Welcome to Neurally Intense: The Messy Truth About Business Success

Here’s the deal: after 25 years—nearly three decades—of navigating management, technology, and business from scrappy startups to sprawling enterprises, I’ve started this blog, "Neurally Intense." Why? Because I’m tired of the polished, templated nonsense flooding platforms like LinkedIn. You know the stuff—short videos promising "3 ways to skyrocket your career" or "7 steps to customer bliss", usually paired with a selfie in a business-class toilet flashing an overpriced watch. It’s overwhelming, it’s generic, and most of it falls apart the second you ask a real question.

I’ve seen a lot in my time—success, failure, and everything in between. One thing keeps popping up: the best stories, the ones that actually teach you something, rarely get shared. They’re too delicate, too embarrassing, or just too messy to fit into a neat listicle. So, this blog is my attempt to own my page, to put my perspective out there—raw, unfiltered, and maybe a little rough around the edges. It’s not about preaching some ultimate truth (I’m 45, not omniscient). It’s about the nuances you only get from experience, the kind that doesn’t come with a Canva-designed 10-point plan.

Let me kick this off with a story from my commercial days. Early in my career, I was managing a small team for a mid-sized tech firm. We’d landed a decent client—nothing massive, but enough to feel the pressure. I’d spent weeks crafting the perfect pitch, rehearsing every line, tweaking every slide. The meeting finally happens, and I’m in full sales mode: confident handshake, sharp suit, the works. Halfway through, the client stops me. “Mathan”, he says, “this is all great, but I don’t care about your PowerPoint. Tell me what happens when it goes wrong.”

I froze. I hadn’t prepared for that. My deck was all about the shiny upside—growth, efficiency, and ROI. Failure? That wasn’t in the script. But he wasn’t wrong to ask. So, I ditched the slides, took a breath, and told him about the time a previous project went sideways—server crashes, missed deadlines, angry emails. I explained how we clawed our way back, not with some genius fix, but with stubborn persistence and a lot of coffee. He nodded, smirked, and signed the deal a week later.

That moment stuck with me. It wasn’t the polish that won him over; it was the messy truth. And yet, how often do you see that on LinkedIn? Instead, it’s endless pitches and productivity hacks, as if business is a straight line from A to Z. Spoiler: it’s not. Success comes from the detours—the wrong turns, the failures, the “dog years” you slog through to figure out what you’re even good at.

Take LinkedIn itself. I’ve been on it for nearly two decades, watching it evolve from a legit business platform to what feels like a recruitment mill with a side of Facebook vibes. When was the last time you got a real business proposal there? Not a templated “let’s connect” DM, but something tangible, followed up with intent? I’m in commercials—I like pitching—but even I’m annoyed by the flood of generic noise. It’s not engagement; it’s exhaustion.

That’s why "Neurally Intense" exists. I want to share the stories and insights I’ve collected—some witty, some radical, all honest. Expect business reflections, tech takes, and leadership lessons, but don’t expect a formula. I’m not here to sell you “5 ways to be more productive” (though I might jokingly suggest “drink tea and wing it” worked for me once). This is about perspective, mine, and maybe yours too if you stick around.

Why the name? “Neurally” is the human bit—connecting on a real level, not just a transactional one. “Intense” is me. Anyone who knows me will tell you I don’t fit the slick salesperson stereotype. I’m not the guy posing with a Rolex; I’m the one diving too deep into a problem because I can’t help it. It’s how I’ve always been—intense in thought, in work, in life.

So, here’s the invitation: poke around neurallyintense.com. Read a post or two. This one’s a start, but there’s more coming—maybe something on today’s business use cases or the state of tech. If it sparks something, call me or write me an email. I’d rather have a coffee and a real chat than trade canned responses. Sure, I’d love to monetize from this someday, but for now, it’s about the stories worth telling.

This is a journey, not a destination. I’m not big on videos yet—writing feels more my speed, a chance to refine my thoughts into something elegant enough to share. But who knows? Maybe I’ll end up talking to a screen someday. For now, I’ll leave you with this: there’s no one path, no single rule. The wrong turns? They are what make you.

Stay Raw | Stay Real | Stay Intense