Their names are Nicole, Andrew, Oli, Daryl, Paulina, Lucas, Ryan, Brett, plus my cat.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy speaking to many people – my months are chock full of them at networking events, business meetings, and in my hobbies.
I enjoy speaking with all of them.
Why? They have purpose.
Those enjoyable conversations are about something, a direction, an outcome; they matter, though I don’t like the time they take on a soulful level.
I’d rather be sitting quietly, with my cat and my wife – silence is so precious – I’m often reminded of the saying “Is what I’m about to say worth interrupting someone’s silence for?”
Liking 8 people might not seem like a lot, though my head is full of drawers I’m constantly opening and closing.
Things I learn go into drawers, and if I pull out several, I can see obscure cross-references.
I simply don’t dedicate individual drawers to many people, and they aren’t my special interest.
What’s your special interest?
Mine is how things work, and the businesses built around them. And I’m obsessed.
Currently, I’m working on a commercialisation strategy for a multi-national medical technology business.
And in this past month alone, I’ve sat with the founders of some of Australia’s fastest growing and most lucrative plays in private tuition, conveyancing and insurance.
There were even early-morning and late-night chats with US founders who recently passed $100M+ ARR, training and deploying Enterprise AI models.
They are building a new global fund to challenge traditional professional service businesses, and they plan to use their tech to do so.
Cool stuff, though a bit bleeding edge for Australians!
As we commercialise the med-tech business, there’s going to be loads of talking, and I’ll enjoy it all, though I’m not there to be liked.
I’m listening for patterns, leverage and opportunities. I want to find subtle clues we can use to make significant money while doing work that matters.
Having X-Ray Vision
What do you see when you look at the wall? Or a building, car, or toaster?
I look at the wall and see the cladding, think about the framing, the insulation, the conduits inside and the reinforcement.
The plumbing, the planning, the building codes, the designer, the architect fighting with the builder.
The momentary decision to choose single-pane glass as the cheapest option, regardless of its impact on the room’s liveability…
I’m so sensitive to draughts I almost have synesthesia and feel like I can physically see air movement!
Weird hey?
Which begs the question
Are you stuck in professional meetings with people who simply like to talk? Or are they getting something done?
You don’t have to keep sitting in pointless meetings you don’t enjoy, particularly if they don’t create an outcome.
Unless you like the people 😉
If you’re looking for an obsessive second brain to see through your commercial walls, let’s have a chat. And if you’d like to tell me what your special interest is, hit reply, I’ll put it in a drawer!
