Have a Portfolio

The only thing worse than getting caught red-handed is getting caught empty-handed.

Create a portfolio.

When most people think of a portfolio they think of the traditional portfolio of a painter. But I mean portfolio in a more general sense of the word. Any body of publicly available work can be considered a portfolio.

If you’re a data scientist it may be some models you’ve created and the analysis write-up that goes along with it. If you’re a writer it may be some flash fiction or articles you’ve written. Even someone as unlikely to have a portfolio as an accountant may publish their thoughts on how IFRS will impact the particular industry they’re most expert at.

No matter what your career, by-work, or passions may be, I am certain there is a way you can compile some records that act as a publicly available portfolio. (Or at the very least, a portfolio you’ll be able to show on request.)

If this concept in general interests you, I would recommend checking out David Perell who is a known proponent of writing as a means of career development.

Here are some reasons why, regardless of who you are, you should have a portfolio.

I. The immediate value of starting

Starting something isn’t hard. And yet most people never do it.

You can go from having zero online presence to having a blog online in less than 20 minutes and for no money down. And yet, there is a large group of people who say “someday I’ll sit down and start that blog.”

Again, for most things, starting isn’t hard.

And yet, most people never start.

This means if you do start it’s an immediate signal.

Doing work that wasn’t asked of you is an indication others cannot ignore.

Once you’ve begun, even if you feel you haven’t yet achieved anything, the mere act of starting is a major indicator for others.

Don’t believe me? Imagine for a moment that you’re a relatively successful musician and you open up Twitter to see these two DMs.

“Hey, I have a podcast where every week we interview a new musician in the NYC area. We’d love to have you on. Are you available to chat next Tuesday at …”

“Hey, I’m planning on starting a podcast in the next 6 months where we interview a new musician in the …”

Which of those two is going to get a response?

(Or, at the very least, merit further investigation.)

II. Be prepared

A screenwriter friend of mine once talked himself into a party. Soon enough he was rubbing elbows with some big shots and eventually he was engaged in a conversation with the head of a major network.

He had done it.

He had done what most screenwriters only ever hope to achieve. Here he was talking to someone that had the money, and the decision making ability, to turn a script into a movie.

And so this exec asked him “Do you have anything I could read?”

…

He hadn’t finished a script.

The only thing worse than being caught red-handed is being caught empty-handed.

We often spend so much time focusing on how to optimize our path to success that we forget one minor detail: Doing the work.

Having a portfolio enforces that detail. To have a portfolio, you need to have done the work to bring it into existence.

It’s obvious, but if you plan to network, if you plan to make partnerships, then it’s in your best interest to be prepared.

As Sahil would say:

Let your work network for you, then let your network work for you.

Next time you find yourself in the same room as someone that can help take you to the next level, make sure you have a script they can read.

2021-05-16