Is the CWG's World Really Round?
Seems hard to believe that it's been almost 4 years since I wrote about the flatness of our little VC world. Time certainly flys when you're having fun...
In those 4 years, I've spent a fair amount of time talking to various folks in the far eastern portion of the globe. I must admit, when I worte the original CWG Review article (found here;http://www.configuration-workgroup.com/node/73 ) I didn't realize just how long it would take to be realized.
Guess what....The number of folks I've talked to in the past couple of years has increased. And for those of us who live in the "Western world", where VC salaries have been good for a long time, let me tell you something;
We've been caught...
Not in salary, but in knowledge and skill.
You see, 4 years ago, the number of folks that could really DO VC type work in the Far East was, well..."limited" to say the least. At least, I sure as heck couldn't find the "top end". And it wasn't for lack of trying...I found lots of folks that could, shall we say, articulate the Help files, but very few that had any real life implementation experience, much less long term production work.
Them days is over folks....I've found more and more folks in the "low cost" portion of the world that have the abilities to do a VC project darn near anywhere. You really don't want to think about what they cost. It might even drive you to drink!!
There isn't a company out there that isn't going to see the light and realize they can pay 15-20 people for the price of 1...Reality is, you will get a lot more productivity out of 15-20 folks than you will 1..And guess what happens to the 1...
Yeah, yeah, I've heard all the arguements about quality. Get over it. There will be quality issues at first. But they will be overcome. It isn't enough to stop the tide of progress..
Flatness is coming to the VC world, faster and faster.
I know I've said it before. I hate to sound like Chicken Little. But if you don't have a plan for what you'll do when your job goes overseas, you better start thinking about it. I certainly have been...For quite some time in fact...
Are you out of debt? Have at least 6 (preferably 12) months emergency funds stashed away? Do you know how you will reinvent your function so that you are not tapped on the shoulder?
Those are my focuses...
For me, I'm really fortunate. I've been working on the financial part for a long time. That part is done..Now I've been thinking about how to reinvent the VC portion of what I do. I've got a plan for that as well. That plan does NOT include leaving the company I'm currently at. It DOES involve making changes to what I do..I'll still be in the VC world, but what I DO in that world will change...How and when I do it will change as well..
So here's my challenge to you....If you aren't ready for your boss to come to you TOMORROW and tell you "Gee, I'm sorry, but you're job's been outsourced" then you better make a plan..Today...
I would be very surprised if we don't see a CWG local chapter in the Far East in 2010 or 2011 at the latest. The real question is, just how large will that job market become? And how many of the jobs being done will be those that used to be done in North America or Europe?
Now that I've depressed you, it's time for me to go drink a beer or 4 and watch the Super Bowl....
Go Saints (I know...but I've always liked the underdog)...!!!
Later folks,
Steve