In My Opinion: A Polymathic Perspective

I use the acronym IMO — in my opinion — a lot. Not because I’m hedging. Quite the opposite. I’ve simply learned that even strong ideas need room to evolve. It’s shorthand that signals: “Here’s what I think after decades of doing the work, but I’m still learning.”

The truth is, the way we work, lead, and live is changing fast. And IMO is more than a caveat. It’s a stance. One that blends confidence with curiosity, experience with openness. In a world that’s accelerating, where complexity compounds and categories blur, IMO-thinking isn’t optional. It’s essential.

A Better Compass for a Changing World

Work 9.0, the new book I just released, lays out a core premise: Work isn’t just what we do to survive — it’s how we evolve. It’s the arena where we grow, where we refine ourselves, and where we align with others around what truly matters.

This essay, which I originally wrote before the book launched, serves as a kind of preamble. It reflects the foundational belief behind Work 9.0: that the people building great companies, great lives, and great teams need a different kind of mindset. One rooted in timeless principles but dynamically open to change. One that honors complexity without defaulting to confusion. One that says: I’ve done the work, but I’m not done working.

Staying Humble in the Face of Evolution

I’ve led companies, coached founders, sat on boards, and invested in hundreds of businesses. And here’s one truth I’ll never stop repeating:

If you’re not at least a little embarrassed by who you were three years ago, you’re probably not growing.

That’s what IMO really signals — a commitment to iteration. I’ve made calls I believed in that later needed to be unwound. I’ve walked into decisions with clarity only to realize that what I needed was curiosity. The best leaders, the ones building companies that last, are those who lead with both conviction and doubt in proper proportion. They know when to stand firm and when to reevaluate. That’s not weakness. That’s wisdom.

Thinking Like a Polymath

I don’t identify as an expert in any one thing. I never have. Instead, I’ve trained myself to think polymathically — pulling patterns from across disciplines, timeframes, and philosophies.

Business, psychology, history, systems theory, economics, spirituality. I draw from all of it because real-world problems rarely fit neatly into one domain. When I’m looking at an issue inside a company — a stalled product launch, a breakdown in culture, a shift in market fit — I’m not asking one kind of question. I’m moving across layers: structural, emotional, strategic, temporal.

And that’s what the best founders do. They intuitively scan for cross-domain signals. They blend imagination with data. They lead with context. And increasingly, they operate with what I’d call a Work 9.0 mindset — grounded in agreements, focused on clarity, allergic to nonsense.

Making Space to Evolve

For me, IMO is more than an acronym. It’s a declaration that growth is ongoing — and it’s most powerful when guided by principles, not rigid playbooks. I’ve built a company around that belief. Ninety is our attempt to give teams the tools to do meaningful, aligned, deeply human work — and to keep getting better at it over time.

And Work 9.0 is the companion philosophy. It’s about how we grow as leaders, as contributors, and as people committed to actualization, not just success. That’s the world I want to help build. A world where work is not just tolerable, or even productive, but something we genuinely love — because it brings out the best in us.

If this resonated with you, read Work 9.0. It’s not a manifesto. It’s a field guide. For people like us. For those who believe work is the path, not the obstacle.