If You're Not Dangerous, Get Out.

If you're not dangerous, we don't want to work with you.

You might have the qualifications. You might have gone to Harvard. Maybe you're perfectly competent.

Step it up.

Competence doesn't demand that anyone notice you, wonder about you, or care about you. Nobody ever won an award for hitting a deadline on time.

We want to work with people who are hated.

It's easy to be loved; all you have to do is kiss the right ass. It's much harder to be hated; hate requires that you intimidate the players. That you're a direct threat to your industry. That your work is so good, you scare the best into despise.

Ironically, when you're the most dangerous person at the table, you find safety.

When you're the safest person at the table? You find a boss.