I always admired Alexander for his #pothos, a romantic urge he felt every time he had a chance to conquer the impossible.
It resonates with me as I recognize how crafting and following my vision shaped my current life.
I want to encourage you to give yourself permission to do the same, and it can apply to any area of your life, not only your career.
🏛️ ALEXANDER'S STORY
Alexander crossed Bosphorus with a small army to invade the mighty Persian empire, and declared:
"I accept Asia from the gods as its king.”
It's hard to think what the average Greek soldier might have thought hearing such a daring proclamation.
But in the years to come, Alexander's expedition conquered the majestic palaces of Persia, saw the pyramids of Egypt, crossed the dire mountains of today's Afghanistan, and sailed the jungle river of the Indus.
Along the way, they founded 34 cities named "Alexandria," where the Greek language, philosophy, and the Macedonian way of fighting were taught in the school funded directly by... the King of Asia. This way, the Hellenistic period started.
The way we think in the West today is an effect of this one visionary expedition.
📈 OUR STORY
Where would Tigers be if we didn't declare that it will become a global tech holding one day? And if I wouldn't repeat that our managers will lead our new companies?
Having the bar set high enough, we reframed our thinking completely.
Today, XXII Ventures are run by Tigers' managers like Karolina, Konrad, and Ewa. And a new breed of leaders and ventures is coming to further expand on this vision.
On this path, I almost always went against my advisors. They have always pointed out:
- "unscalable B2B services"
- "defocusing on new ventures,”
- trusting our people "who are not entrepreneurs" or "not me,”
- being "not easy to digest" and "detached from reality.”
It feels so good to be "detached from reality" in this way.
I am the only person I know who is REALLY unnecessary in their company, or rather companies. I am doing what I want, the way I want, and with the people whose company I enjoy.
📋 TAKEAWAY
During the last three years, I have expressly declared what I want in different areas of my life.
The goals seemed to be audacious, but with the momentum from business, I have expanded this mindset to new areas of my life, like #love, #health, or #intellect.
In the beginning, it's not easy to trust yourself, and with all the advice all around, it seems that someone certainly has better answers than you. But I learned to trust my vision and encourage you to do the same.
Gain momentum with small wins, and share them to inspire others and counter unnecessary negativity.
Remember, life is fleeting and could be cut short, much like Alexander's in Babylon just before his 33rd birthday. Don't waste your life on being bitter.
All the best!
Frank
