15 Pieces of Career Advice to My Younger Self

My first “real” job was interning at beehiiv when I was 17. I got a peak behind the curtain of how a fast-growing startup operates.

Since then, I’ve had my fair share of gigs in between.

I joined 2 more early-stage tech startups. I worked at 3 different marketing agencies. I did research for Sahil Bloom. I freelance consulted for newsletters with hundreds of thousands of readers. I started my own ghostwriting agency. I’m now working as head of content for Noah Kagan.

While I’m still nowhere near where I aspire to be — I have learned a thing or two about how to create career opportunities as well as how to maximize them.

This post is about the best lessons I’ve learned — both from my own mistakes and from the mistakes of others. Whether you’re just starting out, looking for your next role, or aiming to maximize your current role, I hope you find an idea that serves you as you navigate the complexities of your career and endeavors.

Let’s dive in…

1. Nobody has it all figured out. Admire. Respect. Be inspired. But don’t fool yourself into thinking anyone is smarter or more ‘special’ than you are. If they can do it, so can you.

2. Value learning over earning. This May, I shut down my content agency to work full-time with Noah Kagan. When you get an opportunity to learn from one of the best in their craft, it’s foolish to pick short-term earning instead of long-term learning. Knowledge, skills, and relationships compound faster than capital.

3. Make your journey public. I can point back to being public as the reason for every good thing in my career. When you share your story openly and authentically, opportunities will flock to you like kids to the ice cream truck. Publicly sharing your story is a magnet for opportunities.

4. Do the work upfront. If you want to work for your favorite entrepreneur or company, you must show two things: (1) You want the job, and (2) You can do the job. The best way to do that is to do the work upfront. Don’t ask how you can help. Just help as if you already work for them. It’s not free work, it’s pre-work.

5. The score takes care of itself. Your work works on you more than you work on it. Instead of worrying about the results, focus on what you can control. Be humble. Show up. Do your work. Just like a video game - you create your character, then your character creates your results.

6. Say yes more. At the start, say yes to every opportunity. Hop on Zoom calls with strangers. Fly across the country to attend a conference. Start that crazy business idea with your roommate. You can create your own luck by having a strong bias for action.

7. Say no more. The paradox of success: The more successful you become, the more you’re set up to fail. Opportunities become abundant and it’s difficult to filter out distractions. Once you have momentum, be ruthless with your time. As Derek Sivers says, if it’s not a hell yes… it’s a no.

8. Keep a Cheerleading File. Anytime someone sends you a testimonial or encouraging message - save it away. When you feel discouraged, look through your Cheerleading File. Instant mood booster.

9. Start a business. You don’t need your business to succeed for it to be “worth it”. The knowledge, skills, and experience you gain are valuable regardless if the business is successful. Entrepreneurship is the greatest vehicle for personal growth.

10. Surround yourself with people who inspire you. Nothing will force you to level up more like being in an environment where you're the dumbest, newest, and least skilled person there. Find the room with big thinkers. Get in the room. Help others with no expectations.

11. Write an internal newsletter. One of the best practices I’ve implemented since my time at beehiiv is writing a weekly report. Every Sunday, I break down core metrics, analyze what we’ve been doing well and what we can improve on, and share upcoming priorities. It’s a game-changer for effective communication, accountability, and documenting your thought process.

12. Be impossible to explain. When you mix things that shouldn’t go together, people pay attention. Lift weights. Read poetry. Run marathons. Write online. Instead of shying away from your natural curiosities — lean into them.

13. Be a disciple of history. “Any fool can learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others.” — Otto von Bismarck

14. Stay a student. A pattern I’ve noticed in high-performers: They are constantly seeking feedback. “How’d I do? How was that? What can I do better?” They know mastery isn’t a destination; It’s a never-ending process.

15. Stay in the game long enough to get lucky. Instead of trying to predict the future, focus on staying in the game. Work hard. Acquire skills. Stay humble. Avoid stupid mistakes and don’t interrupt compounding unnecessarily. Stay in the game. The rest will take care of itself.

See you next Sunday,

Jay Yang

Forwarded this email? Sign up here
Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn