A Defense of Being Busy
Being busy has a bad rap these days. And to be fair, being occupied with lots of tasks has plenty of faults and pitfalls, from overcommitment to lack of focus. And isn’t it insufferable when everyone tells you how “busy” […]
Demystify a Job Before You Hire For It
Mystification is the root of all kinds of evil when it comes to hiring. Say you’re building a marketing team from scratch. Say you also need to hire people who can do event marketing, partner marketing, email marketing, digital marketing, content […]
The Ultimate Late Night Office Playlist
If you aren’t staying at your office past midnight at least once in a while, are you really working at a startup? I’ve written plenty before about my love of my late-night work sessions. When the office is empty, I […]
The Pleasure of Disproving the Experts
Want to run? Experts say you need nice running shoes, controlled diets, and fancy nutrition gels. Want to start a podcast? Experts might tell you that you need the latest microphones, a sound mixer, a perfectly soundproof room, and high-cost conferencing […]
Network by Working
If you don’t think you have time to network, you’re probably thinking about networking wrong. Most people think to network that they have to set aside extra time on weeknights to go to “networking events” and other dubiously valuable meetups. […]
The Silver Lining of Unlikely Faults
“You’re much too agreeable.” “You’re much too assertive.” “You’re far too focused.” “You’re far too curious.” “You’re much too perfectionistic.” “You’re much too fast.” In the course of your life, you’ll likely hear one of each of these pairs of […]
Be An Instigator
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard was to “be first.” Be first to say hello to a stranger, be first to volunteer, be first to take on a challenge. This is fine advice. The more I manage […]
Your Story Makes Things Lovable
Nostalgia is a strange thing: it makes us fond of some stupid, awkward, and ugly things. Tonight, for instance, I was listening to some cheesy country songs from the 90s and early 00s. By many objective standards I should dislike this […]
Opening Words for Open Air: A Poem for Listening
Listen Something is beginning Something is finding its voice Words not heard in open air Listen Hear it The sacred broken dam The shaky-voiced flood The torrent and rushwater truth Hear it Silence Your thoughts can wait A labor has begun […]
Can Jacks of All Trades Become Great?
As part of my Charity:Water campaign, I’m writing blog posts for people who contribute $25 or more to bring clean water to 23 people. You have a word/topic/question you want me to riff on? I’ll (probably) write it. One donor asked […]
Why Thrillseekers Should Be Driving for Uber and Lyft
If you want a thrilling Saturday night adventure, start driving for Uber on the weekend the Super Bowl happens in your city. Even though this technology is years old (and I’ve been using it as a consumer), you can still got […]
Be the Euphoria You Want To See In the World
As part of my Charity:Water campaign, I’m writing blog posts for people who contribute $25 or more to bring clean water to 23 people. You have a word/topic/question you want me to riff on? I’ll (probably) write it. One donor asked […]
Which Hallucinogen Would I Try First?
As part of my Charity:Water campaign, I’m writing blog posts for people who contribute $25 or more to bring clean water to 23 people. You have a word/topic/question you want me to riff on? I’ll (probably) write it. One donor asked […]
Living In (All) the Moment(s)
As part of my Charity:Water campaign, I’m writing blog posts for people who contribute $25 or more to bring clean water to 23 people. You have a word/topic/question you want me to riff on? I’ll (probably) write it. One donor asked […]
Integrity Is Selfish (And Other Thoughts On Being True and False)
As part of my Charity:Water campaign, I’m writing blog posts for people who contribute $25 or more to bring clean water to 23 people. You have a word/topic/question you want me to riff on? I’ll (probably) write it. This blog […]
Ask Forgiveness, And Don’t Give a **** About Getting It
So, you screwed up. And you screwed up so bad (or made a recovery so bad) that you know it’s pointless to ask forgiveness. You know you won’t be forgiven. You should ask forgiveness anyway. To ask forgiveness is about […]
Default Holidays Suck: A Case for Making Up Your Own Holidays
Not having a holiday can make a month pretty bleak. Take January. With the exception of MLK Day (many workers don’t have the day off) and New Year’s Day (which might as well be a December holiday), we have nothing. […]
Ownership vs. Fiefdoms
Ownership can save any project or company. Fiefdoms will kill both. But the difference is often fine and hard to distinguish. Ownership is the ownership of responsibility for a given task or set of tasks.Just like a house will keep better with a […]
The Call to Entrepreneurship and Our Excuses
Think starting up your dream business is a daunting task? Imagine going straight from being on vacation to starting up a complex refugee rescue mission under the nose of the Nazis – with no prior experience and no preparation. That […]
The 10 Startup Rites of Passage
“The best start-ups might be considered slightly less extreme kinds of cults.” – Peter Thiel Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in the United States join small, unvetted mysterious organizations that require extreme lifestyles and promise untold riches. Are there new cults […]
Remember To Put Yourself In the Right Story Stage
“Shouldn’t I be better at this?” If you’re like me, this is a question you ask a lot when you try new skills or uncommonly-used skills. You wonder if you’re as far along as you should be, and if a […]
You Will Never Succeed If You Can’t Forgive Yourself
“Forgive yourself.” I used to think that this was advice for the weak. Even now it seems like an easy way out from guilt or failure. But I’m learning something about growth and improvement: getting back on the horse after […]
Do the Symbolic Days Right
Birthdays and holidays are just days. Most people probably overrate their importance. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be important days. You can use the symbolism of a birthday or a new year or a holy day to give weight […]
What If I Become Evil?
“You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” – Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight What if I become evil? This is a great tragedy: to go through life struggling for the good only to become […]
Getting Back on the Horse: The Habit That Makes All Habits Possible
“Why do we fall, sir? So that, we can learn to pick ourselves up.” – Alfred Pennyworth, Batman Begins Waking up early, eating healthy, exercising, reading, painting – perhaps you’re trying to build one of these habits. Perhaps you’re on the path to […]
Google, Information Abundance, and Why You Haven’t Learned Those Skills Yet
“Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” – G.K. Chesterton My generation has access to more information than any generation before it. […]
Facebook Birthdays for Friend Reunions
Your birthday is one of those days that Facebook (and social media in general) is most useful to you. Today all kinds of people from all parts of your life come out of the woodwork to wish you well: your elementary school […]
Clean Drinking Water Would Be a Nice Birthday Present: Support Charity:Water for James’s 23rd
Birthdays aren’t all that impressive to me. Turning 23 (or any age) entitles me to none of your praise or congratulations or good wishes. You know what you should be celebrating? How about clean drinking water and the people who make it […]
Quarter-Life Crises Are Good For You
“So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” – Psalm 90:12 I’m about to turn 23, and I’m feeling the pinch of time. It really does pick up speed. By 23, I expected I […]
How Hard Would It Be To Enslave You?
Do you believe you’re free? Ask yourself how hard it would be for someone to enslave you – politically, emotionally, financially, physically, relationally, mentally. Do you have debt? We may no longer have debtor’s prisons, but for all intents and purposes, […]