Why A students work for C students and B students work for Government

Innovators don't have time to play status games.

Hi guys,

Hope you’re doing well. I’m okay, Alhamdulillah.

I write this as 7:29 am on a Sunday morning, a time I really like writing at. Getting to write at this time means I am (relatively) at peace, with not too many distractions or things to run upandan for. And in some sense, that is true.

Do I have a fairly long personal to-do list and people to whom I owe calls or other commitments? Yes.

Am I ignoring most of it? Yes.

I had a splitting headache yesterday, and cancelled/postponed most of my plans for the weekend. Instead, I rented a movie (see Jara content), read a few articles, and started a new book. But you did not open this link to hear me rant about my life.

Wait, did you? 🤔🤔

Okay okay, let's get to it. 😂

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Most people have probably heard of Robert Kiyosaki’s Why A Students Work for C Students and B Students Work for Government. It’s just one of those books.

While influenced by the title of the book, this article is completely different. You see, I don’t even remember if I ever read the book. I probably did many years ago, and everything I learnt there is either far gone or somewhere in my subconscious.

Kinda like Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I probably read it multiple times in my childhood, but I can't name a single habit. 😂

And I don’t even have the motivation to read such self-help books these days.

Ah well.

*** Beginning of long side note ***

Whatever happened to side notes? I used them a lot more frequently before.

Before diving fully into this topic, I should probably put out a few disclaimers.

1. I want you to be less traditional in your definition of an ‘A’ or ‘B’ or ‘C’ student. I think about it more as a mindset than in terms of actual grades. You might be tempted to assume A correlates with 1st class, B correlates with 2:1, etc. Please discard such thoughts. For example, anybody that graduates from Law in University of Lagos with 2:1 is an A student as far as I’m concerned. Etc etc.

2. These are the random Sunday morning thoughts of someone sitting on his couch with about 50% of his attention on the strawberry yoghurt in front of him. I share this not to convince you that drinking yoghurt is a noble pursuit (though it is), I share it because there will probably be multiple flaws in my thinking, which you will catch if you went over it with a fine-tooth comb. But what’s the fun in that, eh?

*** End of long side note ***

Yass.

So why do A students work for C students?

I suspect there is a very simple reason at play here - seeking validation.

Now, my guess is that about 70% of the people who read my newsletters are ‘A students’ or ‘A workers’ or ‘A designers’. Just ‘A’ people in general - fairly ambitious, naturally talented, and very hardworking in the things they care about.

‘A’ students have spent a lifetime aiming for high achievement.

1st in Primary 1. Most Punctual. Neatest Girl. Senior Prefect. All distinctions in WAEC. 300 in JAMB. 1st Class in University. Hafidh of Quran. Fellowship Pastor. Shell internship. Departmental President. A job with FAANG. PhD.

If you have ever identified with praying for or working towards any of these, then you know what I'm talking about.

And being an A student is great. You are probably fairly popular, well-liked by teachers (who see you as a sensible student) and well-liked by other students (even if only because you help them with assignments). It will likely open doors to scholarships, jobs, opportunities, and whatever else.

But the challenge with being an A student is that some part of your subconscious begins to crave the validation. After all, you have spent your whole life being applauded and respected for your high achievement.

So when it comes to getting a job, it is only natural to want to work somewhere that signals high achievement - a further validation that you have 'still got it'. If you're interested in Banking/Finance, you look towards UBA, Zenith, and GTB, not Ajimobi Merchant Bank. Or maybe even Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan. Why limit yourself to Nigeria?

If you are interested in Law, there are only a few options. Maybe Banwo & Ighodalo, Aluko & Oyebode, etc. You might even consider working in the legal teams for multinationals and leading local firms like Oando, but can't be caught dead in Olaonipekun, Jagidijagan & Co. It's just not 'befitting'.

** Side note: Please do not take the words and examples I use in this newsletter to heart. I can totally imagine how someone who works in Olaonipekun, Jagidijagan & Co might find this offensive. Like I said earlier, if you search for things wrong with this article - whether the logic or examples - you will probably find quite a few. So do some breathing exercises and read on. I mean no harm.

And so the cycle of seeking validation continues as there is always something new to aspire for. ACCA? COREN? CFA? CIPM? Partner? Fellow of National Institution? SAN? It never ends.

I have no issues with such a life. In fact, it is a great life. You will have some nice cars, live in a good area of town, and be well-respected in your industry. You will also attend reunions very regularly. After all, how will your secondary school classmates know to call you ‘Chief Justice’ going forward if they don’t know what you have achieved?

Why do B Students work for Government?

My reasoning today is that B students are people who have spent a lifetime aspiring to be A students. But by some combination of luck, misfortune, and less dedication have just not achieved as much.

Maybe instead of Library or Assembly Prefect in primary school, they got roles like Deputy Cleanliness Prefect. And that is perfectly okay.

My reasoning is that B students work for the government because:

• It requires a certain level of education, rigour, and intellectual stimulation, which they have. They have decent grades. They understand the industry.

• It is 'honourable’ in its own right. Who will teach our children if nobody becomes a Lecturer in a Federal university? How will we power our houses if nobody works at NEPA?

• It is a tad easier to get into than Tier 1 private companies. It is also something to do to earn an income while they attempt to transition into an A role or focus more on their side hustle.

*** Beginning of long side note ***

I think there are many exceptions here. For example, medical students tend to perceive working for government institutions (e.g. LUTH) as more prestigious than working in private companies. In fact, the top private medical centres tend to recruit most of their specialists from the public sector.

Also, there are some first-rate government institutions that take the fittest and brightest to do high impact work. Examples include the Nigerian Airforce, LSETF, Nigerian Stock Exchange, etc.

When I talk about government here, I am thinking more of those random parastatals that nobody really aspires towards. I don't know a single secondary school or university student that dreams of working for the National Population Commission or Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency.

*** End of long side note ***

What about C students?

Well, C students are C students. You know them, they know you.

Image from Photos-Public

I suspect most C students are C students because of a combination of three things: 1. lack of interest 2. lack of motivation 3. lack of effort.

Lack of interest: This is my problem with parents guiding (read: forcing) their children into a career path. If someone is not interested in something, it is very hard to do a good job of it. I personally turn down many commitments and engagements purely because I have no interest in that area. It is extremely important that we all have some self awareness as to what we like and do not like.

For example, L'Oreal is an amazing company for a business professional. They are massive, well-capitalized, have tons of products, and are present all around the world. I know for a fact that they own about 40 different brands, so there is immense opportunity to try your hands at different things with the backing of a very successful company.

While in school, I was in at least two or three sessions and presentations with L'Oreal. But I never applied there. Why? I have zero interest in the beauty industry. If I were forced to play in that space, it is unlikely I would be anywhere as efficient as someone who loves it as a fish loves water.

Lack of motivation: Even if you were interested in doing something, you need to be suficiently motivated to do your best work. This might be short-term i.e. receiving a (reasonable) salary, or long term i.e. seeing a better long-term outcome for yourself in that space.

Lack of effort: Permit me to be blunt here. Many C students are C students because they do not work hard enough. It's the same thing at school, work, business, etc.

People go into meetings without reading the brief before hand. People send out memos without checking for errors beforehand. People apply for jobs without bothering to update their CV from last year.

People photocopy somebody else's note instead of actually reading the textbook. People read for shorter hours than they should, play for longer hours than they should, and then attend Exam Success Dua, praying to God for a miracle.

And so they become 'C students'.

But you know what?

Every human is malleable, we don't stay the same over time. At some point in my life, I loved reading horror novels. At some other point, it was crime. At some point, it was autobiographies of business leaders. At some point, it was history. And at some point, I was not reading at all.

We don't stay the same.

And this is great news for C people. Because at some point in life, the barriers to interest, motivation, and effort that previously held them back would disappear. And then they become rockstars.

That guy that repeated in senior secondary school became Best Graduating Student in University. That lady who was unemployed for 6 years founded a massive fashion company. Humans are malleable and I love it.

But you know why these 'C students’ people ultimately become amazing entrepreneurs, leaders, and professionals?

Because they don't experience the validation trap that A people have spent their life chasing. While ‘ex A student’ medical doctors might burn the midnight oil trying to become Consultant Gynaecologist of The Year at LUTH, ‘ex C student’ medical doctors are thinking of different ways to solve problems the medical eco-system is facing.

While ‘ex A student’ KPMG Analysts and Associates spend all their time working, networking, and dreaming of how to be made Partners, ‘ex C student’ Analyst and Associates are tinkinering with two, three, or four startup ideas, losing a lot of money and looking like fools in the process.

That is until one of those ideas succeeds and then the ‘ex C student’ hires their old ‘ex A student’ friends from KPMG to come and join the team. The logic is simple. While ex A students have learnt to spend their lives signalling high achievement, ex C students live much freer lives, allowing them think more creatively and take bigger risks.

And with their previous barriers of lack of interest, motivation, and effort gone, their success become like Thanos. Inevitable.

So what happens to A students?

So what next? Are all you A students doomed to forever work for (and live in the shadow of) your ‘C student’ friends? Is there anything you can do to stay in the game?

Well, maybe it is not over yet.

1. Be curious

You are naturally smart and hardworking already. But please, stay curious. Read books. Watch documentaries. Listen to podcasts. Ask questions. Dream.

2. Have a healthy disregard for the status quo

Stop playing status games. Focus a bit less on what everyone else is doing. Will the job description of a Banker change significantly if he works at Ajumobi Merchant Bank or UBA?

I don’t think so. Don't do things just because people do them. Do things because you think they are worth doing. Try to disregard external validation, and seek intrinsic motivation. You don't really need to be at that party if you're not into it. You don’t need to use a Mac because you’re a Software Engineer. You don’t need to wear a tie because it’s a business meeting.

Focus less on replicating the current definitions of success and think more about what is truly important. Innovators don't have time to play status games.

3. Be prepared to look foolish

This one is the most difficult, for me at least. Forget about everything you have and the idea of you people have in their heads. Be ready to take a shot and another shot and another shot. Be ready to fail. Be ready to have people ask you, ‘What are you up to these days?’ and not have a respectable answer. Be ready to have people feel sorry for you. Develop a risk appetite.

‘Bro can you link me up with David? He is such a smart guy and I want to work on his team at Goldman. Maybe I can get a referral.’

‘Oh David is no longer at Goldman, now he is building a startup that evaluates the smell of poop and ranks them.’

‘Lmaoo he is whattt?! Tell me you are joking lol’

‘I am dead serious bro. Do you still want to work on his team? 😂’

‘Nah I’m good, thank you 😂😂’

Be like David.

** Jara content:

“She knew all my little peccadilloes. People call these things imperfections, but they're not. That's the good stuff. And then we get to choose who we let into our weird little worlds.

You're not perfect, sport. And let me save you the suspense. This girl you met, she isn't perfect either. But the question is whether or not you're perfect for each other. That's the whole deal. That's what intimacy is all about.

Now you can know everything in the world, sport, but the only way you're finding out that one is by giving it a shot. You certainly won't learn from an old fucker like me. Even if I did know, I wouldn't tell a pissant like you.”

- Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting