“Quiet Work” Is the Next Big Thing for Career Growth

Hi, I'm Hira — a technology leader, product marketer, writer, and entrepreneur with over 11 years of experience building and marketing tech products.

Currently, I lead product marketing at WrangleWorks, a SaaS platform that automates data work.

I've also founded and led two companies: CaterpillHERs and Koi.work. This newsletter helps me stay connected with the incredible network I've built over the years.

Thank you to 2,300+ of you who read this!

More about me here and here.

In Episode 56, here's what's on the agenda:

💡 Insights: The loudest person in the room isn’t always the smartest

📰 Key Takeaway: The most valuable work often happens when no one is watching.

We’ve been conditioned to believe that career growth = being seen.

Speaking up in meetings. Posting on LinkedIn. Building a personal brand.

But while visibility matters, what truly sets high performers apart is something far less glamorous: deep, uninterrupted, quiet work.

Think about the best strategists, creators, and problem-solvers you admire.

Their breakthroughs didn’t happen in Slack threads or Zoom meetings.

They happened in solitude, during focused thinking sessions, away from the noise.

Cal Newport calls this “Deep Work” the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks. And in a world that rewards responsiveness over reflection, this is becoming a rare (and valuable) skill.

Visibility can open doors, spark opportunities, and build your personal brand. But here’s what people don’t talk about enough: Visibility without substance is empty.

What truly creates breakthroughs is the work no one sees, the deep, quiet effort behind the scenes.

I’ve learned this firsthand.

My most rewarding career moments weren’t from polished presentations or viral posts.

They came from the hours spent refining my craft, solving tough problems, and staying in the trenches long after the spotlight faded.

It’s in those quiet moments where true growth happens, the kind that makes your public wins meaningful.