The business world loves stereotypes, where old-line companies (we call them tankers) boast about their age, stability, and staying power while young startups (we call them speedboats) scream about their pace, out-of-the-box thinking, and innovation. Seasoned workers at tanker organizations get cast as rigid and resistant while their speedboat counterparts are hailed as adaptable and tech-savvy.
There is a need for both tanker and speedboat organizations. But let’s be clear here: the only thing you get with age is older. Age isn’t an indication of wisdom, sophistication, or savvy. Age alone does not determine ability to deliver.
Companies and employees of all vintages must constantly prove their relevance. Those who remain vitally engaged in evolving buyer needs, marketplace shifts, and emerging best practices can thrive across generations.
Why? As disruption accelerates, customer loyalty and industry standing mean less and less on their own. Brand trust must be re-won daily through execution—and expertise constantly recharged as new challenges arise.
In this environment, the question is not "how long has this company been around?" but rather "how are they innovating right now?"
The key is nurturing a culture and ethos of perpetual relevance across the enterprise.
For companies, this includes:
Evaluating and optimizing their product/service mix based on real-time customer data, not legacy assumptions
Maintaining an innovation pipeline to continually improve and pilot future offerings
Tracking shifts in demographics, attitudes, and industry dynamics to get ahead of changes
Breaking down outdated bureaucracy and silos slowing responsiveness
Ensuring branding and messaging aligns with emerging buyer preferences
Forging win-win partnerships with those driving disruption
Empowering all levels to rapidly sense changes and solve problems
For individuals, it requires:
Clearly understanding your differentiating value—where your strengths and passions intersect with critical problems to solve
Proactively acquiring skills and knowledge that will retain relevance as the field evolves
Expanding your network to gain new perspectives and potential collaborations
Demonstrating adaptability and quick-study abilities that reduce the perceived risk of irrelevance
Mastering new tools, processes, and systems before they go mainstream
Establishing thought leadership by sharing forward-thinking insights
Quantifying your impact through measurable contributions to goals
Staying curious and engaged as the fresh face, not jaded or change-averse
In essence, continued relevance must be earned, not assumed—regardless of age or experience level. This holds true across disruptive startups and legacy giants, seasoned veterans and emerging talent.
The companies and careers that will thrive are those taking a relevance mindset into the future. One that embraces flexibility, innovation, and delivering enduring value as the only path to sustained success.