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There are millions who have brains that make leaps and are wired into superpowers but:

1/ they dont know it and
2/ the world does not understand how they think.

How? Because I have one and nobody ever told me.

A linkybrained friend of mine, Doug, recently posted this about all the things he realises about how he thinks…

It resonates with a lot of people. Here’s my version…

People say I have done Ok. I have built — and am still building — a multi million £ innovation business with Tom and Andrew, run a VC fund that has invested in ‘unicorns-to-be’ like Citymapper, bought a company that is a money printing machine for M&C Saatchi and have made a bunch of interesting personal investments — from property to bitcoin.

I feel like I have done nothing yet as I have at least a little bit of imposter syndrome and, to be honest, worked for years in a big company sitting in meetings I didn’t understand thinking I was pretty dumb.

Here is what I have learnt about how I really am :-

1/ My brain is wired in a way I don’t understand.
2/ I see answers instantly and do not know how I got there. They just appear.
3/ I have to work hard at post rationalising things, which eats energy.
4/ I have a massive ‘bias to action’. To throw something to the world and see what they think.
5/ I have an insane amount of energy. I fidget more than i though but hide it really well.
6/ I am a total non-linear Linky. All I ever do is connect things – dots…people, things, ideas, opportunities.
7/ I am way more impressive on stage without having prepared anything. Weird.
8/ I have to constantly test and learn because the moment I commit something to paper my brain thinks of 40 ways it can be better.
9/ I am at my best when i wander and open myself to serendipity until something big bites. I am lucky to be able to do this.
10/ I am a natural contrarian. My instinct is to run from crowds.
11/ My brain is a never ending question train….
12/ I only accept ‘conventional wisdom’ once I really really really understand it.
13/ When I am intellectually curious i become obsessed. Like, really obsessed where I can’t think about anything else till it’s solved…
14/ …until i get an answer I am instantly bored again and need to learn something new.
15/ I am a total generalist who will never be the best at anything, but that can be unique by being good at a lot of intersecting things.
16/ I am always looking for shortcuts. I will invariably find people I trust who has ‘seen the path ahead’ to form a view. This may be lazy or clever. Or both?
17/ I am super happy holding multiple opinions at once. And changing my mind when facts change. To me this is normal.
18/ I am a massive extrovert AND a massive introvert. 50/50. Often in the same evening I will be the life of the party and then i will hide away for 2 hours.
19 / I am best in white space. I much prefer to play before things are too crowded.
20/ When i am intellectually curious I’m crazy productive.
21/ I “hunt antelopes not field mice”. I am interested in doing big things in the world. Small things don’t interest me.
22/ I always start with assuming that we live in chaos and cannot predict the future. This enables me to only analyse risk, never assume i know the future.
23/ The biggest thing I have learnt is to stop trying to prove i am clever and to ‘stay in my lane’. Just keep repeating the things I am naturally good at.

Since i realised I have this brain I have noticed work feels less like work.

I notice LinkyBrains in entrepreneurs I meet. Most don’t know they have a gift.

They are the true artists but many feel alienated in the ‘normal’ world.

It may sound obvious but most never question how they are wired or how they think.

I wonder how many more would change the world with the right opportunity and support structures?

Id love to read stories of how the Linkys think / feel in the world?

Ps. this is strange. People are spontaneously organising LinkyBrain meets all over the world so we had to put up a page. If you want to do one go right ahead.

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Note: This post was originally posted here and is reproduced with permission.

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