Obliterate Compartments
“It was an absolutely pivotal conversation. It changed the value prop of the business and helped me solve a problem when I had been going in circles for months…”
Pareto Founder and CEO Phoebe Yao isn’t talking about a mind-blowing mentor meeting arranged by one of the many platinum-certified accelerator programs she’s a part of. She’s referring to a chance encounter with a friend in the park.
One of the most transformative inputs to shift the trajectory of her business came when she least expected it, and she almost missed it. “I used to be really shy about talking about my business. If I gather a bunch of friends at the park, I want to be talking about life, not work.”
Fortunately, she overheard one key word that gave her the courage to speak up (go, eavesdropping!). And the conversation that followed couldn’t be replicated.
“One thing I’m learning is that there’s no black and white, ever. School teaches you to be a perfectionist, to have THE right answer, but I’m navigating in totally uncharted territory. The narrative that relationships have to be either professional or personal is completely false - it limits your creativity!! If I hadn’t taken the chance to talk outside of an explicit setting (ie one where we are “supposed to” talk about work), I would have missed out.”
Our education systems and org institutions have mostly reinforced the belief in compartments. This may work for focused, routine work; but when we are exploring, we have to be willing to obliterate compartments in order to expose ourselves to unexpected input (link).
It’s something I hear all the time. A friend of mine is married to a children’s book writer. “Everything that happens in our life finds its way into his work.” As someone once said, “To a writer, everything is grist for the mill.” We can abstract that a level to say, to someone doing creative work, everything should be grist for the mill, considered potential input material.
The “work v life” false paradox is just one example of compartmentalization, but the tendency is deep. I told Phoebe about another incredible founder we’ve met, and how she has taken compartment obliteration to the next level.
“At a party, I can’t help but talk about work. I always make it a point to ask folks at dinner parties, ‘What’s top of mind for your business?’” Amy Yin, founder and CEO of OfficeTogether, has seen firsthand the value of seeking professional connections inside of her personal relationships. “I did an exercise just the other night. I had a bunch of friends over, had them swap life stories, and then ‘pitch’ the person they just met to the rest of the group. I have found so many amazing synergies in hearing about questions and talking about work.” (this is one of many nuggets from our fascinating conversation with Amy Yin)
We know that new ideas are a function of new connections, new inputs. I wonder how many folks’ flow is suffocated because they have unknowingly erected and enforced a strict compartmentalization policy.
Related: Capture Instead of Compartmentalizing
Related: The Value of a Fresh Perspective
Related: Correspond Broadly
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Last week, I found myself in the bizarre position of attending a conference for YouTube creators. Talk about a fish out of water. Even though I didn't "belong" there, it sparked a bunch of fresh connections and insights... which is exactly the point of this post.