100 years ago, Argentina was one of the richest, most successful countries in the world. Even as recently as the early 1960s, its GDP per capita was higher than that of Japan, Italy, Spain or Austria.
What went wrong? Never-ending shambolic governance, never in the common good.
- Developed
- Underdeveloped
- Japan
- Argentina
I left the UK in 2012. When a Uruguayan here asked me why, I answered: "Because we're turning into Argentina".
What did I mean by that?
2. Corporatism everywhere.
3. Nationalism. I left 4 years before Brexit won - but the referendum outcome (and especially how it was conducted) did not surprise me at all.
4. Failing institutions
When did Britain last have a good government? I view Blair's as a decent one overall (not many do though!) Before that, heaven only knows. Wilson's? It included a devaluation, lest we forget. Macmillan's?
Argentina has a disastrous modern history of protectionism. Will Britain do the same?
Will Britain, seeking to break international law, do the same?
Pie in the sky. Unicorns. Bread and circuses. Half the country pitted against the other half. And we think we're still a First World nation? Really?
On the edge of the world.
On the other side of the Atlantic, its media and people woke up just in time. Ours are still fast asleep. Lemmings merrily toppling over the cliff to their doom.
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1/“What would need to be true for you to….X”
Why is this the most powerful question you can ask when attempting to reach an agreement with another human being or organization?
A thread, co-written by @deanmbrody:
2/ First, “X” could be lots of things. Examples: What would need to be true for you to
- “Feel it's in our best interest for me to be CMO"
- “Feel that we’re in a good place as a company”
- “Feel that we’re on the same page”
- “Feel that we both got what we wanted from this deal
3/ Normally, we aren’t that direct. Example from startup/VC land:
Founders leave VC meetings thinking that every VC will invest, but they rarely do.
Worse over, the founders don’t know what they need to do in order to be fundable.
4/ So why should you ask the magic Q?
To get clarity.
You want to know where you stand, and what it takes to get what you want in a way that also gets them what they want.
It also holds them (mentally) accountable once the thing they need becomes true.
5/ Staying in the context of soliciting investors, the question is “what would need to be true for you to want to invest (or partner with us on this journey, etc)?”
Multiple responses to this question are likely to deliver a positive result.
Why is this the most powerful question you can ask when attempting to reach an agreement with another human being or organization?
A thread, co-written by @deanmbrody:
Next level tactic when closing a sale, candidate, or investment:
— Erik Torenberg (@eriktorenberg) February 27, 2018
Ask: \u201cWhat needs to be true for you to be all in?\u201d
You'll usually get an explicit answer that you might not get otherwise. It also holds them accountable once the thing they need becomes true.
2/ First, “X” could be lots of things. Examples: What would need to be true for you to
- “Feel it's in our best interest for me to be CMO"
- “Feel that we’re in a good place as a company”
- “Feel that we’re on the same page”
- “Feel that we both got what we wanted from this deal
3/ Normally, we aren’t that direct. Example from startup/VC land:
Founders leave VC meetings thinking that every VC will invest, but they rarely do.
Worse over, the founders don’t know what they need to do in order to be fundable.
4/ So why should you ask the magic Q?
To get clarity.
You want to know where you stand, and what it takes to get what you want in a way that also gets them what they want.
It also holds them (mentally) accountable once the thing they need becomes true.
5/ Staying in the context of soliciting investors, the question is “what would need to be true for you to want to invest (or partner with us on this journey, etc)?”
Multiple responses to this question are likely to deliver a positive result.
