(highlight:: Direct impact
The value your work contributes to a specific problem or goal without taking counterfactual considerations into account. This is usually an overestimation of your impact because someone else might have done the same work in your place.)
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(highlight:: Replacement impact
The difference between your impact and the impact of the next person that could replace you. This is usually an underestimation because it doesn’t take into account what that next person might have done instead (e.g. take a different, impactful job offer).)
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(highlight:: Actual impact
The difference between a world in which you did take this role and a world in which you didn’t – taking into account the whole chain of counterfactual possibilities. This can be thought of as your true counterfactual impact. However, because we can’t know all the residual effects of not taking a job, it’s impossible to know what the actual counterfactual impact would be. Your actual impact usually falls somewhere between your direct impact and your replacement impact.)
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One way to increase our chances of making a significant actual impact is to look for reasons that could raise the counterfactual end of the range. In other words, how might you be even better than the next best candidate? What factors or circumstances would enable you to do more good than someone else?
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Many factors could contribute to a unique personal fit. Maybe you have a rare combination of skills, a deep familiarity with the problem or region, or some past experience that lends you an unusual perspective. It could also be because you bring in specific career capital that isn’t usually available to people in this position (this can be knowledge of another field, connections to relevant people, etc.
Being able to pinpoint what are the specific unique skills/abilities that you have can help clarify whether these are actually unique or not. In some cases, a candid conversation with someone working in the space can be very helpful in determining what is needed to be unusually successful in it.)
- View Highlight
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Take operations roles, for example. Many impactful organizations have a hard time filling operations positions. Although they are essential to a company or organization’s success, these roles aren’t always perceived as a high-impact option. A lot of skilled people assume they are replaceable or less prestigious due to the broad range of skills required for success. But in reality, these skills (such as systems thinking, prioritization, high-level organization, etc.) are hard to come by. This misconception could lead to fewer qualified people applying to operations roles – which could slow or limit an organization’s progress. In this case, those who are willing and able to take an impactful operations role can be confident that they’d have a larger counterfactual impact.
- View Highlight
-

(highlight:: Direct impact
The value your work contributes to a specific problem or goal without taking counterfactual considerations into account. This is usually an overestimation of your impact because someone else might have done the same work in your place.)
- View Highlight
-

(highlight:: Replacement impact
The difference between your impact and the impact of the next person that could replace you. This is usually an underestimation because it doesn’t take into account what that next person might have done instead (e.g. take a different, impactful job offer).)
- View Highlight
-

(highlight:: Actual impact
The difference between a world in which you did take this role and a world in which you didn’t – taking into account the whole chain of counterfactual possibilities. This can be thought of as your true counterfactual impact. However, because we can’t know all the residual effects of not taking a job, it’s impossible to know what the actual counterfactual impact would be. Your actual impact usually falls somewhere between your direct impact and your replacement impact.)
- View Highlight
-

One way to increase our chances of making a significant actual impact is to look for reasons that could raise the counterfactual end of the range. In other words, how might you be even better than the next best candidate? What factors or circumstances would enable you to do more good than someone else?
- View Highlight
-

Many factors could contribute to a unique personal fit. Maybe you have a rare combination of skills, a deep familiarity with the problem or region, or some past experience that lends you an unusual perspective. It could also be because you bring in specific career capital that isn’t usually available to people in this position (this can be knowledge of another field, connections to relevant people, etc.
Being able to pinpoint what are the specific unique skills/abilities that you have can help clarify whether these are actually unique or not. In some cases, a candid conversation with someone working in the space can be very helpful in determining what is needed to be unusually successful in it.)
- View Highlight
-

Take operations roles, for example. Many impactful organizations have a hard time filling operations positions. Although they are essential to a company or organization’s success, these roles aren’t always perceived as a high-impact option. A lot of skilled people assume they are replaceable or less prestigious due to the broad range of skills required for success. But in reality, these skills (such as systems thinking, prioritization, high-level organization, etc.) are hard to come by. This misconception could lead to fewer qualified people applying to operations roles – which could slow or limit an organization’s progress. In this case, those who are willing and able to take an impactful operations role can be confident that they’d have a larger counterfactual impact.
- View Highlight
-