About
Maverick is my personal holding and investment company. I’m an investor in the SeedCapital seed & startup fund, which I also help manage (as the Entrepreneur in Residence).
Through Maverick I intend to contribute to a more entrepreneurial country (Portugal) by investing directly in companies, by helping entrepreneurs and startups achieve their dreams and by contributing knowledge and experience in available spaces (blogs like this one, events, schools, meetings, etc).
I also intend to pursue the study of entrepreneurship in a PhD and try to teach entrepreneurship classes at Portuguese universities. If no one takes me up on that, I’ll create my own University.
Why Maverick?
Well someone, a long time ago, when confronted with my “rock the boat and damn the torpedoes” attitude, said “You’re a real maverick!” (non-portuguese guy). I didnt know what that was so I went and checked. It seems that those cowboys (namely Samuel Maverick) who didnt brand their cattle with hot irons (so as to be able to steal other cowboy’s cattle) were called “maverick”. The term was extended to be use as a way to refer to an unbranded range animal. Which pretty well fits me: I never got branded with the corporate irons (aside from a stint in Public Administration).
But its more than that: as you probably checked out in the links above, the term “maverick” was further extended and is now used to refer to:
- “one who does not abide by rules”
- “someone showing independence in thoughts or actions”;
- “someone who is independently minded”;
- “One who creates or uses unconventional and/or controversial ideas or practices.”
- “One that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group; a dissenter.”
- “Being independent in thought and action or exhibiting such independence”
- “a person who takes an independent stand, as in politics, from that of a party or group”
Yeah, check 7x. But I particularly liked the synonyms: individualist, lone gunman, nonconformist, rebel. Gotta love that desperado Colt packing cowboy Western movie image…
And to top it off, a “maverick” is also the name of a poker hand:
Once again it pretty much fits. I like gambling, especially when I know that my chances of winning are high.
It goes on into bullshit territory when its used as business buzzword for a leadership consulting company (which specializes in “maverick” management no less). But its a nice description anyway.
So there you go.
