Book: What I wish I knew when I was 20
12/04/2016 09:24:00 amAuthor: Tina Seeling (Executive Director of Stanford Technology Ventures Program)
Good read packed with anecdotes with 9 main lessons. As a fresh graduate, I felt that this was a refreshing read since a lot of the anecdotes are situated in campus setting. I do think those who are still in college or in their 20s should read this book to gain new perspectives.
1) Buy One, Get Two Free
Anecdote: Students did a “$5 Challenge” where they were told to generate as much money as possible. They reinterpret this problem as how could they make money if they started with absolutely nothing. Interestingly, one group identified that the most precious resource was their 3 minutes presentation slot and sold it to a company that wanted to recruit the students in the class.
This evolved into “10 paperclip challenge” which was inspired by Kyle Macdonald who started with one paperclip and eventually managed to trade it for a house. Though, I felt that the story was more of a publicity stunt, nevertheless it was an interesting concept.
Main Lessons:
1) Opportunities are abundant
2) Creative ways to use the resources you have
3) Take a broader approach to problems
2) The upside-down circus
Focus: Problem Blindness – Balloon angioplasty, Reluctance to ATM machines, Diapers, Cirque du Soleil
3) Bikini or Die
Anecdote: Exercise with staff responsible for Stanford’s art events that was tasked to come up the worst business idea. Recommendations: Cockroach Sushi and selling Bikinis in Antarctica. “Bikini or Die” was the slogan for the business idea to take people to Antarctica to get into shape so that they would be able to fit into their bikinis. Another story was how Cooliris, company that creates immersive web browsing experience, that initially had problems hiring people, but they transformed it to be the “IT” place to be at.
4) Please take out your wallets
Main Lessons:
1) Moving from one field to another: Figure out how your skills can be translated into a different setting, reframing your skills
2) Research shows the those willing to stretch the boundaries of their current skill and those willing to try something new are more likely to more likely to be successful than those who believe they have a fixed skill and innate abilities that lock them into specific roles (Carol Dweck). Those with a growth mindset are typically more open to take risk and tend to work harder to reach their objectives.
5) The Secret Sauce of Silicon Valley
Anecdote: Writing a failed resume on aspects Professional Failures, Academic Failures, Personal Failures (Think I shall write one, perhaps, I can look back throughout the years)
Main Lessons:
1) Quitting Well. On how the way you exit, have irrevocable reputation damage on your reputation. On a personal level, I can relate to that. My groupmate decided not to present on the day of the presentation though we prepared for it. Up to today, some are still apprehensive of doing a project together with my previous groupmate.
2) Progress of career: 3 Dimension Pyramid as opposed to a 2 Dimension Ladder. Lateral moves along the side of the pyramid allows you to build the base/foundation of skill & experience that may prove to be valuable
3) Risk: Physical, Social, Emotional, Financial and Intellectual
Anecdote: Steve Jobs being fired from Apple and creating NeXT
6) No way … Engineering is for Girls
Main Lessons: Career – Hitting the goldmine where your skills, interests and market intersect
1) Reassess life and career frequently, to tell when is the time to move on to new environment to excel
7) Turn Lemonade into Helicopters
Quote (From Tina Seelig’s father) – The harder you work, the luckier you get. Reminder that you have to put yourself into position to be lucky, by maximising your chances to be prepared physically, intellectually and emotionally. The author shares how this book was the result of talking to someone sitting next to her on the plane.
Anecdote: Steve Jobs learning calligraphy when he drop out of college, where he eventually use it ten years later, when he designed the first Macintosh with beautiful calligraphy
8) Paint the target around the arrow
Main Lessons:
1) Appreciating people. I used to do this when I was much younger, but as the years get by, I feel more jaded, where it feels like I am the only one putting in the effort. I do agree that this contributes largely to one reputation. To relate, I think I failed an interview session because my reputation was not that good.
2) Helping others – Doing it the mensch way, helping others even though they seem unable to help you back.
9) Will this be on the Exam?
Main Lessons:
1) Doing just enough versus doing to your full potential. As a student, I have asked the teacher this question many times. But, I feel there needs to be a balance, prioritising what is important. So, I do agree to this but on some counts, I disagree too.
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