I would come back from selling custom software solutions in the City Of London in the 1980s understanding very little. Most customers were not as kind as the man who explained the Gilts market to me. They would rattle on about some new derivative and expect me to understand.

Eventually I did understand, but only thanks to a kind colleague who was my next finance educator. I would come back from my sales calls with my scribbled notes and ask him “what on earth does that mean?”. His explanations were great and started with “it is really not that complex, let me explain”.

Attempting to thank him, I offered to buy him a drink. He suggested a pub near the tube/subway station that he used to get home.After one drink. he said he needed to go. I pressed him to have one more and he agreed. By waiting a bit longer he avoided being blown up in the tube/subway station by an IRA terrorist bomb

 I considered that a reasonable deal – he made my career by generously giving his time and knowledge and I (accidentally) saved his life.