Category Archives: Uncategorized

As humans, we face tests every day and are constantly testing what we know against the world we come up against. Because we test so much, most people don’t think about what or how they test. It is beneficial for you to be aware of what you are testing. It will improve your ability toContinue reading “Better Testing Is Better Learning”

Most internet communities are one-dimensional. They are a feed of information and interactions members are supposed to process linearly. As a reader, you go from the top of the feed downwards in a straight line, and your attention follows. Platforms are built so you read one message in one thread and then move on toContinue reading “Spatial Communities”

Social capital is the dark matter that forms connections between people. It is what makes people want to give you opportunities and help you succeed. Building social capital means people are willing to do things for you, and it gives you power. Few people think strategically about building social capital, but it can be justContinue reading “How to Create Social Capital Like Travis Kalanick”

Your life is lived within what you believe is the state of play. You believe there are rules, best practices, “proper” ways to play the game of life. You believe this because other people believe it. The ability to believe in collective ideas is key to us working together as a species. If everyone hadContinue reading “Expanding Your State of Play”

We see the world through frames. A frame is how we view and react to the world formed by our values, identity, and perception. Through a frame, we understand and perceive new information, react to situations, and make decisions. It is formed subconsciously but impacts everything you perceive and think. Frames play a large roleContinue reading “Building and Bending Frames with Friends”

People complain social media is “anti-social.” They are partially right; popular social media platforms optimize for “engagement.” There are many ways to create engagement without being social, and that is what happens. You become a tool that creates engagement for social media rather than using it for your own good. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,Continue reading “Social Media Is as Social as You Make It”

How you think about the future makes you unique. It is your knowledge and experiences projected forward. Your ideas about the future shape how you spend your time and energy. There are many futures for you to explore and pursue. You should try to pick the best ones. Start by exploring many futures. You can’tContinue reading “Your Future Makes You Unique”

Do you ever think about what would happen if a team replaced their star player with an average one? The team would obviously be worse off, but how much worse? In baseball, they created a stat for this. It is called WAR, wins above replacement. It measures a player’s contribution to their team in wins.Continue reading “Be Irreplaceable”

This Could Be Our Future is a book about what we value. The author, Yancey Strickler, argues that society values the idea that every action should aim to maximize financial wealth. What he calls financial maximization. Financial considerations dominate the world, and we don’t know what the other options are. Strickler gives many examples ofContinue reading “How To Fix The Future: Make More Values Legible”

Listening is always mentioned as a critical skill to succeed in business and life. I’ve been taught many ways to improve my listening, and my listening has improved, but I can’t remember much of the advice specifically. Out of all the advice on listening I’ve received, I can only point to one piece that hasContinue reading “How to Be a Better Listener: Always Be Collecting Dots”