🚀 3.2.1. This changed everything ::: Atomic Scaling

For years, I lived in contradictions. I thought I had to choose:

• Be wealthy or be healthy
• Be successful or be a great dad.
• Push hard or be present.
• Be ambitious or be humble.
• Drive for more or be grateful for what I already had.

Before you can build scalable systems, you have to become a scalable version of yourself. And the toughest part of that journey is recognising that you were the biggest obstacle all along.

3 IDEAS FROM ME

I. The hardest part of personal growth is realising you were the problem.

It felt responsible, like those trade-offs made me disciplined. But it was really a prison made of “either/or” thinking. Then Christine, one of my mentor, said something that shattered that illusion: “The person who holds the most dualities wins.” That line changed everything. Because it forced me to see that my limits weren’t outside me. They were inside me.

II. The best version of you doesn’t come from choosing sides, but holding both.

After that, I made a list of dualities I wanted to master:

• Clear vision and flexible execution.
• High standards and deep compassion.
• Absolute certainty and constant curiosity.
• Doing well and doing good.
• Story-telling and data-driven.
• Tiny teams and huge growth.

It was uncomfortable at first.

We’re trained to pick a lane. To play safe.

But mastery isn’t about balance, it’s about range. Once I learned to hold both, everything expanded.

Business accelerated. My relationships deepened. And I stopped feeling like I had to amputate parts of myself to succeed. That’s when I coined the idea: The Duality Edge.

III. The Duality Edge is trainable, like a muscle.

Strengths and weaknesses are often the same trait seen from different angles. You don’t need to fix yourself, just train the other edge to expand your range. Here’s how to start building it:

(1) Notice your self-talk.

“If I slow down, I’ll fall behind.”

“If I grow, I’ll lose time with my family.”

Those aren’t truths. They’re traps.

(2) Practice the paradox.

If you’re structured, practice spontaneity.

If you’re visionary, build systems.

Like at the gym, the discomfort is the rep.
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(3) Find living proof.

Study - or better, surround yourself with - people who embody both.

A founder who builds a billion-dollar company and makes it to every school play.

A leader who’s both powerful and peaceful, ambitious and humble.

When you see it, you believe it. And when you believe it, you become it.

2 QUOTES FROM OTHERS:

I.

"When people see some things as good, other things become bad. Being and non-being create each other.” - Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism (Daoism) and author of the Tao Te Ching

II.

"Calm is contagious. So is chaos. Master both.” - Naval Ravikant, AngelList and author of “The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness

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1 ACTION FOR YOU:

Your words show your beliefs, and your beliefs build your reality. This week, list one duality you’ve been resisting, something you’ve told yourself you can’t have both of. Then, take one small step to prove it wrong. What’s the “either/or” belief you’re ready to replace with “both/and”?

Expand yourself,

Ludovic Bodin

3x Entrepreneur, 2x Unicorn Investor, 1x IPO. Founder of BOBIC Generational Wealth and Author of Atomic Scaling

P.S. I watched an interview with Telegram’s founder in Paris: 1 billion users, under 30 core employees, most of them being engineers. That’s Atomic Scaling in action: a small team, massive impact. In the clip, Pavel Durov talks about Elon Musk’s own duality, emotional intensity, seen by some as a flaw, but also the fuel behind his fire.

A perfect example of duality: the same trait can burn or illuminate, depending on how it’s used.

​Check it out.​

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

“Atomic Scaling is an essential guide for scaling with a lean team. It combines a rigorous approach with playful storytelling, delivering practical, actionable insights that are both informative and a delight to read.”

- Perrine Lhuillier Chair for Entrepreneurship, Methods of Plasticity Research, University of Zurich