Jump Off the Cliff
Inspired by on Lenny's Podcast
Chamath drew a picture on a whiteboard that changed how an operator thought about her whole career - and it explains why safe choices often aren't.
Molly Graham was being recruited to Facebook. Chamath drew her a picture.
'He said, the way a lot of people do careers is a set of stairs. Just walk up the stairs and you'll get promoted every two years. But that is boring. The much more fun careers are like jumping off cliffs. You do fall, but then you climb out way beyond where the stairs could ever get you.'
The J-curve versus the stairs.
The stair climbers stay safe. They know exactly what's coming. But they never get very far.
The cliff jumpers take real risks. They look stupid for a while - falling, flailing, figuring it out. But they end up somewhere the stairs could never reach.
Teach your kids to jump. Let them try things they're not ready for. Let them struggle. Let them fall and climb back up.
The kid who always plays it safe ends up on the stairs. The kid who jumps off cliffs ends up somewhere much more interesting.
PM Theme: Career growth
Parenting Theme: Taking healthy risks
“Chamath, when he pitched me on this job, actually drew me a picture on a whiteboard. He said, the way a lot of people do careers is a set of stairs. Just walk up the stairs and you'll get promoted every two years. But that is boring. The much more fun careers are like jumping off cliffs and you do fall, but then you climb out way beyond where the stairs could ever get you.”Molly Graham · 00:00:46
