VIVA, means live in Latin

It is only 9:30pm, and I am so sleepy...

There are still four things on my to-do list for VIVA, and three other things to on my to-do list for non-VIVA related stuff... scratch that... two other things on my to-do list.

It feels like I am already full, but people keep stacking my plate with more and more food, and none of it is bite sized.  In most other circumstances, I would be really happy that people keep wanting to feed me - but the simile with eating is a misdirection since none of the tasks on my to-do list are edible, even in the metaphorical sense.

I spent about an hour on the phone earlier today with Leon Huxtable and Oskar Santos of Ducere Business School.  Jess introduced Leon to me a few weeks ago.  We spoke today about whether VIVA could serve as one of their case studies for the next trimester of MBA students... I have some reservation about whether VIVA would be a good example - the whole business of VIVA is rather unstructured and at the mercy of the weather Gods.  One day the winds may blow us one way and the next we are spiraling in a dazed confusion.  The end goal is very clear - which aligns with my personal goal - to make the world a happier place, but the steps are not exactly predictable very far in advance.

"Like any startup," I said on the phone.

The idea would be to work with a group of six to eight students on a 14-week project of our choosing.  Allow the students to work on a project that has a real impact for the business.  Leon and Oskar seemed most concerned about whether I could commit to giving the students at least an hour a week for 14 weeks, whereas I was most concerned about the inability for us to give a clear project outline to the students in the first place.  To me, 14 weeks seems like too long to aim for a micro outcome and too short to aim for a macro outcome... it feels like trying to take a photo on an awkward 40.5mm prime lens - leading to my standing at some middle distance, too close for a zoom lens and too far for a wide-angle.

I would end up apologising for the awkwardness.

Sam is still in Sydney.  I am grateful for that.  I feel like I don't see the little guy enough. 

Making time to see Sam is not on my to-do list, though it really should be.

That reminds me.  I met a startup guy at the AWS event a few weeks ago who created a to-do list app... I feel guilty that I don't remember the name of his app.  Maybe that's what's happening when someone tries to remember VIVA... I really must come up with a snappier sales pitch too.