Sunday, August 19, 2007

The six Fs (don't get your hopes up)

My friend Adam observed there are six words that begin with F that motivate people in their jobs. I'll list them in alphabetical order
  1. Family / Friends - a job that provides an opportunity for you to spend time with your family. Imagine limited work hours, extra vacation, or even telecommuting.
  2. Fame - success at your tasks will make you famous. Think of Mark Andreeson, Jim Barksdale, Adam Bosworth, Bill Joy.
  3. Force - releasing a product that changes the world. Microsoft Office, Internet browsers, relational database.
  4. Fortune - If you succeed, you become wealthy. For some, this is to break $100,000 a year. For others it is to break $1,000,000.
  5. Freedom - to work on what you wanted. An example of this would be Google's 20 percent time.
  6. Fun - This job is just a fun place to be. Nerf rockets, positive feedback, video games, group lunch.

What motivates you?