Swagat Nahin Karoge Aap Hamara!
Building a Personal Brand in Platform Era
I have often discussed about the power of “optionality” in career trajectories- limited downside but potentially unlimited upside. Platforms can help us create optionality in career trajectory through learning and networking opportunities. Platforms can potentially help the aspirants solve the long tail problem of matching rare careers to equally rare opportunities. Our work life can be immensely benefitted by the power of platforms in aiding discovery. Hiring information platforms have made discovery an easier and faster process as compared to good old snail mail based government employment exchanges. Of course, we have niche platforms for tech jobs, creative gigs, women workers and many more.
DTW
During the Week, there was a buzz of something big happening w.r.t OTT platforms in India. Social Media was abuzz with Shah Rukh Khan launching his own social media/OTT app.
It turned out to be a marketing gimmick for Disney+Hotstar new ad campaign featuring SRK with Anurag Kashyap discussing new creative ideas which already are streaming on the OTT.
Apologies to Bhai Fans for using his lines and then just talking about SRK. Both of them would exit now.
At the start of streaming platforms era, it was niche content that was dominant and hence stars including Bollywood or even regional cinema could afford to stay away. Over last few years, both established as well as out-of-regular-cinema artists have found new avenues in OTT streaming services. Lot of analysts have put it on special circumstance owing to covid19 pandemic and feel that we might revert to older mechanisms of talent discovery.
What if this is the new normal ? How prepared are we for this way of doing business and living life ? Leveraging on the platforms to reset our goals and priorities could be way forward. We could start by developing a new playbook or even a personal working guide and if you already have one, it is time to update it to the new scenario. Whether you are an employee or an entrepreneur , you would need an updated version of your playbook. It is highly likely that this updated Covid-19 playbook would become your default playbook for near future or perhaps even longer. Platforms can help you to manage your career trajectory by helping you discover, engage, improve and even move on!
In an earlier newsletter , I have written about Japanese philosophy of Ikagai and it can provide an understanding of personal brand and platforms. Intersection of two circles of ‘What I am good at’ and ‘What I love Doing’ result in forging a personal brand.
Next circle about ‘What the World Needs’ can be loosely translated into Demand Aggregation and ‘What You Can be Paid for’ can be seen as Monetisation Strategy.
Platforms have been pathbreaking in helping us in discovery process for singers/chefs/writers/craft-persons /painters etc and all of us have an interesting story about finding our inspiration without even looking for it. For example, at Trice Community, residents in gated communities are glad to reach their favourite artists/cause directly and vice versa. Context, Community, Content and Connections are essential for personal brand building and different platforms can help you to build it lego style. I think there is an interesting personal lesson as well in trying to play around and create different combinations of our “Lego Block” like capabilities to see what clicks.
Give it a try.
OTW
Over the Weekend, Archana and I along with others friends participated in Hyderabad Runners Annual Club Run. In fact, both of us participated in Club Run after 7 long years after our debut Half Marathon in Club Run 2015. We have mostly volunteered all these years but it was great to be back at the beautiful campus of University of Hyderabad. It is a also great time to catch up our running community and share stories/plans.
Of course, it is really a pleasure to see friends getting on their active lifestyle through long distance running. All of us are proud of our new and old runner friends from Peerencheruvu Runners scaling new distances and gaining in confidence.
PCR 10K Gang- Old and New Runners!
And the PCR Half Marathon Finisher Gang!
No running event is complete without participation of IBS Hyderabad friends. This time I had the company of my current interns at Centre of Excellence for Digital transformation at IFHE Hyderabad -Hari Krishnan and Harita Sudhir - who ran their maiden 10K and have promised to target a half marathon next time. :)
Even when we are beginning to see beyond Covid19, still the road ahead is little hazy and for some may be even broken. Preparation is the key and nowhere I have learnt it more than in running. A popular adage for runners is that “You earn your medal in the practice; You just go to the start line to collect it'“. From running perspective , every day lost in training requires double the time to recover and get back to the original fitness and efficiency. For people in world of work, please do not let go of your skills and continuous upgradation. Discover #YouVersionTwoPoint0
May our tribe continues to grow.
I Love You
Shailendra
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OTM
Opportunities through MountainSpeak are available at TuniWash , an innovative social entrepreneurship venture based out of Hyderabad. Please get in touch if you would like to explore New Product Development and Promotion.
At Centre of Excellence for Digital Transformation (CeDT) at the IFHE , we would like to document and share inspirational stories from street and street facing vendors. Do let me know if you would like to collaborate for bringing smiles to our friendly neighbourhood.
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