I was in Hamburg this week, with my family. My Dad and I were able to go to the the New year’s eve daytime concert at the Elbphilharmonie. That experience will be the subject of another blog post, I’m still processing the majestic marvel that is the Elbphilharmonie. And I’m really impressed by Hamburg.
Just before heading up to Hamburg, I pinged Paul Jozefak to see if he could meet up for a coffee. We met up for breakfast, and I’m very glad I did. He is wise beyond his years, and generous with his advice and ideas. We both enjoy cycling and as relatively eingedeutsched ex-pat/immigrants we had similar views on living and working in Germany. Both of us have been here for the best part of 20 years, without really planning to be.
Paul’s insight into the state of digitalization and the opportunities that it opens up in German economy is profound, and I have not met many people who understand the big company world, venture capital, and start ups as well as he does. He has an excellent, long running, blog.
It was Jeff Nolan who introduced us many years ago, and we stayed in touch via social media. I think this was the first time we had managed to do face to face since then.
It reminded me of the Dunbar number and Granovetter’s research on weak ties that I first learnt about from reading JP Rangaswami and Andrew McAfee, if my memory still works correctly.
While social media can be time sink, at times it offers up a connection and relationship that makes me realise that it has real utility.
That reminds me, it is high time that I meet JP in person too. But rather than breakfast, I hope it is at tea, at the Oval, or Lords, perhaps.
Vendorprisey 