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The Superpower Audit
Some homework for you to find your superpower—whether you’re hunting for your next job or your next company.
Zubin Teherani
June 12, 2025
The Superpower Audit
When every résumé and pitch deck name-drops “AI,” real differentiation comes from expertise, speed, and obsession—the stuff bots (and most humans) can’t fake.
The Superpower Audit helps you surface those oddball experiences, micro-skills, or niche advantages and aim them at a role, venture, or side-gig you’ll still love 10 years later.
It isn’t about listing accomplishments. It’s about excavating the strange, specific breadcrumbs only you can follow to differentiate yourself.
What Belongs on the List?
Theme | Good example | Bad example |
|---|---|---|
Weird or specific projects | Wrote a Zapier script that texts grandma when Bitcoin dips 5% | “Managed Q4 budget” (yawn, delivering shareholder value is so last quarter) |
Hard-won domain quirks | Survived three FDA audits without tears | Generic certificates: “Excel Proficient” |
Communities you influence | Most active and notable member of your rec volleyball league | Random Facebook groups you’ve never posted in |
Side hustles & hobbies | Ran a pop-up matcha cart, built a custom bike frame | That “hobby” you bought all the supplies for but never started. |
Life curveballs | Supported a loved while going through school, figured out travel itinerary and visas while traveling the world | Painful but irrelevant dramas |
Professional, personal, paid, unpaid—if it sharpened a skill or unlocked a network, it qualifies.
Step-by-Step Recipe (25-45 min)
Brain-Dump Timeline (10-15 min)
Start at childhood and jot every “marker moment” that’s even slightly unique.
Don’t filter yet—odd jobs, academic rabbit holes, weekend hacks, volunteer gigs.
Tag the Assets (5-10 min)
For each line item, note what it gave you:Skill (e.g., rapid prototyping, grant-writing)
Credibility (e.g., trust among ER nurses)
Access (e.g., direct line to indie bookstore owners)
Highlight the Top 10 (5-10 min)
Circle experiences that yield uncommon leverage—stuff a stranger can’t copy in a sprint.Cluster & Name Your Themes (5-10 min)
Group similar assets into buckets like Regulated-Industry Whisperer or LatAm Logistics Insider. These clusters hint at startup arenas where you’re already on second base.
At the end of the day you’re hunting for recurring threads like your knack for rallying an online tribe, ability to spot and automate manual workflows, or uncanny ability to write a niche, not that funny, newsletter about startups.
Cheat Code: When two circled items overlap (e.g., “hops supply chain” + “Discord bot”), you’ve found a unique vantage point and a technical capability—prime startup fodder.
Quick Litmus Tests
“Could ChatGPT learn this in an afternoon?” If yes, toss it.
“Would a recruiter raise an eyebrow or ask a follow-up?” If yes, keep it.
“Does this give me warm intros or instant credibility?” Jackpot.
Reflection Prompts
Which parts felt effortless? That’s a clue to what energizes you.
Where did you struggle to list examples? That’s a gap—either skill-up or pivot.
Can you imagine geeking out on whatever you land on every Saturday for a decade? If not, keep digging.
Yes this is a lot of work, but it’s wayyyy cheaper than therapy.
That’s it! Figure out your unique superpower, what you naturally love doing, and find something that aligns.
Enjoyed this exercise? Share your results and link this article!
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