Breaking Through the Invisible Barrier /  by Alexander Lyadov

Have you ever hit a glass ceiling?

It's when something's holding you back, but you're not sure what.

Worse yet, over time the ceiling starts to weigh you down.

Eventually, you can't move a finger or toe, and the cause is unclear.

Attempts to break through the ceiling by force are naive and useless.

After all, you rebel against yourself, or rather your unknown part.

At first, you can blame fate or people by hitting your head against it.

But you can no longer argue if the scenery changes and the ending is the same.

Once you turn your gaze inward, what's the use? The glass is transparent.

Quartz granules were melted in the oven long ago, starting from childhood.

All additives (assumptions, convictions, beliefs) now form a single mass.

No wonder you are stunned - the problem exists, yet it doesn't.

An analytical view is needed to name and describe the phenomenon.

Then you can understand which assumptions are true and which are false.

Interestingly, in the case of success, the glass ceiling is also not visible.

But the reason is different - the limitation vanished as if it had never existed.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

Synthesis or Doom: the Importance of Leverage in Business /  by Alexander Lyadov

 

No matter how well designed a house is, it's not worth much if it's in a bad place.

Therefore, the mantra of the real estate industry is "Location. Location. Location."

There are many parameters for an object, but one stands out above the rest.

Context (geography, history, culture) gives meaning to everything.

Something may be unacceptable here, but over there is a perfect fit.

So, when solving a problem, it's important to understand its unique context.

Otherwise, the best tool will be useless or even harmful.

Also if the opponent is too strong, it's unwise to attack head-on.

It's better to study him, find a weakness, and suddenly strike in one spot.

In other words, task number one is to find the multiplier of your strength.

In most situations, experience tells you which shelf to take the lever from.

In non-standard situations, a synthesis of multiple approaches is needed.

Bottom line: the more desperate the impasse, the greater the need for creativity.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

What is the main bottleneck and the source of all change in business? /  by Alexander Lyadov

 

How long have you been practicing your craft?

For me, I formally became a business therapist about 5 years ago.

Looking back into the past, it's clear that I was already doing this 25 years ago.

Over the years, the scope of responsibility, experience, and tools has grown.

But the essence - the unlocking of business potential through personality - is the same.

Because business can always be bigger and better than it is now.

What limits it? Not what, but who - the individual (and then the group).

At the beginning of my career, no one explained this, but I intuitively understood.

The main problem in business is always and everywhere created by people.

But they are also the source of beneficial change.

Usually all that is needed is a catalyst, either external or internal

Either life will push for change, or the involvement of another person.

Knowing this, you can create value for the business in any position.

The rest of the career is a pursuit of an unattainable ideal. What ideal?

One touch from you triggers exponential growth in the business.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

What holds you back? /  by Alexander Lyadov

"I'd like to expand my business, but can't seem to find anyone to invest."

"The service business provides decent income, but alas, it cannot be sold."

"Asia is lucrative, but without a local partner, it's a no-go."

Where can I find a COO guaranteed to take the routine out?"

"Ah, if only I had X, then I would definitely achieve the desired Y."

Since X is a fantastic requirement, there is no progress at all.

My experience with founders has convinced me that there is no real need for X.

Everything you need right now has long been lying at your feet.

But something stubbornly prevents you from noticing and picking it up. What is it?

For example, the craving to make one bet and instantly win the jackpot.

Or the fixation that success is achieved only in a certain way, and not otherwise.

Perhaps it is the fear of letting go of the boring but comfortable status quo.

Sometimes it turns out that it's not the Y you dreamed of.

Or by denying the ugly form, you miss the precious essence.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

The Mysterious Process Behind 1000x Returns /  by Alexander Lyadov

 

No venture investor can predict a jackpot company.

There are too many factors that can destroy a startup at an early stage.

And portfolio diversification does not guarantee target returns.

As scattered chips on a gaming table do not cancel out chance.

So why do some funds consistently make money while others lose?

The difference lies in their focus on what can be controlled.

If you manage the process, you can continuously improve it.

And therefore, increase efficiency and reduce errors.

What is this mysterious process that rewards 1000x?

Top investors create a first-class flow of incoming projects.

If it succeeds, it doesn't matter who will become the next Google.

By the way, this insight is applicable to any business, and life in general.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
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Free the Entrepreneur /  by Alexander Lyadov

You are the main bottleneck of your business.

But at the same time, you are the origin of all change.

Acknowledging this is the first step, but not everyone is ready for it.

Because then you can't pass the responsibility onto others.

This is just the beginning because the hardest part is getting to the root problem.

You see the negative symptoms, but their source is intangible.

Why? Instead of mental shackles, you only see a precious bracelet.

In other words, lies are dressed up as truth, and evil is perceived as good.

How do you get out of this impasse? You need an external push or catalyst.

Either reality will eventually burn the lies of assumptions with the flames of despair.

Or another person will help you separate the wheat from the chaff.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

The Poison of Plenty: Why Abundance Can Be Dangerous for Entrepreneurs /  by Alexander Lyadov

People have long understood how a lack of something, like hunger, can be deadly. The consequences of excess, however, may not be immediately apparent, but they are just as dangerous. For example, excessive body fat increases the risk of mortality by 50%. It may seem that eradicating hunger should lead to a long and prosperous life, but this is not the case.

Having defeated disease, an abundance of cure now becomes poison. For instance, many empires fell not due to external attacks, but because security and abundance bred laziness, debauchery, and indolence. As a result, societies imploded from within, due to a vacuum of meaning and sharp contradictions.

Smart entrepreneurs eliminate any vulnerability in their business. Wise founders are just as concerned about excess as they are about scarcity. Therefore, they intentionally impose restrictions on themselves and their business. For instance, they create a board of directors to hold themselves accountable, or introduce a minimum rate of return for investments in any project. Some entrepreneurs consciously refrain from paying themselves dividends from their immense profits, reinvesting them in the business. They reasonably fear becoming a softened and demotivated king from a once energetic and ambitious contender.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

Croak for Cash: How to Monetize Your Unique Traits /  by Alexander Lyadov

 

It is impossible to change the structure of your personality.

It's as pointless as hitting your reflection in the water.

No matter what mask you wear, your essence will come through.

And if a part of yourself brings dislike, struggling with it will only lead to exhaustion.

There is only one way out: to see, study, and master your own chaos.

Then what has been robbing you for years will become a source of ideas, energy, and wealth.

One croaks, another absorbs CO2, a third gnaws on logs.

What's important is that they are unable to NOT do that.

But imagine if someone needs the product of your obsession.

It turns out that they can't live without oxygen or dams.

So, for them, the value of your strange product is enormous.

Conclusion: If you can't help but croak, croak for a lot of cash.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

Why You're More Valuable Than You Think? /  by Alexander Lyadov

Yesterday, I wrote about how the false belief in their own imperfections limits the potential of people in business. You may think, "I'm not enough (insert your own word here) compared to entrepreneur X. In my work as a business therapist, I've had sessions with very successful founders, and even I was amazed: "What, you too have doubts about yourself? I never would have thought so."

Almost everyone has a certain type of person that invokes stupor, piety, and awe. For a SaaS company founder, it could be a well-known venture capitalist, and for a consultant, a client from the Fortune 500 list. As if they were Japanese peasants standing knee-deep in mud, with Emperor Naruhito looking down on them. Fortunately, there is a simple way to get out of this illusion without psychoanalysis.

In fact, the opposite is true - they desperately need you, not the other way around. Your service or product can quickly solve the acute problem of certain clients. However, despite your best efforts, you can't help everyone. If you're a service company, your maximum is 10-15 long-term clients per year. And if we're talking about investors in a product business, that number is even smaller within an investment round. Perhaps you're used to thinking that they choose you from a multitude of alternatives, but in reality, you're the one selecting clients and partners. After all, the capacity of your "battery" is quite small, so it makes sense to be very selective about those with whom you can't help but share your energy. Here we come back to the question again — do you know your ideal client?

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

Which Belief to Break Free from to Unlock Your Potential? /  by Alexander Lyadov

Free from handcuffs poster

Unknown artist

 

Too many people self-limit their potential. How? Deep down, they devalue what they objectively possess. If you don't value yourself, why should others treat you any better? It's no wonder that a founder is hesitant to make a super offer to an enterprise client, a top manager is afraid to bring up compensation with the owner, or a coach gets too few leads. Imagine a patient's reaction if their surgeon hesitantly mumbles something and wipes sweat from their forehead with trembling fingers before administering general anesthesia. Right, he'd want to run far away.

In my observation, in 99% of cases, the belief in one's own inferiority is a lie. Yes, there are plenty of people in the world who are significantly better than us in certain attributes. But they are somewhere out there, while you are here. Hypothetically, your investor, client, or boss could find and collaborate with an ideal version of you, but practically it's impossible, as the search for perfection would consume a lot of their resources even in the age of the internet. If you're drowning, does it matter if the hand offering a lifeline has a manicure? The most important thing is that this kind person happens to be nearby.

In business, timing is everything, just like in boxing or stand-up. What matters is not the perfect form of delivery, but functional utility. Profit, knockout, or laughter, here and now, are the metrics of success, not speculative comparisons with someone in a parallel universe. So the question is not whether you are perfect, but whether you can provide enough value for your client, boss, or investor when they need it the most.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

How Uncertainty Wears A Company Down: Insights From Jiu-jitsu /  by Alexander Lyadov

It doesn't matter how strong or flexible you are, or how good your cardio is. If you haven't been training for a few months, you're toasted after a couple of rounds of jiu-jitsu. Shortness of breath, foggy mind, numb hands, and the feeling of "Get away from me!" take over. The efficiency of power distribution is gone, specifically in jiu-jitsu. You "forgot" how to maintain the pace during several rounds, when to explode and when to rest. How so?

This increased uncertainty has erases your memory. The familiar environment turns into chaos that can harm you. Fear makes you unnecessarily tense, wasting energy. Weakness causes you to make mistakes, get scared, explode, and so on. The solution? Fight more often to learn to conquer unknown territory again.

That's why it's so important not to let uncertainty enter your business from the outside. Nothing wastes resources like it. You also need a reserve in case, figuratively speaking, hordes of barbarians besiege your city for a long time. But even sadder is when the owner creates confusion, chaos, and inconsistency in his (or her) own company. This often happens subconsciously because the founder's own dilemmas, remaining unresolved, push him to excessive actions in one direction or another. And here "fight more" is not the solution, as sometimes it takes years for the natural process of trial and error to provide a liberating insight. To accelerate progress in sports, an athlete invites an experienced coach. For a founder, this function is performed by an independent board of directors, coach, or psychotherapist.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

Maintaining Business Functionality: The Lessons From Strength Training /  by Alexander Lyadov

Roman Greek Herculaneum atlas sculpture

Roman Greek Herculaneum atlas sculpture

 

You can often hear discouraging statistics that after the age of 40, a person loses about 1% of muscle mass per year, about 2-4% of strength per year, and power decreases by 8-10% per year. It sounds like a sentence. Maybe, but not for us. Listen to an interview with Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor of kinesiology at California State University and a leading global expert on methods of increasing strength, hypertrophy, and endurance: "In general human movement is a function of some sort of neuromuscular activation. So nerves have to turn on. The second part is muscles have to contract, and the third part is those muscles have to move a bone. If you want to be alive and you want to live by yourself, you have to be able to engage in human movement. You don't lose these functionalities because of aging, you lose this because of loss of training... I was reading a paper this morning. So these are folks 90 plus, and they saw improvements like 30 to 170% in things like muscle size and hypertrophy over a very short period of time (12 weeks). Resistance exercises and strength training is the number one tool to combat neuromuscular aging... This reduction in muscle strength and hypertrophy is basically ameliorated with a preservation of activity."

It turns out that the problem of loss of body functionality is not so much in objective age as in the subjective refusal of a person to regularly lift kettlebells, bands, or mace. First, the mind gives up, and only then the body. In this sense, the above-mentioned statistics resemble panicked people during a fire who rush to narrow theater doors. Yes, that's the reaction of most people, but you can act differently. And most likely, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much your potential (mind, body, spirit) is greater than you and others thought.

Similarly, companies lose functionality. Most of them are convinced with age that innovativeness, i.e., the ability to reinvent themselves, is no longer available to them. As a result of this (false) belief, there is a steady atrophy of "innovative nerves, ligaments, and muscles." Essentially, this is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Fortunately, there are founders, albeit a minority, who disagree with the general statistics. It is they who manage to achieve an optimal state when they do not lose anything they have built before, but at the same time continue to open up other markets, launch new products, in short, maintain the full functionality of the business.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

From Implicit to Explicit: The Path to Achieving Your Goals /  by Alexander Lyadov

If you don't have a home, does that mean you're homeless?

Perhaps yes, and perhaps no.

Yes, if your life is stuck, like in the movie "Groundhog Day".

No, if every step, even if slow, brings you closer to your desired goal.

From the outside, neither appears to have anything other than a void.

But that's a misconception, because everything tangible was once implicit.

It's not about having the form, but about the process that creates it.

Those around you cannot see your process because it happens secretly within you.

That's why society tends to devalue what cannot be grasped (yet).

It's even worse when someone ignores or belittles their own process.

Therefore, the task is not to show others the scaffolding and floors.

The key is to have a clear vision of the future home in your mind and to recognize the value of each step you take today.

Will your home be built in 3, 5, or 7 years? That's secondary.

So, while you may not have a sturdy and comfortable home yet, it already exists, constantly warming, grounding, and recharging you.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

Why Starting Point and Achievements Don't Matter? /  by Alexander Lyadov

 

Achieving an ambitious goal doesn't guarantee happiness.

In fact, some founders sink into a gloomy depression after successfully selling their business.

Ironically, the attributes of success only exacerbate their problems.

Satisfaction should be a given... but it's not. How come?

The meaning that had been driving the founders for years has disappeared, leaving them in an empty void they didn't bother to fill.

The same feeling arises when fate, without asking, takes away the things that gave people the energy to work, learn, and create.

At the same time, there are plenty of examples of people starting from a hopelessly losing position and managing to live a tremendously interesting, fulfilling, and productive life.

It turns out that it doesn't matter where you start and where you end up.

What matters is making progress from one point to another.

Even a tiny step in the desired direction is enough to create a surge of mood, optimism, and strength.

As neurobiologist Andrew Huberman explains, when you're confident that you're on the right track, your body produces the "anticipation hormone" dopamine.

If it's so effective and simple, what's the catch?

It's difficult, firstly, to humbly accept the current undesirable state as the starting point, and, second, it's challenging to honestly articulate where it makes sense for you to end up.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

Why Delegating Your Business Vision Isn't an Option /  by Alexander Lyadov

After I published an article on the role of a founder on LinkedIn, a reader asked me, 'Do you think direction and vision can be delegated sufficiently?' I think this is an important question because every owner/CEO is tempted to do so from time to time. No one admits it, but in the face of life's hardships, even the strongest and most resilient individuals can sometimes feel a childlike urge to ask an adult to pick them up. Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone said, 'You take a break. I guarantee that I'll do what's most difficult, scary, or unbearable for you.' Of course, there are no such wizards, but the dream of them is indelible. And since there is a demand, there are many who promise to meet it.

But whoever gives in to temptation will inevitably be disappointed. It doesn't matter who the choice falls on — a top manager, advisor, or business consultant, what are their awards, and do they have an Ivy League diploma. Even if their efforts produce an impressive product, it will never take root in the company, like a tropical flower in Ukrainian black soil. Why? Like personal meaning, love, or curiosity, the company's vision is formed from the inside out, not the other way around. In other words, first the vision is present invisibly in the corporate body, and then it manifests itself explicitly in words. Isn't it funny to delegate this process to someone from the outside? And is it any wonder that attempts to do so waste resources, time and opportunity?

The formation of vision and direction requires the simultaneous presence of at least four conditions. Firstly, an intimate understanding of the vulnerabilities and strengths of the specific company. Secondly, entrepreneurial intuition regarding the window of market opportunities. Thirdly, the power to realize what's planned and receive feedback from reality. Fourthly, a readiness to take personal responsibility for possible failure (skin in the game). Note that many may meet one, two, or even three of these conditions, but only the company's founder can meet all four.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

Finding Order in Chaos: The Benefits of Consistent Marketing /  by Alexander Lyadov

 

Marketing is not about originality, but about consistency.

No one can predict the next big thing.

However, it is always possible (and necessary) to build trust with your audience.

Trust is the fertile soil in which everything grows.

Uncertainty and unfamiliarity cause confusion, fear, and dislike.

On the other hand, frequent publications reveal the essence of the author, whether he wants it or not.

Additionally, chaos is present and increasing in everyone's lives.

Consistent content is an oasis of order in which the mind can rest.

When readers have trust, peace, and goodwill, there is a greater chance that a post will suddenly resonate with them.

This will be a bonus for your marketing efforts because the foundation has already been laid — a tribe of those who share your path.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

Efficiency in Swimming and Business /  by Alexander Lyadov

Unknown photographer

Seeing me swim, people usually complimented me. However, deep down, I realized that things weren't quite right because I taught myself to swim as a child. I could stay afloat and even look impressive, as I emulated good swimmers. But it's one thing to copy external form, and another thing to study the function that creates that form.

Understanding the difference in normal conditions, say, at the beach, is difficult. Everything changes when you need to swim for a long time, with waves, or in cold water. When life circumstances push a person to the brink of his or her abilities, the swimmer's efficiency characteristic — the coefficient of performance (COP) —becomes valuable. Just like in venture capital, proper movement and breathing technique allows for a return on investment of 10, 100, or 1000x. Just imagine the current record for the longest continuous swim, held by American Sarah Thomas. In 2019, she crossed the English Channel four times without stopping, covering a distance of 209 kilometers in 54 hours and 10 minutes.

What distinguishes a black belt from a white belt? And a seasoned wolf from a clumsy puppy? The absence of unnecessary movements and the ability to achieve colossal results from virtually nothing. That's why observing a Master's work elicits awe and wonder in the average person. After all, it looks like superpowers, magic, or wizardry. Fortunately, the magic is quite accessible to anyone willing to devote n-number of iterations, not years, to learning the technique. I remember my amazement when, after taking on an experienced coach, my swimming style radically changed in just a few months of practice, and my COP increased as well.

And is it any different in business? All entrepreneurs learns to swim on their own. The best of them are not satisfied with just staying afloat. They tirelessly seek out Leverage, i.e. carriers of technology and sources of knowledge that will ensure their business doesn't lose anything, but gains everything.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

The Paradox of Addiction: How Studying Your Obsessions Can Lead to the Top /  by Alexander Lyadov

Unknown photographer

I won't forget the words of a drug addict: 'You wouldn't understand. The high I get from a dose is such an otherworldly pleasure, compared to which everything in normal life is empty and gray nothingness.' Once the addiction to the source of artificial nirvana takes hold, who would willingly want to leave the Garden of Eden?

But it seems that there are no people completely without addiction. Since the awakening of consciousness, a person feels a gaping hole inside. Essentially, it's an existential fear of death, although it takes many forms - fear of illness, old age, loneliness, punishment, consumption, rejection, pain, guilt, madness, helplessness, etc. This "black hole" can't be completely closed, but it can't be left open either. If nothing is done, there is an inexorable slide into the abyss. It's no wonder that in desperation, people cling to anything that promises salvation, even if only temporary. By chance, genetics, environment, and upbringing, people find different "hooks" to cling to life, allowing them to function — learn, work, start a family, do business, etc.

So it turns out that one cannot live without addiction, but as we know, the thirst for pleasure also destroys a person. The way out of the impasse is paradoxical - one's specific addiction needs to be studied, understood, and systematically replaced. The worst form of addiction is narrow, rigid, and material. Examples include sweets, gambling, porn, drugs, and alcohol. It's better if there are several obsessions, and they are lightweight, such as ambitious business, intense creativity, and competitive sports. The ideal is to transform one's addiction from solid to liquid, and then to a gaseous form. So philosophy, art and religion are not mere whims, but the surest way to gain a foothold and rise to the highest possible heights.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.

The art of selling without selling /  by Alexander Lyadov

It is a popular belief that in order to sell a complex and expensive service, one needs either strong arguments or clever manipulation of the client's perception, if the arguments are weak. In the first case, it seems that simply listing the benefits of the service with bullet points is enough and any reasonable client will be instantly convinced. In the second case, the efforts are directed towards creating a short-term illusion just to close the transaction, with little regard for what happens next.

Apart from immorality, the problem with a manipulative approach is also in the low lifetime value (LTV) of the client. LTV is the profit earned during the entire joint life with the client. In business, the maximum cash flow in the future acquired at a minimal price is valued. The ideal situation is when the purchase of the service happens again and again, seemingly by itself. As for the hoax, it's a one-off stunt. However, convincing with arguments is not an optimal strategy either, as the more complex and specific the client's problem is, the less response standard blind arguments will generate.

It is much more effective to abandon any attempt to convince at all. True expertise is not demonstrated by statements, but by questions. By going through many cases, an expert becomes not a keeper of an archive of dusty answers, but a Master of the Process of developing custom solutions for the client. Each question from the expert, like a blow of a sculptor's chisel on a stone, cuts off everything unnecessary, revealing the essence. That is why, after just a few questions from the expert, the client should feel surprise, relief, and trust: "How well I am understood. I am in good hands." This is a hint that the synthesis of the solution is already in full swing. Wait, what about the sale? There isn't one, but buying a service is. Such is the paradox.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

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”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
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The Power of Local Order in the Midst of Market Chaos /  by Alexander Lyadov

 

It's no secret that in business, there are as many unpredictabilities as there are fleas on a stray dog's fur. But just as a doctor needs sterility from bacteria and microbes to perform an operation, certainty (reliability, stability) is extremely important for a company's growth. Market chaos itself is not frightening to an entrepreneurs if they they have an island of local order on which they can confidently rely, catch their breath, and regain strength no matter what happens in the world.

What steel threads are woven into a chainmail of this order? Undoubtedly, it is a proven business model, streamlined processes, know-how, intellectual property, diversified customer base, reliable team, shareholder consensus, liquidity reserve, etc. However, the starting point is always the attitude with which the founder looks into the abyss that terrifies everyone else to death. Like a silkworm, an entrepreneurs continuously produce a thread from which they then weave their cocoon in which the caterpillar transforms into a pupa. And just as others cannot obtain silk without a silkworm, no one is needed to create for an entrepreneur.

This by no means suggests that an entrepreneurs are all-powerful and invulnerable. A cascade of unfavorable factors can crush their cocoon. Knowing this, the founders obsessively seeks opportunities to strengthen their system's resilience. In this sense, as a partner, employee, investor, or service provider, you can provide tangible benefits to the entrepreneurs. All that is required is to become a source of predictability for them, that is, also to be an island of local order. Trust me, today, in the turbulent stream of change, this is already a lot.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.

”Who are you and what do you do?"
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.

"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.