Archives for 2019

As 2019 and the 2010s come to a close, there are many reflective posts flying around.

Over the past week, however, I’ve been drawn to the few posts that try and predict the future.

This is, of course, impossible. But that’s why it’s fun.

It requires daring, guts, and a willingness to be wrong in a very public way.

Most of the predictions converge on the ever-increasing role data and A.I. will play in our future, and where our global political climate is headed.

I enjoyed Alex Danco’s 10 predictions for the 2020s. His ideas are considered and bold, with a specific focus on technology, start-ups, and market trends.

I was also inspired by Shideh Bina’s words shared with Fortune. She succinctly gets to the heart of many issues facing humanity, and does so with grace.

“More than any decade I can recall (in the six I have lived through), the next decade will be defined by how well we, as leaders, and as citizens, respond to challenges and threats to our foundational beliefs, structures and institutions. Will we respond with wisdom, courage, accountability and creativity to our climate, our political storms, our vast inequities, our soon-to-be obsolete skills base and our deeply engrained biases about each other and about how things “ought to be”? If we respond well we can turn these threats into glorious, transformative opportunities. If not, we will preside over tragedy. The transformation required to prevail also requires a transformation of ourselves as leaders and how we think and act. The decade has not been written, the pen is our hands.”

I don’t yet have the courage or knowledge to make such predictions, and it’s liberating to admit that. I’d like to though; maybe one day.

Happy New Year, folks! And here’s to the next decade!

I’m in Vietnam for the next week. And less than 24 hours in, all the reasons why I love this place have come flooding back.

Back in 2014, I spent 4 months here working on a BCG project based out of Hạ Long Bay. The natural beauty was unlike anything I’d seen in New Zealand. Hundreds of limestone islands greeted me each morning when I looked out my window; like a dragon they dipped in and out of the clear waters and stretched across the horizon.

It was also a professional coming-of-age moment. It was my first time working without the safety net of friends, family, and traditional western culture. Even little things, like needing to complete documents 1 week early to allow time for translation, helped me understand the challenges of working in a multi-lingual environment with a different worldview.

Above all else, my Vietnamese colleagues were warm and generous. We became friends following many hours working in the hotel restaurant, as there were no other rooms available to work. They welcomed me into their homes to celebrate the birthdays of their children, took me to their treasured hole-in-the-wall Hanoian pho shops, and have since invited me to celebrate with them at their weddings.

They made me feel at home.

My posts over the next week will, no doubt, be influenced by Vietnam; it’s impossible to spend time here without being inspired by the warmth of its people, and the richness of its culture.

After sharing my 2019 reading list, I received a number of emails from those of you who’ve added books to your reading lists or given me recommendations for 2020. I’m grateful this blog has allowed me to have these conversations with you. I’ve discovered, learnt, and grown more because of your generosity.

This reminded me of a quote from Yoshida Kenko, a Japanese monk from the 1300s.

It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met.

Kenko has inspired me to begin tackling older texts; to seek ideas that have persisted over generations, rather than the noise of the latest publishing cycle.

Mentorship has renewed possibility when viewed through Kenko’s lens.

I was out walking in a small Malaysian town this morning when I came across a set of power lines engulfed by mango trees.

The wires disappeared among the fruit, leaves, and branches; making them inaccessible and dangerous to maintain.

An annual tree trimming would’ve made managing the power lines easier, but it’s now a complex job just to untangle the mess.

Every system declines into chaos if left unattended for long enough; this is known as entropy.

Software breaks, friendships grow stale, plants wither, knowledge is lost, and companies become complacent.

Once we’re aware of entropy, we start seeing it everywhere.

It’s our responsibility, then, to decide what’s important to us, and work conscientiously to prevent entropy’s impact in our workplaces, relationships, and bodies.

I’m currently in the market for online Spanish tutoring. I’m conversational, but I’d love to be fluent.

A potential tutor asked me over email what areas I’d like to work on, and my response was, “There are some verb structures I never get right.”

But I immediately felt uncomfortable about that reply, so I changed it to say, “There are some verb structures I haven’t got right yet.”

The difference is subtle, but significant.

“Never” hints at defeat before we’ve even begun; even if we have an aspiration to improve.

Whereas “not yet” says we aren’t quite there, but we’re on our way to better places.

When taking on new challenges, the words we choose set the tone for the journey ahead.

Buried in the depths of my grandparent’s cabinets sit 20 photo albums with memories from the past 50 years.

My mum comes from a big family: she’s one of 8 siblings, her father the eldest of 11, and her mother the eldest of 16; so we’ve got hundreds of photos spanning many generations.

Every time I’m back in Malaysia, I spend a few hours pouring over these photos, resolving to digitise them one day, but never actually doing it.

This trip is different.

A couple days ago, I downloaded PhotoScan by Google Photos, sat down with the photo albums, and got to work.

The app is great; as you’d expect from Google. The user captures an image from multiple angles, and the app stitches it together into one image without the glare. And it’s all saved immediately to the Camera Roll and Google Photos.

If you’re visiting family this holiday season, and have those albums that you’ve always been meaning to digitise, an hour with PhotoScan should relieve you of the anxiety that you may lose those memories.

One of my greatest pleasures of 2019 has been watching my nephew’s personality unfold since he was born 12 months ago.

When I give him a cuddle and start to sing, he joins in.

It’s a tiny, open-mouthed, “Ahhh,” held for 1-2 seconds at a time.

He sings without inhibition.

And his lack of it makes everyone smile.

Somewhere along the way, though, we learn inhibition.

We discover that the school yard rebukes those who act differently. We’re chastised for colouring outside the lines. We learn shame.

When we’re doing work that matters, it’s easy to fall victim to inhibition, to worry about failure, or to feel self-conscious.

My nephew’s singing, though soft and sweet, is a bold reminder to let go of what other’s may think.

I’m currently in Malaysia visiting my mum’s side of the family, and we’re en route to the beach.

There are 13 of us spanning four generations; all between the ages of 1 and 83.

With a group of this size, and with its diversity of age, we treat time a little differently.

Yes, there’s always a “planned” departure time, but we tend to leave much later.

And that’s okay. In fact, it’s welcomed. We’re together, and it’s beautiful.

There are too many books to read, and not enough time to even make a dent in all the good ones.

At my current run rate of a book every two weeks, and assuming I live an average lifespan, I’ve got about 1,000 books left.

So it’s important to make good decisions on which books make the cut.

This means being ruthless. If a book doesn’t resonate, the rational thing is to stop reading it.

But I, along with many others, suffer from sunk cost bias. We feel committed to finishing a book, regardless of how bad it is, because we’ve either paid for it, or simply because we started reading it.

If you read on Kindle, however, there is a simple way to overcome this problem, and it’s a method I’ll be using in 2020 to make better reading decisions.

If there is a book that catches your attention, download the free Kindle Sample. After reading the first few chapters, and if its message still resonates strongly, buy the book.

It may also be helpful to catalogue which books you decide not to read, and why you chose not to read it. A book that isn’t right for you today, may be just what you need in the future.

H/T Russell for this idea

As 2019 is coming to a close, I wanted to share my reading list for the year.

The list is sorted by how likely I recommend each book, and is accompanied by my short thoughts on each.

Enjoy!

All I want to know is where I’m going to die, so I don’t go there – Peter Bevelin: 9/10

Bevelin artfully weaves 40+ years of transcripts and interviews from Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger into a treatise on uncommon common sense. He delivers the wisdom as a conversation between the fictional ‘Seeker’, Buffett, Munger, and a Librarian. I’ve already re-read it.

Sapiens – Noah Yuval Harari: 9/10

An extraordinary summary of human history from the cognitive revolution 70,000 years ago, to the scientific revolution 500 years ago. It puts human progress into stunning perspective, and it reads like fiction.

Longitude – Dava Sobel: 9/10

This book was such a delight to read. Sobel deftly unfolds the story of John Harrison; the unlikeliest of scientific heroes. For hundreds of years, no one could establish how to measure longitude. Thousands died at sea due to poor navigation. The brightest minds, including Isaac Newton, thought the solution lay in the stars. However, John Harrison, a humble carpenter from rural England stunned the world by solving the problem with his watches that never lost the time.

Improv Wisdom – Patricia Ryan Madson: 8/10

Lessons for a happier and more fulfilled life from the world of improv theatre; there is much we can learn from this vulnerable theatre sport. I recommend the audiobook version so you can benefit from Madson’s delivery.

Pebbles of Perception – Lawrence Endersen: 8/10

An inspiring collection of ideas on making good life decisions. Endersen writes from a calm and centred perspective, and I lapped up the wisdom shared in this book. It also inspired this post.

Do the Work – Steven Pressfield: 8/10

Pressfield is a magician. Central to all his work is the idea of Resistance, and how we must overcome it in order to do our best work. If you’re new to Pressfield, you should start with The War of Art before turning to Do the Work.

The Obstacle is the Way – Ryan Holiday: 8/10

Stoic philosophy has resonated with me since reading Seneca’s ‘On the Shortness of Life‘ in 2014. However, Holiday has introduced Stoicism to a mainstream audience, and has done a great job at pioneering the pop-stoic culture. The central idea of the book is we may not control what happens to us, but we do have the ability to control our perception of those events, how we respond to them, and how we accept what we cannot change.

Bad Blood – John Carreyrou: 7/10

A cutting depiction of the dramatic downfall of Theranos, and the Silicon Valley darling, Elizabeth Holmes. Stunningly researched. Artfully told. As you read it, it feels like you’re watching Holmes deceive investors and put thousands of lives at risk with her lies about medical technology that never existed.

How to Stay Motivated – Zig Ziglar: 7/10

Ziglar is the grandfather of motivational speaking and self-improvement; he paved the way for the Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, and Seth Godins of our time. Ziglar’s ideas extend beyond motivation and cover identity, self-worth, daily affirmations, and inspiring anecdotes. Best consumed via the audiobook. Zig is inimitable.

The Elements of Style – William Strunk Jr: 6/10

A classic, short text on writing well. I revisit it regularly in an attempt to help rid myself of bad habits. Axioms like, “Omit needless words,” help me daily.

Ready Player One – Ernest Cline: 6/10

A fast-paced sci-fi gem. Never a dull moment, with likeable characters and classic 80s references carrying the story.

Legacy – James Kerr: 6/10

Widely regarded at the best insight into the psychology and practices of the world’s most successful sports team, the All Blacks. The behind the scenes access is unparalleled, especially the insight into practices off the training field that contribute to on-field performances.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work – David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried: 6/10

I needed this book this year. It’s a collection of ideas around what work should be, from the remarkable founders of software firm, Basecamp. It reminded me of the importance of a healthy mind, body, and home in enabling me to be my best self at work.

Superthinking – Gabriel Weinberg: 6/10

If you’re searching for a primer on mental models, this is your book. It weaves the explanation of hundreds of mental models into a narrative like structure. Better as an introduction rather than a study resource.

The Three-Body Problem – Cixin Liu: 5/10

This was my first experience of Chinese science fiction, and it didn’t disappoint. Set against the backdrop of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, it’s a tale of an academic’s journey to unearth the story behind an imminent alien invasion.

The Algebra of Happiness – Scott Galloway: 5/10

This is Galloway’s manifesto for a good life, taken from his annual 3 hour lecture to students in their final year at NYU. Galloway has become a respected critic of technology companies due to his distinct style, and he brings the same unapologetic, witty, and brash attitude to this book. You’re certain to disagree with some of his ideas, but you have to respect his boldness.

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote for Chaos – Jordan Peterson: 5/10

I like the simplicity and clarity of Peterson’s 12 rules, along with his strong convictions. However, he takes the long way round to get to the point, whereas I gravitate towards direct and plainly written texts. Still ranked at 5/10 due to the underlying ideas.

The Four-hour Body – Tim Ferriss: 5/10

I used Tim Ferriss’ Slo-Carb diet, outlined in this book, to lose 8 kilograms and reduce my body fat by 5% pts. In particular, I found the concept of having one “cheat day” per week, where I can eat all my favourite foods, to be a psychological superpower in helping me achieve my health goals. However, I recommend it as 5/10 because this book won’t be helpful to the majority of people, unless you’re deliberately seeking to make drastic changes to your diet to achieve body recomposition objectives.

How to Fight a Hydra – Joshua Kaufman: 5/10

This was a fun book. A fable that serves as a great metaphor for taking on any ambitious task or project.

The Great Mental Models – Shane Parrish: 5/10

This is the antithesis to Weinberg’s Superthinking. Parrish covers 9 ‘general thinking’ mental models in great detail, but I prefer the vast collection of articles on his website Farnam Street. This is the first volume in a five part series.

The Decision Book – Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler: 5/10

A collection of 50 decision making principles and concepts to improve and better understand yourself and others. A number of concepts felt immediately applicable to my life, and I’m sure each reader will feel certain principles jump out at them in the same way.

The One Thing – Gary Keller: 4/10

There is only ever One Thing that’s important at any given moment. Our workflow should be designed around creating time to focus on that One Thing. Everything else is irrelevant and can be done later.

The Four – Scott Galloway: 3/10

A clear summary of the impact Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon have had on our economies, job prospects, attention, purchasing habits, and culture. The most enjoyable part are the charts and anecdotes illustrating the unbelievable scale of these companies.

Traction – Gabriel Weinberg: 3/10

A good primer on the 19 channels you can use to rapidly scale your business. However, it missed the obvious: you can focus on growth channels all you want, but you can’t grow a business that doesn’t yet have Product/Market Fit, which is when a product resonates with a widespread set of customers and solves a real need.

Blitzscaling – Reid Hoffman: 2/10

The IPO class of 2019 proves that the traditional Venture Capital strategy (piling huge amounts of money into companies with unsustainable business models in the hope they become a monopoly) has been proven wrong. Yet, this is the entire premise of Blitzscaling. The book came out in late 2018, and just like James Cameron’s Avatar, I don’t think it’ll age well. The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing.

CDs haven’t aged well. I personally haven’t used one in 3 years, nor have I seen one in an office since 2014.

Which is why I was surprised to find the paper shredder at work, which is less than 2 years old, with a built in CD shredder.

This odd feature, in a relatively new appliance, got me thinking about product design and the risks we take when we ship to market.

Despite our best efforts, sometimes the thing we make will become obsolete earlier than we expected.

We may have a theory about which technologies will persist, and which will fade, but we’ll never get it right all the time.

Regardless, the important thing is to keep creating.

Our only obligation should be to produce the best that we can, with the information we have, put it out into the world, and react graciously when the world changes and proves us right or wrong.

Interested in knowing your carbon footprint?

I’m proud of one our teams at Bulb that recently launched a beta carbon calculator. Through this tool consumers can 1) better understand their emissions, and 2) offset them.

The biggest element of my carbon footprint is annual travel to see family in New Zealand. It’s more than my food, daily transport, and clothing emissions combined.

I’m not willing to give up seeing family, but it does help me think about my annual carbon footprint in a different light. It makes me question if there are other things I can do to lower my emissions.

Note: Bulb’s carbon calculator is currently optimised for a UK home, but it still works pretty well if you live elsewhere.

When Bishop James Jones gave the farewell address to a Liverpool school’s graduating class, he bucked the trend.

He didn’t ask them to follow their dreams.

He didn’t recommend they try to be the best they could be.

He simply asked them to be fair, and in doing so, help make the world a fairer place.

He acknowledged this wouldn’t make them rich or famous, but their instant applause told him he’d struck a chord. A chord resonating with duty, respect, and integrity.

His departing words were, “Be fair, and all else will fall into place.”

That’s a nice one to ponder upon.

An old colleague of mine spent his 5 year PhD programme researching the economics of happiness.

Over lunch one day, I asked him what he’d learnt. Without hesitation, he replied, “There was only one thing that was proven time and again as the biggest controllable factor in our happiness: our commute.”

And sure enough, for as long as I’ve known him, he’s lived a short 10 minute stroll from his office.

This could be a post about commuting, or it could be one about practising what you preach.

I’ll let you decide.

One of my favourite books this year was ‘Improv Wisdom’ by Patricia Ryan Madson, a professor of drama and improvisation at Stanford for 28 years.

As it turns out, we can learn a lot about how to live a happy and fulfilled life from improvised theatre.

One particular phrase stood out to me. Patricia encouraged all her students to “make at least one ego-crushing mistake per class.”

Improv theatre is about saying “yes” to the suggestions of those sharing the stage with us. It’s a willingness to try something new. It’s the self-awareness to know that some ideas will fail miserably, and that’s okay.

If we’re not trying anything new, if we don’t risk making an ego-crushing mistake, we’ll never break new ground. This is true in theatre, in work, and in life.