Everyone has once been in a position where they have felt unqualified at some point in time…

(Except for Elon Musk or maybe Conor McGregor).

Naval Ravikant is the co-owner of AngelList and an early investor in Twitter, Uber and other hugely successful start-ups. He often says “If I always did what I was qualified to do I’d probably be pushing a broom”.

Harsh, but a good point.

We see people crushing it and assume they have something we do not. We don’t think about the effort that we do not see first hand. But the fact is very few people are experts from the get-go. It’s a process.

So don’t be afraid to be “unqualified”.

Take a risk and pursue it anyway. Whatever it is. You will slip up but its okay because you will learn from it.

Just make an effort. Effort results in experience and experience builds skill. Good experiences and bad experiences, all will aid in the learning process. Read, observe, practice and get a mentor. Ask questions and be radically open-minded.

And remember, a healthy amount of ego is a good thing.

Ego provides opportunity. Whoever first decided to become “The Boss” or CEO must have had quite an ego to step up.

So have an ego….

but don’t be fake.

Inexperienced people often resort to faking it. Believing that in order to become a top performer they must act like a top performer. Assuming that being unqualified assures failure.

During my time of career confusion I applied to become a Financial Advisor. I shadowed people in the field, read the books, watched the movies… I was hooked. At the interview I spoke like the best of em. Fiduciary this, speculation that, variables, markets etc…

I was clueless and the interviewer could tell. I tried to fake it.

People hate fake… and they should. You will get called out and it will hurt.

The better version of Fake it till ya make it is to Believe it till ya be it. 

So rather than faking it just believe it.

Believe that with effort, a healthy ego, and self-confidence (belief) you too can do it, “unqualified” or not.

I rambled a bit on this one, flows off. But hopefully you get it.

-gunn

02/15/2018