A failure of imagination. That’s what keeps me up at night.

That there are data points all around us that we may be missing.

Maps are helpful. But they really don’t capture the whole picture. You can’t see the energy of Silicon Valley on a map. You can’t see the intellectual engine of Boston on a map.

You have to leave the office to experience where people live, work, and play.

People want to know that they can order a new toaster and have it on their doorstep the very next day. So is next day really fast enough?

The question becomes: how do we move goods faster?

And I think the answer might be pretty simple: store them closer.

Developers have become very creative in finding ways to get warehouses closer to consumers. Offices go up. Apartments go up. But why not warehouses?

It’s my job to understand the “why not,” and then imagine “well, what if?”

On a map it’s easy to see parcels of land that are orphaned by a highway. Or a vacant lot in the middle of a residential downtown neighborhood.

But the map doesn’t tell you why it isn’t being developed.

At ground level, a new perspective is gained and future possibilities become visible.

With a little imagination just about anything is possible.

That’s why I go beyond the numbers.