The Power of Knowledge: From Ancient Egypt to Modern Startups

Since ancient times, knowledge has been power.

Consider this example from ancient Egypt, where the harvest hinged upon the flooding of the Nile. The level of flooding was intertwined with all aspects of life, including how prosperous the farmers would be in the next season. The priests who would predict the floods were revered for their ability and held significant power.

Not known to the public, the priests and the ruling elite had an ace up their sleeve - a structure called a Nilometer, which allowed them to measure the level of the flood each year.

Thanks to the Nilometer, the ruling class had accurate records of flood patterns dating back centuries which aided in accurate predictions. They wielded the information provided by the Nilometer to further their power.

Fast-forward to today, we have countless tools available at our fingertips. The ability to choose and utilize the right tool is a skill in itself.

The right tools are usually found by those who are driven by curiosity, willing to experiment, learn by rolling the sleeves and do the hard work.

In my role at Asia SGE, part of my responsibility is to spot these talented individuals. Especially those that exhibit a unique blend of curiosity mixed with a ‘let-me-try- this-and-see-if-it-works’ attitude. I believe these are qualities of a talented team player, one that is ‘rain making’ while supporting the rest of the team.

Startup founders often request me to share my network and introduce them to the right person for a particular job, or we would actively do this while working alongside them towards important milestones. When making these introductions, I prioritize those who I feel have the skill of using the right tool at the right time.

What do you consider when connecting one person to another? And how do you spot the right person?