Reading & Thoughts from August
Issue #11 // *|DATE:F j, Y|*
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“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
#READING
The never-ending ratchet of conspicuous consumption (2 min read)
//seths.blog
Summary: Consumption is relative
We live in a consumerism society. You consume with your time, and how you spend it, is what makes you, you. Consumption is all relative, and you're just looking for the next best thing. But is this healthy?
How AI Will Rewire Us (13 min read)
//theathlantic
Summary: Living with AI (robots) will alter humans on an emotional state. We do not have the time to evolve alongside them, so we must take precaution so that we can live nondesctructively alongside them.
What will happen if we let AI run wild without any rules? People already buy smart assistants, how will that affect human behavior over the next few years? Starting today, I am going to attempt to be more polite to Alexa.
Why You Should Try Micromastery (4 min read)
//elemental
Summary: Micromastery: working to develop competence in a single, concrete skill
I love this term. Although it may seem like micromastery is only for simple skills, those simple skills can snowball. In reality, big, sexy ideas are just a lot of small things mashed together -- its the same thing with skills. Break them down to the basics and focus on small bits at a time rather than being mediocre at the entire thing.
The Biggest Wastes Of Time We Regret When We Get Older (10 min read)
//lifehacker
Summary: Stop wasting your time on common occurances: Not Asking for Help, Trying to Make Bad Relationships Work, Dwelling on Your Mistakes and Shortcomings, Worrying Too Much About Other People
Short, but simple article. This is lifelong wisdom that continually shows up, but is always good to remember and revisit. Core principle: Don't let your emotions block your path, but tame them and use them to your strengths.
#PODCASTS
Ed Zschau — The Polymath Professor Who Changed My Life
//thetimferrissshow
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
“Entrepreneurship isn't about starting companies. Entrepreneurship is an approach to life."
“The most important thing you can do is to do it your way. Don’t just follow what’s recommended. Don’t just pursue what others are pursuing. Do what you enjoy doing. Do it the best you know how and good things will happen.”
Ed’s preferred teaching style involves going over business case studies/putting the students in the exact situations that the founders faced, as opposed to just lecturing. Case studies will teach you how to think and rationalize through things that happened to previous companies and entrepreneurs
Career planning is overrated—things can change unexpectedly
Seize the moment, take advantage of these opportunities as they present themselves.
Entrepreneurship = innovation + implementation (implementation is the most important)
Shopify: Tobias Lütke
//howibuiltthis
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Tobias Lütke is the German Canada-based founder and CEO of Shopify, a commerce company based in Ottawa, Canada. This episode is the story of the creation of Shopify.
#RANDOM
Turning a MacBook into a Touchscreen with $1 of Hardware
//anishathalye
Ask HN: How did you automate your day job?
//ycombinator
Most solutions in this post seem obvious, but if you really think about it, how many manual things are you doing in your life?
A Look at Overnight Stays at US National Parks
//jordanvincent
Next time you’re planning to stay at a National Park, plan it with this
Discover trends before they’re trending
//meetglimpse
This tool is awesome. I do a lot of product & company research by using Google Trends, but this does it all for you. I subscribe to the free version just to stay in the loop in new hot areas.
Everything asked – organized recaps of 'ask me anything' interviews
//everythingasked
If you’re a fan of AMAs on Reddit like I am, but too impatient to follow along, this site will aggregate and score them for you.
Generate a fake app to replace any addictive app 📱🙅
//detoxify
Addicted to your phone apps? Somehow my fingers just know where to go, so I usually move my apps around (or delete them outright). Alternatively, you could replace an app with a fake app to remind you how addicted you are.