Driving through the city, my eyes tripped on a building. No, not the building itself—it was ordinary. Gray, run-down, and old. But one entrance had a luxurious door, framed with marble tile. A well-dressed woman stepped inside what looked like a boutique.
It gave off a strong sense of absurdity. A mismatch. A kind of visual dissonance.
What’s the point of remodeling your apartment if your neighbors are running a drug den? It’s nice to have a strong immune system—but what if the doctors aren’t following hygiene protocols? Why buy a Ferrari, only to sit growling in traffic on broken roads?
I once read in an architecture book that no matter how beautiful a building is, it has to fit its surroundings.
Why? Because a high-tech house in a traditional village isn’t a “Wow”—it’s a foreign body. A tiny room in Tuscany is more desirable than a royal palace in the Sahara. No amount of money spent on a detail will change the global context.
That’s why quick change so often fails. People fall in love with a “brilliant” idea and try to plant it in the wrong soil. The ground rejects the outsider.
On the contrary, real change comes inexorably—when your effort aligns with a natural tectonic shift. But even then, you need to manage the transition carefully. The in-between is fragile.
That’s also why successful company transformations are rare. And why it’s so hard to change your life. You have to build a rich, nourishing environment around you — so it can support the metamorphosis within.
Yours sincerely,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.