Remember Who You Were Before You Knew Better
A book from 2010 just reminded me what success quietly stole from me. Also, Biltong is better than Jerky.
A Thought...
In 2010, Scott Belsky mailed me a copy of his new book Making Ideas Happen. I was a few companies deep, fresh out of school, and moving fast. That book changed something in me.
It gave shape to chaos.
I’d been running off instinct and ambition, raw and untamed. Scott’s words introduced structure to the storm: systems to compartmentalize ideas, frameworks to excavate value from mental trenches. It gave me tools to build deliberately.
I picked the book up again last week, 15 years later.
It hit me like a brick to the chest.
I remembered the early days, when everything felt urgent, when momentum was currency, and I still believed I could bend the world to my will. I had no blueprint, no safety net, just drive.
Then life got louder.
Businesses scaled, teams grew, and the weight of responsibility set in. Problems got more complex. The chaos didn’t go away, it just got cleaner, more expensive, more… corporate.
Success crept in like a sedative.
And over time, it dulled the edge that got me here in the first place.
Last week, I caught a glimpse of that earlier version of me.
And I’ll be honest.
I miss him.
3 Things Worth Sharing
1. Canada Needs a Reset
Let’s be blunt. Canada’s in trouble.
We’re sitting near the bottom of the global health care system performance index (2nd last according to some reports), the economy is shrinking, and unemployment continues to rise due to immigration. And somehow, we’re still pretending the current leadership is competent.
The Liberal government has stacked catastrophe on catastrophe, from housing to healthcare to policy paralysis. And now the whisper is Carney? That would be an outright disaster.
I’m not a conspiracy guy. This isn’t about dark agendas or shadow figures.
It’s about data. It's about decline.If you’re in Canada, you vote Blue. — 28th April
If you’re in the U.S., you vote Red. — Done
We’ll leave it at that.
2. Education Is Broken — Ask Zach Yadegari
Zach Yadegari built an AI business called Cal AI that generated $30M in its first year. Yet he faced rejection from 15 out of the 18 colleges he applied to, despite boasting a 4.0 GPA and a 34 on the ACT. Stanford, MIT, Harvard, and Yale?
“Not a chance, bud.”
Why? Because the traditional education system rewards compliance over capability. It’s a legacy machine built by people who wouldn’t last a week in the real-world environments they claim to prepare students for.
This isn’t a one-off problem.
It’s structural.
And while there are brilliant people working on new models, the pace of change isn’t fast enough. It’s going to take parents, operators, technologists, and yes, builders to flip the system.
I’m working on my own version of this, because I can’t have my kids sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day, being trained to memorize instead of create.
I’m not raising them to start “working” at 6, to die at 25, and to be buried at 65.
The system is broken. It’s our job to build something better.
3. Biltong > Jerky
Let’s settle this.
Biltong isn’t jerky. It’s better.
If you’re from South Africa, you already know. Biltong or droëwors are the go-to snacks. Not soaked in sugar. No fake smoke flavor. Just meat, spice, air, and time.
And if you aren’t, well today is your lucky day, here’s a quick video on how to do it properly.
You're welcome.
What I’m Reading
The Let Them Theory – Mel Robbins
I don’t usually reach for self-help, but this one hit different. It’s sharp. No fluff.
Takeaways:
Stop managing other people’s expectations, it’s a losing game. Let them misunderstand you. Let them doubt. Let them go.
You don’t need to fix everything. Most of the chaos in your life? Optional.
The more you try to control others, the less control you have over yourself.
Letting go isn’t passive; it’s power.
It’s a simple premise, but powerful, especially if you’ve been in the trenches too long, managing too much.
What I’m Watching
THE GRINDSTONE – A Wyoming Elk Hunt
Not your average hunting film.
Grit, cold, commitment, and the kind of solitude that resets you. It’s more about why we go out there than what we bring home. The cinematography is clean, the pace is meditative, and it’ll make you want to throw your phone in a drawer and disappear into the mountains for a while.
Question I’m Pondering
What would I work on if I wasn’t trying to protect what I’ve already built?
Until Next Time
Don’t wait until it’s perfect, just make it real.
– Jacques
P.S. If you enjoyed this, share it with someone who thinks like you.
Check out other things I’m busy with:
We Edit Podcasts – A full-service B2B podcasting agency that helps brands turn listeners into customers.
Hunting Portal – Your next hunting adventure starts here. Outfitters, taxidermists, gear heads, and more.
Halalisana — We help township-based businesses grow, scale, and thrive in South Africa. We offer conferencing, co-working, and a coding academy.