The Joe Reis Show Freestyle Fridays - Status Games
Jan 9, 2026
Explore the intriguing world of status games in careers and data management. Discover how societal competition shapes our online personas and the importance of meaningful success metrics over mere vanity metrics. Unpack the notion of chasing reputation versus real impact, and the pressure of social media authenticity. Learn about coaching, wisdom, and the value of mentorship as we age. Ultimately, the key takeaway is to find your own path to success, rather than adhering to others' expectations.
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Episode notes
Society Is A Network Of Status Games
- Society functions largely as a set of status games where people jockey for position and recognition.
- Different content creators occupy complementary roles in the same ecosystem and each approach can work.
Different Content Styles Can Coexist
- Joe contrasted his older, no-nonsense content style with Zach Wilson's bombastic self-promotion approach.
- He observed both styles fit the ecosystem and serve different audiences effectively.
Measure Success By Business Impact
- Measure data and AI success by business impact like revenue, cost reduction, or risk mitigation.
- Avoid counting vanity metrics like awards, team size, or deployments without business value.
