284: Matthew Brimer - Why the Future of Work Will Be Married With Ongoing Education

When it comes to understanding what is coming in the future of work, there are few people who have more relevant insights than Matthew Brimer. Matthew is the co-founder of General Assembly, a pioneer in education and career transformation that specializes in teaching people today’s most in-demand skills. This conversation with Matthew is intriguing, hitting on many themes having to do with the future of work and what you can do to position yourself for success, so be sure you listen. ## Outcome oriented education that tees you up for real-world skills and employment. General Assembly is all about outcome-oriented education. What does that mean practically? It means the GA team approaches education not from the standpoint of a standardized curriculum, but rather from the perspective of what the desired end-goal is. They do so by staying abreast of what companies are and will be looking for in terms of employee skills and talents in years ahead. That enables General Assembly to stay on the cutting edge of what students need to learn. Find out why Ari and Nick have begun working alongside the General Assembly team, on this episode of Leverage. ## Why everyone needs to think more entrepreneurially about their career. When Ari asked Matthew Brimer about the future of work, he said that he’s pretty certain that everyone in the workforce is going to need to learn how to think entrepreneurially about their career. He’s not saying everyone should become an entrepreneur, but that everyone needs to learn how to push the envelope, be creative, and take risks in order to discover the things about their field and their skillset that make them uniquely suited for particular roles. It’s going to cause the workforce to be more agile, but more specialized, which is what Matthew believes the future will demand. Find out more of Matthew’s thoughts about the future of work, on this episode. ## Experimentation is part of the game as you move forward on the success journey. Gone are the days of rote, mechanical roles in a static workplace. As technology and commerce advance at increasingly higher rates those in the workforce will be required to flex, adapt, and experiment, even in well-established roles. Matthew Brimer says that experimentation is part of what will enable people to discover their unique fit and thrive in the ever-changing future of work. As co-founder of General Assembly, Matthew has a unique perspective on this topic that you’ll want to hear, so be sure to listen. ## To be more effective, intentionally and diligently surround yourself with people who raise the bar. Matthew Brimer is a person who knows that growth doesn’t come from staying in the same environment you’ve always been in. That’s why his advice about how to be more effective began with intentionally surrounding yourself with people who push you toward growth. He pointed out that great things are seldom done in isolation and those who achieve great things in their lives are those who are constantly interacting with others who are on the same trajectory. You can hear all three of Matthew’s recommendations for how to be more effective, on this episode of Leverage. ## Outline of This Episode - [0:03] Welcome to Matthew Brimer - a guy who’s a bigger deal than he realizes. - [2:40] Why Matthew is on the cutting edge of technology and education at the same time. - [4:55] What is Daybreaker and why did Matthew even try such an out of the box thing? - [10:30] How Matthew starts his day and manages time as his most important resource. - [14:30] How Matthew chooses the kind of companies he will serve as an advisor. - [16:39] Matthew’s thoughts about the future of work. - [22:47] Why the valedictorian of the will not be the high achiever of the future. - [26:40] Matthew’s biggest startup failure: they made every mistake in the book. - [35:00] What was the MVP for General Assembly? - [39:30] Matthew’s top tips for becoming more effective. ## Resources