attention, but you have to dig around to tell if the person actually does any of those things or they just wanted your attention.
Myth 5. I (The Author) know what I am talking about
Fact: "A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool". As with any exercise regemin, model airplane or perscribed medicine, results may vary. Everyone uses Linkedin differently to seek different things. While the above myths don't ring true to me, perhaps to someone else they do, but I sincerely hope not.
What do you think of these Linkedin myths? Did I miss something? Did I incorrectly label anything as a myth? Can you explain synergistic management solutions?
Technical Sourcer @ Meta
6 年So true! I hate when I see people say "just drop everything! I did! And look how successful I am!!" like people really forget that not everyone has wealthy parents, or other responsibilities they really can't just abandon. Really on point with all the myths listed.
3D Printing, Prototyping, Manufacturing Consultant. Let's make something amazing for you or your company!
6 年As someone who has had several companies, trained and employed more than a handful of people, and struggled more than I've strived; I can say it's different for everyone Jacob. It matters where you begin, it matters what kind of family you have / had, and it matters the opportunities you are exposed to. Everyone is different and it's unrealistic to say that one particular method is going to work great for everyone. Truths: * You are not a machine, stop treating yourself like you are one. It leads to bad things. * Not everything that's enjoyable costs money, search for the simple things. * You don't have to be a tightwad, but you can't be a spendthrift either. Watch your cashflow. * Your people skills / soft skills matter as much as everything else. Develop them. * Focus on sustainable growth and own every aspect of your business and/or career. * Solve real problems for people and you'll always be in demand. * Your reputation and word are critical, don't compromise on them. * Don't take yourself or others too seriously, you're human and they are too!