The big news on LinkedIn this weekend was that comedian late night talk show host Conan O’Brien earned his stripes as an “Influencer,” a distinction that puts him in rarified professional company alongside the likes of Virgin CEO Sir Richard Branson, United States president Barack Obama, and tech mogul and philanthropist Bill Gates.
It’s a lofty achievement, one that deserves celebration and recognition. O’Brien believed that an inaugural LinkedIn blog post seemed appropriate.
O’Brien—who’s listed on the professional networking site as the CEO of Conan, his TBS variety show—opened his four-paragraph post by acknowledging that it feels good to be on a site stocked so sufficiently with his fellows and peers: “attractive, fabulously successful plutocrats who laugh at their own jokes.” He goes on to explain his understanding of the responsibilities that come with being a LinkedIn Influencer and offering a pledge to “make this blog the greatest collection of business and personal advice ever assembled.”
His first task: Obtaining followers, which shouldn’t be too tough. “Together, we can rise to the top of the LinkedIn food chain with no legitimate purpose. That is my mission here—for others to judge me not by the strength of my character, or wisdom of my blog posts, but by the number of LinkedIn followers I’ve amassed for no good reason.”
It’s needy. It’s shallow. It’s a waste of everyone’s time. But it’s going to be fun while it happens.
Scope the full letter on LinkedIn, or below.
Photo via Conan O’Brien/LinkedIn
