Things About Me Series – 06 – On and off the Wall

I love bouldering. Lately, I’ve been going through a bit of a motivational dip, but the love is still there.

Why? Because bouldering is all about solving a problem using only the resources you’ve got—your skill set and the wall in front of you.

Each climber brings something different: strength (both physical and mental), flexibility, mobility, technique, and movement mechanics. Add in your height, weight, and any physical quirks, and suddenly the way you solve a problem on the wall is uniquely yours. That’s what captivates me—the freedom and creativity in problem-solving. Sure, each problem is set a certain way, but there’s no single right way to the top. You make your own way.

Bouldering has a lot in common with science. Both are about solving problems. Both rely on a specific skill set. And in both, the path you take is shaped by your experience and approach. Skills can be learned, refined, and adapted. That’s why learning is so central—to climbing, to science, to life. I try to approach every new skill with a beginner’s mind. It’s not always easy—ego can get in the way—but curiosity usually wins.

They say bouldering is 99% failure until you finally stick the move. Science is the same. You try one approach, then another. Some take you nowhere, some lead you astray. But eventually, something clicks. You just need to stay open and trust the process.

Trust plays a big role in climbing too—especially outdoors. No padded floors out there, just unpredictable landings. Sometimes, the only thing that lets you commit to a risky move is knowing your spotters have your back. It’s the same in science. Trusting your team, delegating, and believing in each other’s abilities—that’s what makes hard projects possible.

You might ask, aren’t you afraid of falling? Of course. All the time. But fear isn’t the point. The point is doing it anyway. That’s what courage is: being afraid and still going for it. I once read that all it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage.

When I decided to start CarbonMat, I had to jump. I had to trust that the skill set I’ve built over the past 20 years would hold. Am I afraid? Yes—every single day. But I jumped anyway.

Embrace your uniqueness. It’s what makes you, you.