Onward, Palmer, Alaska, 2006
It’s hard to get anything in life unless you ask for it; so here I am, asking. I’m looking for a challenge to focus on and commit to for the next three to six months with a group of great people, and I would love your help.
I’m looking for a challenge.
I’ve spent the past couple years creating challenges for myself, pushing myself to learn, to create and grow. And I’ve loved it: I’ve met, shared ideas with and learned from a ton of great, interesting people. I’ve gotten involved in a lot of great conversations. I’ve gotten involved in a range of very divergent projects.
But carrying on a ton of concurrent, divergent conversations and projects is distracting, personally unfulfilling and professionally limiting: it’s activity without accomplishment. I’ve realized that I need to get involved with a group of people to focus on a challenge to focus my mind and passion and help create and deliver something truly meaningful. Accomplishment, not just activity.
Here’s how you can help.
I’d love your help in finding and connecting me with challenges and people: propose ideas, pass this invitation to other people in your networks, contact me about projects I can help on, or help however you can. I’m appealing to the power of serendipity to open opportunities: but I recognize it’s up to me to deliver results.
Feel free to contact me privately by email or publicly through the comments or Twitter.
Here’s what I’m looking to do.
Details and guidelines:
- What I want to do: I want to work on something that matters, on something I can care about with a group of great people.
I know that’s vague, but I’ve got a lot of potential paths swimming through my head: helping a startup define and launch their company, helping a venture capitalist evaluate investments and structure deals, helping a company on product innovation projects, help execute a product launch, shoot an in-depth photojournalism project, start my “alt-PhD”, learn to hack, assist a photographer, help film a travel documentary, etc.
Nothing there should be a surprise to anyone that has read either of my sites or talked to me over the past couple of years; and yes, I acknowledge that list is incredibly broad: but at its core, it’s about finding a challenge that excites both sides of the brain, that leverages my ability to import and export ideas, that requires me to be analytical and creative.
I readily acknowledge that I have a lot to learn, thus I consider this a trade of skills, passion and time for opportunity and education.
- How I can help: Business strategy and financial modeling, marketing and product innovation, online and offline; I’ve worked in consumer financial services and wireless telecommunications, strategy consulting and private equity; I’ve helped many entrepreneurs refine ideas and develop strategies; I’m a natural “red cell”, passionate about asking questions, learning, creating and reframing conventions. For specifics on formal education and work experience, check out my resume; for examples of my informal education and interests, check out both of my websites taylordavidson.com and unstructuredventures.com.
- Timeline: duration of 3-6 months, and I’d like to start in a couple weeks. Think of this as an “project” or an “alt-internship” around a near-term deliverable.
- Compensation: I’m more interested in working on something I care about than in making money. If you know me at all, or if you’ve heard me talk about my “freemium” life, then this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
- Geography: USA, abroad, doesn’t matter. Virtual or on-site, not terribly important. I’m fairly nomadic by nature and can move very quickly if needed. All I would ask for is help in finding a place to stay.
Thanks for your help! Rest assured I’ll fill you in on what I decide on doing…
—
Updated: June 27: Vague details about the challenge I accepted and my upcoming travel plans.
