CareerFramework I Built

Luck as a System

Luck isn’t random. Increase your surface area and watch serendipity follow.

What it is

Most people think luck is random - something that happens to you, or doesn’t. Luck as a System flips that entirely. It’s a framework for deliberately increasing your “surface area for luck” - the number of ways that serendipity can find you. The more you put yourself out there, the luckier you get.

💡Why it matters

Every major career break I’ve had came from something that looked like luck from the outside. Startmate came from a cold email. My first startup job came from a mate’s Facebook post. The side projects that got acquired both started with conversations I wouldn’t have had if I’d been keeping my head down. None of it was random. All of it came from a deliberate practice of putting myself in the path of opportunity.

🛠️How to use it

The framework has three parts. First, declare your goals publicly - tell anyone who will listen what you’re working on, what you’re looking for, what excites you. Second, make it easy for people to help you - be specific about what you need, and make it low-friction for others to connect you. Third, show up consistently - write, post, attend events, send cold emails, start conversations. Don’t hide under a rock. Get out there and declare your goals and dreams to the world.

💬My experience with it

My entire career was built on this principle. I cold-emailed my way into opportunities. I wrote publicly about what I was building. I told everyone I met what I was working on. People thought I was lucky, but I was just loud. The Startmate role - the one that defined my career for eight years - came from a cold email. Not a warm introduction. Not a recruiter. A cold email I sent because I’d been increasing my surface area for months.

🚀Try this today

Write a LinkedIn post or send a message to five people today telling them what you’re working on and what kind of help you’re looking for. Be specific: “I’m building X and I’m looking for someone who knows Y.” Watch what comes back. The more specific you are, the easier you make it for serendipity to find you.

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