“With his passion for ideas, his infectious enthusiasm, and his resolute belief that business can work differently, Tom gives an inspiring insight into what the next generation of business leaders could look like.” – Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Why Simpletom?
I’m no longer a business leader. Sorry Gordon.
In a world that puts a premium on advancement, ambition and entrepreneurship, I’ve joined a growing army of people that questions this relentless progression.
Simpletom is my journey, attempting to find a new wealth and meaning in simplicity.
It’s not as easy as it sounds. I like fast cars, exotic holidays and steak. At least I think I thought I did.
With a post as often as I can manage, my aim is to give my readers humorous, honest and sometimes random coverage of my attempts to simplify.
I promise to try my best. I often fail. I often contradict myself. Sometimes I sound disgustingly earnest. Some days simplicity annoys the hell out of me.
Mostly, it is one of the greatest and most rewarding things I’ve done, so I’m going to keep going, if you don’t mind.
About Me
At 30, after two business degrees and a decade working as an ‘award-winning’ entrepreneur, I found myself questioning the very roots of a momentum that had propelled me from lazy student to business ‘success’. I felt a failure, in spite of my achievements. Despite being recognised as the ‘Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year’ and the pleasure associated with annoying my sisters, who’d renamed me ‘golden balls’ – I wasn’t happy. So I unwound and took to the road.
This blog follows my return journey – coming to remember what is most important in life.
What I’m up to
I’ve spent the last 7 months living in Kenya building a house. It was meant to be simple. It’s getting less so.
Contact Simpletom
- 3Desk - my current project, a marketplace for face-to-face freelancers. Here’s why. 90% of the time I love it, other time I feel like I’ve leapt from the frying pan back into the fire.
- Blue Ventures – this was the first company I started. I’m no longer involved, but I’m still a proud Dad.
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I am with you Tom on the simple outlook; nothing is easier to sell, buy, consume or share than a simple, effective and useful idea, concept or product.
However I am struck not so much by the difficulty of achieving the simple rather by the tendency for complexity. Complexity has become a byword for intelligence, superiority, value, hierarchy. Developed societies seem to have generated a culture of complexity through which to exert status, project power and hide deceits. This is true in civil service and private commerce and in both spheres it acts like a caste system to numb progress.
If this strikes you too, how about a joyride through complexity?
Nick