Betterment

When you’re reading a good historical novel, you might be there and then. When you’re checking your email, you are in a conversation between and among, over there, not here. When you&#8…

The independent bookstore down the street is carefully curated. Each book takes up the spot that a different book could inhabit, so the owner makes sure that there’s a great reason a title is…

(And think about what makes YOU happy.)

That’s a cliche from the movies. Dangling from a railroad bridge, only determination and firm grip can save the hero. In our modern world, we often end up holding on to ideas, to grievances o…

In a recent Daily Stoic podcast, Ryan Holiday briefly refers to an old, well-known Stoic concept, “The Cup Is Already Broken.” The idea being, instead of

Improve your health and well-being with the 20-5-3 rule of nature. Discover how spending time outdoors can reduce stress and enhance your recovery.

The star's business dealings have been in the news lately, so we decided to break down what moved Ri-Ri into billionaire status.

Long after people forget the details, they’ll remember your kindness. There are many forms of hospitality, but resilience, goodwill and gratitude are often the ones that matter. PS here&#8217…

The most effective persuasion happens when we persuade ourselves. The purpose of the memo or the table or the graph or the presentation is to create the conditions for someone to make up their own …

The mass of men exist in a state of waiting. They have a vision, vague in contours but salient in feeling, about what their life should look like, what it will look like, eventually. This vision perhaps includes a loving spouse and happy children. Certainly a fulfilling, interesting career. A good group of friends. An exciting hobby. […]

Taste varies. That’s why we don’t call it utility. Taste is individual preference, not absolute truth. In team settings, then, it’s much more helpful to say, “I prefer this …

Over the past two decades, I’ve worked as a software developer, tech lead, and CTO at various startups, including my own. I’ve accumulated a number of principles I use to make major technical decisions. Most of the principles outlined here were learned the hard way. You might not fully agree with all of the principles, but I hope at least some of them could help those who struggle with tough technical decisions…

“The mean” is the average. Another word for “mediocre.” When an organization gets big enough, by definition, it’s the average. When you have enough customers, they rep…

The fitness industry tends to oscillate between trends.  Some workout program or modality will be all the rage. Then, a new method (or the rediscovery of an old one) comes on the scene. The old modality is denigrated as dumb, outdated, and ineffective, and the new modality is lionized as the One True Way to […]

In the 1914 short story, “Araby”, James Joyce wrote about a wee boy in 1890s Dublin, who has a huge crush on a young girl his age. One day, the girl (who

Engineers often use the rubber duck approach when they are stuck, but why not draw for our little yellow friend instead?

If you’re in need of a gathering place, a dry, functional, centrally located facility for your folks to meet, a cathedral is probably way more than you need. It’s far more expensive to …

When it’s tough going and it feels fraught, it’s easy to imagine that the headwinds will never end. And yet, when all is going well and the wind is at our back, it’s tempting to i…

A manual I recently read listed the “cons” of having a meeting virtually: Limits options for engagement Engagement can be less meaningful At home distractions More difficult to read bod…

A plugin to keep helpful stuff available in a sidecar panel.

Possibly the most impressive structure of Late Antiquity were the Theodosian Walls, the largest defensive city walls in the Byzantine Empire built in the

The innermost room in the ancient Israelites’ temple was called the Holy of Holies — the sanctum sanctorum. It was here, it was thought, that heaven intersected with earth. Only the High Priest was allowed through the curtain that marked off this sanctuary, and it was said that when he left it, his face would […]

6 times 1/2 doesn’t equal 3. It equals zero. We’re tempted to do a little less than we need to. Perhaps we’re busy, with too many options. Perhaps it’s resistance, pushing u…

In the old days, companies had a suggestion box. It was immortalized in cartoons, but the idea that an employee could anonymously submit a suggestion to make things better is a first step in engage…

Wouldn’t it be nice to always be able to pick up the phone to ask for a job referral when you need one, no questions asked? Or to ask for an intro to someone? Or for support or advice on an idea?

Back in the old days (think Ancient Greek or Viking times), our word was considered VERY important. We took an oath VERY seriously, and if we broke our

In action movies, there’s a lot of leaping. Brave shifts in which the hero gets from here to there, all at once. It’s easy to imagine that sudden leaps are how we make our impact. This …

Aphorisms of 18th-century German physicist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg: “There are people who think that everything one does with a serious face is sensible.” “To read means to borrow; to create out of one’s readings is paying off one’s debts.” “How close may our thoughts come at times to grazing on a great discovery?” “I would often rather read what a famous author has cut from one of his works than what he has let stand.” “A golden rule: one must judge men not by their opinions, but by what their opinions have made of them.” “My body is that part...

We’re busy, we’re confused and we’re always seeking a shortcut. If a company is hiring, the person who worked at Google or Apple or Disney gets more of the benefit of the doubt. E…

Who decided that this sparkle symbol means “A.I.”? The sparkle symbol has been around for a long time, but it’s never had a clear, stand-out meaning,