February 2025
Something caught my attention today. It was a post on Reddit describing LinkedIn as a "chaotic mix of motivational posts and low-effort memes". The person who posted this comment was describing a feeling of shock and confusion after logging in to their account after a hiatus.
I'm old enough to remember when LinkedIn was boring. It was your parents' social media platform before your parents found out about Facebook and, shortly after, Instagram. Why did my highschool cohort view LinkedIn as an old-person's platform? Because it was. It was a place where most people simply hosted their digital CV. Those days are gone.
If I see one more post teasing me with some valuable tip or trick in exchange for my email address and a follow and a connection request, I'm going to scream.
The internet, at it's founding, was optimistically viewed as a free exchange of ideas. Yes, we all need to earn a living. Yes, we all want some path forward to building long-lasting wealth. Why does it feel like a consensus has been made that the best course to chart is an odd mixture of collecting a salary from someone else while spending most of your time and effort on your "personal brand".
Brand ≠ Reputation