My first startup event in Brisbane after coming back from Silicon Valley. This is my shocked face at how much was going on. I met Nicole at this event!
Product & Startup Builder
Episode 9: My Grandfather's Life Story
The next episode of my conversation with my Grandfather about his life story. In this episode he talks about settling into Brisbane (after moving from Melbourne) looking after his brother-in-law (and his ultimate death), abandoning plans to build a home and much more.
Tips From My Journey
Some of my tricks when taking each step on my journey...
1. Learn from past mistakes (harder than it sounds - we're often wired for certain biases and tendencies)
2. Ensure you're going "up and to the right" in terms of personal growth, lifestyle, value creation and value derived
3. Put aside your feelings of impostor syndrome or anxiety - embrace your unique value and the abundance
What are yours?
3 Kinds Of Relationships
Many relationships feel like 1 - 1. They total 0. Together you are more constrained. The world gets smaller. "You can not. Must not. Will not."
Some relationships feel like 1 - 2. They total -1. Together you are in a downward spiral. Toxic. Drama. Angst.
Few relationships feel like 1 + 1. They total 2. Together new options and experiences become possible. Even some extra-ordinary ones. "You rob the bank, and I'll drive the getaway car."
When you find the third kind make sure you recognize and appreciate it.
Happy Birthday Nik!
I want to say a big happy birthday to my mate Nik.
As I've said before, he's inspired me through his words, actions and lifestyle since I was 10 years old.
Having great, positive friends and mentors in your life can dramatically change its trajectory. Nik has done that for many people - myself included!
Positive Friends
Life Is About Balance
I struggle so much with posts/ideas like these two I just saw in my news feed:
1. "You're allowed to leave" https://thoughtcatalog.com/…/2016/07/youre-allowed-to-leave/
2. "Manage your expectations" http://faithit.com/silent-marriage-killer-derek-harvey/
They are, in a sense, the opposite of each other. And in isolation, depending what you're going through, they can each give you feelings of profound comfort and justify your choices/behavior.
The latter advises you to love what you have and recognize that nothing is perfect. On the other hand the former tells you to never settle - you're constantly and forever allowed to redefine who you are and what you want.
So much of modern life is about balance. We have reasonable sounding opposing "advice" for every situation. Wisdom is knowing which to apply in each situation.
It isn't easy.
The Man From Earth
A wonderful work of speculative fiction. One of my new favorites. A really great device to re-evaluate life and religion. Highly recommended.
A Simple Trick
This sounds great except I've worked to fulfill my purpose and potential for most of my career and happiness still feels out of reach.
I think, instead, the trick is simply being grateful for what you have - even while striving to better yourself and live up to your potential. An impossible balancing act.
On-Demand Model
This article assumes that Washio (or apps like it) will remain premium/luxury services. Like Uber that moved from Black cars to Pool and became a more economical way to travel (potentially becoming cheaper than owning a car and eventually even in the range of a bus), Washio may make the same journey down the cost curve.
The article also doesn't take into account the possibility that this kind of on-demand model may mitigate the need for a washer/dryer in the apartment (and UberEats mitigating the need for kitchens, Uber mitigating the need for Parking) which allows for more density and lower housing costs in urban environments.
Particularly in Uber's case - 30% of city traffic is people circling looking for parking. Also, a LOT of Urban and Suburban space is taken up by parking. Imagine all the reclaimed space that will result in cheaper housing or parks/human space.
(Link to article: “One Tweet Shows What Silicon Valley Really Thinks of the People It’s Crushing”)
Love: Self Expression
"The ultimate reason for all self expression is love. We want to show ourselves and have that be accepted" - paraphrasing Jim Carrey
Culture's Role
How does culture affect your personality and destiny? I think, whether we like it or not, it plays a big role.
I'm proud of my mix.
Australian Born + Lebanese Descent + Raised on Hollywood movies/TV shows.
Laid back/no bullshit + Entrepreneurial/immigrant grit + Liberal Hollywood values
H/t Sam Lang for inspiring the thought
Fan-Made Star Trek
The production values, and the themes, of this fan-made Star Trek are astounding. Better than the original I would say actually. I actually think this might be one of the better episodes of Star Trek ever made
"They are what you would become" - Brilliant.
Your Happiness
They say (at least in the west) that a healthy state of mind is one where you are free of dependency on someone (or something) else for your happiness. Your happiness should be intrinsic rather than extrinsic.
I partially believe and experience this to be true. I'm pretty good at moderating my fundamental/core happiness such that external factors don't affect it too much.
However where I always struggle is with happiness/experiences unshared. I often use the analogy of a tree falling in a forest with no one there to hear it. Success (or experiences - of all kinds) unshared with a significant other have always felt more hollow and, as a result, bittersweet, to me.
Am I alone in this feeling? Does it have a name?
Side note: That's one of about 6 or 7 reasons why I share a lot on social media. I also do it for personal journaling, legacy, serendipity, feedback/advice, helping others and influence (in that order).
Take Nothing For Granted
Take nothing for granted. I'm going to add that to my list of axioms. Most of this will likely prove to be bullshit - but dogma is the opposite of science so regularly questioning established facts in a methodical way is never a bad thing.
If You Had A 10 Year Old
If you had a ~10 year old right now what would you encourage them to focus on so they are prepared for a productive (and profitable) future?
For me:
Fields: Biotech, Nanotech, AI, IoT
Skills: Psychology & Empathy, Grit, UI/UX with a focus on AR, Entrepreneurship, Knowing how to learn and adapt quickly (most important thing on the list)
Literacy: Fluent in English, Mandarin, Code.
What is True Love?
The first 2 years is lust. True love is what survives beyond the 'newness', after life's challenges and misalignments and even post breakup.
John McCain is Getting the Credit
As is common these days, the media can get the facts right but the truth wrong. They optimize for the most dramatic interpretation and events. Congratulations to all who stood against this evil – including these three Republicans.
Edit:
Upon further reflection it's clear why McCain became the hero of the story - even if it's not strictly accurate:
Namely...
There are many factors that make John McCain an easy hero of the story. From a narrative point of view.
1. there is just one of him. Much easier to attach to.
2. he's an old white male.
3. he voted yes to allow the bill to move forward just a few days ago.
4. He's had a comeback story and an ongoing case of brain cancer.
5. He's a well-known name in the media.
6. And his decision was not telegraphed ahead of time making it more suspenseful than his consistent colleagues.
The Need for Independent Journalism
A few observations for my journalist friends...
- No one single-handedly does anything
- Not every criticism is "scathing"
- Continually re-reporting how an incident was originally reported/perceived and not the eventually established facts is miss-reporting
- Connecting issues that seem related is sometimes clever pattern matching - sometimes it's just conflating things that have nothing to do with each other.
- Skepticism is healthy, but be careful of being snarky or dismissive when hearing countervailing information. Related: Under-reporting legitimate countervailing information or always presenting it as a weak and untrustworthy rebuttal to the established narrative is miss-reporting
- Everyone is biased. Word choice, focus and headline reveal bias. At least be aware of your bias and how words matter. E.g Regime vs Government. Rebels vs Insurgents, Investigation vs Independent Review, Loses vs invests.
- (Most important) Your headline is often the only thing people will read. Letting your editor write it and/or not ensuring its representative of the whole story is miss-reporting
- Please, please call out your colleagues who are not living up to your standards and/or engaging in tabloid news
I've also been guilty of much of this when I've acted as an observer of news and "reported" what I've seen on social media etc.
Independent, investigative journalism is more important than ever before. I don't envy your position.
Be Passionate
I've had a low tolerance for cynicism and "the game of who can care less" my whole life. As I get older my tolerance is lowering even further. Be passionate, engage, share and don't be afraid to demonstrate your interest.