Plants in the wild: taking whatever Mother Nature throws at them and thriving
Houseplants: “you watered me on Sunday versus Saturday so now I must die”
The AirPod fell out of my ear several feet away from the edge of the subway platform, but I’ve never seen anything more inevitable. RIP little buddy. Thanks for all the podcasts.
Everyone is arguing about which city is the best tech hub and I'm just like...so where can I live that won't flood, burn, shake or be overrun by mosquitoes?
One of the best career hacks I know is to work for a CEO who already gets the value of your profession/function. It's far more rewarding to focus on doing your job than to continually explain and justify it.
While I’m understandably shattered, I’m proud of myself for:
1) Not lunging after it and becoming the first ever AirPod-related subway death.
2) Still going to the gym against all odds and without entertainment!!!
I wonder if we'll eventually learn that AirPods have had a negative impact on our collective mental health. It now feels weird to take a walk or do the dishes without listening to a podcast or an audiobook. We are always consuming, rarely processing or letting our minds wander.
Gen X: I met my spouse at a bar.
Millennial: I met my spouse on a dating app.
Gen Z: I met my spouse in a DAO we both joined to buy the U.S. Constitution.
X is the future state of unlimited interactivity – centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking – creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities. Powered by AI, X will connect us all in ways we’re just beginning to imagine.
Our future is either that we’re all Uber drivers and take turns driving each other around, or we’re all podcast hosts and take turns being each other’s guests...I just can’t decide which one is worse 🤔
How to write an email:
Write email.
Replace apology with “thanks for your patience.”
Remove all instances of “very” and “so.”
Delete exclamation points. Okay yikes, rude. Add half back in.
You get one (1) smiley face so use it wisely!
Is “cheers” weird? Change to “best.”
I used to not comprehend how people could have busy full-time jobs AND side hustles—it made me feel lazy and inadequate. But I now understand that it’s a question of energy, not time. If your projects outside of work give you energy, they’re filling your tank, not draining it. ✨
web3 discourse is fascinating. Insiders have little patience for non-believers, skeptics are quick to dismiss the category as a scam. But there are a LOT of curious, quiet people in between. Kudos to anyone taking the time to explain what’s happening in a nuanced & accessible way
We lost my grandfather to coronavirus yesterday. He was 96, and led an incredible life. I’m so lucky I got 35 years with him, and my heart breaks for people losing loved ones far too soon. But wow, grieving at this time sucks. I feel robbed of getting to be with him and family.
Sex and the City 2021:
Carrie launches a Substack
Samantha buys herself a new handbag, funded by her OnlyFans
Charlotte quits Instagram after someone calls her a "Karen" in comments
Miranda loses $100K trading meme stocks on Robinhood and is afraid to tell Steve
The change in sentiment towards tech April Fools jokes is a perfect proxy for how attitudes about the tech industry have evolved.
Ten years ago: how adorable and clever!! 🥰
Today: please stop and just do your job, preferably without destroying democracy and/or society 🙄
Restaurant convo: "Wow this burger is really good." Us: "Oh." "I ordered it because of some woman named Ashley on Twitter." We smile. "Oh, are you Ashley?" Coinbase engineer.
This sexist, lazy and mean spirited article is deeply embarrassing for the New York Times, and sends yet another message to women founders who already feel like they’re building with a target on their backs.
Stages of Coronavirus reactions:
Awareness: Today's Daily episode
Concern: Grocery stores begin to stock out of key items
Panic: Billionaires board their private planes for New Zealand bunkers
Acceptance: Zoom becomes the world's most valuable company
It is hard to convey just how much shifting from a ~75 minute driving commute (each way) with unpredictable traffic and parking challenges to a 30 minute door-to-door walking + subway commute (including a coffee stop) has reduced anxiety in my daily existence. 😅
Work/life update: I realize this makes me a pandemic cliche, but I’ve decided to take time to reset, work on a few projects and, of course, spend more time with my dog. This week is my last at Glossier.
One interesting exercise is to unbundle everything you might get (or want) from a full-time job (purpose, camaraderie, structure, learning, status, cash flow, equity, etc) and consider how you might arrange your life to find them elsewhere.
10X dogs.
Humans, if you ever come across a 10X dog, grab it. If you have a 10X dog as part of your life, your chances of happiness will improve significantly.
OK, here’s a tough question.
How do you spot a 10X dog?
I'm in a marketing adjacent function so by no means an expert, but it feels like, in the startup world, the past decade's focus has been the science of marketing (data, optimization), to the point that it's now less of an advantage. Perhaps the next decade is all about the art.
Me: hi I’d like to make a reservation—confirming you have outdoor seating?
Restaurant: sorry, outdoor seating was only available during the pandemic.
Me: but, we’re still in a pandemic...
Restaurant:...
Me:...
Me: I don’t think it’s fair to call Theranos a “cautionary tale” for startups broadly.
*reads Bad Blood*
Also me: never mind.
Me: What does Fyre Festival even have to do with startups?
*watches documentary*
Also me: well fuck.
And now for something a little different.✨
I’m excited to share that I’m joining
@Glossier
to lead comms. I’ve been a fan for years as both a customer and marketer -- this team is defining what it means to build a brand in collaboration with its customers. Starting 11/26!
Some lovely troll on this site told me my boobs aren’t big enough to start a company (lol) and I just want to say, wow, I am so so sorry to all the male would-be founders out there!! Devastating news for you.
Desired qualities in a partner pre-pandemic:
- loves travel!
- loves the outdoors!!
- great sense of style
- cool friend group
During pandemic:
- likes to cook
- buys toilet paper in bulk
- bathes regularly
- still wears pants
- doesn’t look awful in a mask
Anyone: "I've founded three companies and have been named on many lists of important people."
Me: "uh huh" 😴
Anyone: "I work full-time but I also have a hobby."
Me: "OMG HOW DO YOU DO IT!?!?"
The key to a successful marriage is one person insisting “look at the dog” dozens of times per day and the other person always looking and saying “aww.”
I've run the numbers twice and can confirm that a 60 degree day during a New York winter is 15 degrees warmer than a 60 degree day during a San Francisco summer.