Finding Inspiration

The presidential election results are very disappointing to me. My disappointment is not about policy but about the character of the man who will be president again.  But I must overcome my trepidation, accept reality, learn from it, and continue operating in the world.  I have a great network of family, friends, and colleagues who help, and beyond that, I've found some other sources that ground me and encourage me.

In My Inbox

These newsletters are motivating because of their deep focus and their constant forward-looking positive vibe.

• The Psmiths.  They write the most excellent and thoughtful book reviews.   They don’t focus on the book of the month but rather on timeless classics and what they mean to us.  They are not swayed by the random fluctuations of the day’s news.  For instance, consider these Math text reviews by John Psmith — what a labor of love.  This review made me want to buy all these texts, a fantastic outcome for a book review of math texts.  This couple sets a high bar — they focus on the timeless issues they find important, regardless of short-term cultural fluctuations.
• Scope of Work by Spencer Wright and friends.   This newsletter delves into the intricacies of engineering and craftsmanship. Their commitment to exploring how things are made has deepened my appreciation for understanding processes beyond their surface value. Reading their work encourages me to slow down, pay attention, and embrace curiosity. They can focus intensely on products and processes that sometimes seem invisible to us; I learn something every time I read this letter.
• Noah Smith.  Noah consistently provides clear explanations of economic issues, and he does so with a lot of positivity.  He has been a strong critic of Trump, and I am interested to see how he wraps his head around the new reality and moves ahead.
• Matt Levine.   I am not a deep finance guy, but Matt writes such great discussions of financial topics.  He clearly loves the space, and it shows.  And his dry humor is very engaging.
• Stratechery, of course.   Ben Thompson produces a fabulous newsletter explaining the strategic forces in the industry; I would love to write this clearly.  Already he is wrapping his head around the election results and trying to think through the implications — a great example of not getting blocked emotionally.
• Ted Gioia.   Ted writes thoughtfully about music, the music industry, creativity, and society.  He bounces between high-level social criticism, in-depth music industry analysis, and personal music recommendations.  Thanks to Ted, I have started listening more broadly and thoughtfully to music.  

A Book That Resonates

There is one book in particular that has stuck in my head for a while.

Last year, I read Jeff Tweedy’s book How to Write One Song, which I cannot recommend highly enough.  Nominally about songwriting, it is really a book about how to accomplish anything — by applying constant effort, working one small step at a time, and iterating.  It is a great book, and I wish I had read it earlier in my life.  I would recommend this book to any person at the beginning of their career or adult education.

Since reading ‘How to Write One Song,’ I’ve approached creative tasks differently. I now tackle them piece by piece, finding contentment in each step rather than fixating on a finished product (or fixating on the world's response to my product).

I’ve been an enthusiastic consumer of music and an occasional performer, but I have never tried my hand at creation.  This book inspires me to dig in.  I am writing scraps of lyrics.   I am capturing sounds and creating little phrases and snippets of melody.  I don’t know if it will ever go anywhere, but the act of compositiion gives me newfound respect for music that I listen to, and newfound respect for creativity more broadly.  Creativity is not about big aha moments, but is about diligent and continuous application of effort.

Startup Guidance

I don’t subscribe to the full version of The Generalist, but maybe I should!  These tips were presented as tips for aspiring or practicing VCs, but really, they are just good tips for succeeding in business.   A few that I really like and reflect on all the time:

• “Build the game you can win. … Find an unfair advantage and tilt the board to exploit it.”  Paul Maritz at Microsoft used to say, “We have an unfair advantage, and we use it unfairly.”  I don’t know if he originated that, but it is excellent advice.   Always lean into something you or your company can do uniquely well.
• “Anomalous outcomes come from anomalous people.” Boy, did I get to work with some anomalous people!   All the really successful projects I worked on or near while at Microsoft — Windows 95, DirectX, Internet Explorer — had some unique and great individuals at the core of the effort.  Sometimes, they could be a challenge to work with, but I loved them all.
• “Fundraising is a B2B sales process.” Everything is a B2B sales process.  Recruiting, selling, fundraising, influencing, and leading — all involve constant effort, multiple touchpoints, and a funnel.  Nothing comes without continued applied effort.
• “Missing a deal isn’t the end of the story.”.  True in everything.  You might miss a candidate this time, lose a valued employee, or miss a deal.   But life is long, and you will likely run into those people again, so treat them with respect now.

All these sources share a few things in common.   Progress in life most often comes down to a few things — persistence and doing the work.   There is no replacement for showing up daily and adding bricks to the pile.

Certainly, we can learn about persistence from Trump.  Lost an election, disgraced himself with his behavior, and was convicted of multiple crimes, he just kept plugging away for years.  I don’t like the outcome, but that is some persistence.