Former British Intelligence Officer | Julien Fisher | Ep. 408

Apr 25, 2026

Julian Fisher, former British intelligence officer turned private intelligence consultant and author of Think Like a Spy. He recounts denied-area tradecraft, building cover identities, and recruiting allies in Congo, Sierra Leone and Somalia. He shares tense survival stories, transitioning from MI6 to corporate intelligence, and why human intelligence still matters in an AI world.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ADVICE

Build Social Capital Early And Intentionally

Build social capital proactively rather than waiting for it; allies multiply opportunities throughout your career.
Julian Fisher credits an Iranian nurse's advice to 'never forget allies' and used teacher and MP relationships to get into Oxford and the City.

ANECDOTE

Cultivate High-Value Referees To Leapfrog Opportunities

Targeted cultivation of high-value referees can open elite doors faster than merit alone.
Fisher shadowed Winston Churchill MP's interests, became his speechwriter, and used Churchill as a referee to secure a City job.

INSIGHT

Cover Is Adaptive Presentation Not Just Lying

'Cover' is not just deception but adaptive presentation of personality to fit context and motivate targets.
Fisher compares cover to acting and a Rubik's cube of personality masks, arguing multiple selves can all be genuine.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode