I’ve read 3 of of Seth Godin’s books at this point, Tribes, Linchpin, and Purple Cow. Tribes is about the idea that you must become a leader. Linchpin argues that in order to be appreciated, you must do things that make you important. Purple Cow suspects that uniqueness and difference are important in order toContinue reading “The Seth Godin Formula: Assessing Seth’s Books”
Tag Archives: books
Which dragon are you chasing?
I was listening to a podcast earlier with Tim Ferriss and Neil Strauss, and it largely talked about writing. When you write, the only way you’re going to get things done is by getting started, by taking action. Tim’s approach to this is that he has a quota of two bad pages to write perContinue reading “Which dragon are you chasing?”
The Juicy Bits of ‘Influence’ (Ch 5-8)
Chapter 5 Liking Compliance settings include ones with reciprocity, commitment, and social proof. The person most effective at selling is not the demonstrator, but rather the hostess. Buying from a friend makes a big difference. Having the name of a friend to call on makes a difference. People want to help their friends. Most successfulContinue reading “The Juicy Bits of ‘Influence’ (Ch 5-8)”
Take Risks With Cover Letters
Most jobs that are desirable have tons of applicants, and even ones that don’t prefer to hire people that they want to work with. If you think about the hiring process, and what the employer wants out of it, it immediately becomes clear that the optimal strategy- much like in dating- is to be polarizing.Continue reading “Take Risks With Cover Letters”
Do Things You Love
If you struggle to identify what you want to make into a small business, you should default to something you love doing. There will come times when problems arise, revenue is low, and stress is high. At these moments, it becomes hard to sustain progress. When this happens, if you don’t have some illuminating reasonContinue reading “Do Things You Love”
A little on Phillip Roth
I’ve always been a sucker for postmodern literature. I like how it plays with structure and reliability to make narrative more interesting by adding extra dimensions. That’s not to say all postmodern writers are equally wonderful. I’ve recently been revisiting authors I like, and I keep coming back to Phillip Roth as one of myContinue reading “A little on Phillip Roth”
Why Glenn Loury, Scott Alexander & Tyler Cowen Are My Favorite Public Intellectuals
I used to be super plugged into political commentary, but as time has gone on, I’ve tried to move towards a more practical understanding of the issues in front of me on an interpersonal, intellectual, and social level. I think the thing that these intellectuals all have in common is a desire to find truthContinue reading “Why Glenn Loury, Scott Alexander & Tyler Cowen Are My Favorite Public Intellectuals”
A brief review of Ray Dalio’s principles
The other week, I read Ray Dalio’s book Principles. There were parts that I think were extremely insightful, but some other aspects that I thought less effective. I recently worked at a company that tried to implement Dalio’s principles, with mixed success, which I think underlies my view of this book. Let’s start by talkingContinue reading “A brief review of Ray Dalio’s principles”
A (not so) Brief Review of Madison, Wisconsin
Over the last year and a half, I’ve lived in Madison in a couple different places ranging from the East side to downtown. As someone originally from the Northeast, I wanted to provide a retrospective location check for those interested in the tradeoffs associated with moving there. Price: B Overall, I place Madison at aContinue reading “A (not so) Brief Review of Madison, Wisconsin”
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