“Focus your life on the ecstasy, not the laundry”

According to this interview, the founder of Kiva, Matt Flannery, understands the panic feeling many of you probably have as you approach graduation.  He understands the pressure to figure out the rest of your life now.  So, he initially felt really excited to find a job at Tivo, but quickly fell into a depression as the work seemed to drag on.

He knew he liked working with computers, but he also knew that Tivo wasn’t the right place for him.  Flannery didn’t imagine Kiva as a major company, the business just focused on a problem and tried to fix it with extensive feedback from experts and customers.  Flannery didn’t try to make money, he just did what he liked.  He points out that if you look at the richest tech entrepreneurs, they didn’t set out to make money, but simply stuck with what made them want to jump out of bed in the morning.

Some of you may find your dream job right after college, but most of you won’t.  Flannery advises that you shouldn’t try to rush it.  It’s hard to find your dream job, but if you try to push yourself to do so, you’ll probably get caught up in something that’s not even close.  Very few people find their passion, but it’s all about doing what you love and waiting through the hard times.

To read more about Flannery’s views on “ecstasy vs laundry,” check out: http://women2.com/2012/01/19/effective-ceo-matt-flannery/.

Better yet, Matt Flannery will be speaking here THIS THURSDAY at 6 PM in Freeman Auditorium in the Woldenberg Art Center.  This is an event you won’t want to miss.