638: Jeff Wald | The End of Jobs

One of the scariest things in the world may be deciding to leave a job and start out on your own, but that fear could be just what you need to push forward. Jeff Wald is a writer, speaker, investor and serial entrepreneur. Jeff has founded several technology companies, including WorkMarket, an enterprise software platform that enables companies to manage freelancers. He now serves as an adviser to several companies and entities including the X-Prize’s Rapid Re-skilling Initiative. He is also the author of the #1 Amazon Best Seller, The End of Jobs: The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations.  Let’s dive in and learn from Jeff if and how the entrepreneurial journey could be for you. Things you will learn in this episode:  [00:01 - 06:02] Opening Segment  I introduce today’s guest, Jeff WaldBioJeff gives us a bit of his backgroundMath vs. art Growing up afraid and finding his wayStarting down a career in financeNegative pushes from parents Working up in finance leading to Harvard Business School  [06:03 - 20:35] How to Know it’s Time to Become an EntrepreneurJeff’s thoughts on collegeAn overvalued pathwayNot all people need a 4 year collegeThe value of trade schoolWhat shifted for Jeff to pivot out of 9 to 5 and into entrepreneurshipFrom venture capitalist to his first company Discovering the freelance and entrepreneurial routeA waking passion to solve a problemThe hard reality you should be taking on boardBalance between safe and going all inNo clear line, don’t over analyze itShare your ideas everywhereFrom an investor standpointA word from our Sponsor [20:36 - 33:01] The End of JobsWho you know, or what you know?You’ll never know enough for the ‘what’Who you know opens doorsTeaching kids how to networkFixed vision vs. flexibility getting thereSet up your guardrails as a leaderThink about your howNo questioning the whatA connection that led to successMeeting with Fred WilsonWhen to keep going and when to call itWhen people aren’t giving you moneyHow mentorship has impacted your journey?No mentors, but an investor The importance of coachesBuilding a community How to build your network from scratch?Look for existing infrastructureLook for groups and resources [33:02 - 38:29] Closing SegmentThE RaNdOm RoUnDHow to engage with JeffLinks below Final words  Tweetable Quotes:  “I am scared. Scared that I'll make the wrong decisions, and will pick the right business problem. I'm scared that people will think of it and beat us, I'm scared. But that fear is a great motivator.” - Jeff Wald “All you can bet on as an investor is you and your ability to listen and to adapt, because everything you know is wrong.You just don’t know how it’s wrong.” - Jeff Wald Resources Mentioned:  End of JobsWorkMarketThe Opportunity Network Connect and engage with Jeff on LinkedIn and Twitter. Check out https://www.jeffwald.com/ to learn more. Check out fresh, weekly episodes of Sit Down Startup by Zendesk on Apple, Google, and Spotify, or check out their site over at https://www.zendesk.com/campaign/sitdownstartup/ to learn more! Did you love the value that we are putting out in the show? LEAVE A REVIEW and tell us what you think about the episode so we can continue putting out great content just for you! Share this episode and help someone who wants to connect with world-class people.  Jump on over to travischappell.com/makemypodcast and let my team make you your very own show! If you want to learn how to build YOUR network, check out my website travischappell.com. You can connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Be sure to join The Lounge to become part of the community that’s setting up REAL relationships that add value and create investments. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy