On Workhorses and Game of Thrones
21st December 2024
“It never ceases to amaze me to see how much territory can be grasped if one merely masters and consistently uses all the obvious and easily learned principles.”
Charlie Munger
To open, I had to go with Charlie Munger, one of my “if you could have anyone for dinner” guests. So many wisdom nuggets…
When I was transitioning to the Industry, I started following the Cheeky Scientist on LinkedIn. Isaiah Hankel specialises in helping PhDs transitioning to Industry positions. I Highly recommend him. Of course he is biased. BUT he has very good points and is usually on point. A few months ago he commented on a WSJ paper entitled [“Why the Reliable Office Workhorse Rarely Gets Ahead”](https://lnkd.in/dHEBcwBr) . Do yourself a favour and read the WSJ article.
After mulling over this article and applying fundamental economic principles I am learning ,I wanted to share some food for thought. Here are 2 key principles that apply to any decision you need to make.
[Opportunity Cost](https://lnkd.in/dq_fk3V9). By prioritizing being at the computer, bench, etc… you are foregoing other key aspects of career progression that will eventually leave you unable to proceed further. Aspects such as networking, strategizing, and being seen are key. More on that later.
[Diminishing Returns](https://lnkd.in/dARgJpu8). For each additional moment you spend at the computer, bench, etc… beyond an optimal point, you are getting less additional incremental returns out of it. There comes a point where it becomes a self inflicting wound.
Again diversifying consciously by networking, strategizing, and being seen, you are maximizing your career returns. You can easily see how these 2 principles play on each other. You may eschew networking, strategizing, and being seen and tell me that “that's selling out”, “ its not something that comes natural for me”, “in my opinion you are wrong”…and more expressions in that vein.
My answer to you then is that you are suffering from “Ned Stark Syndrome”. TLDR for those that have not seen Season 1 of GOT. Ned Stark was in a situation where he knew what he had to do but because of his Ego, Hubris and foolish consistency, he decided not to, thereby killing himself, his clan and starting a bloody war.
Until next Time
Luis
edit: typos and expressions
Climate Assessment Analyst at CSIRO
2moLove the picture. Have a great summer break.