Luckitty Split: First In A Series On Luck
What If…
Let’s start with a thought experiment that challenges everything you assume about success, failure, even life. Imagine waking up tomorrow with the same mind, the same work ethic, but in an entirely different set of circumstances — born into a different family, in a different country, with a different education, social circle, and financial situation. No inherited advantages, no built-in networks, no safety net. Would you still land exactly where you are now? Some would, but a much, much smaller some. Would sheer hard work and intelligence be enough to recreate your current life, or might you find yourself on a completely different path, shaped by forces beyond your control?
Let’s make it even simpler: Imagine your parents took a different job before you were born, moved to a different city, and you went to a different school, met different friends, had different influences. Would you still be the ‘self-made’ success you think you are? Or — just hear me out — could it be that luck, timing, and the random roll of the cosmic dice played a much bigger role than you’d like to admit?
The Invisible Hand of Luck
Before you start sharpening your pitchforks, let’s be clear — I’m not saying hard work doesn’t matter. Of course it does. Hustle, grit, effort, skill are essential. But luck? Luck is the invisible hand that’s been pulling the strings all along, the backstage puppeteer orchestrating the moments that change everything.
It’s the job interview that happened because you randomly sat next to someone on a plane. It’s the investor who saw your email not because you wrote the perfect pitch but because they happened to be in a good mood that morning. It’s the chance encounter, the lucky break, the serendipitous timing that no one wants to admit played a part in their success.
Because let’s be honest — it’s uncomfortable to acknowledge. No one wants to believe that their wins might not be entirely of their own making. It’s a lot easier to cling to the neat, self-flattering narrative of hustle and genius than to accept that maybe, just maybe, you were in the right place at the right time.
Luck as a Skill, Not Just a Coincidence
And this is usually where the luck conversation ends. We nod, we concede — “Yeah, luck probably played some role” — and then we go right back to pretending it’s all about effort.
But here’s where most people get it wrong: Luck isn’t just some cosmic lottery ticket. It’s not a force you simply hope to be on the right side of. What if luck isn’t something you wait for? What if luck is a skill? A tool? A game you can actually get better at?
The truth is, luck isn’t just about probabilities stacking in your favor. It’s something you can actively shape. It’s not just being in the right place at the right time — it’s learning how to make the right places and manufacture the right times.
The luckiest people aren’t just lucky. They’re strategic. They build systems that create more opportunities for serendipity. They cultivate relationships, show up in rooms they don’t yet belong in, do things and say yes to things before they feel ready. They recognize patterns that others miss, take small bets with massive upside, and expose themselves to more random encounters than the average person.
When Luck Works Against You
And before you write this off as a feel-good hustle mantra, consider the flip side: Failure isn’t always about bad decisions. Sometimes, it’s just bad luck. Sometimes, it’s unavoidable risk.
Yet, we love neat explanations for success and failure. We crave stories where the hero earns every triumph and the fallen are solely to blame for their mistakes. But reality is messy. Uncertainty is real. And acknowledging luck’s role — both good and bad, both to the upside and downside — is one of the most freeing things you can do.
Sharpen Your Luck
So, the next time you look at someone wildly successful and chalk it up to a lucky break, take a closer look. How many doors did they knock on before one opened? How many risks did they take that looked like failures until they weren’t? How many “coincidences” did they actually engineer through deliberate action?
Luck isn’t magic. It’s momentum. It’s positioning. It’s a force you can hone, like any other skill. And the best part? The more you practice, the luckier you get.
So go on. Get to work. And sharpen your luck.