Polywork is a professional network for collaborating on side projects and opportunities beyond traditional nine-to-five jobs.
Pollywork's diverse and passionate investor network adds value and mentorship to the platform.
Peter Johnston emphasizes the importance of staying innovative and taking risks with investors who align with Pollywork's mission.
Deep dives
Pollywork: A Professional Network for Collaboration and Opportunities
Pollywork is a professional network designed for professionals who want to engage in side projects, collaborations, and opportunities beyond their regular nine-to-five jobs. It allows individuals to define themselves by the various skills and interests they have and connect with like-minded professionals. The platform provides a space to discover collaborators, find podcast guests, seek career advice, and connect with professionals from different industries. The network aims to support professionals in building a portfolio career and connecting with others who share similar interests and passions.
Creating a Diverse and Passionate Cap Table
Pollywork recently announced a successful Series B funding round, with investors including notable individuals from companies like Lift, Instacart, and Twitter. The founder, Peter Johnston, strategically selected investors who have experience in building and scaling consumer companies and who believe in the future of work and collaboration. The diverse and passionate cap table not only provides financial support but also offers invaluable advice and mentorship, as these investors have successfully navigated zero-to-one journeys in their own careers. This ecosystem of knowledgeable investors adds immense value to the Pollywork network and its mission.
Navigating Advice and Filtering Information
Peter Johnston, the founder of Pollywork, has learned to filter advice and information from his previous startup journey. He seeks guidance from investors and mentors who have relevant experiences in consumer businesses and have successfully scaled companies in similar industries. Peter recognizes the importance of trusting his instincts and making decisions based on his own understanding of the market and the vision for Pollywork. While he listens to different perspectives, he ultimately relies on his own judgment to guide the company. He also values input from investors who are passionate about the future of work and are aligned with Pollywork's mission.
Staying Innovative and Taking Big Swings
In the current investment climate, Peter emphasizes the importance of staying innovative and taking big swings. He believes that investors should have the resources and capital to support entrepreneurs in pursuing ambitious and unconventional ideas. While valuations and market conditions may fluctuate, having investors who are willing to take risks and support founders in executing their visions is crucial. Peter advocates for staying true to the team's mission and focusing on building a product that creates value for users and encourages them to embrace new opportunities beyond traditional career paths.
Shift towards multiple revenue streams for young people
In the future, it will become increasingly common for young people to have multiple revenue streams and make money doing things they love by the age of 16 to 21. The traditional model of starting with low-paying jobs will be less prevalent, and individuals will have more opportunities to pursue their passions and monetize their skills.
Evolution of business structures and social connections
Over the next decade, businesses will undergo changes in their ownership and equity structures. The corporate structure will adapt to align incentives with individuals, making it harder for companies to recruit and retain talent. Additionally, social connections will become more meaningful, with a greater emphasis on professional networking and shared interests. The future will see people seeking out connections that combine social and professional aspects, creating a more connected and engaged society.
Polywork is a place to discover opportunities to collaborate with other professionals. Existing networks like LinkedIn focus on connecting us to 9-5 opportunities — but where do you go to find opportunities to speak on podcasts? Or discover partners for your side project? Check out who at Google or Netflix is open to angel investing or starting a company? If LinkedIn is built for the 9-5 generation, Polywork is built for the collaboration generation.
It’s been in private beta for just over a year, but this week it publicly launched for everyone, was #1 on Product Hunt, and announced its Series B funding. So what’s its magic?
Polywork understands that as professionals, our list of job titles don’t do a good job of telling our full stories. Furthermore, it’s purpose built for professionals who want to connect with one another beyond their 9-5. There’s a growing network of amazing professionals from places like Figma, Snapchat, and Github all sharing what they want to do — making it incredibly easy to collaborate with anyone, on anything.
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