EDITOR’S NOTE:

February 4, Chicago, 2019:

It was “Kickoff Week” at G2.

Me and 30 other G2 marketers were sitting in a hotel conference room.

“Should we take a break?” somebody said. We all got up and stretched. I sipped my coffee. It was cold. I stepped out for a fresh cup.

When I came back, a stranger was in my seat.

“Hey there,” I said.

“Hello,” he said. “I’m Kevin.”

“I’m Eddie,” I said, pulling up a chair.

“Shoot,” he said. “Is this your seat?”

“Naw, mine’s right here,” I sat down. “Are you joining the team?”

Turns out, Kevin Indig arrived in Chicago that morning from San Francisco. At the time, he was running SEO at Atlassian. Before that, he worked with companies like eBay, Eventbrite, Samsung, and Pinterest.

“Ah, maybe,” he said.

Later that day, I saw him interviewing in the lobby.

Later that month, he was introduced as the new VP of SEO & Content at G2.

Fast forward a year and half: Kevin and I are friends. He invites me on his podcast. I ask him to do a Micro-Interview. And here we are.

In only 440 words, Kevin shares:

How to finish work faster, with less stress…
The hidden power (and comfort) that comes from gamifying life...
The essential tools he uses to organize work and get things done…

And more…

Enjoy!

Thank you, Kevin.

Let’s get started:

1) “What’s your work routine?”

The methods I follow are GSD (Getting Stuff Done) and deep work.
The tools I use to organize and process the wave of information and requests that hit me in the face every day are Asana and Evernote.
But I also pay attention to my energy throughout the day. I’ve learned how to switch between draining and energizing work. I'm really most productive when I can be creative and focused on one single task for a long amount of time early in the morning (while sipping Philz coffee).

2) “What do you know about your work now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

Everything! The methods I mentioned, the tools I now use, the energy flow throughout the day.
But if I had to boil it down to one thing, it would be clarity.
Ambiguity is overwhelming. When I make things clear, I can work through them faster and with lower stress levels. Knowing exactly what to do, when, is underrated I think.

3) “What did your biggest professional failure teach you?”

So much because you learn way more from failure than success.
So I try leaning into failure. In fact, I almost seek it out. Not complete failure, of course, but the kind that comes when you push yourself to your limits.
But to answer your question, being specific in my requests and statements, admitting when I don't know something, and doing a lot of planning are certainly lessons I learned the hard way.

4) “What’s the #1 thing that has helped you shorten your craft’s learning curve?”

Talking to people who've "done it” before me.
You have to assess carefully, but when you have access to someone who’s been where you want to go, you shorten the curve by at least half.
The key is asking good questions!

5) “What book has helped you the most over your career?”

I’d say Principles by Ray Dalio.
It's simple but powerful. The idea of looking at life as a game (i.e., leveling up) and seeing pain as a teacher — as something positive — was fundamental to me. Comforting, too. Because you either succeed or learn.

6) “And your parting piece of advice?”

Seek knowledge.
Many people wait for lessons to come to them but all the knowledge you need is out there already, accessible. You just need to reach out to people, ask good questions, and read a lot.
Don't wait to be forced to learn. If you fail and see it as a learning opportunity — good. If you think about all the ways to fail and minimize risk by educating yourself — even better.

Learn more

Kevin Indig, SEO