Thread by @MasaSkiba

A couple of days ago, Skallas wrote that true @nntaleb fans don’t quote his ideas all the time, but instead apply them to everyday life. A childish discussion, but I felt the need to say something about it because the “Taleb obsession” theme recurs often. This is my story. 👇

A few years ago, my father decided to begin manufacturing a liqueur made out of rose petals. In order to realize his idea, he took a couple of loans from the bank and became indebted to his business partners.

He had a good concept, but he failed to anticipate one small thing – that he would pass away. One afternoon while we were sitting at the table, he just died. At 53 years of age, it took only 3 minutes. An aneurism. #BlackSwan

We went bankrupt. We decided to sell the house so we could pay back the debts, but it turned out that they were larger than the value of our property. Overnight I became Michael Corleone. I abandoned my studies, took responsibility for the debts and became the head of the family.

The ninth circle of hell awaited me. Unfavourable bank loans, loan interest, an endorser who threatened to kill me, court auctions, executors, unpaid taxes, lack of means and humiliation. #SkinIntheGame

Nothing remained of my father’s business investments – only roses and a recipe for liqueur. I decided to try my hand at entrepreneurship. I took an unthinkable risk and with a lot of luck, I managed to start my own distillery.

Being in debt is probably the worst thing that can happen to a healthy person - chronic stress and living on the edge of suicide. And anyone who hasn’t lived through it, simply can’t understand.

I have been fighting for years and I’ve sacrificed everything that could be sacrificed. I’m more dead than alive, but I managed to pay back most of the debts, save the roof over our heads and I can finally hope for a good future.

I’m living in the antechamber of hope. As Taleb states, an entrepreneur must be, up to a point, blind to probability. One out of a 1000 will succeed, the other 999 will fail – it is very difficult to succeed, especially when you’re starting with a deficit of $100,000 like I did.

People give you friendly support, but nobody believes in you until you succeed, nobody truly understands you and everybody thinks you should give up.

I will literally die first than give up!

One year I cut the whole rose garden (1 hectare) with a small shears because I didn’t have any money to pay for a professional one. For seven years I didn’t go on holiday. I can’t give up because I’ve put my whole self into this product. #SoulInTheGame

And no one in this world can understand it, except Taleb. No one has that much understanding and compassion for us entrepreneurs as he does. I can’t put into words how much Incerto means to me. My whole entrepreneurial life consists of ideas from that book. That book is my Bible.

And you know what? I don’t have 4 hours of free time for myself, I have 8 months of free time. I get up in the morning and I think of how I’m going to kill time. That’s how I came up with the idea to go through all of Taleb’s interviews and read all of his social media posts.

It is a luxury I can afford myself because I am the master of my own time. I know what my preferences are, I do what I love, and I haven’t regretted one moment of it – Taleb is like Incerto, he always surprises you pleasantly and can never bore you.

A couple of days ago, I signed a deal with a distributor. I finally sold my merchandise. I came to this distributor through a recommendation from Predrag Brajović. And I came in contact with Predrag through Taleb. Yes, yes – Taleb is the one that actually sold the merchandise.

It sounds like a happy ending, but it’s not. 😂
The same day that I signed the contract, the tax office sent me a letter in which they informed me that they will block my account for unpaid taxes. If they had only caught me 6 months later, I would have finally succeeded.

I really am Giovanni Drogo!
But that’s why I love the Incerto so much – because I’m living it.

I don't want to brag but I have bigger balls than most men. 😊😇

Twitter isn't a real life. So don't judge people by their Twitter account.

❤️NNT❤️