Hard work and knowledge are the cure
As fall quarter winds down and the rush of finals gets into high gear, I find myself thinking broadly in terms of my place in the world and the economy instead of focusing in on linear algebra, fluid dynamics, and electromagnitism. A diet of Vaynerchuk, Godin, and Calacanis has me thinking about the future of technology and its place in whatever economy emerges from the current downturn. As a wannabe computer engineering major, how can I position myself to not only be ahead of the game, but to be happy doing so?
In his most recent email, Jason Calacanis offers insight into how to achieve the first part of this question:
It was our collective sloth, consumption and sense of entitlement that got us into this mess, and the only thing that will get us out will be lots of hard work.
This bodes well with Gary V’s concept of “hustle” and aligns itself with the positive side of my feelings toward capitalism. Insidious advertising, closed-mindedness, and corruption aside, a capitalist system appeals to me in that (virtually) anyone can “make it” by simply buckling down and doing work. Got an innovative idea? Build on it and capitalize.
One of the exhilarating parts of today’s software/web industry is its tendency to be a catalyst to the American dream. The cost (both monetary and temporal) of innovation in the software space is so incredibly low that the hardest part of the process becomes the search for an idea to act on. A result of this is my train of thought trying to come up with a revolutionary web service when it should be refreshing itself on linear transformation.
In times like this I try to remind myself of another Calacanis bit from TWIT a couple months ago. In essence, recessions are the best time for entrepreneurs because it gives them a quiet period of time to stay in the shadows and build value. While all this economic turmoil and fail is unfolding, you’re given the opportunity to take a step back and improve yourself so that you can rush out swinging confidently when the economy turns around.
In my case, this means buckling down and learning as much as I possibly can in school and at work. As a college student, the best thing you can do for yourself and your future is to suck it up and learn. Knowledge will always be the most valuable resource in the world and if you can increase your share of it, you’ll end up fine. Even in the face of economic meltdown.