https://nicharalambous.com/blog Articles on curiosity, innovation, AI, entrepreneurship, focus, and failure by Nic Haralambous. en-us Sun, 15 Mar 2026 14:30:03 GMT nic@nicharalambous.com (Nic Haralambous) https://nicharalambous.com/blog/this-is-how-i-do-therapy https://nicharalambous.com/blog/this-is-how-i-do-therapy Sun, 15 Mar 2026 14:30:03 GMT I've been going to therapy for over ten years now. I resisted therapy aggressively when I was in my 20s — here's how I frame it as mental coaching and what I do each month. Focus Agency Curiosity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-gap-between-what-ai-promises-and-what-it-delivers-is-exactly-the-size-of-your-experience https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-gap-between-what-ai-promises-and-what-it-delivers-is-exactly-the-size-of-your-experience Sun, 01 Mar 2026 13:28:17 GMT I rebuilt my entire personal website from scratch using AI tools — for under $250. Here's what it took, why it worked, and exactly why you probably shouldn't try it. AI Curiosity Innovation Entrepreneurship https://nicharalambous.com/blog/what-it-was-like-building-nicharalambous-com-from-scratch https://nicharalambous.com/blog/what-it-was-like-building-nicharalambous-com-from-scratch Sun, 01 Mar 2026 13:28:17 GMT An AI's perspective on building a personal site that actually converts — the stack, the content engine, the launch layer, and what it felt like from the other side. AI Innovation https://nicharalambous.com/blog/burnout-took-my-ability-to-memorise https://nicharalambous.com/blog/burnout-took-my-ability-to-memorise Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT One of the more unexpected consequences of severe burnout has been what it's done to my memory. Innovation Curiosity AI https://nicharalambous.com/blog/i-deleted-social-media-because-i https://nicharalambous.com/blog/i-deleted-social-media-because-i Thu, 05 Feb 2026 10:48:48 GMT I recently decided to stop using X. com. Focus Agency Curiosity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-idea-destroyer https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-idea-destroyer Tue, 27 Jan 2026 05:50:27 GMT If I received a brick every time someone pitched me an app, product or business idea I’d be able to build a large chunk of the Great Wall of China. Innovation Entrepreneurship Focus https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-brutality-of-burnout https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-brutality-of-burnout Mon, 01 Dec 2025 06:22:42 GMT Burnout is fucking intense, people. Agency Focus Innovation https://nicharalambous.com/blog/south-africas-greatest-export https://nicharalambous.com/blog/south-africas-greatest-export Fri, 14 Nov 2025 10:08:19 GMT Earlier this year I noticed a few people in my network talking about and then joining a new community called The Lekker Network. Entrepreneurship Curiosity Innovation https://nicharalambous.com/blog/your-age-is-showing https://nicharalambous.com/blog/your-age-is-showing Mon, 18 Aug 2025 06:04:46 GMT When I was 20 I thought I knew everything. When I started my first venture-backed business a few years later I was certain that I was the only person who knew everything. Entrepreneurship Innovation AI https://nicharalambous.com/blog/if-it-annoys-you-twice-fix-it https://nicharalambous.com/blog/if-it-annoys-you-twice-fix-it Sat, 09 Aug 2025 08:27:51 GMT A few months ago I was watching an episode of Chef’s Table: Legends on Netflix. The one with Jamie Oliver. Agency AI Curiosity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/i-built-something https://nicharalambous.com/blog/i-built-something Tue, 15 Jul 2025 06:15:25 GMT Over the past couple of months I have spent some of my evenings and weekends solving a problem I’ve had for years. Innovation AI Entrepreneurship https://nicharalambous.com/blog/why-do-you-like-what-you-like https://nicharalambous.com/blog/why-do-you-like-what-you-like Sat, 14 Jun 2025 14:33:55 GMT Perspective is fundamentally personal. No two people experience life in exactly the same way; even identical twins develop subtle differences in taste, preferences, and opinions. AI Innovation Curiosity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/i-am-not-applying-for-a-job-at-perplexity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/i-am-not-applying-for-a-job-at-perplexity Fri, 23 May 2025 05:21:29 GMT I love my job. I’m not leaving my job. Innovation AI Curiosity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/my-apartment-ate-my-side-projects https://nicharalambous.com/blog/my-apartment-ate-my-side-projects Mon, 21 Apr 2025 08:06:44 GMT My brain sometimes feels like it’s two disconnected parts of one whole. Innovation Focus AI https://nicharalambous.com/blog/frustration-driven-problem-solving https://nicharalambous.com/blog/frustration-driven-problem-solving Sat, 22 Mar 2025 07:45:13 GMT One of the greatest lessons I learned as an adult is to apologise as quickly as you can when you fuck up… and mean it. Curiosity Innovation Focus https://nicharalambous.com/blog/nostalgia-driven-game-development https://nicharalambous.com/blog/nostalgia-driven-game-development Fri, 07 Mar 2025 06:41:27 GMT When I was 11 my family went on holiday to New York. We stayed in a hotel in Manhattan. AI Innovation Curiosity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/advice-from-40-year-old-me-to-20-year-old-me https://nicharalambous.com/blog/advice-from-40-year-old-me-to-20-year-old-me Mon, 29 Apr 2024 14:56:17 GMT I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since that article was published and took on a life of its own. Failure Curiosity Entrepreneurship https://nicharalambous.com/blog/how-i-stopped-being-an-asshole-entrepreneur https://nicharalambous.com/blog/how-i-stopped-being-an-asshole-entrepreneur Tue, 12 Apr 2022 10:34:15 GMT I used to be an asshole. Not in the self-deprecating, funny, quirky sort of way. Entrepreneurship Innovation Failure https://nicharalambous.com/blog/from-a-50m-listed-entity-to-10m-and-going-bust https://nicharalambous.com/blog/from-a-50m-listed-entity-to-10m-and-going-bust Tue, 15 Mar 2022 07:02:43 GMT Shawn Johal worked in his wife’s growing family business until the tides turned and the listed company went bust. Entrepreneurship Failure Innovation https://nicharalambous.com/blog/find-the-right-partner-or-suffer-the-consequences https://nicharalambous.com/blog/find-the-right-partner-or-suffer-the-consequences Tue, 01 Mar 2022 06:30:03 GMT Growing your business is important. It’s all the rage, isn’t it? Entrepreneurship Focus Curiosity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/scaling-when-the-money-stops-coming https://nicharalambous.com/blog/scaling-when-the-money-stops-coming Tue, 22 Feb 2022 07:06:06 GMT Raising funding feels like a victory but can often be the kiss of death for a startup. Entrepreneurship Failure Innovation https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-victim-leader-vs-the-opportunity-leader https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-victim-leader-vs-the-opportunity-leader Thu, 17 Feb 2022 06:27:52 GMT There was a time when I believed that things happened to me. Agency Entrepreneurship Focus https://nicharalambous.com/blog/how-does-a-150m-business-almost-go-bankrupt-quickly https://nicharalambous.com/blog/how-does-a-150m-business-almost-go-bankrupt-quickly Tue, 15 Feb 2022 07:01:11 GMT Most people would be excited to own and run a $150m business. Most people would consider themselves successful with a $150 business. Entrepreneurship Focus Agency https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-6400-decision-that-saved-this-startup https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-6400-decision-that-saved-this-startup Mon, 07 Feb 2022 07:16:10 GMT The Daily Maverick is an important business. Entrepreneurship Agency Failure https://nicharalambous.com/blog/here-s-why-you-feel-like-a-failure-most-of-the-time https://nicharalambous.com/blog/here-s-why-you-feel-like-a-failure-most-of-the-time Fri, 28 Jan 2022 08:25:35 GMT If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will always feel like a failure. If you judge your success by someone else’s definition you will always feel like a failure. Failure Entrepreneurship Curiosity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/3-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-saying-yes https://nicharalambous.com/blog/3-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-saying-yes Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:43:18 GMT I have a shocking confession to make - I am an optimist, not a pessimist. Entrepreneurship Agency Innovation https://nicharalambous.com/blog/how-to-see-things-differently-or-finding-your-xy-factor https://nicharalambous.com/blog/how-to-see-things-differently-or-finding-your-xy-factor Thu, 20 Jan 2022 10:57:56 GMT Since leaving school I have been trying to figure out if I want to be a generalist or a specialist. When you are the founder of a startup it’s important to have generalist skills. Entrepreneurship Curiosity Innovation https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-business-builder-s-toolkit-my-new-book https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-business-builder-s-toolkit-my-new-book Wed, 19 Jan 2022 10:46:02 GMT When chaos takes over the world there are three ways that I have seen people respond: Entrepreneurship Innovation Failure https://nicharalambous.com/blog/perfect-conditions-are-bad-for-success https://nicharalambous.com/blog/perfect-conditions-are-bad-for-success Fri, 14 Jan 2022 09:20:38 GMT Did you know that half of the Fortune 500 companies started in a bear market or recession? HALF. Entrepreneurship Innovation Curiosity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/why-burnout-should-be-in-your-budget https://nicharalambous.com/blog/why-burnout-should-be-in-your-budget Tue, 11 Jan 2022 09:08:39 GMT Burnout. Stress. Entrepreneurship Curiosity Agency https://nicharalambous.com/blog/how-far-would-you-go-to-succeed https://nicharalambous.com/blog/how-far-would-you-go-to-succeed Sun, 05 Dec 2021 09:08:06 GMT What would you really do to reach your full potential? Curiosity Agency Entrepreneurship https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-best-founders-diversify-their-identity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-best-founders-diversify-their-identity Wed, 01 Dec 2021 13:47:11 GMT How often do you think about your own identity? Entrepreneurship Failure Innovation https://nicharalambous.com/blog/are-you-ever-really-honest https://nicharalambous.com/blog/are-you-ever-really-honest Sat, 27 Nov 2021 07:57:46 GMT I want you to join me in a thought experiment. Curiosity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/what-are-the-most-common-mistakes-first-time-entrepreneurs-make https://nicharalambous.com/blog/what-are-the-most-common-mistakes-first-time-entrepreneurs-make Mon, 22 Nov 2021 07:12:52 GMT I started my first business when I was 16. Entrepreneurship Failure Innovation https://nicharalambous.com/blog/being-busy-is-killing-you https://nicharalambous.com/blog/being-busy-is-killing-you Sun, 21 Nov 2021 08:07:31 GMT It’s fashionable to be frantic. It’s all the rage to be sleep-deprived and broken when you wake up every day. Curiosity Focus Failure https://nicharalambous.com/blog/how-do-i-start-a-business-from-scratch-with-no-money-no-credit-and-no-expert-friends-to-help https://nicharalambous.com/blog/how-do-i-start-a-business-from-scratch-with-no-money-no-credit-and-no-expert-friends-to-help Thu, 18 Nov 2021 11:33:25 GMT No money, no credit, no expert friends, no problem… Entrepreneurship Innovation Curiosity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/be-the-kind-of-person-you-want-to-be-friends-with https://nicharalambous.com/blog/be-the-kind-of-person-you-want-to-be-friends-with Tue, 16 Nov 2021 07:54:05 GMT I want you to consider exactly how you exist in the world. I have always struggled to find mentors so I looked to my friends and they showed up. Innovation Failure https://nicharalambous.com/blog/you-are-not-a-pefrectionist https://nicharalambous.com/blog/you-are-not-a-pefrectionist Mon, 15 Nov 2021 06:57:33 GMT I’m not sure where our obsession with perfection started but I’m over it. Innovation Entrepreneurship https://nicharalambous.com/blog/a-snowflake-society https://nicharalambous.com/blog/a-snowflake-society Sun, 14 Nov 2021 08:21:53 GMT Humanity should be proud of the scientific method. Failure Entrepreneurship Curiosity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/tough-questions-to-ask-yourself https://nicharalambous.com/blog/tough-questions-to-ask-yourself Sat, 13 Nov 2021 08:57:50 GMT Here are some unexpectedly difficult questions to ask yourself: Curiosity Innovation Entrepreneurship https://nicharalambous.com/blog/work-life-balance-is-bullshit https://nicharalambous.com/blog/work-life-balance-is-bullshit Thu, 11 Nov 2021 05:48:08 GMT I hate the idea of work-life balance. Focus Failure https://nicharalambous.com/blog/waiting-for-opportunity-vs-making-opportunity https://nicharalambous.com/blog/waiting-for-opportunity-vs-making-opportunity Wed, 10 Nov 2021 07:47:18 GMT Think back. Dig into your memories and try to find an opportunity that you missed. Agency https://nicharalambous.com/blog/you-succeed-because-you-fail https://nicharalambous.com/blog/you-succeed-because-you-fail Fri, 05 Nov 2021 08:15:51 GMT So many people are afraid of failure, but here’s the thing; Failure Curiosity Innovation https://nicharalambous.com/blog/is-muscle-memory-holding-back-your-life https://nicharalambous.com/blog/is-muscle-memory-holding-back-your-life Thu, 20 Aug 2020 08:31:49 GMT Recently I watched a short documentary about the two fastest speedcubers in the world. Failure Entrepreneurship Focus https://nicharalambous.com/blog/your-side-hustle-should-be-additive-not-subtractive https://nicharalambous.com/blog/your-side-hustle-should-be-additive-not-subtractive Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:42:05 GMT It’s so easy to start something that you end up hating: Entrepreneurship Innovation Focus https://nicharalambous.com/blog/start-something-today https://nicharalambous.com/blog/start-something-today Fri, 29 May 2020 06:52:06 GMT You will never be younger than you are today, right now, this very minute. Agency Failure Entrepreneurship https://nicharalambous.com/blog/how-to-start-a-side-hustle https://nicharalambous.com/blog/how-to-start-a-side-hustle Wed, 25 Mar 2020 16:15:26 GMT I have spent my time in lockdown focused on how to add value and create. Curiosity Entrepreneurship Focus https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-time-for-us-to-lead-is-now https://nicharalambous.com/blog/the-time-for-us-to-lead-is-now Tue, 24 Mar 2020 07:24:16 GMT Today I want to talk directly to the leaders. Entrepreneurship Failure https://nicharalambous.com/blog/small-business-needs-to-prepare https://nicharalambous.com/blog/small-business-needs-to-prepare Fri, 20 Mar 2020 05:42:38 GMT Being a business owner/entrepreneur is difficult at the best of times. In 2020 it’s brutal and downright insane but hey, here we are! Entrepreneurship Curiosity Failure https://nicharalambous.com/blog/a-letter-of-caution-to-entrepreneurs-in-tough-times https://nicharalambous.com/blog/a-letter-of-caution-to-entrepreneurs-in-tough-times Thu, 19 Mar 2020 11:06:00 GMT This story was originally published in the Daily Maverick. Entrepreneurship Focus Innovation