Nonlinear Techies Newsletter (Apr 14)
Answer this question before you pivot
Are you an analyst or an operator?
I talked about this question a few months ago in one of my videos, and since many of you were interested, I turned it into a little ~framework!
After taking what felt like a million career quizzes when I was confused about my next step after banking, I found that asking myself this simple question helped more than most.
The issue with the career quizzes is that they boxed me in too quickly. What do you mean my ideal career is a Cybersecurity Project Manager??
I found that thinking about whether I liked one of two types of work helped guide me without boxing me in.
Here's how it works. I also made a quiz so you can quickly figure out for yourself.
🔍 Analyst:
You like digging into problems.
You enjoy data, research, strategy, and planning.
You want to build the model.
⚙️ Operator:
You like making things happen.
You want to be in the action—launching marketing campaigns, talking to customers, or shipping products.
Startups sound fun.
A few caveats about this:
I’m not saying there are only two types of jobs. Most corporate jobs tend to fall into these buckets.
Most roles require a blend of both skillsets. Some jobs (like BizOps) are a true mix of both. Maybe you’re a real hybrid!
You can also be an analyst and operator within the same job title. For example, a startup PM might lean more operator, while a big tech PM might lean more analyst.
When I moved from banking to a startup, where I had to operate fast and wear a ton of hats—I realized I wasn’t meant to be a pure analyst. Since then, I’ve looked for roles where I could lean into my "operator" side.
If you’re figuring out your next step, this framework is a good place to start. It won’t close doors or restrict you too quickly.
Share this quiz with a friend who's feeling lost in their career!
Tech Jobs I'd Apply to This Week
Curated US roles (mostly) for generalists and career pivoters with ~2+ years of experience.
Typically includes: Strategy & Ops / BizOps, GTM, Chief of Staff, occasionally Program/Project Manager, Product & Product Marketing, etc.
Here's my 3-step plan to land a tech job in 2025
Strategy & Planning Associate - AirDNA (Proptech, PE-owned, NYC) - shared by a friend of mine, let me know if you're interested!
Operations and Strategy Lead - PIN (Angel investing, Seed, Remote but prioritizing NYC)
Head of Growth & Ops - swsh (Social app, Pre-seed, NYC)
Growth Lead - Scale AI (AI, Late Stage, NYC / SF)
GTM Manager - Legora (Legal Tech, Series A, NYC/London/Stockholm)
Strategy & Ops - Grata (Investment research, Series A, NYC)
Global Expansion - Rippling (HR Tech, Late Stage, SF)
Events and Programming Lead - Stan (Creator Economy, Early stage, LA)
Product Manager - Stan (Creator Economy, Early stage, Toronto)
Product Delivery & Client Success - Louisa AI (Sales AI, Early stage, NYC)
Chief of Staff - Checkbook (Fintech, Early stage, San Mateo)
Chief of Staff - Concourse (Govtech, Early stage, NYC)
BizOps Associate - Harmonic (VC tech, Early stage, NYC)
Strategy & Ops - DoorDash (Marketplace, Public, Various)
Growth & GTM - Pilot (SaaS, VC backed, NYC)
Growth Operations - Traba (Marketplace, Series A, NYC)
This is NOT meant to be "every tech generalist job under the sun", just roles on my radar that I want to share with you!
Other job search platforms I recommend for nonlinear techies include: YC, Wellfound, Builtin, Dice, Remote.co, and of course LinkedIn.
If you find this newsletter helpful, share it with a fellow nonlinear techie!