Friends of Dave #319: robot vacuum revolution
Channeling 'Tubthumping' by Chumbawumba
Wow, I guess you needed that.
Received a big response from last week’s preamble in the form of emails and texts — glad to see that the tips on how to prepare for an unexpected change in job status was helpful for some of you and people in your networks.
The response was good enough that I decided to repost the intro on my LinkedIn version of the newsletter this week. I usually try to repost older preambles there, but given the timeliness of this one, it made sense for it to go to the front of the line.
I did add one more original bit of advice to that LinkedIn article that I did not mention in my preamble here: if you do get laid off, resist playing the victim.
Anyone who has been a long time reader of Friends of Dave knows that in the past I have not been shy about my snarky feelings towards our Millennial co-workers and neighbors. From rants about their need for big-ass monster strollers to open letters to them about the workplace, I feel I have a duty to call them out on their BS.
In a nutshell, for me (and, I think, for most of my Generation X brothers and sisters) it’s like, dude, I love you and your energy and spirit and all, but please….just stop…
I know everything is LITERALLY happening to you right now for the first time and ADULTING IS HARD, but, like, you are NOT the first person to have a difficult boss, to struggle with child care issues, to be challenged to figure out the best work-life balance, to wake up and realize you are lactose intolerant, etc.
And now that Gen Z and their near 24/7 obsession with drawing attention to themselves on social media is on the corporate scene, EVERYONE seems to want to take their bad news online and find a reason to be the main character in their own drama where they play the victim.
I’m starting to see a little of that happening with this round of layoffs….am I wrong?
LinkedIn feeds are reading like the texts of opening voice overs to angsty TV teen age soap operas:
[Picture of young adult walking alone in the rain]
“I woke up this dreary Tuesday expecting to prepare for a Zoom meeting with my boss to discuss our latest launch. Instead I got that dreaded email from HR with horrific news that literally shook me to my core….
I guess I don’t need to go to that meeting after all so I figured I’d do the next best thing: take a walk in the rain to get some warm kombucha….
Follow my Instagram to see pics of Sad Me next week in the unemployment line….”
I’m really not being cold hearted here. I know layoffs suck (for both the people being laid off and those in management executing the layoff). Being unemployed when you want (or need) to work sucks. I’ve been there more than once. So have many of you.
It’s okay to seek help to get back on your feet, and networking is absolutely the best way to do it.
But taking to social media to publicly play the victim looking for a big hug just isn’t a healthy or productive way to get help or manage your way out of it. Millions of people on the planet are dealing with some sort of adversity in their lives — you are not the first, you won’t be the last, and you are not the only one.
So I guess my last bit of advice is: if you do get let go from your job or you find yourself faced with unexpected adversity, the quickest way to bounce back is maintain some perspective and resist the urge to publicly play the victim. If you feel it necessary to be a main character on social media, choose to play the hero instead.
People just feel sorry for victims — all the sad face emojis in the world you get on a social media feed won’t get someone to help you or land you a job.
But they will go out of their way to assist the people that are grinding it out — you know, the ones who can get up from a big punch to the chin or the gut…..the ones who can get knocked down, and get up again and say “You’re never going to keep me down.”….[wait, that was a song…]
Sorry…you’ll definitely have that one hit wonder in your head for the rest of the day, but you get what I mean….
While you are humming that tune, be sure to take a look at the selections below. In the spirit of the Lunar New Year, I think you may agree 2023 is shaping up to be more like the year of the robot than the rabbit.
And for the American football fans out there watching Championship weekend, I’m predicting a repeat of the 1982 and 1989 Super Bowls — Bengals vs. 49ers in Super Bowl LVII.
Have a great weekend.
XOXO
Dave
Think on This…
“All that matters is that you take time on the page to sort out the strands that make life interesting, that hold your place in that life. To figure out who you are, and what matters to you. To make your way in the world, one sentence at a time.”
For Your Day Job…
The road to scale is paved with back-office functions. As someone who has worked at small startups to multi-billion dollar companies, I found this breakdown of the differences to be pretty spot on. Worth checking out if you are curious how the other half lives.
Companies considering a free trial model and a freemium plan don’t need to choose. A reverse trial gives you the best of both while minimizing the downsides.
Your Weekly Dose of Randomness…
For the time being, carriers are canceling voyages and sending obsolete ships to scrap to keep prices from bottoming out completely. In early January, container spot freight rates rose for first time in 43 weeks, signaling that the rollercoaster ride that shipping rates have been on since the start of the pandemic may be coming to an end.
Rocky artifacts may offer insight into an Etruscan industry.
The best part of waking up... is getting energized for a long day’s work.
Robot vacuum companies say your images are safe, but a sprawling global supply chain for data from our devices creates risk.