Your Lifetime: The Non-Renewable Resource in Career Negotiations

As the year winds down, many of us find ourselves immersed in personal retrospectives (I just published one myself!), reflecting on our current roles, jobs, and the paths we tread. It's a time when questions about career trajectories and the value of our work come to the fore. This moment of introspection often leads to pondering one of the most critical yet overlooked aspects of professional life: the true nature of the trade-off we're making in our jobs.

Let's consider the fundamental transaction at play in any employment scenario. When you work for a company or a client, what they are essentially purchasing is your time— a portion of your lifetime, to be exact. 

This realization brings us to a profound truth: Time is a non-renewable resource. Unlike money, which is a renewable asset that companies can regenerate (especially if they’ve nailed the whole profitability thing), the hours, days, and years of our lives are finite and irreplaceable.

This idea struck me more deeply after encountering Dries Depoorter's project "Shortlife." It's a small alarm clock-like device that shows what percentage of your life is completed based on your personal life expectancy. This is a stark visual reminder of how finite life truly is, and it can really lead us to reflect on how we choose to spend our days, particularly in our work.

This perspective is crucial, especially for those in the product management sphere, whether you’re seeking new opportunities or a product leader scouting for talent. Recognizing that you are trading a more valuable currency—your time—for something less valuable can fundamentally shift how you approach career decisions and compensation negotiations.

For job seekers, this perspective serves as a reminder to evaluate potential employers and roles based on monetary compensation and how they align with your values, career aspirations, and life balance. Does the role contribute to your growth? Does it align with your values and passions? Are you trading your time for something that fulfills you beyond the financial aspect?

For product leaders, understanding this trade-off is vital in attracting and retaining talent. It's about offering more than just a paycheck. It's about creating environments where team members feel their time is valued—through meaningful work, a culture of growth, and recognition of life beyond the office walls.

As we navigate career paths or seek to bring talent into our teams, let's keep this in mind: We are dealing with the currency of life itself. Let's make sure the trade is worth it.

If this post struck a chord and you’d like to do a bit more deep thinking about your life, you might also enjoy this one: End of Year Reflection: Stop Living on Autopilot.