Take your work seriously, not yourself
By: Roh Krishnan
Tags: Lifehacks, Living, Productivity, Life, Life Lessons

A wake-up call for those of you falling asleep during the Pandemic.

I’ve worked at a number of big-name corporations in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ve worked at smaller startups. I’ve consulted at medium-sized companies. I am currently the CEO and Founder of Blackbird. I studied computer science, minored in journalism and I just wrote a book called ‘Ripple: Craftsmanship worthy of the Abstract’. (Available shortly on Amazon and your local book stores) A book that bridges the gap between software and fashion of all things. Yes, I love fashion. I love cashmere suits and french cuff shirts. I’ve gotten my brown belt in Ju-Jitsu. I like to ride motorcycles. I played hockey my entire life and play for my college team(s).

Learn how to ride a motorcycle. It’s the modern-day horse.

While working in tech in San Francisco, I started my own audio engineering studio and recording facility in ode to the fact that I play the guitar, saxophone, and piano. I love to drink, smoke cigars, have sex and I am an unapologetic socialite. I ended up recording over 127 songs. Some vulgar, some not. I plan on coming back to them one day, compiling the best of them, and putting it out into the ether.

Go get a tattoo…you only live once.

I can draw. As a kid, I would make up narratives and manifest them in the form of comic book style magazines. It taught me that I could do things with my hands that others either couldn’t do or simply hadn’t tried.

I read The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck when I was in middle school. I didn’t have a tv in my room so all I had was books. I read a lot. By reading, you vicariously put yourself in a position of empathy towards a given subject matter. This culminates in a larger knowledge base and a different style of thinking. Even as I write this, I am throwing away the ‘outline’ that my writing teachers would insist upon.

Phooey. Talk as you wish. Face danger or simply be unaffected by these artificial constraints.

Just do it and ask for forgiveness later.

I like to invest in the stock market, despite the risks. I like to live life. My favorite game at the casino is Craps. By playing Craps, drunk off free drinks, you end up calculating risk and reward with a baby like intensity.

The majority of my life is what some people would call crazy, spontaneous, and perhaps obnoxious and vulgar.

To me, it’s all apart of living. A singular entity. And I don’t care. As long as I’m not hurting my ability to handle my work and social commitments, and I am not endangering others, “you can call me Susan if you like” — Bullet Tooth Tony (from the movie ‘Snatch) for all I care.

And I hope you see where I am going with this. Don’t take yourself so seriously!

I have so many friends that are still trying to find their role in this increasingly changing world, and my advice is always this: try different things out. If you are a writer, allow others to read it. If you are a musician, post your music on every MEDIUM. If you are an entrepreneur, tell your story and be proud, even if you fail. People will be jealous, negative, and sometimes flat out mean.

That is exactly the sign that you are doing something right.