Right Place, Right Time

Before you jump to conclusions—"is that manga?!"—hear me out; there’s a powerful lesson in this scene I’ve chosen.

For those familiar with Blue Lock, you might remember this moment. It’s a soccer anime, and in this particular episode, the top player, Rin, scores a game-winning goal in the final seconds when the ball just happens to land at his feet.

Isagi, the main character, is left questioning why he lost and pleads with Rin to reveal what he was missing.

This really struck me.

When the coach, Ego, steps in, he explains that luck isn’t just random—it can be manufactured. Think of it this way: if a pigeon poops on you, it might feel like bad luck. But if you were more observant, you might have noticed the pigeon droppings on the ground nearby or the flock sitting on the roof above.

Rin kept running toward the goal just in case the ball got blocked and bounced back, while everyone else stopped, thinking it was over.

He was in the right place, waiting for the right moment.

So, ask yourself: Are you positioning yourself in the right place? Are you giving up too early? Are you standing still while others run ahead, seizing every small chance at success?

To create luck, three things need to align:

Luck = right time x right place x right ability

Right Time

This is the hardest part to control, often beyond our reach. But two-thirds of the "luck equation" are within our control, so let’s focus on those.

Right Place

If opportunity can strike when you’re in the right place at the right time, why not stay in the right place as often as possible?

If you’re spending all your time at home, sporadically applying for jobs, you can’t expect luck to find you. But someone who’s actively attending networking events and putting themselves out there is far more likely to catch a lucky break. One of the companies I have equity in, Athyna, is set up to help with just that.

Talent Pools: A great way to always be in the right place is by joining a talent pool. Athyna tells me that many of their client companies look to their talent pools before posting public jobs, simply because it’s faster. They focus on roles like Software Engineering, Finance, Marketing, and Product—all fully remote and paid in USD.

Networking Events: Going to events and meeting people - even peers can increase your surface area for opportunity. Athyna also runs many of these events - If this sounds like the kind of opportunity you're looking for, keep an eye out for our upcoming Meet & Greet sessions—they might be the perfect chance to make that next big connection.

Right Ability

Building your abilities allows you to capitalise on opportunities when they come your way. If Rin (from Blue Lock) couldn’t dribble, shoot accurately, or run fast enough, that "free ball" would have been a missed opportunity.

Similarly, when a job opportunity arises, it’s a missed chance if you don’t have the right skills.

If you’re looking for guidance on what to learn, check out my "information diet" where I share my favourite free resources and book recommendations.

Until next time,

Ajay

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