Thread: Are You Irreplaceable?

How to make sure your business can thrive without you, and five steps to get there.

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Cool article. In "climbing the corporate ladder," people often have not only an over inflated sense of self worth to the corporation, but strive to make themselves indispensable. It's a survival tactic and a healthy goal when you work for someone else.

As I build my own company, however, the goal is 100% opposite. In order to generate passive income, I think you need to be as unessential to the daily processes you implement as possible. Automation and outsourcing are two of the main tools that I am using to make sure that I am replaceable. It's the PROCESS that I want humming like a machine... and the less intervention it requires from me, the better.

Originally Posted by Vigilante

Cool article. In "climbing the corporate ladder," people often have not only an over inflated sense of self worth to the corporation, but strive to make themselves indispensable. It's a survival tactic and a healthy goal when you work for someone else.

As I build my own company, however, the goal is 100% opposite. In order to generate passive income, I think you need to be as unessential to the daily processes you implement as possible. Automation and outsourcing are two of the main tools that I am using to make sure that I am replaceable. It's the PROCESS that I want humming like a machine... and the less intervention it requires from me, the better.

Very good point. Funny when you put it like that. When I look around and see all these managers, line managers, directors, project managers, etc you really notice how they strive to look important and try to get in contact with all the "big shots". We recently had a round of "firings" and guys who have worked here loyally for 20 even 40 years are suddenly gone.......were so focused on climbing THIS corporate level that they have to start from the very very bottom of the ladder again.....at the age of 50-60....

Dutchy. I had a friend who worked 20+ years for the same company. He'd work late, weekends, what ever it took. He bled the company's colors. One day, he woke up and went to work like any other day. Only this day, he was called into Human Resources, and his position was eliminated. His loyalty to the company was paid back with a pink slip. He was just a number on a spreadsheet to them.

He found himself in his late 40's - out of work, never had a resume, never interviewed, and terminated. Companies were hesitant to talk to someone that they coundn't "train", and he was three times as expensive as hiring a 20'something.

People forget they are free agents. There's no such thing as job security.

Your post reminded me of one of the best Seinfeld episodes ever :

George Costanza Educates on Valuable Life Skills: Looking Busy - YouTube

Originally Posted by Vigilante

People forget they are free agents. There's no such thing as job security.

Wise words. And I see it time again and again as I move on on my graduate programme from country to country. Whether in Spain in a market or in Amsterdam at the HQ.

Glad I'm seeing this while I'm only 23. Hearing stories from directors even about how they don't know what the future holds.

P.S. One of my fav Seinfeld episodes too

very relevant and true video lol