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Grow Your Network: John Candeto Is A Spiky-People Collector
Here's HOW and WHY to connect with John Candeto
Matt Zeigler
May 15, 2025
For years, I've been connecting with interesting people and documenting insights that might help my clients and myself. What was once private is now (mostly) public.
People often ask: "How do you know all these people?" and "How do you connect these (re: random) ideas?" The answer is simple: consistent relationship cultivation and thoughtful note taking. My north star is trusting my instincts, my maps are the constellations in these reflections.
Find my Personal Archive on CultishCreative.com, watch me build a better Personal Network on the Cultish Creative YouTube channel, and follow me on social media (LinkedIn and X).
This approach has helped dozens of clients strengthen their networks and unlock new opportunities. You can:
Steal these ideas directly
Hire me to implement them with you
Create your own combination that works for you
I can't promise you'll learn from me, but you'll definitely learn something with me. Let's go. Count it off: 1-2-3-4…
Do You Know John Candeto?
Do you know John Candeto? The Phronesis Fund founder, Art of Quality podcast host, and deep thinker who applies Berkshire-style investment principles to both capital and relationships?
If not, allow me to introduce you. John has built successful software companies and investment vehicles while constantly exploring the intersection of time, value, and human connection. I wanted to connect with him because he embodies something I value deeply: the ability to see spikes of brilliance where others only see flatness.
Our conversation is LIVE now on the Just Press Record YouTube channel. Listen and you'll hear us explore everything from the economy of time to the value of spiky people to epistemological frameworks that challenge conventional wisdom.
THREE KEY LESSONS
In the meantime, I wanted to pull THREE KEY LESSONS from my time with John Candeto to share with you (and drop into my Personal Archive here).
Read on and you'll find a quote with a lesson and a reflection you can Take to work with you, Bring home with you, and Leave behind with your legacy.
WORK: Seek the Spikes, Not the Well-Rounded
"When we hired people who sort of ticked every box on everything, they ended up to not be very good performers. They'd be okay... when we hired spiky people, meaning people that were just phenomenal at a thing, that worked a lot better than hiring people who could sort of cover everything."
Key Concept: In business, we often fall into the trap of seeking "well-rounded" talent - people who are decent at many things but exceptional at none. John suggests inverting this approach. Rather than hiring for balanced mediocrity, seek people with extraordinary capabilities in specific domains, even if they have gaps elsewhere. The surgeon with mustard on their shirt might be exactly who you want operating on you because their surgical brilliance matters far more than their tidiness (and might even prove, “If I’m a slob, but I’m still a great surgeon, then looks didn’t get me here so - yeah, the stains a badge of honor”). This principle applies not just to hiring but to all resource allocation decisions. Excellence in what truly matters will always outperform adequacy across the board.
Personal Archive Note-To-Self: All that get into college advice about being well-rounded, well… OK, some of it’s good. You want diversity of experiences. You shouldn’t just play lacrosse (you’ve met that person too, we can pick on them, it’s fine), but you also shouldn’t check a bunch of round-me-out boxes just to check them. Get awesome at a thing. Extract the meta lessons of what it means to standout in a single category. Even if it’s lacrosse. The point is, finding brilliance usually means finding some flaws too. Don’t let that mustard stain take over what you need to get done.
Work question for you: Where in your organization are you settling for well-rounded adequacy when you should be seeking extraordinary spikiness?
LIFE: The Economy of Time
"Time is the scarcest asset. It's certainly the only asset you can't get more of. And so if that's true, then areas that have high economy of time ought to be areas where value accrues, sometimes somewhat quickly and potentially somewhat sustainably."
Key Concept: Throughout human history, scarcity has shifted—from basic survival needs to financial capital, and now to time itself. John suggests viewing your life decisions through this lens of time economy. When you recognize time as your most precious and non-renewable resource, you begin to evaluate relationships, projects, and commitments differently. This isn't just about efficiency; it's about identifying where the highest returns on your time investment might be found. The greatest compounding happens in areas where your time investment creates disproportionate value—whether in relationships, skills, or creative endeavors.
Personal Archive Note-To-Self: Almost hitting 40, being terrified of turning 50 at a particular job I knew wasn’t “me,” those were all parts of my first, true, tick-tock moments. In the investment industry, they love to say, “Time in the markets is more important than timing the markets.” While that’s generally good advice, the broader application is even more important than with money I think. Figuring out good uses of your time and maximizing time spent on good uses - of all types and varieties, ahem! - is what makes a good life. You can’t get your timing perfect, but you can make sure your “time in” is as high as possible. That’s the lesson of my 40s so far (and it’s been fantastic).
Life Question For You: What area of your life currently offers the highest "economy of time," where small investments might yield exponential returns?
LEGACY: Truth Beyond Snapshots
"Snapshots of anything are neither good nor bad, but they're a moment... it doesn't mean it doesn't contain truth, but it certainly doesn't mean it's the whole truth. It's a little piece of a much broader tapestry and you'd really try to see the bigger tapestry before you make some serious judgments."
Key Concept: In our era of 22-second clips and social media snapshots, we've developed a dangerous habit of making comprehensive judgments based on incomplete information. John reminds us that truth is something "unconcealed" over time, not captured in an instant. This applies to evaluating people, companies, ideas, and even ourselves. The real tapestry of truth requires patience, multiple perspectives, and humility about what we can truly know. By resisting the urge to flatten complex stories into simple narratives, we develop a richer, more nuanced understanding of the world and leave behind a legacy of wisdom rather than judgment.
Personal Archive Note-To-Self: We have pictures of our wedding in our living room. And, some art we’re personally drawn to. And, a ton of books and a smattering of dog toys. They’re all just things. But, they’re things with stories attached to them. I can tell you why they’re there. I can tell you what they mean. I can tell you how “That ball is gross, but it’s Otis’s favorite and I have to wait for a day when he’s forgotten about it before I can replace it.” These are deeply personal, but they also connect to the world directly around us, and beyond.
Moving from snapshots, to stories, to full-out movies or novels or whatever metaphor you want to run with is understanding context in and across life. John really makes me think hard about this stuff.
Legacy question for you: What stories are you currently flattening that deserve to be expanded into their full tapestry?
STANDARD CONCLUSION
BEFORE YOU GO: Be sure to…
Check out his writing at JohnCandeto.com and The Art of Quality podcast
Take a moment to reflect on all these ideas!
You have a Personal Network and a Personal Archive just waiting for you to build them up stronger. Look at your work, look at your life, and look at your legacy - and then, start small in each category. Today it's one person and one reflection. Tomorrow? Who knows what connections you'll create.
Last thing: Don't forget to click reply/click here and tell me who you're adding to your network and why! Plus, if you already have your own Personal Archive too, let me know, I'm creating a database.