I’ve spent two decades in specialty chemicals and advanced materials, and the longer I do this, the more curious I get. Curiously Optimistic is where I chase the questions I can’t stop thinking about: how these markets are really structured, what makes companies grow, why some teams execute and others don’t, and how AI is changing industrial work.
I don’t write from a finished opinion. I pick a question, research it properly, and share what I find: consensus first, then where I think it’s wrong. Optimistic by disposition, but not credulous.
Two kinds of writing here. Short [weekly] notes, Signals & Observations, on what I’m seeing and wondering about, free to everyone. And monthly deeper dives (“Field Notes”: long, sourced research on one question, with a claims ledger so you can see exactly where every number comes from. The Field Notes are for paid subscribers; you’re subsidizing the research (thank you!), and we learn together.
Founding partners help prioritize and discuss live quarterly together.
Come be curious with me.
Bob Girton, August Grace Advisory
