#381 Josh Drean: Employment Is Dead—Now Let’s Rebuild It — Part Two

Part Two of a 3-part series on Josh Drean.

Josh has worn many hats—Harvard MBA, psychology grad, co-founder of Work3 Institute and now, co-author of Employment is Dead (Harvard Business Review Press).

In Part 1, we tore down the outdated rituals of traditional employment, including the performative disaster that is the annual engagement survey. Today in Part 2, we go behind the scenes: how did a random cold call spark a bestselling book that landed at HBR?

Josh shares the publishing highs and headaches—crafting a 120-page proposal, keeping the book relevant in a fast-changing world, and building an audience in real time on social media while the manuscript sat in editing limbo. This one’s for every creator, innovator, and future-of-work disruptor trying to stay ahead of the curve.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

A Book Born from a Cold Call

“I know this sounds completely random, but do you want to write a book together?” That’s how co-author Deborah Perry Piscione kicked off Employment is Dead. One unexpected phone call, a big idea, and a sticky title later—they caught Harvard Business Review’s attention.

Publishing in a Real-Time World

“Imagine writing a chapter a year ago, only to have it go live twelve months later—it’s outdated by then.” With AI and Web3 changing everything weekly, Josh kept the conversation fresh through TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube while waiting for the book to hit shelves.

The Proposal That Was ‘Way Too Long’

“We ended up with 120 pages—which everyone said was way too much.” But that oversized pitch sparked a bidding war. Why? Because they weren’t just selling a book. They were calling out a broken system—and offering a blueprint to fix it.

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Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Josh Drean

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