Shorts
The Lesson to Unlearn by Paul Graham (2019)
https://www.paulgraham.com/lesson.html
Daniel Church
Layers of Meaning
Two weeks ago, in Hidden Complexity, I mentioned how authors sometimes have simple ideas and then fill your mind with examples to help you apply them in the real world. Depending on who you are, these examples may impact you differently and connect more strongly or weakly to a different
Shorts
Too Soon to Tell - A Taoist Parable (139 BCE)
I first heard this on an Infinite Loops podcast with Derek Sivers (I can't remember if it was Part 1 or Part 2). I tend strongly to absolutes and forget that everything exists in an ebb and flow. The parable below was first documented in China over two
Hidden Complexity
We tend to oversimplify. We want a straightforward story, cause, and effect with a few ingredients that align with our worldview. These stories can be helpful but may not have the full context or truth. Importantly, without these simplifications, we wouldn't survive. Getting out of the house in
Seeming Slack
I tend to try to optimize everything. I love being efficient and getting things done quickly. But while every system can be optimized quantitatively, that doesn't mean it should be. Sometimes, some form of je ne sais quoi can't be entirely captured in the numbers (or
Update on 'Embracing Limits in 2024'
Last year, I set some limitations for myself and wanted to reflect on how it turned out. I am writing this to determine what worked and what didn't, so there is a reasonable chance you do not care. Feel free to skip this Thought. The goal was to
Favorite Books of 2024
I wanted to finish off the year by making a list of my favorite books from 2024. It started as a top five, but six really stuck out, so I split it into three non-fiction and three narratives. Narrative (Kinda Fiction) 1. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (2020)—This is a
The Right Word
Language is fascinating. We are constantly immersed in thoughts defined by our current language and part of a culture that has grown up in our language. Despite this immersion, we don’t give much thought to the impact of language. The language we speak, in some cases, can be limiting.
Summer 2024 Thoughts on AI
Recently, preparing for an event, I started pulling together some of my thoughts on the current state of AI. Considering I haven't posted in a while, I figured sharing them could make for a good post. I would love to hear any thoughts this post prompts. Short-Term Generative
Shorts
The Acceleration of Addictiveness by Paul Graham (2010)
https://paulgraham.com/addiction.html
Shorts
The Egg by Andy Weir (2009)
https://galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
Zoom Out
The Design of Everyday Things says innovation happens in two ways: incremental and radical. Incremental innovation comes from trying to make existing processes better. Radical innovation comes from thinking beyond the process to what the person tries to accomplish. As Harvard Business School marketing professor Theodore Levitt said, "People