This weekly mailer is a fun project. It excites me to find things that will help others. I’m scared as well - worrying if I’m going to justify the time and attention I am seeking. But it’s still worth taking that chance, as I'm highly engaged and satisfied to have done this. It could lead to something big, or maybe not. But for now, it’s great to do something on the side where I can choose my ride and define the path as well. Paul Graham describes this beautifully in his post - ‘A project of one’s own.
Get started on your own project, if you’re not doing it yet. If you’re doing it already, you have my respect.
And on that note, let’s dig in this week’s gems.
1.
Julie Zhuo’s talks about the two most important habits of a product thinker - observation and inquiry. What’s product thinking, you may ask? In her words, ‘it is the skill of knowing what makes a product useful — and loved — by people.’
Product thinker or not, these two habits are very critical for any creator or builder. It differentiates them from those who are doers. Observation is the fuel for creating awareness, curiosity helps translate that into insights. If you are passionate about creating something meaningful, do add these two to your recipe.
Again, if you have those two habits, I highly respect you. In my interviews, I like to check for 'Having a fun project' and 'having observations & inquiry'. I did not realise it, but these have influenced my hiring a lot. And I must say that it has helped me find & bring together some of the most talented folks in this group or outside.
2.
This is a fun read about negotiation tactics from various cultures. You will find some observations very relatable if you’re an avid viewer of world TV and cinema. Here’s what the author states about us and I must say he is spot-on.
3.
Japanese never stop to amaze with their work ethic & creativity. This article on the TESSEI describes the amazing way their crew cleans bullet trains in all of 7 minutes. They have made the job of cleaning so much more with built-in purpose & pride for their employee.
4.
Some random goodness from the internet:
Twitter: this thread captures some interesting things about a movie theater employee experience.
Twitter: Save this thread. Visit it to discover some great examples of highly complex topic explained in a short and simple way.
Newsletter: A large part of today’s mail is a shameless lift from Janel's Brainpint newsletter. Brainpint offers a weekly curation of interesting reads, tools & learning resources.
Quote: "A mistake repeated more than once is a decision.” — Paulo Coelho.
Remember: whatever you are not changing, you are choosing (source: Modern Museum)
That's all, folks!