As a literature grad who ended up working with corporate clients, and then went into the venture capital/startup world, it sometimes feel like I have two different selves:
The side that loves concepts, playfulness, is moved by the truth of emotion, and appreciates the brilliance of world-building, a great plot, lush vocabulary and elegant expressions
The side that loves outcomes, targets, the illusory order of a spreadsheet, action-oriented analysis, test-validation cycles and getting s**t done (sorry not elegant)
(hello, identity crisis).
It can also feel like my friends fall on a spectrum:
At one extreme end, the deeply creative ones who would rather earn less than compromise their principles, and are genuinely unlikely to survive if they were forced into an office job.
At the other extreme end, executives who are focused on topline growth, bottomline profits, outcomes, efficiency, and can fall into seeing people in terms of output potential.
Sometimes these two camps just can’t get along, because at the extremes, they speak to different value systems. Hence the notion of “selling out” - compromising creative vision to get the dollars, when sometimes it’s a practical tradeoff to be able to do what one loves.
Of course, that’s a false dichotomy.
We are all onions - because, interwoven layers. 🧅
We all have both creative and commercial selves to varying extents, even if you’ve mainly cultivated one over the other.
The question is essentially: how much can I sacrifice my values or vision in order to be commercially successful, if my personal vision is not commercially valuable?
Even if you’re not “ a creative”, this will be familiar.
One of the biggest recurring topics when I speak to coachees is passion vs pragmatism - do I do what I love, or should I search for security and a good paycheck.
Both concerns and desires are equally valid.
And I’m thankful to know more than a few people who’ve found a path without compromising too much on either.
Some things to consider or reframe that may help navigate the balance, if you’re in this particular pickle:
1. Market value
We often think of market value as dollars. But how much others pay for what we offer is affected by other factors beyond the product itself. There’s affordability, others’ priorities, timing and fit.
Furthermore, there are other markers of value - network, influence, visibility, trade for services.
There are also markers of value defined by yourself, independent of the market.
2. Tradeoff means gains as well as losses
Sometimes this sounds like “compromising” - our values, desires - which can seem like a dirty word.
Knowing your principles is critical; sticking by them is important. But there are also situations where excellence is subjective, or where it’s about understanding what other principles are at play, and then prioritising them for that context or season of one’s career.
When you have to hold your passion or creative vision a little more lightly, consider also what knowledge, skills, experience and opportunities you can receive and leverage in return.
3. Time Horizon
Most people I’ve met who are from corporate backgrounds, and who face this conundrum, tend to think - “I’ll pay the bills first, and do what I love later.” For creatives, this is a little like “F you money” (see #3 here), where the right to have full creative leeway comes when you’ve learnt enough about the commercial side to have autonomy.
Another way is to focus on going far, and not fast. This could mean pursuing two paths in tandem, or finding a tradeoff that may mean lesser earnings in the short term, but more fulfilment and equal or more value in the long term.
4. Product vs Ecosystem
If you can build something around what you love, rather than have what you love as the product, that could provide more flexibility. So for instance, basing your work on supporting artists or athletes, rather than being an artist or athlete yourself.
Did these resonate? Drop me an email with your thoughts - I’d love to hear more about how you or others have navigated passion vs pragmatism!
𝗛𝗶, 𝗜'𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻 👋
𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.
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