Tom Schmidt

three values to instill in children: optimism, courage, and physical activity : Optimism is described as the "mother quality" that enables everything else. Courage — framed as the willingness to try things despite fear — is learnable through progressive, stair-stepped exposure to uncomfortable situations, not through reading or abstract thinking.... See more

We’re living in a period of great disruption and reimagination. It’s time for technologists to widen their cultural aperture.

AI has created an inflection point across nearly every industry. The skills that once made people unique are becoming commoditized, and for many, that’s causing a moment of mourning. But this fear only makes sense in a world... See more

Elon rigorously applies a five-step process across all his companies in strict order — (1) make requirements less dumb, (2) delete the part or process, (3) simplify or optimize, (4) accelerate cycle time, (5) automate. The order is critical: automating or accelerating before deleting and simplifying locks in waste. At Tesla, premature automation... See more

"Rather than feel impotent and useless, you must come to terms with the fact that as a human being you are infinitely powerful, and take responsibility for this tremendous power. Even our smallest actions have potential for great change, positively or negatively, and the way in which we all conduct ourselves within the world means something. You... See more

Not taking things personally can be a form of generosity. You give people the space to say things imperfectly."

When you create something that speaks to what your audience is experiencing — whether that's frustration, curiosity, or just feeling like someone gets it — people naturally want to keep watching. There's something about playfulness and whimsy in that, too.

The "Darkness Makes the Candle Visible" Principle : Painting a bleak picture actually makes your solution appear more compelling. Churchill's speeches were roughly 95% darkness and only 5% hope — yet people consistently described him as an optimist. The same dynamic applies to modern leaders like Dave Ramsey, who spends most of his airtime talking... See more

Playwright George Bernard Shaw on why we need unreasonable people:

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. ”