Lost without a compass · The Big Brain Club

Lost without a compass

Hi, I'm Thomas, 43 from France but living in Germany for half of a living.

Origin:

Unlike many people whose posts I've read so far, I didn't seek to follow a passion and wasn't particularly ambitious. Instead, I followed the voice of reason, pursued engineering studies because I have an affinity for technology, and moved to Germany, where, to my surprise, I thrived and have stayed ever since.

I keep my passions and interests for my free time and have never seriously considered making a living from them, as I find it sad to think of hating one's passion due to existential fears. I have great respect for those who succeed in this, but I personally don't feel capable of it, so I keep them as hobbies.

Now, I find myself in a delicate situation: on the one hand, I feel like I'm not moving forward and am out of sync with my work (feeling useless), and on the other hand, I enjoy the comfort of a stable life without significant financial pressure, with free time and a generally good living environment.

I feel this void within me: the feeling that I should be doing much better but struggling to step out of this damn comfort zone, held back by my doubts and lack of self-confidence!

Desired State:

Assuming everything goes well, I envision a diverse community, a network that is partly virtual and partly local, where entrepreneurs seeking help, answers, or support for specific problems could come.

Ideally, I imagine a place where you could come for a coffee but also have a workspace, a bit like a coworking space but more community-oriented. You wouldn't come just for yourself but for the exchange with other interesting people who share the same values.

Speaking of values, they are essential! As is a portfolio and a minimum level of organization for the community to function. Maybe a community like this already exists? I haven't found one yet, but you never know!

As for sectors: renewable energies, IoT, retrofitting equipment, batteries, agriculture, self-sufficient systems...

For services: technical concepts, development assistance, tooling, AI integration, audits, reviews, technical advice where possible (safety, security, system engineering...) with a network of specialists if needed.

Why:

Because current society relies too much on large corporations. Many people have ideas but don't pursue them because they are overwhelmed by problems they don't know how to solve. We need to give them the opportunity to regain control over their problems by providing support.

Because we don't have to throw everything away when we can reuse it.

Because these target sectors need simple solutions to improve.

Fears:

Leaving the comfort zone for something financially unstable.

Fear of the unknown.

Fear of conflicts if the community doesn't work out.

General fear of failure, nothing original here!

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