Runnin´ down a dream job

I found this presentation last week on chasing your dream job by Bill Gurley and thought it was quite interesting (its 1hr long). The talk gives five examples of people who decided to pursue their passions and the journey that led them to succeed. Even though I knew most of who these people were, I had no idea of how they got started and the similar patterns that got them there.

You can have a listen to the details of each of the examples: Bobby Knight – Indiana University Head Coach, Bob Dylan – Singer, Danny Meyer – Union Sq Café / Shake Shack, Sam Hinkie – GM of Philadelphia 76ers, Katrina Lake – Founder of Stitch Fix.

Bill does an amazing job of tying these stories together in a way that you realize that their success is not random, its earned! Below are the similar strains that Bill identified from these examples:

1. Find your passion

2. Hone your craft

3. Develop mentors

4. Embrace peers

5. Always be gracious and humble

Although all points are important to the stories, I was particularly amazed about the aggressiveness that most of them had when it came to developing mentors. Both Bobby Knight and Danny Meyer made written lists of leading individuals in their fields, found ways to connect with them and developed relationships that would help throughout their careers.

The presentation talks about the importance of pursuing your passion, working harder than the rest, surrounding yourself with top mentors / peers and giving back once you have succeeded. I found that this is a great framework to remember as we build careers in whatever field we are passionate about. It sure got me thinking about a few things to improve!