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For architecture, the result is visibly obvious; we prioritise quarterly profit (to capture 'value' and survive in this fiat environment) at the expense of enduring beauty, which takes more time, consideration and effort to create. Consider the shoddy, uninspiring landscapes that developers have thrown up for the last 40+ years, all in the name of the quick sale. And now contrast with some of the Art Deco masterpieces that we still revere decades later. Is it just coincidence that the 1920s represented the last hoorah of the gold standard, and the start of our path towards flimsy money?

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Define

1 min
Splendid Grandeur

May 27, 2021

We really missed a trick by discarding centuries of tradition for top down planning and Starchitects. To be fair, the trauma of two world wars provided ample justification for doing so. But after a few decades of building motorways, shopping arcades and suburbia, I believe we are at an inflection point.

1 min
Ten Years. Not Ten Months.

May 21, 2021

When I enter the twitter bear pit and see howls of anguish on one side, and cries of joy on the other, I head straight for the middle. I remain composed and think about the low time preference world that I believe is emerging. Nothing is certain, of course. But quiet conviction lets me navigate the shifting sands of sentiment.

1 min
Where is the detail?

May 18, 2021

It's bloody difficult to maintain enthusiasm in an aesthetic wasteland. There's not much community spirit in a 2 hour commute. The worst part is that we once took these matters much more seriously. Just look at the converted industrial warehouses that now embody inner city living. Beauty transcends use. Beauty is sustainable.

1 min
Compare and Contrast

May 13, 2021

This is where I used to offer services for property advice. Nothing too controversial. But gradually, as I've continued on my digital journey, it's become something incredibly exciting (for me at least). Instead of hashing out the same advice over and over again, I publish my ideas just once. And once online, they are free for anyone to digest, forevermore.

2 mins
The Burgers Are Better

April 22, 2021

The environment that encouraged motorway building, out-of-town shopping, suburbia, commuting, office managers, living-for-the-weekend, career politicians, central business districts, etc. etc. etc. That came about because our motivations aligned with these outcomes. We Wanted This.

1 min
Consulting At Scale

April 14, 2021

11 years later, the landscape is utterly different. I can create the output of a 3-5 person team with a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection. Everything has moved to a SaaS business model. Nearly everything is automated. Lead generation. Financial reporting. Report formatting. Client liaison. It has all become part of a smooth software process.

2 mins
Lets Talk Empathy

April 12, 2021

You can be quite shallow in your initial assessment. Money. Power. Status. Once you peel away more layers of the onion however, things get rather interesting. The real colour of life comes out. Consider this example; the overbearing middle manager. They have a strong desire to control and micromanage. They pester you with countless updates and ever tightening deadlines. You want to alleviate your reporting burden. What to do?