Everything, page 6
All 1,214 links from the newsletter, newest first. Page 6 of 25.
Links 251 to 300
The remembered self keeps what broke expectations
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #206
A concert is interrupted by a crash, then the music restores within seconds
Summary
The remembered self recalls whatever broke expectations, not the whole experience as it was lived.
The speaker describes a distinction made by a Nobel Prize-winning economist between the experienced self and the remembered self. In his example, a concert is magical until something crashes in the middle, and listeners later remember the interruption when asked about the concert. The speaker concludes that the remembering mind divides and reduces experiences, and that happiness comes from the heart rather than the mind.
Key points- A concert is interrupted by a crash, then the music restores within seconds
- Asked about the experience, the experienced self would call it magnificent
- The remembered self fixates on whatever did not match expectations
Bragging and refusing to apologise signal low EQ
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #206
Bragging for validation, instead of privately appreciating success, signals low EQ
Summary
Experts say bragging, refusing to apologize and not praising others signal low emotional intelligence.
The video lists six behaviors that it says signal low emotional intelligence, and claims four or more means low EQ. They are bragging about achievements, being unable to apologize, not praising others, rejecting other viewpoints, not reflecting on one's own thoughts and feelings, and being unable to empathize. Humility, sincere apology, reflection and empathy are presented as the markers of higher EQ.
Key points- Bragging for validation, instead of privately appreciating success, signals low EQ
- Being unable to give a sincere apology is a serious warning sign
- Feeling jealous of others' achievements, rather than happy for them, is another sign
Big wins need uncomfortable risks like rejection
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #206
The speaker says he calls strangers, asks for money and asks people to join
Summary
Big professional and personal wins require uncomfortable risks, like calling strangers and enduring rejection.
The speaker argues that nothing great, personally or professionally, happens without uncomfortable risks such as approaching strangers, asking for money and enduring rejection. Drawing on his work as an entrepreneur, he says most people avoid these moments because they are embarrassing. He worries that young people are being offered a comfortable substitute for real life by deep-pocketed organizations.
Key points- The speaker says he calls strangers, asks for money and asks people to join
- Most people avoid big opportunities because rejection is painful
- Persistence, forgiveness and setting ego aside are needed to endure rejection
Check sleep, food and breath before deciding
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #206
Ask: have you slept, eaten well, moved your body, and breathed?
Summary
Before acting on heavy thoughts, check your sleep, food, movement and breathing, since they often change how you feel.
A speaker with ADHD shares a checklist to run when struggling: have you slept, eaten well, moved your body and spent time breathing. The speaker says feelings often change once these are covered. The speaker also describes a period of feeling hopeless, and asking what they would do if life ended tomorrow led them to pursue things they had been avoiding, such as telling a joke on stage.
Key points- Ask: have you slept, eaten well, moved your body, and breathed?
- If any answer is no, meet those needs first and reassess
- The speaker says the feeling often changes once the basics are covered
Everything You Wanted to Know About the World, in Charts
Tool · ourworldindata.org · Issue #206
Our World in Data is a research and data site that publishes charts, articles, and data explorers on large problems such as child mortality, poverty, life expectancy, CO2 emissions, and literacy.
Summary
Our World in Data is a research and data site that publishes charts, articles, and data explorers on large problems such as child mortality, poverty, life expectancy, CO2 emissions, and literacy. It holds over 13,000 charts across 126 topics. Content is free and openly licensed, with charts and articles under CC BY unless stated otherwise. It is run by the Global Change Data Lab, a UK nonprofit.
Mental Models Used by History's Greatest Minds
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #205
Dante Borgese's video introduces mental models for better thinking.
Summary
Dante Borgese's video introduces mental models for better thinking. Its chapters cover the map is not the territory, circle of competence, first principles, second-order thinking, probabilistic thinking, inversion, Occam's Razor, Hanlon's Razor, and the Eisenhower Matrix. The description links a free weekly ideas Substack and a paid Gumroad PDF.
Relationships cycle through harmony, disruption, repair
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #205
The speaker calls the dark phase of hating your partner normal marital hatred
Summary
Every relationship moves through harmony, disruption and repair, and the skill is learning to return to closeness.
The speaker says relationships move through harmony, disharmony and repair, and that couples need skills to get from disruption back to closeness. He describes a dark phase in which partners can resent or hate each other, which he calls normal marital hatred. He cites a couples therapy pioneer who said the first day of a real marriage is the day one partner admits they made a mistake.
Key points- The speaker calls the dark phase of hating your partner normal marital hatred
- Your partner is probably feeling the same disappointment about you
- Repair skills are what couples need, since culture does not teach them
Feeling lost early in learning is normal
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #205
Feeling overwhelmed while learning is a feature, not a bug, the speaker says
Summary
Feeling lost for the first two or three months of learning something new is normal and not a reason to quit.
The speaker argues that people quit because they expect quick competence. Two to three months of not knowing what you are doing is normal when learning something new, and feeling overwhelmed is part of the process. Not knowing after a week means you are a beginner, not that you should stop.
Key points- Feeling overwhelmed while learning is a feature, not a bug, the speaker says
- Not knowing what you are doing after a week just means you are a beginner
- Many people quit at this stage, before the learning curve turns
The brain's favourite lie
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #205
A short TikTok on what it calls the brain's favorite lie.
Summary
A short TikTok on what it calls the brain's favorite lie.
Ask which of three scenarios applies
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #205
'We got that taken care of' is a very common objection in cold calls
Summary
When a prospect says they already have that handled, ask which of three scenarios they are in to open the conversation.
A salesperson describes a cold call script that worked when a prospect said they already had the issue handled. The opener asks which of three situations applies: they hate their current provider, they are happy with it, or things are fine but they are open to other options. The prospect in this case disliked the provider, which led to months of relationship building and a closed deal.
Key points- 'We got that taken care of' is a very common objection in cold calls
- The three scenarios: they hate their provider, love it, or are open to evaluating
- The speaker says this self-sourced cold call became his biggest deal
Got It in Your Genes? Maybe It's Time to Pass It On
Tool · dkms.pl · Issue #205
Visitors are invited to register as potential bone marrow donors.
Summary
Visitors are invited to register as potential bone marrow donors. Registration is done online by ordering a kit, filling it out, and sending it back. The message frames joining as a simple step that could give a blood cancer patient a stem cell transplant from a stranger.
Manus: When ChatGPT Grows a Spine (and a To-Do List)
Tool · manus.im · Issue #205
Manus is an AI product that aims to execute tasks and automate workflows rather than only answer questions.
Summary
Manus is an AI product that aims to execute tasks and automate workflows rather than only answer questions. Its homepage shows use cases such as creating slides, building websites, designing, and making video, along with a Slack integration, a team plan, single sign-on, and an API. Plans are listed on a separate pricing page. The company is Manus AI.
A ridiculously deep dive into the fruit we all pretend is a vegetable
Read · worksinprogress.news · 16 min · Issue #205
Evan DeTurk traces the tomato's roughly 80,000-year history, from small wild Central and South American plants to the modern crop.
Summary
Evan DeTurk traces the tomato's roughly 80,000-year history, from small wild Central and South American plants to the modern crop. Breeding for uniform ripening and yield made tomatoes redder and easier to harvest but reduced their sugar content. CRISPR has produced sweeter tomatoes with up to 30% more sugar, and a purple, antioxidant-rich tomato was FDA-approved in 2023. He suggests restoring genetic diversity could help.
Life Is Short: How to Spend It Wisely
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #204
Sadia's 8-minute Pick Up Limes video urges viewers to make the most of their relationships.
Summary
Sadia's 8-minute Pick Up Limes video urges viewers to make the most of their relationships. It moves through the good old days, the evolution of how people connect, and takeaways. The description links to Our World in Data lifespan graphs. BetterHelp sponsors the video, and the video is free to watch.
Ten minutes of night thoughts calms racing minds
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #204
Stretching or deep breathing helps activate the parasympathetic system
Summary
Spend about 10 minutes each night processing your thoughts outside bed in dim light to calm a racing mind.
A speaker who works with athletes recommends spending 10 minutes each night outside bed, in dim light, processing thoughts. Options include stretching or deep breathing to shift the nervous system toward rest, or journaling and writing a to-do list. The speaker says even five minutes a day is a useful start.
Key points- Stretching or deep breathing helps activate the parasympathetic system
- Journaling or writing a to-do list works if stretching is not your thing
- Start with five minutes if 10 feels like too much
Introduce yourself without social labels
Short · instagram.com · Issue #204
Drop occupation, nationality, ethnicity, hobbies and religion from the introduction
Summary
Introducing yourself without occupation, origin, religion or hobbies reveals your essence rather than your social tags.
A short clip poses a question: introduce yourself without mentioning occupation, nationality, ethnicity, hobbies, religion or where you grew up. The speaker says this question partly made their career and drew about 16 million views. The exchange suggests the prompt makes people focus on their essence rather than the social categories they belong to.
Key points- Drop occupation, nationality, ethnicity, hobbies and religion from the introduction
- The speaker says the question forces you to think about your essence
- The other person is then seen for their soul, not their social categories
A rough tool beats months of preparation
Short · instagram.com · Issue #204
One man spends six months on gear and a coach before he ever fishes
Summary
Starting with a rough tool and iterating beats six months of preparation, the speaker argues with a fishing story.
The speaker tells a story about two men learning to fish. One spends six months preparing with a custom rod and coach, while the other grabs a stick, rope and a hot dog and fishes the next day. The second man adjusts his spot, bait and rod over three days and gets a bite. The speaker takes from this that starting with imperfect gear beats waiting to gather it all.
Key points- One man spends six months on gear and a coach before he ever fishes
- The other grabs a stick, rope and a hot dog, then adjusts bait and spot daily
- The one who started ends up with a fishing business and restaurants, in the story
Using your first name may deter captors
Short · instagram.com · Issue #204
The speaker says a bar confrontation started over an empty chair and a threat
Summary
Giving your first name in a confrontation makes you harder to harm, since captors are less likely to hurt someone they know by name.
The speaker describes using his first name in a confrontation at a bar. Introducing himself while holding out his hand turned a threat into a personal exchange with a man blocking an empty seat. He argues that hostages are safer when captors use their names, because it is harder to hurt someone you know by name.
Key points- The speaker says a bar confrontation started over an empty chair and a threat
- He introduced himself as Chris, holding out his hand to make the other man see him
- He says using a hostage's name makes captors treat them better, not just spare them
Notece: A Notepad for Your Inner World
Tool · notece.com · Issue #204
Notece is a journaling app for working through personal worries, in closed beta and coming soon to the App Store.
Summary
Notece is a journaling app for working through personal worries, in closed beta and coming soon to the App Store. Entries can be split into what happened, what they think, and how they feel. An emotion tracker shows the day's feelings as weather, and a 3D room is furnished through eight self-reflection exercises. The creators, Marki and Ayaz, say it took three years to develop.
Copylists - Lists for when your brain has tabs open
Tool · copylists.com · Issue #204
CopyLists is a site of ready-made lists in more than 30 categories, including animals, geography, food, space, names, and vocabulary in several languages.
Summary
CopyLists is a site of ready-made lists in more than 30 categories, including animals, geography, food, space, names, and vocabulary in several languages. Users can copy lists or download them as plain text, PDF, Word, Excel, JSON, or CSV. A List Sorter tool and a free Online Clipboard for organizing copied text are also offered. The lists are intended for social media, newsletters, teaching, and brainstorming.
What if we hit superintelligence by 2027?
Read · ai-2027.com · 8 min · Issue #204
AI 2027 is a dated scenario forecast of superhuman AI from mid-2025 through late 2027, by Daniel Kokotajlo, Scott Alexander, Thomas Larsen, Eli Lifland, and Romeo Dean.
Summary
AI 2027 is a dated scenario forecast of superhuman AI from mid-2025 through late 2027, by Daniel Kokotajlo, Scott Alexander, Thomas Larsen, Eli Lifland, and Romeo Dean. It follows a fictional lab, OpenBrain, and its Chinese rival, DeepCent, through milestones such as AI speeding up its own research. Two endings, a slowdown and a race, are presented. An update says the authors' later median estimates fall after 2027.
Anne-Laure Le Cunff on the Mental Scripts Behind Our Choices
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #203
Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff's 49-minute Big Think interview covers how mental habits shape productivity and wellbeing.
Summary
Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff's 49-minute Big Think interview covers how mental habits shape productivity and wellbeing. She argues for treating life choices as small, testable experiments rather than seeking certainty, and links uncertainty and anxiety to the brain's evolved fear of the unknown. The talk names three cognitive scripts: the sequel, crowd pleaser, and epic scripts.
Strategy means choices with a theory of winning
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #203
Plans can list a new plant, new brand and new hiring with no coherence
Summary
A strategy is a coherent set of choices with a theory of winning, while planning is often just a list of activities.
The speaker argues that most strategic planning is really a list of activities a company controls, such as new plants or talent programs. A strategy is a coherent set of choices with a theory of how to win, aimed at a customer outcome the company cannot fully control. Southwest Airlines is the example: it chose point-to-point flights, one aircraft type and online booking, while larger carriers kept planning.
Key points- Plans can list a new plant, new brand and new hiring with no coherence
- A strategy states why this playing field and how you will win on it
- Plans track costs you control, while strategy targets outcomes customers value
Breathing and meditation loosen reactive stories
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #203
A conscious breath lights up the frontal lobe, where choices are made
Summary
Conscious breathing and meditation help you move from reactive stories to deliberate choices, the speaker argues.
The speaker says breath links the conscious and subconscious mind, and that a deliberate pause lights up the frontal lobe, where conscious choices are made. The speaker cites a study in which non-meditators did 20 minutes of meditation a day for eight weeks, and brain scans showed a smaller amygdala and more gray matter in the frontal lobe.
Key points- A conscious breath lights up the frontal lobe, where choices are made
- The speaker cites a Harvard study: 20 minutes a day for eight weeks
- The study reportedly shrank the amygdala and grew gray matter
Identities like helper make people comply more
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #203
Asking 'would you mind being a helper' raised cleanup help by about 50%
Summary
Turning an action into an identity, like 'helper' instead of 'help', makes people more likely to do what you ask.
Jonah Berger, a Wharton professor and author of Magic Words, argues that small wording changes affect whether people comply. In a preschool experiment, asking children to be helpers rather than to help raised cooperation by about 50 percent, and calling someone a voter rather than asking them to vote raised turnout by about 15 percent. He also recommends confident language without filler words, and recording yourself to review your speech.
Key points- Asking 'would you mind being a helper' raised cleanup help by about 50%
- Changing vote to voter raised turnout about 15%, per the speaker
- Describing someone as a hard worker makes the trait seem more lasting
Forcing an outcome like sleep reduces it
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #203
The harder you consciously will something, the less you succeed
Summary
Trying too hard to force an outcome, like sleep, reduces your chances of getting it, per Huxley's law of reversed effort.
The speaker explains the law of reversed effort, an idea named by Aldous Huxley that echoes older ideas in Stoicism and Daoism. The more someone consciously forces a result, such as falling asleep, the less likely it is to happen. Using examples like picking at a mosquito bite, the speaker suggests that relationships, jobs and new homes sometimes need letting go rather than harder effort.
Key points- The harder you consciously will something, the less you succeed
- Sleep comes to those who focus on anything but sleep itself
- Proficiency comes from the paradoxical art of doing and not doing
Linear - Project management, but make it clean
Tool · linear.app · Issue #203
Linear is a product development tool built for planning and building products with AI agents.
Summary
Linear is a product development tool built for planning and building products with AI agents. It turns customer feedback into routed, labeled issues, covers initiatives, roadmaps, and PRDs, and provides code review, diffs, and coding sessions that open pull requests. Agents can take on whole issues, and recurring agent workflows respond to changes in Slack and GitHub. The company says over 40,000 product teams use it.
Emery: A Daily Planner That Doesn't Try Too Hard
Tool · emery.to · Issue #203
Emery is a daily planner app built around a clean slate each morning: you plan the day in about five minutes, and missed tasks do not pile up into a backlog.
Summary
Emery is a daily planner app built around a clean slate each morning: you plan the day in about five minutes, and missed tasks do not pile up into a backlog. Tasks are sorted into Fires, Growth, and Extras, and can be dragged onto the calendar as time blocks. It syncs two ways with Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCloud, and runs on web, iOS, and Android.
Self-Improvement as Neoliberal Ideology (Part 1)
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #202
Anna Bocca's video argues that the drive for self-improvement, hustle culture, and self-help podcasts are products of neoliberalism, a market-fundamentalist ideology.
Summary
Anna Bocca's video argues that the drive for self-improvement, hustle culture, and self-help podcasts are products of neoliberalism, a market-fundamentalist ideology. She contends that this mindset helps billionaires build empires while everyone else competes just to keep up. Thatcher, Reagan, and Milton Friedman feature, along with wealth inequality and self-commodification. It is part 1 of a series.
Where the money from debt ends up
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #202
A short TikTok asking where the money from debt ends up.
Summary
A short TikTok asking where the money from debt ends up.
Make your 8-year-old and 80-year-old proud
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #202
The 8-year-old cared about joy and aliveness, not status or money
Summary
The two people to make proud are your 8-year-old self, who wanted to feel safe and alive, and your 80-year-old self.
The speaker says there are only two people to make proud: the version of you at age eight and the version at 80. The eight-year-old cared about feeling safe and alive, while the 80-year-old will care whether you lived bravely and loved openly, not about past mistakes or doubters. The speaker urges listeners to set aside pressure and expectation and live a life that would satisfy both.
Key points- The 8-year-old cared about joy and aliveness, not status or money
- The 80-year-old will ask whether you lived bravely and loved openly
- Pressure and expectation can hide both versions of you
Homeowners would sell at the right offer
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #202
In audiences, about four or five hands say their house is on the market
Summary
Many homeowners would sell for an attractive offer, so making every home technically available could free up housing.
The speaker reports an informal poll in audiences over 45 in Canada, Ireland and the UK. Four or five people typically said their home was on the market, while about four times as many said they would move for an attractive unsolicited offer. Arguing that this 4 to 1 ratio reveals hidden supply, the speaker proposes that all homes accept offers, as businesses and rare-collectible sellers already do.
Key points- In audiences, about four or five hands say their house is on the market
- About four times as many say they would move for an attractive offer
- The speaker proposes a system where people can submit offers on any home
Contrast makes brands stand out
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #202
Apple broke the spec-heavy ad pattern with one clean product shot
Summary
Brands stand out through contrast, because the brain notices what breaks its patterns.
The speaker argues that brands become memorable by breaking expectations, because the brain notices what disrupts familiar patterns. Most brands use the same colors and safe messaging. Apple is given as an example: when tech ads were crowded with specs, Apple showed one clean product shot. The speaker suggests going loud in a quiet industry, or choosing red when competitors use blue.
Key points- Apple broke the spec-heavy ad pattern with one clean product shot
- If competitors all use blue, the speaker suggests trying red
- If everyone lists features, tell a story instead
How Many Plants: Houseplant Care for Beginners
Tool · howmanyplants.com · Issue #202
How Many Plants is a houseplant care resource with guides on watering, lighting, propagation, and troubleshooting, sorted into Plant Care 101, Beyond the Basics, and Troubleshooting.
Summary
How Many Plants is a houseplant care resource with guides on watering, lighting, propagation, and troubleshooting, sorted into Plant Care 101, Beyond the Basics, and Troubleshooting. A section called The Dirt covers plant shops, planter finds, and design tips. A design tool for illustrated plant collections is listed as coming soon, and a Plant Club membership is on a waitlist.
Suno Explore: AI Music Generator
Tool · suno.com · Issue #202
Suno is an AI music generator where users create original songs from prompts in seconds.
Summary
Suno is an AI music generator where users create original songs from prompts in seconds. The explore page links to sections for Hooks, Create, and Me, and lets users share music and discover tracks from artists worldwide. The site says music creation is free.
When your gut goes quiet
Read · aeon.co · 21 min · Issue #202
Ronald W Dworkin, an anaesthesiologist with 30 years of practice, describes losing his intuition after a vacation and the doubt and freezing that followed.
Summary
Ronald W Dworkin, an anaesthesiologist with 30 years of practice, describes losing his intuition after a vacation and the doubt and freezing that followed. He argues that intuition is essential to expert judgment when facts are incomplete, and that its value rests on faith and will as well as reason. His intuition returned by day's end, and he concludes that doubt is a permanent part of expert practice.
How Absurdly Hard the Polish Language Is
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #201
A humorous video on the many ways Polish seems to make no sense, delivered with plenty of pain and humor.
Summary
A humorous video on the many ways Polish seems to make no sense, delivered with plenty of pain and humor. It is presented as a light watch for anyone who wants a laugh.
Four factors behind great teamwork
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #201
A compelling direction gives the team a clear goal that energizes it
Summary
The speaker says 15 years of research point to four factors behind great teamwork.
Vince Sanderson, who helps companies build leadership and management skills, says 15 years of research points to four factors of effective teamwork. The first is a compelling direction with clear goals, the second is a strong structure with a mix of characters and skills, and the third is a supportive context where people feel trusted, valued and heard. The fourth is a shared mindset built from common goals and support.
Key points- A compelling direction gives the team a clear goal that energizes it
- Strong structure means a mix of characters and skill sets
- Supportive context from managers and peers makes people feel seen and trusted
A good handshake keeps fingers low
Short · youtu.be · Issue #201
Keep your fingers down, since a raised finger reaches into the other person's space
Summary
A good handshake keeps fingers low, applies firm rather than crushing pressure, and sometimes adds a touch on the arm.
The speaker explains a good handshake: keep the fingers low instead of reaching up into the other person's hand, apply firm pressure without squeezing hard, and avoid engulfing the hand. Cupping the hand is acceptable only with people you know well. Touching the upper arm after the shake is an option with someone you want to connect with.
Key points- Keep your fingers down, since a raised finger reaches into the other person's space
- Don't squeeze too tight, because the speaker is never impressed by a crushing grip
- Cupping the hand is fine with people you know, then touch their upper arm
Why familiar ideas still feel like revelations
Short · youtu.be · Issue #201
A short YouTube video asking why an idea heard a thousand times can still feel like a revelation.
Summary
A short YouTube video asking why an idea heard a thousand times can still feel like a revelation.
Hacker Laws: A Reference to Software Laws and Principles
Tool · hacker-laws.com · Issue #201
Hacker Laws is a free reference site describing about 50 laws and principles from software development, such as Conway's Law, Parkinson's Law, Brooks' Law, DRY, KISS, and SOLID.
Summary
Hacker Laws is a free reference site describing about 50 laws and principles from software development, such as Conway's Law, Parkinson's Law, Brooks' Law, DRY, KISS, and SOLID. Each entry includes a description, quotes, real-world examples, and related entries. The introduction says it does not advocate for any of them, leaving application to the reader. A free PDF and reading list are also linked.
What If All Ads Were Illegal?
Read · simone.org · 21 min · Issue #201
Simone Salis's essay argues for abolishing all paid and third-party advertising.
Summary
Simone Salis's essay argues for abolishing all paid and third-party advertising. The author says ads manipulate without informing, and that propaganda is advertising for the state while advertising is propaganda for private interests. The essay names Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, Google, and YouTube as platforms that would lose their economic base. It presents the ban as a thought experiment rather than a near-term proposal.
Dan Koe: A Non-Needy Approach to Networking
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #200
Dan Koe argues that networking with high-value people works better when you stop chasing them.
Summary
Dan Koe argues that networking with high-value people works better when you stop chasing them. The video lays out seven steps: find someone to DM, send an inspired compliment, show genuine interest, lead with value, get on a call, follow up with value, then follow up with an ask. A bonus point notes that results are not immediate.
The four disciplines of execution
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #200
A short TikTok on the four disciplines of execution.
Summary
A short TikTok on the four disciplines of execution.
Let silence sit in salary talks
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #200
After an offer, the speaker stayed quiet until the recruiter spoke again
Summary
In salary talks, let silence sit and ask how the number was built rather than asking for more straight away.
A speaker recounts negotiating a salary at Twitch. After an initial offer, they stayed silent, then asked how the number was reached and learned the company used pay bands. Asking what it would take to go above the band showed that exceptions need a sponsor who writes a memo. The speaker concludes that bands can be negotiated and that bonuses, equity and severance offer more room than base pay.
Key points- After an offer, the speaker stayed quiet until the recruiter spoke again
- Asking how the number is reached opens up a different conversation
- Asked for an explanation, the recruiter revealed the salary range, or band
Discomfort signals it is time to grow
Short · youtu.be · Issue #200
A lobster is a soft animal inside a shell that does not expand
Summary
Discomfort is a signal to grow, the speaker argues, as a lobster sheds its rigid shell when the pressure builds.
The speaker uses lobster growth as a metaphor. A lobster has a soft body inside a rigid shell that cannot expand, so it hides under rocks, sheds the shell and grows a new one when it feels pressure. The speaker argues that discomfort signals a need for growth, and that someone who numbs every stress with medication would never grow.
Key points- A lobster is a soft animal inside a shell that does not expand
- It hides under a rock, casts off the shell and grows a new one
- Using adversity properly lets us grow through it, rather than numbing it with pills
How to influence people
Short · youtu.be · Issue #200
A short YouTube video on how to influence people.
Summary
A short YouTube video on how to influence people.
Send it, forget it
Tool · scrt.link · Issue #200
scrt.link shares sensitive text, files, or redirects through a link that is deleted after it is viewed or expires.
Summary
scrt.link shares sensitive text, files, or redirects through a link that is deleted after it is viewed or expires. The secret is encrypted on the sender's device, and the decryption key stays in the link rather than on the server. The code is open source on GitHub. A paid tier raises the limits and adds privacy options and read receipts.
Make it easier to get it right
Tool · checklist.gg · Issue #200
Checklist.gg is a web tool for building, assigning, and running checklists and SOPs, with AI generation from prompts, documents, or URLs.
Summary
Checklist.gg is a web tool for building, assigning, and running checklists and SOPs, with AI generation from prompts, documents, or URLs. Teams can schedule recurring checklists, track completion and time, and run checklists on websites through a Chrome extension. The site lists more than 900 templates. A free Starter plan covers a few checklists and members, and paid team plans start at $49 per month.
As Close to Magic as It Gets
Read · thequietlife.net · 27 min · Issue #200
Susan Cain's essay argues that expressive writing about feelings and difficulties improves emotional and physical wellbeing.
Summary
Susan Cain's essay argues that expressive writing about feelings and difficulties improves emotional and physical wellbeing. James Pennebaker began studying the practice in 1986. In one study, 20 minutes a day of writing about personal troubles over three days led to lower blood pressure and fewer doctor visits. Laid-off engineers who wrote about their feelings were three times more likely to find new work within months.