“Everything is possible, but not everyone can do it.”

The Overton Window is the range of ideas which are mainstream and uncontroversial and, therefore, easy for the public to accept. Beyond that window lies the vast open space of ‘unthinkable’ and ‘crazy’ ideas which, at best, may seem radical. It is so much safer to stay inside this window! However, when change is needed, we must move closer to the edge of the window. It is unrealistic for society, as a whole, to be expected to ‘jump out of the window’: very few people do anything but what seems normal to them. If we want to push for change, we must, instead, gradually shift the gravity of the Overton and eventually move beyond it. And, as the poem goes, we might then even fly.

I am an independent consultant and a private investor with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry: Morgan Stanley (New York, London), Moore Capital (London), HSBC (London). I was an EM trader and PM, co-head of the EM desk, ran global macro prop and finally was head of Thematic Research.

I am interested in everything now. The era of the specialist which started with the Industrial Revolution is giving way to the era of the generalist which will shape human involvement in the Digital Revolution when intelligent machines are smarter, cheaper and much faster learners than most of us. We have to pass the crown of ‘experts’ to the ‘machines’ and instead focus on making connections across disciplines and sectors. This is the only way we can hope to stay relevant.

For contact: an10nev@hotmail.com

Twitter: beyondoverton@an10nev