Loving what you do, keeping your quirks, translating baby cries, & More
Issue #70
Today at a Glance:
Quote: Love what you do
Reading: Always automate and outsource predictable tasks
Thoughts: Keep your quirks
Podcast: Alpha, beta, gamma; focus less on beta
Learning: Humans could sprint 100m in 6.97s
Tweet: Start simple
Product: Auto-copy sms
Idea: Baby crying translator
#QUOTE
Quote I'm pondering...
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs
Passion is the fuel for excellence. When you genuinely enjoy what you do, you will persevere through challenges, innovate, and go the extra mile. This mindset can transform mundane tasks into opportunities for growth and creativity.
#THOUGHTS
What I'm thinking about...
Keep your quirks, don't try to hide them.
Ask amazing questions with my ChatGPT prompt
Imagine you're [Your favorite podcast host] from [Their podcast]. Write a list of insightful questions to ask [person you are interviewing].
#READING
What I'm reading...
//erikrogne
I created this "Now" page which reflects what has happened in my life over the past few years. I plan to update it every 6 months or so.
Software engineers are not (and should not be) technicians
//haskellforall
Automate or at least outsource the predictable work. Leave the complex work to engineers,
//tylerhogge
Design>Sell>Design>Build Framework. It is a simple framework in practice, but harder to execute. This article gives some actionable tips to implement. Founders and PMs should only design and build after successfully selling an idea.
Forget “show, don’t tell”. Engage, don’t show!
//leaverou
Always explain why something is useful before explaining what it is. There is a benefit to explain before showing.
//suryad
I've been saying this forever, but I finally have a good article to point to! Increase novelty in your life.
Our perception of time accelerates as we age due to a decrease in novelty and dopamine levels and time seems to pass more quickly. If you engage in new experiences and challenging tasks, time will slow down and make your life feel richer and more fulfilling.
How to Build Anything Extremely Quickly
//learnhowtolearn
Rushing through tasks, while counterintuitive, results in greater momentum and clarity. Even though quality suffers initially, you will come to better results faster.
I love this. I've always naturally done this by starting with an outline and bullets before writing. I find that I quickly hit writer’s block unless I have an outline and bullets quickly help me find momentum.
#LEARNING
Something I've learned...
How fast can a human possibly run 100 meters?
//bigthink
With the ideal anatomy and conditions: 6.97 seconds
Chinese researchers create four-gram drone that might fly forever
//theregister
Chinese researchers created a solar-powered drone that weighs just over four grams. It uses an electrostatic motor that weighs just 1.52 grams and is powered by solar cells that produce 4.5V. Its design has a lift-to-power efficiency of two to three times better than traditional drones. Adding batteries to the drone would make it capable of 24-hour flying operations.
#PODCASTS
My favorite listens...
Improve strategy, influence, and decision-making by understanding your brain
//lennyspodcast
I love the part on Alpha, Beta, and Gamma (timestamp 1:52)
Alpha is ideating/daydreaming (e.g. shower thoughts)
Beta is productivity mode (e.g. emails, meetings, coding)
Gamma is the intense focus to make connections of ideas (e.g. learning thermodynamics)
Most people spend too much time in beta--there is an unlimited amount of beta--and beta is great for getting stuff done. BUT, gamma is really where you want to be to think out of the box and do more than incremental work. To get to gamma, you need to spend time in alpha getting excited. Try to spend at least 25% of your time in alpha and gamma.
#TWEET
Social media that made me stop and think...
#1: Build a prototype (link)
#2: UBI didn’t work (link)
#3: A few bucks began billions (link)
#4: Start simple: start your company or product as a wrapper before the long-term vision. (link)
#5: Be different, it stands out (link)
#6: How to find luck in life (link)
#7: Truth hurts, but it’s how you can grow (link)
#8: 😂 (link)
#PRODUCT
A product that I've been loving...
CodePiper is a Mac app that automatically copies SMS verification codes to your clipboard for easy pasting into any text field. It is basically SMS autofill feature on the iPhone.
#IDEA
An idea I can't get out of my head...
Baby Crying Translator
Real-time baby crying translator using advanced AI to interpret and categorize different cries, helping parents quickly understand their baby's needs. This could be offered as a free mobile app or a hardware device, with monetization through ads, premium features, and partnerships. The goal is to make parenting easier by reducing stress and improving communication between parents and their infants.