PinnedMember-onlyBe helpfulBeing helpful is at the core of my business strategy The simplicity of this belies its highly sophisticated and profound nature (!) Every article I write, email I send or interaction I have is intended to help someone clarify their thinking and make them grow. That’s my thing, helping people…Clarity2 min readClarity2 min read
Published inThe Startup·PinnedMember-onlyHow to have better discussions — the art of thoughtful disagreement”When two people believe opposing things, chances are that one of them is wrong. It pays to find out if that someone is you” That quote is from Ray Dalio, the founder and Grand Poobah at Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund in the world and a successful billionaire entrepreneur. …Self Improvement4 min readSelf Improvement4 min read
PinnedMember-onlyIf you are a generalist, I have a better label for youI have always been curious, active, enterprising and busy. I don’t know how to be bored and my curiosity has lead me down new paths of discovery. The three main problems resulting from this were: Dispersion: superficially engaging in many activities and never becoming exceptional at anything Starting and then…Self Improvement3 min readSelf Improvement3 min read
PinnedMember-onlyEmail etiquette — how to do itFive easy-to-remember rules to keep in mind, so the people receiving your messages will appreciate them, read them and reply to you. Rule 1: Make the subject line 1) clear, 2) unique and 3) compelling In the same way the goal of a headline is to draw you into the story, the subject line needs to make the recipient want to favor your…Email3 min readEmail3 min read
Jan 6Member-onlyBecoming decisive — my approach to this new yearThe past year started off bad. In January, I closed the three companies I had built over 15 years and filed for bankruptcy. Due to COVID, supply chains around the world were gridlocked in 2021. I would receive no products during the first semester of 2022 and generate no revenue. …Decision Making4 min readDecision Making4 min read
Dec 16, 2022Member-onlyUnderstanding numbersOn a daily basis we are confronted with numbers. Some of us more than others and we do not all have the same understanding of what numbers really mean. Some people understand them better than others. You see, for millenia, our brains only needed to understand small quantities, units and…Cognitive Bias3 min readCognitive Bias3 min read
May 19, 2022Member-onlyDecision making: distinguishing what is right from what is acceptable.One of the fundamental starting points in decision making is distinguishing what is right from what is acceptable. And you should always start with defining what is right first of all, because compromise is usually necessary in the end. So in order to understand what “right” looks like, you need…Decisionmaking2 min readDecisionmaking2 min read
Feb 17, 2022Member-onlyRaising your voice does not make your argument truerIsn’t it interesting how when two or more people have a disagreement, at some point, the volume goes up? As if by speaking louder, their believe their arguments become truer or more signifiant? Here is France, the candidates for the next presidential elections are on the beat. We see them…Listening3 min readListening3 min read
Feb 10, 2022Member-onlyThe key to winning is not losingI have been re-reading a book I bought in 2020 by author Stephen Duneier called Alphabrain, which is a book about decision making. Duneier was a fund manager for many years and part of the book is geared towards decision making as it applies to finance. …Winning3 min readWinning3 min read
Apr 20, 2020Member-onlyInbox-zero is not about emailThe consequences were more profound than I expected — I have always been curious, active, enterprising and busy. I do not know how to be bored and my curiosity has always lead me down new paths of discovery. The three main problems resulting from this are: Dispersion: so much going on that I can’t keep track Starting and then…Productivity7 min readProductivity7 min read
