Bonus Content: Boat Snacks

In fly fishing if you want to actually catch fish, there is a little bit of a science and art to selecting the right fly. If you've been around any fly anglers you may have heard the saying "match the hatch." What this means is that you look to see what's hatching (i.e. what bugs are flying off or near the water's surface) and find something in your fly box that matches it (or closely resembles it enough to fool a fish).  Depending on the season, you might grab at what's flying in the air or look below the water's surface to see what bugs are crawling around under rocks or on submerged logs and select a fly that looks similar (see pictures).  While we can't predict exactly what fish are eating on a given day, your chances of catching something are greatly increased if you try to "match the hatch."

Sure, I could go with a generic stand-by fly just to see a bend in my rod, but I'm likely netting any species of fish not the species I really want to catch (ahem, trout).

Targeting fish takes some extra effort before casting. You need to observe, and sometimes get dirty, before critically considering and selecting the fly.

Basically, fly selection is a primer in product-market fit. You seek to understand what your target segment wants/needs and then present a targeted, data-informed solution. We could put forth a generic product, but that likely means we really don't understand our market. And if we don't understand our market, then we're probably going to have a really hard time selling our product.

What have you done to "match the hatch" in your work?

I recently had the pleasure of going to my "happy place" to float and fly fish for a few days. This particular fishery is known for very intense trout  - wild and beautiful that will put up a major fight, leaving you exhausted but wanting more when you land one.

One of my fishing days, I spent three quarters of the day on fish, getting bites, setting the hook, fighting the fish, but ultimately losing it before getting the net under it. Finally, after hours of fishing, I netted three INCREDIBLE rainbow trout (pictured). At the end of the day, I went back to my lodging to swap fishing stories and found my perspective about the day was negative, focused almost solely on the 10 fish I lost, instead of the 3 beautiful fish I brought in. I struggled to celebrate the wins because I gave the losses power.

This made me think about the first 8 weeks of my new job search. I've spent my time meeting new people, networking, applying, and screening, only to receive "no-thank-you's." And these hit hard, probably harder than I ought to allow them.

But sometimes the fish win, and you have to let them go. Those weren't my fish. Just like those weren't my jobs and I have to let them go. There is a job out there that is my big fish to land, and it'll be worth the losses. Until then, I'll keep swapping my flies and casting into the wind, hoping that my tight line is just around the bend.