Finding the right fit

How to create your leverage?

The world will make you think that hard work is everything. IITians and founders and FAANGers have stories of hard work and so you feel that hard work is the solution to all your problems - if only you could push yourself a little more.

But if hard work was everything then rickshaw pullers and construction workers would be on top of the pyramid. Then?

You'll say, hard work with a direction is important. Then how do you decide which direction is right? In fact, in today's IG influencer world, everyone is selling a lifestyle. A marketer is good at marketing Digital Marketing course and can make you believe that direction is right.

I'll give you a mantra. Get into a field where the barrier to entry is high, as well as the market demand. This advice is not different from what Paul Graham talks about startups. Advice that people give about startups can be applied directly to your career. If you treat your career as a startup you need to make yourself available in a field where demand is high and also where getting IN is not easy. This is called Career Market Fit (CMF).

If it's tough to get into the field, it will be tougher to get experienced candidates in the field as well. And thus, with time, your leverage will increase. The world doesn't pay someone because they worked "hard'. They pay because they have the leverage. Companies pay FB and Google a lot because they are the front doors of the internet today. They have created leverage for themselves. And there's a lot of demand for getting into the Internet.

If, on the other hand, some company was at the front door of a museum they wouldn't be making this much money. Leverage, like real estate, depends on placement.

Early in your career, you have energy, you have time. Work in fields where you can create tons of leverage. When I talk about programming, and projects, and blogs, and open source and talks, and books, what I'm asking you to do is to create as much leverage as possible. In few years, you'll be on top of your field and people would be ready to pay you a premium, thanks to the leverage.

Then you can choose to work 20 hours a week and still get paid 10X that fresher. Like startups and businesses, you can create leverage in your career as well. You just need to start thinking in the right direction and find your Career Market Fit.

I have learned this the hard way. By making mistakes. And I'm trying to mentor as many people as possible to not make those mistakes. I have also talked about my mistakes quite publicly. You can watch this video to hear about my journey - https://youtu.be/kKGPLQaZmHw.

The best part about writing a newsletter is knowing that it will reach you all in a few days and hopefully help you in some way. If you still haven't, you can subscribe to tanaypratap's letters at https://tanaypratap.substack.com/.

I have a question for you this time:

Out of all the letters, videos, podcasts, tweets, etc., which one is your favorite? I am trying to understand you better and your answers would help me do so. Write down your one favorite piece of content from me that you often go back to in the comments below. Or you can tweet as well!