Mindspire with Kirby
The playbooks for paychecks in tech have changed.
There was a time when jobs were everywhere—when an unknown number was a recruiter practically begging you to take their job. Then you’d cash those checks until the next recruiter called with something even better.
But mass layoffs and a flood of applicants onto job boards have thrown a wrench in all of that. Opportunities do still exist—you just need to know how to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge.
Enter Mindspire, your guide to finding the side doors and moving your career forward.
Each week on The Side Door, I’ll share a story inspired by someone who landed a job in an unconventional way. You’ll learn from their journey, avoid their mistakes, and find your own shortcuts to success.
Work Besties is an exclusive membership that gives you special access to my calendar and best resources, where we tackle The Deep Work together. Think of it as a monthly investment in your career—one that helps you set bigger, hairier, and audacious-ier goals, then achieve them faster. Because two heads really are better than one.
Most of my besties come to me when they’re looking for new jobs, promotions, or a complete career reset. Irregardless, no work topics are off limits to friends. I mean, that’s just like the rules of careerism.
"Steve added immense value to my life. Beyond being super intelligent, he truly cares about people, listens with his full presence, has the ability to see people's unique strengths and weaknesses, and is incredibly self-aware. I always left our meetings feeling understood and with new ideas to contemplate pertaining to my personal and professional growth."
Andi Scarcello, Senior Software Engineer
“Steve was the first person to encourage my career journey unconditionally. I seemed to have an interest in a position that wasn't what I was doing, and he not only helped me get into that role but encouraged me every step of the way. That kind of audacity encouraged me to keep going before landing on the track that is most aligned with what I want to be doing.”
Matt Mohr, Senior Data Scientist
"Not only is Steve a wonderful mentor, he is also a wonderful human. Earlier in my career, he sharpened my ability to be patient and weigh various options before making decisions. His ability to thoughtfully respond to questions with deeper questions helped strengthen self-reflection and many other key skills pertinent to career and personal growth."
Ryan Stanfield, Senior Software Engineer
Some of my besties have luck getting their managers to cover the cost of the membership out of their learning and development budget, especially when we’re working towards having an even bigger impact at their current company.
