Postcard 1: Hello From NY
Hi Friends,
Welcome to the first edition of the weekly postcard. I am truly grateful you've trusted me to send you this weekly newsletter. Some of you who subscribed to my blog years ago may have forgotten that you did because I am ashamed to say I never sent you even one email.
Well, that is over; I'll be sending a weekly email with the best and coolest ideas I am reading about each week.
I promise not to waste your time. You can unsubscribe anytime, although I'll miss you. You can also reply to me directly on this email with feedback or if you want to get in touch. Yes, this is a real email address. Now, let's get to the postcard.
The top 3 articles:
Too Much, Too Soon, Too Fast by Morgan Housel
Morgan Housel wrote the book "The Psychology of Money" (which is a great book). His article is a warning about what happens when there is too much growth too quickly. He gives many examples of investments, businesses, and people who have not heeded that warning. The overall message is that as the money keeps flowing into the US and global economy, there is only so much healthy growth that can happen before things collapse. It is a fascinating read.
The Microwave Economy by David Perell
David is an amazing observer of the world and a teacher of the writing course I am currently enrolled in, Write of Passage. He has observed that craftsmanship is dying. No matter how expensive they may be, many things are now made for mass consumption, and everything feels cheap. From homes to everything else, it is a great dive into how our modern world has lost its ability to make great things that can last.
Why kids hate writing - by Michael He
While Michael writes this article about kids hating to write but everything he says applies to Adults too. I am trying to become a better writer myself, and everything he says about why we are so bad at it resonated with me very much. Much of it has to do with our education systems.
The top 3 tweets:
I was a developer for 6 years before I broke $70k / year, which I still look at as a lot of money.
I remember thinking I would literally work for almost anything just to get my foot in the door, & I did.
That said, I love seeing people do much better earlier in their career!!— Nader Dabit (@dabit3) March 21, 2021
Nader goes further in that tweet storm (more than one tweet, so you should click it) and its a great story about how lucky we are in our industry. My own journey as a dev I got paid 45k a year when I started. Took the job just to have an opportunity in this field. When I landed a job that paid 75k a year, I remember how fortunate I felt. I felt like I made it. Never stopped feeling fortunate in this industry
"We only hire from top schools" is lazy practice that results in less-than-top teams. This thread is a rough attempt to explain why 🧵👇
— martin_casado (@martin_casado) March 28, 2021
Over relying on school admissions for your top talent into a company is a formula for missing out on the best of the best of hires. Great thread from someone with experience on what admissions at top Schools is and it isn't.
Memento Mori is a powerful philosophical tool for finding clarity and unlocking growth in your career, startup, business, writing, or relationships.
A thread on its meaning and how it can change your life... pic.twitter.com/OGQYZb57y4— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) February 28, 2021
Sahil goes into the Roman concept of Memento Mori (click on it for the whole thing, its very good) which is a powerful way to remind ourselves about what's worth doing.
My most recent article
Cities are having a tough time of it during the Coronavirus, most people now believe they are going to make a comeback post vaccines. My belief is that NYC will come back incredibly strong. This week on my blog I wrote about New York after the virus.
Thank you again, you can expect these postcards from me every week, and don't forget to reach out if you want to discuss any of these articles, ideas, or any of my other writings.
Sincerely,
Louie