mindsets

1. Be the first to say hello. 2 Introduce yourself to others. 3. Take risks and anticipate success. 4. Remember your sense of humor. 5. Practice different ways of starting a conversation 6. Make an…

In my experience, a key skill to develop is the ability to separate one thing from another. To prevent the small from becoming the all. Take a policy, for example. Could be a government, or a school, or a home owner’s association, or something at work. Whatever it is, you don’t like it. You don’t agree, you don’t like the decision make...

A few things about me

Pitching Nirvana

Your Parents Are Getting Old, Here’s What To Do:

There’s a better way to do email.

These are excerpts (emphasis mine) from William James's 1890 classic, Principles of Psychology, Chapter IV,

And in the midst of living, take a photo.

When someone just gets it

What can you remove? What can you neglect?

George Saunders shared with us his notes for a speech he gave at Syracuse University, in which he shares how one of his biggest regrets sprang from something very small.

Chickens and pigs is a metaphor for who's got skin in the game. Or to leave metaphors behind, who's involved in a project vs who is fully committed. Also known as the bacon and eggs principle, it's from the old joke (sometimes told as a short story), "In a bacon and eggs breakfast, the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed." Many people may be interested in and share their opinions on a project or decision. But only some will be responsible for delivering the project and directly accountable for its success. Everyone may be interested in a bet, but only some players have money to lose. The chickens and pigs metaphor used to be part of the scrum guide for developing software but was removed. While it memorably distinguishes accountability in a project, there's a danger that it alienates or diminishes valuable input that might make a project successful. For a more conventional grouping of stakeholders in a project, see RACI

A list of ideas, in no particular order and from different fields, that help explain how the world works…

On the building blocks of creativity and acquiring a sense of what feels right.

Look for single decisions that remove hundreds or thousands of other decisions.

Quote from Jeff Bezos via @acanada

How Perceptions Are Made Look at the image below. To try to make sense of the black and white blobs, your brain sifts through its library of experiences, looking for something it has encountered before that matches or nearly matches what it is currently looking at. If your brain can’t find a match, you are

“In 2001, Warren Buffett gave a talk at the University of Georgia. He asked them the most Warren Buffett question ever: • If you could invest in a friend and get 10% of their income for life -- who would you pick? Once the students answered the question, he then asked this:…”

The other day I made an advice thread based on Jacobian’s from last year! If you know a source for one of these, shout and I’ll edit it in.  •   …