I haven’t yet read Reid Hoffman’s The Start-Up of You, but I already agree with his premise. He sees similarities between careers and startups in terms of what it takes to succeed, and advises: Treat yourself as a ‘permanent beta’; invest in yourself and always improve; grow your economic capability and create value from your assets; take intelligent risks; leverage your network, etc.
The acceleration of the internet and our information age means that mind-work is shifting at an ever-faster pace, requiring ever more nimble workers who must adapt or suffer the consequences of obsolescence. Thinking like a stratup appears to be good advice to deal with this “Career Future Shock”.