Exit strategy— What I learned from Shark Tank.
I don’t usually watch Shark Tank.
But I was glad I watched that episode, because I learned some valuable lesson. Later, dive deep on the lesson.
Anyway, in this occasion, I was working out in my local gym, moving my body with the elliptical machine.
What’s in front of me was Shark Tank. I have no choice but to watch (I mean I have other choices, but I choose to watch the show).
The business partner was pitching something, honestly, I can’t remember. In front of the shark, the partners were asking for money for their business but in the end, the sharks said no.
There were several reasons why their venture was not funded, but one shark said, the reason for him not funding the startup was because they were talking about Exit Strategy.
One of the Shark, I remember Barbara, agreed too.
Once your mind is about exit, then you are not going to work hard…or harder, because you have a safety net.
Jump and the net will appear…
I’m losing my job in 6 weeks. My wife was laid off from her job at Pfizer, the same time the technology giants announced massive lay-off last January.
Pfizer, which is not really a technology company like Amazon, Apple or Google, laid offs some scientists too.
We are in the process of looking for jobs.
My wife, with a strong Pfizer background, won’t settle for jobs that are not at par with Pfizer’s offers.
In my mind, my thinking was, why not just get any job right now.
But her thinking was not just a temporary exit strategy. She is going for the big kill, the big companies that will hire her again with the same money or more, compared to what Pfizer offered her earlier.
That shifted my mind too. I’m not going to settle.
Don’t settle for less…
This week, I have 3 interviews. I am getting confident that if they want me, it will be my own terms in terms of money.
Before, I was never aggressive in negotiating for money, but this time, I will be. It’s scary, I don’t have a job at the moment (but we have cushion though because the severance package from Pfizer was substantial, but that’s a different story…).
If that’s what I believe my worth is, I will go for it then. We will see how this saga unfolds, but I will not settle for less.
Courage…
Coward dies a thousand deaths…
My son Koji, who have a pretty above average jump shot percentage in basketball, is scared to take the shots in real game.
I told him about the quote from Wayne Gretzky, “you miss 100% of your shots that you don’t take”. But last summer, he was still scared.
After his disappointing freshman season, his coach assessment was that ‘I put you in not to swing the ball but take a shot’.
Instead of being first five, he was coming off from the bench.
He is still working on his shots, learning to take the shots instead of passing the ball because he’s sacred.
What can I learn from him?
The first thing that I always do to push myself to not be scared is to do it anyway. Every morning, I pump myself, like a warrior.
So, when the opportunity for me to bargain or negotiate, I’ll be pump and ready, and not swing the ball and pass.
