A presentation adapted from "The Startup of You" by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha. I was the keynote presentation at the "Noche de las telecomunicaciones valencianas" meeting in Valencia, Spain.

1. Career lessons from Silicon Valley
Noche de las telecomunicaciones valencianas
©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 1
Michael Korcuska
LinkedIn
May 16, 2013
Twitter: @mkorcuska

2. COITCV (& AVIT) Junta on LinkedIn
Earliest
Adopter
Ignacio
Despujol
Most
Connected
Sergio
Riolobos
!
!
Most
Popular
Gonzalo
Terrasa
Mellado
!
!
Most
Endorsed
Aristóteles
Cañero
Villegas

3. Cuando vivíamos en cuevas, éramos
todos autónomos (…), buscábamos
nuestra comida y nos alimentábamos
solos. Así comenzó la historia de la
humanidad. Pero cuando llegó la
civilización, los reprimimos. Nos
convertimos en “trabajadores” porque
nos dijeron “sois trabajadores”, y
olvidamos que éramos empresarios.
—MUHAMMAD YUNUS
Nobel Peace Prize winner and microfinance pioneer
Todos los seres
humanos somos
empresarios.

4. Austerity

5. [Companies] have used the pressure of
the recession to become even more
productive by deploying more
automation technologies, software,
outsourcing, robotics — anything they
can use to make better
products with reduced
headcount and health care and
pension liabilities. That is not going to
change. And while many of them are
hiring, they are increasingly picky. They
are all looking for ... people who
can invent, adapt and
reinvent their jobs every day, in
a market that changes faster than ever.!
Thomas Friedman!
NewYork Times Columnist!
Author of TheWorld is Flat!

6. ¿Cuán seguro es tu trabajo?
©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 6
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OECD Employment Protection Index 2010 – Permanent Workers

7. An employer may terminate its employees at will, for any or
no reason ... the employer may act peremptorily, arbitrarily, or
inconsistently, without providing specific protections such as
prior warning, fair procedures, objective evaluation, or
preferential reassignment ... The mere existence of an
employment relationship affords no expectation, protectable
by law, that employment will continue…!

8. We must adapt to the CHALLENGES of professional life today...
¿Positivo? ¿Negativo?

9. The career escalator is CROWDED.

10. Our assumptions about work are CHANGING.

11. There are NEW RULES, and we should know them.

12. REID HOFFMAN BEN CASNOCHA
Cofounder and Chairman of Entrepreneur and Author
El mejor negocio eres tú!
The Start-up of You!

13. Today you need to think of yourself
as an entrepreneur in charge of
one start-up venture: YOUR
CAREER.

14. ALL HUMANS ARE ENTREPRENEURS
Todos los seres humanos somos emprendedores
DEVELOP A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
PLAN TO ADAPT
IT TAKES A NETWORK
PURSUE BREAKOUT OPPORTUNITIES
TAKE INTELLIGENT RISKS
WHO YOU KNOW IS WHAT YOU KNOW

15. We need to rediscover our ENTREPRENEURIAL INSTINCTS
and use them to forge new career paths.

16. 2La solución tiene dos partes.

17. FIRST, a mindset of
PERMANENT BETA
BETA PERMANENTE
We can always IMPROVE.

18. Second, an entrepreneurial
SKILL SET
taken from the best of Silicon Valley.

19. ALL HUMANS ARE ENTREPRENEURS
DEVELOP A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Crea una ventaja competitiva
PLAN TO ADAPT
IT TAKES A NETWORK
PURSUE BREAKOUT OPPORTUNITIES
TAKE INTELLIGENT RISKS
WHO YOU KNOW IS WHAT YOU KNOW

20. In a world where
A MILLION PEOPLE CAN DO YOUR JOB...

21. Be Different
To win, companies develop
CLEAR REASONS WHY
customers should choose them.

22. Zappos DIFFERENTIATED ITSELF
from other e-commerce companies by offering
free shipping both ways and great customer service.

23. Zappos massively DIFFERENTIATED ITSELF
ZARA offers the newest fashions before the
competition. They sell at higher prices with less
excess inventory.

24. You don’t need to be better than all professionals.

25. You don’t need to be better than all professionals.
You just need to be better in a
LOCAL, PROFESSIONAL NICHE.

26. THREE PUZZLE PIECES
define our position in the market
And determine the course each of us should take.
TRES PIEZAS DEL ROMPECABEZAS
señalan tu dirección y tu ventaja competitiva

27. activos!
aspiraciones!
la realidad del mercado!

28. Aspiraciones
Where you might like
to go in the future.

29. POPULAR CAREER PLANNING ADVICE
says you should find your passion
and then pursue it.

30. This idea is appealing,
but is INCORRECT.
Or at least INCOMPLETE.

31. Following your passion but
not being very good at it
for very long.
WON’T MAKE YOU HAPPY

32. But don’t choose something you find boring.!

33. La realidad del mercado
What someone will
pay you for.

34. Skills that can’t earn money
WON’T GET YOU VERY
FAR.

35. One way to upgrade your competitive position is by
upgrading your ASSETS—INVEST IN YOURSELF.

36. Just as start-ups in the early days
prioritize growth over profitability...
LEARNING beats EARNING
>!

37. >!
You’ll likely lead
as well as make more money.
LEARNING beats EARNING
A MORE MEANINGFUL LIFE,

38. You can become
more competitive by
CHANGING THE
ENVIRONMENT
you play in.

39. Some American basketball players who are not good enough to
play in the NBA move to Spain.

40. Some Spanish football players no longer good enough
to play in Spain move to the US.

41. Their SKILLS are competitive in a different MARKET.

42. Picking a MARKET NICHE
where you are better than
the competition is a key to
entrepreneurial strategy.

43. ALL HUMANS ARE ENTREPRENEURS
DEVELOP A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
PLAN TO ADAPT
El plan para adaptarse
IT TAKES A NETWORK
PURSUE BREAKOUT OPPORTUNITIES
TAKE INTELLIGENT RISKS
WHO YOU KNOW IS WHAT YOU KNOW

44. POPULAR CAREER ADVICE
says you should decide where you want to be in
5-10 years and then develop a plan to get there.

45. This idea sounds good,
but is INCORRECT.
Or at best INCOMPLETE.

46. It assumes A WORLD THAT DOES NOT CHANGE.
But you CHANGE, the competition
CHANGES, and the world CHANGES.

47. But your identity is found through
EXPERIMENTATION.
It assumes that you can learn about yourself by
THINKING alone.

48. LEARN
BY DOING.
Aprende
con la
práctica.

49. ACTIONS, NOT PLANS,
create the lessons that
help you adapt to the
next phase of your
journey.
LEARN
BY DOING.

50. What move will
the quantity and quality of
later opportunities?
THINK TWO
STEPS AHEAD.
MAXIMIZE

51. Entrepreneurial career planning
is about being
Always ready to adapt, but also
persistent in driving toward goals.
FLEXIBLE &
PERSISTENT

52. Craft an aspirational PLAN A,
an alternative PLAN B, and
an unchanging, certain PLAN Z.

53. PLAN A
What you’re doing now.
Your current implementation of
your competitive advantage.

54. PLAN B
You pivot to B when
your plan isn’t working
or when you discover
a better way toward
your goal.

55. PLAN Z
You use plan Z if something goes
very wrong. It’s the lifeboat you can
jump in if your other plans fail.

56. Did you know that the photo sharing site
started out as a multiplayer online game?

57. Did you know that
COO of Facebook,
began her career in India?
There, she worked on
public health projects
for the World Bank.
SHERYL
SANDBERG,
!

58. Did you know that
Chair of Dia Group,
earned a PhD in Materials
Science at UC Berkeley?
She had a grant from the
Atomic Energy Commission.
Ana María
Llopis!

59. An experimental PLAN A,
an alternative PLAN B, and
an conservative PLAN Z.
This is
ABZ PLANNING.

60. ALL HUMANS ARE ENTREPRENEURS
DEVELOP A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
PLAN TO ADAPT
IT TAKES A NETWORK
Se necesita una red
PURSUE BREAKOUT OPPORTUNITIES
TAKE INTELLIGENT RISKS
WHO YOU KNOW IS WHAT YOU KNOW

61. Relationships matter because INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE
IS ESSENTIAL TO EVERY JOB.

62. OPPORTUNITIES do not float like balloons in the sky

63. They're attached to PEOPLE.

64. If you're looking for an OPPORTUNITY,
you're really looking for a PERSON.

65. People control
RESOURCES, OPPORTUNITIES, INFORMATION

66. THE PEOPLE YOU SPEND TIME WITH
shape the person you are today and
the person you want to be tomorrow.

67. 2There are two types of
PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

68. People you consult regularly for advice.
You trust their JUDGMENT.
1. ALLIES

69. You
on opportunities together.
PURPOSEFULLY COLLABORATE

70. You PROMOTE an ally to other connections.

71. When an ally comes into conflict, you DEFEND him.
And he does the same for you when times get tough.

72. 2. WEAKER TIES AND
ACQUAINTANCES

73. While not as vital as allies, acquaintances
INTRODUCE DIVERSITY to your network.

74. They come from different social groups or industries.
Then can help you find opportunities or information
OUTSIDE YOUR INNER CIRCLE.

75. While there’s a limit to the number of
people you can ever know at one time...

76. ...you are part of a broader network of
FRIENDS OF FRIENDS and
FRIENDS OF FRIENDS OF FRIENDS
—second and third degree connections—
for which there is VIRTUALLY NO LIMIT.

78. Your network is
than you think.
BIGGER

79. ©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 79
4700 telecommunications professionals in
Valencia (on LinkedIn)
210.000 1st degree connections
8.608.000 2nd degree connections

80. If you’re not asking for or giving INTRODUCTIONS
to these second degree connections,
you are not using your network.

81. ©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 81
http://inmaps.linkedinlabs.com/!
LinkedIn
Sakai
DigitalThink
CognitiveArts

82. ©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 82

83. ©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 83

84. Finally, remember
that relationships
are like any living thing...

85. If they’re not getting
STRONGER,
they are getting
WEAKER.

86. by sending articles, making
introductions, collaborating
on projects, and staying in
touch.
STRENGTHEN
RELATIONSHIPS

87. Consider creating an
Use it to pay for coffee,
lunch, and a train ticket to meet
new people and strengthen
existing relationships.
INTERESTING
PEOPLE FUND

88. ALL HUMANS ARE ENTREPRENEURS
DEVELOP A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
PLAN TO ADAPT
IT TAKES A NETWORK
PURSUE BREAKOUT OPPORTUNITIES
Busca oportunidades rompedoras
TAKE INTELLIGENT RISKS
Asume riesgos inteligentes
WHO YOU KNOW IS WHAT YOU KNOW

89. ALL HUMANS ARE ENTREPRENEURS
DEVELOP A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
PLAN TO ADAPT
IT TAKES A NETWORK
PURSUE BREAKOUT OPPORTUNITIES
TAKE INTELLIGENT RISKS
WHO YOU KNOW IS WHAT YOU KNOW
A quién conoces es cuánto sabes

90. La forma más
significativa de
diferenciar tu empresa
de tus competidores, la
mejor manera de
distanciarte de la
multitud, es realizar un
excelente trabajo con la
información.
—BILL GATES
Cómo
reúnes, gestionas y
utilizas la información
determinard si vences
o eres derrotado.

91. This could not be more true today.
But the way we’ve learned to
think about information and knowledge is
INSUFFICIENT.

92. Our educational system trains us to MEMORIZE FACTS
stored in textbooks and then rewrite them on an exam.

93. But as a modern professional,
you can’t acquire knowledge this way,
because the knowledge you need isn’t static—
IT IS ALWAYS CHANGING.

94. In the world of work, EVERY DAY brings new
challenges and decisions.

95. Collecting facts won’t get us anywhere.
What will get us somewhere is being able to access
the information we need WHEN WE NEED IT.

96. You get the intelligence you need to make good career
decisions by TALKING TO PEOPLE in your network.

97. IT S PEOPLE who help you understand your
assets, aspirations, and the market realities.

98. IT S PEOPLE who help you find and choose
possible allies and trusted connections.

99. When you tap into other people’s brains it is called
NETWORK INTELLIGENCE.

100. To pull intelligence from your network,
you need to MAP YOUR NETWORK
so you know who knows what.

101. Then you need to ask questions
that elicit USEFUL ANSWERS.

102. So START tapping into your network.

103. El objetivo.
Conectar a los profesionales del
mundo para ayudarles a aumentar su
productividad y rendimiento.

104. 225M members and counting
2 4
8
17
32
55
90
145
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
LinkedIn Members (Millions)
200+
2 new members every second
More than 30.000 during tonight’s event

105. ~50 million in
Europe
©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 105

106. ©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 106
4700 telecommunications professionals in
Valencia (on LinkedIn)
210,000 1st degree connections
8,608,000 2nd degree connections

107. FY 2011!
Identity: Connect, find and be found
5,7B+!Search"
Queries!

108. Insights: Be great at what you do
Feb 2012!
2B+! Network Updates!
Viewed Weekly!1M+!Professional"
Groups!1,5M! Publishers!

109. 27%!UniqueVisiting Members
Come Through Mobile Apps!
Feb 2013!
100K+! Developers "
using our APIs!
Everywhere: Working where you work

110. The business of connecting talent with opportunity
Talent "
Solutions!
Marketing "
Solutions!
Premium "
Subscriptions !
~55% of Revenue ~25% of Revenue ~20% of Revenue
Revenue of more than $1,25B USD in the last 12 months
Q1 2013 revenue was 72% higher than Q1 2012

111. economic graphEconomic graph
©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 112

112. READ
THE BOOK
TO TRANSFORM
YOUR CAREER
http://tinyurl.com/
startuperestu!

113. But most of all, START making
your own unique career plans.

114. For life in PERMANENT BETA,
the trick is to NEVER STOP STARTING.

115. The start-up is YOU.