Espresso Shots 6-15-25

Here's my weekly update with a few interesting random findings that I came across the last week or two. I am going to try to make sure they're here in time for you to enjoy with your morning coffee (or beverage of choice) every Saturday or Sunday, and include some of my thoughts around them.

Videos 📺

To mark the 20th anniversary of what's being called the 'greatest commencement speech ever,' the Steve Jobs Archive, is unveiling an online exhibit with a remastered video and some amazing details on how the speech came to be. It's a fantastic read, and here's the video for your viewing pleasure. Even though I've seen this many times before, it's worth taking 15 minutes of your day to enjoy it again.

The Latest Drippings ☕️

• Resetting. One of the best reads of the week is a look at how the current cultural landscape is heading toward a significant reset, affecting everything from politics to the tech industry and everyday life. I enjoyed the reflection on how writing and creativity are essential in times of change.
• The Cult of Hard Mode: Why Simplicity Offends Tech Elites. Another fantastic read: 'Where simplicity used to signal elegance and mastery, it now triggers suspicion Why? Because hard mode is where status lives.' I also like the idea that 'in a culture that rewards the performance of struggle, doing things easily is the most subversive act available. And in that subversion, there is actual freedom.'
• Every Generation Discovers The Same Monster.. File under: I've seen this film before, and didn't like the ending. Greg Storey has become one of my favorite online authors, 'Every generation discovers the same monster, immersive content that transforms vulnerable minds into messianic delusion. Every generation acts like they've found something uniquely dangerous. Every generation misses the point. The technology isn't the problem. The obsession is.'. Side note: make sure to check out his upcoming book that I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of.
• Eight Marvelous And Melancholy Things I've Learned About Creativity. Ok, another must-read for the week. :)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Deserves Better Than Six Episodes. Even though season three is just about to hit at the end of July, announcing the end of what is arguably some of the best Star Trek since Picard Season 3, I thought this was a bit of a bummer. Maybe there's still hope for a Terry Matalas "Legacy" series.
• Stream On. This year, I've been finding that I've been listening to more and more of Scott Galloway podcasts. This piece on the evolving landscape of streaming services highlights the shift from Netflix to YouTube, which has an estimated market capitalization of $550 billion! Please pay special attention to the summary, where he highlights some of the societal impacts of the streaming wars and the loss of shared cultural experiences.
• No More Goals, Just Good Days: Finding Clarity, Bird by Bird.. An interesting discovery here on a tool to help bring focus: create four lists — wants, don't wants, needs, don't needs.
• Say "But Yes," Not "Yes But". The wording is everything - instead of lensing on something as a problem, use the word opportunity. In this post, Sean Goedecke explores positive and negative framing on how specific phrases come across and that people may not realize their communication habits unintentionally convey negativity. For example, when agreeing with someone while having a caveat, you should say "but yes" instead of "yes, but" to highlight a more positive tone.
• Finding The Idea In Your Story. 'The purpose of writing is to present new ideas that have the power to change minds.' Go read this one.
• Hire Misfits, Not Missionaries. For anyone doing hiring these days, this one resonates. I've often focused on hiring practices that are opposite to what would be expected; for example - instead of looking for 10x engineers, if you want to change cultural thinking, hire fresh out of school. Like pirates, misfits do not adhere to traditional playbooks or best practices; they rely on curiosity and adaptability to solve problems creatively.
• Inside the 'Macintosh' Screen Saver. A fun video and look into how the subtle Macintosh screen saver is one of the coolest bits of Apple nostalgia.
• I Want No One Else to Succeed. A powerful lesson in psychology here: 'In life, greed will always hurt you more than it helps you.'. It is worth the quick read/watch.
• Scientists at Loughborough University Create Worlds Smallest Violin. 'The tiny instrument, which is smaller than the width of a human hair, will help with research into an array of applications from improving the efficiency of computers to finding new ways of harvesting energy.'. Unfortunately, it is not the origin of the saying 'And may the world's smallest violin play 'My Heart Bleeds for Thee'" but it is interesting, nonetheless.
• My New Notetaking System: Don't Take Notes. Amen.

Amor Fati ✌🏻