LinkedIn members started the new year by diving into stories on how to improve their careers – and how to make sense of the Zipcar deal. A look at some of this week’s most-popular Influencer posts:
Zipcar and the Death of Entrepreneurship (Dennis K. Berman) Is it inevitable that an innovative – but largely unprofitable – company will sell out to a larger, less-sexy rival? The news that Avis Budget Group is buying car-sharing service Zipcar for $500 million brings sobering lessons for entrepreneurs, writes the WSJ's Dennis K. Berman. Most startups will fail, of course. But the Zipcar deal proves that “even those that succeed often will do better in the hands of a bigger, if inglorious, owner.”
What I Got Wrong in the Peanut Butter Manifesto (Brad Garlinghouse) Six years ago, Brad Garlinghouse summed up Yahoo’s problems in a memorable way: the company was spreading itself so thin that it resembled peanut butter on bread. His memo, dubbed the “Peanut Butter Manifesto,” became a sensation. But Garlinghouse, then a senior vice president at Yahoo and now CEO of YouSendIt, says he got one thing wrong.
So Long, 2012: New Year’s Resolutions I’d Like to Hear (Arianna Huffington) It’s hard to keep your own New Year’s resolutions, but it’s easy (and more fun) to come up with them for other people. Arianna Huffington takes a crack at some resolutions for public figures, describing what she’d like to hear from President Obama, Queen Elizabeth, John Boehner, Ben Bernanke, and, yes, even Honey Boo Boo.
3 Powerful Ways to Do a Better Job in 2013 (Katya Andresen) There's an easy way to be better at your job. Everyday, spend 15 minutes thinking about something that's bigger than your to-do list. Ask yourself: What decision will you be proud of a year from now -- or ten years from now? Katya Andresen, the chief operating officer of Network for Good, acknowledges that professionals may not know the answer to those questions. But thinking about them will help you make smarter career decisions along the way.
Viva Elote! Why Corn Is Appearing on Menus Across the Country (Nancy Kruse) One of America’s dietary staples is having a renaissance. Chefs are serving up corn in new ways, as consultant Nancy Kruse notes, putting it in pasta dishes, alcoholic drinks and desserts. Even elote – the delicious Mexican snack that consists of an ear of corn slathered in mayo and showered with cheese – is becoming popular north of the border.
How to Survive a Terrible Job Interviewer and Still Get the Job (Jeff Haden) If the person interviewing you for your next job is blankly staring at a script and checking boxes, you’re in trouble. Ditto if he or she monopolizes the conversation, or springs a surprise group interview on you. When the interviewer is doing a terrible job, here's how to recover.
Are We All Being Fooled by Big Data? (Michael Moritz) Our entire lives are built on predictions. We try to forecast the weather, the length of our commutes, the value of our degrees and the strength of the economy. But, as we use more data to make decisions, can we trust it? Sequoia Capital chairman Michael Moritz reviews Nate Silver's new book and reminds us: In some cases, "the bigger the data, the grander the deception."
Developing Women Leaders: Five Essentials (Lucy P. Marcus) To save the economy, Warren Buffett says, we need to do a better job of harnessing the power of women. How do we do that? Corporate governance expert Lucy P. Marcus describes the five universal factors that prepare young women for success, no matter who they are or what they're interested in.
Your New Year’s Travel Resolution? Don’t Be a Jerk (Christopher Elliott) Let's all agree on one thing in 2013: Don't be a jerk when you travel. Stop slamming your airline seat into the passenger behind you. Don't become impatient while someone retrieves bags from an overhead bin. And, travel columnist Christopher Elliott begs you: Please don't become an insufferable elite traveler who complains when his upgrade doesn't clear.
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Editor’s Note: This blog post is syndicated from LinkedIn Editor Chip Cutter. Follow him on LinkedIn for more.
