Brief update
Wow is been a busy and inspiring couple of weeks, you contact a thousand people and sure enough quite a few respond.
Consulting: Have been approached by three different organisations so far interested in getting me in for various extremely interesting short term projects – nothing signed off yet but a very good start – basically the more I can consult the longer I can take to ‘work things out’.
Film: Working on a couple of initial treatments for feature films with Stuart Barr & Marc Hawker, one genre (which seems to be turning into a sci-fi, horror, comedy), one a bit more ‘grown up’ family drama. Very early days.
‘New Business Idea’: Lots of people interested in ‘playing’, working on defining it, structures, funding, organisational stuff – more on this very soon. If anybody out there knows a ‘friendly’ intellectual property lawyer for whom I can buy lunch in exchange for a bit of advice please let me know.
New Digital Marketing Agency: Basically from the conversations I’ve had I could start a full service digital agency tomorrow and probably have a few new clients to inaugurate it. However, this can easily be rolled up into the ‘New Business Idea’ so it’s going on the back burner for a couple of weeks. However given that I’m potentially looking at the cluster model – i.e. decentralised, lots of partners and skill sets – am interested in hearing from anybody who might want to play, especially in ‘traditional creative concepting’, search & media.
Music: Not a lot of activity yet, but have a few meetings set up in the next few weeks – and no I am not even remotely thinking about setting up a ‘label’ but there is an awful lot of other things in that space which are fun.
Job: Had my first job interview EVER. Wasn’t even for a specific one but seemed to go well – potentially two or three things they’ve got in mind – which I hate to say were actually quite interesting.
Dot Com: Couple of ideas kicking around, been a bit slow due to wanting to folk not being around but am sure will pick up momentum over the coming weeks.
Non-Execs: Having a few meetings this week – next week, more soon.
Games: Got a couple of folk in mind to have a bit of a brainstorm with but they are being a bit elusive – will nab him next week bwhahaha
Write a book: Err too busy right now to even write the blog so … pause.
Change Location: Realistically not likely to happen in the short term so might as well just pause it. Having said that lots of interest from Edinburgh & SF 😉
Party: Having a ‘Life After Lateral’ party Tuesday 2nd March @ The Strongrooms in Shoreditch – looking to be much fun with the Lateral family new and old, near and far – if you didn’t get an invite and want to come sign up here (need to know the broad numbers):
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?invites&eid=338182684664
I just want to thank everyone who is participating in this little experiment, your words and support continue to absolutely blow me away.
j
Up in the Atmosphere 
Jon – some words from experience. Remember, I started you off on this whole thing. Congratulations, you did something amazing and will go on to do lots more.
I would strongly advise this – take six months off, sit around and do things you enjoy, think about the world, talk to people, if you have some money, stick it somewhere safe and don’t _invest_ any of it. After six months the world will still be there and the opportunities will be there, but you will have a better perspective on it all.
When I sold NetNames I was already working on my ‘incubator with a difference’. I went straight from one to the other without even a week off (well, my second child had just been born, I was worried that I’d end up at home looking after her while my partner carried on working, I was desperate to get on with things that had been in my mind for years, I had loads of money and the online world was moving at warp speed, etc, etc).
The upshot of it all was that I dived far to swiftly and deep into new projects which then blew up in my face taking all my money with them. I’m still trying to find a way out of the mire that I got myself into.
I’m sure you won’t do anything of the sort, but I would take a world cruise or something, get away from broadband and relax, let the last ten years shake out of your bones, let the ideas that really matter rise to the top – then choose a way forward.
Most of all, enjoy!
Extremely wise words and words I do take very seriously. Believe it or not, this flurry of activity is me taking time off. I really want to use this time to think, get inspired and explore. Whether I like it not the pace is driven by biology, with Kid 2.0 imminent I’ll be taking the whole of April off at least to enjoy being Dad squared. I spent the last two days ‘pottering’ at home prepping and DIY’ing and absolutely loved it. So trust me, not planning on jumping into anything too quickly. After the last two, lets say difficult, years I’m having more fun than anyone deserves to have and for that I am extremely grateful. Promise I’ll calm down a bit in a month or so 😉
However much I’d like it to, the world cruise ain’t gonna happen, and left to my own devices I’d end up just touring Azeroth, The Federation or Aion which I suspect wouldn’t go down well with the lady.
Anyway slacker – beers / lunch when you are in town??
What Ivan says. Best advice ever.