23 hours agoNot exceptional yetThe most difficult illusions to suspend are often those which we hold for ourselves. If you think you can be better still at something, your mind will naturally gravitate toward looking for ways to become better. If you’re convinced that you’re already great, this gravitational pull is far less compelling. …1 min read1 min read
2 days agoA great deal of timeWhen you meet someone who is brilliant at what they do, you’re generally witnessing the product of significant time and energy investment. In an interview, Richard Feynman articulates this point well: “If you take an ordinary person who’s willing to devote a great deal of time and study and work…1 min read1 min read
3 days agoWhat you do with itI attended a product management conference today and learned a lot of new ideas about how I can be a better Data Scientist for product teams. All of these bright ideas are useless, however, until I do something with them. This is an essential distinction: acquiring knowledge is not the…1 min read1 min read
4 days agoIt must be okay to be wrongA culture where it is acceptable to make mistakes and learn from them is essential. Of course, there are some situations and disciplines where we cannot tolerate too much risk and therefore need to rely on conservative decisions — we must be the judge of when this is necessary. But generally speaking, fear of being wrong leads to: Making only safe bets and never pushing back — neither of which are good for progress.1 min read1 min read
5 days agoTry againDr. Mike Massimino was rejected from NASA’s astronaut program 3 times before being accepted. Dr. Peggy Whitson who, as of this August has logged almost 2 years in space was rejected 4 times before joining NASA. José Herández’, whose journey from the farm fields of Stockton, California all the way…1 min read1 min read
6 days agoHow much effort?Growing up I thought I was a very disciplined and dedicated piano student until I witnessed the playing of a few of my teacher’s other students whose playing was clearly on an entirely different level from mine. These students routinely practiced up to 8 hours a day, which made my…1 min read1 min read
Sep 24Protecting timeThe ability to say “no” is just as much a skill that requires patience and practice as any other capability we endeavor to obtain in order to be more productive and happier people. Three observations that help with honing this skill: Saying “no” is about opportunity cost: you are trading…1 min read1 min read
Sep 22You’re hereBeing here — alive, right now — is a somewhat underappreciated observation. Existing now affords you all kinds of opportunities: you can pick up the phone and connect with someone who also exists now. You can step outside and smell all the literal and figurative roses in your surroundings. Yesterday…1 min read1 min read
Sep 22Test, taste, refineJenny Chen and Jeffrey Brown started Izola Bakery during the pandemic with zero professional baking experience. In their most recent customer email (worth reading in its entirety), Brown describes their humble beginnings: “…we began with the croissant recipe on the side of the flour bag and worked our way to…1 min read1 min read
Sep 21Decisions for the next decadeThe decisions we make today are not always in harmony with the outcomes we desire in the future. Sometimes the easier thing done today is just a debt incurred on your (and your team’s) future self. A half-baked solution that you cobble together today that technically works may very well…1 min read1 min read
