Mitch Joel, Control Alt Delete

Mitch JoelSo you may have seen today’s guest keynoting at any number of conferences around the world. His name is Mitch Joel and he’s a fantastic speaker, one of the most prolific bloggers I know and the author of a terrific book from a number of years ago, Six Pixels of Separation.

Mitch has a new book out called Control Alt Delete and it’s a conversation about rebooting yourself, rebooting your business and rebooting your sense of business so you can survive in this new digital world. So I’m going to have a conversation of my own with Mitch about the book and his point of view on all sorts of things.

In this interview, Mitch and I discuss:

  • Why it’s important to have a digital-first posture
  • The fact that we all have the power to rewrite our own life stories
  • How modern technology enables us to create businesses and opportunities
  • The rise of hacker culture and its impact on entrepreneurism
  • Why it’s important to know when to say “No”
  • How to manage your technology and not let your technology manage you

 (Scroll down for more in-depth podcast notes.)

Listen to my interview with Mitch Joel.

0:00:00: Michael and Mitch begin by discussing Mitch’s background and the intentions and genesis of his new book.

0:05:00: Pointing out a specific section in Mitch’s book, Michael asks what he means by the importance of having a digital-first posture. Mitch explains that when people stop being skeptical of digital trends and technologies, they’re in a better position to explore the possibilities. He and Michael talk about the idea of embracing the “squiggle” – the non-linear career track – and acknowledge that we all have the power to change our life stories.

0:10:00: Mitch talks about the growing trend toward people having several careers in their lifetime, and points out that today’s technology makes it possible for people to create “magnificent” businesses and opportunities. Michael asks about the reference in Mitch’s book to the “rise of hacker culture,” and Mitch explains that people shouldn’t rely on others, but should take their fate into their own hands.

0:15:08: Further elaborating on hacker culture, Mitch says that people don’t need a physical office to be successful in business, and that we can take incremental steps toward crafting the future we really want.

0:17:48: Michael and Mitch discuss the importance of knowing when to say “No,” and why it’s necessary in order to have time for the things we really want to focus on.

0:20:00: Mitch talks about the “darker side” of technology and that people have to manage their technology so it doesn’t manage them. He also explains how he’s able to balance his daily obligations with exploring new possibilities and driving new thinking. Michael concludes by directing listeners to where they can find more information about Mitch and his book.

Leave a Reply