write, build, sell
as i've gain experience in my career working in the technology, i've begun to develop my own views on how to continue growing. there is a common trope in silicon valley and the technology industry: the only two things that matter are if you can build and/or if you can sell. it's framed as how to make yourself valuable.
however, i have never really tried to "make myself valuable." instead, i simply try to keep learning in different dimensions: about myself, about the industry, about new skills, about my customers, etc. i mainly believe that if you adopt a learners mindset and remain mentally nimble you will find success (whatever your definition is). this is especially true in the technology industry.
i believe there is a loop of learning that enables you to continue growing in any situation: the write, build, sell loop. there is a feedback loop between these three activities. writing will help you figure out what to build, which will give you something sell. when you sell something, you will talk to people, which will lead you to writing done what you hear to define ideas to respond to them.
this loop, in my opinion, is the heart of innovation. i think a lot of people forget the "write" step. people wildly underestimate the value of writing their ideas down on paper. the average technologist today probably writes a lot less than the average technologist thirty years ago. writing your ideas, privately or publicly, is important to clarifying your thoughts and ensuring the things you build are cohesive and have a vision.
you could start anywhere in this loop, but to if you want to move forward you will have to move from one step to the next. you can start by building: writing some code and building a first version of the product. eventually you will have to sell it to people to see if they like it and it is actually valuable. you can start with selling: talk to users and customers to understand what they want. eventually you will have to write down what they want and then build it if you actually want to proceed. you can start by writing: think about something you find interesting and how it could change the world. once you have a reason for technology to change something in the world, however small, you need to start building it to succeed.
i believe this feedback loop, of writing then building then selling, is virtuous and enables your personal growth. by moving through this cycle, you continuously change the objective. this keeps you brain sharp and nimble, which gives me a lot of energy to keep learning. whenever i feel stuck, i try to move to the next step, which always helps me keep moving forward.