The main thing that changed everything was the local "polako" mentality. It's their word for "calm," "take your time," "polako." No one rushes anywhere here. Coffee and rakia (a local alcoholic drink, 40 grams) are drunk from 6 a.m., work is not rushed, life is enjoyable. In Russia, I was constantly stressed, but here – mountains, sea, silence. Gradually, "polako" began to permeate me. The tension eased, my thoughts cleared. I was finally able to sit down and actually start working on Conoted – something that had only been in my head in Russia. It wasn't just a move – it was a reboot. From crushed and paralyzed state to calm and action. After "polako" and the tranquility of Montenegro, I was finally able not just to survive, but to think and learn in a new way. Here, at networking events and in conversations with new people (mostly IT specialists and professionals from various fields), I saw how ideas come to life through interaction. One shares their experience, another adds theirs, and suddenly something third, even better, is born. This led me to the SECI model of Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi. It's about how knowledge is created in a spiral through interaction.
In short: - Socialization: tacit knowledge is transferred through observation, communication, and collaboration. - Externalization: transforming the implicit into explicit-writing, drawing, and explaining. - Combination: connecting explicit knowledge into new systems. - Internalization: re-absorbing it through practice. It's a spiral: knowledge doesn't stand still, but grows through people. For me, this perfectly fit the reality here - meetings, discussions, and the exchange of ideas. In Russia, Zettelkasten was a solo anchor, but in Montenegro, I realized that true strength comes from combining with others. This had a strong influence on Conoted - I want the app to not only store notes, but also help share and connect ideas with others.
Have you experienced "culture shock" when moving? Or are there places where you truly felt at ease?
And have you noticed how the best ideas are born in conversations? Or do you prefer working solo? Share in the comments 👇
(The next post is about KCS and how to structure the chaos of knowledge in service and life 📊)
