Update Your Assumptions /  by Alexander Lyadov

Imagine you’ve embarked on an extremely difficult and dangerous venture. The payoff could be monumental, but you’ll have no help, and there are no guarantees.

The future is murky, and your influence over it is minimal. Failure is always lurking around the corner. Clearly, the best strategy is to consciously take the next step.

Like a solo climber, you cling to a barely visible ledge or crack, trying to gain another meter on the mountain. When you finally reach the top, you’ll wearily wonder, “Did I really make it?”

This is why it’s so hard for a founder to step away from operations. It feels like if you let go of focus for even a moment, the business will collapse like a house of cards. But there’s a chance that this perception is no longer valid.

Possible reasons:

1. The future has become clearer. The company has found its business model and knows exactly what value it offers to which customers. This means it can plan its growth and cash flow.

2. The current danger has decreased. The service or product cycle has repeated so often that it’s become a standard procedure. Quality control has replaced the need for frantic, last-minute saves.

3. Additional resources have emerged. The increased volume of operations is carried out by a team of top managers who have grown organically from within. Experienced advisors have been found for each critical area.

What’s true in your case? Just one? Maybe all three? Or more?

The point is that your core assumptions need to be re-evaluated from time to time. What once saved you yesterday may become a glass ceiling tomorrow.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

A Faraway Journey Nearby /  by Alexander Lyadov

Every morning, I sit down to write a fresh article for you. Sometimes I already have an idea, but more often, I have to search for it. Or actively wait.

With that in mind, I absentmindedly scroll through IG, browsing the images I’ve saved just in case. I guess that makes me a hunter-gatherer.

A Japanese sculptor or a photographer from the heart of America might intrigue me so much that I’ll wander through his feed for half an hour.

It feels like my favorite activity when traveling abroad—roaming the foreign streets. For obvious reasons, that’s not possible for me now. But, as you can see, I’ve found a way around it.

After all, every city is a physical expression of the worldview and culture of its people. A walk reveals "Aha" moments in the most unexpected places. It subtly enriches and changes you.

Photographers, sculptors, and artists have a third eye. They see the world as it is but then bend its light through the prism of their gift. The essence of existence becomes clear.

Even before I’ve written a single word, my time hasn’t been wasted. Sitting at my desk in Kyiv, it felt like I peeked into a kaleidoscope of Wow-ideas after a hit of DMT.

At the right moment, one of them bites the hook of my curiosity. No effort is needed. The article writes itself. Voilà!

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Vitality Trap /  by Alexander Lyadov

Dominique Bigelow

Tatami gives me answers to the questions posed by business and life.

Question: When do I burn the most energy?

When I’m butting heads with a force greater than myself.

Both sides get drained, but my resources will run out first.

Examples:

  • Trying to fix a system that’s corrupt from top to bottom.

  • A long legal battle between a startup and an global corporation.

  • Selling a stake to an investor tied to the criminal world.

Let's push this idea to the limit to understand the worst-case scenario:

We challenge a force that’s eternal, inevitable, and inexhaustible.

The fight will be pointless because the outcome is already decided.

For example, ​analysts predict​ that the global cosmetic surgery market will grow from $48 billion in 2023 to $73 billion in 2028. The fear of aging drives people to pay any price for the illusion.

Everything around us inevitably decays, crumbles, and disappears: organisms, civilizations, and mountain ranges. Only the Ego proclaims: "Let everything and everyone change, but I stay as is."

This belief pushes a person into conflict with the universe. He drives away worries of the inevitable end. To calm himself, he wastes tremendous energy maintaining a false picture of the world.

Then he asks, “Why am I so tired? Where’s the energy to live?”

Imagine how much he could achieve if he didn’t squander energy fighting something that doesn't even notice him.

And it blows the mind to think about what will happen when his liberated personal power merges with the universal flow of life.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Heartfelt Wisdom /  by Alexander Lyadov

It's no secret that some people are led by logic, while others by intuition. There are even terms: "man-mind" and "man-spirit".

The first type excels at noticing nuances and details in what's happening now. The second type sees the hidden patterns and grasps the situation as a whole. In itself, this isn't good or bad. It's just the way it is.

But people have a choice—to upgrade themselves or to degrade.

For example, someone might develop their mind, forgetting about the spiritual side. Lying, cheating, stealing, and belittling others becomes easy and enjoyable. A mind free from morality does these things boldly, with a spark.

Or, a person might focus on their spirituality but ignore the practical side of life. The spirit grows without the mind. His goals are so beautiful, lofty, and noble that he's willing to sacrifice anyone, including himself, to achieve them.

It's clear that both of these paths lead to chaos, violence, and deception.

What's the alternative? To develop the mind with the spirit and the spirit with the mind. This means that a person with a strong logical side pays attention to the so-called "nonsense"—ethics, aesthetics, religion, metaphysics, and so on.

And a man with a dominant intuitive side makes an effort to appreciate the so-called "vulgarity"—seeking cause-and-effect relationships, evaluating real consequences, and staying grounded.

In this case, both are rewarded with truth, harmony, and love.

"One of the saints said that the heart must become wise, and the mind must become heartfelt," a kind person once explained to me.

As we can see, it's not about which imbalance we start with, but whether we're willing to face what makes us uncomfortable. And most importantly, it's about which force—chaos or harmony—we choose to serve each day.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Truth in the Dirt /  by Alexander Lyadov

 

​John Danaher​, the coach of champions, explains: "In the sport of jiu-jitsu, the most beautiful takedowns score the same as the ugliest takedowns. You will not be judged by takedowns but by the outcome of the takedown.”

John, isn't it the same in business? The more bureaucratic the company and the lower the manager's level, the stricter the requirements for form — the accepted "beauty" standard.

On the other hand, in a tech startup team and at the entrepreneurial level, only the final result matters — you either survive (win) or slow down (die). Here, function is valued, even when it takes on a repulsive form.

Moreover, every founder knows that "ugliness" is a mandatory step before "beauty." Every beginning is like childbirth — chaos, pain, screams, risk, and blood. You can't find a gold nugget without getting dirty.

That's why seasoned founders don't fear imperfection; they seek it out. Most likely, 99% of people have passed by what they consider nonsense.

A monk asked, "What is Buddha?"

A Zen master replied, "A dry turd."

To a Western reader, this phrase is both unclear and unpleasant.

But this is the paradox of existence — the most valuable things aren't kept in a heavenly chest with platinum locks. The treasures are scattered before us. But our prejudices turn our gaze away.

True wealth will remain out of reach as long as the thirst for pleasure and comfort overshadows the quest for truth.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Find Your Sport /  by Alexander Lyadov

It takes almost superhuman discipline to sweat in the gym for years just for the sake of your health.

A strict coach or a close-knit group can help boost motivation. Some are inspired by the prestige of a gym or the purchase of gear. Sometimes, a “kick in the pants” from a doctor does the trick.

But all of that is secondary and only keeps you going for a short time. There has to be a deeper reason why it's so important for you to run in the rain, pick up a mace, or pack your kimono into your backpack.

You might not be able to explain why, but you know this sport demands a lot from you and gives even more in return. And it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose.

This means that every workout transforms your personality, not just your body. Beyond developing skills, you learn something new about yourself. This activity has a personal meaning, even if it’s implicit.

Just like choosing a motorcycle, you have to pick your sport with your “butt". To your friends, it might seem strange, but it will be uniquely yours. It’s the key to a lock that holds everything:

  • interest,

  • patience,

  • vitality,

  • creativity,

  • playfulness,

  • consistency,

  • stubbornness,

  • speed of learning,

  • recovery from injuries, and more.

The bonus track is that your favorite sport will guide you on what you need to focus on at the moment. For example, strengthening your knees, increasing endurance, or improving mobility.

When function shapes form, everything naturally falls into place.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Say It Out Loud /  by Alexander Lyadov

Deep down, we know we are capable of:

  • Breaking free from the endless loop of thoughts.

  • Walking a thorny path to reach a cherished goal.

  • Venturing into the dark dungeons of our psyche.

  • Loving someone who seems impossible to love.

  • Accepting the imperfections of our mind, body, or work.

  • Letting go of what we hold most dear, but which holds us back.

  • Spotting an elegant solution to chronic problems right under our noses.

If all of this is true, then why do we hesitate?

Strangely enough, we just need to hear it out loud.

To be sure, we need to repeat it, and then write it down.

This way, the meaning you intend takes on a tangible form.

But there are three conditions to doing this: First, it must be sincere. Second, it must be unwavering. Third, it must be done with unconditional care for you. Yet, you remain silent. That means there are doubts: “Yes, but...”

Those doubts need to be doubted. That’s where Other comes in.

His very presence helps you hear what’s true and what’s false in what you say. When he speaks aloud what you’ve been trying to express, you feel like shouting, “Yes, that’s it!”

Finding such a person isn’t easy because it’s not just about skills, experience, or recommendations. It’s about trust. After all, you are choosing a witness to a life you can't help but live.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Paradox Value /  by Alexander Lyadov

You’ll find the most where there’s nothing.

True treasures lie beneath layers of dirt, trash, and dust.

What we buy for an outrageous price has always been within us.

The clash of opposing forces obscures the fruitful synthesis.

Our vulnerability will ultimately save us.

Does that sound paradoxical? That’s the essence of real life.

Everything else—footprints in the sand, empty pinecones, and shed antlers. Those who left them behind are long gone. People are looking in the wrong direction.

When you realize this, you start seeking out paradoxes everywhere. Something absurd, strange, and against common sense no longer frightens you. Instead, you want to turn the odd phenomenon over in your hands.

Why? Because only then can you achieve:

  • A way out of a dead end.

  • The transformation of a curse into a gift.

  • A fresh solution that no one had thought of.

  • The resolution of irreconcilable contradictions.

  • A huge return on a modest investment of effort.

  • Freedom from illusions that have limited you for so long.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Chronos, Relax! /  by Alexander Lyadov

When does time feel too slow?

For example, when we feel bad:

  • in pain,

  • feeling sick,

  • bored,

  • sad about losing something valuable,

  • desperate to get what we don’t have right now.

And when do we stop noticing time? It’s when we’re fully immersed in the flow of life instead of watching it from the sidelines. The measure of existence loses all meaning.

A person frees himself from desires, attachments, and suffering. It’s like a glimpse of nirvana—a perfect world of the gods.

That’s why a creator reacts to interruptions in his work like a fish being pulled from the water. He was truly alive just moments ago, and suddenly, a symbolic death arrives.

Alas, it’s impossible to stay in the Garden of Eden forever. But if you don’t at least peek in once in a while, can you really say you exist?

Blessed is he who often tells Chronos, “Can’t you see I’m busy? Wait.”

Sincerely yours,

-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.

The Imbalance Sign /  by Alexander Lyadov

 

If you notice an excess of emotion, that's a red flag.

What exactly it means needs to be figured out, but rest assured—if it's not a pathology, then there's definitely some disruption.

Examples:

  • Your innocent comment triggers aggression from a business partner.

  • A client goes silent for a long time after your technical request.

  • A driver in a neighboring car starts acting nervously on the road.

  • Watching a conflict among animals makes you physically sick.

  • An acquaintance suddenly bares her soul on social media.

I have a habit of jotting down such events in the evening. The most striking ones are worth analyzing with a therapist. But even minor incidents can, over time, form a pattern that carries meaning.

What kind of meaning? Excess emotion indicates a loss of balance:

  • in yourself.

  • in another person.

  • in a group or society.

  • in your relationship with them.

  • in the environment in general.

If a person slips, he not only cries out and flails his arms, but he might also drop things, hurt someone nearby, fall, get injured, and then blame someone for it.

In other words, the level of chaos rises, and that means trouble is coming.

It’s time to turn on your vigilance and curiosity. Each such incident is a crack in the structures of social conventions, the camouflage of culture, and personal lies. You instantly learn a lot about the person, society, the world, and, of course, yourself.

You better treasure these gifts of fate.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Perfect Days /  by Alexander Lyadov

If you haven't already, watch the 2023 film "​Perfect Days.​" It tells the story of Hirayama, a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo.

Every day for him is like the one before. The work is repetitive. His life is lonely and ascetic. His joys are small and simple.

There are no adventures, catastrophes, deep thoughts, or love dramas here. Yet, it's hard to look away. There's something special in Hirayama's work and life that many would envy.

He's content with what he has. He finds beauty in the everyday. Vintage melodies and books comfort and inspire him. Hirayama treats his work with respect, like a monk carefully dusting a Buddha statue. His life is in harmony.

In any community, you'll find successful, charismatic, diligent, and talented people. But meeting someone like Hirayama is exceedingly rare.

The fact is that bringing yourself into harmony with the world is both an enormous effort and a kind of art. Universities don't teach it. Technology won't help. You can't hack this process.

There are only guideposts, such as ancient texts, practices, and the flashes of light from harmonized souls you meet by chance.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Curiosity's Reward /  by Alexander Lyadov

When I followed my curiosity, my growth was at its peak.

This was true in business, education, and sports. Something intrigued me for reasons I couldn't explain. In the short term, I often lost a lot. But if I followed that trail, I never regretted it.

For example, when I:

  • Paid a fortune for business school in 2002.

  • Hired strange but promising people for my team.

  • Made risky deals with clients that could endanger my company.

  • Changed industries and professional identity several times.

  • Threw myself into competitive sports after turning 43.

  • Explored myself through practices and ceremonies in India and Peru.

It usually started with a vague curiosity. I reluctantly took a closer look at something new. If I resisted the impulse for too long, the anguish grew. But if I took even a small step toward it, something good inside me took root and expanded.

Although my future was uncertain, every step into the unknown rewarded me. How? Life's pulse quickened, the audacity to try and the need to create arose.

I didn’t know where it would lead, but each night I fell asleep with a smile.

In the Gospel of Thomas, there's an amazing idea: “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”

It turns out, following your own path is not about whim, convenience, or profit. It is your duty to what you can and secretly desire to become.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Mind is Not the Master /  by Alexander Lyadov

Our mind calculates everything in advance. It is constantly busy. Dangers must be eliminated. Opportunities shouldn't be missed.

We must admit, thinking has advanced humanity in terms of productivity, comfort, and protection from the hostile side of nature.

The mind is so convincing in its calculations and arguments that it’s easy to believe we not only need to, but can control the course of events.

Alas, upon closer inspection, it turns out that the mind doesn’t control many life processes:

  • regeneration of damaged tissue.

  • hormone production.

  • intestinal peristalsis.

  • heartbeat.

  • sleep.

  • falling in love.

  • trust in providence.

  • attraction to beauty.

  • interest in something.

  • premonition of trouble.

  • ability to forgive and love.

  • inspiration from a fresh idea.

  • search for personal path and meaning.

  • the moment when life fades or begins on Earth.

  • when history stands still or makes a leap forward.

It turns out that in truly important matters, the mind is useless and weak. Nothing lasts forever and everything is subject to destruction, only to be reborn again. The very idea of controlling life is absurd and naive.

Does this mean we should abandon the mind? No. For it is magnificent.

You must clarify your relationship with it: “You are not the master of life, but a servant. Perform your function. And remember your subordinate place.”

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Between Heaven and Earth /  by Alexander Lyadov

Anyone who has jumped with a parachute knows the ringing silence in the sky.

When you board the plane, earthly problems lose their significance. After all, you might never return to them. And after the jump, when the parachute opens, fear disappears: “What if?...”

You hang motionless, alone between heaven and earth. There’s no need to run anywhere or do anything. You’re filled with long-forgotten sensations: a genuine wonder at the world, harmony, and peace.

You want to shout to Life: “I love you just the way you are!”

This kind of experience is unforgettable. It gives you a perspective that, even for a moment, changes everything. It turns out that no matter the circumstances, you can view them from above. From a place of acceptance and love.

A different perspective creates new ideas. Any standstill is just a false contradiction between local demands “X vs -X.” Yet there are plenty of other options around. Rise up, look around, choose, and apply.

A valuable skill is learning to make a long jump in your mind.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Image Alchemy /  by Alexander Lyadov

“I’d subscribe to this newsletter just for the illustrations.” I mumble to myself whenever I stumble upon another masterpiece online.

Usually, its job is to highlight the main idea of the article. But sometimes, an illustration is like a compressed file: a depth of meaning, exhausting to unpack. The text only touches on one of its facets.

It’s torture when I sift through streams of photos, feeling, “Ugh, none of this is right!” Despite a vague sense of what’s needed, it knows instantly when I hook a big fish.

A powerful illustration can inspire an article. That’s why I constantly save them “for later” in a special folder labeled “Ideas.” Being there feels as nice as wandering the Oxford library.

It would be far more efficient to publish just the text. Maybe not all readers share my enthusiasm for “pictures.” It seems like I’m overburdening myself. Why?

Only then can something implicit reveal itself fully.

Peace is restored to the soul when the essence matches the form.

Do you agree?

Sincerely yours,

-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.

The Force of Life /  by Alexander Lyadov

In Indonesia, it's either dry for too long, or it rains too much. Downpours cause floods that can paralyze life. Yet Indonesians endure the inconvenience with a stoic smile, saying, "Sure, it's a flood. But at least it's not a biblical one!"

At first, the phenomenon is shocking; after a hundred times, it’s irritating, and then it just becomes background noise. You begin to see the difference between what's frightening and what's dangerous. The belief grows stronger: "Despite everything, life goes on."

This experience is invaluable. You can't buy it with money—only live through it. Through this process, you become more mature. What once seemed important now feels ridiculous. And vice versa.

Tectonic shifts don't just happen outside—in nature or society. One way or another, every person transforms.

Is this good or bad? That's the wrong question.

Is autumn worse than spring or summer? Is liquid water less valuable than steam or ice? The inevitable is natural; it just is.

In nature, society, and within ourselves, change is a constant. Often, we don’t understand or deny it, leading to suffering. But years later, we acknowledge: "Thank fate for everything happening as it did."

It’s a great fortune if gratitude arises now. Stress melts away. Ideas emerge. You feel like rolling up your sleeves.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Truth's Lens /  by Alexander Lyadov

Basically, my job is to help the client see things as they really are.

There's no need to add anything from myself. On the contrary, I try to remove all the unnecessary parts. Metaphors encourage us to notice what is already there, even if it's not obvious. Questions lead us to paradoxes, promising new meaning.

But for this approach to work, my perspective must remain clear. A professional photographer carefully ensures the lenses are clean. During a session, my task is to disappear, becoming an effective tool, like a magnifying glass.

Everything else, reality handles on its own. False beliefs melt away in its light, like dew in the sun. Reality then provides the energy to transform stifling carbon dioxide into life-giving oxygen.

To understand this, remember how your injuries heal. You can assist your body with medicine, diet, and rest. Or you can hinder it with smoking, alcohol, sugar, and so on.

In any case, the process of regeneration happens on its own.

Within each of us is this fundamental drive for life. Like a mother wolf, it pulls us, foolish pups, towards growth, away from troubles.

Yet we always think we know best. So, again and again, we get ourselves into some kind of trap. The solution is simple: start letting go of illusions and face reality head-on.

If we don't complicate it, healthy living is essentially simple.

Sincerely yours,

-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.

The Essence of Everything /  by Alexander Lyadov

A novice eagerly absorbs knowledge. He is amazed and even overwhelmed by the endless number of details. Words like expansion, addition, and differentiation describe this process.

Later, the student notices that very different things are essentially similar. Bridges begin to form between areas 1, 2, 3...N. It's like the feeling when a forgotten word is on the tip of your tongue.

The more years pass, the clearer the paradox becomes. On one hand, the speed of accumulating subtleties, nuances, and distinctions grows. On the other hand, all this multeity seems to collapse into a small number of fundamental things.

It's like autumn. Around you is a colorful carpet of fallen leaves. You want to keep them because each one is beautiful. But you know there are even more on the next avenue. And a new generation of beauty will wait for you next year. This makes you both sad and joyful.

I observe the same dynamic in my work. The client problems, their businesses, situations, personalities, and fates are all so different. But the more I observe them, the sooner the insight dawns on me: "Oh, that's it!"

As the English poet William Blake wrote:

"To see a World in a Grain of Sand, And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour."

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Biblical Marxism /  by Alexander Lyadov

Why hasn't Marxism disappeared? After all, the attempts to achieve social equality through revolution have already led to 100 million innocent deaths in the China, Cambodia, and USSR.

Like a chameleon, Marxism today changes its clothes, updates its terms, and captivates the minds of a new generation of revolutionaries. And once again, a chorus sings familiar words:

"We will destroy this world of violence
Down to the foundations, and then
We will build our new world,
Who was nothing will become everything!"

If a phenomenon is so inexhaustible, its roots lie deep in ancient times.

Marxism is the embodiment of Cain's spirit.

(The irony here is that the classics of Marxism-Leninism tried to scientifically justify atheism.)

The story: Two brothers, the shepherd Abel and the farmer Cain, made sacrifices to God. God accepted the first but rejected the second. This filled Cain with jealousy and anger. Despite God's warning, Cain couldn't control himself. He invited Abel to the field and killed him there.

Even if a man has worked hard and long, he can end up with nothing due to circumstances beyond his control. More so if he has lied to himself and others—slacking off, pretending, and cutting corners.

The lazier, more arrogant, and self-centered a person is, the more likely he is to be tempted by the idea: "The world is corrupt. Some have everything, and others (like me) have nothing. Justice must be restored. And I know how!"

Biblical stories are the distillation of many generations' experiences. They concentrate the essence of what it means to be human.

In other words, inside each of us are both Abel and Cain. That's why this ancient story repeats itself again and again. There are countless examples in any organization, country, or continent.

Life hurts us and gives us choices. We can be tempted by envy toward another, play the victim, and find a way to punish him. The alternative is to honestly ask ourselves: "Where did I fall short?"

Sincerely yours,

-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.

Precious Trivialities /  by Alexander Lyadov

I never knew marathon runners tape their nipples. To understand why, search online for photos of their shirts with bloodstains.

Every field has its nuances that aren't obvious to beginners. But for someone who has been practicing for years, every step begins with a mandatory ritual.

A judoka strengthens vulnerable finger joints with an "exoskeleton".

A financial advisor first determines the client's risk profile.

A surgeon uses a checklist of important actions before and after surgery.

An advertiser presents the client with three design options, not just one.

I have clubs made in the USA and China. They look similar—both are pieces of steel. After 4 sets of 20 repetitions, my hands feel comfortable with the former. But with the latter, a blister starts to form.

These seemingly small details ultimately decide who wins or loses. Whether it's Wall Street, firefighting, or the Olympics, the real battle is where nobody looks.

Basic knowledge can be learned from books and lectures. But the most valuable lessons come from years of trial and error within a framework that is passed down as tacit knowledge from master to neophyte.

Sincerely yours,

-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.