Alex

I’m sending a deep dive on "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺" and how to practically transition your mindset (and your CV) from Specialist to Leader in tomorrow's newsletter.

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘁! [Link inBio]

• 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝗿: Your breadth. The ability to connect software, hardware, and business needs. And whatever ...

Without the horizontal reach you aren't an Systems Engineer. You're just a specialist shouting about foam.

To build or lead complex systems you cannot just dig down. You have to reach wide.

You need to shift from "𝗜-𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗱" to "𝗧-𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗱."
• 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲: Your core engineering depth (Don't lose this). 👇

I see this in Engineering every day. We spend years becoming the ultimate "Specialist" (The I-Shaped Professional). We dig deep. We master the tool. We perfect the "foam."

But when we try to step up to Systems Engineering or Leadership that depth becomes a trap.

She was hovering over the new hire obsessing about the foam density on a latte, while the line for black coffee went out the door. She was trying to solve every problem with her specific speciality.

I watched a career crash and burn at my local coffee shop this morning.
There is a barista there. She makes the world's best Marshmallow Latte. A true expert. Because she was so good they promoted her to Shift Lead.

And today she was failing. Badly.

Your Tool doesn't matter

Systems Engineering is about THINKING NOT tool mastery.

Tell me I’m wrong


use.toth.al/posts/the-p...

𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲.
It can make all the difference in your career.

Here's why Systems Engineering isn't working for you.
Everyone's obsessing over the “perfect tool” BUT guess what?

If you’re burning hours fighting your app or chasing certifications you’re not an engineer ... you’re just your own overpriced IT support.

I just learned what Dr. Martin Luther King was a doctor in: Systematic Theology.

That means he was also a practising 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿!

Stop looking for the "secret."!

This isn't about finding a never-before-seen hack. This is about sitting down and getting sh*t done.

You can't play life on Easy Mode. You need a bit of hardship to build the character required to enjoy the result.

Don't allow your "Job" to stand in the way of your "Life's Work."

Your job shouldn't define you. But your Life's Work will.

Defend it. Work for it. Put it first.

Perfectionism is maths . And the maths says:

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 > 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

For all practical purposes, 98% is Perfect. Stop polishing. Something is infinitely more valuable than nothing when delivered on time.

𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗼

I am revealing the full details in 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. It’s a solution for those who want to stop fighting the tool and start Architecting. Or start efficient Learning.

If you are on the list check your inbox. If you aren't that's on you.

So I built something different. It’s not a course. It’s not a textbook. It’s what I wish I had 15 years ago!

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

I got tired of seeing ambitious engineers stuck in "Tutorial Hell," learning how to model coffee machines while their real projects burned.

They know how to draw a block, a diagram, but not how to architect a 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. They end up building "Frankenstein Models". Technically correct but structurally a nightmare.

But when they sit down to model a system? 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝙋𝙤𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙮.

You can learn the English language perfectly. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺.
I see this every day. Engineers who know the SysML syntax perfectly. They know every button in the software. They can quote the handbook.

The difference between Action and Distraction is Intent.

You can't call something a distraction unless you know exactly what you are distracted from.
If you haven't defined your intent for the hour, you aren't distracted. You're just drifting.

#Focus !!!

"Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving." — Terry Pratchett.

You might be solving the same problem you solved 5 years ago. But you are not the same Engineer.
Experience changes the observer.

I’m dropping the full reveal of what's loading to my newsletter subscribers first. If you want to know how to stop fighting the software and start Engineering again 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁.

𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝘽𝙄𝙊.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿.

I remember that frustration. So I reckoned I'll fix it.

That is not Engineering. That is just drawing boxes. Real systems have regulatory constraints, noisy data, and complex failure modes. A toaster doesn't prepare you for that.

You look for tutorials, and what do you find? "𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲." Or "𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗮 𝗧𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿."

Most of these are driven by tool vendors and meant to demonstrate how to draw pretty diagrams with SysML.

But where do you start? How do you structure the model so you don't create a mess in 3 weeks? How do you actually model a real safety-critical loop without getting lost?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀.

You stare at an empty white workspace. You know 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 a "Block" is. You know 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 a "Requirement" is. You read the handbook.

Oh, you know SysML ...

I see this every day in Systems Engineering. We obsess over the tools. We fight about Cameo vs. Capella vs. Rhapsody and the like. We spend thousands on licenses.

But when you finally open that expensive software what happens?

Give a master carpenter a rusty screwdriver, and he will build a masterpiece.
Give a novice the most expensive electric drill and they won't know where to put the first screw.

If your work feels like a grind, you are playing the wrong game.
The best work feels like play. It builds on who you already are, not who you think you should be.