Smart Rats Leave a Sinking Ship First

What does it actually mean to know when to go?

Most of us wait for the ship to be visibly sinking—water over the deck, list to port, lifeboats away. By then the best options are gone. The people who thrive are often the ones who read the earlier signals: the creak in the hull, the smell of bilge, the captain's face. They leave when it still looks like a choice, not when it's obvious.

This isn't about pessimism. It's about paying attention to what the system is telling you before the system fails. And then having the nerve to act on it while everyone else is still telling themselves it's fine.

More to come—this post lives in full on Substack for now; linking here as part of the rob-mostly platform.