The last two engineers we interviewed wanted to know if I really work at Jelly. I was shocked when Ben told me they asked him this question. Like anyone with a job, I’m in here every day just after 9am when I drop my kid off at school. It’s my job. Let me say a bit more about this.
I was recently invited to talk at a small gathering in San Francisco and the subject of helping people came up. Helping people is something that I am passionate about because I enjoy it. Anything from solving a personal problem, to volunteer work, to philanthropy. Count me in.
I’m not a gambler. Not in the casino sense, anyway. I don’t know anything except blackjack and any time I’ve ever gambled, whether I’ve won or lost, I haven’t felt anything in particular. But, I likened the rush I feel from helping people to the rush a gambler must feel when they win.
It turns out, one of the folks at the gathering was a neuroscientist and she informed me that there were in fact legitimate scientific studies indicating that the same kind of brain chemicals are released when performing an act of altruism as say, winning a hand at blackjack.
I was pleased to hear this because it fit very nicely with my theory that selflessness can sometimes be selfish. In other words, an act of kindness can help you as much as the person you’re helping out. Helping others should be it’s own reward, don’t get me wrong. Still, it can really help you too.
Pro Tip: Try volunteering—you’re doing good in the world, it looks good on your resume, and in a way, it’s a kind of networking.
By: Biz Stone
Co-founder and CEO
Jelly Industries, Inc.