Marcelo Duhalde

On leadership, innovation, pharmaceuticals, digital health and the occasional Swiss highlight. Spreading ideas worth spreading.

[Marcelo Duhalde @md6403]

Idilic Swiss walks and cutting edge science. View of the IBM Nanotechnology Center #MyDayInZurich

[Marcelo Duhalde @md6403]

@naval @elonmusk 🇨🇭10.3%

[Marcelo Duhalde @md6403]

@elonmusk I wonder how many people realize that @Tesla’s Cybertruck (bullet proof) would do great driving in Martian storms. And that people will need tunnels to be protected from radiation, which #TheBoringCompany will do. IT IS ALL CONNECTED

[Lex Fridman @lexfridman]

I'm doing a podcast with Javier Milei (@JMilei) soon. 2+ hour conversation, in Spanish 😎

We'll subtitle & overdub it in English, so you can listen in either English or Spanish.

Let me know if you have questions/topic suggestions.

[Vito Quiles 🇪🇸 @vitoquiles]

Acaba de pasar esto en el Congreso de los Diputados.

Estamos ante el inicio de una Dictadura.

[Vito Quiles 🇪🇸 @vitoquiles]

Acabo de preguntarle a Patxi López por su plan contra los medios y ha pasado esto.

Ya no puedo más. El clima dictatorial es irrespirable.

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

Thanks @TheEconomist

[Marcelo Duhalde @md6403]

@lexfridman Thanks for the “PS” I wish more successful people, like you, would help the others keep an eye on sleep. Even if they happen to need less sleep, a white-lie about getting 8 hours would be a sign of generosity and leadership

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

It took me a while to fully realize the value of something my company achieved years ago, and continues to savor today. It’s one of our greatest quiet advantages, full stop.

It’s not something you hear much about in business circles. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I heard anyone spend much time on the topic, or even bring it up in conversation, on a conference stage, or behind a podcast mic.

There is, however, lots of discussion about achievement in business. A company can achieve product market fit, operational efficiency, influence, revenue goals, or, ultimately — and hopefully — profitability.

But I’m not taking about those things. Those are the obvious things, the common talking points. And to those you can add the vanity metrics of achievement — social media followers, traffic, views, impressions, open rates, press mentions, gross this or gross that.

All those are what they are, but they aren’t where it’s at.

What I’m talking about is optionality. Achieving optionality is where it’s at.

Optionality is a hearty mix of profit margin, small size, independence, attitude, and freedom. You’ve got to have all of it to have optionality.

If a board is calling the shots, you don’t have much optionality. If your margins are thin, or non-existent, you don’t have much optionality. If the public owns a piece, you don’t have much optionality. If you’re too big to change direction quickly, you don’t have much optionality. And if you’re afraid to speak your mind and stake your point of view, you don’t have much optionality.

Optionality lets you do things no one would give you permission to do. It lets you write excellent software and give it away for free if you choose. It lets you do things that don’t make sense in the current climate, but will long-term. It lets you be early while eventually catches up.

Optionality is ecstasy. It’s making it up as you go, without making excuses. It’s openly changing your mind without having to save face. Optionality is equanimity, the corporate equivalent of enlightenment.

So, entrepreneurs, ditch the bullshit. Abandon growth-at-all-costs. Reject conventional metrics. Scorn hollow acceptance. Instead, hunt for optionality. It's freedom. It's power. It's everything you crave, wrapped in a single, potent package. Chase it relentlessly. And when you get it, don’t let go.

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

Good explanation of what makes countries more or less prosperous

[NewInZurich @NewInZurich]

Happy Sunday! See what's on in #Zurich here: https://t.co/y60I60HWN1

#switzerland

[Marcelo Duhalde @md6403]

@dvassallo Yes!!! Turbo Pascal before that!!

[Marcelo Duhalde @md6403]

Esa sensación casi desconocida, la que te puso los ojos llorosos.

Sabés que es? LA ESPERANZA !

#VLLC
@inakiigutierrez
@eltreceoficial

[DHH @dhh]

Good to be back.

[Marcelo Duhalde @md6403]

@deborahhibbett Not expats. New Swiss. Love it! Congrats!

[deborah hibbett @deborahhibbett]

First vote as a Swiss! Well 3 actually! Climate change targets & securing domestic energy supply, extension ofCOVID 19 measures when needed, implementation of minimum OECD tax rates for intl companies! Love this democracy! Not as disastrous as Brexit. Your get facts to read!

[Marcelo Duhalde @md6403]

@TheEconomist Tina turner

[Daniel Vassallo @dvassallo]

My favorite productivity trick is deciding something is actually not worth doing.

[Marcelo Duhalde @md6403]

@blafasel42 @garybernhardt 4GL and this general trend lost lots of steam when “we” discovered “offshoring”. Lots of “old” ideas became necessary again to make offshore development work

[Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom]

Today is my 32nd birthday.

Over the last month, I asked several 90-year-olds what advice they would give to their 32-year-old selves.

Here's the life advice everyone needs to hear:

[Marcelo Duhalde @md6403]

@Twitter Hello?? ………..hello?….. anybody there?….. hello?