Q star, Altman, and Bartlett’s Buckets

This week I announced my next role in edtech. I started at the beginning of this month at a European edtech firm called Avallain. We create learning platforms for content providers to deliver learning to millions of students worldwide. If you are interested in finding out about Magnet, our learning platform, check out our site or drop me a note to chat. I don’t quite know everything but I can find some great people who can.

A new job meant a bit of airline travel. Airline travel meant reduced home errand responsibility and more time for reading. I picked up Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO: 33 Laws of Business and Life. It’s a simple recount of some core ways to address business. I didn’t think I would like it – but I did. It bridges the gap between personal and professional growth quite nicely and is a quick read.

In the book, he introduces a compelling framework for professional development, which he terms the “5 Buckets.” These buckets—Skills, Network, Resources, Reputation, and Knowledge—collectively form the foundation of a successful working life. However, a nuanced understanding of this concept suggests that the prioritization of these buckets is not static but varies depending on one’s career stage.

Taking the career trajectory of Sam Altman, we can explore how these buckets shift in importance over time. For a beginner like Altman at the onset of his journey, the sequence begins with Knowledge, acquiring the necessary information and context of the industry. This is followed by Skill development, leveraging that knowledge into tangible abilities. Resources come next, equipping one with the tools to make an impact. The Network is built to disseminate and amplify one’s impact, leading finally to a Reputation, the public embodiment of one’s cumulative efforts.

As one progresses to an intermediate stage, exemplified by Altman’s tenure at Y Combinator, the focus might shift. With a solid base of knowledge, skills, and resources, the emphasis might pivot towards expanding the Network and nurturing the Reputation, as these become crucial for scaling impacts and influence.

For the seasoned veteran, mirroring Altman’s current stage, with deep expertise and a well-established network, the priority might shift back towards Resources and Network. Here, resources might mean evolving one’s team or tools to adapt to new challenges, and maintaining a network might involve renewing old connections and forging new ones in a changing landscape.

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