Kuty Shalev

About

I've discovered a certain peace when I make time for thinking. Despite turning 50 in 2024, I'm still on the journey to discover what life has in store. But I have traveled some way and had great experiences that I feel a need to share. It feels like I have been very fortunate in life. My instinct is to hide. Instead, I am sharing what I believe is most helpful. I prefer to embody the identity of one who shares the gift of fire instead of hoarding it in some cave.

The key to it all is attitude in my course "Good News, It's All Your Fault".

Timeline

1974: born in Rishon L'zion, Israel
1979: moved to New York, USA
1988: sold dunkin donuts in high school, giving the teacher a free donut to allow it
1990: started college at 16 skipping my senior year at high school against my will
1994: supposed to graduate, but short a Hebrew course, got a job at Price Waterhouse
1996: Was a Guide at The Mining Company, later About.com
1997: actually graduated after taking that last course in the evening. Got Married.
1999: started Columbia Business School
2000: Graduated CBS, started BEK after my newly born daughter, my wife and I
2000-2005: Tried many attempts to launch a business including selling hardware to schools, a file replication product, ethernet and phone installations, skincare product.
2002: Had a boy!
2005: Actually landed two regular clients for software development with a remote developer workforce
2011: After many failed attempts to have another child, we gave up and only then (miraculously?) got pregnant naturally
2012: Renamed BEK to Clevertech now that it looked like this was actually working
2014: Brought on a partner who sold better than I did
2015: 100 - broke 100 people with the company!
2016: 128 - what growth, we were very excited
2017: 95 - ok, we learned from our mistakes. Regrouped.
2018: 112 - this time it looks more solid
2019: 180 - solid growth with our new offering
2020: 212 - Moved to Puerto Rico during Covid
2021: 387 - Covid fueled our growth and we were ready
2022: 649 - Continued to provide what our clients needed
2023: Brought in Private Equity
2024: Moved back to NYC
2024: Clevertech is now Lumenalta

About me

Relentless Optimist & Accepting Failure

There is magic in the combination of accepting failure head on but not accepting the identity of a faillure. My natural internal state is that of an optimist that is eager to create and explore new opportunities. Creating new projects, reimagining projects, even killing projects are all a part of the lovely journey. Optimizing for possibilities, creating space for cultivation, and attracting others to join are the keystones for me.

Control and Freedom

I notice that I do best when I have the freedom to operate without controls that I did not choose. I find that I am motivated strongly by freedom, mastery and purpose with the strongest reaction to situations that lack freedom both for myself and the people I care about. I believe in giving and getting freedom.

We Make a Difference

The future has not yet happened. A person can make a difference. We create the future together. The language we use to commit ourselves to each other creates the future. The most powerful bond is one that changes your identity Being together changes 'you and me' into an 'us'. This power is in our grasp

Unique Ability

I heard about the idea of Unique Ability from Dan Sullivan. And although I followed the advice to ask people I work with to help me discover it, I was never satisfied. It sounded to me like people were trying to be nice and polite. But after a recent meditation, an idea for my unique ability bubbled up. Searching for and finding 'rich soil'. The core idea behind Clevertech is that of remote software developers. That's a 'rich soil' idea and then sticking with it for many, many years. Rabbi Fohrman's textual analysis and close reading of the Torah is 'rich soil'. Fernando Flores' insights of conversations for action is 'rich soil'. And this site is about identifying and sharing this 'rich soil' for your own growth.

One other point I wanted to make about Unique Ability, and its in the negative. There is great peace in letting go of false stories. Instead of trying to everything, I can be less. I am not the best lecturer. I am not the best teacher. I am not the one to discover the framework. I am the one who discovers and shares. Other people can take it forward. And if I look at my life, I have tremendous gratitude to my partners. They are better than me at all those skills. I get to be on their team. And the satisfaction comes from operating at what I am best at while letting them operate at theirs.