At the Intersection of Technology, Innovation and Entertainment
Times have been so fast and furious in my current role at
TiVo that it was not until I talked to a senior executive that I realized my
career has come full circle. We hear so
often that we need to reflect as leaders on experiences and know it is a best
practice, but how many practice the reflection process?
It was an ah-ha moment when I thought back to my undergrad
experience of starting a company – VisionQuest Foundation with a few of my
fellow Binghamton University Computer Science classmates. The goal of this company was to bring high-tech
speakers that might only ever speak at the most prestigious universities and
stream / beam the interview across the world.
Funding was secured by Cisco, Microsoft, and Yahoo. When I think about the technology available
in 2000 with still dial-up internet, we were ahead of the times by streaming
the content over the internet and hiring a production company to broadcast via
Satellite for other universities to pick up via the National Technical University
system. Miraculously we were able to
land the inventor of the modern-day internet – Tim Berners-Lee and our team of
college classmates arrived at the New York Times building for an interview about
the company. I still read the New York Times Article occasionally and think about how crazy it is that we
made this happen successfully.
Full Circle
As a leader at TiVo, I feel the freedom I once felt
regarding the support of innovative thought, support to try a few crazy ideas,
and ownership to drive a new wave of products that will be innovative for the
times that we live. We work with so many
of the streaming and satellite companies that are household names across the
world and I personally find the marriage of technology and entertainment as
rewarding as I did during the college startup.
Reflection Renews Energy
Beyond realizing a renewed passion about how much I enjoy
working at the intersection of technology, innovation, and entertainment, it
makes me realize the importance of reflection in our careers. Everyone should consciously take time on a
regular cadence to:
- Write down your recent accomplishments
- Write down your recent struggles
- Review your previous notes to see if there are trends occurring
Wrapping it Up
Thinking and taking time to reflect is an important part of
everyone’s career that often is neglected.
By taking the time at certain intervals through the year, this will keep
you focused on the path that is driven by you.
Be an active part of your career development and I guarantee you will
find more fulfillment. Get up, go
reflect, and make your own path forward!
We always appreciate a comment or sharing of this blog entry
on your socials.
0 Comments