I think about Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers all the time, where he talks about just how significant tons of practice is. The amount of time writers put into creating content, refining it, revising it, figuring out which audiences it speaks to puts them in a class unlike others. True masters of their craft, few are likely to compare on raw talent. Couple that with frequent feedback, both from editors and the public at large, and it makes sense that their work is much more likely to be impeccable.
I am not a professional writer. I almost was. Back when I was in college, I regularly wrote for money, and entertained offers to ghost-write. I wanted to work at a think tank after college, get a PHD in political or economic theory, and influence the world as a public intellectual. Unfortunately, I think that dream died when it felt as if my skills weren’t worth nurturing. No think tanks were interested in me, except from a marketing and copywriting perspective. I wouldn’t be thinking about ideas, I’d be selling. But, if I was going to sell, why would I work in an industry that pays me sub-market wages?
I instead chose to lead other people through implementations and projects. I didn’t major in a business-ee or people-leading field of study. Instead, I mostly picked up those skills on the job, where I learned the ups and downs of leading people. Through several iterations, I’ve become a lot better. The idea that I’d move fast, break things, readjust has served me well, where I’ve managed to iron out a lot of my weaknesses a lot faster because I’m open to failing and adjusting. As I move into the next level of management, I’m building on my fundamentals and adjusting my skills towards the more lucrative and challenging goals. Instead of taking a backseat and letting things fail, and deflect responsibility, I’m eager to drag projects kicking and screaming over the finish line, and understand what comes with that mindset. I picked up a couple of certifications while working full-time because that seems like the best time, rather than later in my career. Plus, I’ve improved my public speaking and communication skills through standup, newspaper columning, blogging, debate, improv, and other social activities.
In the meantime, I’ve been trying to better understand what skill I’d like to develop next. I’ve spent the last year or so learning to code, do upper level statistics, and data analysis so that I can be proficient, especially since I already work in technology. I think at this point I’m able to perform the functions of Excel, SQL, and Python, but I want to make sure that I can serve as an effective leader in the field. Hence, I’m learning AWS’s framework, how to work with Linux, cybersecurity, and broader back-end architecture. I don’t plan on building strong front-end understanding, and it doesn’t seem to limit my ability to keep growing.
The other two areas that I think I’m going to branch into are sales and higher level strategy. Getting these two areas in a better place will allow me to run the type of startup that I want to do.
I’ve been eating a lot of shit. A lot of things that I want I don’t have the experience for, nor the skills. I also don’t have a lot of money to spend on consultants, despite the fact that I’ve also been investing in my education.
I’d like to run my own thing, and bootstrap whatever I can. And, I know I’ll get there, but it can be frustrating when it feels like it’ll take forever for me to get to where I want to be.
Isadore Johnson's Website 