Read, Heard, Observed 3: Friday 12th May 2023
#CapitalAtRisk
Part III
This Friday post is the third of a new series.
Each Friday I’ll share three things:
Something I’ve read.
Something I’ve heard.
Something I’ve observed.
Read
Not much to be honest. I’ve been travelling a lot so have listened to a lot (see here, plus I’ve been driving up and down to Northumberland so have enjoyed this series).
However I have been getting through Robert Greene’s excellent Laws of Human Nature. The book explores the fundamental aspects of human nature, shedding light on why people behave the way they do and why they (we!) often say one thing but do something else.
My favourite story so far is that of Milton Erickson. Milton had polio as a child and became partially paralysed, which restricted his physical abilities. As a result, Erickson developed exceptional observational skills, which he used to build a deep understanding of non-verbal communication. He went on to become a prominent American psychiatrist and psychologist known for his (at the time) innovative approaches in the field of psychotherapy.
Heard
For the next few weeks, and for the fourth time, I am advising startups on behalf of the World Bank for the IGNITE Investment Readiness Programme. I hope the founders learn a bit from me but this week I heard a great line from one of them.
A founder of one of the startups is going around again after starting, growing and exiting his first startup. He’s doing this with his previous co-founder and is almost giddy with excitement at the prospect of a more ambitious startup. I said it was great that the co-founders were up for the challenge together again and, laughing, he said to me:
“Success is good for relationships!”
Observed
Observed, as in watched. His school reports were awful and he has had multiple near-death experiences (as did many of his businesses) but there’s no one quite like Richard Branson who is interviewed by Amol Rajan for the BBC here.
Amol is a terrific interviewer — he and John Wilson are the best around right now but in very different ways. John teases out the emotions no one else can and Amol asks the questions and challenges back in a way no one else would.
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