Now The Wall Street Journal is putting their considerable resourses behind my position. Click here too!

Take a look at WSJ. I suggest that you interpret this as a validation of my position. Get started today!

You have to see this!

Tom Peters wrote several books. He may be most famous for “In Search of Excellence” but I found Re-Imagine!: Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age to be interesting. Click here!

The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue EXCELLENCE promises to be valuable to you now!

You need to select your opportunities carefully with regard to your resources.  In careful consideration of your opportunities it’s important to know “what matters now”.

Seth Godin compiled an e-book where he asked some “big thinkers” this very question, “What matters now?”

Your brand of science does not matter as much as it once did. It is a good idea to see what these other people think is important now. Pick up your free e-book now.

Seventy pages of big ideas is too much to process in one sitting. Find a page you like, ponder it a bit, move on. Select your next opportunity.

An excerpt:

Nobody has the answers.
Nobody is listening to you.
Nobody is looking out for your interests.
Nobody will lower your taxes.
Nobody will fix the education system.
Nobody knows what he is doing in Washington.
Nobody will make us energy independent.
Nobody will cut government waste.
Nobody will clean up the environment.
Nobody will protect us against terrorist threats.
Nobody will tell the truth.
Nobody will avoid conflicts of interest.
Nobody will restore ethical behavior to the White House.
Nobody will get us out of Afghanistan.
Nobody understands farm subsidies.
Nobody will spend your tax dollars wisely.
Nobody feels your pain.
Nobody wants to give peace a chance.
Nobody predicted the Iraq War would be a disaster.
Nobody expected the levees to fail.
Nobody warned that the housing bubble would collapse.
Nobody will reform Wall Street.
Nobody will stand up for what’s right.
Nobody will be your voice.
Nobody will tell you what the others won’t.
Nobody has a handle on this.
Nobody, but you, that is.
Never forget, a small group of people can change the
world.
No one else ever has.

As large corporations continue to turn away from their current business models divesting risk to create what may be in effect a brokerage or even a virtual company, many opportunities are being created for the new artisanal businesses (organic chemistry consultant, molecular biology consultant, pharmaceutical marketing consultant, etc). There will be many opportunities available if you are in a position to accept the risk.

What opportunities do you see for yourself in the new economy?

One of the many myths about entrepreneurship is that of the flashy daredevil who risks everything to bend the world to his will.

In truth, the back story of the entrepreneurial champion is one of desperation rather than bravado.  The “champion” is unemployable, without options, unwanted.  It is not genius that wins the day.  It is grit, perseverance, desperation, and luck.

We want the genius.  We want the champion.  We want the daredevil.  We want the hero.  Forget the truth, we want the  great story.  We want to be the genius/champion/daredevil/hero.  Remember that when you win.

Success means that you can tell the story however you like.  If you pay the price of success, you tell the story.  You know the story we want to hear.  Be the genius/champion/daredevil/hero.  Practice your story and tell it well.  But, I am getting ahead of myself.

If you find yourself with few choices. If  you find yourself out of work for too long with few prospects.  You are not alone but, you’ll feel like it.  Many people are in the same situation and I suspect more will be joining the club soon.

It is time to make your own way in this world.

Getting Started

First, ignore all of the business books and the popular media.  Ignore all of the myths and hype about the risk-takers and geniuses. Risk-takers and geniuses are the heroes of stories that sell books and magazines.  The hero is often risk-averse with no other choice.

Marshall your resources, pick a direction, and move on!