Hey Everyone

The only problem with reaching Friday, is trying to work out where that week went.

Hope you’ve had a great week and welcome to the latest edition of ‘The 5 Minute Tech Break’ and a big thanks to all of you for being so engaged …

We enjoy a phenomenally high open rate with our weekly newsletter vs. the average, which is rewarding for us and gives us a great incentive to keep looking out for interesting articles and headline topics.

Enjoy the read and have a great weekend.

Andrew Weaver
CTO Academy
andrew@cto.academy

We Work, Don’t Work

Our Madrid office is based in a We Work and it’s absolutely superb – I love it here.  

This place ticks all the We Work boxes with great facilities, top location, lots of buzzy companies ranging from the tiny start up to IBM.

Come visit if you’re ever in Madrid.

But We Work is always a business model I’ve viewed as vulnerable. Short term contracts don’t provide much security in a downturn and therefore, the ever increasing valuation was another start up bubble mystery to me.

It’s why the current machinations around the We Work IPO have been particularly interesting to watch and certainly, alongside other memorable IPO flops, cements that sense of the start up world being more about smoke and mirrors, than commercial reality … often a case of ‘don’t believe the hype’

“Softbank urges We Work to abandon IPO”

Don’t Believe Your Own Hype

This interesting article explores some of the pitfalls encountered by CEOs and founders who start to believe their own hype, it’s particularly relevant with those rocket ship growth companies where individuals fly from an idea to an icon.

It looks at the danger of ‘winning too much’ and includes this non too subtle quote ….

“Bullshit is the greater enemy of the truth than lies are.” 
– Harry Frankfurt, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Princeton University

…. which might also be applied to the current era of politics

Welcome to the imposter syndrome
 

The flip side of ebullient self promotion and hype, is often the lurking presence of the imposter syndrome.

You might have a perception of business leaders and high profile entrepreneurs as being confident, knowledgeable and charismatic but behind the mask, leadership often comes with a sense of loneliness and isolation. 

Many managers and leaders are burdened (and driven) by that imposter syndrome.  

In a former life I worked alongside an extremely eminent barrister, a QC, who despite all appearances of incredible confidence and competence, admitted once that he suffered terribly from the imposter syndrome.

One of our most read blog posts at CTO Academy is “No-one ever told me, It’s lonely at the top” which looks into similar issues. 

How To Stay Grounded

Jason and I are great believers in stepping back from work, pressure, expectations and giving yourself some space.

Whether that’s teaching (Jason with yachts, Me with start up courses) or just carving out some “me” time with a book, a walk or some meditation.

Behind the hype and the syndromes, this article covers some simple steps for staying grounded and living in the moment

Mindset & Wellness Course Has Expanded

We promised last week that our Mindset and Wellness course was about to expand and we like to deliver on our promises.

Jason has added two new lectures covering;

1. Manage With Compassion
2. Creating A Positive Working Culture

These lectures are available for all subscribers. More lectures to follow shortly if you’re subscribed to full membership.

BTW – one comment on the forum asked where does our mindset lecturer Caleb get his shirts … we’ve put the question out, no answer as yet!

Quote of the week
 

“Create the hype, but don’t ever believe it”

                  – Simon Cowell