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228 sats \ 0 replies \ @SimpleStacker 21h \ on: Flounder Mode mostly_harmless
Wow, this really resonates with me. I feel like it mirrors my own path within academia.
I tended to be very focused on the work itself. I eschewed the networking and self promotion required to become more well known and have a more prestigious placement. I am respected in the community for my contributions, but I don't actually have much influence because I don't control much money or have a prestigious title.
Now, I am feeling the bite of not having said influence. It limits my more ambitious ideas because by not being at a prestigious university, I don't have access to as many resources, like talented graduate assistants and money for travel. I have to do a lot of the work myself, still. While this is great for keeping me technically competent, it limits my ability to execute on bigger plans. Even if I have a good idea, other teams who come up with the idea later than me can still execute faster because they have larger and more talented teams.
That being said, I think I'm happy where I'm at. The amount of my time and energy (including travel) to become more influential within the community was a price I wasn't quite willing to pay. Plus, I like being able to spend time expanding my horizons to other interests like Bitcoin. I think if I poured myself more wholeheartedly into my career, I wouldn't have as much time for these side interests.