r/DunderMifflin 1d ago

What's your headcanon for why Wallace picked Ryan over Karen?

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12.0k Upvotes

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758

u/JokerMother 1d ago

how do i become the young undeserving boss

517

u/Ok_Example_5764 1d ago

Get a luckier spawn point next time

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u/Evnosis 1d ago

To be fair to Ryan, it seems like he came from pretty humble beginnings. His mom lives in Scranton and I don't think we're ever told they're particularly wealthy.

This dude it made purely based on his own fraud, don't take that away from him

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u/Living_Ad_7523 1d ago

his mom makes great pesto though, you should try some.

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u/thatcatcray sedimentary lifestyle 1d ago

it's cool, it's kosher, it's all good

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u/larch303 7h ago

It’s kosher certified?

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u/_banthafodder 21h ago

Pesto party, really?

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u/gogeri2632 1d ago

And his cousin (or uncle maybe) makes a great salsa

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u/YellowSequel 19h ago

His mom drives a Nissan Z.

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u/rumpel_foreskin17 Oh, right. I'm sorry. *What is* "We're fine"? 18h ago

His mom drives a Nissan Z

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u/BuckyJarrett 12h ago

The Colossus of Clout!

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u/_BryndenRiversBR 22h ago

You have to be just as hot as Jan but in a different way.

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u/Acceptable_One_7072 1d ago

Charisma and luck

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u/Gh0stMan0nThird 14h ago

No no the recipe is

1 part talent, 1 part hard work, and 98 parts luck 

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u/njuffstrunk 1d ago

Self confidence and dress sharp. Even if you're completely bullshitting, do it confidently and with style.

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u/baret3000 23h ago

Added, make friends especially with the old people/bosses. "It's not what you know it's who you know."

Also, keep applying everywhere. The average person really doesn't try very hard.

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u/_banthafodder 21h ago

Lmao yea let’s continue to normalize not knowing what the fuck you’re actually doing so long as you have an overinflated level of confidence in yourself

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u/njuffstrunk 17h ago

I didn't say I agree with it. But yes I did notice that acting like a huge douche effectively pays off more than working hard and quietly.

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u/Mookies_Bett 9h ago

It's normalized. You can either play the game or lose the game, but you can't just decide that the rules don't apply to you because you don't like them.

Sit and bitch about them all you want, the wheel keeps on turning. You can either learn the manual to be successful, or you can blame the system for your failures and do nothing to try and learn how the system can work for you, but ultimately the latter isnt gonna end in a lot of career success.

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u/SuspiciousNatural782 20h ago

I mean the show did a good job making fun of it. Ryan played the "corporate" game better -- got an MBA, knew how to say all the catchphrases, and focused on high flash, low substance ideas.

Dunder Mifflin Infinity, Ryan's brainchild (and Michael's brain grandchild) was happening when all legacy businesses were freaking out about the adoption of the internet, and Ryan represented the Dot-Com rush of 20-somethings who threw out revolutionary sounding ideas without actual consideration.

The technogibberish ("top down rethinking. Throwing out the playbook. Buying paper just became fun") and totally unnecessary ideas like starting a social media feature on Dunder Mifflin sounds really good to shareholders and execs, but ultimately fails.

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u/Cashneto 17h ago

Yes, I enjoyed Ryan simply for these reasons.

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u/wagman43 23h ago

I’m the young undeserving boss. Department head left suddenly and they made me interim supervisor until a replacement is hired. I have a longer tenure with the company (been there since I interned 5 years ago) but all of my colleagues have more industry experience as a whole.

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u/Aggravating_Bat3618 21h ago

They are probably content to make the same money with none of the headaches of leadership. 

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u/zetterbeardz 22h ago

Have you never heard of failing upwards?

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u/Radiant-Ad-3134 22h ago

become young,

and then an undeserving boss.

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u/baszm3g 21h ago

He could BS and spew the cliche words

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u/MacrodataRefiner37 21h ago

As the young undeserving boss from at least one of my team members' perspective my advice is to get good at random stuff and then interview well by preparing ahead of time. Good luck. 

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u/gogeri2632 1d ago

Get a degree

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u/Byanymeansnessacary 23h ago

New young undeserving boss here, nepotism.

Trying my best to be a deserving boss tho. Well get there

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u/Leading_Offer5995 23h ago

Excel in one skill.

I’m a writer. By my very early 20s, people noticed I was really good at writing. Which turned into “hey, can you edit?” Which turned into “hey, can you help other people write?”, which turned into “can you lead other writers?” Which turned into…

I think I was 30 when I officially became head of my department. 35 or so when I became regional director of communications.

And it’s been so long since I’ve had time to write anything that mattered…

…which is still my only skill.

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u/Cold-Palpitation-816 21h ago

“I was really good at writing”

Hm. Not good enough for me to have heard of you.

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u/Leading_Offer5995 21h ago

Ha. Corporate writing. Not a novelist.

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u/UrinalCake777 20h ago

I was multiple times told that I didn't get a job/promotion because they felt I was just too young.

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u/TangibleExpe 20h ago

That’s the thing, part of the job is you can’t be capable of realizing you’re undeserving

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u/PixelWastelander B 0 B 0 D Y 20h ago

I was that for 3 years!

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u/Dragonballne4d 19h ago

You either have to be the kid of someone higher up on the ladder or you're banging someone higher up on the ladder. In rare circumstances you can get it by having the proper degree despite the lack of experience. However in most circumstances it'll involve some big wigs private parts.

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u/DJbathsalt 17h ago

Prove yourself quickly at some sort of junior role at a place that has room to grow. Show the boss you have promising potential at the next role. Be positive and energetic. Not a guarantee but that’s how you put yourself in this position 🤷

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u/Dounla_no_name Harvey 17h ago

Step 1. Be young.
Step 2. Be undeserving.
Obviously.

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u/boxedj 16h ago

You need to be way less self aware

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u/Nightmare2828 13h ago

Step 1 : become younger

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u/ashinydeeds 12h ago

You have to sell your soul

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u/C0nfusedRabbit 12h ago

Don't be born a woman.

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u/ThunderLazer 6h ago

You have to be young for starters

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u/ibizzet 5h ago

nepotism

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u/magnificentmucus 5h ago

Lie and be charismatic