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Although most people think LinkedIn is primarily used to help individuals find jobs, that is just part of the story, not the full one!
LinkedIn wasn't created as an additional social networking site; rather, it was built out of frustration with the way professionals develop their careers at the moment.
And, honestly, those frustrations still exist today.
The Problem LinkedIn Identified That Didn’t Exist Then, But it Does Now
Professional development prior to LinkedIn occurred like this:
You graduated from school, worked hard and... waited. Waited for: The “right” opportunity to arise For someone to recognise your skills For the "right" person to introduce you to someone else.
Many career advancements were based upon both talent and being connected to other successful individuals.
Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn’s founder, believed that this gap is unnecessary. Reid asked, ‘Why can’t the opportunities of professional advancement be available to everyone, regardless of whether they are in an established network?
LinkedIn was not built to provide viral attention or to drive engagement through your posts; however, LinkedIn was built to remove the frustrations of finding the right opportunity.
LinkedIn Was Designed To Be A Network, Not A Performance Platform
One of the things that people often forget about LinkedIn is that LinkedIn was not originally intended to be loud. In fact, the early versions of LinkedIn were almost... boring. There was no Flash content. No immediate satisfaction (i.e., dopamine response). There was no pressure to achieve results.
LinkedIn was originally designed to provide a platform for professionals to establish and transport their professional identities. Their work, experiences, and ideas would be able to travel far beyond traditional resumes and by chance encounters. This was groundbreaking at the time.
As a result:
- Individuals could be identified by opportunities.
- Careers could advance without asking for permission.
- Visibility did not need to include a physical presence.
Perhaps most importantly, individuals no longer needed to ask for permission to engage in discussions.
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever”
Now fast forward to today.
We exist in a world of: 1. Remote workers, 2. Freelance careers, 3. Portfolio-based lifestyles, and 4. Multiple professional identities. Yet, the same frustrations continue to exist in different forms. People are talented, people are capable, and people are working diligently; however, they continually ask themselves: "Why am I not getting noticed?" "Why doesn't good work result in good opportunities?" "Why does it seem more difficult to achieve visibility than to complete the work itself?"
That is not a talent issue; it is still a systemic issue, so here LinkedIn makes the most sense and is reliable.
LinkedIn’s original idea is being rediscovered
It is interesting to note that LinkedIn's core idea remained largely unchanged, while we altered it for ourselves:
- A platform for demonstrating accomplishments
- A tool for comparing oneself to others
- A highlight reel
However, originally, LinkedIn was intended to be a quiet environment where:
- Consistency was valued over virality.
- Clarity was preferred to cleverness.
- Trust was viewed as superior to reach.
Therefore, slow and steady professional profiles still prevail here. Thoughtful posts consistently outperform flashier posts over time. Individuals who consistently display their authenticity through regular, clear, and honest postings develop credible and sustainable careers here.
If you’re a freelancer or a founder, you’ve probably felt this frustration too
This brings to mind a common question that freelance professionals and entrepreneurs ask one another: “Has the value of competing in today’s marketplace diminished?”
At first glance, yes, there are numerous other professionals doing essentially the same work as you. However, in fact, few clients are overwhelmed by competition; they are overwhelmed by uncertainty.
Clients do not desire: The least expensive, The loudest, The most impressive Rather, clients desire someone with whom to establish a relationship, someone with whom to communicate easily, someone who is consistent and reliable.
That is precisely what LinkedIn was designed to provide in a quiet fashion: not perfection, not performance, but professional trust.
A simple question, but worth asking yourself
So here is a simple question:
When you post on LinkedIn today, are you attempting to impress others, attempting to maintain parity with others, or simply attempting to be understood?
Since LinkedIn was not conceived from ambition, it was developed due to dissatisfaction with broken systems.
And the individuals who continue to derive the most value from LinkedIn are those who understand that it's not the loudest, not the fastest, but the clearest.
If you felt this message resonated, I would appreciate it if you let me know that, "Do you believe LinkedIn has remained true to why it was developed? Or have we altered the way we use it?"(That answer typically reveals a great deal about how we manage our own careers!)