In comedy, there’s the phrase known as “punching up,” which refers to the fact that in order to craft compelling and accessible comedy, it’s best to focus your sights on making fun of those with power. After all, making fun of those who are marginalized and powerless usually isn’t really […]
Month: January 2021
Outcasts
Outcasts are often outcast not because of hate or jealousy, but because of fear. Outcasts question the status quo, reimagining what could be, as opposed to settling for what is currently. They push against norms, innovating new ways of being and taking the risk of having other people dislike them. […]
Skills Can Be Learned
The problem isn’t that people don’t believe that skills can be learned. The problem is that people don’t realize that a lot of things that we assume are natural talents are actually skills. Drawing and painting? Music? Dance? Charisma? Entrepreneurship? Trust? Leadership? These are all things that most people think […]
Complaining
Often we’d rather complain about what’s making us upset than actually do anything. Complaining feels good, yet if it’s not coupled with a meaningful call to action, it’s worthless. After all, committing to take action means we’re now on the hook. No hiding anymore. We’re now responsible for something. Even […]
Who is Tim Ferriss?
In the work I do, almost everyone knows who Tim Ferriss is. However, when I go talk to my friends from college, almost none of them know who he is. In the work my wife does, everyone knows who Nathan Fowkes is. However, when I talk to anyone who doesn’t […]
Meow, Meow, Meow
If you were to ask someone what sound a cat would make, chances are they’d respond with something that sounds similar to “meow.” One might argue that it’s because the way that cats vocalize is an observable phenomena that we can interpret slightly differently, but generally can come to a […]
The Status Quo Vs. Change
When faced with a problem, we have a choice. The choice between taking action to change your situation or staying mired in the status quo. Rarely do we choose action. Action is active, requires more labor, and requires you to actually commit to something. You have to speak up, enroll […]
My Dog Oskar
A quick story about a boy and his dog. When I was younger, my family adopted a dog who had been abandoned in the Northern California floods in the late 90’s. Oskar loved people, but whenever he’d see my grandmother (who lived with us) he’d back into a defensive position […]
What does value look like?
What is more valuable: The actual work, or making sure the work gets done? Creating the experience for the customer so they tell their friends, or creating slick ads for social media? Engineering the product, or raising the capital to hire the engineer? We can choose to pay people based […]
Autonomy and Responsibility
Often, we clamor about how we want more autonomy, freedom, and the ability to make our own calls. When we get it, often we’re suddenly hit with the responsibility that comes with that autonomy. The two are intertwined. They come together, and with freedom comes the responsibility of owning both […]