This is an historical moment, because having a weekly commitment to share is something I would abhor in principle, nevertheless it’s time to put some order in this business Tetris my life has become, and by the same process – hopefully – give something back to whomever will be reading this. The beauty of this exercise is that it has no other goal, per se, than leaving a small trace of homemade wisdom, something that every human should be empowered to do.

When I am asked what do I do for living (“breathe” should be an appropriate answer I am sometimes tempted to give) until few days ago i always listed a number of activities such as my FTS Innovation consulting company, the Breaking Banks Europe podcast we produce, or my Fintech Investor hat, and recently even the real estate business I have built in Portugal, recently coupled with a Brazilian Churrasco takeaway shop I have invested in together with my good friend Marcelo. The more I listened to that rumble (which of course became longer and more articulated over the past years) the more self-bored I became, and frankly for whomever asked the question, a bit confusing. Then I listed to a beautiful TedX talk, where the speaker suggested instead of making the list of your activities, to answer the question “what do you do” by explaining HOW what you DO is IMPACTING the LIFE of OTHERS.

Everything then became clear: “I give wings to entrepreneurs” is the one sentence that came to mind.

That’s it. I (humbly try to ) give wings to entrepreneurs. Starting with myself, actually. This is the perfect hook that describes what i love to do. It’s broader than a financial investment. Sometimes is about counselling, or through a workshop/co-creation exercise, or an Innovation Challenge, or – in case of the brazilian churrasco – with the enthusiasm to learn something completely new by sharing someone else’s passion and drive to become an entrepreneur. Am i driven by financial return only? Not by a long shot. This is not what drives me. Freedom does. The luxury and the opportunity of being the master of your own destiny, the joy of learning, and the gratitude (shared) of the entrepreneurs that are empowered to do the same.

This is the life hack I wanted to share in my inaugural article of the newsletter: what defines you is not what is written in your collection of business cards (I uses to have several, or even have several logos in the same one). Think how what you do is changing the life of people around you. Start by saying that, and let your audience discover the rest. It takes courage, humbleness, and might be a bit counterintuitive in this show-off world, but it gives you the opportunity to be known for who you really are, and that is your real chance to stand out.

Rebelliously yours

Matteo