The Start Up of You

A decade ago Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn Co-founder and Chairman with Venture Capitalist Ben Casnocha (who was Reid’s Chief of Staff) wrote the career strategy guide ‘The Start Up of You’. I love that quote below from a decade ago!

The career landscape has changed in the last decade and they just pressed the refresh button and updated the book for a very different post pandemic world. The new version came out last week.

It was THE Careers book, a New York Times bestseller and a disruptor in it’s day – with it’s emphasis on an entrepreneurial mindset and using start up strategies to boost your career. It is still no 25 on Amazon Career Guides and much of it is still relevant, but the update is very timely.

If you have not read the original you learn to apply start up strategies and mindsets to your career. Start ups are nimble, they invest in themselves, build their networks and take intelligent risks. If you take the books advice – you go do the same.

Not surprisingly with Reid and Ben’s roles there is a big focus on networks and relationships. As Lynda Gratton of London Business School suggests in her recent Strategy + Business article ‘Maintaining Network Connections’ (link below) – post pandemic with the increase in hybrid working we all need to think through how we now build networks with different kinds of relationships. This book is a great starter guide for this.

‘The Start Up of You’ was one of the inspirations for me to do a deep dive into 21st century future skills. The four roles I work with – Owner, Discoverer, Player and Deliverer align with the old and new book; with both emphasising investing in your career so you stay relevant and ahead of the curve.

For those based in the UK, Amazon is a bit confusing currently as it has both versions showing together. The new Hardback and Audible versions are the updated books. The paperback and any second hand copies are the 2013 version.

My great find whilst looking for more details on the new book was Ben Casnocha‘s awesome Blog. I attach a link in the first comment to the article he wrote about 16 lessons he learned working with Reid. If you want an intro before you buy it – his next blog posts on his site will be exploring the new book further.

With business books I tend to listen first on Audible and if I want to integrate lessons from it – I then do a deeper dive into the relevant part of the book. I am listening now.

Happy reading or listening.