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• Most recentTech · Entrepreneurship7OctAttending Nordic integration summitLast year while I was working at SJ, we attended "Nordic Integration Summit (NIS)". It's an integration conference focused on the Azure ecosystem, with leading experts from the field speaking about the technology and new updates. One of my colleagues in our team is one of the founding members. This year they called me and wondered if I was interested in attending again, as my own company. I was a little skeptical about if I wanted to dish out 4000kr to attend, but in the end I think it was entirely worth it and even felt inspired to attend more summits in Europe - perhaps 2-3 a year. First and foremost I really enjoyed meeting up with and talking trash with my old colleagues from SJ. Many have new assignments, some even new employers. I would say 70% of my original motivation to go came from catching up with familiar faces. Secondly, It's been over a year since I was working with Azure. Although I may not remember everything from the presentations, I did feel it was great reminders, review, and inspiration for what's to come in the ecosystem before my Azure migration project begins Nov. 1. Microsoft is really pouring their all into AI-driven cloud services. Third and last, I actually managed to network a bit as well with both other professionals in the field as well as consultancy companies. I took a few LinkedIn contacts and wished also that my NFC contact card had already arrived. Also wished my AI note-taking device had already arrived for that matter. I don't enjoy networking for the sake of networking, but I have no qualms about organic conversation and finding interesting people or potential business partners that I would maybe like to stay in touch with. Networking is actually very important - this deserves its own blog post. Similar to attending the startup events, it's all about exposure. Exposure. And exposure. I also got the idea that I will start going to coworking spaces to increase exposure. Even with ample pauses and presentation lengths, it still felt like two longs days that left me drained, but it was nevertheless very rich. Another takeaway I'd like to raise is: be curious. Curiosity is the ultimate network and connection tool. No matter who you speak to, however senior they are, if you sit in the very front row along just a seat apart from the presenters themselves, curiosity will always be rewarded and rarely faulted. Be foolish, be hungry
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• Entrepreneurship · Growth2OctWhy international trade?A number of my project leads in my pipeline right now pertains to international trade. When I pitched one of them to my brother to get him involved he wondered why I was so interested in distributing pet food? It's not about the pet food for me. First and foremost, I have always simply enjoyed connecting people and creating win-win deals. It's a part of my optimization mind I think. Naturally I gravitate toward problem solving and it often involves either my own resources or contacts within my network. I watched a short about why Sapiens outcompeted the other Homos the other day, and a core secret was network. In the specific context of the pet food company, they have a need which I might be able to use my geographic advantages to help solve. In the process, I learn, I grow my network, and I co-found another daughter company under my name. He said he's not particularly interested in becoming a distributor. Me neither. But there might be people who wouldn't mind becoming our distributions contact, or logistics contact. They just don't have the network or capital to provide the business. That leads to my second point. I want to capitalize on the resources I have, which, other than IT capability, is network and capital. I've come to realize that my family network might be one of my greatest assets - not that my parents run a company. It's the opportunities that run through the network created by my family and relatives. Only as an entrepreneur can I fully realize that potential, and contribute to it with my own network I build and contacts I make. Out of the projects leads I currently have, at least 3 are related to international trade and import/export from China. It is probably not a coincidence - the other most valuable unique position I have is my dual identity between Sweden and China. I've seen how powerful that can be if leveraged correctly from my freelance photography friend. If my life of moving around has been building anything, then it has been preparing me to enter this seat. He is also entirely correct though that we also need to filter opportunities because we have limited time, energy and capital. I may run out, burn out. But I also fear waiting too long for the "right" opportunity to emerge. I'm testing out the waters by getting started first and see where it leads me because I also believe the "right" path will reveal itself from motion, not from standstill. We are also in an unprecedented era where we can command a legion of virtual assistants. I know my habit of starting things but not finishing, and I'll keep that in mind - while I optimize my project pipeline and management. Hope I'm not thinking too naively. out.
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• Entrepreneurship · Philosophy21SepWhat should I invest my time in?I’m a little torn between investing my time in consulting versus these business ventures. I guess it’s the same dilemma for anyone really - invest your time and energy in your job or in your side hustles? I thought about the difference between each. When I take certs and am working, I’m investing in a skill whose value is directly proportional to my income. It’s linearly proportional however. Linearly proportional not only to my income but also how much I work. Whereas as an entrepreneur your revenue, and therefore your income, has the potential to scale independently of time spent working. Saving and investing is a first step out of this hole. However, for the average performing investor, it’s a slow process whose real benefits take years to show. Going self-employed is a next step. It is both an investment in my own brand and network - it’s an entrepreneurship - but it also frees up additional capital to engage in investment. It enhances the first step. I’m obviously still quite green to make predictions and probably optimistic. But you know, I like to theorize. We’ll see how this pans out 🤩
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