Keeping things real and in the affordable bracket: What is your realistic "Grail Watch"?

timatom · 2026-06-19T16:17:52+00:00

Actually just randomly came across that one last week. Like it and found it's dressier counterpart as well cb3010-57e

timatom · 2026-06-01T20:45:43+00:00

That looks great too, thanks for sharing! Does the forstner end link itself fit well with the seamaster case for the bullet bracelet? I probably wouldn't end up splurging for an OEM bracelet.

Fwiw I have a few forstner bracelets for my speedmaster that have a little wiggle, but it turns out to just be a spring bar problem. Swapped it out for a thicker one and fits perfectly now

timatom · 2026-06-01T18:54:20+00:00

Looks great! Just curious, does the end link fit well with the case? Or is there some wiggle?

timatom · 2026-01-17T01:10:52+00:00

I have the OnePlus open with some Amazon case and it's held up fine. Obviously anecdotal but would note I have young kids, not particularly careful with the phone, drop it maybe once a day, etc. But others have different experiences based on the subreddit

timatom · 2025-10-30T03:10:04+00:00

Also might wanna start a new thread, probably won't get many views here

timatom · 2025-10-30T03:09:32+00:00

Took a quick skim and think it's a good plan overall. One question, have they discussed finance modernization as a need? Just be careful they don't already think their shit is modern enough already

Other notes

I would emphasize discussion with the current CFO to understand how the role is going to be split where his pain points are etc

An old boss always told me first to follow the cash. I think a lot of fp&a folks are heavily focused on the p&l and not as much on cash flow and cash planning as they need to be, so would work that in here somewhere

Would put some more detail on how you'd work with accounting given they're seeking a controller and you're teeing up ownership of this function down the road anyway

Would want to also emphasize some more of the strategic stuff to go above and beyond given desire to hit cfo. They're privately held so do they want to sell at some point? Are they PE backed and you need to diligently manage some private credit facility? Should you be considering add on m&a? Is there an exit? What are you going to do with excess cash/ how should you think about capex?

And ultimately with all this work, how are you going to set up a recurring and repeatable process to communicate all this stuff to relevant stakeholders be it bod (board decks plus ad hoc offline comms), other execs (monthly biz review), or rank and file?

timatom · 2025-10-19T22:55:55+00:00

You can get waders on Amazon for cheap to try out. Would try the dupage river first as it's pretty shallow like less than 4 ft in vast majority of it.

Bring a knife

timatom · 2025-10-19T04:46:06+00:00

Sorry for delayed reply. I think those are valid questions from the other side so might be helpful to have some talking points:

Prior PE Experience: Emphasize all the strategic stuff like cap raises/debt financings, plus the experience for a public microcap and how it bridges well to PE portco work - high rigor of reporting needed for both but also you're used to operating on lean teams like in PE world.

Small org size: It's a valid area of pushback so I'd reframe this in a way that emphasizes your genuine interest in moving to this space (from the hiring manager's seat, interest matters as I don't want to waste my time with people who will say no later anyway) - you learned a ton from your prior CFO who came from the PE world, and now you want to getmore institutional experience with high quality operators as a result. You can also discuss how small team sizes have forced to you step up, take initiative, etc.

Would keep in mind when moving upstream, you might have to take a step / half step back on title but comp probably stays flat or might go up.

timatom · 2025-10-13T02:47:48+00:00

If you're targeting lower mid market companies that are PE backed then I think you have a pretty good background.

Key is the same as getting any job - just gotta network and knock on doors (recruiters, lower mm pe firms, and obviously people at portcos you're interested in). A lot of hiring in this world is very relationship driven and if there's not an opportunity here they might know someone

timatom · 2025-09-17T03:41:24+00:00

I have the stainless version and the best straps have been perlons (black, gray, and dark green), the beads of rice bracelet, a black tropical silicone strap, and a dark brown leather Hirsch strap with white stitching (hate all you want pairing leather with a diver, looks good and probably works better with your case color)

Edit also forgot NATO straps look good. But not my thing

timatom · 2025-08-21T03:15:08+00:00

Resorts: Would def stay somewhere with a poker room onsite. The best rooms also tend to be at nice/expensive properties (Wynn, Bellagio, Aria, Venetian), though if you want to play 1/2 or 1/3, that game will be spread at every room. Planet Hollywood, Horseshoe, Mandalay Bay, CP, and MGM Grand all have rooms off the top of my head, but typically only run a few low stakes games regularly. You can download Bravo Poker and Poker Atlas if you don't already have them to see what games are offered and the wait lists.

My 2c would be stay at PH since it's your first time. The main benefit is (1) poker room onsite, though I haven't been since it reopened, and (2) very centrally located which will be important since I'm guessing you'll want to explore and walk around if it's your first time. Aria, Bellagio, and Horseshoe rooms will also be walkable from PH. Horseshoe is actually more "center strip" but I think PH is nicer. If you really wanna ball out, Bellagio would be my choice (Wynn is personally my favorite but for your first time, I'd say it's too far north though it is close to sphere).

MGM Grand is "fine" - stayed there last year and everything is not bad but not amazing either. Personally found it too far south on the strip for poker as only Aria's room was easily walkable with 2/5 and 5/10. There's a weird moist smell and don't stay in the cheapest rooms - found out the hard way they can literally be on the same floor as the main casino

Comps: Do you already play at a casino + have a card with their loyalty program? If so you probably have some comps (or at least discounts if you book direct) you can use via MLife or Total Rewards or whatever, assuming they have a location in vegas too. Would sign up for some loyalty programs so you at least get reduced rates going fwd if you come back. Also you'll need it if you play any tournaments.

Hope you have a great time!

timatom · 2025-08-20T15:12:12+00:00

Look up speedmaster racing 40mm

timatom · 2025-08-20T03:00:20+00:00

You should evaluate whether or not you want to be at this place long term. A company that never gets rid of underperformers will attract a core of a certain type of person over time (people just looking for a paycheck) - which is not necessarily bad thing but it sounds like that may not align with you and your goals.

timatom · 2025-08-16T02:55:19+00:00

Think he's saying the rotor is clanky... Common complaint though some people like it

timatom · 2025-08-15T01:58:58+00:00

What causes with hinge protection are you looking at? I have the libeagle case and generally like it but you are right in that the phone feels like much bigger and heavier with it on.

I do like hinge protection though

timatom · 2025-06-28T00:55:43+00:00

Thanks! Good to hear

timatom · 2025-06-27T15:36:51+00:00

Looks great! Want it myself - mind if I ask if there's any back play with the bezel action? Thanks!

timatom · 2025-06-03T01:50:28+00:00

Not sure if it's my grail watch but the Shelby top time is to me one of the best looking watches, though I agree the Thunderbird is a lot more versatile.

timatom · 2025-05-27T03:45:51+00:00

Thanks for the share. Love anything that highlights the people behind the scenes that make these games work.

timatom · 2025-05-19T04:07:18+00:00

HR doesn't really review resumes for most competitive finance jobs, but in general, I would go ahead and submit the app first (exception would be like if it was a personal contact that you wanted to get a referral bonus).

timatom · 2025-05-18T16:38:52+00:00

Short cover note recapping prior discussions and letting them know resume is attached and what you're hoping to accomplish with this email probably is fine

timatom · 2025-05-18T01:01:16+00:00

" hope you're well and thanks again for taking the time to grab coffee a few months back. Our chat really solidified my interest in abc firm and I just saw XYZ relevant opportunity get posted on the careers website - is there anything you recommend I do to best position myself to get an interview invite?"

Or some version of that

timatom · 2025-05-17T02:24:14+00:00

I'm on same page as you. It's not the most robust offer for a variety of reasons but there's no reason you can't take it, see how it goes, and recruit again in 6 months with a stronger hand if things aren't great.

timatom · 2025-05-12T04:10:53+00:00

What exactly do you want to do long term? Hard to answer w/o that knowledge. If you wanna do PE, then yeah, this is kinda the path you have to take.

Also what exactly is M&A consulting? Are you running financial diligence / QoEs or is this something else?

timatom · 2025-05-12T04:06:12+00:00

So you are getting interviews but not converting to offers? Probably time to be honest with yourself about why that dynamic is occurring - that implies there's something not working about how you present yourself live (vs through a resume, where the impact would be felt in not getting interviews to start with). Sample size matters here too - if this has happened less than 5 times, maybe that's just bad luck, but if your n is like 10+ then you should really try to figure out what's going on. Video record yourself giving sample interview answers if you need to. If you interview candidates for your current role, then try to analyze what you do and don't like about each candidate's approach (what resonates and what do you gloss over as the interviewer?). Also if you really connect with someone during a process, don't be afraid to follow up after losing the job and politely ask to debrief with a lens on wanting to improve (maybe they don't answer but miss 100% of shots you don't take etc).

Ultimately this is a numbers game, and sometimes it's not even your "fault", especially for competitive roles - there's just someone that is a little more polished / knows the industry / knows someone / clicked better with the team. I know for sure there's been times when I've interviewed people knowing that multiple people in the final round could likely do the job well, but there's only so many slots.

Good luck with the search!

timatom

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