My Next Seven Years (Depend on You)

I dedicated most of my life to Big Projects that lasted six to seven years each. Now I started another Big Project, called Agility Scales. And I hope that, again, it will keep me busy for another six or seven years of my life. But it all depends on you.

Let me first tell you about my previous Big Projects.

I went to school when I was six years old. I spent those first six years of my life learning how to walk, how to talk, and how to tie my shoelaces. Gameplay and creativity had my main focus every day.

Until I was twelve years old, I then spent six years learning how to write, how to calculate, and how to deal with my younger siblings. Exploring my environment became a primary concern.

Another six years were spent in high school, where I got ready for the big bad world. I discovered computers and the terrors of social groups. During that time, clarity of purpose revealed itself to me: computers and programming.

Yet another six years went by, but now at university. I dove into the world of software engineering and (finally) some social interaction. At the student society, another passion spontaneously emerged: content creation (writing and drawing).

I was 24 when I began my life as an independent freelance trainer, writer, and programmer. I learned how to experiment with ideas, how to be an entrepreneur, and how not to manage a company!

After seven years of experimentation, I saw my hopes and dreams dissolved. My latest and biggest idea had failed, and my startup had collapsed. The next two years, I felt lost and tried different jobs, but without any clear direction. I simply needed time to recover.

Fortunately, the two-year intermezzo was not a waste of my time! I found my life partner, discovered Agile software development, and happily became a father. Sometimes, you need to stand still to move forward. 🙂

Again, another seven years went by. I was CIO at a software company where I introduced agile practices, developed ideas around agile leadership, and wrote a book about my experiences. You may have seen the result: Management 3.0!

Finally, the last 6.5 years are probably familiar to most of you. I developed courseware, licensed out the materials, established myself as a public speaker, and built the Happy Melly business around it. All these activities have one thing in common: they are global and scalable.

Now I am 48. I worked on seven Big Projects, and each took six to seven years.

It is time for me to commit to another Big Project. One that will keep me going until I’m 55. That new project is called Agility Scales, and I’m super excited about it. I want to spend the next six or seven years of my life on this new venture. It’s a combination of everything I’ve done before. It’s about gameplay, creativity, and exploration. It requires both software development and content development. Its main focus is business agility in a global and scalable way. And because of my hard-won experience as an entrepreneur, I think I know how to make it all work this time! 🙂

There’s only one thing that I need to make it happen: your support.

The crowdfunding of Agility Scales has officially started. Check it out.