It can be easy to fall into the trap of wanting attention for your work, especially early in your career.
How many readers do I have? How much press coverage have I received? How many of the senior executives at my company know who I am?
These are all the wrong questions for one simple reason: none of these things will change the process or outcome of doing the work. With all the recognition in the world, you still have to do the work… only with more pressure.
Yes, strive to do the kind of work that is worthy of having readers or being covered in the press. Yes, build relationships with key leaders in your field or company.
But don’t make that the focus of the work itself. Perhaps ironically, the best way to become more than a nobody is to focus on doing good work.
Being a nobody is a competitive advantage. It means you can make things happen without unnecessary fanfare (or criticism).
Developing your skills and body of work without fanfare or criticism is, quite simply, the biggest advantage of all when you’re getting started.