Sep 11

Sep 11 A Celebration Worth Celebrating

The one guy stared at me as if I was from a hippie cult. I realised that, for him, the existential threat of running a business was far too dire to be involved in a mundane activity like success recognition.

Sep 10

Sep 10 How Hard Can It Be?

Fred Roed

5 Work

We have seen some lives too many lives torn apart by the relentless grind of starting, scaling and (perhaps) selling their businesses. We cannot pretend that this journey is something that everyone should embark upon. At other times, it is most definitely worth it.

Sep 3

Sep 3 Antifragile

Fred Roed

5 Work

In theory it’s easy to say, ‘This too shall pass’, and other such easy aphorisms. In reality, it is a lot tougher when life just happens.

Apr 4

Apr 4 Why I Buy Vinyl Records

Fred Roed

5 Work

At the end of each month, I have a ritual that drives some people crazy. I go online and start searching for rare music releases, on vinyl.

Mar 17

Mar 17 Finding The God Particle

Fred Roed

5 Work

It’s hard to do hard things. The entrepreneur life is predicated upon hard things.

Mar 6

Mar 6 God Help Us. We’re In The Hands Of Engineers.

Fred Roed

5 Work

I stumbled on a social media post yesterday that read like the opening of a Hollywood disaster movie.

Jan 24

Jan 24 Chronos Vs. Kairos

Fred Roed

5 Work

The ancient Greeks had two words for time: Chronos and Kairos. The first, Chronos, refers to quantitative time. The second word Kairos, predating Einstein, refers to a more fluid, relative perspective of time.

Jan 19

Jan 19 The Gap Instinct

Fred Roed

5 Work

One of the most prevalent traps in today’s world. How do we keep ourselves from falling into it?

Dec 13

Dec 13 A Subtle Shift In Programming

Fred Roed

5 Work

About ten years ago, a shift in my language changed my life. I can’t recall the exact circumstances. There is a short note in my journal about ‘dark moods’ in the face of an onslaught of challenges.

Jul 16

Jul 16 Adapt. Overcome. Improvise.

Fred Roed

5 Work

Evolution in business is brutal. Scratch that. ‘Brutal’ implies that there is intent. Business is mindless. Business is agnostic. Business doesn’t care how hard we work. Business doesn’t care whether we care.

Jun 29

Jun 29 Do Not Be Afraid

Fred Roed

5 Work

Let’s make time for that coffee date. Let’s reach out to our peers. It is these interactions that shield us. It is the mycelium that provides us with collective intelligence to ward off threats.

Jun 7

Jun 7 Where Does Joy Reside?

Fred Roed

5 Work

“Where does joy reside?” my friend blurted out. This problem has been meditated upon for millennia. All religious and philosophical texts contain a version of the aphorism, life is difficult.

Apr 13

Apr 13 The Habit Of Hope

Fred Roed

5 Work

Think of hope not as an outcome, but as something to build, like a bicep. Here are three steps to fostering a ‘habit of hope’.

Mar 15

Mar 15 Why We Need Human Connection Now More Than Ever Before

Fred Roed

5 Work

We need real humans around us. We need tribes. If we’re going to survive in this strange new world, we have to go back to our roots, roaming packs that have each other’s backs.

Mar 8

Mar 8 Happy International Women’s Day!

Fred Roed

5 Work

Much of the innovation and needle-shifting within our community has been initiated by women. This is great, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

Feb 23

Feb 23 Heavy Chef Is Focusing On Partnerships. This Is Why.

Fred Roed

5 Work

Small businesses in SA are largely operating in silo. They need bigger partners to get shit done. Big businesses in SA are stagnating. They need smaller partners to &#$@ shit up.

Feb 15

Feb 15 Weaponising Hope

Fred Roed

5 Work

This hope thing is a big deal. It’s a fuel source when fuel is in short supply.

Feb 8

Feb 8 Unlocking The Power Of Partnerships

Fred Roed

5 Work

The story of Lorna Mlonzi is a stark reminder of the vicissitudes of life - but also, how we can turn tragedy into positivity. We all need peeps who have our back, especially in business.