Riding the Waves of Success: Lessons from Alexis Ohanian

The Entrepreneurial Mindset for Achieving Career Growth

In the world of career and personal success, Alexis Ohanian is a name that stands out. As the co-founder and former executive chairman of Reddit, co-founder of an early-stage venture capital fund, a partner at Y Combinator, and a Fast Company's "Most Creative People in Business" honoree, he certainly knows a thing or two about achieving both professional and personal goals. Oh, and did I mention he's also Serena Williams's husband?

So, what can we learn from Alexis Ohanian about achieving our career aspirations and embracing the right mindset for success? Let's dive into the wisdom he shares:

Unlock Your Career Potential: Introducing "The Professional's Playbook"

Are you ready to take your career to the next level, achieve your professional goals, and become the best version of yourself in the workplace? If the answer is yes, then "The Professional's Playbook: Navigating Your Career Journey" is the guide you've been waiting for.

In this insightful and empowering book, Volkan Yorulmaz brings together a wealth of knowledge and experience to help you navigate the intricate terrain of your career. Drawing from the wisdom of best-selling authors and thought leaders, Yorulmaz offers you a comprehensive roadmap to success, providing practical advice and strategies for every step of your professional journey.

Your Next Five Moves | Patrick Bet-David

If I would need to share the best book I read in 2023, it is "Your Next Five Moves" by Patrick Bet-David. I found this book from the best sellers in Amazon business books list and I read it during a time where I need to answer some key questions in my career and set a new strategy for the upcoming performance review cycles. 

Let's leave the personal things and focus on this great book and its author.  According to Patrick Bet-David, "The only thing separating us from greatness is a vision and a plan for achieving greatness. When you’re fighting for a cause, a dream, something greater than yourself, you will find the enthusiasm, passion, and joy that make life a great adventure. The key is identifying your cause and knowing who you want to be." Who am I? A short question but the answer needs a long thinking. 

From my point of view, Patrick Bet-David's "Your Next Five Moves" has 2 main take-aways. First, get into the habit of thinking five moves ahead in everything you do in business.  Just working to try and do that will lift your game and lead to greater success. Second, in every industry, 80 percent of the players will be actors, and only 20 percent will be doers. The key to positioning yourself firmly in the doers camp is to be continually investing in learning and growth. Invest in yourself. Think five moves ahead.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things | Ben Horowitz

In the last days of the summer'23, I saw my colleague's (Dr. Philipp Moser) post in Linkedin about the book by Ben Horowitz: "The Hard Thing About Hard Things". It is a book with many experiences from Ben and the book brings a new perspective to you and make you learn what is going on in the top management side of the business.

Here we go with my highlights from the book:

“This the real world, homie, school finished. They done stole your dreams, you dunno who did it.” —KANYE WEST, “GORGEOUS”

From Communist to Venture Capitalist

Father turned to me and said, “Son, do you know what’s cheap?” Since I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, I replied, “No, what?” “Flowers. Flowers are really cheap. But do you know what’s expensive?” he asked. Again, I replied, “No, what?” He said, “Divorce.”

By doing everything, I would fail at the most important thing. It was the first time that I forced myself to look at the world through priorities that were not purely my own. I thought that I could pursue my career, all my interests, and build my family. More important, I always thought about myself first. When you are part of a family or part of a group, that kind of thinking can get you into trouble, and I was in deep trouble. In my mind, I was confident that I was a good person and not selfish, but my actions said otherwise. I had to stop being a boy and become a man. I had to put first things first. I had to consider the people who I cared about most before considering myself.

Until you make the effort to get to know someone or something, you don’t know anything. There are no shortcuts to curiosity.