Getting hired at a startup series: Know thyself (1 of 5)

Tip #1: Know thyself. Your purpose and your values.

Here’s a little story for ya. I spent time with Gary Player, the legendary golfer, one night in 2008 at the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Banquet. It is one of the most memorable nights of my life. In his speech he said a quote attributed to an unknown author:

“The greatest battle of life is fought out within the silent chambers of the soul. A victory on the inside of a (person’s) heart is worth a hundred conquests on the battlefields of life. To be master of yourself is the best guarantee that you will be master of the situation. Know thyself. The crown of character is self-control.”

Know thyself. But what does this mean? At its core, it means having a clear picture of your (1) Purpose, and (2) Values. And it’s an exercise that every person, whether thinking about transitioning into a new career opportunity or not, should spend time on. Why is this important? Because, if you know yourself, you will have the best guarantee of mastering the situation.

How do I begin figuring out my purpose?

We’ve all been asked some version of the following question: “What would you do with your life if you had a million dollars? If money were no object?” The reason this question continues to resonate with people is that it strips away the concept of doing something simply to pay the bills. It pushes you to think differently about what you really care about.

The answer is more straightforward than you might think: Where do you truly enjoy spending your time?

Try answering these questions:

1. Are there particular people you idolize who you read up on online? Who are they? Are they tech leaders like Musk? Politicians like Biden?

2. Are there podcasts you listen to regularly that you listen to to learn (rather than just pure entertainment)? Who are the speakers? What is it you enjoy learning about?

3. Are there particular causes, initiatives, or industries, you’re interested in? Interested in learning about? Interested in talking to others within that domain about? Climate change. Space travel. Ecommerce. Crypto. Etc.

4. Who are the people you like surrounding yourself the most with who you enjoy learning from? Why?

5. And on the other side of the equation: what/who do you hate spending your time on? What relationships are draining to you rather than fulfilling? Avoid the things that suck your soul and detract from your happiness.

Your goal here is to get curious. And to make a list of all of the things that you are spending your time absorbing. Write them down. Look for common themes. And take a stab at writing a purpose statement in one of these formats:

• I exist to _________________.

• I empower ______________.

• I help _______________ to __________________.

• I believe ______________.

Here is my purpose: I empower Operators in the pursuit of greatness.

By defining your purpose, you will eliminate 90% of opportunities that come your way, and for the best. It will allow you to focus on those opportunities that truly resonate from your soul. And if no opportunity presents itself, it may mean starting your own business to seize that opportunity.

How do I begin figuring out my values?

I think answering this statement is the fastest path forward to figuring out your own values: If I (you) were CEO of my own company and had to hire my first employee today, what would my values be that would ensure that employee was the right fit? Then begin writing.

To those who have never been asked that question before, it comes across as a weird and uncomfortable question. I mean… it’s not like you were taught in elementary school to write down your values, or in college for that matter. And many 80-year-olds have never done the exercise before either. But it’s an important question to answer before you try to get a job at a new company for one important reason: No match of fit is more important than a mutual fit in values. A misalignment in values is the #1 thing I’ve seen break up cofounders. It’s the #1 reason I’ve seen execs toil over company strategy. And it’s the #1 reason I’ve seen employees depart companies. And many people don’t even realize that’s the reason why it happens.

When you’re writing, think through these questions:

1. What do I value in my closest friends? (Dreamers, hard workers, honest, direct, fun, etc)

2. What do I value in the best boss I’ve ever had? (Empowerment, speed of action, decision making, etc)

3. What do I value in my family members? (Trust, availability, comfort)

4. What do I value in fellow employees?

Often times the easiest way to figure out what you value is by simply looking around you.

For a list of my values, view them here.

Next: Spend time making sure there’s a match between your values and the company’s values.

Write down the values of each company you get excited about, and then compare to your own values. 50% of the time these values are on their company’s website. Almost always the best companies have their values public… and almost always the worst companies don’t. Surprising? No. The best companies WANT everyone to know what they stand for. The worst companies hide them (or haven’t even gone through the exercise of writing them down and making them public…. massive, massive red flag).

Knowing your values and knowing the values of the company will allow you to now only know yourself when it comes time to interview, but it will also allow you to make a better decision as it relates to “fit” within a company. There’s nothing like feeling “at home” and at peace being at a company with fellow comrades who you know are completely aligned with who you are, your purpose, and where you want to go.

Do the research. Write it down. Be ready to speak to both your values and the company’s values in an interview, and give yourself the best chance of landing the role.