Product & Startup Builder
Fake news
I wish the media would stop lying about everything! We need them more than ever and yet they write click-bait headlines that misrepresent the facts ALL THE TIME. Stop it!
The headline here is a lie. The body of article says it clearly (surprisingly). Facebook was NOT listening to you like a constant hot mic. It was using human contractors to train Machine Learning algorithms for voicemail transcription using recorded de-identified snippets of voicemails. This wasn’t even used for ad targeting.
This is NOT a big deal nor is it surprising if you know ANYTHING about anything.
This makes me so, so angry.
Why?
Because the is undermining our faith in basic tools and technologies, driving paranoia, undermining the work and value of well meaning builders and eroding our trust in the critical sources of information we need about the world - all for some clicks.
The media plays a critical role in a democracy. Do some research on how and why. If they fail us then all is lost.
A Key Part of Success . . .
The weather on day 2 of our little weekend island getaway is not ideal. Cold. Rainy.
When I mentioned it to Aliya she said “I know it’s not great but it’s out of my control so I’m going to have a great time and make the best of it anyway”
This reminded me of two things.
1) A huge part of success in life is how you react to things both small and large. So many people when confronted with bad weather on their vacation, would, at best, pout or, at worst, become negative and defeated. Instead, people like my amazing wife find the gratitude and bound into the situation with optimism.
2) Another key part of success in life is choosing amazing partners. Both for family and in business. People who balance you by boosting you when you’re down or temper you when you’re irrationally exuberant. Someone who makes life lighter and easier in countless small and big ways.
So grateful
The Economic Cost Of Bad Leadership
There is untold $$ and talent that has evacuated or avoided entering the US due to Trump and Hong Kong due to China's actions there. The economic damage is immeasurable.
Be careful who you listen to
Until your life decisions have resulted in demonstrably successful outcomes, it’s difficult to claim credibility when giving advice.
Movie Recommendation: Joker
As John Campea said: Most movies are about broken people who find something that makes them whole. Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, on the other hand, is about a broken man in a broken environment - and what happens when he descends into madness.
Absolutely epic. Must watch.
Uber: Unbundling Continues
This is absolutely huge and awesome for Uber and the world. Unbundling continues.
Trump Encourages Meddling in 2020 Election
He’s either too stupid to understand, deteriorating in mental faculties or a mad genius who’s trying to dilute the seriousness of what he’s done but trying to convince his followers that it’s “common sense” to ask these kinds of favors of foreign countries.
In any case, he’s a dangerous sociopath that needs to be removed from power as quickly as possible.
Microsoft's Surface Neo
I want to love these dual screen devices, but right now I can’t imagine that it’s super useful for my current workflow.
I think the form factor that will be truly magic will be a Westworld style phone that turns into a table when you need the extra screen real estate or productivity.
Our Own Blind Spots
It can be so, so hard to see and understand our own blind spots and weaknesses. It’s almost impossible to fix them. This is particularly true when those same blind spots are the very thing standing in the way of our understanding. Sensitivities to certain kinds of feedback, assumptions about the world and certain kinds of people, raw nerves etc.
Media Matters: Cherry-picking
It’s amazing how the media can totally miss-characterize things. Zuckerberg’s “suck” was referring to having to sue the government, not being broken up by Warren. It’s in the snippet Techcrunch included in the linked post. Yet they’re all quoting him saying that being broken up or warren being president would suck.
“I would bet that we will have a legal challenge, and I would bet that we will win the legal challenge,” he can be heard saying. “Does that still suck for us? Yeah. I mean, I don’t want to have a major lawsuit against our own government. …”
Extremism Is The Enemy
Regular reminder for everyone: Extremism is the enemy.
I don’t mind if you’re a conservative, but I do mind if you’re a Trump apologist.
I don’t mind if you’re a liberal, but I do mind if you’re an extreme liberal who is triggered by every little thing.
I don’t mind if you’re Muslim, but I do mind if you’re a member of Al-Qaeda and want to blow things up.
I don’t mind if you’re Christian, but I do mind if you’re part of the KKK and want to purify the races.
I don’t mind if you’re a feminist, but I do mind if you’re an extreme feminist who thinks most men are toxic.
Related: I have no tolerance for people who judge a whole, legitimate group by the most extreme individuals who claim to be part of said group.
Feckless Dems
Massive and detailed report after 2 years of thorough investigation revealing countless acts of high crimes and misdemeanors - “we still need to investigate because impeachment is divisive”
A whistleblower report no one has seen yet - “Impeach!”
Democrats are so feckless.
12 Years Of Friendship
Apparently it’s been 12 years since I met Mike and we played footy in the streets of San Francisco. He’s way too busy for my shit these day though :))
People Who Don't Shield Their Kids
People who don’t protect and prepare their kids from emotional trauma as they grow (and, in fact, sometimes almost deliberately expose them to it as part of their own immature behavior) will always make my blood boil
The iPhone 11 Pro Max Camera
This is blowing my mind. The new iPhone 11 Pro Max camera is actually able to capture something very close to what it actually looks like with the human eye. I can’t wait to see what else this camera does #nofilter
Sync Your Philips Hue Lights With Your TV
Separate the ”What” from the “How”
You need to separate the ”what” from the “how”.
I see a lot of people discussing presidential candidates saying things like “it’s a good policy if he can get people to support it” or “they’d be a great president if they were electable”. They also follow this same line of thinking in their own personal lives “I’d love to do this thing if only X”
First decide the “what”, then figure out the “how”.
The “what” should be an idealized version of the future. The “how” is a series of incremental steps to get there.
The policy is good. It’s not good IF.
The candidate is good. They're not good IF people support them. So just support them. If everyone who believed in the candidate would back them in this way, you would probably be 3/4 of the way there. You can then sell the rest of the people on the merits.
If you truly believe that a product or service is the right thing for the world, or a course of action is the right thing for you, then decide to do it, and find a way to get it done.
Democrats Are Spineless
Democrats are so spineless. Lock his ass up and throw away the key. Instead they buy into the farce
Everything wrong with CNN in one article.
1. Pointless story
2. Distracted by moving things
3. Clickbait headline that misrepresents the facts
4. Stoking fear to sell ads
5. Totally useless
