Infinite Path

Online, many companies and individuals spend their time comparing themselves to others in a similar field. Competition is rife and a vibrant online presence is seen as crucial.

It is important to play the game in your field, especially if you are relatively new on the scene. However, this obsession that many people have can be counter-productive. If too much time is spent working on this all-important “reputation”, is enough time spent on the actual business of work?

Many of the best people – whether they’re designers, developers, marketers, or writers – are often relatively unknown. This is because they are actually working. The people who talk at conferences, or are prolific online chatterers are often speaking on the basis that they are experts in their field. This was probably once true, but many speculate whether they can actually still be classed as experts because they now very rarely do any work; rather, they talk about how it should be done.

The people who are doing the working, improving the way things are done and innovating within the industry are seldom heard from.

So, is it the case that there is too much emphasis placed on the need to shout about yourself online? Do people think that the only way to succeed is to be a big “profile”?

If you are always comparing yourself to your competition – and you are relentlessly trying to compete in the same space as the biggest voice – it may be that you forget what you are actually trying to do and, for that matter, how to do it.