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NatalieFratto_2019S-_三种方法用来评估你的适应能力_以及如何提高它_-
I met 273 start-up founders last year. 去年,我同273位 初创公司创始人见过面。
start-up:n.启动;adj.起动阶段的;开始阶段的(异体字startup); founders:n.创办人;造物者(founder的复数);
And each one was looking for money. 他们所有人都在筹款。
As a tech investor , my goal was to sort through everyone that I met and make a quick determination about which ones had the potential to make something really big. 作为一个技术投资人, 我的任务是将 每一个我见过的人分类, 然后迅决定判断出 哪些人具备做大事的潜力。
investor:n.投资者; determination:n.测定;确定;决心;计算; potential:n.潜能;可能性;[电]电势;adj.潜在的;可能的;势的;
But what makes a great founder? 但是,是什么成就了 一位优秀的创业者？
This is a question I ask myself daily. 这是一个我每天都要问自己的问题。
Some venture capitalists place bets based on a founder's previous background. 一些风险投资人会 根据创业者的履历背景下注。
venture:v.敢于;冒险;投机;n.企业;风险;冒险; capitalists:n.资本家(capitalist的复数); bets:v.下赌注(于);用…打赌;敢说;八成儿(bet的第三人称单数) previous:adj.以前的;早先的;过早的;adv.在先;在…以前;
Did they go to an Ivy League school? 他们是否毕业于藤校？
Ivy League:n.[教]常春藤联盟;
Have they worked at a blue-chip company? 他们是否在蓝筹公司工作过？
blue-chip:adj.第一流的;靠得住的;独特的;蓝色筹码的;
Have they built out a big vision before? 他们之前是否就构建过远大愿景？
vision:n.视力;美景;幻象;想象力;v.想象;显现;梦见;
Effectively, how smart is this person? 实际上就是说,这个人有多聪明？
Other VCs asses a founder's emotional quotient , or EQ. 其他一些风险投资人会评估 创业者的情商,也就是EQ。
asses:驴(ass的复数形式); emotional:adj.情绪的;易激动的;感动人的; quotient:n.[数]商;系数;份额;
How well will this person build teams and build rapport across customers and clients ? 这个人组建团队的能力有多强？ 而他又是否能同客户构建和睦关系？
rapport:n.密切关系,交往;和谐一致; clients:n.委托人;当事人;客户机;(client的复数)
I have a different methodology to assess start-up founders, though, and it's not complicated . 而我有一套与众不同的 评估创业者的方法, 并且方法并不复杂。
methodology:n.方法学,方法论; assess:vt.评定;估价;对…征税; complicated:adj.复杂的;难懂的;v.使复杂化;(complicate的过去分词和过去式)
I look for signs of one specific trait . 我找寻某个特定品质的迹象。
specific:adj.特殊的,特定的;明确的;详细的;[药]具有特效的;n.特性;细节;特效药; trait:n.特性,特点;品质;少许;
Not IQ, not EQ. 不是智商,也不是情商。
It's adaptability : how well a person reacts to the inevitability of change, and lots of it. 而是适应能力: 一个人在面对不可避免的 改变时反应如何, 尤其是当有大量变动时。
adaptability:n.适应性;可变性;适合性; reacts:vi.反应;影响;反抗;起反作用;vt.使发生相互作用;使起化学反应; inevitability:n.必然性;不可逃避;
That's the single most important determinant for me. 这就是那个对我来说 唯一且最重要的决定性因素。
determinant:adj.决定性的;n.决定因素;[数]行列式;
I subscribe to the belief that adaptability itself is a form of intelligence , and our adaptability quotient, or AQ, is something that can be measured , tested and improved . 我坚信, 适应能力本身就是 一种智商的表现形式, 而我们的适应能力系数,即AQ, 是可以被测量、测试和提高的。
subscribe:vi.订阅;捐款;认购;赞成;签署;vt.签署;赞成;捐助; intelligence:n.智力;智慧;才智;(尤指关于敌国的)情报; measured:adj.缓慢谨慎的; v.测量; (measure的过去分词和过去式) improved:adj.改良的:v.改进:改善(improve的过去分词和过去式)
AQ isn't just useful for start-up founders, however. 适应能力不仅仅 对公司创始人来说有用,
I think it's increasingly important for all of us. 我觉得它对我们 所有人来说都越来越重要。
increasingly:adv.越来越多地;渐增地;
Because the world is speeding up. 因为这个世界正在加速变化。
We know that the rate of technological change is accelerating , which is forcing our brains to react. 众所周知科技在加速发展, 这迫使我们的大脑做出反应。
technological:adj.技术[工程](上)的;因工艺技术高度发展而引起的; accelerating:adj.促进的,[物]加速的;催化的;
Whether you're navigating changing job conditions brought on by automation , shifting geopolitics in a more globalized world, or simply changing family dynamics and personal relationships. 不论你是在找寻办法 应对因为自动化 带来的工作条件的改变, 因为全球化所带来的地缘政治的变迁, 或者单纯是为了 改变家庭氛围及人际关系。
navigating:v.航行,操纵(navigate的现在分词形式);adj.航行的,航行中; automation:n.自动化;自动操作; shifting:adj.不断移动的;流动的;v.转移;赶快;快速移动;变换;(shift的现在分词) geopolitics:n.地缘政治学;地理政治论; globalized:vt.使全球化; dynamics:n.动力学,力学; personal:adj.个人的;身体的;亲自的;n.人事消息栏;人称代名词;
Each of us, as individuals , groups, corporations and even governments are being forced to grapple with more change than ever before in human history. 我们每一个人,作为个人、群体、 公司、甚至是政府, 正被迫与空前的 大量改变做抗争。
individuals:n.[经]个人;[生物]个体(individual的复数); corporations:n.[贸易]公司,[经]企业(corporation的复数形式); grapple:v.扭打;搏斗;努力设法解决;n.格斗;紧握;抓机;
So, how do we assess our adaptability? 那么,我们该如何 评估自己的适应能力呢？
I use three tricks when meeting with founders. 在与创业者见面时, 我会使用三种诀窍。
Here's the first. 下面是第一条。
Think back to your most recent job interview . 回想你最近的一次工作面试经历。
interview:n.接见,采访;面试,面谈;v.采访;接见;对…进行面谈;
What kind of questions were you asked? 你被问到了哪种问题？
Probably some variation of, "Tell me about a time when," right? 大概是类似于 “告诉我某个当你……时的经历,” 对吧？
variation:n.变异;变体;变奏;变种;
Instead, to interview for adaptability, 取而代之,在针对适应能力的面试中,
I like to ask " what if " questions. 我喜欢询问 “如果......会怎样” 的问题。
what if:如果…怎么办?
What if your main revenue stream were to dry up overnight ? 如果你的主营业务收入 一夜之间蒸发了,你会怎么办？
revenue:n.收益;营业额;税务署; overnight:adj.夜间的; v.在夜间; n.(美)前一天的晚上;
What if a heat wave prevented every single customer from being able to visit your store? 如果热浪致使所有客户 都不能光顾你的店铺了,你会怎么做？
Asking "what if," instead of asking about the past, forces the brain to simulate . 问询 “如果……怎么办” 而非过去, 迫使我们的大脑进行模拟。
simulate:vt.模仿;假装;冒充;adj.模仿的;假装的;
To picture multiple possible versions of the future. 来勾画出关于未来的多种可能版本。
multiple:adj.数量多的;多种多样的;n.倍数;
The strength of that vision, as well as how many distinct scenarios someone can conjure , tells me a lot. 预见的能力, 以及有多少不同的情况能被预想出来, 能告诉我很多信息。
as well as:也;和…一样;不但…而且; distinct:adj.明显的;独特的;清楚的;有区别的; scenarios:n.情节;脚本;情景介绍(scenario的复数); conjure:v.变魔术;变戏法;使…变戏法般地出现(或消失);
Practicing simulations is a sort of safe testing ground for improving adaptability. 练习情景模拟对于提高适应能力来说 是一种安全的试验场,
simulations:n.[计]模拟(simulation的复数);[计]仿真; testing ground:n.(新思想、新方法的)试验场;(机器等的)试验场; improving:v.改进;改善;(improve的现在分词)
Instead of testing how you take in and retain information, like an IQ test might, it tests how you manipulate information, given a constraint , in order to achieve a specific goal. 跟测试你领会和 记住信息的能力如何, 比如智商测试不同, 它测试的是你处理信息, 当被给出一些限制时, 以达到某个特定目标的能力。
retain:v.保留;保持;持有;继续拥有; manipulate:vt.操纵;操作;巧妙地处理;篡改; constraint:n.[数]约束;局促,态度不自然;强制;
The second trick that I use to assess adaptability in founders is to look for signs of unlearning . 我用来评估创业者 适应能力的第二种方法, 是寻找他们 “反学习” 的迹象。
unlearning:v.(使)忘掉(学过的东西); (unlearn的现在分词);
Active unlearners seek to challenge what they presume to already know, and instead, override that data with new information. 活跃的的反学习者力图 挑战他们默认已知的东西, 并用新信息将（旧）数据推翻,
seek:v.寻求;寻找;谋求; presume:v.假定;推测;擅自;意味着; override:v.凌驾;(以权力)否决;比…更重要;超驰控制;
Kind of like a computer running a disk cleanup . 与格式化电脑磁盘相类似。
cleanup:n.清除;暴利;清扫工作;第四防守位置;adj.第四位击球员的;
Take the example of Destin Sandlin, who programed his bicycle to turn left when he steered it right and vice versa . 以德斯坦·桑德林为例, 他设计当将车把转向右侧时, 自行车会向左转向, 反之亦然。
Destin:n.德斯坦(美国佛罗里达州著名旅游地); programed:编程序;安排节目;设计电脑程式;(program的过去分词和过去式) steered:v.驾驶(船、汽车等);操纵;控制;引导;(steer的过去分词和过去式) vice versa:反之亦然;
He called this his Backwards Brain Bike, and it took him nearly eight months just to learn how to ride it kind of, sort of normally . 他将其称为逆脑力自行车。 而仅仅为了学会 如何较为正常地骑行它, 他就花了将近八个月。
normally:adv.正常地;通常地,一般地;
The fact that Destin was able to unlearn his regular bike in favor of a new one, though, signals something awesome about our adaptability. 德斯坦能反学习骑行常规自行车, 以新代旧, 标志着一些关于 我们的适应性的优点。
awesome:adj.令人敬畏的;使人畏惧的;可怕的;极好的;
It's not fixed. 它不是一成不变的。
Instead, each of us has the capacity to improve it, through dedication and hard work. 相反,我们每个人都有能力 通过勤奋付出与不懈努力去提高它。
capacity:n.能力;容量;资格,地位;生产力; dedication:n.奉献;献身;(建筑物等的)落成典礼;(书、音乐或演出前部的)献词;
On the last page of Gandhi 's autobiography , he wrote, "I must reduce myself to zero." 在甘地自传的最后一页,他写道, “我必须让自己归零。”
Gandhi:n.甘地(印度政府,社会和宗教领袖); autobiography:n.自传;自传文学;
At many points in his very full life, he was still seeking to return to a beginner's mindset , to zero. 在他无比充实的一生中的很多时刻, 他仍力图回归初心,归零。
seeking:v.寻找;寻求;谋求;争取;(向人)请求(seek的现在分词) mindset:n.心态;倾向;习惯;精神状态;
To unlearn. 回归未知状态。
In this way, I think it's pretty safe to say 因此,我可以很自信的说,
Gandhi had a high AQ score. 那就是甘地有着很强的适应能力。
(Laughter) （笑声）
The third and final trick that I use to assess a founder's adaptability is to look for people who infuse exploration into their life and their business. 第三条,也是最后一条 我用来衡量创业者适应力的绝招是, 寻找那些将探索融入 生活和事业的人。
infuse:v.使具有,注入(某特性);全面影响;泡制(草药等); exploration:n.探索;勘探;探险;[医]探查术;
There's a sort of natural tension between exploration and exploitation . 在探索与开发间有一种自然张力。
tension:n.张力;拉伸;矛盾;紧张局势(或关系,状况);v.绷紧; exploitation:n.开发,开采;利用;广告推销;
And collectively , all of us tend to overvalue exploitation. 而整体来看, 我们都倾向于过分重视开发。
collectively:adv.共同地,全体地; overvalue:vt.对…估价过高;过分重视;
Here's what I mean. 举例来说,
In the year 2000, a man finagled his way into a meeting with John Antioco, the CEO of Blockbuster , and proposed a partnership to manage Blockbuster's fledgling online business. 2000年时, 一个人在同约翰．安提奥, 即百视达的首席执行官开会时 加入了自己的想法, 并提议一同合作 管理百视达刚成立的在线业务。
finagled:vt.欺瞒;哄骗;vi.欺瞒;哄骗; Blockbuster:n.轰动;巨型炸弹;一鸣惊人者; proposed:adj.建议的;推荐的;v.提议;建议;计划;求婚;(propose的过去分词和过去式) partnership:n.合伙;[经管]合伙企业;合作关系;合伙契约;
The CEO John laughed him out of the room, saying, "I have millions of existing customers and thousands of successful retail stores. 首席执行官约翰笑着 把他赶出了房间,并说, “我拥有上百万的已有客户, 以及成千上万个运营良好的零售店。
retail:vt.零售;转述;vi.零售;n.零售;adv.以零售方式;adj.零售的;
I really need to focus on the money." 我真正需要关注的是钱。”
The other man in the meeting, however, turned out to be Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix . 而那个参会的男人, 事后得知是里德·哈斯廷斯, 网飞公司的首席执行官。
Reed:n.芦笛;[植]芦苇;芦苇杆;[乐]舌簧; Netflix:n.网飞公司(出租DVD;在线观看电影的网站。);
In 2018, Netflix brought in 15.8 billion dollars, while Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in 2010, directly 10 years after that meeting. 2018年,网飞公司收益158亿美元, 而百视达却于2010年登记破产, 这距离那场会议,正好过去十年。
bankruptcy:n.破产; directly:adv.直接地;立即;马上;正好地;坦率地;conj.一…就;
The Blockbuster CEO was too focused on exploiting his already successful business model, so much so that he couldn't see around the next corner. 百视达的首席执行官, 过于重视开发 他已取得成功的商业模型, 以至于不能看到下一个“转角“。
exploiting:v.利用…为自己谋利;剥削;压榨;运用;发挥;(exploit的现在分词)
In that way, his previous success became the enemy of his adaptability potential. 这样一来,他之前的成功 成为了他适应性潜能的敌人。
For the founders that I work with, 对于那些我合作过的创业者来说,
I frame exploration as a state of constant seeking. 我将探索定义为 一种持续寻找的状态。
frame:n.框架; v.设计; adj.有木架的;
To never fall too far in love with your wins but rather continue to proactively seek out what might kill you next. 永远不要过度沉溺于胜利的喜悦中, 而是继续积极地寻找那些 接下来有可能置你于死地的东西。
proactively:adv.前摄地;主动地;
When I first started exploring adaptability, the thing I found most exciting is that we can improve it. 当我第一次探索适应能力时, 我所发现的最令人兴奋的一点 是我们可以提高它。
exploring:v.探索:考察:探查;(explore的现在分词)
Each of us has the capacity to become more adaptable . 我们每个人都可以成为 更具适应能力的自己。
adaptable:adj.适合的;能适应的;可修改的;
But think of it like a muscle : it's got to be exercised. 可以将适应力想象成肌肉: 它需要经常得到锻炼,
muscle:n.肌肉;力量;v.加强;使劲搬动;使劲挤出;
And don't get discouraged if it takes a while. 不要因这个过程 花费的时间太长而泄气。
discouraged:adj.泄气的; v.阻拦; (discourage的过去分词和过去式)
Remember Destin Sandlin? 还记得德斯坦·桑德林吗？
It took him eight months just to learn how to ride a bike. 他花了整整八个月的时间 才学会如何去骑车。
Over time, using the tricks that I use on founders -- asking "what if" questions, actively unlearning and prioritizing exploration over exploitation can put you in the driver's seat -- so that the next time something big changes, you're already prepared. 日积月累,使用 我用在创业者上的方法—— 多问“如何……怎么办”, 积极回归未知状态, 并将探索看得比开发更为重要, 就能将你置于主导位置—— 以便下次重大改变发生时, 你已准备就绪。
prioritizing:v.按重要性排列;划分优先顺序;优先处理;(prioritize的现在分词)
We're entering a future where IQ and EQ both matter way less than how fast you're able to adapt. 我们正面向一个智商和情商 都远不如适应速度重要的未来。
So I hope that these tools help you to raise your own AQ. 所以我希望这些工具 能帮助你提高自己的适应能力。
Thank you. 谢谢。
(Applause) （掌声）