Betterment

My first computer game design was in 1977–I came up with a version of Star Wars. It was almost nothing like the movie, but it was a pretty good game for something running on a mainframe. The …

Many strategy games involve researching technologies, and each technology has a set of prerequisites (except the starting technologies). These can either be arranged linearly (tech levels) or in a ...

You never look at a skill /tech tree and go “uggghhh I can’t believe I haven’t got any of this done yet.” It’s exciting that you still have so many improvements to unlock.

Whatever “it” is. That’s probably a mistake. People don’t know what you know, don’t believe what you believe, don’t fear what you fear. They’re not equally…

Who decided that this was a good way for a group to interact? It’s all the worst elements of synchronous and asynchronous discussion rolled into one. It prioritizes speed of reply over though…

The system is lazy. It focuses on the things that are easy to measure: How fast can you type, what was your score on the test, how many followers do you have? One way to move forward is to learn di…

A simple approach to learning how to solicit and receive feedback: Begin by showing a well-meaning peer someone else’s novel, painting, design or business plan… You might discover that …

When you’re traveling, various maladies may beset you, and you won’t have your home’s well-stocked medicine cabinet at your disposal to remedy them. You can pack a full first aid kit, but if you’re traveling light, and are only concerned about issues that have a high likelihood of occurring, there are really only a few […]

It’s scary. That’s the point. Pick a date certain. You’re on the hook. Describe a particular type of client, or even choose one by name. Be really clear about the change you seek …

It probably doesn’t pay to buy your prom dress when you are 12 years old. You’re not sure of the size, not sure of what styles will be like and not even sure you want to go. On the othe…

Burning my hands on the steering wheel.

Your co-worker gets the promotion that you applied for. You congratulate him while seething inside. Your friend goes on a fantastic vacation and shares pics of it on Instagram. You usually “like” his stuff, but this time you don’t. Your wife’s parents watch your sister-in-law’s children for the weekend. You’re ticked that they never do […]

You wake up early on a dark, cold morning to meet your friend for a run. But he’s a no-show at the trailhead. “Sorry, man!” he texts you later. “I overslept.” “No worries!” you reply. At work, Janet peeks her downcast face into your cubicle. “I was going through our records,” she confesses, “and it […]

🤖 When I was younger, I liked to build things (still do), and I was very often surprised that people were not just flocking to my fantastic new project once I released it. After some time, I understood the truth. 💡It really helps if you are good at two things - doing stuff and telling others about it. Being good at one of them is also acceptable if you have a partner who can support you with the other part. To start getting good at talking about things, I started writing and sharing my thoughts. Bits and…

Justin Beebe was a 26-year-old native of Vermont. He was killed firefighting in Nevada as a first-year member of the elite Lolo Interagency Hotshot Crew.

Marketing makes change happen. And for humans, the change is rarely linear. There’s a moment before and a moment after the decision is made. Some people find the moment thrilling, others are …

There’s a mythology around people with famous resumes. Folks who have worked for brands we’ve heard of and on projects that have been successful. We give the benefit of the doubt to som…

Vannevar Bush was the first trained electrical engineer to publicly proclaim in influential circles that EE’s are one engine of innovation and the driving in digital technology. As the early the 1930s, he viewed the entrepreneur and the engineer as twin forces for progress and technological advance.

Fascinating stuff in this “Ask Adam” segment where he talks about what it takes to master a skill and things the master of a skill knows how to do that a newbie can’t understand y…

The map might be correct, but that doesn’t mean it will work. The sign might be legal, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be effective. We’re surrounded by instruction manu…

The personal uniform is a look that you’ve settled on as your regular get-up. Today on the show I talk to two style writers, David Coggins and Michael Williams, about all things concerning this stylish-yet-bandwidth-saving approach to dressing. We discuss what a personal uniform is, how to develop one and why that development comes with […]

Reassurance always runs out. Reassurance implies that the only reason to go forward is because it’s certain to work. Reassurance is futile. Encouragement means that someone sees us, understan…

There are many daily rituals. This one is mine. This ritual was built for me by me, and you must do the same.

When a client, a boss or an employee makes a special request, it’s okay to get a little bent out of shape. It might cost you extra time or money, it might be a hassle, it might not be deserve…

A review of E.D. Hirsch's controversial bestseller. Is education undermined by focusing on useless trivia? Or is that its greatest strength?

Roy Baumiester, has written about the four needs for meaning that all humans have and I find that a useful framework. He believes, and I concur, that all four needs need to be satisfied to a reason…

It’s become the height of oh-so-relatable humor to observe just how good it feels to have one’s plans unexpectedly canceled. As tiresome as this trope has become, it does feel good, doesn’t it? It feels good because you got back some personal time, sure. But it also feels good, because the cancellation extinguished expectations — […]

Could you hack it as a WWII soldier? Take the fitness test to find out.