What I'm Reading This Week
Why You Should Stop Planning Your Career, How to Be Invaluable at Work, and Amazon's $4B Gamble on the Future of AI
What if the best career advice you ever received was to stop planning your career altogether?
That’s the counterintuitive wisdom Marc Andreessen shared back in 2007:
You can’t plan your career because you have no idea what’s going to happen in the future.
Rather than sounding like a cause for despair, Andreessen’s perspective is refreshingly practical.
In his three-part series, he lays out a thoughtful framework for building a world-class career. He shares insights on choosing degrees, picking fields, and pursuing opportunities that align with your potential and the unknown twists of the future.
Molly Graham has quickly become one of my favorite writers, and her latest piece is another standout: 10 Things I Wish I Knew About Careers When I Started. Drawing from her experiences at Google, scaling Facebook alongside Mark Zuckerberg, and working with various startups, Graham shares invaluable insights and practical wisdom from the trenches. It's a must-read for anyone navigating their career journey.
You want to be the person that everyone trusts to make things happen, who makes others look good, and who everyone wants to work with again.
The race to dominate AI-powered chatbots is heating up, with major tech companies making significant investments. This week, Amazon made waves by committing up to $4 billion to AI startup Anthropic.
Anthropic, already backed by Google, operates the chatbot Claude 2 and has ambitious plans to develop “Claude-Next,” a model touted to be “10 times more capable than today’s most powerful AI.”
While Anthropic’s future remains to be seen, one thing is clear: companies are placing big bets on AI to secure their place in the next wave of innovation and propel their success to new heights.
About the Author
Justin Gillebo is a Senior Director of Supply Chain Operations at one of the largest renewable energy developers in the US and a career consultant passionate about helping people plan and reach their career goals.
With experience at Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, and UPS, he brings a wealth of knowledge across various industries, including clean energy and tech. Justin offers personalized career coaching through MentorCruise, where he helps early to mid-stage professionals navigate challenges, accelerate growth, and achieve their aspirations.
He writes about career development, leadership, and industry insights on Substack. Connect with him for mentorship, speaking engagements, or to learn more about his unique journey from first-generation college student to industry leader.
Connect on LinkedIn or reach out at MentorCruise for personalized career coaching.