Today at a Glance:
Quote: Success isn't the final stage
Thoughts: Windows and doors
Reading: Tech hiring should be faster
Learning: Being a new parent
Podcast: Believe in the game to win
Tweet: Corporate slang that doesn't exist but should
Product: Notion Sites
#QUOTE
Quote I'm pondering...
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." — Winston Churchill
Every journey is ongoing and resilience is key. Continuous adaptation and learning are essential.
#THOUGHTS
What I'm thinking about...
Windows and doors analogy — Windows offers a clear view, but doors require a willingness to open them despite the unknown vision beyond.
Physical gifts are a copout for close family and friends.
Programming is becoming less about 'speaking computer' and more about 'speaking human.'
AI Wrappers can make tens of thousands with no coding experience required.
Roles are becoming more generalist. With AI making roles flatter and broader, it might be time to specialize again.
#READING
What I'm reading...
My spiciest take on tech hiring
//haskellforall
I agree with this. You can get a sense for the person in the first 10 minutes that you meet them, and consensus is not necessary. This way you can move from hire slow, fire fast to hire fast, fire fast. Filtering upstream is the key — get good applicants and then have a quick process to make the right hire.
Another approach is to have a hiring contingency where you hire the employee as a contractor for one quarter. If at any time they are fired, they get a 3–12 month severance (dependent on seniority).
#LEARNING
Something I've learned...
4 Weeks In: The Unexpected Truths of New Parenthood
//erikrogne
Shameless plug of my own blog post about me learning to be a new parent.
#PODCASTS
My favorite listens...
Business Tricks We've Learned from Gambler, Pickup Artists, and Feynman
//mfm
[39m] Good listen starting at 39m: To win the game, you have to believe you can win the game
#TWEET
Social media that made me stop and think...
#1: Really interesting take on the world (link)
#2: Best things to buy
In other words, what feels like some of the biggest things/services/experiences that have had the highest unexpected ROI? (link). I say unexpected because a little skepticism adds the joy of it (i.e. iPhone is high ROI but not unexpected). Some things I would add to this list:
2023 - A bidet (I have this one). I needed one after being in Japan
2023 - Under sink water filter (even in San Francisco)
2023 - A set of good kitchen knives
2024 - Carplay (installed aftermarket head unit)
#3: Make the planet local (link)
I love Boom's goal of making the planet local rather than just "save time". Time/money is what everything comes down to, but is so amorphous. Making the planet local makes you think "oh, I could just walk right on over to diving in the Maldives and then have dinner in Rome."
#4: How business leaders can learn from farmers (link)
#5: Arbitrage opportunities are everywhere, if you look that is (link).
#6: Facts about Mexico (link)
#7: Corporate slang that doesn't exist but should (link). I love "bubble wrap it"
#8: Interesting question to ponder (link). Mine probably are fitness, cleanliness, and work ethic. I love Paul Graham's answer of "Conciseness."
#PRODUCT
A product that I've been loving...
Notion Sites
I publish my website using Notion, because it is easy to maintain. Basically, all I am doing is using Cloudflare Workers to rewrite traffic. It has a ton of benefits, including full customization.
But, Notion just released Notion Sites, and I am interested to see if I can move over to this native solution.
Daylight Computer
This computer looks awesome. It is basically Kindle (for its E-Ink display) + Apps. Meant for reading, note-taking, and writing. Might have to get myself one of these.
tinyPod
This thing is awesome — it’s an iPod using the Apple Watch. Super retro.
CRUSH
Super cool concept using a physical device to record your thoughts. Makes me think of Brick but for thoughts. I'm going to try to create a very similar functionality using the iPhone Action Button + Shortcuts app + OpenAI API.