Opportunity At Perfect World Entertainment!

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(Steve here.  Beyond trying to bring attention to great projects, I’m trying to bring attention to great jobs.  The folks at Perfect World Entertainment need a Product Manager Platform position filled, so I’m helping out!)

PWE is building a new platform and we are hiring the team to build and manage the platform.

So we have a “Senior Product Manager Platform” position

The person will lead platform implementation efforts for the platform division and manage partnerships that offer strategic value to the group.   Shape and support strategies for ongoing growth of Platform content and drive the publisher and platform roadmap to ensure success.   Provide product management leadership throughout the products lifecycle (market/product requirement documents, pricing, forecasts, roadmaps, messaging, go-to-market plans, etc.).   Prepare and present strategic, competitive, and market analysis for the product.

Great role, great opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new initiative.

Go here for more information!

 

Update: Quest for Employment!

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Well I’m adding new content to “Quest for Employment,” my upcoming job-search inspired guide to the variances and techniques I found for the job search.  Fortunately, I found I had to more enhance or add to content rather than add huge amounts of new information.  It’s going quicker than I thought and I hope to have a new beta this weekend.

I like the fact I can keep it tight and effective, so hang in there – and when it’s done I’m also planning to return to my job search coaching!

So for a quick taste, the contents will cover:

  • Regional issues.
  • Resume issues beyond the obvious
  • Job search boards and their idiosynracies
  • Networking being more than it seems
  • Being yourself -in a way you may not have thought of
  • Going on a blitz and running a job search campaign.
  • A bunch of miscellaneous tips I REALLY couldn’t justify giving chapters!

It’s also heavily oriented on “to do’s” so you can get applying what I learned.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

How To Cope With the Usual “Be Like This Startup” Comment

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So lately I got laid off from my latest startup.  As you can guess, I’m kinda getting over the startup thing.  As I look back on my startup experiences and those of friends, one thing comes to mind repeatedly.

Comparisons.

You cannot easily measure how tired I am of hearing the stories about “what Facebook does.”  I’m only slightly more tired of that all the other “we should be like X startup” comments I’ve tolerated over the years.  You can imagine how tired I am; you probably are yourself.

We’re tired of “be like X.”

Let’s be brutally honest here: these comparisons are usually ridiculous.  The startup or company you’re at is not Facebook.  These little “be like X” invocations are tossed around casually and they’re ridiculous and dangerous because they ignore harsh realities and serious differences.

So, when confronted with them?  Here’s my checklist to see if the comparison is actually relevant – and how i respond.

Is the startup being invoked in the same business as your company?  If not then the comparison is already suspect.  If the company being admired isn’t in a business yours can relate to, the comparison may be of no value.  Of course there may be another valuable comparison.

Is the startup being invoked using any similar technologies?  If the much-admired startup you’re being harassed about isn’t using any similar technologies, then really, there’s not much to say.  If there’s no solid underpinnings you share in common, what’s similar?  Well, OK there may be one thing . . .

Is the startup being invoked using any similar business processes?  This can actually be relevant because business processes like SCRUM, Kanban, etc. can be remapped more easily than technical ones.  However, people still have to demonstrate that the processes can be imported because . . .

Is the startup being invoked one that has any similarities to your business at all?  If not, then why the hell is anyone comparing it?  Similar supply chains?  Something?  Really?  If there isn’t anything, then there’s no comparison.  But finally . . .

Is the startup being invoked one that’s gonna be around and have the future you want?  Even if it’s actually good advice in the short term, in the long term is the latest popular startup someone you’re going to want to be like in the next year or two?  If not, then the comparison isn’t really a valid one.

Personally and professionally, I’m very tired of the “be like the latest startup” trend.  I’m sure you are too.  So here’s a bit of ammo next time you have to wade into the war of ideas.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.