I was sitting by a campfire last night, the crackle of wood filling the air, when a military veteran struck up a conversation about my background and the Agroverse project. Out of nowhere, he casually offered to finance the shipment of cacao. I nodded, smiled, and kept my thoughts to myself—sipping on my cup of cacao, of course—but inside, my skepticism kicked into high gear. I’ve seen this before. Promises made in the heat of a moment, only to fizzle out when it’s time to deliver. So, I’m reflecting on this through the lens of today’s oracle casting: 38 – Opposition. Judgment: OPPOSITION. In small matters, good fortune. (You can see the full reading or cast your own here: https://oracle.truesight.me/?reading=7-7-8-7-8-7). Let’s unpack this—both the casting and the campfire offer.
First, the Hunch: Why I’m Skeptical
I’ve got a pattern recognition thing going on, built from years of watching deals and partnerships play out. Here’s my gut take on casual offers like this:- They often feel too off-the-cuff. If someone’s serious, they’ll articulate why a project matters to them—not just throw out a lifeline for the sake of conversation.
- There’s usually a hidden price tag. Something’s not being said upfront, and I’ve learned the hard way that surprises in business rarely come wrapped in a bow.
- Hidden agendas lurk. When they surface—often at the worst possible time—they can derail operations faster than you can say “supply chain hiccup.”
I’m not bringing up financing the next time we meet. If he’s serious, he’ll raise it again. And even then, I’ll need a rock-solid case for why we should let him in on the Agroverse journey. My focus right now? Minimizing distractions. The critical path is clear: 4X sales revenue year-over-year. Everything else is noise unless it directly fuels that goal.
The Bigger Picture: Financing and Control
Here’s where my mind’s been lately—control over financing. If we can model sales metrics with precision (think prospective store visits to successful onboarding, or average sales volume per store per month), we could lean on debt-based financing tied to our expected revenue growth trajectory. That’s the dream, right? Positive control over how we scale, without relying on handshake deals or goodwill that might run thin. If we nail this, Agroverse isn’t just a project—it’s a machine with predictable, sustainable growth.Key observation: I’m open to ideas during the data-gathering phase of any project. Suggestions, proposals, wild pitches—bring ‘em on. But once we’re in execution mode, trust has to be earned with evidence of delivery. I’m always watching. If the evidence points south, my trust evaporates fast. Nothing personal—it’s just optimization. Failing components in a growth engine get phased out or worked around. That’s how you keep moving forward.
A Lesson from the Past: Enlightened Self-Interest
This mindset isn’t just instinct—it’s rooted in something I picked up years ago at the National University of Singapore. A Singaporean government official, a diplomat who spearheaded initiatives across ASEAN, gave a talk that stuck with me. His core message? Don’t lean too hard on goodwill. It runs thin over time. Instead, trust in enlightened self-interest. Dig deep into a potential partner’s motivations. Why do they want in? What else are they bringing to the table? Unpack that, and you’ll know if you resonate. If you do, great—let’s build something. If not, no hard feelings. There are always others out there who’ll align with the vision.Opposition and Conflict: A Deeper Lens
This oracle casting—Opposition—hit me for the second day in a row. I’m still waiting on Fatima to connect with producers Santos and Martinez about rates before I finalize decisions on shipping cacao from Ilhéus, Brazil, to San Francisco. The timing of this “opposition” feels apt. I’ve been diving into Eliyahu M. Goldratt’s The Choice lately, co-written with his daughter Efrat. Goldratt’s philosophy is striking: there’s no such thing as contradiction, only conflict. And conflict? It’s just a misunderstanding of reality. Reality, at its core, is simple—a few rules compounding over and over, creating what looks like surface-level complexity. It’s like the Mandelbrot set in chaos theory, fractals building on fractals. I’m starting to see this opposition not as a roadblock, but as a signal to clarify reality. Maybe the veteran’s offer isn’t opposition at all—just a conflict of unclear motives I need to unpack.Reflections for the Day
I’m keeping my eyes on the critical path. Financing, partnerships, even oracle castings—they’re all tools to navigate, not distractions to chase. Opposition in small matters might bring good fortune, as the casting says, but only if I stay grounded in what matters: growth, control, and alignment with those who truly resonate.What about you—how do you handle opposition when it shows up in your projects? Got a story of a casual offer that turned into something real—or flopped spectacularly? I’d love to hear how you navigate these waters.
- Agroverse
- Business Strategy
- Financing
- Personal Reflections