humantech

we’re going to look back at how we designed the world around computers with the same regret that we look at how we’ve designed cities around cars

There are different types of hard work:

1. Outthinking (a better strategy, a shortcut)

2. Pure Effort (working longer, intensity)

3. Opportunistic (positioning yourself to take advantage of change)

4. Consistency (doing average things for longer)

Over a decade later, this is still the most useful framework for thinking about customers for your MVP. From @sgblank originally, I believe. https://t.co/BRltPCA3by

On the time YC cofounder @jesslivingston tore me a new one and changed the future org structure of Ramp: At YC, we attended weekly office hours where every startup shared 1/ their weekly growth %, 2/ their biggest problem, and 3/ what they were doing to solve it. That week in summer 2015 our startup Paribus had grown 20% w/w, our biggest problem ... See more

After building +40 apps over the last decade, I think the most valuable skill is an ability to correctly sequence the things that need to validated for the concept to work. For example: 1. Users need to share the app X number times for the app to have a basis to grow 2. The shares then need to convert to downloads at X rate 3. Then, X% of users n... See more

NON NEGOTIABLES

1. Of the place

2. Less is more

3. Vibrant collaboration

4. No repeat ingredients

5. Consolidation + speed

6. Confidence + competence

7. In + out service

8. Pursuit of excellence

9. Details matter

10. Know your shit!

11. FOCUS

12. Service

13. Time

14. Not about you

15. Perfect means perfect

16. No excuses

17. Respect tradition

18. Push boundaries

19. Clean as you go

20. Break down boxes

21. Shirts perfectly pressed

22. Personal hyg

... See more

Design an information diet like you would design your diet with food: this information is good, this information is bad, don’t consume this type of information, only consume this type of media during this specific time of day, etc.

We need leaders in all aspects of our lives, and human curators should be the arbiters of taste. You may already be sick of trending templates, memes, specific types of click-baity content, soulless imagery, vapid videos, engagement farming, annoying trending songs.9 It’s not going to stop. In fact, it’s going to get much worse. The problem is that... See more