The Redirect

A McKinsey type had managed to get on someone’s calendar. He had a pitch. I ended up in the room.

He was already there when I walked in — standing at the head of the table, laptop open, smile polished. Oxford PPE and the particular self-confidence of someone who has never hired or fired anyone in his life.

He shook hands like he’d been trained to. “Gentlemen, this is an exciting time…”

I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but before he could launch into the deck, one of us said, not unkindly:

Look, it’s the end of the day. It’s been a long one.

You’ve clearly got energy.

But how about this:

Why don’t you close the laptop.

Sit down. Here, across from us.

And just talk.

Tell us what you’re here for.

That's it for now.

For the next few weeks, I won’t be sending essays.

I’ve decided to do something radical: go outside. Touch some grass. Listen to birds. Let my phone stay inside.

No optimization. No productivity hacks. Just unstructured, unapologetic human time.

If that feels irresponsible… well, that’s sort of the point.

If it sounds appealing… I highly recommend trying it. And if you will, then enjoy!

I’ll be back in September — probably with dirt on my shoes, and (i hope) a few new things worth saying.

All the best,

Richard