By the answers of yesterdayās email, I see that people love Canada. I do. So here you are more meat. Montrealā¦ or as we say in Montrealā¦ MontrĆ©al. Early 2010s. Project: McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) PPP Value: ~ CAD $1.3 billion Model: DBFM Canada again. Sophisticated market. Experienced advisers. Polished risk matrices. I was there practising kung fu and delivering infrastructure. The goal? Deliver one of the largest hospital redevelopments in North America through PPP. And make it...
1 day agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Toronto. 2015. Project: Eglinton Crosstown LRT. Value: CAD $5+ billion. Model: DBFM. Jurisdiction: Canada ā the global gold standard of PPPs. The agency wanted efficiency. Faster procurement. Faster close. Cleaner risk transfer. Put a medal in the chest for opening the day before election day. So they did what PPP manuals love to say: āAllocate risk to the party best able to manage it.ā That sentence has probably financed more claims for lawyers than any other in infrastructure history....
2 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
This is the key question that made his face change. Last week. A mentee. Shocked by a very simple question. Look, Iāve seen through the years people living in a cage. Of self-imposed believes and limitations. You can blame your parents, your wife or husband, society, the lefties, Bad Bunny or Donald T. Whatever. These limitations, self-imposed, are holding you back. If you believe that itās impossible to multiply by 10 your incomeā¦ Youāll miss the opportunity of letting your brain being in...
3 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Once I had a friend called Valentin. His parents gave him that name long time ago because he was born on 14 February. In Spain, there are still many people naming their children with the name of the saint of the dayā¦ or the day they were married, or things like that. Wellā¦ His parents could not foresee at the time the long term consequences of their choice. San Valentine was not at the time the word-wide phenomenon that itās today. But stillā¦ there was some noise. Wellā¦ The thing is that...
4 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
You do your offer of services. Of course, as it couldnāt be otherwise, extremely expensive. And thenā¦ they rejected it. Thatās fine. Part of life. Interesting challenge, but with the risk of becoming a frustrating job. Difficult stakeholders. I did not ask for it, but the gave me anyway. The reason for they decision was āinterestingā. It was not price. Not the onerous payment conditions. Or the absurdly harsh terms and conditions. Nope. It was aā¦ āWe want to do it ourselvesā. Then, you...
5 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
More than you think. And itās everywhere. Some people call it laziness. Even ignorance. Or worseā¦ unawarenessā¦ Or insufficient understanding. The fact is that my team called the guys. The water guys. Aqualia in Spain. Once. Twice. Finally, they came. They installed the new device to measure water consumption. We wanted to change the contract, using the new device that comes with lower fees (it was a development site). No answer. Call. No answer. Call. They answered. The device is not correct....
6 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
This is what a personal training used to position, tired of comparing and demonstrating how good she is. Not my method is better. Not Iām going to make you lose fat. Nope. Just the reality of what this is about. Have more sā¬x. Thatās it. Being healthier or looking good are just collateral damages. Life is easier with an Ex-CEO on your ear. Itās about progress, personal growthā¦ And of course. Valid for sā¬x too. Whatās collateral damage? I leave that to you. Life is easier with an Ex-CEO on...
7 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Once that you have decided what you want in life, itās time for the next step. No matter whether you wantā¦ Change career path. Get into the PPP line. Get into business. Expand your business. Not matter whatās your decision. There is a common next step. Expand your network. i.e. get connected to the right people. As Grant Cardone saidā¦ āI donāt go to āworkā. I go to my netWORK to increase my Net Worth.ā You need to improve your network to increase your Net Worth. Itās not just about the...
8 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Complexity is the enemy of clarity. And without clarity, you're invisible. Iāve been in meetings where technical guys discuss and discuss. Argue and argue. About the gender of the angels. For hours. For meetings. For months. Ego against ego. And you still miss the point. The clarity, the specificity of the problem. And they go invisible. For bosses and leaders alike. If you are able to explain complex things in a simple way, as if the person you talk to was 5 years-oldā¦ People will listen....
9 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read