On the one had, you could solve a problem by acting directly. For example, buying some land, subdividing it and building affordable homes in response to the unaffordability of the general market.

Or, you could work to make it possible for someone else to do it. Build a better system. Or at least a patch for the current one.

I tend to lean towards the second option, for a few reasons:

There’s the chance for bigger impact. If the problem is such that you’re the only one (or one of a few) who can change it, you can have a bigger impact by increasing the number of people who can solve the problem than by solving it on your own, by changing the system.
You get the benefit of someone else working with you on the problem, and the more you have diverse perspective, skills, and networks involved in a problem, the more it will be refined and opened up to more people. Bigger impact, better system.
It’s harder. And I like a challenge.

Welcome to my little corner of the internet.

I believe that place matters.

Our connection to whatever little corner of the planet we find ourselves in, or choose to place ourselves on, matters.

I'm relentlessly curious and continually learning.

My interests are scattered across topics including property, strategy, acoustics, psychology, theology, systems theory, quantum physics and leadership. I read, listen, watch, and learn about whatever grabs my attention in the moment.

This is a learning experiment.

I come here to try to make sense of something I’ve come across, by writing about it.

I’m immersing myself in a new language.

I’m learning to speak Te Reo Māori, the language of the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand and one of our official languages. After spending 2020 studying, I’m figuring out how to keep the journey going outside the classroom.

You’re welcome to follow along.