This wasn’t something I was consciously aware of until a few months ago and it feels incredibly apt since doing these tweets. In essence Luck Surface Area is the amount of effort you put into your passion multiplied by the number of people you effectively communicate your passion to.
I know I have certainly been guilty of not appreciating this in the past. It was almost certainly the case when I worked at Betfair. If you do a good job or have certain skills you think you will naturally be rewarded for that. However, that is not how life works.
I used to get so frustrated when I used to see people get promoted far beyond their skillset. It happens in every business. I used to think it was because they played the game well and would suck up to various bosses and those in the company. I was incredibly naive.
Whilst there was undoubtedly a large amount of that, the bigger principle at play is that they were able to sell themselves much more effectively. If people don’t know who you are, what you have achieved or what you can accomplish then how can they give you what you want/deserve.
Luck Surface Area is about significantly increasing your chances of getting ‘lucky’ however that may look. It is about increasing the potential for positive opportunities to happen to you. This series of tweets is a good example. Lets imagine the opposite ends of the spectrum.
I can have the same knowledge, passion and skill for a topic/product/area. I can be sat at home where I liaise with very few people, make very few contacts, don’t actively use social media. I may get opportunities but my Luck Surface Area is very small. No one knows me.
When I started these tweets I had 47 followers. By doing the tweets it has led to lots of different opportunities and discussions. It might be being asked to do a podcast, write articles/books, meet other like minded people, catch up with old friends, outs from a betting perspective, etc.
The reality is that most of those opportunities may not be that significant but you never know what any of them will lead to. By doing the tweets I have massively increased my Luck Surface Area and potentially the opportunities that lie ahead. A good life lesson I think.
ProPunting 