Hey there,
Hope your week is off to a great start. I'm enjoying my last few days in Alaska before heading back to the East Coast. Here's a bunch of pictures from the last three months.
Many thanks to The Writer for sponsoring this issue. Details at the bottom of this newsletter if you're interested in getting involved.
Enjoy and if you're feeling inspired, pass it on!
1. The Difference Between “Remote” and “Remote-First”
Litmus CEO Paul Farnell has some strong opinions about how remote companies should work. His company was remote, then local, then remote again. They've learned a ton in the process and he shares it all here.
Here's a favorite snippet:
One misconception about remote work is that it hinders collaboration. In my experience, the inverse is more likely: offices hinder independent work.
And one other:
When a CEO uses their lunch break to hit the gym, others feel empowered to do the same. And when a manager spends their entire vacation answering emails, it’s harder for others to disconnect in their own downtime.
2. 6 Algorithms That Can Improve Your Life
In this episode of Note to Self, host Manoush Zomorodi interviews author Brian Christian about computer science principles that we can apply to our everyday lives. It's 20 minutes well-spent.
3. How Google Analytics ruined marketing
This is a beastly piece from Samuel Scott on TechCrunch that made me think twice about how much I rely on Google Analytics.
A focus only on GA metrics often leads startups to move toward publishing not informational material but rather more and more “clickbait.” And clickbait might get more traffic, but will only reflect poorly on the brand and cause other damage, as well.
Besides, the number of pageviews is a useful metric only for websites whose main business model is online advertising (such as news websites), because each page view sends a server request for ad impressions. Companies, on the other hand, whose goal is to obtain more customers, often see that clickbait delivers a lot of traffic but fewer conversions in the end.
4. Write your way to a better life: why writing is for everyone
It sounds lame, but writing really is one of the best things we can do for our mental health. Here is a list of reasons to write, along with some simple exercises to help you get started.
So you think you aren’t a writer? You are wrong. No one is going to be grading you on length or content here. This is, very simply, about connect to yourself. It’s about getting to know you in a way we don’t allow ourselves because we are really skeptical, cynical, bastards at times. If you can, put those feelings aside and just try it for ten minutes, hell try for 60 seconds.
The mind is such a wondrously large and unexplored space, we have so many stories and tales bottled up in inside of us. Writing those down, committing those to paper can help you solidify who you are, and help you unearth things about yourself that you didn’t know.
5. Random Links
- Facebook Changes Its Algorithm to Avoid ‘Clickbait’ via @nytimestech
- Minimum Viable Customer Retention via @tymagnin
- If You’re Not Paranoid, You’re Crazy via @walterkirn
- Silicon Valley arrogance: “I can tell you which startups will succeed, without even knowing what they do” via @dankim
- The Forward Podcast: Ryan Bingham via @lancearmstrong
- What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment? via @newsycombinator
Have a great week!
Jimmy