Ten years is an incredibly long time in technology, and after ten years I have just left Brandwatch, a global leader in Enterprise Social Intelligence. Brandwatch is a great company with a terrific team. Being its CTO for the last ten years has been an amazing journey, so why leave?
One core reason: a growing urge to look for a change of scenery - to work on new projects in other industries, meet new people and experience more variety. Hence this week I have set up fabrice.work to connect with businesses and use my experience to help them grow as well (if not better!) than Brandwatch. And in this blog I will share observations and thoughts about growing a technology business. I hope people find it useful!
While reading up on getting into consulting, I stumbled on a recent podcast where Tim Ferriss, of Four-Hour Work Week fame, discusses his morning routine. Quite a mundane subject, but an important one - it’s what we do at the start of every day after all, and a good or bad start can affect the rest of our day.
Tim’s morning routine consists of 5 key rituals which he sees as key to having a great day:
writing a journal
'hanging' - as in, stretching upside-down
making his bed
meditating
having tea - always the same, very specific type of tea
‘Make your bed’ is a great example of a ritual - simple, quick and strangely helpful. I grew up doing this every day until a few years ago, and having started again I’d certainly vouch for the sense of order and clarity it can bring to both mornings and evenings.
Meditation also stood out, this time as something new to me. Now with the benefit of a few weeks’ practice, I’d recommend it even if (particularly if?) it is not something you’d imagine yourself doing. There are plenty of good apps out there - I’m pretty happy with Buddhify. Definitely worth a try!
‘Having always the same tea’ might be a bit more contentious. Several famous entrepreneurs have the same breakfast or wear the same clothes every single day, which is apparently a good thing: it helps them spend less energy on trivial decisions, focusing instead on the big ones.
Which is reasonable, but is there an important caveat? Variety is refreshing and doesn’t have to take effort. Why not enjoy alternating between a few favorite breakfasts. Or walk to work via different streets. Instead of making your routine repetitive and boring, experiment with it and find out what you enjoy most. Next one for me: take up journalling.
Need advice or help for your technology business? I can help