Co-founder, Moonshot. Founding Member, @Superteam. Ex Head Writer @allindiabakchod. 馃搶Dubai/Mumbai
Former Bangalore Boy
Joined November 2009
- Tweets7.6K
- Following976
- Followers16.5K
- Likes5.1K
Skill means absolutely nothing without luck, network effect and distribution. I went into a LinkedIn rabbit hole of looking for some of my favourite ex-cricketers. Daryl Cullinan hit 17 international centuries. Pat Symcox took over 120 international wickets in the 90s. Andrew Hudson used to open the batting with Gary Kirsten and spent a chunk of his career belting Venkatesh Prasad all over Indian pitches.
If you look at their LinkedIn profiles today, Daryl Cullinan works in real estate. Pat Symcox is a property broker. Andrew Hudson is in corporate sales.
Imagine being one of the best in the world at what you do, and then turning 35 and having to draft a resume. Imagine going from 60,000 people screaming your name at the Wanderers to sending calendar invites for a Tuesday morning alignment call.
Now look at the Indian cricketers they played against in the 90s. Not a single one of them is sending out CVs for corporate sales roles. They are commentating, doing IPL analysis, running academies, shooting brand campaigns, or sitting on advisory boards. They never had to leave the cricket ecosystem.
Were the Indian players ten times more talented than Daryl Cullinan? No. In fact, a lot of them were worse than him. (Sanjay Manjrekar has 5 centuries, Akash Chopra has 0 centuries)
The difference isn't skill. It鈥檚 distribution.
In India, playing cricket is top-of-the-funnel customer acquisition. The market鈥檚 media engine gives an Indian cricketer built-in, lifetime distribution. Playing the sport creates a network effect that monetizes them for the next 40 years, long after their knees give out.
The South Africans had world-class skill, but they operated in a market without that media distribution. The moment their physical skill hit expiry date, reach disappeared overnight.
A lot of people in their 30s and 40s think they鈥檙e safe because they鈥檝e built up 15 years of deep domain expertise. But if you鈥檙e not lucky enough to own a skill in a domain or field with crazy network effects, or organic distribution, you really have to start thinking about how to make your career, career. Especially in a post AI world, where skills can get replicated easily.
It also makes me think about my own setup deeply. Am I in an industry with crazy network effects? Do I have enough organic distribution and a strong enough network to coast when pure skill stops being enough? Honestly, maybe that鈥檚 the real reason I'm writing online. Just trying to build my distribution because I may not have it in me to take on crazy career pivots like these South African legends have. Actually now, I have way way way more respect for these cricketers.
