Succeed Without Being The Best

In The Startup of You, Reid Hoffman shares the story of Joi Ito: a successful investor, who was born in Japan and raised in the US, near Silicone Valley. Using his start-up experience and his connection to Japan, he successfully helped establish many US businesses in the country.

Why was he so successful? Because of combining his unique strengths.

Is he the only person with start-up experience who does investing in Silicone Valley? No.

Is the the only person with roots in both the US and Japan? No.

But he is one of the few who combines this kind of work experience with deep connections in Japan. This made him the right person to help US businesses penetrate this difficult market.

We often think being successful means being the best. But examples like Joi Ito show us that combining expertise in different fields can be more effective than focusing on being the best in one area.

Think about your specific skills, interest, experiences and advantages, and find ways they connect, like the circles in a Venn diagram. This will reveal the areas where you have a distinct advantage over others, even if you are not “the best“.

Shelf Shocks

1. How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life by Catherine Price  

As the warm spring weather arrives, we all have more reasons to go outside, rather than stay at home on our phones. This is why Catherine Price’s guide on breaking your phone addiction may be the perfect book for the season!

The award-winning science journalist advocates we form a more healthy relationship with our devices and offers a 30-day plan to help you take back control of your mental peace.

2. Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company by Andrew S. Grove

Andrew S. Grove is the former CEO of top chip manufacturer Intel. He led the company to soaring heights, as well as navigated it through challenging periods.

He introduces the concept of Strategic Inflection Point, which he defines as a cataclysmic event, during which the typical rules of business go out the window and leaders must adapt. Part memoir, part business book, this work will introduce you to a brilliant leader and businessman.

3. Very Bad People: The Inside Story of the Fight Against the World’s Network of Corruption by Patrick Alley

Since 1993, the NGO Global Witness is on a mission to expose and eliminate corruption and human rights abuses on a global level. Their meticulous investigations have opposed dictators, changed legislation, impacted wars and saved lives.

Very Bad People covers their battles with the world’s shadow network of corruption. It exposes how immoral and greedy the world can be, but also shines a light on the brave souls who dare to oppose the system.

Helpful Articles

1. Betting on yourself as a freelancer

Impostor syndrome and feeling inadequate at your job are something most of us have dealt with. Valerie Young has broken down the main causes for this behaviour.

If you identify as one of those types of professionals, Mailchimp have shared actionable steps to help you overcome Impostor syndrome and build up your confidence.

3. What is Keyword Research? (And How to Do It Right)

With Google receiving over 8.5 billion searches in a DAY, you’d be wise to put your brand in a position where it can be found in one of the trillion annual searches.

This detailed keywords guide will teach you need to know about creating your keywords strategy and answers questions like “How Many Times Should I Use a Keyword in My Content?” and “What is the Best Keyword Research Tool?”

Fun Links

1. HeyOrca LinkedIn Newsletter webinar

If you are curious about starting your own newsletter and would like to test the waters, Linkedin Newsletters are a great place to start. Why is it special? It is super easy to set-up and you can reach the audience you’ve already accumulated on the platform.

To learn more about the process of creating your newsletter, join HeyOrca’s webinar on Thursday, 15 June. Register here!

2. Neil.fun: Space elevator

If you enjoyed Neil’s deep dive into the depths of the ocean, you will be happy to learn he has aimed his gaze at the skies as well.

The space elevator lets you scroll up to the stratosphere and learn what altitude do space shuttles reach and what was the length of the biggest bomb ever detonated.

You've reached the end of my newsletter. Hooray! If you have any comments or would like to share what you enjoyed the most, feel free to get in touch! See you in two weeks!