23/52: Don’t Look Back In Anger
#CapitalAtRisk
The 2010s was the decade of the Entrepreneur.
The 2020s will be the decade of the Investor.
“Step outside, summertime’s in bloom”
Noel Gallagher
Be here now
I read The Beach by Alex Garland in 2001, back in the days when I read a lot of fiction. It’s a decent book, and I always remember that the protagonist, Richard, travels without a camera.
He says that this is a deliberate choice and reflects his desire for a more immersive experience of his travels. While they capture a moment, he reckons photographs don't fully represent the feeling and experience of that moment or place.
Does having a photograph you can look at years later interfere with your memory? Might you be happier just thinking back to the moment, not looking at a it on a piece of glossy paper?
I was there
I mentioned in the last post, here, that I was looking for something…
Well, what I was looking for was my ticket stub to the first big concert I went to (and actually one of only two big concerts I’ve ever been to1).
But, oh, was it a goodie.
Oasis. At Knebworth. Sunday 11th August 1996.
But you’ll have to take my word for it
I’m not one for keeping a lot of mementoes but I know I kept that ticket stub. It was even in a frame at one point, but then we extended the kitchen into the garage so…
While looking for it this week I was annoyed. But then I remembered Richard in ‘The Beach’.
Maybe my memories of that sunny Sunday in ‘96 are better because there’s no proof that I was there. No photos, no videos, no ticket stub, and I have no idea where the two flatmates I went with are now (one worked for HMRC, the other, I can’t remember).
It’s pretty weird saying that in 2025. Imagine going to the biggest band in the world’s biggest ever concert and having zero proof afterwards that you were there.
But I was, along with 250,000 other people plus Kula Shaker (meh), Dreadzone (can’t remember them), Cast (terrific), The Charlatans (excellent) and the Manic Street Preachers (awesome).
Some days I wish I did have photos and videos, and I have no idea where that ticket stub went — I’m sure I kept it. If it turns up I’ll let you know.
But actually, I’m OK with all that. Remembering that day brings a smile to my face and I know that there’s a huge amount of richness and wealth in being offline. From being unplugged…
The Rich List
What made me think of all of the above and start looking for that ticket was that Hector and Ben, co-founders of (portfolio company) Unplugged, were in The Alternative Rich List in The Sunday Times last weekend:
In 2019, Hector Hughes (below), feeling burnt out from his tech start-up role, attended a silent retreat in the Himalayas.
Deprived of his phone, he spent 10 days cut off from the world. “It was a revelation,” he says. “We’re in this constant state of distraction and overstimulation”.
This experience led Hughes and colleague Ben Elliott to establish Unplugged – a series of 35 digital detox cabins across the UK.
Upon arrival, guests lock away their phones and are provided with a basic Nokia handset, an instant camera and a map, encouraging reconnection with nature.
So yeah, I can’t prove to you that I was in the crowd back in 1996, but that’s just fine, I was there.
I wasn’t distracted, I still remember it so vividly, and I have a smile on my face writing about it almost 30 years later.
In other news
🍽️ How about another lunch before the summer? As I’ve done a few times before I’ll host a lunch for investors, this time on Thursday 19th June in Soho. If you’re keen just hit reply and ask me for the link.
🍻 The 9others Summer Party will be on Thursday 10th July in London. This is when everyone who has been to a meal with 9others, plus other good folks, to meet and help each other out. Details and signup here.
📞 I occasionally do consulting work where I really dig into what makes people, businesses or investing tick. I have some availability until the summer so if you’re keen to get more dedicated time with me you can see what I offer startups, corporates and investors here. Just hit reply.
More from me?
If you like my writing you can get more by buying my book, ‘Find your 9others’. It’s on Amazon here.
And if you’ve already read ‘Find your 9others’ please leave an Amazon review here.
Q&A
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Important: None of these posts are investment advice. If you are thinking about investing you should seek the advice of a suitably qualified independent advisor.
#CapitalAtRisk
I know Matt Zeigler, amongst many others, will be appalled by this lack of concert going. I love music btw — I play a few instruments and all that — but I’m just not keen on being shoved around in a concert venue and very few bands are better live than they are recorded. Classical music concerts or piano recitals where you just sit quietly and listen — much more my thing.