March - Chicharacheo in Madrid, London, and Lisbon.

🏃‍♂️ TL;DR

Found advise on a reggaeton tune. I really believe that says a lot about how the month went and will probably make it the most interesting one of all. Gracias, La Joaqui.

🍋 Thoughts

Narrative market fit > product market fit

Most companies nowadays are spawned, developed and sold within 8 years, and most of it is through debt/investors money. This money is raised based on lot of bullshit taught at MBAs, but gut has to be the most relevant indicator. This gut is obviously influenced by investment thesis, but I believe it is mainly driven if triggered with current market narratives.

If the piece fits into the narrative they believe in, call that a game.

Being authentic is a rebellious act within itself.

Someone said: “now is not the moment to change the world, but to fight against being changed by it”. The past shows us a way in which things could be done, but the future is providing an opportunity to be rebellious every day.

We cannot settle for a method just because it worked once. We lie to ourselves saying that this will persevere overtime, knowing that the board has changed drastrically. “Future is not linear from the past”.

Is all about talent, not roles.

Taglines are a thing of the past. Roles are just a tool to structure the company, but talent normally overflows these limits. How can you expect someone with a vision to encapsulate it within a role? Is against the whole idea of vision to begin with. Roles limit development when structures are too fixed.

Balance the relevance you give to people’s opinion.

We all have someone whose opinions sink in deeper than others. These people bear the responsibility of providing wise words to our complex situations, and sometimes we ask for more than they can provide. Their lack of advise when in needed is frustrating, but it is also an unfair pressure we put on these people.

🗳️ What’s going on now

• April is coming with a lot of power. Lisbon to start, Madrid most of it, and Canarias by the end of the month. Anyone to catch up with there?

• House decoration slowly getting better. Ring if you’re in Madrid and you come grab a beer. Plants welcomed. Dogs as well. Cats we have to talk about it.

• Been reading (books) too little. I have 4 open books around the house waiting for some attention.

• Obsessed with Outdoor Boys and La Última Frontera.

• Barely did any music this month, need to find that inspiration again.

• Work has been heavy, social life has been intense, and I cannot be enjoying that more. Feeling very grateful.

🥷 Questions in my head

• Isn’t there more value in being average/normal in a market of extremes?

• There is an ego conflict when building a startup. We want to lead it, and we know more than anyone about the new venture’s missions and goals. However, are we the best fit for it? I believe we need to build assuming that we are the first ones that should be substituted. This will force you to build an independent entity, and reduce ties to your specific skills, allowing it to outgrow you. Do you agree? I am happy to discuss this.

• What’s more important: the relationship with your client, or the quality of your work?

• We don’t think enough about our privacy. Digital identity is a massive area of opportunity and we don’t know how to claim it. Privacy should be by default, or at least let me opt in.

💎 Inspiration

• “Para lo distinto siempre hay un primer puesto”. La Joaqui.

• “Crypto is decentralizing, AI is centralizing. Or, if you want to frame it more ideologically, crypto is libertarian, and AI is communist”. 👀

• “Cuando la base es el odio, lo mejor es tirarse un a cappella” - Jaloner

• “Escribir te ayuda a jerarquizar tus emociones”. Cris

• “Quiero sentirme como que estoy empezando algo nuevo todos los días. Para poder crear, arte o lo que sea, hay que poder estar incómodo - y querer solucionarlo. La comodidad te lleva a la repetición → “el principio del arte es la incomodidad”. Nude Project.

• “AI for creation, crypto for monetizacion, social for distribution”. Balaji.

• “Manijearte en la productividad y eliminar la data en la cabeza de caminos ya hechos”. Evlay.

• Education polishes the corners and puts everyone’s opinion in, more and less, the same road. We cherish ideas from years ago, even though we know that ideas and people change as life goes by → Fossil ideas. Way more on education and ideas here

• “There is no fixed formula, exploration key”. Some insights on Strategy and AI

• The fandom formula. Details here

💙 Cheers

Merchu, Cris, Cat, Ash, Papá, Mamá, Veek, Lavi, Cato, Patricio, Jesus, Evgeni, Eldar, Felipe, Joan, Nick, Roge, Charles, Julen, Juanjo, los chicos de box, Esther, Juan, Jaime, Olimpia, Lola, Guardi, Livi, Cris R, Luigi, Lula, Dieguito, Alex, Cris F, Manu, Ine, Nacho, Lu, Mila, Sandra, Seba, Meri, Gems, Juampi, Rama, Carri, Ernesto, Pedro, Tomi.