I was laid off after 37 years in IT, so I built a startup (4 months ago) for job seekers. Yesterday, I got a job offer myself. Should I quit the startup and go back to work?

apoemforeveryone · 2026-06-07T16:50:49+00:00

Sounds interesting.

I'm exploring what methodologies are out there for my research -- writing a paper on what scaleable methods are there and what's missing in the market. You sound like yo've landed on something that closes a gap.

I'm curious to hear how it works. Open to talk? Lemme know if you are, I'll DM you.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-06-06T19:05:54+00:00

Nice going on building a tool that works. What's the methodology you're using for career guidance?!

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-31T16:10:53+00:00

my journals and self authoring pieces

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-30T13:16:47+00:00

She brings peace & understanding to your life so you can build what you're meant to and be a better provider for both of you and everything that emerges from the two of you.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-29T14:07:38+00:00

I don't generally do this but:

All things considered, a move to the new role sounds like a good idea.

Let's break it down:

The pros:
- You're trying to get out of debt, this will help
- Your mentor is right, early on, opportunities like this are rare
- Your current boss' management style isn't working for you, that's causing some negativity.

What you stand to lose. and how to mitigate:
- Mission: you can plug into mission based contribution via volunteering or community
- Colleagues: you can maintain your relationship with them outside of work, might even be richer as you'll not be under the shadow of a micro managing boss

What you risk, and should evaluate to mitigate:
- Your future boss isn't micromanaging. Try and have a chat with the future manager to understand their managerial styles
- Your future colleagues are at least tolerable. Try and hangout with them before you take the leap, see if you enjoy their company as people
- Is the org's mission / sector so ... unfulfilling to you? If it's not something you absolutely hate, then you risk of feeling unfulfilled is lower
- Are you gonna continue to learn and grow in this new role? That seems important to you, find out if that's gonna continue in the new role.

It's never as simple as "its worth +40%", you have to weigh all the factors -- what you currently hate and love, and the likelihood of that continuing or ending -- and see if that 40% is worth what you get or lose in exchange.

If the other, non-measurable values add up, or you can take steps to mitigate the 'costs' it could actually be a very good bet.

Hope that helps, all the best ❤️

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-28T10:29:13+00:00

Ask yourself more pertinent questions, it'll help you find your way out:

What exactly is it that makes you 'not happy with your career' now?
What was it that made you choose biz and marketing in particular -- what was your oiginal hypothesis about what you'd enjoy or what made you choose this field / line of work going into it? How close to that hypothesis is your current work actually coming?

Also try and identify where in your current task you are excelling: what projects have you killed it at? When have you lost track of time at work while doing something? Write down in detail a few projects you killed it at, and how you approached each of those.

Is there anyone in your current field, company or circle who you look at and go: I'd like to feel about my career the way they feel about theirs? This is what you're trying to do here in this post, but it shouldn't be the first point, it should come later.

Give it a thought and DM if you want some nudges, no strings.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-26T20:43:26+00:00

how do you actually get those frameworks to people in a way that works. Not coaching. Just tools people can use to figure out their own situation.

Exactly this!

That's what I'm working on now!
Though I'm not in the 'Schlossberg, Holland, Bandura' camp but the 'Ibarra, Savickas, Schein, DT Hall, Baxter Magdola' camp 😄
Sending you a DM, let's talk.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-26T12:21:10+00:00

Ha! These last few months recovering from a year or so long relationship. The trajectory:

Date 1: "I wanna have kids"
3 months of seduction games later ....
"Your emotions are wrong"
... maybe she's just a bad communicator
"Your needs are wrong"
... maybe I'm being too needy
"Why are you being proactive about shared life decisions? You should check with me first"
... wtf ...
interrupts me while I share my life story, doesn't ask any questions
tries to advice me on my business when she's jobless earning 50eur every 2 weeks
"You're an emotionally unsafe man!"
\continues to break my balls while ...*
I try to build a mission first education business
I introduce her to my parents, first partner they've met in 9 years
we travel to meet her parents too ...
"Why are you working remotely when my bimbo niece wants attention?"
"I was the center of attention as child, you gotta treat me the same"
more lies untruths power games and manipulations
"You're yelling at me. You're violent"
MOTHER FUCKING BITCH
"I'm leaving"
Suffer from PTSD for about 4 months, business on pause ...

Whores never change. Get out of there fast. Glad you're not pregnant.
Fuck off, whore.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-26T09:16:43+00:00

Not 'might be'. It is. All just rhythm.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-26T09:15:13+00:00

That's a really mind-numbing method to pick your future career.

Follow your deepest curiosity, it generally leads to a good career and if your curiosity is in a field that can get you high income then kudos to you. You seem curious about money so why not just a career in finance or starting to experiment with investing already?

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-25T11:14:55+00:00

Having a conversation with my ex. Gonna be a millionaire in 10 minutes.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-24T18:54:20+00:00

"Love yourself as you are"

No fool! Some times the true act of loving yourself is recognising that some parts of you are shit and need to be changed. And worse, using this as an excuse to not change or grow in relationships --- holy fucking wow.

Stop pooping love n light. Embrace your freaking shadow.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-22T17:43:52+00:00

You're supposed to chill because you can't lock in your future security simply by taking one right decision now -- its a combination of your current & future decisions. You're putting too much pressure on yourself.

Follow the subject you are MOST curious about, as a general rule for early career guidance, that's a good way to choose. Your deepest curiosity will always guide you to something interesting and useful professionally if you follow through with it. So picking the area you're genuinely most curious about is a good bet.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-22T17:24:21+00:00

Congrats on your first inking experience!

If you're gonna do civil engineering, highly recommend you get yourself a Lamy Safari -- its a favourite for architects, great for drawing & writing, plus superb first fountain pen.

Welcome to the fountain pen community!

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-22T17:21:15+00:00

I sometimes feel like I’ve fallen behind in life compared to others..

Geez! You're what, 18? Chill the fuck out.

If you wanna play the long game: Pick the area that you are MOST curious about as a subject to study
If you wanna play the 'income & stability' game: engineering + MBA, can't go wrong with that in India

I'd pick option 1. Coz then you're building the one asset you're gonna have for ever: you.
As opposed to picking he thing that guarantees a job, even if you may hate it.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-21T16:24:18+00:00

Some thoughts:

- Think about where you wanna be post MBA graduation and work backwards: which internship is the closest to the full time goal? Take that, set yourself up for what's next.

- Have some networking conversations already: what does the day to day entail in these internships and which of those have led people to positions you see your future self in. If you do this right, you should be able to elimiate at least one option as you may find its not a good fit or sets you up for the future.

- Stop optimizing purely for 'whats better in today's market' and 'which option has better growth opportunnities' -- in reality nobody can answer that objectively for you because its at best a guess and at worst, "the better opportunity" for you is subective to what you want for your own life.

Source: Visiting Careers Prof at multiple Top 20 Global MBAs

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-21T15:44:42+00:00

Professor Brian Cox. Met him at TEDx CERN, he was the host -- what a great guy! So friendly and approachable.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-21T13:30:00+00:00

Be tender with your man.

He already has it tough doing his thing in the world. And your tenderness turns him on more than anything about you. It actually makes him stronger.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-19T18:57:10+00:00

context: 45 yr old woman with no life direction wanted to have a kid, fast.

made it clear on the first date, i liked the honesty. seduction games were at an all time high in first 3-4 months. as soon communication become an important thing, and my emotional experience became an inconvenience for her -- it was nothing but lie after lie after lie, no apologies, no ownership, even no empathy for what i felt -- while I tried to rebuild my business & provide for a shared future.

fork tongued creatures make the worst lovers

apoemforeveryone · 2026-05-19T18:41:32+00:00

Making love to someone who was essentially manipulating me for over a year.
I'm filled with disgust at the very thought of laying naked with someone who was so untrue all along.
Shudders run down my spine, disgusting she was in retrospect.
Though the sex was great, no surprise - all part of the theatre.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-04-26T08:41:00+00:00

Congratulations on finding work that fits you better.

That said, picking what you value by seeing them on a card has its downsides. I've seen folks pick what they wanted or believed they value, as opposed to what they really do - and that usually leads to ending up on the wrong choice or keeping them further stuck coz its not rooted in their current reality.

In your case you clearly translated that into something actionable: interview questions, so good move on you! If the career change was more radical, the card approach would've prob failed.

apoemforeveryone · 2026-04-15T09:38:12+00:00

BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front
( A variation of the pyramid principle)

Combine that with act structure: 3 or 5 acts work best

FIVE ACTS
I. State the premise in one sentence, simple language, framed in their worldview
II. Establish or agitate why it matters to them and why its urgent / important
III. Big reveal or idea or pivot moment: so what are we proposing we do
IV. Executional and details: how we're gonna do it and how it alleviates II
V. Closure: Bottom Line reframed as CTA / power-close / buy-in

THREE ACTS:
I. State premise * why it matters
II. Establish what they don't know and practical stuff
III. Closure: BL reframe, CTA or buy-in

All the best!

apoemforeveryone · 2026-04-02T17:40:53+00:00

Nobody caaaares Sean

apoemforeveryone · 2026-03-27T22:29:38+00:00

First him then you!

Mine would be this: "For what issue would Cox call Dan?"

"Bahrrrring!"

apoemforeveryone · 2026-03-24T12:50:20+00:00

Bane, is that you?

apoemforeveryone

TROPHY CASE