From Teligent Disaster to HP Success: A Second-Order Thinking Story

Kevin Allodi thought three moves ahead when I wasn't thinking past the first. His decision saved my family—and taught me the framework I use for billion-dollar calls.

I’ve made a lot of decisions in my career. Thousands, probably. Most turned out fine. Some didn’t. But I’m realizing now, looking back, that I wasn’t actually deciding most of the time. I was reacting. Moving fast. Trusting my gut. Assuming things would work out.

And they did work out—until the day I sat in a car in front of a horse farm I couldn’t affor…