Bryan Power

It's actually, for me, a better choice to manage the stress and anxiety or feeling like you don't know what to do because you're probably going to figure things out as you go versus look for creating an opportunity where you're kind of boxed into a safe or a small position. It doesn't enable growth the way the big, scary opportunities do.

It's actually, for me, a better choice to manage the stress and anxiety or feeling like you don't know what to do because you're probably going to figure things out as you go versus look for creating an opportunity where you're kind of boxed into a safe or a small position. It doesn't enable growth the way the big, scary opportunities do.

Well, I think whether it's a small company, like a startup or a bigger company, I've found I'm personally energized by not really knowing what to do. And that I get an extra push from needing to figure things out, whether that's personally... or at the company level, that brings a lot of energy and attention to whatever problems are in front of you.

Well, I think whether it's a small company, like a startup or a bigger company, I've found I'm personally energized by not really knowing what to do. And that I get an extra push from needing to figure things out, whether that's personally... or at the company level, that brings a lot of energy and attention to whatever problems are in front of you.

And again, like many of us, I've also been in environments where I haven't been as challenged and I found the demands on you drop and then the growth can slow and you end up doing different things.

And again, like many of us, I've also been in environments where I haven't been as challenged and I found the demands on you drop and then the growth can slow and you end up doing different things.

I have a personal ritual now that I've done. I can't remember when I started doing it, but I really take stock of where I am career-wise at the end of every year over the holidays. I kind of find a day to go by myself and just think and reflect and think about, you know, is this situation working for me? Do I like the company's future? Do I like my personal situation? Do I like my team?

I have a personal ritual now that I've done. I can't remember when I started doing it, but I really take stock of where I am career-wise at the end of every year over the holidays. I kind of find a day to go by myself and just think and reflect and think about, you know, is this situation working for me? Do I like the company's future? Do I like my personal situation? Do I like my team?

Just like a whole... 360 of what do I think I need to do? And I keep this ritual every year because what allows me to do, and I usually lean back into what I'm doing, but sometimes I decide, okay, it's time to change. That allows me to really focus on the year in front of me versus constantly wondering, should I change? Like if you have a bad week at work, you're like, I should quit.

Just like a whole... 360 of what do I think I need to do? And I keep this ritual every year because what allows me to do, and I usually lean back into what I'm doing, but sometimes I decide, okay, it's time to change. That allows me to really focus on the year in front of me versus constantly wondering, should I change? Like if you have a bad week at work, you're like, I should quit.

It lets me really move through the adversity on a longer horizon, knowing that I'm going to take full stock at least once a year into what I want to do next. Because I think that we can overreact to the positive and the negative when we're in the moment. And I think that also can be really distracting if you feel like you're constantly reevaluating your situation.

It lets me really move through the adversity on a longer horizon, knowing that I'm going to take full stock at least once a year into what I want to do next. Because I think that we can overreact to the positive and the negative when we're in the moment. And I think that also can be really distracting if you feel like you're constantly reevaluating your situation.

Because for me, the best growth has come from periods of real adversity where the instinct is to leave and to quit and to give up or to try something else. And it's when you really push through those steep challenges that you experience personal or professional growth at a totally different level.

Because for me, the best growth has come from periods of real adversity where the instinct is to leave and to quit and to give up or to try something else. And it's when you really push through those steep challenges that you experience personal or professional growth at a totally different level.

I'll go back in time because I'd been at Google for about eight years and I had an offer internally for a new assignment that was exciting. This is now 2011 or 2012. So again, a really long time ago. And just to reorient what was going on then, that was three years after the major economic crash of 2008, 2009. and it was an incredibly fertile landscape in tech.

I'll go back in time because I'd been at Google for about eight years and I had an offer internally for a new assignment that was exciting. This is now 2011 or 2012. So again, a really long time ago. And just to reorient what was going on then, that was three years after the major economic crash of 2008, 2009. and it was an incredibly fertile landscape in tech.

This is when today's dominant tech companies, Uber, Airbnb, they were all 100% startups. Pinterest, Dropbox, Square, kind of the list goes on. And Google at that time was really a major player, and I had this internal opportunity, but I decided, you know, I think I kind of want to try a much smaller startup and see what I can do. There were other things.

This is when today's dominant tech companies, Uber, Airbnb, they were all 100% startups. Pinterest, Dropbox, Square, kind of the list goes on. And Google at that time was really a major player, and I had this internal opportunity, but I decided, you know, I think I kind of want to try a much smaller startup and see what I can do. There were other things.

I was in New York at the time, and I was interested in coming back to California. But anyway, fast forward to I ended up working at Square and it was really difficult to go from Google at that time was just such a rocket ship that I don't know. And this is common.

I was in New York at the time, and I was interested in coming back to California. But anyway, fast forward to I ended up working at Square and it was really difficult to go from Google at that time was just such a rocket ship that I don't know. And this is common.