Whats Up With LinkedIn

Whats Up With LinkedIn Since I wrote the book on LinkedIn (in its 4th edition, which is now outdated), I have been keeping an eye on LinkedIn.  Not so much the company or product, but the utility. When I speak at job clubs across the U.S., I listen to users. I want to know what value they get, and search for success stories. The story from users has changed over the last few years.  How about for you?  Is LinkedIn doing the job for you? Here is some food for thought: LinkedIns new digs: the SF skyscraper.  This article has some beautiful photos of the office, which are amazing.  This is what a company valued at around $30B (last I checked) gets to buy.  Very nice. If you want a feel-good story, then DO NOT read the comments on that post.  Otherwise, youll find that all but one or two are really, really down on LinkedIn. Speaking of being down on LinkedIn, check out this interesting post by Patrick Moore, LinkedIn employee #32 (from 2004 to 2005): LinkedIn has lost its Vision (posted March 26, 2016). Patrick proposes a fascinating idea behind why LinkedIn has lost its value: the members and their willingness to keep their profile up to date. His post gives a very interesting insight from a former insider on the value proposition of LinkedIn, and a bit on the landscape and competitors. Does LinkedIn still add value?  Yes, it does for me. But I continue to hear one theme from people: LinkedIn has disrespected their users.  Not once, not in one year over time. Its a pattern, and when I hear someone say (like I did yesterday) I dont do anything on LinkedIn anymore, theres nothing I can do, but listen. For now, we continue to get the value we can out of it, and wonder what will be next. Whats Up With LinkedIn Since I wrote the book on LinkedIn (in its 4th edition, which is now outdated), I have been keeping an eye on LinkedIn.  Not so much the company or product, but the utility. When I speak at job clubs across the U.S., I listen to users. I want to know what value they get, and search for success stories. The story from users has changed over the last few years.  How about for you?  Is LinkedIn doing the job for you? Here is some food for thought: LinkedIns new digs: the SF skyscraper.  This article has some beautiful photos of the office, which are amazing.  This is what a company valued at around $30B (last I checked) gets to buy.  Very nice. If you want a feel-good story, then DO NOT read the comments on that post.  Otherwise, youll find that all but one or two are really, really down on LinkedIn. Speaking of being down on LinkedIn, check out this interesting post by Patrick Moore, LinkedIn employee #32 (from 2004 to 2005): LinkedIn has lost its Vision (posted March 26, 2016). Patrick proposes a fascinating idea behind why LinkedIn has lost its value: the members and their willingness to keep their profile up to date. His post gives a very interesting insight from a former insider on the value proposition of LinkedIn, and a bit on the landscape and competitors. Does LinkedIn still add value?  Yes, it does for me. But I continue to hear one theme from people: LinkedIn has disrespected their users.  Not once, not in one year over time. Its a pattern, and when I hear someone say (like I did yesterday) I dont do anything on LinkedIn anymore, theres nothing I can do, but listen. For now, we continue to get the value we can out of it, and wonder what will be next.