Early career years are intimidating—there's so much that feels out of your control. Here are the career principles I wish I knew when I was starting out:
Principle: Play long-term games. Humans are wired to think short-term—where's my next meal, what animal might kill me? This means that there is asymmetric upside from being long-term focused in a sea of short-term thinkers. Always play the long game. When in doubt, zoom out.
Principle: Build horsepower and brakes. Horsepower builds your upside—it's how you accelerate. Brakes protect your downside—they're a safety net. Strong horsepower allows you to accelerate when given an opportunity—brakes allow you to do it confidently. Build both to win.
Principle: Develop advice filters. Most advice sucks. It's well-intentioned, but it's dangerous to use someone else's map of reality to navigate yours—even if they're experienced. Learn to filter and selectively implement advice. Take the signal, skip the noise.
Principle: Swallow the frog for your boss. One of the greatest hacks to getting ahead early in your career: (1) Observe your boss (2) Figure out what they hate doing (3) Learn to do it (4) Take it off their plate It's a clear way to add value, put up a win, and build momentum.
Principle: Build storytelling skills. World-changing CEOs aren't the smartest or most talented in their organizations. They are exceptional at: • Aggregating data • Communicating it simply & effectively Data in, story out. Build that skill and you'll always be valuable.
Principle: Do the "old fashioned" things well. Simple things that still stand out: • Look people in the eye • Be true to your word • Be on time • Practice good posture • Hold the door • Be kind • Have a confident handshake Some things will never go out of style.
Principle: Create your own maps. You can read every business book in the world and study every mental model in existence, but ultimately the only way to learn is by DOING. Reading and studying is nothing without battle-testing. Have a bias for action and create your own maps.
Principle: Learn to enjoy being wrong. Finding the truth is much more important than being right. Retrain your mind to embrace new information that forces a change in viewpoint. View each "software update" as an improvement upon the old. Open mindsets rule the world.
Principle: Build a Personal Board of Advisors. "Mentorship” has become too formal—asking someone to be your mentor feels like a big commitment. Instead, build a Personal Board of Advisors. A diverse group of 5-10 people you can go to for questions, advice, or feedback.
Principle: Work hard first, and smart later. It's in vogue to say that working smart is all that matters. I disagree. If you want to accomplish anything, you have to start by working hard. Build a reputation for hard work—take pride in it. Then build leverage to work smart.
Principle: Closed mouths don't get fed. Don't sit back and wait for good things to happen. A little push goes a long way. If you want something—and you’ve put in the work for it—ask for it. Worst case: you’re told no and nothing has changed. Best case: it’s yours.
Principle: Learn to sell. To be successful, you either need to know how to build or you need to know how to sell. In most fields, the more you progress, the more of your job becomes sales. Learn to sell—yourself, your ideas, your vision—and you'll always make it.
Principle: Focus more on questions than answers. The most intelligent people don't have the best answers—they ask the best questions. Asking great questions is how you uncover the truth. The leaders you admire combine an ability to ask great questions with a bias for action.
Principle: Stop comparing yourself to others. Early in your career, it's tempting to compare your progress to those around you. • This person made X. • That person got 30 Under 30. • She raised X for her startup. It's natural—but dangerous. Learn to turn it off.
Principle: Prioritize experience, not salary. A 10x better foundational experience compounds more effectively than an extra $10K in salary. You should be compensated fairly, but not all compensation is monetary. Your career is a long game. Build a foundation that compounds.
Principle: Stop multitasking. Multitasking is fake productivity. You're creating motion and churning out a bunch of C+ work. Instead, create an environment where you can get locked in on a single task. Learn to compartmentalize—avoid attention residue when switching tasks.
Principle: Own your mistakes. When you're starting out, you're going to suck at most things. You'll make mistakes—that's ok. What's not ok: • Not owning the mistakes • Making the same mistake twice When you screw up, own it. Then build a system so it never happens again.
Principle: Find your growth tribe. Having a decentralized friend group to grow with is a real competitive advantage. • Unconnected to other groups • Different backgrounds • Range of experience sets • Novel perspectives This is your growth tribe. It’s a huge value unlock.
Principle: Prioritize people and relationships. Everything in life eventually comes down to people and relationships. Cultivate deep relationships, but also learn to appreciate the power of loose ties. You can go far in life by being someone that people enjoy having around.
Principle: Energy for learning is everything. Your college grades don't matter anymore, but your energy for learning does. Rote memorization won't get you very far in your career. Curiosity and enthusiasm for learning will. Find what inspires you and go deep.
Principle: Get rid of your boat anchors. As you continue to progress, there will be people who—intentionally or unintentionally—try to hold you back. • They tell you to come home. • They tell you to be realistic. • They laugh at your ambition. Eliminate them from your life.
Principle: Build a reputation for "figuring it out". You'll be given a lot of tasks you have no idea how to complete. There's nothing more valuable than someone who can just figure it out. • Do some work • Ask the key questions • Get it done People will fight over you.
Principle: Build core macro skills. Macro skills include: • Thinking • Writing • Learning • Selling • Communicating These skills are broadly-applicable to any future pursuits—valuable across domains. If you can master them, you'll always be able to find productive work.
Those are the key principles I wish I knew when I was starting my career. Follow me @SahilBloom for more writing on careers, business, and growth. I will write a deep-dive on this topic in my newsletter. Join 108,000+ others who will get it!
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