Substack’s Platform Problem
Across that last couple months, people noticed that Nazis were using Substack to distribute and monetize Nazi ideology. A bunch of writers who publish on Substack got upset, and asked the company leadership to do something. Substack said it would not ban the Nazis, then said it would, then it did some tokenized hand waving…
Shameful Self Awareness vs Loving Self Awareness
Recently I’ve been noticingthat I experience two types of self awarenessshameful self awarenessand loving self awareness The amount of time I spend in the formeris why at times I may seem self awareand yet could actually be quite stuck.Because intellectually understandingis not the sameas feeling. Shame often tries to stands sentry at the passageway to…
The Art of Firing People
Being good at firing people — from your company, and your life — is foundational to collaborating with high performing people, and building world class teams, and shipping incredible work. Here is why 1. You have to experiment with people. No one, not ever, has ever had a 100% success rate at hiring great team members.…
The most vulnerable thing we ever ship, is our own authenticity
Humans are fundamentally disobedient. All of our best outcomes, our quantum jumps, have come through disobedience. Evolution and innovation is born from disobedience. If you want your culture (at any fractal scale) to foster innovation, the protocols that govern that culture have to encourage disobedience. Disobedience, is good trouble. This is why I love describing my…
Notes on Good Conflict
The last few weeks of my life have been full of conflict. Good conflict. Here are some of the things I’ve been noticing. Conflict is often about growth, especially when people growing differently, or at different paces. Growth is a spectrum, and there is pain at either ends. When I am not growing, I feel…
Things I’ve learned in 36 trips around the sun
Notes from my annual review The majority of the stress in my life comes from not taking action over something that I have some control over. To say it another way, my stress is mostly from ignoring things that I should not be ignoring. Saying “No” is one of the most important life skill. Not “No, because…” or “No,…
Kingston in the age of Gentrification
The Macro Forces Impacting Housing Affordability In the Hudson Valley Here Is My Thesis: If we don’t take immediate and scaled steps to stabilize, protect, and actively supply side manage housing affordability in Kingston, we will see the cost of housing soar in the coming years. As housing prices rise, it will limit who can afford to…
Some Things I Got [Sort of] Right in My 20
Prioritized my work for its educational value, more than its monetary gain Failed often Utilized my family’s support and class privilege to be an entrepreneur Loved vulnerably Accepted criticism Traveled often Bought a multi-unit building Founded, invested in, worked for, or served on the board of directors of organizations in different industries Made time every…
Some Thoughts on the Future of Crowdfunding For Startups
From the first time I logged onto Kickstarter in 2009, I saw crowdfunding as a game changer for the the world of startup funding. I am excited by the advent of platforms and changes in regulations that increasingly democratize and widen startup’s access to seed capital. Websites like Kickstarter and Indigogo have popularized the donation and reward based models…
Some Things I Know About Myself After 28 Trips Around The Sun
While traveling in Colombia these last few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on my last couple of years. I’ve been looking at how I move in the world, what my strengths and weaknesses are, what I’ve prioritized, learned and created. Both taking note of how my life feels, the things I’ve accomplished and the endeavors I’ve…