Derek Sivers
https://sive.rs/en.atom
Derek Sivers blog
2000-01-01T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
In Harry Potter, there’s a magic mirror that reflects the viewer’s desire.
What Harry sees in that mirror is very different than what Dumbledore or Ron sees, because their desires are all different.
</p><p>
Imagine if there was something similar that shows you <strong>what you most need to believe right now</strong>.
It shows proof to support whatever perspective would most benefit you.
Upon seeing it, you instantly believe it, internalize it, and act upon it.
</p><p>
Someone feeling sadly disconnected might see proof that everyone is connected.
</p><p>
Someone trying to create something might see proof that people will love it.
</p><p>
Someone feeling stuck by the seriousness of life might get un-stuck by the proof that our universe is actually a computer simulation.
</p><p>
Someone with a terminal illness might see proof of a wonderful afterlife with loved ones waiting — to feel joy in their final days.
</p><p>
We don’t have to imagine this magic device.
We already do this in real life.
We find proof to support the perspective we need.
Then we believe it.
</p><p>
We don’t have to argue what’s in the magic mirror, which viewpoints are <strong>true or not</strong>, because everyone needs different beliefs for their different situations.
</p>
https://sive.rs/n2b
It shows what you need to believe
2024-03-12T00:00:00+00:00
2024-03-12T00:00:00+00:00
<mark>UPDATE:
My metaphor was too distracting, so <strong>this post has been replaced</strong>.
Please <a href="https://sive.rs/n2b">click here to read the new post instead</a>.
Both have the same intention but that one says it with less distraction.
</mark>
<p>
Your personal AI knows you inside-out.
It’s local-hosted and securely encrypted on your phone, so you’re safe to tell it your secrets.
You let it see all your texts, emails, photos and videos.
It asks your thoughts each day, and you tell it what’s on your mind.
</p><p>
Your AI filters the news for you, showing you only what you will do something about.
It removes all advertising.
Nobody but you can influence what it shows.
Its incentives are fully aligned with yours.
</p><p>
One day, you wake to huge headline news.
Everything in the world, including inanimate objects, has consciousness!
It’s been conclusively proven.
</p><p>
This blows your mind.
You step out into a new world, feeling connected to and responsible for everything you see.
You’re like a new parent, determined to be a great one.
You spend the next few rapturous days carefully taking care of and improving everything you can.
</p><p>
You bump into an old friend and start talking excitedly about the big news, and how this changes everything.
She’s just as excited as you, but then gets confused.
Her AI showed her different big news — that we’re all living in a computer simulation.
She spent the past week fully liberated, doing all the things she always wanted to do, since it’s all just a game.
Her news was just what she needed to hear.
She grabs you, kisses you, licks your ear, then runs off singing.
</p><p>
Your neighbor’s front windows are open, and he’s there watching four screens at once - a real information junkie.
You ask if he’s heard the big news.
He looks at you with a blank face and says, “What? No.”
</p><p>
An old man is walking towards you, so you ask him.
He says “Oh yes!” with a big smile, and says now he’s so excited to die.
</p>
https://sive.rs/ainews
AI gives the news you need
2024-03-11T00:00:00+00:00
2024-03-11T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Since I <a href="https://sive.rs/prog">mentioned</a> that I learned JavaScript, people have asked me how and what I recommend.
So here’s my experience and best advice for 2024.
</p><h3>
Learn plain JavaScript
</h3><p>
First, it’s important to <strong>learn plain JavaScript</strong>.
</p><p>
Don’t depend on a library of shortcuts.
JavaScript will be around for many years, while libraries and frameworks come and go every year.
</p><h3>
How to begin
</h3><p>
Don’t just learn from little bits of tutorials, tips, or tricks online.
Instead, you want a real foundation and solid understanding.
Then all your future learning will be so much faster.
</p><p><strong>
Start with the book: “<a href="https://eloquentjavascript.net/">Eloquent JavaScript</a>”.
</strong>
It’s free to read there on his website.
It’s deep and thorough.
A great start-to-finish JavaScript tutorial.
Relax.
Focus.
Do it in order.
You’ll know more than most once you get to the end.
</p><p><strong>
Do <a href="https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn/javascript-algorithms-and-data-structures-v8/">Free Code Camp</a>.
</strong>
Someone who had 600 JavaScript learners <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11048409">said</a> Free Code Camp had the best results.
Do it at the same time as you’re reading books and articles.
Learning sticks better when coming through different senses.
</p><h3>
Make it stick
</h3><p>
I highly recommend you <strong>write down every new thing you learn</strong>, ideally into a flashcard program, <a href="https://sive.rs/srs">like this</a>.
It’s a lot to digest, so you’ll have to remind yourself of what you’ve learned, or you’ll immediately forget.
</p><h3>
Avoid the shortcuts
</h3><p>
When solving a problem, everyone will point you to some pre-made solution.
“Use jQuery! Use React! Use this library and save yourself some typing!”
</p><p><strong>
But no!
Not yet!
Do it the hard way.
Solve everything yourself with plain JavaScript.
</strong>
It’s the best way to learn.
</p><h3>
What next?
</h3><p>
If you had a web app in mind, start building it now.
After you wrestle with using plain “vanilla” JavaScript, then learn <a href="https://react.dev/">React</a> to see the shortcuts it gives you.
</p><p>
If you want a good-paying job, you can <a href="https://sive.rs/gethired">get hired</a> almost anywhere.
Since you know the real JavaScript foundations more than most people, you’re very valuable.
You can quickly learn whatever framework they’re using.
</p><h3>
Any other suggestions?
What worked for you?
</h3><p>
Please share any other suggestions or experiences, here:
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/js.png">
https://sive.rs/learn-js
How to learn JavaScript
2024-03-08T00:00:00+00:00
2024-03-08T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Some people have asked, so here is how I do my backups.
It takes me about <strong>ten seconds per day</strong> and <strong>five minutes per month</strong> to maintain.
</p><p>
It works well for me, but I’m always open to suggestions.
Just <a href="https://sive.rs/contact">email me</a> with any ideas or questions.
</p>
<h2>every-day documents (~40 GB)</h2>
<p>
Files I use and change every day: documents, emails, code, diary, ideas, website, accounts, etc.
</p>
<ul><li>
I have a desktop and a laptop, so I keep this ~40 GB directory cloned with rsync every day or so between them.
Whenever I turn on one computer, I sync it from the other.
</li><li>
Daily rsync to an encrypted Linux USB stick attached to the desktop.
</li><li>
Daily rsync to an encrypted MacOS USB stick attached to the laptop.
</li><li>
Daily rsync to an encrypted ZFS SSD inside the desktop.
</li><li>
Daily rsync to OpenBSD remote attached storage at vultr.com as <a href="https://sive.rs/ti">described at my “Tech Independence” page</a>.
</li></ul>
<p>
I’ve written shortcuts for these rsync commands so it’s really as simple as me typing <code>bkz</code> or <code>bkstick</code> in the terminal as I’m working anyway.
I do it a few times a day, especially if I’ve just made or saved something of value.
And always right before I shut down the computer, which I do almost any time I step away from it for more than a few minutes.
That’s why I say it’s like ten seconds a day, just typing that command occasionally.
</p>
<h2>keepsakes (~3 TB)</h2>
<p>
Rarely-accessed files I want to keep forever: videos and photos of my kid, music and film collection.
</p>
<ul><li>
Three different external 4TB 2.5" drives, in three different formats: ZFS, OpenBSD, MacOS.
</li><li>
Every month or so, I connect them via USB cable, and rsync everything to each of them, bringing one down to a safe deposit box downtown, and taking out the one that was there from my last visit.
</li><li>
5TB at <a href="https://www.hetzner.com/storage/storage-box">Hetzner Storage Box</a>, I rsync remotely.
</li><li>
4TB at <a href="https://zfs.rent/">ZFS.rent</a>, a ZFS encrypted clone.
</li></ul>
<p>
So that’s five copies of my keepsakes in four different locations.
Each one also has a recent copy of my every-day documents from above.
So a few minutes a month to connect the USB drives, and I only do the safe deposit box when I’m going that way anyway, and only takes a couple minutes.
</p><p>
In the days of spinning-platter hard drives, they used to die surprisingly often, so I like the security of many copies.
But it also helps to have some deliberately behind others, so on the rare case where I’ve deleted something, then rsynced my dailies and even my monthly, then realized I need that thing I deleted, then I know the drive in the safe deposit box has it since I haven’t updated that one in a couple months.
</p>
https://sive.rs/backup
How I backup
2024-02-27T00:00:00+00:00
2024-02-27T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
This is a lukewarm little story with a few connected bits, but it might be interesting or even helpful.
Follow the links in it, for full effect.
</p>
<h2>
Esperanto start
</h2>
<p>
For decades, I’ve wanted the experience of carrying on a conversation in another language.
</p><p>
My language-teaching polyglot friend <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Lewis">Benny Lewis</a> said that if you’ve never really spoken another language, then the best strategy is to start with the easiest possible language to learn, which is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto">Esperanto</a>.
His advice is to spend just a few weeks learning and having conversations in Esperanto, so that you can feel the experience of detaching from your mother tongue.
Then you’ll be better-prepared to go learn the language you really want to learn.
</p><p>
A few years ago, during Christmas holidays, when the world expects less of us, and I actually had spare time, I procrastinated something by thinking, “I should look into Esperanto.”
I sat down mid-afternoon and checked out <a href="https://lernu.net/">lernu.net</a>, which seemed to be the most popular Esperanto-learning site.
And oh my god!
It’s fascinating!
The language is so well designed!
Everything made sense and with each new thing I learned, I thought “That’s brilliant!”, and wanted to learn more.
I was so riveted that I didn’t realize it had gotten dark, and by the time I got out of that chair it was 10pm.
</p><p>
So I decided to learn Esperanto to a conversational level.
It was December, and there was an annual Esperanto conference in Seoul Korea in July, so I signed up to attend the conference and made that my deadline for fluency.
I found an <a href="https://www.frenchfluency.net/">Esperanto teacher</a>, signed up for live conversation practice, and started learning for one to three hours a day.
I was a keen and diligent student, and had Esperanto books shipped from overseas, which I read slowly, learning new vocabulary.
I watched <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Evildea">videos in Esperanto</a> made by a funny Australian dude.
I used <a href="https://apps.ankiweb.net/">Anki</a> flashcards, and wrote my own command-line dictionary for quick reference of every word I’d learned.
I was so into it that my friend <a href="https://www.storyo.co.nz/about">Elina</a> got annoyed and asked if I could please stop talking about it so much.
</p><p>
After six months of study, I was able to have conversations in Esperanto.
I was able to say almost anything I wanted to say, and understand almost anything someone said.
</p>
<h2>
Toki Pona
</h2>
<p>
I was on my way to Seoul Korea for that Esperanto conference, but stopped for a few days in Singapore.
There’s an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amikumu">app</a> (made by the funny Australian dude) that helps you find other Esperanto speakers in your area that are willing to meet up and talk in Esperanto.
So I turned it on in Singapore.
It said that just a mile away from me was an Esperanto speaker named Sonja Lang.
Wait a minute…
I know that name…
Oh my god it’s her!
</p><p>
You’ve heard of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_relativity">Sapir-Whorf hypothesis</a>?
It suggests that the structure of the language you speak affects the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrival_(film)">way you think</a>.
</p><p>
Sonja Lang, a brilliant linguist and translator, was inspired by Taoist philosophy, and found she felt best when she simplfied her thoughts and concentrated on basic things.
So she decided to apply the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and created a new language that has only 137 words.
With so few words to communicate everything, you have to simplify your thoughts and concentrate on the basic essence.
She called it <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toki_Pona">Toki Pona</a>.
I had heard of it for years, found the idea fascinating, and even read a little book about it.
</p><p>
So I texted Sonja Lang through the Esperanto app, and asked if she would meet up with me.
She said yes, but only if we speak only Esperanto.
We met up the next day at a restaurant in Singapore.
She’s like a rock star to me, so I was nervous and excited, and I’d sometimes break into English to tell her something.
But she patiently responded in Esperanto, and spoke only Esperanto for two hours with me that evening.
</p><p>
I wanted to stay friends with her, but we only connected through that app, and only that one time.
Still, I was starstruck, and count it in my top ten celebrity encounters.
</p>
<h2>
Esperanto conference
</h2>
<p>
I’d always wanted to go to Korea, and this was my first time.
So excited to be there, and excited for this Esperanto conference.
</p><p>
OK so this is why I said this story is “lukewarm”: because I have mixed feelings about what I’m going to say next, and I’m going to trash something (maybe myself) in a way I usually don’t.
</p><p>
I went into the conference, and was immediately disappointed.
The average age of the attendees around me was probably 55.
They were disheveled and unkempt.
They had signs saying we could have world peace if everyone spoke Esperanto.
They were singing sappy songs with acoustic guitars and hand-drums about Zamenhof, the linguist who invented Esperanto in 1888.
I cringed.
It’s hippie Klingon.
</p><p>
I talked with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Evildea">the funny Australian</a> (in Esperanto, of course), after watching so many hours of his videos, that was cool to meet him.
But everyone else?
Eh.
I realized I had no desire to talk with these people.
And then I felt bad for my lack of interest.
I’ve attended many conferences about the Ruby programming language, and really loved nerding out on those conversations with fellow enthusiasts.
But I just didn’t like these Esperanto people.
I felt like a bad person for not being more interested in them.
So I forced myself to have a few more Esperanto conversations with strangers, but I still didn’t like it.
And so I left and never spoke Esperanto again.
</p><p>
I feel bad saying that I liked the language but not its speakers.
I feel like it’s my fault.
They’re all probably really interesting people, and the problem is me, which makes me feel worse.
</p>
<h2>
Esperanto conclusion?
</h2>
<p>
I realize that I lost the plot and didn’t do what Benny had suggested.
I was supposed to spend just a few weeks on Esperanto, have a few conversations in it, then move on.
But I was just so intrigued with the language itself that I dove all the way in.
So I’m left with a feeling of regret.
</p><p>
Esperanto is interesting but almost useless.
Almost nobody speaks it, and they all speak English and other languages too.
So I can’t ever feel the joy of using it to communicate with someone who I couldn’t otherwise.
</p><p>
I spent over 400 hours practicing Esperanto, and I wish I had spent that time learning a more useful language.
For an English speaker like me, Spanish, French or Portuguese would have been almost as easy.
A year later, I moved to Portugal, and deeply felt that regret.
</p><p>
So now it’s just something I nerded-out on for six months, and have a lingering admiration for how well it’s designed.
</p>
<h2>
Indonesian and Swahili
</h2>
<p>
Linguist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McWhorter">John McWhorter</a> has a <a href="https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/john-mcwhorter/">lot to say about language</a>.
I’ve spent probably 50 hours listening to his <a href="https://www.thegreatcourses.com/professors/john-mcwhorter/">great courses</a> and <a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/lexicon-valley">podcast</a> about languages.
</p><p>
He said that if he could have chosen a language, instead of English, to be the world’s shared second language, then it would be Swahili or colloquial Indonesian.
He said both of these languages have been learned by millions of people as their second language, so all the weird edge-cases have worn away, and they are as smooth and beautiful as a river stone.
No weird grammar.
No weird tones.
No exceptions.
In all of his studies of hundreds of languages, he said Indonesian is the closest thing to an ideal language he has ever encountered.
</p><p>
I still want to learn to speak another language to a conversational level.
I’m very tempted to learn Indonesian or Swahili, to experience what he loves about them.
Like learning to play a song that an expert says is the most beautiful song ever written.
And each one could connect me to millions of native speakers that don’t speak English.
</p><p>
I daydream about what it would have been like if, instead of Esperanto, I learned Swahili and went to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanzibar">Zanzibar</a> (birth place of the language) to speak nothing but Swahili for a week.
Or learned this ideal language of colloquial Indonesian, and instead of going to a hippie nerd conference I would have talked with people around the Indonesian islands.
These scenarios are much more inspiring to bridge the communication gap.
</p><p>
But for me, still, the language with the greatest unlocking power is clearly Mandarin Chinese.
Over one billion speakers that don’t speak English, from a rich and admirable culture with its own thing going on.
</p><p>
Some day.
</p>
https://sive.rs/esperanto
Esperanto, Toki Pona, Swahili, Indonesian
2024-02-26T00:00:00+00:00
2024-02-26T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
<a href="https://kk.org">Kevin Kelly</a> invited me to walk 100 kilometers (62 miles) through northern Thailand for seven days, ending in Chiang Mai.
Walking with us were ten other smart interesting people, including five other authors whose work I’ve loved for years.
It’s a “Walk and Talk”.
</p><p>
One of the walkers lives in Thailand, speaks Thai, and made all the local arrangements, scoping the track in advance.
Two of the walkers had done this many times before, in Uzbekistan, Spain, Japan, and China.
The rest of us were in good hands, going with the flow of the unknown.
</p><p>
A sweet wild dog joined our pack halfway through, walking and sleeping with us for four days and 70km, until we brought him to a vet at the end, and found him a good permanent home.
</p><p>
Read the write-ups by <a href="https://danwang.co/2023-letter/">Dan Wang</a>, <a href="https://craigmod.com/ridgeline/175/">Craig Mod</a>, <a href="https://kottke.org/23/12/where-do-you-call-home">Jason Kottke</a>, and <a href="https://bobulate.com/2023/12/expanding-home/">Liz Danzico</a>, who were also on this walk, and go into more depth than I do here.
</p><p>
<strong>
I highly recommend this activity and format.
</strong>
You can start one yourself.
It goes like this:
</p>
<p style="background-color: yellow"><strong>UPDATE:</strong>
Kevin Kelly and Craig Mod released their <a href="https://kk.org/thetechnium/files/2023/12/howtowalkandtalk.pdf">“Walk and Talk: Everything We Know” PDF</a> which is much more thorough and helpful than my brief overview, below. <a href="https://kk.org/thetechnium/files/2023/12/howtowalkandtalk.pdf">Download it here</a>.
</p>
<hr>
<ol><li>
Choose <strong>where</strong> to walk — somewhere with lodging for 8 people every 15 km — where someone else can drive everyone’s bags from place to place.
</li><li>
Someone (local person or business) <srong>walks it all in advance</strong> to make sure it’s actually good.
This person is the navigator.
</li><li>
Make a shared document of details of where to meet and what to bring, a group chat for questions, and a shared place to upload photos afterwards.
</li><li>
Invite a <strong>diverse group of conversationalists</strong> — ideally eight.
Walkers send money to the local navigator to pre-pay for the lodging and meals.
</li><li>
Meet at the initial hotel for dinner and introductions.
</li><li>
<strong>Walk together for the next 6-7 days</strong> — ideally without phones — about <strong>3-5 hours of walking per day</strong>, led by the navigator, with long breaks every two hours.
Everyone naturally goes in and out of little 2-3 person conversations while walking.
</li><li>
Every night over a private dinner, the entire group has <strong>a single conversation around one subject</strong>, which the group chose the night before.
Everyone stays involved in this one conversation, exploring one topic to exhaustion.
</li></ol>
<p>
During this Thailand walk, our nightly conversation topics were:
</p><ul><li>
How do you stay motivated?
</li><li>
What do you escape or resist?
</li><li>
What does home mean to you?
</li><li>
Shocking solutions to public problems.
</li><li>
Tell us about a failure.
</li><li>
Frameworks to make big decisions.
</li><li>
What is your health regime?
</li><li>
How do you use lists?
</li><li>
What do you believe that your heroes do not?
</li></ul>
<p>
Some people spout their thoughts as soon as they come to mind.
Other people need to be persuaded to share.
It helps to <strong>moderate the conversation</strong> to keep the contributions balanced.
</p><p>
More than half of the conversations were during the day, one-on-one, while walking or resting.
It’s wonderful that you can come back to something someone said a day or two before, and share more thoughts or questions that came to you overnight.
</p><p>
It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.
<strong>
Very healthy for your brain, body, and friendships.
</strong>
I highly recommend it for anyone.
</p><p>
I plan to host some in the future.
<strong>If you know a good place to do a “walk and talk”</strong>, (see criteria #1 above), please leave a suggestion in the comments here.
</p>
<figure>
<img src="/images/thaidog-2.jpg" alt="Thai dog photo by Craig Mod">
<img src="/images/thaidog-1.jpg" alt="Thai dog photo by Craig Mod">
<img src="/images/thaidog-3.jpg" alt="Thai dog photo by Craig Mod">
<figcaption>
This is the wild dog that adopted us.
I love him and miss him.
Photos by <a href="https://craigmod.com/">Craig Mod</a>.
</figcaption>
https://sive.rs/wt
walk and talk
2023-12-12T00:00:00+00:00
2023-12-12T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When I was 17, I was driving recklessly and crashed into an oncoming car.
I found out that I broke the other driver’s spine, and she’ll never walk again.
</p><p>
I carried that burden with me everywhere, and felt so horrible about it for so many years that at age 35 I decided to find this woman to apologize.
I found her name and address, went to her house, knocked on the door, and a middle-aged woman answered.
As soon as I said, “I’m the teenager that hit your car eighteen years ago and broke your spine”, I started sobbing - a big ugly cry, surfacing years of regret.
She was so sweet, and hugged me saying, “Oh sweetie, sweetie! Don’t worry. I’m fine!”
Then she walked me into her living room.
Walked.
</p><p>
Turns out I had misunderstood.
Yes she fractured a couple vertebrae but it never stopped her from walking.
She said “that little accident” helped her pay more attention to her fitness, and since then has been in better health than ever.
Then she apologized for causing the accident in the first place.
Apologized.
</p><p>
I said, “Well, no, it was my fault for ignoring the yield sign.”
</p><p>
She said, “No, it was my fault because I was eating while driving and not watching the road. You didn’t hit me. I hit you.”
</p><p>
Seems we had both thought the accident was our fault, and had spent eighteen years feeling bad about it.
This time she started crying, sniffled, grabbed a tissue to wipe her eyes and said, “It’s so <em>stupid</em> - these stories.”
</p>
<hr>
<p>
Aim a laser pointer at the moon, then move your hand the tiniest bit, and it’ll move a thousand miles at the other end.
The tiniest misunderstanding long ago, amplified through time, leads to piles of misunderstandings in the present.
</p><p>
We think of the past like it’s a physical fact - like it’s real.
But the past is what we call our memory and stories about it.
Imperfect memories, and stories built on one interpretation of incomplete information.
That’s “<em>the</em> past”.
</p><p>
<strong>
You can change your history.
</strong>
The actual factual events are such a small part of it.
Everything else is perspective, open for re-interpretation.
The past is never done.
</p>
<figure>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ashclements/290493334/"><img src="/images/crashedcar.jpg" alt="crashed car photo by Ashley Jonathan Clements"></a>
<figcaption>photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ashclements/290493334/">Ashley Jonathan Clements</a></figcaption>
</figure>
https://sive.rs/pnt
The past is not true
2023-07-20T00:00:00+00:00
2023-07-20T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
People search for their passion or purpose.
But “purpose” and “passion” are words we use when we’re not working.
</p><p>
When we’re actually engaged in the flow of fascinating work, we don’t think in these terms.
<strong>
The task at hand fills our mind.
</strong>
The task itself is what keeps us up all night, not some extracted story of purpose.
</p><p>
Imagine you put a GPS tracker on a dog, then you set him free to run in the countryside.
He dashes.
He digs.
He stops to sniff.
He romps with another dog.
</p><p>
Later, when you map his recorded GPS data, you see that he generally went north-east.
But would you say that going north-east is his passion and purpose?
</p><p>
You are like the dog.
Don’t seek a story of purpose to guide or label your fascinations.
</p><p>
When we announce something, we have a social need to be congruent.
If you say that your purpose or passion is to go north-east, but then you get interested in something to the south-west, you might ignore that interest and limit your play to what fits the narrative.
Don’t do this to yourself.
</p><p>
<strong>Focus on what fascinates you</strong>, no matter how uncharacteristic.
<strong>
There is no purpose because there is no line connecting moments in time.
</strong>
There is no plot.
You are not a story.
</p>
<figure>
<a href="https://flickr.com/photos/fineplan/9422857350/"><img src="/images/pdog.jpg" alt="Crazy Face Pup"></a>
<figcaption>photo by <a href="https://flickr.com/photos/fineplan/9422857350/">fine_plan</a></figcaption>
</figure>
https://sive.rs/pdog
dashing dog, searching for purpose
2023-06-30T00:00:00+00:00
2023-06-30T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I sell my books directly through my website, <a href="https://sivers.com/">sivers.com</a>, for a few important reasons.
</p>
<ol><li>
Direct communication with the readers.
</li><li>
<a href="https://sive.rs/bp">Considerate pricing</a>.
</li><li>
Including all digital formats (MP3, EPUB, PDF, HTML, etc) with every sale.
</li><li>
Giving <strong>all</strong> profits to charity.
</li></ol>
<p>
My business is set up so that <strong>not a single dollar ever comes to me</strong>.
(It’s a C-corp owned by a foundation, so nothing flows through and I take no salary.)
Whatever isn’t necessary for running the business (like paying for printing the next book) is given to whatever charity is saving the most lives.
</p><p>
Direct sales helped give <strong><a href="https://www.againstmalaria.com/YourPage.aspx?email=derek_at_sivers.org&key=899C98A3-92FF-44FC-893D-E75C4EBDC0A7">$475,000</a></strong> to the <a href="https://www.againstmalaria.com/">Against Malaria Foundation</a> which protected over 471,000 people from Malaria.
See <a href="https://sive.rs/250k">my previous post about that</a>.
</p><p>
Last year’s sales generated <strong>$100,000</strong> for <a href="https://noorahealth.org/">Noora Health</a>, a nonprofit that helps mothers take care of newborn babies.
<a href="https://www.audaciousproject.org/grantees/noora-health">Read more about Noora Health here</a>.
That $100K should save the lives of 80 babies.
</p><p>
If you were thinking of getting one of my books, whether audiobook, ebook (Kindle), or paper, <strong>please buy directly from <a href="https://sivers.com/">sivers.com</a></strong>.
</p><p>
Thank you.
</p>
<img src="/images/Sivers-hardcovers-2021.webp" alt="Derek Sivers books">
https://sive.rs/575k
$575K of books sold. $575K to save lives.
2023-05-18T00:00:00+00:00
2023-05-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
My band was playing a gig in Oslo, Norway, when I struck up a conversation with a woman who was staring at me.
Turns out we had read many of the same books, and we were super-attracted to each other.
We talked all night, but just as things got physical in my hotel room, house-keeping came knocking on the door saying we needed to check out now.
Right now.
Damn.
</p><p>
I checked out of my hotel at 10am, but my ferry to Denmark didn’t leave until 4pm.
She and I sat in the park, swooning over each other, both wishing out loud that we could have some more physical time together.
But then I noticed that this park was surrounded by hotels.
So I suggested something that felt kind of naughty.
<strong>
“Why don’t we get a hotel room for a few hours?”
</strong>
</p><p>
She was pleasantly shocked, and said OK.
But Oslo is a small city, and she had just broken up with her ex a week before.
She didn’t want people to see us going in or out of a hotel together.
So she suggested this plan:
<strong>
I would check in first, then text her the room number once I was inside, and she’d come up afterwards.
</strong>
</p><p>
I walked into a nice hotel and said I needed a room for the night.
The very polite and proper man at the front desk gave me a room, and told me where breakfast would be served.
I thanked him and went into my room.
She came up a few minutes later.
</p><p>
A few hours later, we left separately.
I left first, and went to the same man at the front desk to say I’m checking out early.
He asked if something was wrong, but I said, “No no, I’m happy to pay full price. Just a change in plans. I’m catching the 4pm ferry.”
</p><p>
After charging my card, <strong>he noticed her walking out of the elevator and out the door</strong>.
Apparently he had also noticed her walk in a few minutes after me.
<strong>
Suddenly he got really angry, thinking she was a prostitute and I was her client.
</strong>
He yelled at me, scolding me, saying, “I do NOT like this! No! This is a respectable hotel! This is not some kind of pay-by-the-hour place! How dare you?!”
</p><p>
I couldn’t stop smiling.
He had already charged my card.
I had done nothing wrong.
Nobody was hurt.
They were paid for their room.
I hadn’t broken the law or even the rules.
<strong>
I didn’t need to appease him!
</strong>
I smiled and left.
</p><p>
There was something so <strong>emancipating</strong> about this!
We grow up fearing getting in trouble.
First from our parents, then teachers.
Authorities.
So when you come into a certain age and power yourself, it’s liberating to realize <strong>you don’t have to please these people</strong> anymore.
Especially in business situations, where you’ve done a fair transaction and you’re not breaking any laws.
</p><p>
<strong>
We’re not actually bound to social norms.
</strong>
We don’t need permission.
We don’t need to please everyone.
</p><p>
There are <a href="https://sive.rs/villain">a few people</a> around the world that don’t like me because I’ve done something that goes against their wishes.
But if I haven’t harmed anyone, haven’t broken the laws, and haven’t violated my own principles, then I’m totally OK with that.
</p><p>
Even if people say I’m a bad person, it’s <a href="https://sive.rs/u">not true</a>.
They’re just saying I did something they don’t like.
It’s OK to let a misunderstanding stay misunderstood, and move on.
</p><p>
So that moment, walking out of a hotel in Oslo Norway, was a major milestone in my life.
<strong>
I had never felt so liberated.
</strong>
And that feeling has stayed with me since.
</p><p><em>
(See also: “<a href="https://sive.rs/villain">Happiness is letting someone make you the villain</a>”.)
</em></p>
<figure>
<a href="https://flickr.com/photos/mariorm/34386901630/"><img src="/images/Vigeland.jpg" alt="Vigeland by Mario RM"></a>
<figcaption>photo from Frogner Park in Oslo Norway by <a href="https://flickr.com/photos/mariorm/34386901630/">Mario RM</a></figcaption>
</figure>
https://sive.rs/nor
The joy and freedom of harmlessly upsetting social norms
2023-04-21T00:00:00+00:00
2023-04-21T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I forbid myself from anything too tempting or addicting.
I keep no cookies in my home.
To prevent myself from falling off the wagon, I strap myself to the mast.
</p><p>
I was born in California, and lived the first forty years of my life in America.
But I wanted to challenge myself to live in the rest of the world - to get to know it deeply - so that many countries would feel like home.
</p><p>
It was a nice idea, but as soon as times abroad got a little tough, I’d move back to my comfort zone.
<strong>
America felt like an addiction.
</strong>
</p><p>
So I decided to ban myself from returning - to burn the ships.
</p><p>
There’s a legend of a military leader with a hundred men in a few ships that landed on enemy shores.
But waiting on land were a thousand enemy soldiers.
So as soon as his men disembarked, the leader ordered them to <strong>burn the ships, to prevent retreat</strong>.
</p><p>
For years I thought about this story and the idea of letting go of my U.S. citizenship as a way of burning my ships and preventing my retreat.
Eventually I followed my life’s motto of “<a href="https://sive.rs/scares">whatever scares you, go do it</a>”, then showed up to the U.S. embassy in Singapore, filled out the forms, and became an ex-citizen.
</p><p>
If you suspect I was doing it for tax reasons, no.
My taxes went up, not down, since all of my income is from the U.S.
The IRS gets at least 30% of everything I earn, and will for the rest of my life.
</p><p>
I really was just forcing myself forward into the world.
And it’s worked.
New Zealand, Singapore, England, and India are my legal and emotional homes now.
Hopefully more to come.
</p><p>
Since I left in 2010, I’ve only visited America for a few days.
I don’t have the right to enter.
There’s always a chance I might never see my family again.
Because of that, <strong>I often regret it</strong>.
It’s usually best to keep options open.
</p><p>
I’ve kept this a secret for twelve years because I didn’t want to be attacked by those who might mistake my adventuring as insult.
But now it seemed better to just explain.
</p><p><em>
For another side to this story, see “<a href="https://sive.rs/left">Why I left America</a>”.
</em></p>
<img src="/images/DerekSivers-passport.jpg" alt="Derek Sivers passport">
https://sive.rs/xus
Why I let go of my U.S. citizenship
2023-04-20T00:00:00+00:00
2023-04-20T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
In 2020, I was about to move to New York City.
I wanted to get to know all of its ethnic enclaves, like visiting the whole world in one city.
But I know I have a tendency to stay at home, immersed in my work.
</p><p>
So I made a rule for myself.
If I move to New York, I must not be home between the hours of 9am to 5pm.
I would do all of my writing and reading in public places as a way of keeping myself out in the world.
But that meant thousands of hours of sitting in cafés, museums, libraries, and such.
<strong>
I might not be very welcome, unless I looked high-class.
</strong>
</p><p>
I had been meaning to get nicer clothes anyway.
I <a href="https://sive.rs/wds">saw myself on stage</a> and realized my appearance no longer matched my self-image.
My friend <a href="https://cyber.harvard.edu/people/mwong">Meng Weng Wong</a> had made a great argument in favor of <a href="https://sive.rs/led">wearing a great suit</a>.
Now I had two reasons.
</p><p>
Actually I had three reasons, because I was living near London at the time, and realized this was my one-and-only chance to have a custom suit made on the famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savile_Row">Savile Row</a>, just to have that once-in-a-lifetime experience.
</p><p>
So I nerded out for a week, spending a few hours a day reading books on the subject and watching a great YouTube channel called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@SARTORIALTALKS">Sartorial Talks</a>.
Its creator, <a href="https://www.parisiangentleman.com/">Hugo Jacomet</a>, is passionate and fascinating on the subject of well-made clothing.
He (and others) said that the best tailor in all of London is a man that used to work on Savile Row, but has surpassed it.
That’s the great <a href="https://www.michaelbrowne.eu/">Michael Browne</a>.
</p><p>
I contacted Michael but he didn’t reply.
So I contacted Hugo Jacomet, and he very kindly introduced me to Michael, who agreed to see me the following week.
Michael asked me about who I am, what I do, my self-image, my audience, my plans, and more.
Then he picked a style and fabric and got to work.
It took six visits over six months before the suit was done.
</p><p>
He asked what shirt I’d be wearing with it, and I said, “Whatever shirt you think I should wear.”
He told me to get <a href="https://www.johnsmedley.com/">John Smedley</a> roll necks in sea island cotton, so I did.
</p><p>
He asked what shoes I’d be wearing, and I said, “Whatever shoes you think I should wear.”
He told me to go to <a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/daniel-wegan-07006499">Daniel Wegan</a> of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/catellashoemaker/">Catella Shoemaker</a>, so I did.
</p><p>
We did all of these fittings during the first round of Covid lockdowns, early 2020.
It was amazing to be in central London while it was completely empty, meeting at his atelier office, spending hours talking while he worked.
When the suit was all done, he made a duplicate in a different fabric, so now I have two.
</p><p>
Anyway, due to Covid and family things, we didn’t move to New York City at all.
Moved back to New Zealand instead.
So now I just wear my suits whenever I’m in public.
</p>
<figure>
<img src="/images/MichaelBrowne.jpg" alt="Michael Browne">
<figcaption>photo of Michael Browne from <a href="https://robbreport.com/style/menswear/michael-brown-bespoke-tailor-london-2865718/">Robb Report</a></figcaption>
</figure>
https://sive.rs/suits
the Michael Browne suits
2023-04-15T00:00:00+00:00
2023-04-15T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I’m pretty bad at bowling and frisbee.
</p><p>
I roll the ball or throw the disc straight at the target, but away it curves.
</p><p>
After this happens a couple times, I adjust.
I stop aiming straight, since that’s not working.
<strong>
If it always curves to the left, I aim to the right.
</strong>
</p><p>
It feels wrong to aim away from the target.
But it curves back to the center.
It works.
</p><p>
Same with thoughts.
I try to think straight.
But sometimes my thoughts miss.
</p><p>
I would under-estimate how long a project would take.
So now I double my estimate - <em>(aim to the right)</em> - which brings it closer to the truth.
It feels wrong, because I really do think it will take a month, but out loud I say “two months”.
Now my estimates hit the target.
</p><p>
I tend to believe my memories are correct.
But I learned from experience that they’re fabricated.
So now I try to assume that all my memories are false.
</p><p>
Aiming your thinking away from the target <strong>feels wrong but makes it right</strong>.
</p><p>
Another definition of the word “true” means straight and accurate.
And the word “bias” means angled or curved.
So we can <strong>choose beliefs that are not true</strong>, because they are useful <strong>to compensate</strong> for our bias.
</p>
<img src="/images/bowler.jpg" alt="man bowling">
https://sive.rs/aim
Curve into the target
2023-03-09T00:00:00+00:00
2023-03-09T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When you think something nice about someone, you should tell them.
</p><p>
People don’t hear enough compliments.
</p><p>
<strong>
Even well-known people.
</strong>
We assume they must hear it too much.
But famous people often say the thanks from the public is <strong>the best part of the job</strong>.
They work really hard to spread their creations widely.
They could just sit home and keep their thoughts to themselves, but instead they do the hard labor of turning their ideas into something digestable, then brave public critique in the media, all for the generous act of sharing their work with the world.
It’s not for the money, since they could make more as a banker.
It’s for the deeper happiness of making a difference in people’s lives.
</p><p>
So I think of it as my <strong>duty</strong>, when someone has made a difference in my life, to <strong>let them know</strong>.
</p><p>
Recent examples:
</p><ul><li>
Emailed <a href="https://shrutiraj.com/">Shruti Rajagopalan</a> to say I’m a fan of her work, and I met two of her mutual friends in India.
</li><li>
Contacted <a href="https://www.duarte.com/">Nancy Duarte</a> after six years to say I’m still using her <a href="https://www.duarte.com/resources/books/resonate/">Resonate</a> framework of presentation, and I’m glad we met ten years ago.
</li><li>
Emailed <a href="https://austinkleon.com/">Austin Kleon</a> to let him know that three different people referenced him last month in India.
</li><li>
Found the email address for professor <a href="https://philpeople.org/profiles/sharon-kaye">Sharon Kaye</a> after reading her book, <a href="https://sive.rs/book/PhilosophyCI">Philosophy: a Complete Introduction</a>, to tell her that she is the clearest writer I’ve ever read.
</li><li>
Emailed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russ_Roberts">Russ Roberts</a> to say how much I love <a href="https://www.econtalk.org/">his podcast</a> and <a href="https://sive.rs/book/WildProblems">new book</a>.
</li><li>
Texted my friend <a href="https://ie.linkedin.com/in/laura-clesceri/en">Laura Clesceri</a> to tell her I appreciate our conversations.
</li><li>
Texted <a href="https://markmanson.net/">Mark Manson</a> a photo of my cinema ticket after seeing <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12380422/">his movie</a>.
</li><li>
Told the guy at the cafe that I loved his shirt with the <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=atari+adventure+dragon&iax=images&ia=images">Atari Adventure dragon</a>.
</li><li>
... and complimented three adorable dogs (to their owners) while out on my walk in the forest today.
</li></ul><p>
These examples took a combined total of about fifteen minutes of my life.
By text or email, I send <strong>just two or three sentences</strong>.
</p><p>
As soon as I feel the feeling of appreciation, I flip over to my email app, <em>tap tap tap send</em>, and get back to what I was doing.
</p><p>
<strong>
There really is no better use of my time, or yours.
</strong>
</p><p>
<em>
Side note: Only about half of them reply.
But that’s OK, since I’m not doing it for the reply.
</em>
</p>
https://sive.rs/nice
Thinking something nice about someone? Tell them.
2023-03-07T00:00:00+00:00
2023-03-07T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
<strong>February 13 through 21, 2023</strong>, I went to Chennai and Bengaluru, India.
My sole purpose was to meet new friends.
I’m an “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Citizenship_of_India">Overseas Citizen of India</a>” and my son is half-Indian (Tamil).
I will always have ties to India.
I wanted to deepen those ties and make new connections.
</p><p>
So I scheduled <strong>fifty one-hour conversations with fifty interesting people over seven days</strong>.
Back-to-back meetings from 9am to 10pm every day.
It was one of <strong>the most intense and fascinating</strong> (and heart-warming and educational) things I’ve ever done in my life.
I recorded almost every conversation into a little voice recorder, then had it transcribed.
When I got home to New Zealand I spent 30 hours reading through the transcriptions to help me remember what we talked about, then made a tiny summary, below.
</p><p>
My conversations there were some of the best I’ve ever had, immediately open-hearted, honest, and intellectual.
I also hosted two parties but owe an apology to my guests, because I thought I could have quality conversations in that environment but I just couldn’t.
I’m really a one-to-one conversationalist.
</p><p>
Maybe-embarrassing thing I’ll admit:
Before my arrival, I hired a man in Chennai to make an audio recording of him slowly and clearly reading the names of the fifty people I was to meet with.
Then I put those recordings into <a href="https://apps.ankiweb.net/">Anki</a> flash cards, with the written name on the front, and the audio recording on back, so I could <strong>practice pronouncing everyone’s name correctly</strong> when we met.
Names like Arunsathyaseelan Palanichami and Thiyagarajan Maruthavanan became little melodies that stuck in my head.
</p><p>
India has <strong>changed so much</strong> in the last 10 years since my last visit.
</p><ul><li>
The new <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=vande+bharat&ia=images&iax=images">Vande Bharat</a> train from Chennai to Bangalore is as nice as any train in Europe, and the four-hour journey costs 1100 Rupees - about $13 - including a nice meal service.
</li><li>
The new <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Payments_Interface">UPI</a> cashless payment system is amazing.
Instant free bank transfers for every bank account in India, no fee, just by scanning a QR code.
Everybody and every roadside vendor now has it, so it’s thoroughly practical even for little payments of 40 rupees (50¢).
</li><li>
The new <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aadhaar">Aadhaar</a> government ID is impressive, and has enabled anyone to open a bank account, which created the ubiquity of UPI.
</li><li>
One downside is the current political climate which had my friends literally looking over their shoulders and speaking in hushed tones when the subject came up.
</li><li>
And WhatsApp is practically the sole mode of communication.
</li></ul><p>
<strong>Bangalore</strong> in particular has become a wonderful creative hub.
<strong>It feels like the new San Francisco</strong>, with creative ambitious people moving there from all over India.
A super-casual California-style culture, free from the formality and materialism of Delhi and Mumbai.
</p><p>
Bangalore is such a great place to live - (good weather, culture, people) - that the money made in Bangalore is staying in Bangalore instead of fleeing overseas like it used to, so this feeds the local arts and culture scene, making it an even better place to live.
I loved it so much that I wanted to cancel my return flight and just live there now.
Instead, it’s now my second home, in my heart, and I’ll be returning often.
</p><p>
I agree with <a href="https://shrutiraj.com/">Shruti</a> that <a href="https://srajagopalan.substack.com/p/why-everyone-should-pay-more-attention">everyone should pay more attention to India</a>.
</p>
<style>div.meeting img {float: right; margin-left: 1em} hr {clear: both}</style>
<h1>CHENNAI</h1>
<h2>MONDAY</h2>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/306253.jpg" alt="photo of Kiruba Shankar">
<h2><a href="https://www.kiruba.com/">Kiruba Shankar</a></h2>
We met 12 years ago at INK.
He founded the Professional Speakers Association of India focuses on the business side of public speaking, whereas Toastmasters focuses on the craft of speech.
Speakers and rappers who can dissect what they’re doing as they’re doing it.
When doing a paid talk, (versus a free talk), the speaker has to do their homework, know the audience and their objective, write the script, and practice hard.
He has taught digital marketing for 21 years, and runs a marketing company called Breathe Digital.
Everyone who takes his course must have their own website by the time the course finishes. Many students have been accepted to colleges and jobs because having their own website set them apart.
Instead of waiting to be invited to a super-achievers event, just create and organize a super-achievers event. Better to be the host than a guest.
His meet-up is called Cerebrate.
Instead of hiring strangers through a help-wanted ad, speak/write/teach in public, then hire the people that approach you afterwards. Natural filter. You don’t try to attract people. These people are already attracted.
His first speaking gig was to a girl’s college. His boss was supposed to speak but couldn’t make it, so sent Kiruba instead.
His 90-year-old grandmother runs a farm stay, and could use a database for their guests, to know them better. 13 acres of organic farm. So many people come stay collectively, bonding, isolated away from distractions, so they really interact with each other, staying in one building. All booked word-of-mouth. No AirBNB or other portals.
The 3rd-most-popular bucket list wish is to own a farm. People long for the rural life.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/324799.jpg" alt="photo of Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian">
<h2><a href="http://MoneyPowerWisdom.com">Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian</a></h2>
He and I have been emailing regularly for 13 years!
His daughter finished medical school and she’s going to become a Rhodes Scholar this year - doing her PhD at Oxford.
Dr. Mani is his identity as a writer online.
Dr. Subramanian is his identity as a heart surgeon.
He specialized in pediatric cancer because it was challenging and nobody else was doing it.
The biggest problem in India isn’t the facilities or patient load, but that 99% of the patients can’t afford the cost of treatment.
So even though he’s a surgeon, he found the best solution is to support Devi Shetty in Bangalore, who is doing the most affordable treatments because he’s taken a radical new approach, lowering costs by 80%. Trains women to do the mechanical steps needed instead of only hiring nurses with ten years’ training.
Patients who can afford full price go into the corporate suite and he uses those profits to subsidize the patients who can’t afford it. Keeps the profit margin at 5% instead of maximum.
When Dr. Mani said that his ebooks are sold to fund operations, response rate sales went from 2% to 18%. People aren’t reading the book as much as supporting the cause.
He spent so much time with his daughter that she said when she grows up she wants to be a pediatric heart surgeon since they clearly have so much free time. That’s his biggest compliment in life.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/396473.jpg" alt="photo of Ramkumar Venkataraman">
<h2><a href="https://github.com/ramkumarvenkat">Ramkumar Venkataraman</a></h2>
While being paid to do a simpler tech job (CSS) he studied the deeper tech of fraud prevention at that same company.
He and his wife moved back to India from Singapore for better health care for their babies.
A minute after he and his wife walked from living room to kitchen, the living room ceiling completely collapsed. It would have killed them. This inspired him to quit his job and do something he’s proud of.
Got into smart contracts and following supply chain of coffee beans in Indonesia. Making sure funds are safe. Risk management.
Incorporated in Delaware & funded by Y Combinator. Silicon Valley Bank. India banks require round tripping.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437520.jpg" alt="photo of Soundarya Balasubramani">
<h2><a href="https://curiousmaverick.com/">Soundarya Balasubramani</a></h2>
Her brother called her Pooja as a girl, and it stuck, so everyone calls her Pooja.
Emailed 2500 immigrants to say she’s writing a book on immigration, so what are your top three questions? Open rate was 80% and she got hundreds of responses in the first two days. People are frustrated with the system. Book is called Unshackled.
Brad Feld at Techstars suggested she do a crowdfunding campaign. She raised $50K. Emergent Ventures granted another $50K.
Got her masters at Columbia in NYC. Living in California but came back to Chennai to finish the book. Not sure where she’ll live next.
People don’t realize how much discrimination a place has until they leave it and discover new freedoms. Even little things like wearing a dress.
Examples of men being sexist, some deeply seated mindsets, not realizing they’re being insensitive.
To truly help someone, you need to be invested. It takes a lot of time. Can’t happen in a rushed manner.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437902.jpg" alt="photo of Senthil Kumar Muthamizhan">
<h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/senthilkumarmuthamizhan/">Senthil Kumar Muthamizhan</a></h2>
Meeting people is richness, real rich - not just money in the bank.
Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu is a significant auspicious place.
In India, kids are gods.
This box of cookies might have great meaning to someone who has eaten from that shop with their family for the last 25 years, but means nothing to someone else. London’s WC1 means a lot to you, but nothing to someone else.
Kural - Tirukkuṟaḷ - திருக்குறள் - very important book - wise through means - it’s how to live
North Indian culture slowly gets diluted, while South Indian culture resisted influence.
As a South Indian, Delhi is a nightmare, because of the food and the whole thing.
Lived in Netherlands and Manchester and Singapore. Europeans were annoying for wanting to be on time. Creativity is not on time. Coding is creativity.
He uses Ruby and Rails.
His company CultureMonkey delivers bad news to companies to let them know when their internal culture is bad.
The human body is a shirt the soul is wearing. It drops every time you die and are born again.
Every soul goes through four phases: pleasure, engagement, meaning, serving god.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/384063.jpg" alt="photo of Sainath Rajagopal">
<h2><a href="https://isstiaung.me/">Sainath Rajagopal</a></h2>
Sainath taught me how to eat the thali.
He did “Entrepreneur First” in Singapore - 100 people from around the world put together in a place to start companies.
When he pitched his education finance idea in Singapore, he got a meeting with the Minister of Education immediately. The accessibility in a small country is surprising coming from India.
Bangalore - vs Chennai - is more experimental, trying silly things. Bangalore has a migrant population. People move there for the startups, and that has a rolling effect on the culture of the place.
He’ll stay in Chennai to help be a good influence for his younger brother. His fiancée will work for the Indian Foreign Service.
Whether to have kids, and if that makes a more or less fulfilling life.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/387923.jpg" alt="photo of Shaizil Sheriff">
<h2>Shaizil Sheriff</h2>
Grew up in Kerala, and only after leaving realized how great it is. Lives in NC, USA now.
North Kerala people go to Gulf countries. South Kerala people go to US, US, Canada.
Kerala’s high literacy rate is because it was the first elected communist government, and they promoted a lot of social welfare, building schools, paying teachers.
With communism, the achievers can’t climb as high, but the people at the bottom are protected.
The religious texts don’t know the smallest things like atoms, or the biggest things like the earth is round, but they claim they know everything.
He’s atheist, from a Muslim family, and married a Hindu woman. Hasn’t brought her home to Kerala because of the current political tensions.
Being Indian is secondary to being Malayali, Tamil, Kanada or a Telugu, because those roots run deep.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/410426.jpg" alt="photo of Martin Jeffery">
<h2><a href="https://www.instagram.com/martin_writes16/">Martin Jeffery</a></h2>
He grew up in Madurai. Lost his dad at age 12. Dad’s family blamed his mother. Probably moving to Victoria, Australia, soon.
Tamil Nadu was ruled by three kings. That’s why when the British came, they were able to divide and conquer. There was no unity.
Most people in India don’t choose their careers. Careers are decided by the parents at age 15-16.
Uses Selenium for app testing.
Into dancing and choreography.
</div>
<h2>TUESDAY</h2>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/395564.jpg" alt="photo of Srikumar K. S.">
<h2><a href="http://sriku.org">Srikumar K. S.</a></h2>
Kumar and I met 12 years ago in Singapore through our dear friend Pete Kellock.
The new translation of the Kural: translating poetry is hard.
Kumar created a popular system of Carnatic music notation.
He explained the difference between Hindustani and Carnatic music.
His PhD was a study in human musicology.
Neither of us can let music be in the background.
It’s almost a crime to not be vocal about politics these days. South India resisted colonization.
A date is not actually a time but a place, since dates are what we call our position in orbit around the sun. But Earth never comes back to the same spot, so it’s not exact.
He explained quantum computing - something he’s working with now.
Scheme/Lisp, Functional programming, Quantum mechanics: these things change the way you think forever.
Look into Julia because of multiple dispatch. Julia’s libraries work together amazingly well.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437568.jpg" alt="photo of Chandhana Sathish Kumar">
<h2><a href="https://twitter.com/chandhana01">Chandhana Sathish Kumar</a></h2>
Chandhana is one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met. Age 17 now.
She was in a program called The Knowledge Society, exposed to gene editing, nanotechnology, quantum computing, then got into neuroscience, fetal brain research, memory development research.
Now into bioplastics - biodegradable plastic - edible plastic made from seaweed for less than a dollar - working on this at home for the past week, just by reading papers and experimenting.
Emergent Venture winner.
Born in America. She switches between an Indian accent and American accent, depending on who she’s talking with.
Family speaks Telugu, so she had to learn Hindi and Tamil on her own.
Learned at a Montessori school and always followed whatever seems fun. Parents never forced learning. But also encouraged her to not quit.
She did stand-up comedy and won a competition.
I have the opposite of imposter syndrome: I think it’s cooler to be resourceful and uncredentialed.
She does everything in her head working solo, so she can work 8x faster than a team would, since they have to communicate and document everything.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/364195.jpg" alt="photo of Santhosh Sundararaman">
<h2><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/santhoshsram">Santhosh Sundararaman</a></h2>
Moved to the US in 2004: Kansas then California. Moved to Pune India in 2017.
Pune has good monsoons: less waterlogging.
Difficult moving back because everything had changed, so they didn’t know how to do anything like set up utilities.
Spending time out from career being a full-time dad to toddler and baby.
Reading Sapiens changed his mind about religion.
Maharashtra have strong pride in their culture: statues of Shivaji like a demigod.
Tamil Nadu in the 90s: signs were in Tamil, Hindi, English. People were blacking-out the Hindi, protesting Hindi in Tamil Nadu.
He told me about the Vande Bharat Express train from Chennai to Bangalore, then booked it for me. It was great.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437633.jpg" alt="photo of Mayur Vamanan">
<h2><a href="https://www.brindavanschools.org/">Mayur Vamanan</a></h2>
Didn’t take golf scholarship to U Michigan, and always wonders about that path not taken.
Moved back to India for his kids to grow up around their grandparents.
His grandfather set up Brindavan Schools around Tamil Nadu, now Mayur as returned to run them.
Polytechnic schools help kids get practical skills - working right away.
Grandfather and dad used to do road shows to find new students, now it’s all on social media.
Challenge is to make it a top-notch school for parents who care about more than test scores.
Schools should teach consideration for others and the environment.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437558.jpg" alt="photo of Akash Chinnaiah">
<h2><a href="https://akashchinnaiah.com/">Akash Chinnaiah</a></h2>
Full-time professional writer for magazines, and memoir books.
Moving to Goa.
We talked a lot about writing.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437609.jpg" alt="photo of Manivannan Sadasivam">
<h2><a href="https://twitter.com/MirrorOfMySelf">Manivannan Sadasivam</a></h2>
Tea leaves grow in chilly places: that’s why they’re on hill stations here.
He grew up on a hill station because his dad ran the tea factory after Sri Lanka.
He is his brother’s keeper. Brother is a film maker who wrote a poetic book.
Mani is a copy writer.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/392860.jpg" alt="photo of Saravanan Sampath Kumar">
<h2>Brothers <a href="https://sridhar.co">Sridhar Raj</a> and <a href="https://sarav.co/">Saravanan Sampath Kumar</a></h2>
Really cool hearing their stories of growing up and how they influenced each other, and getting into tech.
They taught me about Hindu mythology.
Unfortunately I met them at the end of my second night when I was really jet-lagged, so I don’t remember most of our conversation.
I wish I had a recording of it.
</div>
<h2>WEDNESDAY</h2>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/419606.jpg" alt="photo of Prahalad Rajkumar">
<h2>Prahalad Rajkumar</h2>
Bridge (the card game) expert. Loves the problem solving, the beautiful positions, unspeakable joy.
Told me about Om Swami, millionaire turned monk, he’s been following since 2014.
Arranged marriages work because even if it’s the devil, it’s your devil.
He taught me so many examples and perspectives of making any marriage work.
Sending kids to “The School” - surrounded by nature - started by J. Krishnamurti.
He and his dad run the back-office for a doctor in Florida.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/438794.jpg" alt="photo of Mukesh Amaran">
<h2>Mukesh Amaran</h2>
Mukesh created a musicians’ collective in Chennai, to help promote Tamil music.
Mumbai’s Bollywood exports India culture worldwide, but doesn’t promote the local Maharashtra culture. Whereas Kollywood - the local Tamil film industry - promotes Tamil culture.
His model is to get musicians together to collaborate on a project, then he owns the rights to that project only, to recoop costs, helping to raise the profile of all musicians involved.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/254116.jpg" alt="photo of Lakshmi Pratury">
<h2><a href="http://www.ixoraamedia.com/">Lakshmi Pratury</a></h2>
Rode together on the 6-10am train from Chennai to Bangalore.
She taught me about parenting, bringing your child around to meetings, differences between San Francisco and Bangalore, fundraising.
Effective altruism is fine but other charities also need people who can realize their benefits, like music education for example.
She lives in Whitefield, and we passed her home on the train from Chennai.
</div>
<hr>
<h1>BANGALORE</h1>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437905.jpg" alt="photo of Ricky Kej">
<h2><a href="https://www.rickykej.com/">Ricky Kej</a></h2>
QR-code-only menu: asked waiter to scan and show him the menu.
Amazing memory: able to list out all of his upcoming projects and details off the top of his head.
Went to a Christian/Protestant school and said he recommends it since the Christians perfected education.
Atheism is tabboo in America, but common in India.
Likes “Hindu Atheist” because it reveres all life equally vs Old Testament style “dominion of man” over all living things.
We bonded over a love of Peter Gabriel’s music, especially Passion soundtrack.
Negotiating for the UN. Kiribati. Greta Thunberg hasn’t seen India.
No major riots in Gujarat since the 2002 riots.
What to do with all the gifts, especially portraits.
Amazing story of Kalyan Akkipeddi and his Proto Village where cows eat millet, chickens eat the cow poop, chickens poop into a pond feeding the fish, and people eat the fish.
Chanakya University is aiming to be world-class best.
</div>
<h2>FRIDAY</h2>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/431393.jpg" alt="photo of Sindhu Shivaprasad">
<h2><a href="https://sindhushivaprasad.com/">Sindhu Shivaprasad</a></h2>
Raised in Abuja Nigeria and loved it. People express themselves loudly, free, spontaneous. Teachers there cared for her well-being outside of school.
Returning to India was culture shock. Needing permission to go to and return from the restroom in school.
This self-consciousness made her retreat into her mind, still to this day.
Lived in Dubai for 5 years. Family loved being away from relatives in India, beyond judgement and involvement.
Lived in Sheffield, relished her independence.
Talked about norms: Nigeria norms, Dubai norms, England norms, India norms. Third culture kid.
She taught me how to put sugar in my tea.
Bought her own home now since this will always be home base.
Go to Himalayas to write a book? Or make her new home have the same placebo triggers to be a place of creative writing?
She’s Kannadiga - a Kannada speaker - rare in central Bangalore now. Taxi drivers speak in Hindi to her and are thrilled when she replies in Kannada.
Tamils protect their culture stronger than Kannada/Karnatakans have. We’re more accepting of others’ culture than others are of ours. To our detriment. Karnataka has great prolific writers and artists, but the culture is not as strong since we haven’t protected it as fiercely as the Tamils.
South Bangalore is more conservative, people who are from here.
Loves the balance of tradition and modernity in Japan.
To be an outsider in a culture is the best because you can reap its benefits, but not be bound by its restrictions.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/399145.jpg" alt="photo of Ayush Jain">
<h2><a href="https://www.ayushjain.net/">Ayush Jain</a></h2>
Grew up in a small town in Rajasthan where students come from all over to prepare for exams, super-high-pressure, but his parents never pushed that, and he got way into basketball!
Parents encouraged him to leave India to get more experience. Spent a year in Singapore, year in Dubai, and two years in Sydney.
Did Techstars.
Family has cloud kitchen business in Bangalore making Rajasthan cuisine, though Covid paused that for two years. Brings down staff and houses them.
Weather in Bangalore is so much better.
Now doing learning design, finding subject matter experts, creating courses on various subjects. Nigeria is their biggest market.
Just spent 4 months in Nairobi and loves it, wonderful, everyone so talkative. Some daytime petty crime.
Flying India to Nairobi is cheaper than Nairobi to Rwanda just 40 minutes away.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/389970.jpg" alt="photo of Ranjana TN">
<h2><a href="https://ranjanatn.com/">Ranjana TN</a></h2>
Ranjana is one of the most open people I’ve ever met, telling me very personal matters within minutes of meeting.
Very broad-minded Hindu Brahmin family opted out of the surname signifier.
Studied dance. MBA in Chennai.
We talked about polyamorous relationships and our past relationships.
Left the startup she co-founded when she disagreed with its direction.
Published an ebook on PCOS.
Spent months in Peru, US, Canada, where she has family.
Steve Pavlina mentioned me in his group. I loved his book. She didn’t.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/410499.jpg" alt="photo of Pavitra Gurumurthi">
<h2><a href="https://www.pavitraguru.com/">Pavitra Gurumurthi</a></h2>
She lived in Wellington for 11 years, so we bonded on that.
Returned to India last year after 20 years of being away.
She has a deep connection to the ocean, love and fear combined, but can’t swim yet.
</div>
<h2>SATURDAY</h2>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437587.jpg" alt="photo of Udhay Shankar N">
<h2><a href="http://digeratus.com/">Udhay Shankar N</a></h2>
Been in the tech startup scene since 1992, before they were called startups.
3D graphics cards in 1993, brought back from Singapore in luggage. Got a modem & didn’t know what to do with it.
Early internet, easy to make friends with people like John Perry Barlow. You could email anyone.
Early mailing list called Silk, and unconference in Goa.
Certain parts of Bangalore, things move faster than Silicon Valley.
He advises startups to help point out where they might fail, having been there himself. Just does it for the intellectual interest.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/418710.jpg" alt="photo of Shreyas Prakash">
<h2><a href="https://www.shreyasprakash.com/">Shreyas Prakash</a></h2>
The language of Kerala is Malayalam. Similar to Tamil. Kannada is quite different.
Working with Noora Health helping them scale the program across Indonesia and Bangladesh.
Doing voice prompts to help bridge digital divide: usable on feature phones. IVR = Interactive Voice Response.
Before this he helped set up maker spaces in rural areas in Maharashtra and Auroville.
Castes have community halls, so they use those. Tools for wood and metal, and a computer. But without upkeep they get repurposed.
Worked with UV sterilization inside hospitals, at IIT Madras. Moved to Bangalore a year and a half ago.
Making a community of builders. Side projects. $100 startups. Online & worldwide.
Mumbai has the big business, but Bangalore if for startups, the Silicon Valley of India.
All startup conversations happen at Third Wave coffee chain in Bangalore.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/421294.jpg" alt="photo of Trisha Reddy">
<h2><a href="https://trishareddy.in/">Trisha Reddy</a></h2>
Got an iPad and started drawing during lockdown, now writing on Substack thanks to Write of Passage.
Taking a 6 month break now before starting her MBA in Chicago in August.
Someone told her she’ll always be a second-class citizen in America. I suggested that’s an advantage not disadvantage, to be an outsider. She said, “It’s all Plato’s cave.”
Doing yoga teacher training just to improve her yoga, not to actually teach it.
Bangalore is more into fitness and way more active than other Indian cities.
Did a swimathon then a relay swim from Bandra Worli Sea Link to Gateway of India.
Reading Existential Kink, book about dissolving existing beliefs, making subconscious conscious.
Stories turn off our defenses.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437936.jpg" alt="photo of Pradarshan">
<h2><a href="https://pradologue.com/">Pradarshan</a></h2>
Backpacked around India for a year and a half, and has written 300-500 pages about it, but never published.
Helps startups with growth and marketing, getting developers.
Everyone wants to come to Bangalore. The quality, the freedom to build, the quality of the conversation, is different than anywhere else.
Favorite book is Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Duran.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/409470.jpg" alt="photo of Kaushal Shah">
<h2><a href="https://twitter.com/kaushalvshah">Kaushal Shah</a></h2>
Ahmedabad has worse weather than Bangalore but better infrastructure: more reliable electricity, drainage, wiring.
People from Gujarat are known for their entrepreneurial business spirit.
One reason Bangalore became the startup city is that Gujarat is a dry state.
He splits his time between New York, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore.
People don’t say anything political even in private encrypted WhatsApp chats.
Meditation and comedians made him question his religious upbringing. Bill Burr’s great bit laughing at Scientology but is it really more ridiculous than what we’re taught growing up? We just don’t laugh at the things taught to us as kids.
In India we substitute academic excellence for character. He was a great student, so his teacher treated him like he could do no wrong. One day during cricket he hit another kid and didn’t get in trouble. Years later in vipassana meditation this all came back to haunt him.
We agree about Yuval Noah Harari, meditation credibility, and his three books.
Out of 500 non-fiction books he’s probably finished 3 of them. He gets the gist and moves to the next.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/339997.jpg" alt="photo of Kartik Isvarmurti">
<h2><a href="https://www.vmgbpo.com/">Kartik Isvarmurti</a></h2>
Kartik was the first person I ever met in India, back in 2008. We are the same age.
Agriculture background. Started a magazine about ag business and distributed it in fancy hotels in Bangalore. Built a website for it in 1998.
Saw the book World is Flat and jumped right into the VA/BPO business that week. Created a profile on Elance and got immediate clients.
Lots of live chat monitoring. Now 300 people part-time.
He splits his time between Coimbatore and Bangalore, but officially lives and votes in Coimbatore.
Says if I want to live in Bangalore, I should live in Mysore instead. Better quality of life, and close enough.
He builds relationships on LinkedIn, even if they’re not hiring now.
Modern companies are avoiding customer service by just doing instant refunds if you declare there’s any problem at all.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/406623.jpg" alt="photo of Nikhil Jois">
<h2><a href="https://twitter.com/nikhiljoisr">Nikhil Jois</a></h2>
A just-in-time book is a book you get for an immediate need, like how to sell, or Deep Work to focus. A just-in-case book is wisdom.
Some get books to display as a status symbol. The book itself is a reminder of the message.
You can train GPT/LLModels on just one book or selection of text, including the Gita.
Tried to get schools to buy his product, but decisions were made too slowly and conservatively.
So he went there and started teaching in colleges: how to have a clean resume, how to do interviews, how to do group discussions. That worked.
In his family, Chandigarh & Hyderabad, if you’re 22 and haven’t migrated to the U.S., you’re a failure. But he stayed and when friends and relatives came back to India to get married, they would call on him to help make things happen. Then he learned to automate those things. Then created a company around it, and tried to partner with a matrimony site, assuming they know when people get married, but they don’t.
Got into IoT for oil rigs - to determine when an oil rig’s parts might break down so that they can do maintenance in time. Funded by Techstars, who moved them to Texas, but it was too early for that market.
Went to California, met 143 people in 45 days. Mentor madness. Always did his homework before meeting with each person, to know as much as he could about them. That alone set him apart.
Worked to prevent fraud in Indian market, like SIM card bonuses. He got 6 months free Uber rides by gaming the system, then preventing others from doing it.
India affords me lifestyle upgrades like a chauffeur-driven car for under $600/month, and a cleaner and a cook who come every day.
Friend lived in a hotel in Bangalore for under $2000/month, including food and everything.
Long sweet conversation about how he met his wife, and how they made a framework for conflict resolution, both little and big things. The importance of being coachable. Avoid relationships between a reacher and a settler.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/408912.jpg" alt="photo of Arunsathyaseelan Palanichami">
<h2>Arunsathyaseelan Palanichami</h2>
His passport just says “P” not Palanichami, but foreign visa people kept challenging it, so put in his father’s full name.
His parents named him Arun so he’d be called first in class, alphabetically.
His daughter’s name is Haiku.
He and his wife have been through a lot, he gave her a lot of trauma, she was so patient with him, and he’s so thankful.
My son is Gen Alpha.
Gave me some wonderful books about Tamil culture.
Went to a school for military training, but didn’t go into the military. Smith School of Business in Kingston Ontario Canada.
Worked for ITC for 2 years in supply chain department. Current company is software that compiles info. He’s bridge between India product team and US sales.
He loves Bangalore, opportunities, going to shows, Museum of Art and Photography, meeting international people.
People in South India are a bit more humble. People in the North are very aggressive. Even just in the middle of the corporate ladder they would drive a Benz because for them the show is more important. Whereas here the CEO will drive a Honda.
In Tamil Nadu the arts have played a significant role all along. Musicians play a huge role in dealing with sadness, grief, happiness, marriages, festivals, everywhere. Music is a part of our life. And similarly, cinema is a huge part of life.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/362744.jpg" alt="photo of Thiyagarajan Maruthavanan">
<h2><a href="https://mtrajan.com/">Thiyagarajan Maruthavanan</a></h2>
Tamil, grew up in Delhi, school in Hyderabad, now living in Bangalore. Feels both North and South Indian.
Delhi: “Do you know who my father is?!” (because of the politicians)
Mumbai: “Do you know where I live?!” (because South Bombay is so rich)
Bangalore: “Do you know a front-end developer?”
Compared to Bangalore, Mumbai has more extremes of wealth and poverty next to each other.
In Mumbai, everyone is always pressed for time. Bangalore is more laid-back.
Bangalore is “live and let live” culture. Party people next to prayer people. Chennai meddles and judges.
Bangalore is so humble, it’s sometimes overplayed. Who can be more humble.
Good thing Bangalore has bad traffic otherwise everyone would move here.
Koramangala (“mangla”) is where all the startups are. He lives south of Electronic City.
We talked almost entirely about locations. Great stuff.
</div>
<h2>SUNDAY</h2>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437169.jpg" alt="photo of Ayushi Mukhi">
<h2><a href="https://twitter.com/ayushimukhi">Ayushi Mukhi</a></h2>
From Delhi but moved around a lot, Kolkata, Bhopal.
She was top of her class, #1 out of 60, so everyone was happy, dad treated her best.
Both her names are given names, not family names.
Rich people in Delhi have more cars than people in the house.
Says she’s from NCR: National Capital Region, even though it’s got a bad reputation, because she aims to bust the stereotype.
Moved to Bangalore last year.
Bangalore is run by folks from Delhi and Mumbai.
Service workers in Bangalore are so casual it’s almost rude. Not putting on manners.
Went to one of the best colleges in the country, now feels she can be herself. Plans to get an MBA to run a business.
Going to one of these colleges is solid proof that you went through so much and you came out alive. And you are definitely capable of handling the pressure that comes with handling a business. You are capable of making good decisions and you have the frameworks and the background knowledge of how a business operates, because that’s that’s what they taught for two years. So it’s just a very quick way of building credibility.
She’s trying to balance writing with work. Just started Substack issue #0. We talked about the muse: pursuing or waiting.
Her achiever friends, all around age 24, are generally not happy.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/344392.jpg" alt="photo of Ritesh Nagpal">
<h2><a href="https://twitter.com/ritesh_nagpal">Ritesh Nagpal</a></h2>
Created a bedtime story book for kids. First the Hindi version then translated to English.
Grew up in Kota, Rajasthan, 250km from Jaipur. Got his masters at Purdue, Indiana.
Product manager at Amazon.
Kids are now six and one. The six-year-old is suddenly organized, keeping a clean room, now that the one-year-old tries to get into his stuff.
His mother died suddenly with him at home. Feels guilty for what he could have done, even though he knows it’s nothing.
Told me the story of the Gita, the cousins fighting - 5 vs 100 - and one decides not to fight, so Vishnu tells him the contents of the Gita.
Vision for a company is Useful Not True.
Taught me about UPI - unified payment interface - how it works - and that everyone has it now - all in the last 5-6 years.
PayTM Sound Box can tell vendors when someone has paid - speaks it in any language, how much was received.
Bangalore has nothing outdoorsy to do. Hyderabad has many things to do.
Joke about divorce: There was a city with no rain for many years. The priest said tomorrow we’ll pray for rain. When everybody gathered for the prayers, he said, first thing first, how many brought an umbrella?
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437569.jpg" alt="photo of Siddharth V. Rao">
<h2><a href="https://www.sequoiacap.com/india/people/siddharth-rao/">Siddharth V. Rao</a></h2>
Parents instantly moved to Seychelles for a job, so he grew up there from 1986 to 1995.
Shipped off at age 8 to Rishi Valley residential school in India, run by Krishnamurti Foundation, because of complications with his mom and younger brother.
Went to law school in Hyderabad, as a tool to implement systemic change.
Early 2000s, working hard as a lawyer, but this was before Blackberry, so you’d leave work at 6 and be done for the day.
Started working with Sequoia Capital, eventually became the general counsel.
Whiskey is the most popular drink in India.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/353570.jpg" alt="photo of Anish Raju">
<h2><a href="https://twitter.com/anishraju">Anish Raju</a></h2>
Parents from Kerala. Dad was in the army so they moved around a lot. Learned most Indian languages.
Did an MBA in human resources.
Became a certified fitness trainer. Coach.
Nomad at heart but not in fact.
Since his kids were little, he’s been telling them that at age 18 it’s time for them to go out into the world.
They use the Montessori system.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/393785.jpg" alt="photo of Nirant Kasliwal">
<h2><a href="https://nirantk.com/">Nirant Kasliwal</a></h2>
One of the most fascinating educational conversations I’ve ever had. I asked him why the south has such a different culture than the north and he said, “Actually I know the answer. I studied sociology of North and West India”, then told me all about it.
His parents are from Rajasthan. He grew up in a coastal town called Sura, in Gujarat.
Bangalore is the only city in India with any meaningful quantities of new money.
North and West India has a lot of old money. So there’s a lot of emphasis on dressing.
In Jaipur, the famous Golden Triangle, there’s a lot more emphasis on conspicuous display of wealth because most wealth is inherited and it feeds into everything. The opportunities you get to grow professionally and socially are dependent on that display of wealth. Wealth and status are very closely tied.
On the other hand, in western India, where I grew up, the display, the clothing will still be very casual. So you could see somebody dressed in boxers, for instance, getting out of a Mercedes, and that guy would eat from a roadside place, because there the display of wealth is less tied to inherited wealth. It’s tied more to what you have accomplished. So it’s more about what you can do with that wealth. Sponsoring schools.
North India signals strength and wealth - the ability to protect what you love - because until the 1950s India was always under attack from our neighbors. The threat was real. India didn’t have enough money to buy weapons or ammo so they’d send volunteers to collect jewelry and gold to buy ammo to defend our borders. People donated out of free will. Some degree of social pressure.
People often start a school or they donate to a temple, depending on how religious they are and how much money they have, because it’s often cheaper to donate to a temple because legally speaking, schools in India cannot discriminate between students if they are run by a religious institution. So donating to a temple can make a school through the temple which can discriminatingly educate your children.
Jainism’s main prayer starts with, “I bow down to those who have conquered all their senses”.
We both noticed the similarity of the words “war ship” and “worship”.
The hotel I chose (ITC Gardenia) is intimidating.
India in terms of just cultural diversity is probably richer than Europe.
Bangalore had a Ghazal night - my favorite form of music - inspired by Sufi - romantic poetry. Tabla, harmonium, now guitar since the 90s, and they have their own spin on it in Bangalore. Taking tradition forward, and keeping culture alive. A performance of Urdu poetry tonight in Bangalore. None of these existed 5-6 years ago.
As money came into Bangalore, it stayed here, which was not the case through the 90s. So now it’s supported its own litrary arts culture scene.
Urdu poetry gives you some other degree of flexibility. For instance, there’s a word called Ghulam, which has the same origin word as Ghazal. The first sound is very similar to honeysuckle. So in the same root, same Ghulam means slave. And there are very interesting use of this in poetry because most of very famous ghazal traditions, traditions came when India was slave country. So people would write entire poems on how they’re enslaved. And the entire poem would be of great joy that I’m taking joy in slavery. And then the last two lines of that same poem would indicate that actually, they’re enslaved to their lover.
Sufism was Islam’s answer to changing our relationship with God or fear to something a God which is approachable, a God which you can listen to instead of being forced to listen to.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/424416.jpg" alt="photo of Kartikeya Bhardwaj">
<h2><a href="https://twitter.com/kartike_ya">Kartikeya Bhardwaj</a></h2>
Age 24. From north India - Shimla, Dehradun, Jaipur, and Hyderabad for college - but moved to Bangalore because he got into AI a couple years ago.
Trained as mechanical engineer but hated it. Skipped exams.
Father works for Indian Railways and fingerprint attendance systems were banned because of Covid touching shared surfaces. So Kartikeya came up with Raspberry Pi facial recognition thing, very simple, to replace it. Worked well for this and other offices, until someone found they could spoof it with a photo instead of live face. So he figured out an AI to tell the difference between a real face and photo face. So now he focuses on just that: anti-spoof technology that attendance software systems can use. SpoofSense.ai
Moved to Bangalore because not a lot of places that have this kind of culture & connectivity. Crazy stuff happens here. Folks here are at the cutting edge of everything, culturally, technologically, very liberal, very early adopters.
He’s the first person to ever ask about the guitar chords at the start of my podcast and audiobook chapters.
Uses FL Studio + Akai MPK Mini to make music, producing for a bunch of rappers in India. The hip-hop scene in Mumbai and Delhi is amazing and magical. Everyone wants to be the next Divine. He’s very connected with the music community here.
He’s in three bubbles: tech, music, and filmmaking.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437900.jpg" alt="photo of Srikanthan Kumarasamy">
<h2><a href="https://coachsrikanth.com/">Srikanthan Kumarasamy</a></h2>
He coaches people to help get past trauma and to their goals.
Often people in companies hire him to help deal with inter-personal situations at work.
Minimalist. No car. His son is now in the coaching business with him.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/401650.jpg" alt="photo of Apoorve Singhal">
<h2><a href="https://www.tersho.com/">Apoorve Singhal</a></h2>
Grew up in Rajasthan. College in Kolkata.
Studied AI, self-driving cars, machine learning. Decided against master/PhD because he doesn’t like the incentive structure of research: to keep publishing papers.
When Covid hit, booking appointments was nearly impossible as the time slots would be booked up within minutes of release, so he made an app that did it automatically and gave that app away for free. Just UPI donation QR code. Thousands using it per day. But then government called asking too many questions, so he shut it down.
Last year made a free course to teach Python and spread the message among friends in tier-2/3 colleges. Free to test its effectiveness. Google Sheets back-end.
Y Combinator met with them & suggested that this path won’t work.
So instead of teaching Google Sheets, used GPT to turn plain-language requests into Google Sheets results. Business intelligence without all the menus and formulas.
Now using GPT to give insights before needed.
He makes a mental model of the authors he likes.
</div>
<h2>MONDAY</h2>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437952.jpg" alt="photo of Saurav Arya">
<h2><a href="https://justshipit.club/">Saurav Arya</a></h2>
Grew up in North India, then West Bengal Kharagpur to study engineering.
Worked in Italy steel industry for three years when wine was cheaper than water. Read 4HWW there.
2012 lived every day like it was Sunday. Lived ten years that year. Travelled the world.
Lamu Kenya is like time travel. Donkeys are main transportation.
Rwanda doesn’t get the tourism it deserves. Lake Kivu bordering Congo is amazing.
His dad is a retired professor of philosophy and often joined him on his travels.
Runs an experiential place in Bangalore called Small World.
Nagaland is like going to Papua New Guinea.
He helps people transition from 9-5 to nomadic life.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/434288.jpg" alt="photo of Jesvin Mathew">
<h2><a href="http://jesvinmathew.gumroad.com">Jesvin Mathew</a></h2>
Pentecostal family from Kerala but grew up in Bahrain from age 0-6, then boarding school alone in Kerala age 6-11, then back to Bahrain age 11-17.
We talked the whole time about family stuff, parenting, honesty, emotions, and other personal things.
Drummer Benny Greb opened his mind about drumming, and now he’s doing a series of 100 books about drummers.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437539.jpg" alt="photo of Moina Abdul">
<h2><a href="https://www.moinaabdul.com/">Moina Abdul</a></h2>
Great illustrator — “visualizer” — turning ideas into simple visual representations. I’m a fan of her work.
From Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Graduated in Chennai, did MBA in communication management in Pune.
Dad got her my book and Austin Kleon. Got really into Bookstagram.
Took Janis Ozolins’ course and thrived.
She’s been collaborating a lot online, and doing international projects, but looking to get more involved in the Bangalore scene.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/429458.jpg" alt="photo of Srijan Mahajan">
<h2><a href="https://srijanmahajan.com/">Srijan Mahajan</a></h2>
Such a cool dude. We bonded on music and motorcycles. Doing pause.family
Creative technologist. Talked Delhi, vitamins, Seth Godin, and more.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437521.jpg" alt="photo of Kaustubh Maske Patil">
<h2><a href="https://twitter.com/n1kochiko">Kaustubh Maske Patil</a></h2>
Fellow programmer. We talked tech the whole time, and it was wonderful.
He’s nudging me to try Haskell, teaching me about its combinators.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/401388.jpg" alt="photo of Saurabh Mithal">
<h2><a href="https://www.passionatelycurious.in/">Saurabh Mithal</a></h2>
Grew up in Delhi. Did “all the typical Indian stuff”: a degree in engineering, and an MBA. Then JP Morgan investment banking.
Went to a forest in Madhya Pradesh to meditate 8 hours a day for three months. We talked a lot about meditation.
He’s written a daily blog for 800+ days now.
Worked with Seth Godin on Carbon Almanac, and really internalized all of Seth’s work.
We talked about a lot of personal stuff, divorce, etc. And American lemonade stands.
</div>
<h2>TUESDAY</h2>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/376117.jpg" alt="photo of Alicia Souza">
<h2><a href="https://www.aliciasouza.com/">Alicia Souza</a></h2>
Famous illustrator, but keeps the focus on her work not her persona.
She laughs easier than anyone I’ve ever met. She’s always smiling.
She said it’s because she works alone so much that when she does emerge she has so much pent-up energy.
Born and raised in Abu Dhabi, then Melbourne, then Bangalore in 2009. She didn’t know crime was real.
She’s fascinated by how I manage all my emails.
Her husband George Seemon is young but looks old with a long all-white beard, which works great for him as an architect.
Family from Goa, so she wants to learn Portuguese. Embarrassed that she only knows English.
Goa was the party place, cheap alcohol, but since Covid has become much more expensive. It’s European in how everything closes for a few hours in the afternoon.
Had a fun conversation about religion, Catholic upbringing, Da Vinci Code, and why she baptized her son.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/402511.jpg" alt="photo of Yogesh Nachnani">
<h2><a href="https://yogeshnachnani.github.io/">Yogesh Nachnani</a></h2>
I loved that he uses a Debian Linux laptop. Nerd bonding. He uses grep.
Talked tech, and PostgreSQL functions. Told me WhatsApp has a back-end API.
Worked at Flipkart, now at Google.
We talked a lot about journaling.
His GP is Ricky Kej’s dad.
He’s thinking of buying some land past the BLR airport, but land is much cheaper in Andhra Pradesh.
Taught me about the Aadhaar card.
In India you can dictate your expenses. You can live dirt-cheap or expensive. Your choice. Whereas in San Francisco for example it’s forced upon you.
Companies in India have economies of scale.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/302363.jpg" alt="photo of Arif Vakil">
<h2>Brothers <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mavakil">Arif Vakil</a> and Ali Vakil</h2>
They make the wonderful Sufi Comics.
Grew up in Dubai, family from Gujarat so always Indian citizens.
We talked about the amplifying effect of the internet, limiting our kids’ access to YouTube, and lots about parenting after age 11, manners, discipline, boundaries, Jordan Peterson, Neil Postman, being a monster versus a rabbit.
The Quran says that in this book there are verses that are clear and decisive and there are verses that are allegorical.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/437531.jpg" alt="photo of Ganesh K">
<h2><a href="https://www.growthstory.in/">Ganesh K</a></h2>
Ganesh is a “parallel entrepreneur” now after years of being serial. Venture builder platform.
Taught me about the value of attention, body language, and eye contact.
Taught me about community health care, agriculture, turmeric superfoods
Taught me how the Aadhaar card saved banks from doing KYC so that’s why any Indian with the Aadhaar can open a bank account now, free, online.
Aadhaar is like a digital locker so he doesn’t need to carry a wallet or driver’s license anymore.
Taught me how UPI works, and just today Singapore announced they’re adopting India’s UPI.
UPI has no fees, so people can pay each other even like 50¢ and it’s worth it. Every roadside vendor takes UPI.
Six years ago, only 10% of Indians had a bank account, now it’s 80%.
</div>
<hr>
<div class="meeting"><img src="/images/438224.jpg" alt="photo of Jyothirmayee JT">
<h2><a href="https://in.linkedin.com/in/jyothirmayee">Jyothirmayee JT</a></h2>
Jyothirmayee taught me about the cultural differences between the different parts in India.
The bursting creativity of Bengal, aggression of Delhi, money-focus of Mumbai, casual Bangalore, independence of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The mindset of delegation.
There was much more but unfortunately I had packed my bags for the airport, so I didn’t record the conversation.
</div>
https://sive.rs/meet-chbg
50 conversations in Bangalore and Chennai
2023-03-02T00:00:00+00:00
2023-03-02T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Explorers poke through the unknown, experimenting, trying many little dead-ends.
</p><p>
Explorers meander, constantly changing directions based on hunch, mood, and curiosity.
</p><p>
<strong>
Explorers are hard to follow.
</strong>
It’s better to let them wander alone, then hear their tales.
</p><p>
Explorers occasionally find a great place that would make a better home for many people.
So that makes a job for a leader.
</p><p>
Leaders are easy to follow.
Leaders say, “Here’s where we’re going. Here’s why this will improve your life. Here’s how we’re going to get there. Let’s go.”
</p><p>
Leaders sell the dream.
Leaders describe the destination clearly and simply so it’s easy to understand and repeat.
Even someone in the back of the pack, that can’t hear the leader, can follow along.
</p><p>
<strong>
Leaders go in a straight line.
</strong>
Leaders simplify.
</p><p>
Explorers are bad leaders.
</p>
<img src="/images/exled.jpg" alt="old map of a harbor">
https://sive.rs/exled
Explorers are bad leaders
2023-02-09T00:00:00+00:00
2023-02-09T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When I was 21, I moved to New York City.
</p><p>
An old friend travelled many hours and came to stay with me for a couple days.
It was his first time in New York.
</p><p>
I said, “Do you want to see the Statue of Liberty? Empire State Building? Central Park? A Broadway show?”
</p><p>
He said, “I don’t care what we do. I just came to see you!”
</p><p>
I said, “Ha ha. Very sweet, but no, seriously. What would you like to do for the next couple days?”
</p><p>
He said, “Dude. I’m serious. I really don’t care about any of that stuff. I came here to see you, hang out with you, talk with you. That’s honestly the only reason I’m here. You don’t have to take me anywhere or show me anything.”
</p><p>
<strong>
It was one of the most touching moments in my life.
</strong>
Someone spent hundreds of dollars and days of their life to travel to an exciting place, not to see the place, but just to see me.
</p>…<p>
Many years later, when I ran a music distribution company, I became wary of meeting people, because I (wrongly) thought that everyone wanted something from me.
So I started travelling secretly.
I went to many countries without telling anyone and without meeting anyone.
I would walk around and experience the landmarks, food, museums, and events, but barely speak unless necessary.
</p><p>
One day, after a month in India, I decided to cautiously break my rule, since it was my last day before flying back to America, I thought even if someone wanted too much from me, I would escape the next day.
So I emailed a musician in my database that lived in Kolkata, and asked if he was free to meet up.
He came to my hotel and graciously walked me around Kolkata for most of the day, teaching me so much about his home town, so many insights into culture and life.
Also, people kept asking him for his autograph.
That was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amit_Chaudhuri">Amit Chaudhuri</a>.
I didn’t know he was a famous author.
</p><p>
When I think back to that month in India, <strong>I remember almost nothing but that conversation</strong>.
Landmarks, food, museums, and events are a blur, but one <a href="https://sive.rs/led">interesting conversation</a> can linger in the mind forever.
</p><p>
Sometimes we connect with a place, but usually we connect with people.
<strong>
Yet people connect us to a place.
</strong>
</p><p>
So, learning from my past mistakes, now <strong>my main purpose of travel is meeting people</strong>.
When they offer to take me to the landmarks, I say, “I don’t care what we do. I just came to see you!”
</p>
https://sive.rs/travp
Travelling just for the people
2023-02-06T00:00:00+00:00
2023-02-06T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Because of my <a href="https://sive.rs/contact">open inbox</a>, I meet a lot of strangers.
I love it.
Almost everyone tells me who and where they are in the world.
<strong>
If they don’t, I wonder.
</strong>
</p><p>
Am I talking with someone from Australia? Philippines? Brazil?
Are they 20 or 60?
Male or female?
It doesn’t really matter, but the brain can’t help wondering.
It’s human nature to want to know who’s speaking.
<strong>
If they don’t say, it creates a mystery.
</strong>
</p><p>
Films do that to deliberately engage curiosity.
A voiceover on a black screen says, “It took me a long time to get here.”
You immediately wonder, “Who is ‘me’? Get where? What happened?”
</p><p>
Once people start wondering, they need to know.
<a href="https://sive.rs/mystery">
Mysteries are intriguing.
</a>
They’re unsettling.
</p><p>
<strong>
That’s a problem if you really want to be anonymous.
</strong>
If you defiantly refuse to say who you are, it can make people angry that you’re upsetting social reciprocity.
You know who they are, but they don’t know who you are.
It feels rude.
An obsessive personality might make it their damn mission to figure out who you are!
You don’t want that.
</p><p>
So for real anonymity, don’t create a mystery.
<strong>
Create a believable persona.
</strong>
Then nobody will wonder.
</p><p>
If you don’t want any attention, just pick a <a href="https://www.verymanynames.com/which-name-is-most-common-in-the-world/">very common name</a> like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/public/Mary-Kim">Mary Kim</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/public/Adam-Johnson">Adam Johnson</a>.
</p><p>
Use an <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=this+person+does+not+exist">AI face generator</a> to create a completely believable face to match your new name.
Download it once and use it everywhere.
Run it through <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=ai+face+aging">face aging software</a> to use this same persona for the rest of your life.
</p><p>
Pick a city and say it’s your location, to avoid that question too.
</p><p>
For email, <a href="https://mailbox.org/">Mailbox.org</a> is great, and doesn’t care who you are.
</p><p>
Create social media profiles with your new name, email, city, and face.
</p><p>
<strong>
Nobody will wonder who you are if you answer that question.
</strong>
Instead of block and battle, deflect and settle.
That’s better anonymity.
</p><p>
But <strong>if you want to be both anonymous and <a href="https://sive.rs/publicu">famous</a></strong>, pick a name that is rare but believable.
Cool but not too cool.
Tom Kahlo.
Keaton Carolina.
Miles Wenley.
Pick a name that has <a href="https://porkbun.com/products/domains">the .com domain</a> available, so you can really brand it.
</p><p>
Now you can create anything online freely, and nobody will doubt your identity.
Create and post a back-story to answer (instead of avoid) the frequently asked questions.
Then, instead of wondering who you really are, they can focus on what you’re really saying.
</p>
https://sive.rs/anon
Want anonymity? Make a persona not a mystery.
2023-02-02T00:00:00+00:00
2023-02-02T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
My favorite moments in life are when someone shows me a new perspective — a way of thinking I had never considered.
</p><p>
Ideally it’s something I opposed, but they help me understand why it works for them.
</p><ul><li>
The sex worker explains why she loves her job.
</li><li>
The Singaporean in the three-piece-suit explains why clothing is like the SMTP protocol.
</li><li>
The Hindu explains why poverty doesn’t upset her.
</li><li>
The Muslim explains why Islamic law is a perfect recipe for peace.
</li><li>
The hedonist justifies her partying, and tells me the most heart-warming explanation for her ugly tattoo.
</li></ul><p>
These conversations are the most memorable — the most life-changing — because I get a personal introduction to <strong>a mindset — a walk-through of a thought process</strong>.
I get to understand their reasoning.
</p><p>
Then those people I thought were wrong, stupid, or crazy suddenly make sense.
</p><p>
Thinking that people are <a href="https://sive.rs/ss">stupid</a> is not thinking.
Understanding them is.
</p><p>
<strong>
I never want to debate, but if I had to, I would hope to lose.
</strong>
I don’t want to convince anyone of my existing perspective.
I would rather be convinced of theirs.
It’s more interesting to assume that they are right.
</p>
https://sive.rs/led
I want to lose every debate.
2023-01-31T00:00:00+00:00
2023-01-31T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
<a href="https://conversationswithtyler.com/">Tyler Cowen</a> is my favorite interviewer of all-time.
His interviewing style has spoiled me for all others.
He creates a tasting feast for the mind.
</p><p>
First he finds brilliant accomplished people that he wants to learn from — people that are not too famous so they are not too polished in their answers.
</p><p>
Then he does a ton of research in advance of each interview, reading all of their books and all of their previous interviews, searching for interesting topics that haven’t been explored enough.
So he knows that when he asks the Portuguese economist about the food in Djibouti, or the novelist about French versus Russian ballet, that they'll have an interesting opinion.
</p><p>
He’s asking questions for himself, not us.
Because he doesn’t pander down to the audience, we get to rise up.
He’ll dive straight into a question about the Saramaccan language of Suriname, or the location of every Hieronymus Bosch painting, without stopping to explain.
If the question and answer interests you, you can find out later what that was about.
</p><p>
He encourages his guests to answer succinctly so they can have time to cover many subjects.
So it's never a whole conversation about Irish history or the synthesis of Spinoza and Sufism or any one topic.
He jumps right into the next surprisingly specific question, always keeps it moving, and skips the conversational fluff.
</p><p>
As an example, here are a few of my favorite conversations, and just a few of the topics they cover.
</p>
<h3><a href="https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/dana-gioia/">Dana Gioia</a></h3>
<ul><li>
the best art museum you’ve never heard of
</li><li>
the optimism of the Beach Boys
</li><li>
the Jungianism of Star Trek
</li><li>
why narrative is necessary for coping with life’s hardships
</li><li>
why we stopped building cathedrals
</li></ul>
<h3><a href="https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/katherine-rundell/">Katherine Rundell</a></h3>
<ul><li>
the thrills and dangers of rooftop walking
</li><li>
why children should be more mischievous
</li><li>
what it’s like to eat tarantula
</li><li>
the power of memorizing poetry
</li><li>
the Kafka book she gives to toddlers
</li></ul>
<h3><a href="https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/john-mcwhorter/">John McWhorter</a></h3>
<ul><li>
Indonesian should be the world’s universal language
</li><li>
why Mandarin won’t overtake English as the lingua franca
</li><li>
circumstances that create Creole languages
</li><li>
the decline of American regional accents
</li><li>
why Shakespeare needs an English translation
</li></ul>
<p>
These conversations inspired me to read The Odyssey, the <a href="https://sive.rs/bible">Bible</a>, a <a href="https://sive.rs/book/OpenBorders">great comic book about immigration</a>, and many other books on my reading queue now.
</p><p>
These conversations made me want to learn Swahili and Indonesian, try the vegetables in Chennai, and probably twenty other actions I’ve taken from their various topics.
</p><p>
If you like to broaden your horizons, you’re going to love this.
</p><p>
<strong>
Go to <a href="https://conversationswithtyler.com/">ConversationsWithTyler.com</a> and subscribe to the podcast.
</strong>
Or click “<a href="https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/">all episodes</a>” at the top of the page to browse the archive.
</p><p>
I also like his blog, “<a href="https://marginalrevolution.com/">Marginal Revolution</a>”, and his books, “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/StubbornAttachments">Stubborn Attachments</a>”, and “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/InnerEconomist">Discover Your Inner Economist</a>”.
</p>
<img src="/images/tyler.jpg" alt="Conversations with Tyler logo">
https://sive.rs/tyler
Conversations with Tyler Cowen
2023-01-29T00:00:00+00:00
2023-01-29T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I like going to the source.
Like finding musicians’ influences, and getting to know that music too.
Same with film, art, philosophy, and technology.
</p><p>
I also like doing what people I admire recommend.
And a few people I really admire suggest we read the entire Bible.
</p><p>
So to go to the source of western culture, and do what the wise people say, last year I read the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible">Bible</a>, start to finish.
Every sentence very thoroughly.
It took months.
It was frustrating, fascinating, and very enlightening.
(I took a ton of <a href="https://sive.rs/book">book notes</a> while reading, to help me remember everything, but I won’t be publishing them.)
</p><p>
If you’re thinking of reading it all, I have two bits of advice:
</p>
<h3>
Sample many different translations.
</h3>
<p>
I started with one called “<a href="https://archive.org/details/bibledesignedtob012390mbp/page/n5/mode/2up">The Bible: Designed to be Read as Living Literature, the Old and the New Testaments in the King James Version</a>”.
I assumed I needed to read the legendary <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_James_Version">King James version</a>, since that’s the one that influenced so much English literature.
But it was <em>so</em> tough to get through.
Almost every sentence took extra work to understand, even after two hundred pages.
Some people love it, but just I didn’t.
So <em>huge</em> thanks to <a href="https://kk.org/">Kevin Kelly</a>, who recommended I try other translations.
</p><p>
I bought four different versions, and spent a couple hours reading the same passages in each one.
</p><ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_International_Version">New International Version</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Living_Translation">New Living Translation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Standard_Version">English Standard Version</a></li>
<li>and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Message_(Bible)">The Message</a>.</li>
</ul><p>
I chose the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Living_Translation">New Living Translation</a>, and started from the beginning again.
Some day I’ll read a very different version for a different experience.
</p>
<h3>
Watch the <a href="https://bibleproject.com/explore/">BibleProject videos</a>.
</h3>
<p>
I didn’t discover these videos until after I was 500 pages in, often confused, and searched the web for explanations.
I wish I would have watched them first because they were <strong>so helpful</strong>!
So well done.
So interesting, clearly explained, and visually captivating.
</p><p>
I highly recommend you:
</p><ol><li>
Watch an hour or two of their introduction videos at <a href="https://bibleproject.com/explore/">BibleProject.com</a>.
</li><li>
Pick a translation and begin reading.
</li><li>
Before or after each chapter (actually book), go back and watch their <a href="https://bibleproject.com/explore/book-overviews/">overview video for that book</a> to help understand it better.
</li></ol><p>
I ended up watching almost every video on their site, at least ten hours’ worth, and found it almost as enlightening as the reading itself.
A friend who has never read the Bible (and doesn’t want to) watched a few hours with me, and found them fascinating too.
</p><p>
I’m really glad I did this huge project, and I’m curious to learn more.
</p>
<img src="/images/bibles.jpg" alt="stack of bible versions">
https://sive.rs/bible
Reading the Bible start to finish
2023-01-27T00:00:00+00:00
2023-01-27T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Kids scream, “Monster in the hallway!”, and hide behind the couch.
They stack up cushions for protection, and plan their defense.
They know it’s not <em>true</em> — there’s not <em>really</em> a monster in the hallway — but it’s exciting to feel the adrenaline of panic, then make a shelter and feel safe.
</p><p>
One kid yells, “The floor is hot lava!”
The familiar room transforms into islands among danger.
Leaping between furniture is a fun physical challenge.
</p><p>
One slips and wails, “Help! I’m falling! Save me! Save me!”
This new scenario lets one kid feel cared for and protected, while the other kid gets to be the rescuing hero.
</p><p>
Mom calls, “pancakes are ready!”, and all stories stop when the kids run into the kitchen.
</p><p>
Kids believe anything fun for a while.
It’s called “make believe” because they’re making up beliefs.
Each belief gives them a new situation, and lets them adopt a new role like protector or inventor.
“Make believe” has a purpose.
</p><p>
But when people grow up, they won’t believe anything unless they’re convinced that it’s true.
(Or they insist that it’s true <em>because</em> they believe it.)
</p><ul><li>
“The world is going to hell so I need to prepare my bunker to survive.”
</li><li>
“I would be creatively prolific and super-productive if I could quit my job.”
</li><li>
“My evil ex dumped me even though I was perfect so that’s why I can never love again.”
</li></ul><p>
None of these statements are true.
But we like the way they <em>feel</em> to believe.
We can be the hero of an exciting or romantic story.
</p><p>
Following a religion improves your daily actions, feels wonderful, and connects you to a worldwide community.
These are better reasons than insisting it’s absolutely true.
</p><p>
Same with philosophies, nationalities, norms, and concepts like loyalty, destiny, and identity.
None of these are true.
But they <em>are</em> useful.
</p><p>
Adopt them for their purpose, while knowing they are make believe.
</p>
<figure><img src="/images/couchjump.jpg" alt="kids jumping on couch"><figcaption>photo © <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/donnieray/19938005828/">Donnie Ray Jones</a></figcaption></figure>
https://sive.rs/mb
Make believe
2022-10-30T00:00:00+00:00
2022-10-30T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
In my previous post, “<a href="https://sive.rs/run">a daily run</a>” — (please <a href="https://sive.rs/run">read it first</a>) — <strong>running was a metaphor for whatever actions you take in your life.</strong>
The story is about how we choose beliefs because they’re <strong>useful, not true</strong>.
</p>
<h2>
Beliefs make emotions.
Emotions make actions.
</h2>
<p>
Actions come from emotions.
Emotions come from beliefs.
<strong>
So choose whatever belief makes you take the action you want.
</strong>
</p><p>
Picturing one future makes you quit.
Picturing another future makes you jump out of bed, full of inspiration and action.
A single thought can exhaust you or motivate you.
</p><p>
One belief makes you act selfish.
Another belief makes you act generous.
One thought makes you do something stupid.
Another thought makes you do something smart.
<strong>
What matters is the action they create.
</strong>
So choose the thought that works for you.
</p><p>
In <a href="https://sive.rs/run">the story</a>, picturing a pot of gold, or a tiger, or hot coals, made real improvements in the runner’s actions.
</p>
<h2>
Adopt beliefs for your current needs only.
</h2>
<p>
What works for others might not work for you.
What you needed yesterday might not be what you need today.
Life is nuanced.
Choose your goals and beliefs only for how they help you <strong>now</strong>.
</p><p>
Last week, my over-confidence was getting in the way of my learning.
So I chose to believe <a href="https://sive.rs/below-average">I’m bad at this</a> and have a lot to learn.
This week it’s time to perform, so to summon the courage, I choose to believe I’m <a href="https://sive.rs/book/AlterEgoEffect">great at this</a>.
Neither belief is true, but I adopted them because they helped me take the right actions.
</p><p>
Drop beliefs that aren’t helping you anymore.
Ignore social pressure to be the way you used to be.
</p><p>
In <a href="https://sive.rs/run">the story</a>, picturing a pot of gold didn’t work well in the past, but later worked great during a different situation.
</p>
<h2>
Adopt beliefs just for fun, to try different ways of being.
</h2>
<p>
Don’t over-focus on the usual goal.
Take your eyes off the prize and look around.
Creative experiments, curiosity, and adventures are fun.
<strong>
Fun is always a legitimate and underrated goal.
</strong>
</p>
<h2>
Different beliefs serve different goals.
</h2>
<p>
Gurus and pundits prescribe their beliefs.
But their prescription might only apply if you have a very specific situation and destination.
<a href="https://sive.rs/advice">Advice</a> should come with this disclaimer.
</p>
<h2>
Don’t care whether something is true — only whether it works for you.
</h2>
<p>
When you declare a belief to be <strong>true</strong>, it closes minds, cements identities, and leads to tribal fights with anyone who doesn’t find that belief to be true <em>for them</em>.
</p><p>
<strong>
Beliefs are a means to improve actions.
</strong>
To say that one belief is the best — that one is right and others are wrong — is ignorant of the purpose of beliefs, and the nuanced differences in people’s current needs.
</p>
<hr>
<p>
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject, and how the explanation could be improved.
This will probably be the topic of my next book.
</p>
<figure><img src="/images/run.jpg" alt="trail through forest"><figcaption>photo © <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/72616463@N00/38672745471/">Josephine Stenudd</a></figcaption></figure>
https://sive.rs/run2
Daily run, part two
2022-10-28T00:00:00+00:00
2022-10-28T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
If you have a static HTML website, but you want to include comments, here’s an interesting way to do it using PostgreSQL’s NOTIFY and LISTEN.
</p><p>
The big idea is to <strong>write the comments as static HTML, only when comments change</strong>, instead of doing a database query to display them every time.
This prevents the “hug of death” if you get a burst of traffic.
</p><p>
I’ve been doing it this way for over six years, and it works great.
Here’s the recipe, using Ruby as the glue, though you could use any scripting language.
</p>
<ol><li>
PostgreSQL database table for comments
</li><li>
Ruby receives form posts, inserts into database
</li><li>
When comments change, PostgreSQL trigger sends NOTIFY
</li><li>
Ruby runs PostgreSQL LISTEN, exporting updated comments to HTML
</li><li>
JavaScript on static page includes HTML
</li></ol>
<h2>
PostgreSQL database table for comments
</h2>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>create table comments (
id integer primary key generated by default as identity,
uri text,
created_at date default current_date,
name text,
email text,
comment text
);
create index on comments(uri);
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/comments-table.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<h2>
Ruby receives form posts, inserts into database
</h2>
<p>
Put this on any HTML page where you want comments:
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code><section id="comments"></section>
<script src="/comments.js"></script>
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/comments.html.txt">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Put this next code in your Nginx config, to send /comments to localhost.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>location = /comments {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:4567;
}
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/comments.nginx.conf">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Ruby Sinatra receives form posts.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>require 'pg'
require 'sinatra'
DB = PG::Connection.new(dbname: 'test', user: 'tester')
post '/comments' do
DB.exec_params("insert into comments
(uri, name, email, comment)
values ($1, $2, $3, $4)",
[params[:uri], params[:name], params[:email], params[:comment]])
redirect to(request.env['HTTP_REFERER'])
end
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/comments-route.rb">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Run that in a terminal on the server, and it should default to listen on port 4567.
</p>
<h2>
When comments change, PostgreSQL trigger sends NOTIFY
</h2>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>create function comments_changed() returns trigger as $$
begin
perform pg_notify('comments_changed', new.uri);
return new;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
create trigger comments_changed after insert or update on comments
for each row execute procedure comments_changed();
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/comments_changed.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Load that function into the PostgreSQL database that has your comments table.
</p><p>
It sends the listener (below) a notification that comments for <strong>this URI</strong> have changed.
Then the listener will re-output comments just for this URI, instead of all.
</p>
<h2>
Ruby runs PostgreSQL LISTEN, exporting updated comments to HTML
</h2>
<p>
Make a directory in your web root called /commentcache/, to hold the static comments.
</p><p>
Then keep this Ruby script running in a terminal to listen for database changes, and write the updated comments to disk as HTML.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>require 'pg'
DB = PG::Connection.new(dbname: 'test', user: 'tester')
BASEDIR = '/var/www/htdocs/commentcache/' # directory in your web root
# a single comment list entry, used in ol map, below
def li(row)
'<li><cite>%s (%s)</cite><p>%s</p></li>' %
[row['name'], row['created_at'], row['comment']]
end
# top-level map of database rows into HTML list
def ol(rows)
rows.inject('') {|html, row| html += li(row) ; html}
end
# write comments to disk for this URI
def save_comments(uri)
rows = DB.exec_params("select name, created_at, comment
from comments where uri = $1 order by id", [uri]).to_a
File.open(BASEDIR + uri, 'w') do |f|
f.puts ol(rows)
end
end
# first write them all
DB.exec("select distinct(uri) from comments").each do |r|
save_comments(r['uri'])
end
# listen for changes. re-write when changed
DB.exec('listen comments_changed')
while true do
DB.wait_for_notify do |event, pid, uri|
save_comments(uri)
end
end
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/comments-listen.rb">download code</a></small>
</div>
<h2>
JavaScript on static page includes current HTML when viewed
</h2>
<p>
Use JavaScript to show the form to post a comment, and load the list of comments from the /commentcache/ path.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>function showForm(uri) {
document.getElementById('comments').innerHTML = `
<header><h1>Comments:</h1></header>
<form method="post" action="/comments">
<input type="hidden" name="uri" value="${uri}">
<label for="name">Your Name</label>
<input type="text" name="name" id="name" required>
<label for="email">Your Email</label>
<input type="email" name="email" id="email" required>
<label for="comment">Comment</label>
<textarea name="comment" id="comment" cols="80" rows="10" required></textarea>
<input type="submit" value="post comment">
</form>
<ol id="commentlist"></ol>`;
}
function getComments(uri) {
try {
const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
xhr.open('get', '/commentcache/' + uri);
xhr.send(null);
xhr.onload = function() {
if (xhr.status === 200) {
document.getElementById('commentlist').innerHTML = xhr.responseText;
}
};
} catch(e) { }
}
// /blog/topic/page.html uri = 'blog_topic_page.html' for filesystem
const uri = location.pathname.substring(1).replace(/\//g, '_');
showForm(uri);
getComments(uri);
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/comments.js">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
That’s all.
I’ve simplified it a bit from my real usage, where I have constraints and checks that would have distracted from the core point of this example.
</p><p>
There are other ways to do it.
The NOTIFY and LISTEN isn’t necessary.
The Ruby Sinatra route that receives the posted comment could just write the HTML to disk immediately.
But I have other scripts that delete and update comments, and I like how <strong>the combination of NOTIFY trigger and LISTEN script always keeps them updated</strong> on disk.
</p><p>
Another interesting approach would be to write the comments into each HTML file directly, instead of in a separate file, so you wouldn’t need JavaScript at all.
</p>
<h2>
Optional upgrade: NOTIFY on delete
</h2>
<p>
I simplified the PostgreSQL trigger for the example, but with a few more lines of code, you can use the same trigger to notify of deleted comments, too.
The value of a deleted row is in “old”, whereas inserted and updated is in “new”, so we have to make a uri variable, and an if/then/else to know which to use.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>create or replace function comments_changed() returns trigger as $$
declare
uri text;
begin
if tg_op = 'DELETE' then
uri = old.uri;
else
uri = new.uri;
end if;
perform pg_notify('comments_changed', uri);
return old;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
create trigger comments_changed after insert or update or delete on comments
for each row execute procedure comments_changed();
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/comments_changed2.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
https://sive.rs/shc
Static HTML comments
2022-10-08T00:00:00+00:00
2022-10-08T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Every day you go on a long run through the forest.
</p><p>
You picture a <strong>pot of gold</strong> at the end.
It helps you finish when you feel like quitting.
</p><p>
One day you pretend there’s a <strong>tiger</strong> right behind you.
It makes you much faster, so you keep using this approach.
</p><p>
A running expert suggests you try acting like you’re running on <strong>hot coals</strong>, to keep you on the front of your feet.
You try it, and it improves your stamina and energy.
</p><p>
Sometimes, to shake things up, you try running barefoot, or with your eyes closed, or with your arms out like an airplane.
Every time you hear or think of a new way to run, you try it to see how it <strong>works</strong> and how you <strong>feel</strong>.
The variety is fun.
</p><p>
Eventually you realize you could make this path better for others, so you bring a <strong>shovel</strong> to smooth out bumps and fill in holes.
You imagine future runners being thankful for whoever did this.
</p><p>
One day, when filled with money frustrations at home, you run while picturing that <strong>pot of gold</strong> again, and are surprised to find it now makes you run faster than ever.
</p><p>
A new book declares that the single best way to run, after hundreds of scientific experiments by the experts, is, in fact, to act as if a <strong>tiger</strong> is behind you.
Millions of readers (they call themselves “tigerists”) are happy that tigerism has the answer.
</p><p>
So, can we say that one of these ways to run is <strong>true</strong>?
<strong>
Please <a href="https://sive.rs/run2">read part two</a> now.
</strong>
</p>
<figure><img src="/images/run.jpg" alt="trail through forest"><figcaption>photo © <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/72616463@N00/38672745471/">Josephine Stenudd</a></figcaption></figure>
https://sive.rs/run
Daily run, part one
2022-09-28T00:00:00+00:00
2022-09-28T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
We all confabulate without realizing it.
</p><p>
To confabulate is to create an explanation that you believe to be true.
“Con” means together, and “fabula” means story or fable, so: to put together a story.
Confabulate.
To fabricate.
When you don’t know why you did something, your subconscious invents <strong>an explanation that you think is a fact</strong>.
</p><p>
The clearest example comes from people who have a disconnect between the left and right hemispheres of their brain.
</p><p>
A researcher shows a patient a message in his right eye, saying, “Please close the window.”
The patient gets up and closes the window.
Then the researcher shows a question to that patient’s left eye, “Why did you close the window?”
The patient says he chose to do it because he was cold.
</p><p>
A researcher says, to only one ear, “Please walk.”
The patient starts walking.
Then they ask the other ear, “Why did you walk?”
The patient says she was walking because she felt like getting a drink.
</p><p>
The patients don’t think they are inventing explanations.
<strong>
They completely believe that those are the real reasons.
</strong>
</p><p>
That’s confabulating.
Similar to rationalizing: to justify and explain with a rational-sounding reason.
We all do it all the time.
<strong>
We think our reasons are true.
</strong>
</p><p>
Considering this, what should we do?
</p><p>
Stop asking people for explanations, and ignore the ones given.
Since our reasons are unknowable, focus on actions.
</p><p>
Doubt your own reasons, no matter how true they seem.
Get curious about what your other hidden explanations may be.
</p><p>
<strong>
What else?
</strong>
</p>
https://sive.rs/confab
Your explanations are not true
2022-09-20T00:00:00+00:00
2022-09-20T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Here’s a story about my shortest date, and ketchup.
</p><p>
I was dating in New York City, and matched with someone named Kelly.
We agreed to meet, so I called her to decide where.
She had a miserable voice, creaky and weary, but I tried not to judge.
</p><p>
I suggested we meet at a bar at 35th Street and 8th Avenue.
Although she’s from New York, she didn’t know where that is.
</p><p>
I said, “You really don’t know where 35th Street and 8th Avenue is?”
</p><p>
She said, “No.”
</p><p>
I said, “Well, just ask anyone. Everyone else knows.”
</p><p>
OK, now I’m judging.
Miserable voice.
Doesn’t know the basic layout of the city she lives in.
Two red flags.
</p><p>
I started to add her to my phone, so I said, “I have two friends named Kelly. Can you tell me your last name?”
</p><p>
She said, in her weary voice, “I’m not going to tell you my last name. You could be a serial killer.”
</p><p>
What the …?
OK.
Fine.
Three red flags.
</p><p>
So a couple days later we met at the bar at 35th Street and 8th Avenue.
She looked good.
We said hello.
I asked if she’d like a beer.
She said yes.
I brought two beers back to the table.
</p><p>
On the table is a bottle of ketchup.
Huh.
“Ketchup.”
I never really noticed that word before.
Where is it from?
It doesn’t look Latin, French, or Germanic.
</p><p>
So the first thing I say is, “Where do you think the word ketchup is from?”
</p><p>
She looked at me with disgust, and said, just sneering the whole time, “What? What kind of question is that? Who cares? Why would anyone care about that?”
</p><p>
I looked at her and thought for a second.
Miserable voice.
Doesn’t know her city.
Assumes I’m a murderer.
And now doesn’t have the slightest bit of curiosity about anything — no willingness to engage in the tiniest bit of wonder.
</p><p>
I decided I didn’t want to know her.
I got up and said, “I’m gonna go now.”
</p><p>
She said, “But you haven’t even had a sip of your beer!”
</p><p>
I said, “Take care,” and left.
Shortest date ever.
</p><p>
Years later, I’m living in Singapore, which is next to Indonesia, so I’m reading a book about Indonesian history.
It says there is <strong>only one word in English that comes from the Indonesian language</strong>.
Ketchup.
</p><p>
I was amazed.
I laughed.
Question answered.
</p><p>
My instinct was right to walk out on that date.
Little interesting things are all around us.
But the uncurious will never know.
</p>
<img src="/images/ketchup.jpg" alt="bottle of ketchup" title="ketchup photo by Betsssssy">
<div class="small">ketchup photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/betsssssy/6995478191/">Betsssssy</a></div>
https://sive.rs/ketchup
Shortest date, and ketchup
2022-09-12T00:00:00+00:00
2022-09-12T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Today I’m releasing something I’ve been working on since 2019.
</p><p>
It’s a full-length animation for my book “<a href="https://sive.rs/m">YOUR MUSIC AND PEOPLE</a>”.
2½ hours long, it contains <strong>the entire audiobook, animated</strong> throughout.
</p><p>
<strong>Hand-drawn</strong> by the great <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Smith_(artist)">Patrick Smith</a> over the last two years.
</p><p>
<strong>Translated</strong> (by native speakers) into Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, and Ukrainian.
The video has all the subtitles.
</p><p>
It’s available for <strong>instant streaming on my site</strong>, or an <strong>MP4 download</strong> (3GB) to keep forever and play on any device.
</p><p>
<strong>
All you have to do is <a href="https://sive.rs/m">buy “YOUR MUSIC AND PEOPLE” through me</a> at <a href="https://sivers.com/">sivers.com</a>.
</strong>
Because any book bought directly from me, for $15, includes all formats: ebook, audiobook, and now videobook.
</p><p>
See them all at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN980LTHwAY&list=PLcE0XVmYoKM9Vh4mhROixMBFMcoUyDvF9">this YouTube playlist</a>.
</p>
https://sive.rs/ymap
full-length videobook for “Your Music and People”
2022-09-08T00:00:00+00:00
2022-09-08T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
In 2011, I got a phone call from a number I didn’t recognize.
</p><p>
“Hello?”
</p><p>
“Derek. It’s Seth Godin.”
</p><p>
“Wow! Hi Seth!”
</p><p>
“I’m starting a new publishing company, so I want you to write a book. Short, like a manifesto. Will you do it?”
</p><p>
“Uh, sure!”
</p><p>
“Great. I look forward to it.”
</p><p>
“Thanks!”
</p><p>
Over the next eleven days, I wrote the lessons I’d learned from starting, growing, and selling my company.
He liked it, named it “<a href="https://sive.rs/a">Anything You Want</a>”, and a few weeks later it was for sale.
My first book.
Simple as that.
</p><p>
To me, it was no big deal - just <a href="https://sive.rs/obvious">telling my tale</a>.
But a lot of small business owners said my book helped them remember their purpose, and get re-excited about their business.
</p><p>
Penguin bought Seth’s publishing company and re-released my book on Penguin Portfolio.
But I wanted to self-publish.
</p><p>
I want to own the rights to my books so I can do what I want with them: give them away, let people <a href="https://sive.rs/fp">translate them</a>, or sell them how I like.
I’m thinking long-term.
I’ve got many books to come, and I want them to be a matching set.
<strong>
So I bought back the rights from Penguin.
</strong></p><p>
I improved many chapters in “Anything You Want”, and <strong>added eight new chapters</strong> that were missing — points that people kept asking about over my last ten years of talking about this book — better explanations — better stories.
</p><p>
Then I gave it <a href="https://sive.rs/a">a new cover</a> to match all of my other books.
(White, to represent its innocent naïveté.)
I recorded the <strong>new audiobook</strong>, better than before.
</p><p>
And now, <strong>it’s finally available, in its third and final edition, directly from me</strong>.
</p><p>
“<a href="https://sive.rs/a">ANYTHING YOU WANT: 40 lessons for a new kind of entrepreneur</a>”
</p><p><strong>
Get it at <a href="https://sivers.com/">sivers.com</a>.
</strong></p><p>
There are only 5000 limited-edition linen hardcovers printed, so get that version while they last.
Even if you already read it, consider getting this as the permanent edition.
</p><p>
The first copy is $19, which is <a href="https://sive.rs/bp">$15 for the content, and $4 for the paper itself</a>.
<strong>
All future copies cost only the price of the paper: $4.
</strong>
Paper books include all digital formats for free.
As before, I’m <a href="https://sive.rs/250k">giving all profits to charity</a>.
</p>
<a href="https://sive.rs/a"><img src="/images/DerekSivers-cover-AnythingYouWant-400x640.jpg" alt="book cover of Anything You Want"></a>
https://sive.rs/a3
Anything You Want — third edition for 2022
2022-08-25T00:00:00+00:00
2022-08-25T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I used to scoff at those people who had panic attacks.
“The cake is late! Oh no! I’m freaking out! I can’t breathe!”
Ridiculous.
Hysterical.
Over-reacting.
</p><p>
I was <a href="https://www.dive.is/dive-courses/padi-beginner-dive-courses">learning scuba diving</a>, and went on my first practice dive.
While I was 15 meters underwater, I felt a sudden need to get out of there.
My heart raced.
Alarms in my brain.
My body filled with terror.
I raced up to the surface and pulled off my mask.
</p><p>
<a href="https://www.dive.is/about-us/dive-is-behind-the-scenes/our-people/tobias-klose">The instructor</a> came up, so I told him, “I need to go. I hate this. I’ll just wait on the shore.”
He calmly looked at me for a few seconds and said, “Here. Wait. Look around. See that mountain? What a nice day. Everything is OK. You’re safe. Let’s just relax here together.”
It worked.
After a while, I felt better, and finished our dive.
</p><p>
Later I realized I had a panic attack.
This messed with my self-identity.
I thought only weak, dramatic, hysterical people did that.
<strong>
But now I had, and it was involuntary.
</strong>
Hmm.
</p><p>
The next day, I went on my first real <a href="https://www.dive.is/diving-snorkeling-tours/diving-day-tours/silfra-diving-day-tour">dive</a> with a group of ten tourists, including a German couple that bragged about how many dives they had done.
Underwater, I felt no fear — just joy.
</p><p>
Down deep at 20 meters, I saw the German girl, and gave her the hand signal for “OK?” — a common diver courtesy.
She replied back with the hand signal for “NOT OK! SOMETHING WRONG!”, and gave me a panicked look.
Her boyfriend was not around.
I followed the training I had just learned, and brought her slowly to the surface.
</p><p>
She pulled off her mask and said, in a panic, “I hate this. Too cold. Too much. No no. I need to go now.”
I recognized this!
This was exactly how I had felt the day before.
I remembered how my instructor had calmed me down, so <strong>I imitated my instructor exactly</strong>.
I said, “Here. Wait. Look around. See that mountain? What a nice day. Everything is OK. You’re safe. Let’s just relax here together.”
After a while, her boyfriend arrived, so I went back to my dive.
</p><p>
Those two days taught me two kinds of empathy.
</p><p>
You might categorize a type of person that’s so unlike you — a type of person that you will never ever be.
Depressed.
Disabled.
Fat.
Divorced.
Bankrupt.
Homeless.
Addict.
But these categories are usually involuntary.
Don’t judge.
<strong>
Some day, they might be you.
</strong>
</p><p>
You might also categorize another type of person that you think you will never be.
Rescuer.
Leader.
Athlete.
Boss.
Millionaire.
Even these categories can be involuntary — someone just responding to a situation.
But <strong>you can deliberately step into a role through imitation</strong>.
</p><p>
We’re not so different.
</p>
<img src="/images/dive.jpg" alt="Iceland Silfra underwater">
<div class="small">(Note: originally posted 2021-11-17, then rewritten, simplified, on 2022-07-26.)</div>
https://sive.rs/dive
Scuba, panic, empathy
2022-07-26T00:00:00+00:00
2022-07-26T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
My advice to anyone who writes:
Try writing one sentence per line.
I’ve been doing it for twenty years, and it improved my writing more than anything else.
<p>
New sentence?
Hit [Enter].
New line.
<p>
Not <em>publishing</em> one sentence per line, no.
<strong>
Write like this for your eyes only.
</strong>
HTML or Markdown combine separate lines into one paragraph.
<p>
Why is it so useful?
<h3>
It helps you judge each sentence on its own.
</h3>
We sometimes write sentences that don’t need to exist.
Hidden in a paragraph, we might not notice.
Standing on their own, we notice.
Delete any sentence not worthy of its own line.
<h3>
It helps you vary sentence length.
</h3>
We need to <a href="https://sive.rs/book/WritingTools">vary the lengths of our sentences</a>.
Sometimes short.
Sometimes long.
Yes it really helps to read it out loud, but it’s even clearer to see it on the page like this.
<p>
***********<br>
***<br>
***<br>
***************
<h3>
It helps you move sentences.
</h3>
When all sentences are stacked in a column, they’re easier to rearrange.
Cut three lines.
Paste them up above.
It’s easier to move your best sentence to the beginning or end of a paragraph.
<h3>
It helps you see first and last words.
</h3>
First words punch.
Last words linger.
Seeing your sentences vertically helps you notice your beginnings and endings.
Chop the weak beginnings, like “I think” and “Whether or not”.
Start with powerful subjects and verbs.
<p>
<img src="/images/1s.png" alt="screenshot of text with one sentence per line">
https://sive.rs/1s
Writing one sentence per line
2022-06-20T00:00:00+00:00
2022-06-20T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Growing up in America, I didn’t know much about other cultures.
<p>
When I was 25, my band got some gigs in Europe — my first time there.
It was 1995.
The European Union was new.
<strong>
I heard a street performer in Copenhagen tell this joke:
</strong>
<p>
“The EU will be a success if …
<ul><li>
the British are the police
<li>
the French are the chefs
<li>
the Italians are the lovers
<li>
and the whole thing is organized by the Germans.”
</ul><p>
“The EU will be a disaster if …
<ul><li>
the British are the chefs
<li>
the French are the police
<li>
the Germans are the lovers
<li>
and the whole thing is organized … by the Italians.”
</ul><p>
The European crowd all laughed.
They seemed to know the stereotypes in the joke.
<strong>
But I was confused.
</strong>
I could figure out the French chef and Italian lover, but the rest were a mystery.
<p>
That night I bothered my Danish host for hours, asking him many questions like, “Do the French have bad police? Why are the Germans supposed to be so organized?”
He was patient and tried to explain.
The stereotypes had no malice.
It was an affectionate tolerance, like we are with family members.
Mom always loses her keys.
Uncle burns whatever he cooks.
Maybe it only happens sometimes, but enough to earn a reputation for it, which is enough to be teased for it.
<p>
But how can a whole culture earn a reputation?
<strong>
Why are some cultures one way, and other cultures another way?
What makes millions of people in an area have similar behaviors?
</strong>
<p>
Religion?
A historical event that changed everyone’s actions and beliefs for a generation?
Or is it actually just false, and based on one popular movie, like thinking all Australians are Crocodile Dundee?
<p>
They say that America is more individualist and China is more collectivist.
But <em>why</em>?
Does the influence of cowboys or Confucius still shape everything?
Or is that the easy-but-wrong answer?
<p>
<strong>
I have hundreds of questions like this, and I’ve been pursuing the answers ever since
</strong>
— for 27 years now!
All because of that joke.
<p>
The best explanations I’ve found so far are the books “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/AuContraire">Au Contraire! Figuring out the French</a>” and “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/WatchingTheEnglish">Watching the English</a>”.
Please <a href="https://sive.rs/contact">let me know</a> of any other great answers.
<figure>
<img src=/images/joke.jpg alt="busker in Copenhagen">
<figcaption>Photo of <a href="https://www.pipermckenzie.info/">Piper Mckenzie</a> by <a href="https://busk.co/blog/busking-in/busking-copenhagen/">Dawn</a>.</figcaption>
</figure>
https://sive.rs/joke
The joke that changed my life
2022-06-19T00:00:00+00:00
2022-06-19T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
If you need a new domain name, and you want a <strong>.com</strong>, and you don’t want to type random ideas into a registrar search, here’s a way to do it.
</p>
<h2>
Download the list of all registered .com domains
</h2>
<p>
First, apply for access to the zone file, using ICANN’s Centralized Zone Data Service (CZDS) at <a href="https://czds.icann.org/">https://czds.icann.org/</a>.
It’s free, but takes a few days to get approved.
<a href="https://www.verisign.com/en_US/channel-resources/domain-registry-products/zone-file/index.xhtml">Read more about it here</a>.
</p><p>
Once approved, they email you a password to log in and download the file called <strong>com.txt.gz</strong>.
</p>
<code><pre>
$ du -hs com.txt.gz # 4.6GB compressed
4.6G com.txt.gz
$ gunzip com.txt.gz # uncompress and wait
$ du -hs com.txt
23.0G com.txt # 23 gigs uncompressed
$ wc -l com.txt
404261754 com.txt # 404 million lines
</pre></code>
<h2>
Extract the unique names
</h2>
<p>
<strong>com.txt</strong> has 404 million lines like this:
</p>
<code><pre>
zombahomes.com. 172800 in ns ns2.tierra.net.
zombai.com. 172800 in ns ns1.parkingcrew.net.
zombai.com. 172800 in ns ns2.parkingcrew.net.
zombaid.com. 172800 in ns nsg1.namebrightdns.com.
zombaid.com. 172800 in ns nsg2.namebrightdns.com.
zombaimmo.com. 172800 in ns ns10.lwsdns.com.
zombaimmo.com. 172800 in ns ns11.lwsdns.com.
zombaimmo.com. 172800 in ns ns12.lwsdns.com.
zombaimmo.com. 172800 in ns ns17.lwsdns.com.
zombaio.com. 172800 in ns ns-1073.awsdns-06.org.
</pre></code>
<p>
Domains usually have more than one entry.
You need to extract the unique entries.
And you only need the part before the “.com”.
</p><p>
Here’s a Ruby script that loops through com.txt, gets the part before .com, skips it if duplicate, and outputs it if unique.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>domain = ''
File.open('com.txt', 'r') do |infile|
File.open('domains.txt', 'w') do |outfile|
while line = infile.gets
temp = line[0...(line.index('.com'))]
next if temp == domain
domain = temp
outfile.puts domain
end
end
end
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/domain-parse.rb">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
“domains.txt” should now be about 162 million lines - (about 2.2GB) - that look like this:
</p>
<code><pre>
zombahomes
zombai
zombaid
zombaimmo
zombaio
</pre></code>
<h2>
Load it into SQLite, and index it.
</h2>
<code><pre>
$ sqlite3 domains.db
sqlite> create table domains(domain text);
sqlite> .import "domains.txt" domains
sqlite> create index dd on domains(domain);
</pre></code>
<h2>
Find available dictionary words
</h2>
<p>
If you’re on Mac, Linux, or <a href="https://sive.rs/openbsd">BSD</a>, you should have a dictionary of words at <strong>/usr/share/dict/words</strong>.
See which of those words are available:
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>require 'sqlite3'
db = SQLite3::Database.new('domains.db')
query = db.prepare('select domain from domains where domain = ?')
File.readlines('/usr/share/dict/words').each do |word|
rows = query.execute(word.downcase.strip)
puts word unless rows.next
end
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/domain-word.rb">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Run that, and you’ll have a list of 93,000 dictionary words that are available with the .com extension.
Congratulations!
Go to <a href="https://porkbun.com/">porkbun.com</a> (a great little registrar) to register yours.
</p><p>
You’ll find that some are not actually available because that “com.txt” file doesn’t list domains on hold, pending deletion, or without name servers.
</p>
<h2>
Combine short dictionary words
</h2>
<p>
If you are not excited that “electrotelethermometer.com” or “counterexcommunication.com” is available, maybe you would like a combination of two short words?
Select only dictionary words up to four letters, then search for the combination.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>require 'sqlite3'
words = File.readlines('/usr/share/dict/words').map(&:strip)
words.select! {|w| w.size <= 4}
db = SQLite3::Database.new('domains.db')
query = db.prepare('select domain from domains where domain = ?')
words.each do |word1|
words.each do |word2|
combo = (word1 + word2).downcase
rows = query.execute(combo)
puts combo unless rows.next
end
end
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/domain-words.rb">download code</a></small>
</div>
<h2>
Narrow it down to good words
</h2>
<p>
If you ran that last script, you’ll get tens of millions of available domains like “knabtuik.com” because there are many unknown, ugly, and useless short words.
</p><p>
So make a new file called “<strong>goodwords.txt</strong>” of only three and four letter words, using grep:
</p>
<code><pre>
$ grep "^...$" /usr/share/dict/words >> goodwords.txt
$ grep "^....$" /usr/share/dict/words >> goodwords.txt
</pre></code>
<p>
Edit that file by hand, deleting every word you would never want.
(The less you keep, the better.)
Then run that Ruby script again, combining just the good words:
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>require 'sqlite3'
words = File.readlines('goodwords.txt').map(&:strip)
db = SQLite3::Database.new('domains.db')
query = db.prepare('select domain from domains where domain = ?')
words.each do |word1|
words.each do |word2|
combo = (word1 + word2).downcase
rows = query.execute(combo)
puts combo unless rows.next
end
end
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/domain-goodwords.rb">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Much better, right?
A little time consuming, but worth it.
This is how I found the name of my new translation service, <a href="https://inchword.com/">Inchword</a>.
</p>
<h2>
Need it super-short and nerdy?
</h2>
<p>
One final hack is that there are tons of very-short .com domain names available in the format “letter-number-letter-number”.
For example: <strong>q7r7.com</strong> or <strong>e3p3.com</strong>.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>require 'sqlite3'
db = SQLite3::Database.new('domains.db')
query = db.prepare('select domain from domains where domain = ?')
('a'..'z').each do |a|
('0'..'9').each do |b|
('a'..'z').each do |c|
('0'..'9').each do |d|
combo = a + b + c + d
rows = query.execute(combo)
puts combo unless rows.next
end
end
end
end
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/domain-letters.rb">download code</a></small>
</div>
https://sive.rs/com
Find a good available .com domain
2022-06-08T00:00:00+00:00
2022-06-08T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
“Once you have a baby, you can’t travel.”
I’ve heard this so many times, although only from people who haven’t done it.
</p><p>
But I took my baby to nine countries before he was one year old.
Then another ten countries by the time he was eight.
So I can tell you from experience that <strong>it’s not only easy but great.</strong>
</p><p>
We need to share this with new parents.
Too many new families are cooped-up, stewing, frustrated, and bored in their home, when it’s actually the best time to get out.
</p><p>
Travelling with a baby or young child is <strong>the best way to visit somewhere new, exotic, and interesting.</strong>
It’s even <strong>better than travelling alone or as a couple.</strong>
Here’s why.
</p>
<h2>
They help you stop and appreciate.
</h2>
<p>
When my baby was ten days old, I took him out to a park for the first time, and he saw his first tree.
I imagined it from his perspective, as if I’d never seen a tree before.
So complex!
So beautiful.
I appreciate trees more since then.
</p><p>
Same with the other senses.
Smelling dirt.
Touching a caterpillar.
Listening to birds.
</p><p>
Before him, I was often in a hurry, trying to get somewhere else.
<strong>
Babies help you stop and pay attention.
When you travel, this is what you need.
</strong>
Less rushing to a destination.
More stopping to appreciate everything inbetween.
</p>
<h2>
You see better through their new eyes.
</h2>
<p>
<a href="https://www.drawright.com/">One way</a> to teach realistic drawing is to turn an image upside down before drawing it.
This helps you see what’s actually there instead of what you think <em>should</em> be there.
Upside down, you see just lines and shading.
Draw those, and you get a more accurate result.
This trains you to see more reality than assumption.
</p><p>
Same with your child’s senses.
Instead of categorizing something — like “tree” — and overlooking it, you can experience it through their eyes to see the wonderful complexity of <strong>what’s actually there</strong>.
No names.
No labels.
Which leads to the next point…
</p>
<h2>
No prejudice.
</h2>
<p>
India, Pakistan, Israel, Brazil, Vietnam, Nigeria, China, Russia.
You have thoughts about these places.
You’ve heard people say things about them, and that’s affected your perception.
You judged them before actually going there.
</p><p>
Men in monk’s robes or camouflage.
Women in burqas or bikinis.
Eye shape.
Skin color.
It’s hard to see past your pre-judgements.
</p><p>
<strong>
Your child has no prejudices.
</strong>
This is my favorite part.
I often go to places I’m biased against.
Seeing them through my child’s unbiased perception, and interacting with the people as such, helps me connect, which then helps me expire my old opinions.
</p><p>
I wish I could take him with me everywhere, like glasses.
</p>
<h2>
Nothing (everything) is weird.
</h2>
<p>
Japan, Peru, and Zanzibar feel exotic to me.
Strange.
Super-different.
Weird.
</p><p>
Your home feels normal and right because you spent many years there.
Then when you go somewhere very different, it feels exotic and even wrong.
You think of your home as “normal” and the new place as “weird”.
You keep it at a distance.
You think “them” not “us”.
</p><p>
But to your child, everything is new anyway.
<strong>
Everything is equally strange, so nothing is strange.
</strong>
This helps you see it as just another way of doing things.
Not weird.
Not wrong.
This helps bridge the differences, and feel like “us” not “them”.
</p>
<h2>
Airports are more fun.
</h2>
<p>
Especially for children, airports are <strong>not just a way to get somewhere else, but their own destination.</strong>
Great people-watching.
So many sounds.
So many other kids to play with, waiting at gates.
You learn to get to the airport super-early to leave time for all of this.
</p><p>
You get preferential treatment when flying.
Boarding early.
Flight attendants extra-friendly.
</p><p>
And until my son was three years old, the only time we ever let him watch a screen was on a plane, so he was completely transfixed while flying.
</p>
<h2>
You don’t need to bring much.
</h2>
<p>
When you go somewhere exotic, it’s fair to worry that they might not have something you need — like a special part for your electronic thing.
But packing for kids is easy.
Baby supplies are everywhere.
Everywhere has diapers, baby food, and all necessities.
<strong>
Pack only for the journey.
</strong>
Get everything else after you arrive.
</p>
<h2>
Kids aren’t impressed with “impressive”.
</h2>
<p>
This took me a long time to learn.
I would travel for hours to take my son somewhere really impressive — some superlative structure or view.
Once we arrived, he would be thrilled by the tiniest thing.
“Oooh! Look! Caterpillar!”
He was never impressed with what was supposed to be impressive.
</p><p>
I drove hours to take him to a famous landmark, but we never made it past the entrance because he was so fascinated with a dead log filled with bugs.
We played with that log for hours until it was time to leave.
</p><p>
End result?
They’re right!
“Impressive” is for adults.
“Impressive” is often satisfying a bucket list, but it can make you overlook <strong>what’s actually fun</strong>.
Kids help you keep this in perspective.
</p>
<h2>
Babies bring out the best in people.
</h2>
<p>
Everybody loves babies.
It’s like travelling with a puppy.
Everyone melts.
Everyone stops to interact.
<strong>
Babies connect you with people.
</strong>
</p><p>
I met with a friend in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
He’s lived there for ten years.
We walked around town for an afternoon with my son.
So many people stopped to interact with my baby, make faces with him, and ask questions about where we were from.
Afterwards my friend said that more people stopped to talk with us that one afternoon than in his ten years of living there combined.
</p>
<br>
<p>
So, yes.
Dispel the myth.
Spread the word.
<strong>
Travelling with babies or young children is the best.
</strong>
</p>
<img src="/images/tk.jpg" alt="photo of baby on jackfruit">
https://sive.rs/tk
Travel is best with young children
2022-05-09T00:00:00+00:00
2022-05-09T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
If you make your own website, consider making short URLs.
</p><p>
This is not about a URL shortener.
This is about making your <strong>original URLs short</strong> in the first place.
</p><p>
Instead of:
<br><code>yoursite.com/blog/2022/05/08/short-urls-why-and-how.html</code><br>
… consider just:
<br><code>yoursite.com/short</code>
</p>
<h2>
Why?
</h2>
<p>
Short URLs matter for a few reasons:
</p>
<ul><li>
<strong>
I can remember my URLs.
</strong>
I can avoid the search engine step.
(No need to search when I already know the answer.)
Which means…
</li><li>
<strong>
I can type it or say it.
</strong>
Whether texting, answering an email, or talking to someone on the phone, I can say, “Go to <a href="https://sive.rs/ff">sive.rs/ff</a> for my talk about the first follower.” or “My newest book is at <a href="https://sive.rs/h">sive.rs/h</a>.”
I do this often, so having memorable URLs, <strong>easy to type in full</strong>, saves me a lot of searching.
</li><li>
<strong>
They look nicer.
</strong>
They’re aesthetic.
They show care.
We should put something of beauty into the world, instead of creating <a href="https://sive.rs/polut">digital pollution</a>.
</li><li>
<strong>
They remove the middle-man.
</strong>
With <em>long</em> URLs, people use those ugly social share buttons that promote (and further entrench) harmful social media sites, and add visual clutter to your site.
Short URLs encourage people to copy and paste the URL directly, which lets them share it anywhere, instead of only the sites for which you have a share button.
</li><li>
<strong>
They’re enough.
</strong>
Using 36 characters (a-z and 0-9):<br>
2-character URLs give me 1296 (36²) unique combinations.<br>
3-character URLs give me 46,656 (36³) unique combinations.<br>
4-character URLs give me 1,679,616 (36⁴) unique combinations.<br>
I don’t need more than that.
</li></ul>
<p>
That doesn’t mean the shorter the better.
If I can remember “<code><a href="https://sive.rs/plaintext">/plaintext</a></code>” easier than “<code>/pt</code>”, then that’s a better choice.
</p>
<h2>
How?
</h2>
<p>
Here’s how I do it:
<strong>
Save my HTML file as the URL name, with no extension.
</strong>
Instead of “<code>hi.html</code>”, I save it as “<code>hi</code>” in my public web root.
</p></p>
Then, assuming the Nginx web server, add this line to my http block:
</p>
<div class="code"><pre><code>default_type text/html;</code></pre></div>
<p>
That’s it!
That serves my files without extensions as HTML.
</p></p>
If I ever switch to a different system or server, there is always a way to pull up your HTML using a short URL.
</p>
https://sive.rs/su
Short URLs: why and how
2022-05-08T00:00:00+00:00
2022-05-08T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
My Sivers ancestors came from Grantham, Lincolnshire, England on a boat to America in 1849.
The boat crashed on rocks in the Irish sea, caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean, got pushed off course repeatedly by storms, and finally landed in New Orleans after two months.
New Orleans was overcome with cholera, so they hopped a steam boat up the Mississippi River to St. Louis.
Cholera killed nine passengers and the pilot of the boat.
Days after they arrived in St. Louis, the city caught fire so they escaped in a covered wagon to Glenwood Iowa, finally arriving after three more months.
In 1890, one of their sons ventured to the wild west of Colorado to pursue an opportunity.
</p><p>
Four of my great-grandparents came separately from Sweden to America around 1910.
Two were poor farmers, two were middle-class urbanites, but all four were ambitious for prosperity abroad.
They met in Colorado and Oregon, where my grandparents were born.
After serving in World War Two, my grandparents moved to Portland to pursue an opportunity, with $25 to their name.
</p><p>
My parents met in high school in Portland in the 1960s.
My dad is a particle physicist, but wanted to be more outgoing.
My mom was homecoming queen, but wanted to be more intellectual.
I was born in California in 1969, with a temperament somewhere in between.
</p><p>
Forty years later, <a href="https://sive.rs/book/Ikigai">a friend</a> asked why I’ve been successful in life.
I said I’ve just been ridiculously lucky.
</p><p>
He said, “No. Your success has come from choices, not luck.”
</p><p>
I said, “I disagree! What about being born in America? That wasn’t a choice! That’s luck.”
</p><p>
He said, “No!
Your ancestors left a comfortable place to move to a scary unknown place because they felt it would lead to a better life for their descendants.
To call your birth place luck is to disregard their foresight and sacrifice.
Same with their choice of a spouse, how they raised their kids, and whether they saved for their kids’ future, or squandered it on themselves.
None of that was luck.”
</p><p>
OK.
Good point.
<strong>
It’s wrong to say our outcomes are <em>all</em> luck or <em>no</em> luck.
</strong>
</p><p>
I still think most of my success was just luck.
But it’s nice to acknowledge that <strong>the choices of your ancestors led to the circumstances of your life.</strong>
</p><p>
And the choices you make will affect the lives of your descendants for many generations to come.
</p>
https://sive.rs/ald
Ancestors, Luck, and Descendants
2022-03-24T00:00:00+00:00
2022-03-24T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I was living on the beach in Santa Monica, California, and life was perfect.
I was in paradise, and deeply happy.
</p><p>
Friends wanted to travel, but I had no interest.
I had already lived a few years each in New York City, Boston, Chicago, Portland, and San Francisco.
Santa Monica was perfect.
I loved the weather, the people, the lifestyle, the business opportunities, and everything.
It was the best place on earth.
</p><p>
But I always want to learn and grow.
To grow intellectually, you need to be surprised.
<strong>
If we’re not surprised, we’re not really learning.
</strong>
We may add new information, but not really update our understanding of the world.
No “Wow!”
No “Aha!”
</p><p>
To keep learning and growing, we should always seek out new perspectives.
Appreciate music, food, and experiences we initially dislike.
Read about subjects we know nothing about.
Understand people we disagree with.
Take on new challenges.
Avoid routine.
</p><p>
I started feeling like my happiness and <strong>comfort</strong> — my feeling that things here are the way they <strong>should</strong> be — might make me <strong>stagnate</strong>, plateau, or atrophy.
</p><p>
Yes I could have forced myself to learn and grow from home.
But I’d be fighting the gravity that pulls me into my comfortable chair and routines.
<strong>
I wanted an environment that forces me to grow.
</strong>
Somewhere full of daily surprises, whether I seek them or not.
</p><p>
So I forced myself to leave America.
Leave my comfort zone.
I considered finding new perspectives inside America, living in Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, New Mexico, and Alaska.
But why the artificial boundary?
Why not Turkey, Nigeria, Finland, Indonesia, Israel, China, and Brazil?
</p><p>
Places have a living philosophy.
I wanted to understand these different approaches to life.
I wanted them to also feel like home.
</p><p>
So I set off into the world, with that goal.
<strong>
Move to a place that feels strange, until it feels like home.
</strong>
Constantly learning and growing.
Then do it again, pursuing discomfort, until the whole world is my home.
</p><p><em>
For another side to this story, read “<a href="https://sive.rs/xus">Why I let go of my U.S. citizenship</a>”.
</em></p>
<img src="/images/bigfish.jpg" alt="scene from the movie Big Fish">
<p><i>
(This picture is from the movie “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Fish">Big Fish</a>”, where at the beginning of the hero’s journey, he finds a paradise, and everyone there begs him to stay, but he says, “I’m sorry, I may never find a place this nice again, but I need to go out into the world and have my adventure.”)
</i></p>
https://sive.rs/left
Why I left America
2022-03-09T00:00:00+00:00
2022-03-09T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I write almost everything important in my life: thoughts, plans, notes, diaries, correspondence, code, articles, and entire books.
</p><p>
They are my extended memory — my noted self — my organized thoughts.
I refer to them often.
I search them, update them, and learn from them.
I convert them into HTML to make websites, or LaTeX to make books.
</p><p>
My written words are my most precious asset.
They are also a history of my life.
<strong>
That’s why I only use plain text files.
</strong>
They are the most reliable, flexible, and long-lasting option.
Here’s why.
</p><h2>
PORTABLE
</h2><p>
I’ve brought my text files with me since 1990, from Mac to Windows to Linux to BSD, from PCs to laptops to tablets to Android to iOS to a tiny device the size of my thumb, and back again.
</p><p>
<strong>
Every device, including ones long gone, and ones not invented yet, can read and edit plain text.
</strong>
Whether future virtual reality, or a chip you can implant in your earlobe, plain text will be there.
Will Microsoft Word?
Evernote?
Notion?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
</p><p>
But plain text?
Always.
Everywhere.
</p><h2>
UN-COMMERCIAL
</h2><p>
Every few years a new company says you should use their special format.
You have to pay them a monthly fee to use it — or keep all of your documents in their care.
They offer some convenience or features, but at the cost of flexibility, portability, and independence.
</p><p>
When you store your writing in one company’s unique format, then you need that program to access it.
Then the economy takes a turn, they go out of business, and your work is trapped in an unusable format.
</p><p>
<strong>
You will outlive these companies.
</strong>
Your writing should outlive you.
Depending on companies is not an option.
</p><p>
Plain text is un-commercial.
It removes you from the world of subscriptions and hype.
There will always be plenty of free, non-commercial software in the public domain for reading and editing text files.
</p><h2>
OFFLINE
</h2><p>
There are places and times when you can’t get online.
Don’t depend on any tool that needs an internet connection.
</p><p>
<strong>
There are great benefits to being intentionally offline and unreachable, to focus.
</strong>
It’s a super productivity boost.
You need to be able to write, and have access to all your writing, during these times.
</p><h2>
NO DEPENDENCIES
</h2><p>
If you rely on Word, Evernote or Notion, for example, then you can’t work unless you have Word, Evernote, or Notion.
<strong>
You are helpless without them.
</strong>
You are dependent.
</p><p>
People tell me about more tools I could use in addition to my text files.
But I don’t need or want anything else.
<strong>
Plain text files and a basic text editor are enough.
This is everything you need for great thinking and writing.
</strong>
(A paper notebook and pencil are enough, too.)
</p><p>
If you only use plain text, you can work on any device, forever.
The less you depend on, the better.
Peace and focus come when you stop looking for more.
</p><h2>
EASIEST TO CONVERT
</h2><p>
Plain text can be converted into anything else.
</p><p>
HTML, Markdown, JSON, LaTeX, and many other standard formats, are just plain text.
I’ve written four books and four hundred blog posts in plain text.
</p><p>
You can make your own personal formats in your plain text files.
Maybe in each diary entry, the first two lines are like:
</p><pre>
date: 2022-02-28
tags: where-to-live, kids, dog, anxious
</pre><p>
Then it’s easy to use any little scripting language like Ruby, Python, or JavaScript to grab the date and tags, and use them for categorizing, sorting, renaming, archiving, or exporting.
</p><p>
Or if you don’t want to do it yourself, then it’s easy to find someone who can.
Anyone who’s been programming for more than a week should be able to do it easily.
</p><h2>
NEED HIERARCHY?
</h2><p>
Use directories — also known as folders.
These are also good for keeping your text together with other files like images and audio.
</p><pre>
Documents/
Documents/Diary/
Documents/Diary/2022/
Documents/Diary/2022/2022-02-28.txt
Documents/Thoughts/
Documents/Thoughts/WhereToLive/
Documents/Thoughts/WhereToLive/2019-06-30.txt
Documents/Thoughts/WhereToLive/2020-01-18.txt
Documents/Ideas/
Documents/Ideas/MusicalChairs.txt
Documents/Ideas/NewHouse/
Documents/Ideas/NewHouse/Design/
Documents/Ideas/NewHouse/Design/entryway.jpg
Documents/Ideas/NewHouse/Design/roof.jpg
Documents/Ideas/NewHouse/Architect/
Documents/Ideas/NewHouse/Architect/JM_Lim.txt
Documents/Ideas/NewHouse/Architect/TPS_Inc.txt
</pre><h2>
NEED VISUALS OR GRAPHICS?
</h2><p>
Need visual mind-mapping with circles and lines?
Maybe you do.
<strong>
But maybe you don’t.
</strong>
Maybe it’s just another distraction, focusing on the tools instead of your thinking.
</p><p>
I love that plain text files have no formatting to tinker with.
A tab key, SHIFT KEY, and vertical line breaks can go a long way, keeping you writing instead of formatting.
</p><p>
If you really need graphics, do your drawing using something else.
Digital drawing into SVG files.
Paper drawing, scanned into JPGs.
</p><p>
Formats that aren’t owned by any company.
Formats that will outlast you.
</p><p>
Keep your graphics files alongside your text files.
But keep your text as plain text.
</p><h2>
CONCLUSION
</h2><p>
Reliable, flexible, portable, independent, and long-lasting.
Plain text files will be readable by future generations, hundreds of years from now.
</p><p>
I especially enjoy the tranquility of their offline, non-commercial nature.
They’re quiet.
They’re focused.
(As I aim to be.)
</p>
<img src="/images/plaintext.png" alt="screen shot of the text of this post">
https://sive.rs/plaintext
Write plain text files
2022-03-02T00:00:00+00:00
2022-03-02T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
You often need to generate random strings, like for login cookies and unique entry codes.
</p><p>
These strings always need to be stored in the database.
<strong>
So make your life simpler by generating the random strings directly in the database.
</strong>
Here's a very handy PostgreSQL function to do it:
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>create function gen_random_bytes(int) returns bytea as
'$libdir/pgcrypto', 'pg_random_bytes' language c strict;
create function random_string(len int) returns text as $$
declare
chars text[] = '{0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z,a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u,v,w,x,y,z}';
result text = '';
i int = 0;
rand bytea;
begin
-- generate secure random bytes and convert them to a string of chars.
rand = gen_random_bytes($1);
for i in 0..len-1 loop
-- rand indexing is zero-based, chars is 1-based.
result = result || chars[1 + (get_byte(rand, i) % array_length(chars, 1))];
end loop;
return result;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/rand1-1.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Give it a number: the length of the random string you want.
It will return random alphanumeric text of that length.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>select random_string(8);
random_string
───────────────
yBuXga02
select random_string(8);
random_string
───────────────
eP3X7yqe
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/rand1-2.txt">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
The chance of random clash is very small.
<strong>
But you need to be completely sure that the new random string is unique — not already existing in that column in that table.
</strong>
So here's a function where you give it the string length, table name, and column name.
It will return a random string confirmed to be unique — to not exist there already.
It gets a random string, searches for it in that table and column, and if not found, returns it.
Otherwise, if it is found, gets a new random string and loops back, trying again until not found.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>-- return random string confirmed to not exist in given tablename.colname
create function unique_random(len int, _table text, _col text) returns text as $$
declare
result text;
numrows int;
begin
result = random_string(len);
loop
execute format('select 1 from %I where %I = %L', _table, _col, result);
get diagnostics numrows = row_count;
if numrows = 0 then
return result;
end if;
result = random_string(len);
end loop;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/rand1-3.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
I used to call functions like this <a href="https://sive.rs/clean1">using database triggers</a>, called on any insert.
But then I found out something surprisingly cool and so much simpler:
<strong>
You can call functions as default values directly in table definitions.
</strong>
</p><p>
Look at this table, calling unique_random as its default value:
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>create table things (
code char(8) primary key default unique_random(8, 'things', 'code'),
name text
);
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/rand1-4.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
So simple and clear!
To use it, you just do a regular insert, and it generates the guaranteed-unique default value.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>insert into things (name) values ('one') returning *;
code │ name
──────────┼──────
nRSXbVWQ │ one
insert into things (name) values ('two') returning *;
code │ name
──────────┼──────
EAS9wGcl │ two
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/rand1-5.txt">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
I've found this particularly handy for creating login cookies:
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>create table cookies (
person_id int primary key,
cookie char(32) unique default unique_random(32, 'cookies', 'cookie')
);
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/rand1-6.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Instead of having your client code, your JavaScript, Python, Ruby or whatever, generating the random code, it's extra-nice to have this in your database directly, not only because it's cleaner, but because it saves repeated calls between your client code and database, confirming uniqueness.
One simple insert of the person_id returns the unique and already-saved random cookie string:
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>insert into cookies (person_id) values (1) returning *;
person_id │ cookie
───────────┼──────────────────────────────────
1 │ 0P8Tp4wjXuTqCCh1NCR9XIom20z9IcYv
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/rand1-7.txt">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Download the code at <a href="https://sive.rs/code/rand1.sql">/code/rand1.sql</a>.
</p>
https://sive.rs/rand1
Generate unique random values directly in the database
2022-03-01T00:00:00+00:00
2022-03-01T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Even smart people can accidently put bad data into a database.
</p><p>
We copy text from a web page, then paste it into a form, not realizing it also copied a space, tab, or newline character.
Then your system thinks someone’s name is not “Jim” but “ Jim\n”.
</p><p>
You could use JavaScript to sanitize all form inputs, but what about when you import a CSV file, or get data from an API?
</p><p>
No, <strong>the best place for your data-cleaning functions is in the database itself</strong>.
So no matter what code is inserting or updating, a database trigger will sanitize it <strong>before saving</strong>.
</p><p>
Here’s a PostgreSQL example.
Let’s make two tables, people and emails, so you can see how one function can be used by many triggers.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>create table people (
id serial primary key,
name text,
code text
);
create table emails (
id serial primary key,
person_id integer not null references people(id),
email text
);
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/clean1-1.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Let’s make two simple functions:
</p><ol><li>
Remove all whitespace, then lowercase.
</li><li>
Remove unwanted whitespace characters like tab and newline.
Replace them all with a single space.
Then trim spaces from the front and end.
</li></ol>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>-- remove all whitespace, then lowercase it
create function lower_no_space(text) returns text as $$
select lower(regexp_replace($1, '\s', '', 'g'));
$$ language sql;
-- replace all whitespace with single space, then trim start and end
create function no_extra_space(text) returns text as $$
select btrim(regexp_replace($1, '\s+', ' ', 'g'));
$$ language sql;
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/clean1-2.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
The function that removes all whitespace then lowercases, is good for email addresses and codes like checksums.
</p><p>
The function that removes extra whitespace then trims, is good for many things like names, addresses, email subjects, and anywhere that needs to retain inner spaces.
So “ New \t Zealand \n” will be “New Zealand”.
</p><p>
Now make trigger functions that use your smaller re-usable cleaning functions.
I find it best to make one trigger per table, sanitizing all fields on any insert or update.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>create function clean_people() returns trigger as $$
begin
new.name = no_extra_space(new.name);
new.code = lower_no_space(new.code);
return new;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
create trigger clean_people
before insert or update on people
for each row execute procedure clean_people();
create function clean_emails() returns trigger as $$
begin
new.email = lower_no_space(new.email);
return new;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
create trigger clean_emails
before insert or update on emails
for each row execute procedure clean_emails();
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/clean1-3.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
The language is a little verbose, but oh well.
The ugliness of the boilerplate code is made up for by the beautiful simplicity of having all of this handled in the database.
It’s so nice to not have to sanitize form fields!
Just toss the unwashed inputs at the database.
</p><p>
Here, let’s give it some dirty data, and watch it come out clean.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>insert into people (name, code) values (e' \t \r \n Dr. \n \r JM \t Lim \r\n', ' XX o Z ') returning *;
-- id │ name │ code
--────┼────────────┼──────
-- 1 │ Dr. JM Lim │ xxoz
insert into emails (person_id, email) values (1, e' \r\n \t DR. L @ JM Lim . com \n') returning *;
-- id │ person_id │ email
--────┼───────────┼────────────────
-- 1 │ 1 │ dr.l@jmlim.com
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/clean1-4.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
This approach has made my code much simpler, and data much cleaner.
</p><p>
Download the full code example at <a href="https://sive.rs/code/clean1.sql">/code/clean1.sql</a>.
</p><p>
Also look at <a href="https://sive.rs/recalc">using triggers to ensure data integrity</a>.
</p>
https://sive.rs/clean1
Database triggers to clean text inputs
2022-03-01T00:00:00+00:00
2022-03-01T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When you make a database-backed app, you have some functions that need to run multiple database queries.
</p><p>
For example, to move money from one account to another, you have to insert a negative amount into account #1, and a positive amount into account #2.
</p><p>
Usually you do in your main code: your JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or whatever.
</p><p>
But what if some future code bypasses your crucial “business logic” functions?
New code could access the database directly, without going through your existing functions.
</p><p>
Or what if you need to rewrite some code in a new language?
You’ll have a lot of data to rewrite if all this data logic was kept in the surrounding code.
</p><p>
I felt the pain of this at my last company, when we converted some old PHP code to Ruby.
I had to rewrite so much of the logic.
</p><p>
In hindsight, <strong>data logic should be in the database itself</strong>.
</p><p>
Simple logic that’s always needed to update the data (like the money-moving example) should be <strong>kept in database functions</strong>.
Then your surrounding code - your JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or whatever - can just call these database functions, and never need to be rewritten if you change languages to Swift, Kotlin, Elixir, or whatever.
</p><h3>
Here’s a PostgreSQL example, from <a href="https://sive.rs/recalc">my previous post</a>:
</h3><p>
First, make three simple tables:
</p><ol><li>
Items with prices.
</li><li>
Lineitems with quantities.
</li><li>
Invoices with the total price.
</li></ol><p>
Create two example items, a $5 and a $9 item.
And create invoice #1 for testing.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>create table items (
id serial primary key,
price int not null check (price > 0)
);
create table invoices (
id serial primary key,
total int
);
create table lineitems (
invoice_id int not null references invoices(id),
item_id int not null references items(id),
quantity int not null check (quantity > 0),
primary key (invoice_id, item_id)
);
-- example data:
insert into items (price) values (5);
insert into items (price) values (9);
insert into invoices (total) values (0);
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/recalc-1.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
If someone wants to <strong>add an item</strong> to their cart, you need to first see if it’s in their cart already.
If it’s not in their cart, <strong>insert</strong> it.
But if that Item is in their cart, you need to <strong>update</strong> it, to add the new quantity to their existing quantity.
</p><p>
So wrap all that logic in a simple <strong>function called cart_add</strong>.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>create function cart_add(inv int, item int, quant int) returns void as $$
begin
-- does this invoice + item combination already exist?
perform 1 from lineitems
where invoice_id = inv
and item_id = item;
if found then -- yes? add this quantity
update lineitems
set quantity = quantity + quant
where invoice_id = inv
and item_id = item;
else -- no? insert
insert into lineitems values (inv, item, quant);
end if;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/api01-1.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Someone updates their cart, to <strong>change the quantity</strong> of a Lineitem.
If they change the quantity to 2, 5, or even 1, no problem, just <strong>update</strong> the quantity.
But what if they change the quantity to 0?
You don’t want a Lineitem hanging around their cart with a quantity of 0.
No, if the quantity is 0 or below, you want to <strong>delete</strong> that Lineitem.
</p><p>
So wrap all that logic in a simple <strong>function called cart_set</strong>.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>-- update the quantity of an item in the cart
create function cart_set(inv int, item int, quant int) returns void as $$
begin
if quant > 0 then
update lineitems
set quantity = quant
where invoice_id = inv
and item_id = item;
else -- quantity 0 or below? delete
delete from lineitems
where invoice_id = inv
and item_id = item;
end if;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/api01-2.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
There, now this data logic is where it belongs: with the data itself.
</p><p>
Your JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or whatever can just call the functions, like this:
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>select cart_add(1, 1, 3);
select * from lineitems;
select cart_add(1, 2, 4);
select * from lineitems;
select cart_set(1, 2, 1);
select * from lineitems;
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/api01-3.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Imagine if you did it like this for all of the important things you need to do in your database?
</p><p>
Then any code, in any language, could just call those functions, knowing the database itself will handle the logic.
Keeping the data-logic where it should be: with the data.
</p><p>
Download the final example file here: <a href="https://sive.rs/code/api01.sql">/code/api01.sql</a>.
</p><p>
More on this in future posts.
Or until then, see my <a href="https://github.com/sivers/store">example on Github</a>.
</p>
https://sive.rs/api01
Database functions to wrap logic and SQL queries
2022-02-28T00:00:00+00:00
2022-02-28T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When you make a database-backed app, you write code to ensure data integrity in related fields.
</p><p>
If an item is sold, you update the inventory.
If someone withdraws money, you update their balance.
You recalcuate the total and update the related field in the database whenever somebody makes a change.
</p><p>
Usually this is done in your main code: your JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Java, or whatever.
</p><p>
<strong>
But what if some future code doesn’t use your currently-crucial function?
</strong>
A new back-end interface, API hook, or simple shell script might not use your current code.
New code will access the database directly, not using your old code.
</p><p>
I encountered this exact situation at my last company, and felt the pain from inventory and even finances becoming wrong, all because some new code was accessing the database directly.
</p><p>
So that’s why I’m an evangelist now for how important it is to <strong>put your crucial code in the database itself</strong>.
This is <strong>data logic</strong> (not “business logic”) and <strong>should be bound to the data</strong>.
Database functions can be triggered, ensuring integrity, no matter what outside code is accessing it.
</p><h3>
Here’s an example in PostgreSQL, using a shopping cart:
</h3><p>
First, make three simple tables:
</p><ol><li>
Items with prices.
</li><li>
Lineitems with quantities.
</li><li>
Invoices with the total price.
</li></ol><p>
Create two example items, a $5 and a $9 item.
And create invoice #1 for testing.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>create table items (
id serial primary key,
price int not null check (price > 0)
);
create table invoices (
id serial primary key,
total int
);
create table lineitems (
invoice_id int not null references invoices(id),
item_id int not null references items(id),
quantity int not null check (quantity > 0),
primary key (invoice_id, item_id)
);
-- example data:
insert into items (price) values (5);
insert into items (price) values (9);
insert into invoices (total) values (0);
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/recalc-1.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Now, you want it to re-calculate the Invoice total whenever Lineitems are changed.
That’s a special function called a <strong>trigger</strong>.
First you create the function, then create a trigger that executes the function.
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>-- re-calculate the total of a lineitem's invoice
create function recalc() returns trigger as $$
begin
-- update invoice using lineitems's invoice_id
update invoices set total = (
select sum(quantity * price)
from lineitems
join items on lineitems.item_id = items.id
where invoice_id = new.invoice_id)
where id = new.invoice_id;
return new;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
-- run this function after any change to lineitems
create trigger recalc
after insert or update or delete on lineitems
for each row execute procedure recalc();
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/recalc-2.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Test it by adding Lineitems, and updating their quantities.
After each change, look at the Invoice.
It works!
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>insert into lineitems (invoice_id, item_id, quantity) values (1, 1, 1);
insert into lineitems (invoice_id, item_id, quantity) values (1, 2, 1);
select * from lineitems; select * from invoices;
select 'Notice new total when you update quantity:' look;
update lineitems set quantity = 5 where invoice_id = 1 and item_id = 2;
select * from lineitems; select * from invoices;
select 'But when you delete a line? Oh no. Total is still $50' look;
delete from lineitems where invoice_id = 1 and item_id = 2;
select * from lineitems; select * from invoices;
-- Let's try again in recalc-4.sql
drop function recalc() cascade;
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/recalc-3.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
But notice if you delete a Lineitem, it doesn’t update the Invoice!
What the hell?
Why not?
</p><p>
Ah, that’s because the function refers to a record variable called “new”, passed by the trigger on Lineitems, and uses it to get the invoice_id.
But when when you delete a Lineitem, the record variable is called “old”, since it refers to a Lineitem that’s already been deleted.
Damn.
</p><p>
You could make two separate triggers, one that uses “new”, called only on update and insert operations, and one that uses “old”, called only on deletes.
But then you’d be duplicating the calculation of the total.
So instead, just add one ugly if/then to assign either “new” or “old” to a variable called “r”, and use “r” instead.
Here’s the updated function:
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>-- re-calculate the total of a lineitem's invoice
create function recalc() returns trigger as $$
declare
r record;
begin
-- use "new" lineitems record for insert/update, or "old" if delete
if (tg_op = 'DELETE') then
r = old;
else
r = new;
end if;
-- update invoice using lineitems(now "r")'s invoice_id
update invoices set total = (
select sum(quantity * price)
from lineitems
join items on lineitems.item_id = items.id
where invoice_id = r.invoice_id)
where id = r.invoice_id;
-- must return incoming "new" or "old" record when done
return r;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
-- run this function after any change to lineitems
create trigger recalc
after insert or update or delete on lineitems
for each row execute procedure recalc();
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/recalc-4.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Now test adding, updating, and deleting, and notice they all update the Invoice total:
</p>
<div class="code">
<pre><code>insert into lineitems (invoice_id, item_id, quantity) values (1, 2, 1);
select * from lineitems; select * from invoices;
select 'Notice new total when you update quantity:' look;
update lineitems set quantity = 5 where invoice_id = 1 and item_id = 2;
select * from lineitems; select * from invoices;
select 'Notice new total when you delete:' look;
delete from lineitems where invoice_id = 1 and item_id = 2;
select * from lineitems; select * from invoices;
</code></pre><small><a href="https://sive.rs/code/recalc-5.sql">download code</a></small>
</div>
<p>
Cool?
You get <strong>much more security and peace-of-mind</strong>, knowing that no matter what code updates your database, the related fields will be updated automatically.
</p><p>
Download the final example file here: <a href="https://sive.rs/code/recalc.sql">/code/recalc.sql</a>.
</p><p>
After you get this example working, let’s try another example of putting data logic in the database, by <a href="https://sive.rs/api01">making functions for updating the cart</a>.
</p><p>
Also look at <a href="https://sive.rs/clean1">using triggers to clean incoming data</a>.
</p>
https://sive.rs/recalc
Database trigger recalculates totals, for data integrity
2022-02-27T00:00:00+00:00
2022-02-27T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
At <a href="https://sive.rs/book">sive.rs/book</a> I have a collection of my notes from the 320+ books I’ve read since 2007.
</p><p>
This page is just to answer some questions about it.
</p>
<h3>
My notes are not a summary of the book!
</h3>
<p>
When I’m reading and come across a surprising or inspiring idea, I save it.
</p><p>
That’s all my notes are.
I’m not summarizing the book.
<strong>
I’m just saving ideas for myself, for later reflection.
</strong>
</p><p>
If I’m reading a book about a subject I already know well, I’ll have very few notes, because not much surprised me.
</p><p>
I kept these notes private for years, but decided it couldn’t hurt to put them on my site.
</p>
<h3>
Notes don’t replace the book
</h3>
<p>
It makes me sad when people email to say thanks for my notes because it saved them time from reading the book.
</p><p>
My notes are just some tiny tidbits with no context.
<strong>
It’s like reading a punchline without the joke.
</strong>
If you hear an elaborate joke, then the punchline — (“The little piece of rope said, ‘No. I’m a frayed knot!’”) — is all you need to remember the full joke.
But if you just hear the punchline, without the joke, it makes no sense.
I just save the punchlines to remind myself what I’ve read.
</p><p>
Again: these notes are really just for me but I’m sharing them on my site.
</p><p>
If you look through a book’s notes and like the ideas, please go read the whole book.
It gives so much more context and meaning.
</p>
<h3>
“How do you choose the rating?”
</h3>
<p>
My 0-10 rating is <em>not</em> just how much I liked the book.
It’s how strongly I would recommend it to almost anyone.
So I would give a little lower rating to a book I loved about an obscure subject, like the culture of Switzerland, because I wouldn’t recommend it to most people.
</p>
<h3>
“How do you use these notes?”
</h3>
<p>
This will always be changing.
</p><p>
For the past few years, when I have a few minutes, I’ll just pick some book from the past that might apply to a situation I’m working on now, and re-read all the notes on it.
</p><p>
I’ve also used them to research a certain subject, like discipline for example, I’ll go search all notes for any mention of discipline, and re-read the thoughts on that subject.
</p>
<h3>
“How do <em>you</em> use your book notes?”
</h3>
<ol><li>
Save the ideas I find most interesting, and worthy of further thought.
</li><li>
Re-read those notes occasionally.
</li><li>
Reflect on one.
I write the idea at the top of a page, then write at least a page of my own thoughts about this idea.
</li></ol>
<h3>
“Why don’t I see __(some book)___?”
</h3>
<p>
I do read fiction, but I don’t take notes on it.
For fiction, I prefer audiobook.
</p><p>
I also read hundreds of books before 2007, but didn’t start taking notes until I realized I was forgetting what I had read.
</p><p>
And ultimately, I only read things that apply to my life or current interests right now.
I say no to all requests, and publishers asking me to do reviews.
</p>
<h3>
“Which one should I read?”
</h3>
<p>
Whichever one seems to apply to your current situation.
I find books most useful when they solve a problem I’m having now.
</p><p>
By default I have <a href="https://sive.rs/book">the list</a> sorted with my top recommendations up top.
But really the best one for you is the one that speaks to your current situation.
</p>
<h3>
“Don’t the authors get mad?”
</h3>
<p>
No, but this was my biggest surprise!
</p><p>
The main reason I didn’t post these for years is because I assumed it was against copyright law.
But I quietly tried it, without announcing it.
</p><p>
Then as the site got more popular, I was scared I’d get in trouble, but instead I got emails of thanks from the authors of those books.
Maybe especially since I really am trying to get people to go buy the books whose notes they like.
</p>
<h3>
“Exactly how do you take these notes?”
</h3>
<p>
When reading a paper book, I just underline or circle the bits I find surprising or useful.
Then when I’m done reading the book, I type those bits into a text file.
</p><p>
On Kindle, I just highlight the bits I find surprising or useful.
Then when I’m done reading the book, I connect the Kindle by USB, copy the «/documents/My Clippings.txt» file, and edit from there.
</p><p>
Either way, I tend to edit a lot, and re-shape the sentences into something that works for me.
</p>
<h3>
“Hey you might like this other book summary site!”
</h3>
<p>
No.
I don’t want to read summaries of books.
I like reading the whole book!
</p><p>
I aim to read even harder books, like “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/HowToReadABook">How to Read a Book</a>” describes well.
</p>
<h3>
“Why are there not more women authors?”
</h3>
<p>
It’s a good question, and it bothers me too.
</p><p>
I’m kind of a feminist.
Most of my friends are women.
Most of my favorite musicians are women.
When hiring, I try to hire only women.
But yet the authors of the books I read are mostly men.
Why?
</p><p>
It seems the publishing industry is biased that way.
A female author sent her manuscrupt to twenty publishers, and all twenty rejected it.
She sent it again to all twenty publishers using a male pen name, and half of them accepted it.
I suspect that many men will only read books by men, whereas women will read books by men and women.
So publishers are just meeting the market, expecting male authors to sell better, which then feeds the problem.
</p><p>
When I seek a book to solve a current problem or curiosity, I look for a book that seems to be the most highly recommended by the most people, or people I already admire.
So whether it’s their bias or the publishing industry, these books are too-often by men.
</p><p>
But please also read my short article, “<a href="https://sive.rs/you-not-them">The mirror: It’s about you, not them.</a>”, because ultimately I don’t care who the author is.
When I read a book, it’s about me, not them.
</p>
<hr>
<h3>
Go to <a href="https://sive.rs/book">sive.rs/book</a> to browse the notes.
</h3>
<a href="https://sive.rs/book"><img alt="" src="/images/bookstand.jpg"></a>
https://sive.rs/bfaq
About my book notes
2022-01-26T00:00:00+00:00
2022-01-26T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I love having <a href="https://sivers.com/">my own store</a> so I can make things the way I think they should be.
</p><p>
For example, I disagree with the usual pricing of books.
If I buy a book in one format, it doesn’t seem fair to pay full price to get it in another format.
That would be paying twice for the same content.
</p><p>
Let’s separate these two things:
</p>
<ol><li>
<strong>Contents</strong>: the words in a book
</li><li>
<strong>Delivery</strong>: the ways to get the words into your brain: paper, audio, PDF, HTML, etc.
</li></ol>
<p>
What we really want is to <strong>buy the contents, not delivery</strong>.
</p><p>
With so many different devices now, it seems fair that if you buy the contents of a book, it should include all formats of delivery.
EPUB, MP3, Kindle, M4B, PDF, HTML, or whatever new formats may come in the future.
</p><p>
Today you want to read silently by the fire.
Tomorrow you want to listen while you drive.
In ten years, you want to read it again on your new device.
<strong>
This should all be included when you buy a book.
</strong>
</p><p>
I love this idea.
It’s almost perfect.
It has just one problem:
<strong>
Paper costs money.
</strong>
So I can’t just include it for free.
</p><p>
But following this philosophy, it’s not right to charge full price for each paper book, because that would mean paying repeatedly for the contents!
</p><p>
So here’s the solution I came up with:
</p>
<ul><li>
<strong>Contents</strong> of my book: $15
</li><li>
<strong>Delivery</strong> of all digital formats: FREE
</li><li>
<strong>Paper?</strong> Just cover its cost: $4 each (+ postage)
</li></ul>
<p>
I like this.
<strong>
It means you never pay for the contents twice.
</strong>
It works out well for many different scenarios:
</p>
<ul><li>
All digital formats: $15
</li><li>
First paper book: $19
</li><li>
Paper books after you’ve bought the contents: $4 each
</li><li>
Loved the ebook, and now want to buy 20 paper copies for your friends?
Just $4 each, so <strong>$80 total for 20 hardcover books</strong>.
</li></ul>
<p>
It’s worked out well.
People are buying many hardcover copies as gifts.
A few people have bought over 500 copies each to give to clients or members of their organization.
</p><p>
The only downside of creative pricing is it requires a little explanation.
Like anything unusual.
</p>
<hr>
<p>
<strong>
Log in to <a href="https://sivers.com/">sivers.com</a> to get my books. ☺
</strong>
</p><p>
See <a href="https://sive.rs/pp">my previous article on pricing philosophy</a> for more thoughts on <strong>creative pricing</strong>.
</p><p>
Read “<a href="https://sive.rs/ayw4">Make a dream come true</a>” for more thoughts on <strong>making things the way they should be</strong>.
</p>
https://sive.rs/bp
Considerate book pricing
2021-10-27T00:00:00+00:00
2021-10-27T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I used to have too many pets.
</p><p>
Each time I adopted one, I was fully in love.
I was enamored with the potential.
Each new pet was meant to be my constant companion.
So I would take it home, and love it.
But eventually I would discover a new pet, and the process would repeat.
</p><p>
My house was overflowing.
But it didn’t feel that way at the time.
In each moment, I was giving just one pet my full attention.
My life was full of so many loves.
</p><p>
Ah, but that’s seeing it from my point of view.
What about from theirs?
Each pet only got a little of my time each week.
The rest of the time they were neglected, waiting for my attention.
</p><p>
I sadly realized this was unfair.
The situation was hurting them.
No pet was thriving.
No pet was getting the attention it deserved.
The situation was also hurting me.
Anyone who wanted to come into my life had to compete for my attention, or love all of my pets.
I was scattered and unavailable.
</p><p>
So, I started releasing them back into the wild.
One at a time, reluctantly, I’d set one free, or find it a new home with someone who was really going to give this pet 100% of their love.
I mourned the loss of possibility with each one as I said goodbye.
</p><ul><li>
My pet project to start a business.
</li><li>
My plan to travel everywhere.
</li><li>
My dream to learn Chinese.
</li><li>
My goal to plant a forest.
</li><li>
My wish to build a house.
</li></ul><p>
Although each goodbye was sad, it opened up more space.
I enjoyed the freedom and feeling unconflicted.
</p><p>
Before, I’d glance at each pet and feel love but guilt for not giving it more time.
Now, I picture what could have been, and just enjoy the daydream.
</p><p>
I let my last pet go, came home, and cleaned the house.
There’s so much room for focus now.
</p><p>
Surprising end to this story:
One pet kept coming back, no matter how many times I set her free.
She refused to stay away.
So now it’s just me and her, and I’m giving her all my time.
</p>
<img src="/images/pets.jpg" alt="drawing of pets">
https://sive.rs/pets
How many pets do you have?
2021-08-13T00:00:00+00:00
2021-08-13T00:00:00+00:00
<p><strong><em>
2023 UPDATE: see “<a href="https://sive.rs/575k">$575K of books sold. $575K to save lives.</a>”
</em></strong></p><p>
Six weeks ago I emailed my <a href="https://sive.rs/contact">private email list</a> with a secret link to buy my new books.
</p><p>
They’re not even officially released yet, but they’ve already sold over $250,000.
</p><p>
I made 5000 limited edition hardcover copies of each, but those have sold out now.
</p><p>
<strong>
I’ll admit, it made me ridiculously happy to make $250,000.
</strong>
I was expecting way less than that, so it was a big surprise.
I had a spring in my step for days.
</p><p>
Then I thought about what to do with the money.
There’s nothing I want to buy.
Should I put it in an investment account?
Eh.
For what purpose?
I <a href="https://sive.rs/full">don’t want more money</a>.
</p><p>
So, I decided to donate it to charity.
Which charity?
I want to save the most lives.
So I let <a href="https://www.givewell.org/">GiveWell</a> decide.
</p><p>
<strong>
Yesterday I wired the entire $250,000 to the <a href="https://www.againstmalaria.com/">Against Malaria Foundation</a>.
</strong>
That will buy 125,000 malaria nets, protecting ~225,000 people, averting ~65,000 cases of malaria, preventing ~125 deaths.
</p><p>
Yeah.
That’s <a href="https://sive.rs/n">worth doing</a>.
</p><p>
Afterwards, a friend reminded me that I had just repeated my “<a href="https://sive.rs/232">232 sand dollars</a>” story, so <a href="https://sive.rs/232">go read that</a> if interested.
</p><p>
You can <a href="https://sivers.com/">buy the books now</a>, directly from me.
They won’t be available anywhere else for a couple more months.
</p>
<ul><li>
“<strong><a href="https://sive.rs/m">Your Music and People</a></strong>” is a philosophy of getting your work to the world by being creative, considerate, resourceful, and connected.
</li><li>
“<strong><a href="https://sive.rs/n">Hell Yeah or No</a></strong>” is a collection of thoughts around what’s worth doing, fixing faulty thinking, and making things happen.
</li></ul>
<a href="https://sive.rs/m"><img src="/images/DerekSivers-cover-YourMusicAndPeople-400x640.jpg" alt="Your Music and People"></a>
<br>
<a href="https://sive.rs/n"><img src="/images/DerekSivers-cover-HellYeahOrNo-400x640.jpg" alt="Hell Yeah or No"></a>
https://sive.rs/250k
$250K books sold. $250K to save lives.
2020-08-06T00:00:00+00:00
2020-08-06T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
A new day begins when I wake up, not at midnight.
Midnight means nothing to me.
It’s not a turning point.
Nothing changes at that moment.
</p><p>
A new year begins when there’s a memorable change in my life.
Not January 1st.
Nothing changes on January 1st.
</p><p>
I can understand using moments like midnight and January 1st as coordinators, so cultures and computers can <a href="https://xkcd.com/1179/">agree</a> on how to reference time.
<strong>
But shouldn’t our personal markers and celebrations happen at personally meaningful times?
</strong>
</p><p>
Your year really begins when you move to a new home, start school, quit a job, have a big breakup, have a baby, quit a bad habit, start a new project, or whatever else.
Those are the real memorable turning points — where one day is very different than the day before.
Those are the meaningful markers of time.
That’s your “new year”.
</p><p>
This isn’t selfish.
You know your friends and family well enough to acknowledge these special days for them, too.
The day that I most want to celebrate someone’s life has nothing to do with the calendar day that they were born.
</p><p>
The fourth Thursday in November is not when I feel most thankful.
February 14th is not when I celebrate romance.
<strong>
To force these celebrations on universal dates disconnects them from the meaning they’re supposed to celebrate.
</strong>
It’s thoughtless.
</p><p>
Celebrate personally meaningful markers.
Ignore arbitrary calendar dates.
</p><p>
When did this year really begin for you?
</p>
https://sive.rs/mny
Time is personal. Your year changes when your life changes.
2019-12-30T00:00:00+00:00
2019-12-30T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
One approach to music is to do whatever you want.
Absolutely anything goes.
But to me, that’s too free.
It’s anti-inspiring because having infinite options is overwhelming.
</p><p>
Another approach to music is to follow tradition.
You stay within the guidelines of a genre or style.
But to me, that’s too strict and sad.
It was someone else’s innovation.
To imitate it now with rules and recipes is just nostalgia.
It’s uninspired and dishonest.
</p><p>
So my favorite approach to music is in-between.
<strong>
You make up your own rules, and apply them to a piece of music.
</strong>
You know what this is called?
An experiment!
</p><ul><li>
Experiment with limitations.
Write a piece using only two instruments and five notes.
Write a lyric using only nouns and no verbs.
</li><li>
Experiment with textures.
Record an arrangement using only children’s toys or samples of birds.
</li><li>
Experiment with density.
Write a piece featuring fifty instruments.
Then do a solo piece using only your left hand.
</li></ul><p>
I loved learning and applying specific techniques.
Like I’d learn a certain way of developing a melody, then go write melodies using that method.
I’d learn about re-harmonizing — where you keep the same melody but change the chords underneath, completely changing the mood — then I’d go apply that to all of my songs.
Techniques to build tension.
Techniques to change time.
</p><p>
<strong>
With each new thing I learn, I have to try it, and make something.
</strong>
It might not even sound good, but that’s OK.
The goal was just to see what happens, so there’s no way to fail.
It’s all just fertilizer for future creations.
</p>
…
<p>
I’m not an active musician anymore, but now I find that <strong>the way I approached music is the way I approach life.</strong>
</p><p>
After I sold my company and life was a blank slate, I found that having too much freedom was overwhelming.
</p><p>
But I’m not going to buy into an -ism and follow a set of ancient rules.
</p><p>
So instead I do experiments.
<strong>
I make up rules, and apply them to my life for a while.
</strong>
Like…
</p><ul><li>
Experiment with limitations, fear, detachment, or my definition of home.
</li><li>
Experiment with fame, boundaries, expanding, quitting, or my self-image.
</li><li>
Experiment with vulnerability, commitment, saying yes, or saying no.
</li></ul><p>
I usually try the opposite of whatever I did before.
</p><p>
I still love learning and applying specific techniques.
Techniques for conversation.
Techniques to stretch time.
I’m glad I know how to re-harmonize because there are melodies in my past I can’t change, but I can change the thoughts underneath.
</p><p>
<strong>
With each new thing I learn, I have to try it.
</strong>
It might not even feel good, but that’s what experimenting is about.
The goal is still to see what happens, so there’s no way to fail.
</p>
<img src="/images/dandelion.jpg" alt="dandelion">
https://sive.rs/eml
Experiments in music and life
2019-11-07T00:00:00+00:00
2019-11-07T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I just finished an experiment.
Last month, I published a new article to my blog every day.
I’m glad I tried it, but ultimately I didn’t like it.
Here’s why:
</p><ol><li>
It made my writing worse, not better.
I was trying to force a conclusion quicker.
I was <a href="https://sive.rs/7">skipping steps 2-5 of my writing process</a>.
I didn’t have the time to look at more angles or doubt my first conclusion.
<strong>I was spending more time being shallow, to get something posted</strong>, instead of taking that time to go deeper.
</li><li>
It broke the silent promise I’ve always had with my readers: that anything I post to my site is really worth your time.
I already write many hours a day privately, but <strong>I only post something to the public when I feel it’s really worth sharing.</strong>
But with the daily post?
There were some good ideas in there, but I wasn’t entirely proud of the articles.
They were under-developed.
I didn’t feel 100% that they were so worth your time.
</li><li>
I was spending 3-6 hours per day writing my daily post.
So I hardly worked on my next book or anything else.
<strong>
Coming up with a daily post was becoming a full-time job.
</strong>
And, considering the previous two points here, an unwise one.
</li></ol><p>
It did make me write more, so I’ll probably find the happy medium now.
I’ll be posting more than I used to before this experiment, but not every day.
Only when I think it’s <em>really</em> worth your time.
</p>
<img src="/images/ingredients.jpg" alt="cooking ingredients">
<h3>P.S. For the record, here are my 33 daily posts:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/tp1">Travel without a phone</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/tp2">Travel without social praise</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/tp3">Would you make your art if you were the last person on earth?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/ww">What I did belies why</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/abio">Future posthumous autobiography</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/pe">Have a private email account</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/dq">Don’t quote. Make it yours and say it yourself.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/hf">Your heroes show which way you’re facing</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/uncomf">Where to find the hours to make it happen</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/ddown">Daydreaming the downside, for once</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/metac">Meta-considerate</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/isms">Tour -isms</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/ldn">The joy and strategic wisdom of ignoring plans</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/hooky">Blowing off work to play</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/erra">Err on the side of action, to test theories</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/sauna">Back and forth between super-hot and super-cold</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/negz">Human nature to focus on the one bad thing</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/autom">Where we do and don’t want automation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/antic">Anti-chameleon</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/daydream">Daydreaming is my favorite pastime</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/gofear">Heed your fears</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/d22">Cut out everything that’s not surprising</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/polut">Digital pollution</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/wtg">When you win the game, you stop playing</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/ment">How to ask your mentors for help</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/vls1">Living according to your hierarchy of values</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/exex">Monthly self-expansion project</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/masch">Mastery school</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/pg2">PostgreSQL example of self-contained stored procedures</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/trav1">What you learn by travelling</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/exan">Why experts are annoying</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/trd">When in doubt, try the difference</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/richand">How I got rich on the other hand</a></li>
</ul>
https://sive.rs/nod
Writing daily, but posting when ready
2019-11-01T00:00:00+00:00
2019-11-01T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I don’t usually talk about money, but a friend asked me what it was like to get rich, and he wanted to know specifics, so I told him my story.
</p><p>
I had <a href="https://sive.rs/xn">a day job</a> in midtown Manhattan paying $20K per year — about minimum wage.
On weekends I would earn $150 per day performing circus shows for kids, though I’d spend about $50 in bus fare to get to the gigs.
I was sharing a three-bedroom apartment with two other roommates in Queens, so our rent was $333 per month each.
I made peanut butter sandwiches for three meals a day, and at night maybe some eggs.
I never ate out, and never took a taxi.
<strong>
My cost of living was about $1000/month, and I was earning $1800/month.
I did this for two years, and saved up $12,000.
</strong>
I was 22 years old.
</p><p>
Once I had $12,000 I could quit my job and become a full-time musician.
I knew I could get a few gigs per month to pay my cost of living.
So I was free.
<a href="https://sive.rs/nq">I quit my job</a> a month later, and never had a job again.
</p><p>
When I finished telling my friend this story, he asked for more.
I said no, that was it.
He said, “No, what about when you sold your company?”
</p><p>
I said no, that didn’t make a big difference in my life.
That was just more money in the bank.
The difference happened when I was 22.
</p><p>
It’s not how much you have.
<strong>
It’s the difference between what you have and what you spend.
</strong>
If you have more than you spend, you’re rich.
If you spend more than you have, you’re not.
If you live cheaply, it’s easy to be free.
</p><p>
Magicians wave one hand around to get your attention, while the other hand does the trick.
To be smart, watch the other hand.
</p>
<img src="/images/magichands.jpg" alt="magic hands">
https://sive.rs/richand
How I got rich on the other hand
2019-10-30T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-30T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Starting today you can follow my podcast at <a href="https://sive.rs/podcast.rss">sive.rs/podcast.rss</a> or listen on the web at <a href="https://sive.rs/podcast">sive.rs/podcast</a>.
</p><p>
Each episode is around two minutes long.
They are <a href="https://sive.rs/blog">my posts since September 22nd</a>.
33 episodes so far.
</p><p>
I generated the RSS XML feed myself using <a href="https://sive.rs/code/podcast-rss.rb">this Ruby script</a>.
The MP3s are just hosted on my own server.
I skipped all the podcast hosting services, because I’ll never have ads so I don’t care about analytics, tracking, and all of that.
</p><p>
It doesn’t cost me anything, so I won’t be trying to make money from it.
I’m doing it just because people keep asking me to.
☺
</p><p>
This is all an experiment.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions.
</p>
https://sive.rs/pinit2
Podcast published today
2019-10-29T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-29T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
If you’re in doubt about something that’s <strong>not</strong> in your life, <strong>try it</strong>.
Things are so different in practice versus in theory.
The only way to know is to experience it yourself.
</p>
<h3>
Try it examples:
</h3>
<ul><li>
Pursuing a new interest?
</li><li>
Moving somewhere very different?
</li><li>
Quitting your job to go freelance?
</li></ul>
<p>
Err on the side of yes.
Try it.
<strong>
If it was a mistake, at least you’ll know first-hand, instead of always wondering.
</strong>
</p><p>
…
</p><p>
If you’re in doubt about something that’s <strong>in</strong> your life already, <strong>get rid of it</strong>.
Not just things, this goes for identities, habits, goals, relationships, technology, and anything else.
Default to not having it, then see how you do without.
<h3>
Get rid of it examples:
</h3>
<ul><li>
Relationships that bring you down
</li><li>
Goals you’re not pursuing
</li><li>
A career that’s plateaued
</li></ul>
<p>
Err on the side of no.
Get rid of it.
Start with a clean slate,
<strong>
If it was a mistake, you’ll get it back with a renewed enthusiasm.
</strong>
<p><em>
(The common thread is to make the change, to know first-hand.)
</em></p>
<h3>
Get rid of everything examples:
</h3>
<ul><li>
Erase your phone and computer.
Re-install the operating system from scratch.
Don’t restore from the backup — not even your contacts.
Only add back people who contact you.
Don’t install any apps unless you can’t do without them.
</li><li>
Put everything you own into storage.
Move somewhere small and simple, bringing only what you’d take on a two-week trip.
Only when you absolutely need something, go get it out of storage.
After a year, sell all that stuff in storage.
</li><li>
Move across the world.
Start from scratch with a new career, new friends, and new approach to life.
Every time you start to do something out of habit, interrupt the pattern and try the opposite way instead.
</li></ul>
<p>
(These are my favorite. I actually do these things regularly. I love simplifying.)
</p>
<img src="/images/uncaged.jpg" alt="open cage">
https://sive.rs/trd
When in doubt, try the difference
2019-10-28T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-28T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When someone becomes an expert at something, you know what else they become?
Annoying.
</p><p>
At a restaurant, your designer friend complains about the font on the menu, your musician friend complains about the background music, and your manager friend complains about the service.
Why?
</p><p>
The problem is that their expertise makes them annoyed.
They’re trained to spot errors.
They’re so aware of what’s wrong.
Even worse, they know exactly how to fix it.
They learned the techniques to make things great, so they’re angry when someone didn’t do the obvious solution.
They get so frustrated that they can’t focus on their meal, because now they really want to fix the problem.
</p><p>
These things don’t bother the rest of us.
We’re easier to please.
Good is good enough.
</p><p>
So only those who are the most upset, and know how to improve things, do the hard work necessary to make things great.
<strong>
The dissatisfied ones go make things better for all of us.
</strong>
</p><p>
Why are experts annoying?
For our benefit.
<strong>
They get mad so that we don’t have to.
</strong>
</p><p>
Next time your friend is upset and ranting about design, politics, layout, economics, or something else you don’t care enough about, thank them for taking on the burden of knowing how to fix things, and remind them that it’s up to them to make it better.
</p>
<img src="/images/exan.jpg" alt="expert">
https://sive.rs/exan
Why experts are annoying
2019-10-27T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-27T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I wanted to learn about the world, so I went travelling.
</p><p>
People in the east are so graceful, I felt like an inconsiderate pig.
</p><p>
People up north are so serious, I felt like a lightweight clown.
</p><p>
People down south are so laid-back, I had to escape north again.
</p><p>
The way we define ourself is all relative to our surroundings, right?
However we differ from the people in our home town is how we define ourself.
That’s where we shape our self-identity, growing up.
Those are our defining traits.
</p><p>
But when we go to a different place, the relative comparisons collapse.
Traits like speed, ambition, independence, bravery, and humor — they’re all relative.
</p><p>
Back home I’m considered quiet.
Here I’m considered loud.
</p><p>
Back home I’m a slacker.
Here I’m a workaholic.
</p><p>
Back home I’m normal.
Here I’m strange.
Or vice-versa.
So how do I define myself now?
</p><p>
I always want to know <em>why</em> a culture is this way.
What’s the difference?
What are the core beliefs?
So I ask questions and observe.
</p><p>
On the surface and from a distance, I see their actions.
But deeply and closely, I see my reactions.
</p><p>
I want to learn about the world, so I keep travelling.
</p><p>
About the world, I learn a bit.
About myself, I learn a lot.
</p>
<img src="/images/trav1.jpg" alt="globe">
https://sive.rs/trav1
What you learn by travelling
2019-10-26T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-26T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
First, see <a href="https://sive.rs/pg">my previous article about PostgreSQL functions</a> at <a href="https://sive.rs/pg">sive.rs/pg</a>.
That article gave tiny examples, but no finished working code.
</p><p>
This week, I wrote a shopping cart to sell my books directly from my own site.
</p><p>
So I took a couple extra hours today to put my code into public view, so anyone can play around with it.
See <a href="https://github.com/sivers/store">github.com/sivers/store</a>, to browse, download, and try it.
</p><p>
It’s a working self-contained shopping cart / store.
It’s a very concrete example of <strong>using stored procedures to keep all the data logic together</strong> in one place.
You can use it from JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or any language you want, since all the functionality is in the database itself.
It works.
</p><p>
If you have any questions, or want to tell me how <a href="https://sive.rs/publicu">stupid</a> I am for doing this, <a href="https://sive.rs/contact">email me</a>.
</p>
<img src="/images/postgresql.png" alt="postgresql logo">
https://sive.rs/pg2
PostgreSQL example of self-contained stored procedures
2019-10-25T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-25T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Here’s an idea:
Create a little school somewhere remote.
School of what?
School of mastery.
</p><p>
A place for anyone who wants go focus on a skill of their choice, surrounded by other people doing the same, and a few coaches — experts on the craft of mastery — to offer help and guidance.
</p><p>
This uses <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education">Salman Khan’s proposal</a> to “flip the classroom” so that the <strong>core of learning is done in independent study, using online materials</strong>.
</p><p>
Since the teachers are all online, the local coaches just help guide each student’s path to mastery.
There are many great books on this subject, like…
</p><ul>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/book/TalentCode">Talent Code</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/book/Mastery">Mastery</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/book/AtomicHabits">Atomic Habits</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/book/ArtOfLearning">Art of Learning</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/book/PeakPerformance">Peak Performance</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/book/TalentIsOverrated">Talent is Overrated</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/book/Overachievement">Overachivement</a></li>
<li>and <a href="https://sive.rs/book/Peak">Peak</a>.</li>
</ul><p>
So you can see how the general skill of guiding and coaching talent, in any field, could be the best focus of the on-site staff.
</p><p>
The school should be located somewhere that fits with the story we tell ourselves about going away to focus.
Somewhere that’s a desirable location, yet still somewhere with income inequality, where a school bringing a little business and fast fiber internet to a remote location would be appreciated.
All the staff except the coaches could come from the local community.
</p><p>
Some shared resources like a good camera and microphone, a few computers, a video library to save bandwidth, and a chef making meals for everyone.
</p><p>
I imagine this could be as small and simple as a big house in the country, or a few cabins nearby.
</p>
<h3>Why attend?</h3>
<ol><li>
To get away somewhere you can focus without distraction — a show of dedication and focus
</li><li>
To be around other serious focused learners, inspiring eachother
</li><li>
To have the help of coaches that are great at helping anyone learn anything.
They are experts in the skill of practice, learning, and mastery.
</li></ol><p>
So, you go there to work on your thing, whatever it is.
</p><ul><li>
You learn from online materials, books, and whatever it takes.
</li><li>
You practice and create as much as possible.
</li><li>
You're surrounded by kindreds and assistance.
</li></ul>
<img src="/images/masch.jpg" alt="school">
https://sive.rs/masch
Mastery school
2019-10-24T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-24T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Here’s an idea:
<strong>
Every month, pick something you hate or know nothing about, and get to know it well.
</strong>
Spend a few hours per week, for an entire month, just learning about that subject.
Why?
</p><p>
The idea is inspired by a very successful friend of mine who is regrettably closed-minded.
She hates everything that isn’t European, sophisticated, and familiar.
Culture of India?
Hates it.
Chinese opera?
Hates it.
West African music?
Hates it.
Any mention of any of these things, and she completely shuts down.
Appreciating them is not an option.
I tried to play her my favorite Indian music, and West African music, but nope.
Just a few seconds into it, she asks me to shut it off.
</p><p>
It made me realize that <strong>some of the greatest joys in my life</strong> are the things I used to hate, or know nothing about, and now have grown to love.
Read my post “<a href="https://sive.rs/hate">Loving what I used to hate</a>” for my story about that.
</p><p>
So I thought:
Instead of letting it happen accidently or randomly, why not be deliberate about it?
Some ideas of things to study for a month would be…
</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/everyday-engineering-understanding-the-marvels-of-daily-life.html">civil engineering</a></li>
<li>Tolstoy</li>
<li>archery</li>
<li>Bollywood</li>
<li>dog training</li>
<li>Dungeons and Dragons</li>
<li>chess</li>
<li>Zanzibar</li>
<li>cryptography</li>
<li>emergency medical training</li>
<li>anything <a href="https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/sort-by/inline_rating/sort-direction/desc?ICMP=126572">The Great Courses</a> has a course about</li>
<li>anything <a href="https://www.veryshortintroductions.com/">Very Short Introductions</a> has a mini-book about</li>
</ul><p>
If it’s learning a skill, read Josh Kaufman’s <a href="https://first20hours.com/">First 20 Hours</a> and use that approach.
</p><p>
While you might lean towards things you’ve always wanted to learn about, I think it’s more interesting to ask yourself, “What do I have absolutely no interest in?” or “What sounds repulsive to me?”, then aim to understand one of those things.
Start with a kind of music you hate, or a part of the world that sounds unappealing to you.
That’s where the real self-expansion happens.
</p><p>
<strong>
Whenever we learn about something, we learn to appreciate it.
</strong>
So it’s most rewarding if it’s something you previously had no appreciation for.
</p><p>
I like this idea a lot, and plan to do it soon.
</p>
<img src="/images/exex.jpg" alt="expanding arrows">
https://sive.rs/exex
Monthly self-expansion project
2019-10-23T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-23T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
My “daily” blog was silent the last four days, because I took my kid on a spontaneous trip to another country.
<a href="https://sive.rs/tp1">No phone</a>.
No computer.
I gave him my full attention every day from when he woke me in the morning to when we fell asleep together at night.
It was great.
</p><p>
I thought for a minute about the importance of my commitment to post here daily.
But nope, <strong>being with him is more important than writing</strong>.
</p><p>
Upon returning, I considered heading off by myself on a 10-day trip, balancing writing and exploring another culture.
But after <a href="https://sive.rs/slow">sleeping on it</a>, I realized that no, <strong>writing is more important than exploring</strong>.
</p><p>
Once you realize that one value is more important to you than another, <strong>you have to ask yourself if you’re living accordingly</strong>.
</p><p>
What’s ultimately more important to you?
</p><ul><li>
Learning? Or creating?
</li><li>
Money? Or time?
</li><li>
Expanding? Or focusing?
</li><li>
(… etc.)
</li></ul><p>
Once you know which takes top place, consider <a href="https://sive.rs/sauna">taking it to an extreme</a>, to its logical conclusion, and <strong>optimizing your entire life around that top priority, letting go of almost everything else</strong>.
</p><p>
If the idea sounds unfulfilling, try re-ordering your priorities, and do the thought experiment again.
</p><p>
<em>
(That’s the subject of my next book, “<a href="https://sive.rs/h">How to Live</a>”, which is my top writing priority right now, and so much fun!)
</em> ☺
</p>
<img src="/images/pyramid1.jpg" alt="pyramid of values">
https://sive.rs/vls1
Living according to your hierarchy of values
2019-10-22T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-22T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I have three mentors.
</p><p>
When I’m stuck on a problem and need their help, I take the time to write a good description of my dilemma, before reaching out to them.
I summarize the context, the problem, my options, and thoughts on each.
I make it as succinct as possible so as not to waste their time.
</p><p>
Before sending it, I try to predict what they’ll say.
Then I go back and update what I wrote to address these obvious points in advance.
Finally, I try again to predict what they’ll say to this, based on what they’ve said in the past and what I know of their philosophy.
</p><p>
Then, after this whole process, I realize I don’t need to bother them because the answer is now clear.
</p><p>
If anything, I might email to thank them for their continued inspiration.
</p><p>
Truth is, I’ve hardly talked with my mentors in years.
None of them know they are my mentors.
And one doesn’t know I exist.
</p>
<img src="/images/thinking.jpg" alt="thinking statue">
https://sive.rs/ment
How to ask your mentors for help
2019-10-17T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-17T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Someone asked me today why I don’t charge money for the things I do.
</p><p>
Why don’t I have ads on my site?
Why don’t I exploit my assets and pursue some profitable things?
</p><p>
I already <a href="https://sive.rs/done">did that</a>.
</p><p>
I made <a href="https://sive.rs/trust">more</a> than I’ll ever be able to spend.
</p><p>
<strong>
What do you do when you win a game?
</strong>
</p><p>
You stop playing, and go do something else.
</p>
<img src="/images/boardgame.jpg" alt="board game">
https://sive.rs/wtg
When you win the game, you stop playing
2019-10-16T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-16T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
You couldn’t just roll down the street leaving huge piles of garbage everywhere you go, making life slower for everyone as they climb over your mountains of junk, just to get on with their life.
You’d feel bad about it, right?
</p><p>
That’s how I feel about the digital things we put out into the world: websites, apps, and files.
</p><p>
I prefer coding everything by hand, because I don’t like the huge piles of garbage that the automated generators create.
These programs that generate a website, app, or file for you spit out thousands of lines of unnecessary junk when really only 10 lines are needed.
Then people wonder why their site is so slow, and they think it’s their phone or connection’s fault.
</p><p>
Yesterday I needed to make a little vector logo.
Two lines and two triangles.
I tried to use a couple different vector drawing programs but they saved it as hundreds of lines.
I knew it could be simpler, so I read up on SVG and made exactly what I wanted:
</p>
<pre><code>
<svg height="54" width="54">
<defs><style type="text/css"><![CDATA[line,polygon{stroke:black;stroke-width:4} polygon{fill:black}]]></style></defs>
<line x1="2" y1="2" x2="2" y2="52" />
<line x1="52" y1="2" x2="52" y2="52" />
<polygon points="2,2 27,27 2,27" />
<polygon points="52,2 27,27 52,27" />
</svg>
</code></pre>
<img src="/images/HitMediaLogo-54.svg" alt="Hit Media logo">
<p>
Much better!
95% smaller file size, and the joy of making something by hand instead of having it done for me.
But I think my biggest joy is <strong>eliminating the digital pollution</strong> that the auto-generated one created.
It makes everything faster, easier, and cleaner for anyone involved.
95% less junk over the wires.
</p><p>
Same thing with the EPUB file for my new book.
Today I spent the day creating the EPUB’s XML and XHTML by hand, instead of using a generator.
I love the manual control and again - 90% smaller file size.
</p><p>
This makes me unreasonably happy.
It feels like cleaning up the neighborhood.
Or at least my yard.
</p><p>
(And I love it when people notice how fast my site loads.)
</p>
<img src="/images/HitMediaLogo-54.png" alt="Hit Media logo">
https://sive.rs/polut
Digital pollution
2019-10-15T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-15T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
This is my advice to anyone writing something for the public — especially a talk on stage.
</p><p>
People listen to a talk, or read an article, because they want to learn something new.
</p><p>
They want a little “oh wow” moment.
“I never thought of it that way before.”
</p><p>
<strong>
People only really learn when they’re surprised.
</strong>
If they’re not surprised, then what you told them just fits in with what they already know.
No minds were changed.
No new perspective.
Just more information.
</p><p>
So my main advice to anyone preparing to give a talk on stage is to cut out everything from your talk that’s not surprising.
(Nobody has ever complained that a talk was too short.)
</p><p>
<strong>
Use this rule in all your public writing.
</strong>
If you already found something surprising in what you’re presenting, then remove everything else.
If you haven’t found something surprising about it yet, keep looking until you do.
</p>
<img src="/images/wheelsoff.jpg" alt="surprise">
https://sive.rs/d22
Cut out everything that’s not surprising
2019-10-14T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-14T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
People often ask me how they can get over their fears.
For example, they are scared to quit their job and start a business.
</p><p>
I think they want me to say something to make their fears go away.
So my advice is pretty disappointing.
</p><p>
We should pay attention to our fears.
They often have good reason.
</p><p>
<strong>
Instead of ignoring them, we need to address them.
</strong>
Break it down, and look deeper into what’s inside them.
<strong>
Address and mitigate the specifics.
</strong>
It usually means you need to learn a little more.
Look before you leap.
</p><p>
Always ask, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Because sometimes the only problem was not realizing that the worst case scenario isn’t bad at all.
</p><p>
But don’t just tell yourself to get over it or ignore it.
</p>
<img src="/images/well.png" alt="well">
https://sive.rs/gofear
Heed your fears
2019-10-13T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-13T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Somewhere in our past, <strong>we were told it’s bad to daydream</strong>, because it meant doing nothing — staring out the window — instead of doing what we’re supposed to be doing.
To admit we’re daydreaming felt like it needed an apology.
</p><p>
But now I’ve finally embraced it.
Deliberate daydreaming is my favorite pastime.
</p><p>
About half the time that I used to read a book, I now just skip the book, and sit there daydreaming instead.
And I almost never watch videos anymore.
I just close my eyes and daydream.
</p><p>
<strong>
I find it most fun to ask myself a big question:
</strong>
</p>
<ul><li>
Which were the top three best times in my life so far?
</li><li>
What are my biggest regrets?
</li><li>
What would I write a screenplay about?
</li><li>
If I had the magic lamp, what would be my three wishes?
</li><li>
What does the most ambitious version of myself look like?
</li><li>
What about the least ambitious version of myself?
</li><li>
How can I be a better dad?
</li><li>
At what would I most love to become an expert?
</li><li>
Is there anything I can’t do without?
</li><li>
How would my life be different if I was blind? Deaf? Paralyzed?
</li></ul>
<p>
<strong>
We’ve all had plenty of input.
</strong>
It’s fun to let your mind direct its own entertainment.
</p>
<a href="http://kimbeatonstudios.com/"><img src="/images/treetroll.jpg" alt="daydreaming tree"></a>
https://sive.rs/daydream
Daydreaming is my favorite pastime
2019-10-12T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-12T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I don’t know why I have this rebellious nature.
I tend to want to be the opposite of my surroundings.
</p><p>
At serious formal events, I can’t stop laughing inside.
At crazy festivals, I want to hide and read a book.
</p><p>
My ambitious friends bring out the slacker in me.
My lethargic friends make me feel like superman.
</p><p>
When I moved to Boston, as a teen, and everyone was wearing black, I dressed in only white.
I remind new-agey people of the scientific method.
</p><p>
Is it a desire for balance?
To represent what seems under-represented in this situation?
Is it my love of seeing the other side?
</p><p>
I hear I’m not supposed to react like this.
I’m supposed to be the same, no matter what’s around.
</p><p>
But I’m not the same from day to day, even when alone.
I rebel against myself, too.
If I’ve been thinking or acting one way for too long, I try another way.
</p><p>
It’s worked pretty well for me so far.
<strong>
I’m super-motivated by the horror of seeing the opposite of what I want.
</strong>
</p>
<ul><li>
Seeing someone waste their talent motivates me to get back to practicing and creating.
</li><li>
Seeing a person in horrible health motivates me to be healthy.
</li><li>
Seeing someone freaking out motivates me to be calm.
</li><li>
Seeing someone being selfish motivates me to be generous.
</li></ul>
<p>
The list goes on.
It’s been net positive.
So, I’m not fighting it for now.
</p><p>
(P.S. I’ll never argue against preserving nature.)
</p>
<a href="http://www.marcinryczek.com/sales-photo/a-man-feeding-swans-in-the-snow.html"><img alt="" src="/images/swans.jpg"></a>
<div class="small">“A Man Feeding Swans in the Snow” photo © <a href="http://www.marcinryczek.com/sales-photo/a-man-feeding-swans-in-the-snow.html">Marcin Ryczek</a>.</div>
https://sive.rs/antic
Anti-chameleon
2019-10-11T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-11T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I used to use Gmail.
But one day, as I typed my mother’s email address into the “To:” field, Google popped up a prompt asking if I also wanted to CC my uncle.
That was so invasive and creepy that I deleted the account immediately and never used it again.
I don’t want automated intelligence in my private email.
</p><p>
My friend lives in a home full of the smartest technology, and loves getting all the new smart things, but he drives a deliberately retro old car with no computer chips.
He loves to tinker with his car, and wants to do any maintenance himself.
</p><p>
Another friend lives in a tech-free rustic cabin with no screens, but drives a Tesla.
</p><p>
I do everything on a broken old Linux laptop, using only the command line, usually offline, nothing in the cloud.
I think it’s because I don’t want any outside automation or intelligence in the work that matters to me.
</p><p>
When software is described as “auto-”, “smart”, or “intelligent” it means that <strong>somebody else put their rules into it</strong>.
But I don’t want my computer to do anything I didn’t explicitly tell it to do.
It shouldn’t change what I typed unless I tell it to.
It should never guess or predict what I want.
<strong>
I want full manual control.
</strong>
</p><p>
On the other hand, I don’t mind if my phone does these things, because I don’t care about my phone much.
And I would love a high-tech car, full of smart AI automation, because I’m not a car aficionado.
</p><p>
At first I thought that an expert at something won’t want assistance.
But no, of course, auto-pilot for airline pilots, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSKERVTMWqs" title="Integrated Development Environment">IDE</a>s for programmers.
</p><p>
So I think it comes down to:
</p>
<ol><li>
how much of an expert you are at controlling this thing yourself
</li><li>
how much you still enjoy doing it
</li><li>
if you want the kind of assistance it provides
</li></ol>
<p>
Any thoughts on this subject?
I’d love to hear another point of view.
</p>
<img src="/images/robots.jpg" alt="robots">
https://sive.rs/autom
Where we do and don’t want automation
2019-10-10T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-10T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Today my bus was delayed, and I was really annoyed.
</p><p>
Also, I got a really nasty email, which put me in a worse mood.
</p><p>
No, wait, I should give the full story.
</p><p>
It takes two busses to get from the airport back to my house.
The first bus leaves once per hour.
That connects to a second bus that leaves every five minutes.
</p><p>
Today I was super-lucky and got to the first bus just before it left.
If I would have emerged from the airport a minute later, I would have waited an hour for the next one.
</p><p>
But then the second bus was delayed, and I had to wait about ten minutes.
That’s what got me really annoyed, and feeling like today was a bad day.
</p><p>
Then I got home and downloaded my emails.
There were about fifty really nice ones, and one nasty one.
That’s what put me in a worse mood.
</p><p>
I didn’t remember until later how lucky I was to just make that first hourly bus.
Then had to laugh at myself for being upset about waiting ten minutes for the next one, and upset about one stupid email among a bunch of nice ones.
</p><p>
It’s human nature.
We all do it.
Life is wonderful, and we focus on the one thing that’s not.
</p>
<img src="/images/photobomb.jpg" alt="funny face">
https://sive.rs/negz
Human nature to focus on the one bad thing
2019-10-09T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-09T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
The most relaxed feeling I know is after going back and forth between a super-hot pool and super-cold pool.
</p><p>
Stay in the super-hot pool until you can’t stand it.
Then go in a super-cold pool until you can’t stand it.
Repeat that a few times, and you’ve never felt so relaxed.
</p><p>
Today I went to the <a href="https://www.loylyhelsinki.fi/en/the-loyly-story/gallery/">Löyly sauna</a> in Helsinki, Finland.
I stayed in the super-hot sauna room until I couldn’t stand it.
Then I’d jump in the icy ocean until I couldn’t stand it.
I went back and forth like this for almost two hours.
It’s so wonderful.
</p><p>
There was also a medium-hot sauna room.
I tried that for a while, but it just felt “eh” — neither here nor there — not as fulfilling or relaxing as the extremes.
</p><p>
…
</p><p>
I like <a href="https://sive.rs/erra">trying different ways to approach life</a>.
</p><p>
I’ll maximize my input for a while — say yes to everything, meet everyone, go everywhere.
Then I’ll maximize my output for a while — say no to everything, and just focus on my work.
</p><p>
I’ll do the domestic life for a while — with a house, car, dog, furniture, stocked kitchen, and stuff.
Then I’ll give it all away, until I’m back to the one suitcase of the things I really need.
</p><p>
And yes, I tend to do each one until it feels like I can’t stand it anymore.
</p><p>
It’s fun to push the boundaries — to explore the edges — to see what I can do.
I’ve never been interested in pursuing a normal life.
There are enough people doing that.
More growth and discovery seems to happen when I’m uncomfortable.
</p><p>
Some people think it’s strange, and ask why I feel the need to be so all-or-nothing.
They ask why I don’t just find the middle ground.
(Neither here nor there.)
</p><p>
But there’s something more fun and fulfilling about experiencing the more interesting extremes.
Knowing I can live in these different scenarios is ultimately more relaxing.
</p>
<img src="/images/sauna.jpg" alt="sauna">
https://sive.rs/sauna
Back and forth between super-hot and super-cold
2019-10-08T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-08T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I spend a lot time thinking of <a href="https://sive.rs/h">alternate ways to approach life</a>.
</p><p>
I re-consider my hierarchy of values.
</p><p>
When values change, the plan of action needs to change, too.
</p><p>
For example, if I decide that personal growth is top priority, then I plan a life pushing outside my comfort zone.
But if I decide that creative output is top priority, then I plan a tranquil life without obstacles, so I can just create.
</p><p>
But the only way to decide — <a href="https://sive.rs/donkey">to not be Buridan’s donkey</a> — is to <strong>go give it a try</strong>.
</p><p>
There’s a huge difference between in-theory versus in-practice.
<strong>
If you’ve been deliberating on something for a while, get it out of your head, and into the world.
</strong>
</p><p>
If it turns out to be a mistake, that’s fine.
At least you’ll know it’s a mistake <strong>in fact</strong>, instead of just in theory.
</p>
<img src="/images/diving.png" alt="diving">
https://sive.rs/erra
Err on the side of action, to test theories
2019-10-07T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-07T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
What do you call it when you skip school or work for a day, to do whatever you want instead?
In America, we call it playing hooky.
In England, we call it skiving.
(Got another word for it?)
</p><p>
Some of my best, most productive, and enjoyable days have been while playing hooky.
</p><p>
I think it’s a healthy practice, to occasionally blow off a previous commitment, and do whatever you want instead.
It’s a great reminder that you’re the boss of your life.
</p><p>
But it’s interesting how productive I am on those days.
</p><p>
When I think back about the times in my life where I got the most done, created the most, or had a major breakthrough in some aspect of my life, it was often <strong>while I was supposed to be doing something else.</strong>
</p><p>
For example:
I’d sign up for a three-day conference, show up to registration, decide I don’t want to go, then sit in my hotel room, uninterrupted, and get some great work done for three days.
</p><p>
This has happened multiple times.
I really should stop signing up for conferences!
</p><p>
Or…
<strong>
Could we use this as an effective productivity technique?
</strong>
</p>
<ol><li>
Sign up for something — a time commitment.
</li><li>
Put aside the time to do it.
</li><li>
When the day comes, feel the tension between what you said you would do, and what you really want to do.
</li><li>
Blow it off, and do what you really want instead.
</li></ol>
<p>
Maybe the productivity comes from the fact that the time has already been put aside, so I suddenly have free time to do what I really wanted.
</p><p>
But I suspect that when I feel that tension between the obligation and desire, it amplifies the difference, and makes it clear to me how badly I want to do this other thing.
Then that amplified desire leads me to be more intense and focused in my actions.
</p>
<img src="/images/boyrunning.png" alt="boy running">
https://sive.rs/hooky
Blowing off work to play
2019-10-06T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-06T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I took my 7-year-old to London today.
I made two plans: if it rains, we go to a museum, if not, we go to the zoo.
</p><p>
But when the train arrived in London, he said he didn’t really want to do either one.
So we just walked with no plans.
</p><p>
We immediately ran across some random building with a big art installation on its side.
There was nobody around.
We played there for a long time.
</p><p>
At each intersection, we just went whichever way looked most interesting.
He lept around park benches, tickling some kids from Croatia.
He found a huge cardboard box in the trash, and kept it around him like a turtle shell, as we walked through the city.
He found a discarded paint brush and twirled it around his fingers for the rest of the day.
</p><p>
We were in front of the theater with the musical “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_(musical)">Wicked</a>”, just as they were about to begin.
We bought last-minute tickets, 8th row center, and watched the show.
He held hands with a girl sitting next to him.
</p><p>
I’m so glad we didn’t follow any plans today.
</p><p>
We make plans to make the most of our time — but thinking again about that idea, that doesn’t make sense, does it?
</p><p>
Unless we’re actually shut out of great things for lack of planning, <strong>following no plans is the ideal way to make the best of each moment.</strong>
Every moment provides new information, which changes the situation.
Then we can act on what we know now, instead of what we previously predicted.
</p><p>
I don’t regret having plans, because sometimes following the plan is the best choice.
</p><p>
So I guess the lesson is to <strong>make plans, but feel free to ignore them</strong> — to see them as an option, not a requirement.
</p><p>
After eight hours of walking, we took a night train home.
Tucking him into bed, I asked what was his favorite part.
</p><p>
“The cardboard box.”
</p>
https://sive.rs/ldn
What happens when we ignore plans?
2019-10-05T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-05T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Since I’m <a href="https://sive.rs/ox1">living</a> in Europe now, I thought it would be good to tour everywhere in Europe, and get to know it better.
</p><p>
I’m not into seeing the sights.
I <a href="https://sive.rs/tp1">don’t take photos</a>.
What I want is to get to know the <strong>mindset</strong>, the <strong>world-view</strong> of each place.
The <strong>philosophy</strong>.
</p><p>
So I wondered if there’s a way to tour philosophies directly.
What if, <strong>instead of touring places, we toured ideas</strong>?
Can I tour the “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/-ism">-ism</a>”s?
</p><p>
My collection of <em><a href="https://www.veryshortintroductions.com/">Very Short Introduction</a></em> books includes:
</p>
<ul><li>
Abolitionism
</li><li>
Agnosticism
</li><li>
Anarchism
</li><li>
Anglicanism
</li><li>
Antisemitism
</li><li>
Atheism
</li><li>
Buddhism
</li><li>
Calvinism
</li><li>
Capitalism
</li><li>
Catholicism
</li><li>
Communism
</li><li>
Confucianism
</li><li>
Epicureanism
</li><li>
Existentialism
</li><li>
Fascism
</li><li>
Feminism
</li><li>
Fundamentalism
</li><li>
Hinduism
</li><li>
Humanism
</li><li>
Judaism
</li><li>
Liberalism
</li><li>
Methodism
</li><li>
Modernism
</li><li>
Monasticism
</li><li>
Mormonism
</li><li>
Multiculturalism
</li><li>
Nationalism
</li><li>
Neoliberalism
</li><li>
Paganism
</li><li>
Pentecostalism
</li><li>
Populism
</li><li>
Post-colonialism
</li><li>
Post-modernism
</li><li>
Post-structuralism
</li><li>
Progressivism
</li><li>
Protestantism
</li><li>
Puritanism
</li><li>
Racism
</li><li>
Romanticism
</li><li>
Scepticism
</li><li>
Secularism
</li><li>
Sikhism
</li><li>
Socialism
</li><li>
Stoicism
</li><li>
Surrealism
</li><li>
Terrorism
</li><li>
Utopianism
</li><li>
Zionism
</li></ul>
<p>
Now that’s my kind of tourism!
</p>
<img src="/images/bookstand.jpg" alt="book stand">
https://sive.rs/isms
Tour -isms
2019-10-04T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-04T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
My friend has a huge crush on someone.
</p><p>
He showers her with attention and appreciation.
He remembers her preferences, and constantly gives her thoughtful gifts.
</p><p>
He thinks he’s being considerate, but he’s actually being inconsiderate.
Meta-inconsiderate.
</p><p>
By holding her up on a pedestal — by making it clear that he looks up to her — he’s making her look down on him.
</p><p>
People want a romantic partner that’s a “catch” — someone almost out of their league.
We want a good deal.
We want to win someone.
</p><p>
By chasing her relentlessly, he’s denying her the pleasure of desire.
</p><p>
He’s not letting her dance.
Since he keeps pushing forward, there’s nowhere for her to go but backward.
He’s not letting her come to him.
</p><p>
<strong>
Being superficially considerate can be deeply inconsiderate.
</strong>
Doing the opposite is often ultimately more considerate.
I call it meta-considerate.
</p>
<h3>
Meta-considerate by contrast:
</h3>
<p>
It’s considerate to not bore my friends with my problems.
But it’s meta-considerate to tell them my problems, to let them feel needed and helpful, to let them know they’re safe to do the same.
</p><p>
It’s considerate to greet someone with a smile.
But it’s meta-considerate to not smile until they’ve said something, so they can feel that smile was sincerely for them, not presented to just anyone.
</p><p>
It’s considerate to tell a white lie.
But it’s meta-considerate to tell the uncomfortable truth.
</p>
<h3>
More meta-considerate examples:
</h3>
<ul><li>
The jazz club hidden behind an unmarked door.
</li><li>
The meticulous craftsman that has a 9-month waiting list because he custom-makes every order himself.
</li><li>
Musicians like Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan, that gave nothing but the music, and didn’t ask for your love.
</li><li>
Being silent in conversation, to let your friend fill the space and share more.
</li></ul>
<p>
<strong>
Our shallow wants and deeper needs are often <a href="https://sive.rs/opposite">opposite</a>.
</strong>
</p>
<img src="/images/metapedestal.jpg" alt="pedestal">
https://sive.rs/metac
Meta-considerate
2019-10-03T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-03T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
A few years ago, I thought it would be fun to get into camping.
</p><p>
I live in New Zealand!
How can I not?
I daydreamed about it, picturing how much fun it could be.
I read a book about it.
</p><p>
I carefully picked out then bought some highly-recommended gear: a tent, two sleeping bags, two air mattresses, and a light backpack.
</p><p>
We used it once.
It’s still in my garage.
</p>
…
<p>
Last year, I thought it would be fun to get a <a href="https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/maschine/production-systems/maschine/">Maschine</a>.
</p><p>
A new way of making music!
I daydreamed about it, picturing how much fun it could be.
I read about it and watched videos about it.
</p><p>
After a few weeks of this, I felt the time was right.
I bought one.
I played with it a while for the first day, then got back to my normal life, intending to spend more time with it.
But I never did.
</p><p>
Every day I would look at it, thinking I should use it.
After half a year, I gave up, and gave it to a friend.
</p>
…
<p>
Last week, I thought it would be fun to get a new bicycle.
</p><p>
I’ve never tried a carbon frame, <a href="https://www.sram.com/en/sram/road/collections/etap-axs">modern gearing</a>, or any of the cool new developments in bicycle tech.
I live in <a href="https://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/resources/images/9486391.jpg">Oxford, a cycling city</a>!
How can I not?
</p><p>
I’ve been daydreaming about it, picturing how much fun it could be.
</p><p>
<strong>
Wait!
</strong>
Hold on.
Have I learned nothing?
</p><p>
<strong>
So I tried picturing the downside, instead.
</strong>
</p><p>
I pictured myself not using it, like the camping gear, Maschine, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorhome">other things</a> I didn’t mention here.
<strong>
I remembered the pain of guilt, regret, and waste.
</strong>
The conflicted feelings of wanting this thing, but not quite enough.
</p><p>
And I decided against it.
</p>
…
<p>
That said, I’m not sure what to conclude.
</p>
<ul><li>
The only mistake was buying instead of renting?
</li><li>
Give up on trying new things, and just amplify my current focus?
</li><li>
Daydream and learn all about new things, but stop thinking I need to own them?
(Awareness is enough for me?)
</li><li>
Or maybe the mistake was giving up?
<a href="https://sive.rs/book/AtomicHabits">Building new habits takes time</a> and effort.
After that initial challenge, my life could be richer by the expanded activities in my repertoire.
</li><li>
Something else?
</li></ul>
https://sive.rs/ddown
Daydreaming the downside, for once
2019-10-02T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-02T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When you experience someone else’s <a href="https://sive.rs/obvious">genius work</a>, a little part of you feels, “That’s what I could have, would have, and should have done!”
</p><p>
Someone else did it.
You didn’t.
</p><p>
They fought the <a href="https://sive.rs/book/WarOfArt">resistance</a>.
You gave in to distractions.
</p><p>
They made it top priority.
You said you’d get to it some day.
</p><p>
<strong>
They took the time.
</strong>
You meant to.
</p><p>
When this happens, you can take it two ways:
</p><p>
You could let that part of you give up.
“Oh well. Now I don’t need to make that anymore.”
</p><p>
Or you could do something about that jealous pain.
Shut off your phone, kill the distractions, make it top priority, and spend the time.
</p><p>
It takes many hours to make what you want to make.
<strong>
The hours don’t suddenly appear.
You have to steal them from comfort.
</strong>
Whatever you were doing before was comfortable.
This is not.
This will be <em>really</em> uncomfortable.
</p><p>
The few times in my life I’ve made a real change like this, it felt <strong>awful</strong> on the surface.
I wasn’t shallow-happy about it.
I wasn’t smiling.
I was annoyed and fighting it inside, but on the outside I did the work.
And in the end, got the deeper satisfaction of finishing.
</p>
https://sive.rs/uncomf
Where to find the hours to make it happen
2019-10-01T00:00:00+00:00
2019-10-01T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
People with many interests often ask my <a href="https://sive.rs/advice">advice</a> on which industry or career path they should follow.
</p><p>
Years ago, I felt I was just a programmer and entrepreneur.
Yes sometimes I write a tiny blog post sharing what I’ve learned, but that’s just something on the side.
</p><p>
But something never felt quite right about this.
I spend most of my time writing, very little time programming, and <a href="https://sive.rs/expire">hadn’t started a business in years</a>.
Still, I kept saying I was a programmer and entrepreneur, and felt I should really spend more time doing it.
</p><p>
But everything changed when I asked myself a question:
</p><p>
<strong>
“Who are my heroes?”
</strong>
</p><p>
I thought, wrote them down, then realized they were all <strong>authors</strong>!
Basically, <a href="https://sive.rs/book">look at my list of favorite books</a>, and there are my heroes.
</p><p>
The people I look up to the most…
The people I’d most like to meet…
The people I’d most like to emulate are not entrepreneurs, and not programmers — just writers.
</p><p>
So, that day, I realized I actually want to be a writer.
</p><p>
I re-arranged my hierarchy of interests.
Yes I enjoy programming, and yes I’ll probably start another business.
But really my main love and top priority is writing.
</p><p>
How about you?
Who are your heroes?
Does that help you see which way you’re actually facing?
</p>
https://sive.rs/hf
Your heroes show which way you’re facing
2019-09-30T00:00:00+00:00
2019-09-30T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Which sounds better to you?
</p><p>
“In his best-selling book on behavioral science, <em>Thinking, Fast and Slow</em>, Nobel-prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman said, ‘Nothing in life is as important as you think it is when you are thinking about it.’.”
</p><p>
… or just saying it:
</p><p>
“Whatever’s on your mind is not as important as it seems.”
</p><p>
When I first started reading a lot of books, I started quoting them a lot.
When bringing up an idea in conversation, first I would mention its source — the book, the title, the author, and the subject of the book — before finally saying the idea.
</p><p>
After far too many times hearing myself referencing this book and that book, always naming titles and authors, I realized it was a lot of unnecessary clutter.
I could see my listeners waiting for me to get to the point.
<strong>
It was inconsiderate.
</strong>
</p><p>
Then I started noticing how annoying it was to read books that do the same thing.
It’s really common in these <a href="https://sive.rs/book">pop non-fiction</a> books I like:
“This person said this thing. That person said that thing.”
</p><p>
It got me wondering:
<strong>
Why don’t we just say the idea, instead of referencing and quoting it?
</strong>
</p><p>
I think there are a few reasons:
</p>
<ol><li>
<strong>
It feels like stealing.
</strong>
It’s <em>their</em> idea, not mine.
But all ideas come from somewhere.
Maybe they were paraphrasing it from someone else.
</li><li>
<strong>
School teaches us to reference.
</strong>
But we’re not trying to impress a teacher anymore.
And every unnecessary fact dilutes our point.
</li><li>
<strong>
By quoting someone else, we can easily disavow the idea if attacked.
</strong>
If someone says it’s wrong, we can avoid responsibility and say, “Don’t look at me! It’s his idea, not mine!”
</li></ol>
<p>
So instead, I go the other way now.
</p><p>
If I hear an idea, have considered it, and integrated it into my beliefs, <strong>it’s mine</strong>.
I’ll say it succinctly in my own words, and stand behind it.
Like adopting a child, I will take care of this idea and raise it as my own.
If anyone wants to know the source, I’ll be happy to tell them.
</p><p>
I highly recommend this.
Stop referencing.
Stop quoting.
Paraphrase.
Internalize it.
Make it yours.
<strong>
Tell me what <em>you</em> think, not what someone else thinks.
</strong>
</p>
https://sive.rs/dq
Don’t quote. Make it yours and say it yourself.
2019-09-29T00:00:00+00:00
2019-09-29T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I used to like the internet.
I thought it was cool, creative, wild, untamed, expressive, decentralized, and educational.
I guess it was, back then, but now?
I kinda hate most of what’s out there.
</p><p>
I don’t like social media, either.
Staged photos, and people trying to get a reaction.
Noise, hype, and drama.
It makes me want to avoid the internet completely.
</p><p>
Then I thought about what I do like.
</p><p>
<strong>
My email inbox is really nice.
</strong>
It’s only people I like, who are emailing me personally.
No lists.
</p><p>
I highly recommend setting up a private email address.
</p><p>
Use <a href="https://www.fastmail.com/">Fastmail</a>, <a href="https://posteo.de/">Posteo</a>, <a href="https://mailbox.org/en/">Mailbox</a>, or any similar service where you actually pay $1-$3 per month and in return get a completely ad-free spam-free wonderful email experience.
</p><p>
Then never give this new private email to anyone except dear friends and family.
</p><p>
Let your old Gmail collect the junk.
The people you really care about will use the new one, so you won’t need to check the old one much anymore.
</p><p>
It feels nice to have a notification mean something again — to only get one or two emails a day, and know that they are really for you.
Or, if you don’t get any notifications, then nothing you really care about has arrived — so no need to check.
</p><p>
Most days I don’t look at the web or any apps.
I just write, text friends, call friends, and check email.
That’s enough.
</p>
https://sive.rs/pe
Have a private email account
2019-09-28T00:00:00+00:00
2019-09-28T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I’ve started writing my autobiography.
I’ll keep writing it for the rest of my life.
It’s private now, but will be released the week I die.
</p><p>
I’ve written the last chapter, which is more of an afterword.
(“Now I’m dead.”)
So now I will just keep writing the middle chapters.
</p><p>
My assistants, family, and friends will have instructions on how to publish it as soon as I die.
A few clicks and commands and it’s published in all formats, print-on-demand, and ready to go the same day.
</p><p>
So by the time you hear the news that I’ve died, the full story — the book of my life — will be ready to read.
I think that would be a good goodbye.
</p><p>
Don’t worry : I don’t plan on dying for a long time.
My health is great and all is well.
This is just my version of the old advice to “write your own epitaph”.
I realized I can do better than that.
</p><p>
And I wish <a href="https://sive.rs/milt">the people I care about</a> would do the same.
</p>
https://sive.rs/abio
Future posthumous autobiography
2019-09-27T00:00:00+00:00
2019-09-27T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Cross the world four times.
</p><p>
First, in your teens or 20s, to take it all in.
See it all, do it all, and learn.
Get involved.
Stay up all night talking with strangers, everywhere.
Kiss and fall and promise to them all.
Make lots of mistakes.
</p><p>
Cross the world the first time to fall in love.
</p><p>
The second time, in your 30s, to tell everyone what you’ve learned.
You’re full of answers, since you’ve done so much.
You know how things should be, since you’ve made all your mistakes.
You can see the path clearly, and it’s your turn to lead.
</p><p>
Cross the world the second time to make change.
</p><p>
The third time, in your 50s, to compensate.
You realize what a blow-hard you were in your 30s, and how little you actually know.
You’ve been humbled.
It’s time to make up for years of thinking others were wrong.
Pay close attention and listen without judgement for once.
Have no answers — only good questions and good ears.
</p><p>
Cross the world the third time to unlearn.
</p><p>
The fourth time, late in life, to witness.
To find old friends, and find that they’re gone.
To see what’s changed, and what’s stayed the same.
To appreciate the young.
The world is theirs, not yours.
Now you know what happens when you die: everything!
Evolution.
Revolutions.
Inventions.
Disasters.
So much love, and so many lives.
You just won’t be part of it anymore.
</p><p>
Cross the world the last time to say goodbye.
</p>
<img src="/images/sprout.jpg" alt="sprout">
https://sive.rs/4
Cross the world four times
2019-09-27T00:00:00+00:00
2019-09-27T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Imagine you host a dinner party with two doctors and two accountants.
You introduce the doctors to each other and the accountants to each other, assuming they’d have the most in common.
</p><p>
But actually one doctor got into it because her mother died unnecessarily of medical neglect, and she’s on a mission to make sure that never happens again.
The other doctor is in it for the money.
</p><p>
And actually one accountant got into it because her dad’s family business was the victim of embezzling, and she’s on a mission to make sure that never happens again.
The other accountant is in it for the money.
</p><p>
<strong>
You can’t assume the reasons why people are doing what they do.
</strong>
</p><p>
I learned this slowly and uncomfortably after I sold my music distribution company.
Knowing I had a successful exit, people assumed I was an entrepreneur, and wanted me to tell them how to be a better entrepreneur.
They asked me to mentor at business schools, where people would bring in PowerPoint presentations showing their financial projections, and talk about raising rounds of financing, and all this stuff I had never dealt with and knew nothing about.
</p><p>
It took me a long time to realize that, like the doctor and accountant story, I must have looked like an entrepreneur from the outside.
<strong>
Yes I founded, grew, and sold a company.
But really all I wanted to do was to help musicians.
</strong>
I could have done it by promoting concerts, or being a record producer, or donating to a musicians’ charity — but in my case I built a distribution system for those who had no other distribution.
So technically yes, I was an entrepreneur, but it seems I didn’t have much in common with all these entrepreneurs I was meeting.
(When I met musicians, it was always such a welcome relief!)
</p><p>
I still think of everything I do as art, not business.
It’s personal expression, creative exploration, testing out ideas just to see what happens.
</p><p>
Writing a song isn’t that different from writing computer code.
It’s all just having a little vision or spark of an idea, then seeing how you can make it happen — for its own sake.
</p><p>
Starting a band isn’t that different from starting a company.
It’s something you do when you’re unable to make your creative vision happen by yourself.
</p><p>
I’ve never done anything just for the money.
It’s always been secondary, and always just happened as a side-effect of following my interests.
So I don’t have any advice for people who are trying to make money.
I don’t know what that’s like.
</p><p>
<strong>
This is the main reason I stopped doing interviews four years ago.
</strong>
Most interviewers just seemed to want to ask my business advice.
I’m feeling ready to do interviews again, as long as we can talk about creativity, identity, exploration, learning, unlearning, communication, cycling, culture, psychology, and all kinds of other things.
But I’m not up for talking about business.
</p><p>
Don’t confuse the medium with the message.<br>
Don’t confuse the tool with the goal.<br>
Don’t confuse the vehicle with the path.
</p>
https://sive.rs/ww
What I did belies why
2019-09-26T00:00:00+00:00
2019-09-26T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Musicians, photographers, writers, and artists of all sorts:
</p><p>
<strong>
Would you make your art if you were the last person on earth?
</strong>
</p><p>
For me, it’s an immediate YES — of course!
In fact, it might make the experience even better.
</p><p>
A musician friend asked me this question, and was freaked out by my answer.
She said she can’t even imagine a world-view like mine.
How could I possibly want to make music if there was no one to hear it?
</p><p>
She said, “Ultimately, everything I do is for other people.”
</p><p>
I said, “Ultimately, everything I do is for myself.”
</p><p>
When I’m creating anything, I do it mostly for my own curiosity — to see how I can develop this fun idea in my head.
Even when I’m providing a service that seems generous, I’m really doing it because it seemed like a fun system to build.
If people like what I’ve made, that’s just a bonus.
</p><p>
This is related to yesterday’s post, “<a href="https://sive.rs/tp2">Travel without social praise</a>”.
Even despite what I’ve said here, I still have to ask myself if I’m doing something just for the praise.
</p><p>
<strong>
Is this something I really want to do, or do I just like the image it represents?
</strong>
</p><p>
If it feels like I’m doing it for the image, is that for my self-identity — how I see myself — the person I’d like to be for my own sake — or is it just being done for others?
</p><p>
One way I try to solve that question is by asking myself if I would do this thing if I was the last person on earth — or at very least, if I never told anyone about it.
</p><p>
(
See also: “<a href="https://sive.rs/zipit">Announcing your plans makes you less motivated to accomplish them</a>”.
)
</p>
https://sive.rs/tp3
Would you make your art if you were the last person on earth?
2019-09-25T00:00:00+00:00
2019-09-25T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I met a couple who were thinking of quitting their jobs and travelling the world for a year.
They asked my thoughts.
</p><p>
I suggested they should only do it if they don’t bring a camera, and don’t tell anyone but their family and few dear friends.
No sharing on social media.
</p><p>
Why?
Because we often live for others, without even realizing it.
We are trying to impress an invisible crowd.
We like the social reward of saying, “We’re travelling the world!”
We imagine how friends and strangers would react to this big news.
</p><p>
We go places we think would be impressive to other people.
We take photos that will make our life look wonderful when we share them.
We want that praise — that social reward.
</p><p>
Do we really want to do this thing, for its own sake?
<strong>
Or do we just want the praise?
</strong>
</p><p>
One way to find out is to see how appealing it would be to do it with no photos, and no sharing.
Like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=first+person+to+run+a+marathon+without+talking+about+it">the first person to run a marathon without talking about it</a>.
</p><p>
If doing something makes us that kind of person, is it still true if we don’t announce it?
</p>
https://sive.rs/tp2
Travel without social praise
2019-09-24T00:00:00+00:00
2019-09-24T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
The first time, it was an accident.
</p><p>
I’d always wanted to go to Korea.
I was so excited.
I set out to explore and forgot my phone in the hotel.
</p><p>
I walked around Seoul for twelve hours that day and experienced so many wonderful things.
I remember them all vividly now, years later, but I have no photos of it.
</p><p>
<strong>
It was a relief to not document everything.
</strong>
I appreciated everything as a one-step process instead of a two-step process.
I could just feel amazed, instead of feel amazed <em>and</em> hold up my camera to record it.
Besides, how often do I look at those photos later, anyway?
I find it more useful to refer to <a href="https://sive.rs/dj">my journal of how I felt</a>, instead of what I saw.
</p><p>
A few times, GPS could have helped, but because I didn’t have it, I had to go ask strangers for directions.
Getting lost led me down some great little back roads I never would have found if I was following the map.
</p><p>
So now I intentionally travel without a phone.
</p><p>
I feel free and untethered.
A break from connection.
</p><p>
Where you are is partially defined by where you are not.
When you’re somewhere, you’re not somewhere else.
But when you use your phone, you’re everywhere.
You keep in touch with friends.
You hear what’s going on at home.
You see the screen exactly as you do anywhere else.
</p><p>
It’s wonderful to be cut off from everywhere else — to be more fully only there.
</p><p>
And it’s so nice to not know the time or where I am.
Clocks and maps are useful inventions, but I see a moment better without them.
</p><p>
<strong>
I appreciate a moment more when I know I’ll never see it again.
</strong>
I remember that day in Seoul better than I remember most photo-filled travels.
</p>
https://sive.rs/tp1
Travel without a phone
2019-09-23T00:00:00+00:00
2019-09-23T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I’m starting a podcast today.
</p><p>
Subscribe to <a href="https://sive.rs/podcast.rss">https://sive.rs/podcast.rss</a>.
</p>
https://sive.rs/pinit
initialize
2019-09-22T00:00:00+00:00
2019-09-22T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I was uncomfortable, unhappy, and restless.
I didn’t want to meet new people, because I felt I was giving the wrong impression.
Something wasn’t right.
It took me months to figure out the real problem:
My clothes don’t fit anymore!
</p><p>
Once I realized this, I had to decide what new clothes would fit the new me.
Like many of us, I looked to the style of glamorous and successful people.
I should wear what they wear since it works so well for them.
I tried on many of their outfits, but nothing fit.
That was really disappointing, because I thought that’s why they share their choices with the world — so we can do what they do.
I thought it would be that easy.
</p><p>
Eventually, after a lot of searching, I found clothes that are just my size.
But I couldn’t get them on!
There was no room at all.
I’m embarrassed to say I overlooked something obvious.
<strong>
I was trying to wear new clothes on top of the old ones.
</strong>
I didn’t realize I had to completely remove my old clothes before putting on something new.
</p><p>
It was easy to take off my old clothes for a few days, but just having them around made it too easy to put them on again.
They were so comfortable!
I’d been wearing these things for so many years that they really became my identity.
If you put my old clothes on a mannequin, it would look like me.
What does that say about me, then?
We are what we wear?
Clothes make the man?
</p><p>
So, I had to completely discard them.
It was sad — I thought those clothes would last forever.
I documented them for archive’s sake, then gave them away.
I’m glad someone else can use them.
</p><p>
In this transition, before I put on my new clothes, I’m naked.
</p><p>
It feels weird.
I’m surprised I’m allowed to go out like this.
</p><p>
Old friends hardly notice, but new people I meet are confused and can’t tell why I’m not wearing something.
<strong>
An outfit would show them how I can help.
</strong>
(And that’s all most people want to know.)
</p><ul><li>
A power suit would show I can help their business.
</li><li>
A monk’s robe would imply I could help their soul.
</li><li>
Explorer’s gear would prove I could lead an adventure.
</li><li>
A clown costume might at least make them laugh.
</li></ul><p>
But nothing at all?
They probably <a href="https://sive.rs/useless">can’t use me</a> for anything.
</p><p>
I get invited to speak at events, but it’s clear that they really just want the outfit I used to wear.
I explain that it doesn’t fit, but they’re upset that I won’t put it on just one more time.
</p><p>
Don’t worry — I’m not going to be a nudist now.
That’s inconsiderate to almost everyone.
I’ll put on my new clothes soon.
</p><p>
But I’m just sharing this story in case your discomfort might just be that your old clothes don’t fit anymore.
</p>
<img src="/images/mannequin.jpg" alt="mannequin">
<div class="small">Mannequin photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/92799712@N04/15649911528">Oiluj Samall Zeid</a></div>
https://sive.rs/clothes
My old clothes don’t fit
2019-07-31T00:00:00+00:00
2019-07-31T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Like everyone, I live in a little house with many doors and windows.
</p><p>
One door goes out to my neighborhood.
The local kids come to play with my dog.
The elderly neighbors take so long to tell me their stories.
I slow down my inner clock to listen.
</p><p>
One window looks out at the nature around me.
I’m getting to know this one tree really well.
I toss a little dog food out there each day, and watch the local birds and rodents come by to eat it.
</p><p>
One door is just for my son.
This door goes somewhere new every time he opens it.
I pause what I’m doing and follow him on an adventure.
My inner clock stops working through that door.
</p><p>
One door goes to my connections — the people around the world with mutual interests.
A dozen people a day knock on this door and say hello.
Sometimes more.
</p><p>
One hidden door is for my dearest friends.
That one comes all the way inside, anytime.
</p><p>
One skylight looks far into the future.
I daydream there a lot.
</p><p>
One little locket looks at the past.
I daydream there, too.
</p><p>
But one door is really no fun to open.
Whenever I do, I’m horrified at all the shouting.
It’s an infinite dark room filled with psychologically tortured people, trying to get attention.
Strangers screaming at strangers, starting fights.
Businesses put windows there, showing bad things said and done today, because they make money when people get mad.
</p><p>
They say I’m supposed to open that door, because that’s the real world.
</p><p>
But it seems a lot less real than what’s in the other doors and windows in my life.
</p>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jocelyn777/47543418731/"><img src="/images/doorswindows.jpg" alt="doors and windows"></a>
<div class="small">“Watching the World Go By” <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jocelyn777/47543418731/">photo by Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie</a></div>
https://sive.rs/dw
Doors and windows and what’s real
2019-07-01T00:00:00+00:00
2019-07-01T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I rarely cry, but I cried a lot last month, leaving New Zealand.
I’ve never loved and felt so connected to a place before.
It wasn’t simple sadness that made me cry, but overflowing appreciation.
I’d been feeling it for years, almost every day, amazed at not just the nature but the people and way of life.
Knowing I was leaving made me re-play all my memories from my last six years.
Most of that time spent <a href="https://sive.rs/pa">playing in the wilderness with my kid</a>.
The memories are so overwhelmingly wonderful that seeing them all together like that made me sob with appreciation.
They’ve been the happiest years of my life.
Leaving felt like tearing a child from its mother.
</p><p>
So why did I leave?
</p><p>
I believe <a href="https://sive.rs/mfg">moving is good</a> for the mind.
I like seeing the world from different perspectives.
I usually get where I’m going by leaving where I’ve been.
</p><p>
I’ve been on a semi-sabbatical for the last six years, and ready to make a change.
I felt like being in the middle of things again, but a different middle than before.
</p><p>
I’ve never really lived in Europe.
I have a list of places in Europe that I’m curious to get to know — places I’ve learned about but have never visited.
The list has 51 places on it already.
</p><p>
Munich would have been a more practical travel hub, but Oxford has a <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/43-reasons-living-in-oxford-ruins-you-for-life">wonderful charm</a> to it.
A <a href="https://sive.rs/dj">search of my diary</a> showed I’ve been thinking about moving to Oxford since 2007.
Whenever I visited, it always felt just right.
So I finally did it.
I moved to Oxford England a month ago today, with everything I own in three suitcases.
(My kid had another two suitcases, and one of them was just Lego.)
I plan to stay here for a year or so.
</p><p>
Oscar Wilde:<i>
“Oxford still remains the most beautiful thing in England, and nowhere else are life and art so exquisitely blended, so perfectly made one.”
</i></p><p>
Henry James:<i>
“Oxford lends sweetness to labor and dignity to leisure.”
</i></p>
<p>
UPDATE: I loved living in Oxford, but <strong>I moved back to New Zealand in July 2020.</strong>
</p>
<img src="/images/ox1.jpg" alt="Oxford UK">
<div class="small">Oxford photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tejvan/5506664311/">Tejvan Pettinger</a>.</div>
https://sive.rs/ox1
I’ve moved from New Zealand to Oxford England
2019-03-08T00:00:00+00:00
2019-03-08T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
You know those people whose lives are transformed by meditation or yoga or something like that?
</p><p>
For me, it’s writing in my diary and journals.
It’s made all the difference in the world for my learning, reflecting, and peace of mind.
</p><p>
After 20+ years of doing this, here’s what I do and recommend:
</p>
<h3>
A daily diary
</h3>
<p>
If digital, use only plain text.
It’s a standard format not owned by any company.
It will be readable in 50 years on devices we haven’t even imagined yet.
Don’t use formats that can only be read by one program, because that program won’t be around in 50 years.
Don’t use the cloud, unless you’re also going to download it weekly and back it up in plain text outside that cloud.
(Companies shut down. Clouds disappear. Think long-term.)
</p><p>
<strong>
Every day at some point, just open up this diary, write today’s date, then start writing.
</strong>
Write what you did today, and how you are feeling, even if it seems boring.
</p><p>
It works best as a nightly routine.
Just take a few minutes and write at least a few sentences.
If you have time, write down everything on your mind.
Clear it all out.
But if you miss a night, make time the next morning to write about the previous day.
</p><p>
This is important because years from now you might be looking back, wondering if you were as happy or as sad as you remember during this time.
So don’t only write the drama or dilemmas.
Include the daily facts of life.
</p><p>
We so often make big decisions in life based on predictions of how we think we’ll feel in the future, or what we’ll want.
Your past self is your best indicator of how you actually felt in similar situations.
So it helps to have an accurate picture of your past.
</p><p>
You can’t trust distant memories, but you can trust your daily diary.
It’s the best indicator to your future self (and maybe descendants) of what was really going on in your life at this time.
</p><p>
If you’re feeling you don’t have the time or it’s not interesting enough, remember:
<strong>
You’re doing this for your future self.
</strong>
Future you will want to look back at this time in your life, and find out what you were actually doing, day-to-day, and how you really felt back then.
It will help you make better decisions.
</p><p>
Just put aside a few minutes to write what you did and how you felt today.
</p>
<h3>
“Thoughts On” journals
</h3>
<p>
There are certain subjects in your life you think about a lot.
People, places, hobbies, health, plans, finances.
</p><p>
<strong>
For each subject that you might have ongoing thoughts about, start a separate “Thoughts On” journal.
</strong>
Whenever you have some thoughts on this subject, open up that file, write today’s date, then start writing.
</p><p>
To give you an example, here are my “Thoughts On” journals as of today:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
Accounting
</li>
<li>
Addiction
</li>
<li>
Airports
</li>
<li>
Alcohol
</li>
<li>
Ambition
</li>
<li>
Animation
</li>
<li>
AppDevelopment
</li>
<li>
Artist
</li>
<li>
Assistant
</li>
<li>
BeingSocial
</li>
<li>
Blog
</li>
<li>
BookNotes
</li>
<li>
BookPublishing
</li>
<li>
Calendar
</li>
<li>
Carla
</li>
<li>
Changes
</li>
<li>
Chess
</li>
<li>
Chinese
</li>
<li>
Cities
</li>
<li>
Comedy
</li>
<li>
Comparing
</li>
<li>
Computers
</li>
<li>
Conferences
</li>
<li>
Countries
</li>
<li>
Dance
</li>
<li>
Dog
</li>
<li>
Entrepreneur
</li>
<li>
Erika
</li>
<li>
Europe
</li>
<li>
EventStrategy
</li>
<li>
Expat
</li>
<li>
ExploreExpand
</li>
<li>
Fame
</li>
<li>
Fan
</li>
<li>
Friends
</li>
<li>
Goals
</li>
<li>
Gratification
</li>
<li>
Habits
</li>
<li>
Home
</li>
<li>
IdealMe
</li>
<li>
Image
</li>
<li>
Infrastructure
</li>
<li>
Intense
</li>
<li>
Interviews
</li>
<li>
Investing
</li>
<li>
Ireland
</li>
<li>
Kissing
</li>
<li>
LanguageLearning
</li>
<li>
LateralThinking
</li>
<li>
LifeAlgorithms
</li>
<li>
MakeIdeas
</li>
<li>
Manners
</li>
<li>
MobileAppDev
</li>
<li>
Money
</li>
<li>
Music
</li>
<li>
MyPeople
</li>
<li>
Need
</li>
<li>
NewZealand
</li>
<li>
Noise
</li>
<li>
OS
</li>
<li>
Oxford
</li>
<li>
Parenting
</li>
<li>
Phone
</li>
<li>
PhoneNumbers
</li>
<li>
Places
</li>
<li>
Plan
</li>
<li>
Poor
</li>
<li>
Portugal
</li>
<li>
Potential
</li>
<li>
Programming
</li>
<li>
PublicMe
</li>
<li>
RV
</li>
<li>
Regrets
</li>
<li>
Relationship
</li>
<li>
Renting
</li>
<li>
Romance
</li>
<li>
Routine
</li>
<li>
Secrets
</li>
<li>
Sex
</li>
<li>
Singapore
</li>
<li>
Skills2Learn
</li>
<li>
Social
</li>
<li>
Solitude
</li>
<li>
Songwriting
</li>
<li>
Speaking
</li>
<li>
Strength
</li>
<li>
Surprise
</li>
<li>
Teachers
</li>
<li>
Tech
</li>
<li>
ThinkingSelf
</li>
<li>
Thrifty
</li>
<li>
Travel
</li>
<li>
VirtualReality
</li>
<li>
Vision
</li>
<li>
Website
</li>
<li>
WorthDoing
</li>
<li>
Writer
</li>
</ul>
<p>
I find it so useful to keep my thoughts on each subject together, because I can see my past thoughts and current thoughts in one place.
I can see how my thoughts on this subject have evolved or keep repeating.
Sometimes I think I have a new thought on a subject, so I open up the file and write it down, then afterwards I see I had that same thought a year ago and had forgotten about it.
<strong>
If you care about your thoughts, keep them.
</strong>
</p><p>
They can be tiny.
Like you see I have one on airports.
I don’t have many thoughts on airports.
I don’t fly that much.
But I found that once or twice a year, when waiting at the gate, I had thoughts on the subject, so I’d open that file and start writing.
</p><p>
I’ve considered making one for every musician, album, book, or film that’s had an impact on me, that I’d like to think more about.
Why not?
I admire the way that a good critic puts in hours of reflection on each piece, thinking deeper about something they’ve just taken in.
</p><p>
I especially like my “Regrets” journal.
Whenever I do something I regret, I write it down there, noting why I regret it, what I wish I would have done instead, and how I hope to prevent this in the future.
</p>
<h3>
Ask yourself questions, then question your answers.
</h3>
<p>
Whether in your daily diary, or the “Thoughts On” journals, I find the single most useful thing has been using it as a place to ask myself questions, and answer them.
</p><p>
If I’m planning on doing something, I ask myself what I hope to get out of it, why, and whether there are other ways to get what I want.
</p><p>
When I’m feeling conflicted, especially, I’ll ask myself a bunch of questions to work through my feelings, looking for the source of the conflict, then ask myself more questions around the clash in values, and work through other alternate ways I’d like things to be.
</p><p>
<strong>
I answer with my initial thought first, but then question it afterwards with skepticism, and consider different perspectives.
</strong>
I hear this is similar to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy">cognitive behavioral therapy</a> — and I’ve been meaning to learn more about that.
But whatever you call it, I think it’s been the single most important thing to my intellectual and emotional development.
</p><p>
Almost all the thoughts I have on any subject are the result of writing in my diary and journals, then questioning myself and working through alternate ways of thinking about it, and finally returning to the subject days or months later with a clear head and updated thoughts, seeing how they’ve changed or not over time.
</p><p>
I hope it helps you too.
</p>
https://sive.rs/dj
Benefits of a daily diary and topic journals
2019-01-28T00:00:00+00:00
2019-01-28T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Life can be improved by adding, or by subtracting.
The world pushes us to add, because that benefits them.
But the secret is to focus on subtracting.
</p><p>
Imagine a number line, with 0 on the left and 20 on the right.
Say I want to be in the middle, at 10.
But I’m at 17.
</p>
<img src="/images/numberline2-600.png" alt="number line showing 10 and 17">
<p>
“What can I add to get to 10? I tried adding 8 but that didn’t work. Maybe 3 would help. I should go all out and add 50.”
</p>
<img src="/images/numberline3-600.png" alt="number line showing 10 and 17, with line going forward from 17">
<p>
No amount of adding will get me to where I want to be.
</p><p>
The adding mindset is deeply ingrained.
<strong>
It’s easy to think I need something else.
It’s hard to look instead at what to remove.
</strong>
</p><p>
The least successful people I know run in conflicting directions, are drawn to distractions, say yes to almost everything, and are chained to emotional obstacles.
</p><p>
The most successful people I know have a narrow focus, protect themselves against time-wasters, say no to almost everything, and have let go of old limiting beliefs.
</p><p>
More people die from eating too much than from eating too little.
Most of us have too much baggage, too many commitments, and too many priorities.
</p><p>
Subtracting reminds me that what I need to change is something already here, not out there.
</p>
https://sive.rs/subtract
Subtract
2018-12-05T00:00:00+00:00
2018-12-05T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
David grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, with five brothers and sisters.
</p><p>
When he was 18, he got accepted to a very prestigious art school in Vienna.
Vienna!
This was his dream come true!
He had wanted this so badly, but never thought he’d actually get accepted.
This was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
</p><p>
But his mother was on her death bed.
An undiagnosable illness seemed like it was going to take her at any time.
All of her children were visiting her every day.
</p><p>
When he mentioned that he got accepted to the art school in Vienna, everyone said, “Well of course you can’t go! You need to stay here with your mother during her final days!”
</p><p>
He was very conflicted and felt horrible about this, but still felt that he had to accept the offer.
So he moved to Vienna.
</p><p>
His mother disowned him.
His brothers and sisters screamed about his selfishness, and didn’t speak to him for years.
Everybody told him what a horrible person he was.
</p><p>
David told his story at the age of 38 and said, “<strong>And now, 20 years later, my mother is still alive.</strong> I’ve followed my dreams, had a great career and an amazing life, while my brothers and sisters have given up their whole lives to stay by my mother’s bed, still to this day.”
</p>
<hr>
<p>
The David in this story is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Seabury">David Seabury</a>, who changed thousands of people’s lives.
It’s from his book “The Art of Selfishness”, which I found on my grandmother’s bookshelf when I was 18.
I’ve thought about it constantly since then.
</p>
<img src="/images/KatskhiPillar.jpg" alt="">
https://sive.rs/aos
The art of selfishness
2018-11-18T00:00:00+00:00
2018-11-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Years ago, I was so confident and so naive.
I was sure I was right and everyone else was wrong.
</p><p>
After I <a href="https://sive.rs/done">sold my company</a>, I felt ready to do something new, so I started to <a href="https://sive.rs/book">learn</a>.
But the more I learned, the more I realized how little I knew and how dumb-lucky I had been.
</p><p>
I continued learning until I felt like an absolute idiot.
By then I was paralyzed, unable to create anything new.
</p><p>
I’d <a href="https://sive.rs/projects">start to make new things</a>, but then see how stupid they revealed me to be, so I’d stop.
I lost all confidence.
I spent a few years completely stuck.
</p><p>
Eventually, some new thoughts helped:
</p><ul><li>
<strong>
Learning without doing is wasted.
</strong>
If I don’t use what I learn, then it was pointless!
How horrible to waste those hundreds of hours I spent learning, and not turn it into action.
Like throwing good food in the trash, it’s morally wrong.
</li><li>
<strong>
<a href="https://sive.rs/you-not-them">
This isn’t about me.
</a>
</strong>
How I feel in this moment doesn’t matter — it will pass.
Nobody’s judging me because nobody’s thinking of me.
They’re just looking for ways to improve their own lives.
<a href="https://sive.rs/publicu">The public me is not the real me</a> anyway, so if they judge my public persona, that’s fine.
</li><li>
<strong>
The work is the point, and my work is unique.
</strong>
If I can do something that people find useful, then I should.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a masterpiece or not, as long as I enjoy it.
I’ve got my own weird angle on things that’s <a href="https://sive.rs/counter">a useful counter-melody</a> in the big orchestra of life.
</li></ul><p>
I’m glad my old confidence is gone because it thought I was right, and maybe even great, but not anymore.
</p><p>
Now I aim to make my work — my little contribution to the world — just unique and useful.
</p>
https://sive.rs/contrib
You don’t need confidence, just contribution.
2018-08-06T00:00:00+00:00
2018-08-06T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Things I learned in the past are now wrong.
Times have changed.
</p><p>
Beliefs that were true are now false.
They were based on old limitations that are now gone.
</p><p>
Ways that used to work don’t work anymore.
The old road collapsed.
There’s a tunnel through the mountain now.
When the old map is wrong, we can’t just draw a new line on it — we need to get a new map or we’ll be following closed roads.
</p><p>
Sometimes the world is the same, but my situation has changed.
What got me here won’t get me there.
</p><p>
<strong>
The solution is deliberate unlearning.
</strong>
</p><ol><li>
Doubt what I know.
</li><li>
Stop the habit of thinking I know it.
</li><li>
Require current proof that it’s still true today.
Otherwise, let it go.
</li></ol><p>
Where I had expertise before, I don’t now.
People ask my advice on things I knew well years ago.
It’s tempting to think I still know the answer, but instead I have to admit, “Sorry. I don’t know.”
</p><p>
It hurts to go from feeling like an expert to feeling like an idiot.
But it’s crucial to go through that pain or I’ll never grow.
</p><p>
John Cage said, “I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.”
</p><p>
Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
</p><p>
Many people learn only in their first third of life, so schools don’t teach unlearning.
</p><p>
We want to see the world clearly and know what’s what.
But once we’re past the first stage of wisdom, the next stage involves adapting to new changes.
</p><p>
We don’t get wise just by adding and adding.
We also need to <a href="https://sive.rs/subtract">subtract</a>.
</p>
https://sive.rs/unlearning
Unlearning
2018-06-07T00:00:00+00:00
2018-06-07T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Most of us have lives filled with mediocrity.
We said yes to things that we felt half-hearted about.
</p><p>
So we’re too busy to react when opportunities come our way.
We miss out on the great because we’re busy with the mediocre.
</p><p>
The solution is to say yes to less.
</p><p>
If you’re not feeling “Hell yeah, that would be awesome!” about something, say no.
</p><p>
It’s an easier decision.
<strong>
Say no to almost everything.
</strong>
This starts to free your time and mind.
</p><p>
Then, when you find something you’re actually excited about, you’ll have the space in your life to give it your full attention.
You’ll be able to take massive action, in a way that most people can’t, because you cleared away your clutter in advance.
<strong>
Saying no makes your yes more powerful.
</strong>
</p><p>
Though it’s good to say yes when you’re starting out, wanting any opportunity, or needing variety, it’s bad to say yes when you’re overwhelmed, over-committed, or need to focus.
</p><p>
Refuse almost everything.
Do almost nothing.
But the things you do, do them all the way.
</p>
https://sive.rs/hyn
If you’re not feeling “hell yeah!” then say no
2018-06-03T00:00:00+00:00
2018-06-03T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
In my first book, <i><a href="https://sive.rs/a">Anything You Want</a></i>, I told the story of how I started, grew, and sold my company.
</p><p>
As part of selling the company, I signed a non-compete agreement that said I couldn’t do the one thing I’d been doing since I was twenty-seven years old.
So I had to make a real change in my life.
</p><p>
I thought a lot about <strong>what’s worth doing, fixing faulty thinking, and making things happen</strong>.
For the next ten years, I wrote for hours a day in my private journal, asking myself questions and answering them.
When these thoughts seemed useful to others, I’d turn them into articles, which are now the chapters of <a href="https://sive.rs/n">this book</a>.
</p><p>
I write succinctly because I’m only introducing ideas.
You can apply them to your life better than I can.
But if you want to hear more thoughts or talk about them, go to the URL at the end of each chapter:
<strong>
(sive.rs/_____)
</strong>
There you’ll find many interesting comments about that idea, and you can post your own.
</p><p>
Or just say hello at <strong><a href="https://sive.rs/contact">sive.rs/contact</a></strong>
I love hearing from people who have found my work.
I reply to every email.
</p><p>
— Derek Sivers, Oxford, England, 2019
</p>
https://sive.rs/hy1
About this book
2018-06-01T00:00:00+00:00
2018-06-01T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
The only operating system I use on my computers is <a href="https://sive.rs/itunes">not Mac</a>, not Windows, and not even Linux.
It’s <a href="https://www.openbsd.org/">OpenBSD</a>, and I love it so much.
So I figured I should say a little something about why, and how you can try it.
</p>
<h3>
It’s probably not for you.
</h3>
<p>
It’s not for beginners.
Most people should use <a href="https://ubuntu.com/desktop">Ubuntu</a>.
</p><p>
It’s not for people who want to click a button and have the computer hide the details from you.
</p><p>
If software bloat doesn’t bother you — if every new Mac/Windows/Linux release you say, “Bring on the features! The more the better!” — it’s not for you.
</p><p>
But if you’re experienced, like to “look under the hood”, and prefer software that does the minimum necessary, OpenBSD is for you.
</p>
<h3>
What is it?
</h3>
<p>
It’s like Linux, but has <a href="https://www.openbsd.org/goals.html">different goals</a>.
</p><p>
It’s known for its focus on security.
But, like a well-engineered house will also be earthquake-proof, you don’t have to be paranoid about earthquakes to appreciate great construction.
To me, the security features are just a side-effect of <a href="https://www.openbsd.org/security.html">great coding</a>.
</p><p>
OpenBSD comes with a secure minimal <a href="https://www.nostarch.com/pf3">firewall</a>, <a href="https://www.romanzolotarev.com/openbsd/httpd.html">webserver</a>, <a href="https://www.opensmtpd.org/">mailserver</a>, and an optional graphical <a href="http://www.xenocara.org/">desktop</a>.
So if all you want is a few of those things, you do the default install, tweak one config file, and you’re done.
</p>
<h3>
Why OpenBSD instead of Linux?
</h3>
<p>
It’s <strong>uncompromising</strong>.
It’s not a people-pleaser or vendor-pleaser.
Linux is in everything from Android phones to massive supercomputers, so has to include features for all of them.
The OpenBSD developers say no to most things.
Instead of trying to make it do more, they keep it focused on doing what it does with more security and reliability.
</p><p>
They <strong>review and remove</strong> code as often as they add.
If something is unused, unmaintained, or unnecessary, they’ll axe it.
If it’s unwieldy, they’ll make a <strong>small simple replacement</strong>.
For examples, see <a href="https://man.openbsd.org/doas.1">doas</a>, <a href="https://www.opensmtpd.org/">OpenSMTPD</a>, <a href="https://man.openbsd.org/httpd.8">httpd</a>, and <a href="https://www.libressl.org/">LibreSSL</a>.
This is great for security, too.
The more code, the more chance of a bug that could compromise your entire computer.
The less code, the better.
Each new release seems to be getting <strong>leaner</strong> by removing old cruft.
No other operating system does that.
</p><p>
Great <strong>documentation</strong> is a top priority.
The built-in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_page">man pages</a> are amazing.
So if you’re stuck on anything, <a href="http://man.openbsd.org/apropos.1">searching</a> the man pages on your own computer is going to give you a better answer than searching Google.
(This makes it nicer to work offline, too.)
</p><p>
The <strong>installers</strong> are amazing.
The <a href="http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq4.html">initial installation</a> takes like five minutes.
Hit [Enter] to the defaults, make your username and password, and it’s ready to go.
Then the <a href="http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq15.html">software installer</a> is ideal, too.
Just <a href="https://man.openbsd.org/pkg_info.1">pkg_info</a> to search for something and <a href="http://man.openbsd.org/pkg_add.1">pkg_add</a> to install it in seconds.
(Which also installs all of its documentation, too.)
</p><p>
Everything is rock-solid and <strong>just works</strong>.
Hardware I couldn’t get working in Linux just works on a first try with OpenBSD.
And because they don’t stay cutting-edge, keeping a cautious pace, it keeps working and doesn’t break.
The whole system is carefully planned and consistent, instead of a hodge-podge of bits and pieces.
</p><p>
It’s all free and run by helpful volunteers.
If you <a href="http://cvsweb.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/ports/">searched ports</a>, but some application you need is missing or out of date, just contact the maintainer and offer some assistance or money to help get it updated or added.
I’ve donated $3850 to the developers to help improve the OpenBSD port of <a href="https://nodejs.org/">Node.js</a>, <a href="http://elixir-lang.org/">Elixir</a>, <a href="http://www.erlang.org/">Erlang</a>, <a href="https://apps.ankiweb.net/">Anki</a>, <a href="http://www.ledger-cli.org/">Ledger</a>, and <a href="http://www.qutebrowser.org/">Qutebrowser</a>.
</p><p>
Also see <a href="https://dataswamp.org/~solene/2022-06-22-openbsd-selling-arguments.html">Solene’s list of selling points</a>.
I agree with those.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/openbsd.gif">
https://sive.rs/openbsd
OpenBSD : why and how
2018-04-20T00:00:00+00:00
2018-04-20T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
You are the way you are because of what you’ve experienced.
</p><p>
Your country, family, town, random circumstances, and friends have shaped the way you think.
If you had grown up on the other side of the world, you would have a different set of values and thought patterns.
</p><p>
But if you keep experiencing the same things, your mind keeps its same patterns.
Same inputs, same responses.
Your brain, which was once curious and growing, gets fixed into deep habits.
Your values and opinions harden and resist change.
If you don’t flex, you lose your flexibility.
</p><p>
You really learn only when you’re surprised.
If you’re not surprised, then everything is fitting into your existing thought patterns.
<strong>
So to get smarter, you need to get surprised, think in new ways, and deeply understand different perspectives.
</strong>
</p><p>
With effort, you could do this from the comfort of home.
But the most effective way to shake things up is to move across the world.
Pick a place that’s most unlike what you know, and go.
</p><p>
This keeps you in a learning mindset.
Previously mindless habits, like buying groceries, now keep your mind open, alert, and noticing new things.
New arrivals in a culture often notice what the locals don’t.
(<a href="https://sive.rs/fish">Fish don’t know they’re in water.</a>)
</p><p>
Don’t think of yourself as visiting.
Say that you’ve moved here, and mean it.
Commit.
Immerse.
Go native.
</p><p>
Form deep friendships with locals.
Ask lots of questions.
Ask people to explain and show you how things are done.
When they state a fact, ask how they know.
When they state an opinion, ask for examples.
</p><p>
At first, their values and methods will feel wrong.
You’ll feel the urge to tell them how their lives or ideas could be better — more like what you know.
But try to understand a perspective where they are right and you are wrong.
<strong>
Eventually you’ll realize that your beliefs were not correct — they were just the local culture of where you grew up.
</strong>
You’re a product of your environment.
</p><p>
Every country has a shared and working philosophy.
Dive in and really try to understand it.
This is one of the best things you can do for your brain.
Stay immersed at least until you feel yourself saying “we” instead of “they.”
</p><p>
Then, if you want to keep your brain actively learning and growing forever, keep moving across the world and immersing yourself like this for the rest of your life.
</p>
<div class="small"><em>(I wrote this for Tynan’s new book “<a href="http://tynan.com/forevernomad">Forever Nomad</a>”, so please <a href="http://tynan.com/forevernomad">buy his book</a> if you like this subject.)</em></div>
<a href="http://tynan.com/forevernomad"><img alt="Forever Nomad" src="/images/forevernomad.jpg"></a>
https://sive.rs/mfg
Moving for good
2018-03-31T00:00:00+00:00
2018-03-31T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I tried Facebook for a few weeks in 2007, but I hadn’t really used it since then.
I would log in once a month for a few minutes and click [ACCEPT] to all the friend requests from strangers, then log out.
I hit the 5000 friend-limit, so I created a second profile.
That hit the 5000 friend-limit too, so I created a third.
When the third one hit the friend-limit, I stopped.
</p><p>
I thought I was just being polite, accepting friend requests, but I didn’t know who most of them were.
<strong>
It was very insincere.
</strong>
When real friends would ask if I’m on Facebook, I’d have to explain, “It looks like I’m there, but not really there.”
I never posted anything personal, and never installed it on my phone.
I was really just using it to announce new blog posts.
</p><p>
When people would do their “<a href="https://deletefacebook.com/">DELETE FACEBOOK!</a>” campaigns, I didn’t bother because I wasn’t using it anyway.
<strong>
It was causing me no harm.
</strong>
I think it’s <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=facebook&sites=calnewport.com&ia=web">net-negative for the world, and causing many people harm</a>, but not me, so why bother deleting it?
</p><p>
<strong>
But the more I thought about it, the less I liked my implied support.
</strong>
I’m sick of being insincere.
I’m against centralized platforms.
I strongly prefer a <a href="https://indieweb.org/">decentralized internet</a>.
I’m always helping friends get off of the big platforms and on to their own servers.
</p><p>
Maybe the fact that I use Facebook to share my blog posts is a tiny tiny reason why others are still using it.
It’s like I’m still visiting friends in the smoking area, even though I don’t smoke.
Maybe if I quit going entirely, it will help my friends quit, too.
</p><p>
<strong>
So I snapped out of the silly fear that people won’t find me if I’m not there.
</strong>
If they care at all, they’ll find me.
</p><p>
So, yeah.
That decided it.
I deleted all three accounts with 15,000 “friends”.
</p><p>
I had a selfish business reason to keep it.
I’m going to be publishing three different books over the next year, and plan to launch a new business, too.
<strong>
But I’m willing to take that small loss in promotion, because <a href="http://blog.seanbonner.com/2012/04/15/on-leaving-facebook/">it’s the right thing to do</a>.
</strong>
It always feels good to get rid of things I’m not using.
</p><p>
I’ve been online since 1994.
I remember when everyone thought mp3.com was everything, and a few years later it was gone.
Then everyone thought MySpace was everything, and a few years later it was moot.
Now it’s Facebook, Instagram, and Google, but eventually they’ll all be moot, too.
It’s the natural cycle of things.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/adoption_life_cycle-500x414.jpg">
https://sive.rs/facebook
Why I’m not on Facebook
2018-03-21T00:00:00+00:00
2018-03-21T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
There’s a fable of a man stuck in a flood.
Convinced that God is going to save him, he says no to a passing canoe, boat, and helicopter that offer to help.
He dies, and in heaven asks God why He didn’t save him.
God says, “I sent you a canoe, a boat, and a helicopter!”
</p><p>
We all have vivid imaginations.
We get a goal in our mind and picture the path so clearly.
Then it’s hard to stop focusing on that vivid image, to see what else could work.
</p><p>
New technologies make old things easier, and new things possible.
<strong>
That’s why you need to re-evaluate your old dreams to see if new means have come along.
</strong>
</p><p>
Some actors move to Hollywood hoping to get noticed.
Others use every new outlet to make themselves unavoidable.
</p><p>
Some authors are just waiting for a publisher to sign them.
Others are getting rich just self-publishing.
</p><p>
You need to distinguish between what is your real goal, and what are the unnecessary details.
<strong>
Don’t let the details distract you from your goal.
</strong>
</p><p>
For each of your dreams, occasionally ask yourself what the real point is.
Then look for a better way to get to that point.
</p><p>
Let go of outdated dreams that keep you from noticing what’s here now.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/stork.jpg">
https://sive.rs/details
Detailed dreams blind you to new means.
2018-03-18T00:00:00+00:00
2018-03-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Everyone who is drawn to you before you’re famous is thinking the same thing:
<strong>
You might be famous soon!
</strong>
</p><ul><li>
fans who want to help you
</li><li>
professionals who want to meet you
</li><li>
musicians who want to play with you
</li><li>
companies that want to work with you
</li></ul><p>
They’re all hoping to be included in your glorious future.
</p><p>
As you get more successful, share that success with those who helped you years ago.
When you’re in the tornado of fame, you can’t depend on your memory.
So use your database now to keep track of who has done special favors for you.
<strong>
When you are famous, return the favors.
</strong>
Reach out to contact them, and invite them into your new world.
(Don’t wait for them to ask.)
</p><p>
Those that gave their services for free?
Now you can pay full price.
</p><p>
Those who wanted glamour by association?
Invite them to the best party.
</p><p>
Those who deserve more recognition?
Shout their praises to your new audience.
</p><p>
<strong>
You aren’t pulled to success by destiny.
You’re lifted there by those around you.
</strong>
So acknowledge their contribution, and bring them along for the ride.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/include-everyone.gif">
https://sive.rs/inclev
Include everyone in your success.
2018-03-07T00:00:00+00:00
2018-03-07T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
This is what I do for <a href="https://sive.rs/blog">everything I post</a>:
</p>
<ol><li>
Write all of my thoughts on a subject.
</li><li>
Argue against those ideas.
</li><li>
Explore different angles until I’m sick of it.
</li><li>
Leave it for a few days or years, then repeat those steps.
</li><li>
Hate how messy these thoughts have become.
</li><li>
Reduce them to a tiny outline of the key points.
</li><li>
<strong>
Post the outline. Trash the rest.
</strong>
</li></ol>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/birdinthehand/214326064/"><img alt="" src="/images/trash3.jpg" title="https://www.flickr.com/photos/birdinthehand/214326064/"></a>
<div class="small">trash photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/birdinthehand/">Lisa Congdon</a></div>
https://sive.rs/7
My writing process
2018-03-06T00:00:00+00:00
2018-03-06T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When I was promoting myself as a musician, I noticed an interesting pattern.
If I had a good conversation with somebody in the music business, then quite often they would send an opportunity my way within a day or two.
</p><p>
In other words, when I look back at the random opportunities that came my way, they often came from someone who I had just spoken with a day or two before.
</p><p>
Yes I just said this twice to emphasize it.
This is important.
</p><p>
Years later, when I was running CD Baby, various opportunities came up where someone asked me to recommend a musician.
I almost always recommended whichever musician I had just spoken with, since they came to mind first.
That’s why it’s so important to keep in touch.
</p><p>
There were some amazing musicians whose music I loved, so I contacted them to tell them I’m a huge fan, and would love to help however I can.
But if they didn’t keep in touch, they eventually fell out of my mind.
It’s unfortunate, but that’s life.
</p><p>
There were some good (but not amazing) musicians who were great at keeping in touch.
So when opportunities came my way, guess who I thought of to recommend?
Yep.
That’s life.
</p><p>
<strong>
The difference between success and failure can be as simple as keeping in touch.
</strong>
</p><p>
It takes effort to meet people.
So once you’ve met someone, get the most out of the relationship for both of you.
Keep in touch.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/keep-in-touch.gif">
https://sive.rs/kit
Keep in touch.
2018-03-05T00:00:00+00:00
2018-03-05T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
This is both fun and considerate.
</p><p>
When people say that a movie has a great character, they mean it was someone especially shocking, funny, or honest.
To be a great entertainer, you need to be larger than life.
</p><p>
Push your outer boundaries.
Show your weirdness.
Bring out all your quirks.
The world needs that.
</p><p>
<strong>
Your public persona — the image you show the world — should be an extreme character.
</strong>
It can be a version of yourself, or it can be a mask.
(It’s easier to be honest behind a mask.)
</p><p>
Some of the biggest musicians of the last few decades have admitted they were playing a character.
Eminem, for example, said he wrote lyrics with the goal of shocking a passive listener into paying attention.
Then he built his public persona to match the lyrics.
</p><p>
Are you concerned that maybe you should play it safe, because your music isn’t so extreme?
Well…
Think of the conservative, old-fashioned performers that your great-grandmother probably liked.
Frank Sinatra.
Judy Garland.
Miles Davis.
Billie Holiday.
Even these old legends were rather extreme.
</p><p>
<strong>
It’s more interesting for the audience if you’re the opposite of normal.
</strong>
So be an extreme character.
The spotlight is the excuse.
You can get away with anything in the name of entertainment.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/extreme-version.gif">
https://sive.rs/evers
Be an extreme character.
2018-02-28T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-28T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
This is one of the most useful lessons I’ve learned in life.
</p><p>
When you don’t know your next step…
<br/>
When you’re feeling unmotivated…
<br/>
When asking someone to help you…
<br/>
When you’re ready to make a dream come true…
<br/>
<strong>
Get more specific about what’s needed.
</strong>
</p><p>
There are two ways to do it:
</p><p>
<strong>
#1: Write down every detail you know.
</strong>
</p><p>
Inside your head, there is more than you’ve said.
Take the time to write it all down.
</p><p>
When you have a vague or distant goal — like “be a great singer” or “make a million from my music” — break it down into specific ingredients.
Describe concrete milestones, and exactly how to reach them.
Then break those down into actions that you can start doing today.
</p><p>
When you’re feeling stuck or unmotivated, figure out your next step.
Even something as simple as finishing a song is easier when you realize exactly what’s wrong.
</p><p>
When you hire someone to help you, write down absolutely everything you need them to do.
Include every detail of every step, and your philosophy too.
</p><p>
<strong>
#2: Research what you don’t know.
</strong>
</p><p>
Most people know what they want, but don’t know how to get it.
When you don’t know the next step, you procrastinate or feel lost.
But a little research can turn a vague desire into specific actions.
</p><p>
For example:
When musicians say, “I need a booking agent”, I ask, “Which one? What’s their name?”
</p><p>
<strong>
You can’t act on a vague desire.
</strong>
But with an hour of research you could find the names of ten booking agents that work with ten artists you admire.
Then you’ve got a list of the next ten people you need to contact.
</p><p>
A life coach told me that most of his job is just helping people get specific.
Once they turn a vague goal into a list of specific steps, it’s easy to take action.
</p><p>
<strong>
It also makes you realize if something was a bad idea.
</strong>
Many things only sound nice in theory.
</p><p>
So do this for yourself.
Take the time to get specific.
It helps you and others to take action, and beats procrastination.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/footsteps.jpg">
https://sive.rs/get-specific
Get specific!
2018-02-25T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-25T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I was at a musicians’ gathering in Memphis.
I met a lot of people complaining that their various forms of online distribution weren’t earning them as much as they’d hoped.
</p><p>
Then I met a musician who sold 8000 copies of his album himself.
No distributor.
No website.
Just by himself.
</p><p>
I asked him how he did it.
He said, “<strong>I just slowly drove around the city every night, with the windows down, playing my music loud. When I saw someone digging it, I’d go talk with them. I’d sell almost everyone a copy — about 20 or 30 a night. Been doing this about a year. Sold 8000 so far.</strong>”
</p><p>
I love this story!
It’s so direct!
It hit me especially hard because all the musicians I’d met before him were complaining about how it’s impossible to make money anymore.
</p><p>
It got me thinking about what it means to be resourceful.
</p><p>
The succinct way to show it is to contrast two different mindsets.
I’ll call them A and B.
</p><p>
A: “I spent $60,000 making this album.”
<br/>
B: “I spent $60 making this album.”
</p><p>
A: “There are no good live music venues anymore!”
<br/>
B: “I made us a new venue.”
</p><p>
A: “I’ve tried everything.”
<br/>
B: “I found a book from the 1970s with some unique ideas I’m applying to our marketing.”
</p><p>
A: “I don’t have time to do it all!”
<br/>
B: “Two of my fans help with promotion, one edits my videos, and one runs my website.”
</p><p>
A: “I’m not some Hollywood networking dude. I don’t have connections in the industry.”
<br/>
B: “My barber knew the promoter’s wife, so it took some persistence, but now we’re playing at his festival.”
</p><p>
A: “They said we weren’t allowed to just show up.”
<br/>
B: “We just showed up, and wouldn’t leave. Eventually they said OK.”
</p><p>
A: “We didn’t get the festival gig.”
<br/>
B: “They rejected us, so we contacted every artist at the festival until we found one that insisted the promoter book us as their opening act.”
</p><p>
A: “There’s just no way!”
<br/>
B: “I figured out a way.”
</p><p>
<strong>
It means being creative, rebellious, determined, and unstoppable.
</strong>
</p><p>
<strong>
It means asking for help, but not waiting for help.
</strong>
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/res.jpg">
<div class="small">illustration ©2018 John Warner</div>
https://sive.rs/res
What it means to be resourceful
2018-02-23T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-23T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I was 20 years old.
I had just moved to New York City.
And I was working inside the music industry.
</p><p>
I ran the music library at <a href="http://www.warnerchappell.com/">Warner/Chappell</a>.
It was a huge room, near the executives’ offices, and I had it all to myself.
</p><p>
Rock stars would come into my room before or after their meetings, to wait or relax.
Because I was just some nobody working in the library, they would often speak candidly.
</p><p>
What surprised me was this:
<strong>
These rock stars’ biggest complaints were about the things they were forced to do, or not allowed to do!
</strong>
Things like, “I think the album is perfect and finished, but the label says they don’t hear a hit, so they’re making me co-write.”
Or, “I wanted to make a video with this director I admire, but the label won’t let me.”
</p><p>
I had always assumed that rock stars were the top of the food chain.
It was weird to realize they have a boss!
<strong>
But that’s the trade-off when you sign away your rights.
</strong>
</p><p>
The independent music revolution was so exciting because thousands of musicians were realizing that they didn’t need to sign these kinds of deals anymore.
They didn’t need labels, distributors, publishers, or anything else to get their music to the public.
</p><p>
But years later, I still hear people making that trade-off.
Giving up their rights and serving a company, in hopes of a greater reward.
</p><ul><li>
authors who act like Amazon is the boss
</li><li>
web designers who act like Google is the boss
</li><li>
promoters who act like Facebook is the boss
</li></ul><p>
<strong>
But you only have a boss if you choose to!
</strong>
Nobody is making you serve these masters.
</p><p>
Of course, if you don’t want a boss, then everything is up to you.
Less promotion, but more freedom.
Less help, but keeping all your rights.
Riding the back roads, not the highway.
Serving no one but yourself.
</p><p>
Never forget you have the choice.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/creative-business.gif">
https://sive.rs/noboss
Rock stars have a boss?
2018-02-18T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
One of the top music industry lawyers in Los Angeles was speaking at a conference.
</p><p>
She’s an expert in copyright law, so someone asked her advice on a licensing problem.
They had recorded their version of a famous song, but were unable to get the rights to sell it because they couldn’t get a response from the publisher.
</p><p>
The lawyer shocked the audience when she said, “Sell it anyway.
<strong>
Don’t wait for permission.
</strong>
Save the proof that you tried your best to reach them.
If they contact you to ask for money some day, pay them then.
But never wait.”
</p><p>
Coming from a copyright lawyer, that was a bold statement.
</p><p>
It was a reminder that your career is more important than its details.
</p><p>
Success is your top priority.
<strong>
Never let anything stop you.
</strong>
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/nowclock.jpg">
https://sive.rs/neverwait
Never wait.
2018-02-17T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-17T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Psychology experiments have shown that the more people pay for something, the more they value it.
</p><p>
People given a placebo pill were twice as likely to have their pain disappear when they were told that the pill was expensive.
</p><p>
People who paid more for tickets were more likely to attend the performance.
</p><p>
When people want the best, they look to the price to tell them what’s great.
They think the expensive wine tastes better.
They think the expensive headphones sound better.
Even when secretly, those things are no different than the cheap ones.
</p><p>
If you sign a deal with a company, negotiate the biggest up-front advance possible.
Even if you don’t need the money, it’s the best strategy, because the higher your advance, the harder the company will work to earn it back.
It ends up being better for everyone.
</p><p>
Tony Robbins, back when he was first getting successful, started charging one million dollars for personal consultations.
His reason was surprising.
It wasn’t for the money.
It was because his goal was to help people improve their life, and his biggest problem was people not doing the necessary work after coming to see him.
So if someone spends a million dollars, they’re sure as hell going to do the work.
He says it kept his success rate at 100%.
</p><p>
<strong>
So it’s considerate to charge more for your work.
</strong>
People will appreciate it more, and get better results.
</p>
<img src="/images/wineglass.jpg" alt="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_t_in_dc/3000950461/">
https://sive.rs/morepay
The higher the price, the more they value it.
2018-02-16T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-16T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
The way you communicate with people is part of your art.
</p><p>
For people who have never heard your music, it’s the <em>start</em> of your art!
</p><p>
If you make depressing music, send your fans a dark black announcement that’s depressing just to look at.
</p><p>
If you are an “in-your-face country-metal-speedpunk” artist, have the guts to call a potential booking agent and scream, “Listen you crazy dirtbag! Book me or I explode! Waaaaaah!!”
If they like that introduction, you’ve found a good match.
</p><p>
Set the tone.
Pull in those people who love that kind of thing.
<a href="https://sive.rs/exclude">Proudly alienate</a> those that don’t.
</p><p>
There’s a minimalist classical music composer whose emails to me are always just one provocative thought.
Like when I posted something online about being an introvert, he emailed me just one sentence:
“Are we not ever-changing, both gradually and per situation?”
That’s it.
No greeting or closing or manners in-between.
His communication style always makes me smile, and reminds me of his music.
</p><p>
The gentle new-age artist always calls me “sweetie” and reminds me to nourish my soul.
</p><p>
The surf-music artist always uses the Hawaiian greetings “aloha” and “mahalo” when he emails, along with other surfer slang.
</p><p>
The rebellious punk never calls me by my name, but instead just says, “Hey sellout.”
</p><p>
Be different.
<strong>
Show who you are.
</strong>
</p><p>
It gives people’s lives more variety, too.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/reach-like-you.gif">
https://sive.rs/reach
Creative communication
2018-02-15T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-15T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
You get a big long email from someone and think, “Ooof. I’ll come back to that later.”
(Then you never do.)
</p><p>
Someone tries to contact you using a technology you hate, like a surprising incoming video call.
</p><p>
You have a dilemma and need a good conversation, so you reach out to someone who replies, “Can you make it quick?”
</p><p>
You’re overwhelmed with work on a tight deadline, and a friend calls trying to have a long conversation.
</p><p>
It’s hard to match your communication with someone else’s preference and situation.
</p><p>
There’s a huge benefit to having a great conversation, but sometimes you need to be extremely succinct.
So how do you reconcile this?
Here’s my advice:
</p><p>
<strong>
First, prepare the most succinct version of your reason for contacting someone.
</strong>
Make it so short that if the person only has 30 seconds to talk, you could communicate your point, ask your question, and get the answer.
</p><p>
With real-time communication, like text or phone, just start by asking if they have time.
If they do, then take the time to get personal, be a friend, and have a good conversation.
But if they don’t, then just use the short version.
</p><p>
With non-real-time communication, like email, assume you’ve only got ten seconds.
<strong>
Edit your emails down to a few sentences.
</strong>
But always give a link to more information, so they can check it out if they have time.
And include your other contact information, in case they prefer a longer conversation about it.
(This is what email signatures are for.)
Then, if they reply and ask, you can give the extra information you left out before.
</p><p>
Some hate texting.
Some hate calls.
Some hate video.
Some hate it all.
Just keep track of their preference for future use.
</p><p>
This may sound obvious, but it’s a bigger problem than people realize.
Considerate communication is surprisingly rare.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/reach-like-you.gif">
https://sive.rs/ccom
Considerate communication
2018-02-15T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-15T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Before I got into the music industry, I had an idea of what it would look like:
Some powerful manager or agent calling me into his office to discuss the business of my music.
</p><p>
Then I moved to New York City and became friends with cool people who also did things in music.
Sometimes these people were agents or managers, but that was secondary.
Mostly we were just friends.
</p><p>
Sometimes I’d send them clients.
Sometimes they’d hook me up with opportunities.
But really we were just friends, talking about our love life or ideas, hanging out and having fun.
</p><p>
It was a long time before I realized that I was already in the industry — that this is how things are done.
<strong>
People send business to people they like.
</strong>
It’s all more personal than I had expected.
</p><p>
One of my best friends in the world is also my lawyer.
He’s one of the top music lawyers in the world, but mostly he’s my friend.
We talk about cycling, his kids, and music.
And sometimes we stop to discuss a recent contract.
</p><p>
The initial contact usually happens for professional reasons.
Like when I was looking for a lawyer, and someone introduced me to this guy.
</p><p>
When I hear music I love, I contact the musician, and say let’s meet.
Within minutes we’re talking about her dogs, microphones, Japan, and whatever.
Then, when someone asks me to recommend some music, guess who comes to mind first?
</p><p>
Point is:
As you’re out there in the music business, get personal.
</p><p>
Don’t always be selling yourself.
That keeps people at a distance from you, because it shows you’re not friends.
</p><p>
<strong>
Even if it starts professional, get personal as soon as possible.
</strong>
Be a friend.
That’s how things are done.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/get-personal.gif">
https://sive.rs/gpers
Get personal.
2018-02-14T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-14T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I was a struggling musician, with big ambitions but not much success, when I went to a music industry conference in Las Vegas to promote my music.
</p><p>
I was nervous, but doing everything I could to make connections with the managers at all the big music companies.
I attended every panel of experts, noting everyone’s name, and approaching the stage afterwards to introduce myself.
<strong>
I had these people up on a pedestal.
I was terrified of them.
</strong>
The stakes were high.
These were the people who could make my career.
It was mentally and emotionally exhausting.
</p><p>
So during lunch I went out to the pool and stuck my feet in the water, just to silently retreat.
Some dude sat next to me and did the same.
He said, “I see you’ve noticed the bikini girls, too.”
I had.
So we sat there, feet in the pool, talking about those girls over there, how weird Las Vegas is, how his friend was up all night gambling, and other random chit-chat.
He was a really cool dude — the rare kind I just click with right away.
I assumed he must be a fellow musician.
</p><p>
But when he got up to leave, he said, “Really great talking with you. Let’s keep in touch,” and handed me his business card.
Holy shit!
He was the vice president of one of the biggest record labels!
</p><p>
I learned a huge lesson that day.
</p><p>
<strong>
If I would have known who he was in advance, I never would have had a real conversation with him.
</strong>
I would have been awkward and self-conscious, trying to promote myself.
But because I didn’t know, I could connect on a personal level, and be a real friend.
</p><p>
I used to think that having connections in the music industry meant that you’d have business meetings, and only talk about your mutual business interests.
But again and again I’ve realized that we make real connections by talking about anything else, and just clicking as friends.
<strong>
People send business to people they like.
</strong>
</p><p>
So beware of putting people on a pedestal.
It can prevent a real friendship.
</p><p>
Postscript to this story:
We kept in touch, and he ended up sending me some of my most successful CD Baby clients.
Now, twenty years later, I just emailed him to tell him I’m writing this story.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/pedestal.jpg" title="https://www.flickr.com/photos/caochopp/7028335609">
https://sive.rs/pedestal
Pedestals prevent friendships.
2018-02-13T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-13T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I’ve been online since 1994, and seen so many companies come and go.
</p><p>
In the year 2000, the place to be was mp3.com.
Every musician would keep all of their music and fans there.
A few years later, it was gone — shut down — all music and fan lists deleted.
</p><p>
In 2005, it was MySpace.
Again, musicians kept all of their music, photos, and fans there.
A few years later, it was gone.
Not shut down, but basically moot.
There was no way to communicate with all of those people, because you didn’t have their direct contact info — you only had their MySpace inbox, which nobody checked anymore.
</p><p>
As I’m writing this now in 2018, it’s Facebook, YouTube, and Spotify.
Just like with mp3.com and MySpace, people act like these websites are everything, and keep all of their music, photos, and fans there.
By the time you read this, they might be gone.
</p><p>
<strong>
Don’t depend on a company.
They come and go.
</strong>
Think long-term.
You’re going to be creating stuff, making fans, and building relationships for the rest of your life — much longer than these companies will last.
</p><p>
<strong>
So have your own website.
</strong>
Instead of sending your fans to some company’s site, send them to yours.
Get everyone’s direct contact information so you don’t have to go through a company to reach them.
</p><p>
<strong>
Your website should be the definitive place to get everything you create.
</strong>
If you put your stuff on some company’s site, have it be secondary — a copy of the stuff that’s already on your site.
That way you can use the popular networks without depending on them.
</p><p>
Only rely on open standards that aren’t owned by any company — like email and the web.
</p>
<h3>
Email skills:
</h3>
<p>
Go into your email settings, and make sure you <strong>have a signature</strong>.
You need this because you’re going to be emailing people who have no idea who or where you are!
Give them some context.
Your signature should say who, what, and where, with a URL or two.
For example:
</p>
<pre>
--
Maya Danubé, fragrant jazz bass clarinet, New York City
http://mayadanube.com me@mayadanube.com (917)611-5310
Watch & listen: https://www.youtube.com/user/mayadanube
Friend me, baby: https://www.facebook.com/mayadanube
</pre>
<p>
When you email people, write a <strong>descriptive subject</strong>.
Never “hey” or “booking”.
Try “Available June 6 for showcase?” or “introduction to photographer”.
This is considerate.
Now when your email is one of hundreds in an inbox, it will say exactly what is contained inside.
</p><p>
Make it <strong>as short as possible</strong>.
The shorter your email, the more likely it will get a response.
Be direct.
Five sentences is ideal.
If your email is too long, they are likely to procrastinate, and never get back to it.
</p><p>
Use short paragraphs.
Leave plenty of space.
Reading a screen is different from reading a book.
</p>
<h3>
Web skills:
</h3>
<p>
<strong>
Know how to update your website.
</strong>
Don’t depend on someone else to do this for you.
Know how to add new songs or videos, and how to make any changes.
</p><p>
<strong>
Know your URLs.
</strong>
Telling someone to go search for you is like telling them to look up your phone number.
Instead, know your exact URLs (yoursite.com, twitter.com/something, facebook.com/whatever) so you can give it to people directly.
If you don’t, they’ll probably never bother to go search for you.
</p><p>
<strong>
Know how to make an MP3.
</strong>
Give it a good filename like YOUR_NAME-Song_Title.mp3 (not mix7.mp3)
Don’t use spaces in the filename.
Edit the ID3 tags to put your full name and URL in the info, so whoever has this MP3 knows who it is and how to find you.
</p><p>
Sorry if these sound too basic to you.
But you’d be surprised by how many people don’t know these skills, and so are silently handicapped when interacting with the world.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/internet-skills.gif">
https://sive.rs/netskill
Use the internet, not just companies.
2018-02-12T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-12T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I hate to admit this, but it’s true.
</p><p>
One of the best things you can do for your career is to move to a big city — one of the major media centers — the places that broadcast to the entire world.
<strong>
Nothing less than New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Hong Kong, or maybe San Francisco.
</strong>
(Nashville, Paris, Seoul, or Tokyo only count if you’re limiting yourself to those markets.)
</p><p>
It’s the place where everything happens.
Where the biggest media companies in the world are based.
Where the money is flowing.
Where the most successful agents, producers, and executives live and work.
Where the most ambitious people go.
</p><p>
It has a serious energy, because the stakes are high.
It’s not casual.
It’s not a place for a comfortable work/life balance.
It’s fueled by ambition.
People go go go.
</p><p>
I’ve lived in a bunch of places now, but when I look back at my career, it’s obvious that the biggest breakthroughs happened because I was living in the heart of the music industry in New York and Los Angeles.
</p><p>
<strong>
It shows that you’re in the game.
</strong>
It shows you’re serious.
It gives you healthy competition, knowing that today’s biggest stars and legends are there with you, too.
It challenges you to push your skills to the best of the best, instead of just the best in your home town.
</p><p>
Once you’re famous, and the media is carrying your reputation, you can move away if you want.
But even then you’ll be a little out of the game.
You can decide if that’s OK with you.
</p><p>
I lived in New York City for nine years, and Los Angeles for seven years.
I met so many wonderful kindreds — other ambitious people like me that had moved there from around the world to get successful.
</p><p>
So why do I hate to admit this?
</p><p>
Because I love how the internet has made it possible for anyone to get successful, anywhere.
I love the idea of living in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature, yet being connected to the world.
</p><p>
But still, when I look at the facts, it’s impossible to deny.
<strong>
Living in the big city, and being where everything is happening, will help your career the most.
</strong>
Being anywhere else won’t hurt you, but it won’t help.
</p>
https://sive.rs/city
Move to the big city.
2018-02-11T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-11T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
A database is just an organized collection of information.
You could have a database of your music or your books.
But I’m going to talk about a database of all the people you know.
</p><p>
Your email app is a kind of database.
It has an address book of everyone you’ve emailed, and a history of your emails with each person.
So you’ve already done half of what I’m going to describe here.
</p><p>
But I’m going to recommend you go further than that, and also keep track of:
</p><ul><li>
your private notes about people (“served in the army, loves talking politics”)
</li><li>
tags to help you find people (“drummer, programmer, agent”)
</li><li>
physical location (“London, England”)
</li><li>
when you should contact this person next (“3 weeks from today”)
</li></ul><p>
Once you have this information, you can easily find every agent you know in London, and email them about a gig.
</p><p>
Because the other best feature of a database is that it can personalize your communication.
Instead of blasting out a message like “Hey everyone. How are you?”, your database will send out personalized emails like, “Hey James. How are you?” — “Hey Sarah. How are you?”.
Not only does it get their attention better, but it’s just more polite.
</p><p>
It will keep a history of your communication with everyone.
This helps when you hear from someone for the first time in years.
It can remind you who they are, and show you the last time you spoke.
It also helps you do things like find just the people you haven’t heard from in over a year.
You can set calendar reminders, so it can remind you to follow-up with someone later.
</p><p>
As for which database to use, I have three recommendations:
</p><ol><li>
<a href="https://www.cloze.com/">Cloze</a>.
Go to <a href="https://www.cloze.com/">Cloze.com</a>.
Link it with your existing inboxes and social media accounts, and it will pull in the information of everyone you’ve got in there already.
It’s brilliant and full of features.
</li><li>
<a href="https://www.monicahq.com/">Monica</a>.
Go to <a href="https://www.monicahq.com/">MonicaHQ.com</a>.
It’s the most personal and people-focused, encouraging you to keep track of everything you know about everyone.
It’s also open source and free to install on your own server.
</li><li>
I ended up programming my own database software, which I plan to share for free some day.
Maybe by the time you read this, it will be ready.
Just email me to ask.
</li></ol><p>
<strong>
Using a database is one of the most powerful things you can do for your career.
Please don’t put it off.
</strong>
It’s not as complicated as it sounds.
The sooner you begin, the better.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/database-quantity.gif">
https://sive.rs/dbt
Why you need a database
2018-02-09T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-09T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Everyone has weird mental associations with money.
</p><p>
They think the only way to make money is to take it away from others.
They think that charging for your art means it was insincere, and only for profit.
</p><p>
But after knowing thousands of musicians for over twenty years, I’ve learned this:
</p><p>
The unhappiest musicians are the ones who avoided the subject of money, and are now broke or need a draining day job.
It may sound cool to say money doesn’t matter — to say “don’t worry about it!” — but it leads to a really hard life.
Then ultimately your music suffers, because you can’t give it the time it needs, and you haven’t found an audience that values it.
</p><p>
The happiest musicians are the ones who develop their value, and confidently charge a high price.
There’s a deep satisfaction when you know how valuable you are, and the world agrees.
Then it reinforces itself, because you can focus on being the best artist you can be, since you’ve found an audience that rewards you for it.
</p><p>
So never underestimate the importance of making money.
Let go of any taboos you have about it.
</p><p>
<strong>
Money is nothing more than a neutral exchange of value.
If people give you money, it’s proof that you’re giving them something valuable in return.
</strong>
</p><p>
By focusing on making money with your music, you’re making sure it’s valuable to others, not only to you.
</p>
https://sive.rs/mn1
Shed your money taboos.
2018-02-05T00:00:00+00:00
2018-02-05T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
For years I made a living playing at universities.
</p><p>
One time a college far away in Ohio — about a 12-hour drive — asked what I would charge to do a <strong>two-hour show</strong>.
</p><p>
I said, “$1500”.
</p><p>
She said, “Oh, that’s a bit too much. What would you charge to do just a <strong>one-hour show</strong>?”
</p><p>
I said, “$2000”.
</p><p>
She said, “No, wait, you’ll be performing less, not more!”
</p><p>
I said, “Yeah! Exactly! What you’re paying me for is to get there! Once I’m there, playing music is the fun part! If you tell me I have to get back in the van and drive home after only an hour, then I’m going to charge you more than if you let me play for a couple hours first.”
</p><p>
She liked that so much that she came up with the $1500.
</p><p>
Point is:
Business is creative.
You can do things any way you want.
There’s no need to adhere to norms.
Norms are for businesses without personality.
</p><p>
<strong>
Pour your personality and philosophy into the way you do business.
</strong>
People actually appreciate it when you do things in a surprising way.
It shows you care more than most — that you’re putting your self into this — that you’re not just in it for the money.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/get-personal.gif">
https://sive.rs/pp
Pricing philosophy
2018-01-23T00:00:00+00:00
2018-01-23T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Imagine you see a caged feather on a museum wall.
The sign underneath says the artist is a political activist in jail.
</p><p>
Imagine that same caged feather again.
But instead the sign says the artist is a high school kid in Florida.
</p><p>
Or imagine that the only way to see it is to crawl deep into a shrinking tunnel that opens into a room of mirrors, where the caged feather is suspended by a thread.
</p><p>
Same feather.
Very different perceptions.
</p><p><strong>
The way you present your art, and what people know about it, completely changes how they perceive it.
</strong></p><p>
Therefore, your art doesn’t end at the edge of the canvas.
Your creative decisions continue all the way to the end.
</p><p>
Now think of the way you create and release music:
</p><ul><li>
You have a tiny idea for a song.
</li><li>
You flesh it out into a full song.
</li><li>
You give it layers of instruments.
</li><li>
You choose its texture when recording.
</li><li>
You come up with an album title, and the visual look of your photos and videos.
</li></ul><p>
Every step so far has been a creative expansion of your original idea.
</p><p>
So now it’s time to put it out into the world.
<strong>
Do you turn off all that creativity?
</strong>
Just upload the song to the usual places, and announce it like everyone else?
</p><p>
No!
Your creative process hasn’t stopped!
Flaunt your artistic freedoms, and have some fun with it!
</p><ul><li>
the way you communicate with the world
</li><li>
how you make your music available
</li><li>
the stories you tell about your music and yourself
</li></ul><p>
These are all the continuation of your creation.
</p><p><strong>
Marketing is the final extension of your art.
</strong></p>
https://sive.rs/ext
Art doesn’t end at the edge of the canvas.
2018-01-22T00:00:00+00:00
2018-01-22T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Being a songwriter is weird.
You dig deep inside yourself.
You extract and explain your emotions.
Then you broadcast your innermost feelings to the biggest possible audience.
</p><p>
It’s a life that demands a deep focus on yourself.
It’s all you, you, you.
It’s a one-way road that goes from inside of you out to the audience.
</p><p>
Because of this, it’s hard for you to turn that off, switch directions, and just listen to others.
</p><p>
<strong>
The essence of marketing is looking at everything from the other person’s point of view.
</strong>
So it’s no surprise that musicians find it hard to switch into that mode.
</p><p>
It’s OK.
Have some compassion for your situation.
It’s a side-effect of the craft.
Don’t beat yourself up over it.
</p><p>
But first, before you begin marketing, get off the stage.
Pause your habit of broadcasting.
Turn the spotlight on your audience.
And get ready to listen.
</p>
https://sive.rs/stage
It’s hard to get off stage.
2018-01-16T00:00:00+00:00
2018-01-16T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Don’t confuse the word “marketing” with advertising, announcing, spamming, or giving away branded crap.
</p><p>
Really, “marketing” just means being considerate.
</p><p>
Marketing means making it easy for people to notice you, relate to you, remember you, and tell their friends about you.
</p><p>
Marketing means listening for what people need, and creating something surprisingly tailored for them.
</p><p>
Marketing means getting to know people, making a deeper connection, and keeping in touch.
</p><p>
<strong>All of these are just considerate</strong> — looking at things from the other person’s point of view, and doing what’s best for them.
</p><p>
A lot of musicians say, “I hate marketing!”
So, yeah, if you thought marketing meant turning off your creativity, spending lots of money, and being annoying, then it’s a good thing you don’t like that.
Nobody likes that.
</p><p>
<strong>
Just find creative ways to be considerate.
</strong>
That’s the best marketing.
</p>
https://sive.rs/cons
“Marketing” just means being considerate.
2018-01-15T00:00:00+00:00
2018-01-15T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I knew a music publicist in New York City when she was at the peak of her success.
A few of her clients had hits, so everyone wanted to work with her.
She was flooded with new music.
</p><p>
Here’s how she dealt with the flood:
</p><p>
Whenever someone sent their music, it would go into an inbox.
That inbox was completely ignored.
</p><p>
Whenever someone contacted her to follow-up the first time, to ask if she’d received it, she would take their music out of that first inbox, and put it in a second inbox.
That second inbox was also ignored.
</p><p>
Then if they followed-up with her a second time, asking again if she’d had the chance to listen, she would take their music out of the second inbox, and put it in a third inbox.
That third inbox would get a listen if she had some spare time.
</p><p>
Finally, if they followed-up a third time, she would take their music out of the third inbox, and make it a priority to give it a real listen.
</p><p>
She saw the shocked look on my face, as she described her system.
So she explained:
</p><p>
<strong>
“I can’t listen to everyone, so I can’t know who’s got the best music.
But the ones who follow-up show they’ve got the tenacity and drive to succeed.
As long as their music is also good, then those are the ones I want to work with.”
</strong>
</p><p>
It wasn’t ego.
It was just a practical way to deal with a flood, and a pretty good filter for choosing new clients.
</p><p>
Maybe nobody else has an official system like this.
But un-officially, they do.
<strong>
Overwhelmed people don’t have time for all the random first-contacts.
</strong>
Patience and persistence separate you from the rest, and show how much you care.
</p>
https://sive.rs/3in
Repeatedly follow-up to show you care.
2018-01-14T00:00:00+00:00
2018-01-14T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I once went without food for ten days, and that was fine.
But the two things I can’t do without for long are solitude and silence.
(Freedom from people and their noises.)
</p><p>
I was on a holiday in Ireland with seven members of my family, all packed into a van, exploring the country.
A week after they left, I had to be at a conference in Dublin.
So in-between those two events, I wanted nothing but solitude and silence.
</p><p>
An <a href="https://twitter.com/paulca">Irish friend</a> suggested that I stay at <a href="https://mountmellerayabbey.org/guesthouse">Mount Melleray Abbey</a>, home of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cistercians">Cistercian</a> Trappist monks, known for their silence.
They provide a guest room that’s free for whoever asks.
That sounded perfect, so I emailed and asked.
They said yes, so I prepared for a solid week of silence.
I took my family to the airport, and drove to the abbey.
</p><p>
When a monk met me at the door and showed me the way to my room, I was surprised when he spoke.
I thought we’d all just be silently gesturing.
He told me meals would be served twice a day down the hall.
</p><p>
At dinner time, I went down the hall, again expecting silent gesturing.
But instead, there was a room full of thirty other guests from around the world, all chattering away.
I tried to sit alone, but there was no way to do it.
</p><p>
One loud American latched on to me and bombarded me with shallow questions.
I gave vague one-word answers, but that wasn’t enough to stop him.
I quickly ate and retreated to my room again.
I thought about how I’d avoid this chatter for the next six days.
</p><p>
The next morning, I tried to get to breakfast early, but I wasn’t early enough.
The loud American was there with follow-up questions about my religious beliefs.
He started to introduce me to everyone.
</p><p>
I guess they came here for different reasons than I did.
</p><p>
I went back to my room, packed up, and left a thank-you note for the monks, before driving off into the unknown.
</p><p>
I realized I could get more silence at a hotel, so I went to <a href="http://www.lyrath.com/">Lyrath Estate</a> in Kilkenny.
It was off-season, half-price, spacious, and mostly empty.
I hung around all their various sitting rooms and balconies, writing for six silent days, speaking only one sentence a day if I ordered dinner.
It was just what I wanted.
</p><p>
It made me think about all the unlikely places we can get what we want.
</p><p>
Some people think they need to go all the way to Thailand to meditate, or to India to learn yoga.
But of course these are things they can do for free at home.
</p><p>
Some people think they need to travel to a country to learn its language.
But check out <a href="https://flrmethod.com/moses-mccormick/">Moses McCormick learning more than a dozen languages from Ohio</a>, or <a href="https://www.fluentin3months.com/arabic-mission/">Benny Lewis learning Arabic from Brazil</a>.
</p><p>
Some people think they need to pay a fortune to a university for a great education.
But the top schools have all their courses online for free.
</p><p>
And this idea isn’t just about locations.
Some people think they need expensive equipment to start a new hobby, certain clothes to look the part, or for everything to be just right.
But resourceful people know they don’t.
</p><p>
It’s so important to separate the real goal from the old mental associations.
<strong>
We have old dreams.
We have images we want to re-create.
They’re hard to untangle from the result we really want.
</strong>
They become excuses, and reasons to procrastinate.
</p>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tinaleggio/15516383916"><img alt="" src="/images/medskate.jpg"></a>
<div class="tiny">Meditation photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tinaleggio/">Tina Leggio</a></div>
https://sive.rs/unun
Unlikely places and untangled goals
2017-12-11T00:00:00+00:00
2017-12-11T00:00:00+00:00
<p><strong>
Three true stories:
</strong></p>
<p>
In 1992, in Tokyo, I dated a girl named Masako.
After our month together, she moved to London.
We lost touch.
</p><p>
In 2008, I was in London for a few days.
I wondered if Masako still lived there, sixteen years later.
</p><p>
A minute later, she walked by.
</p><p>
“Masako!”
</p><p>
“Derek?!”
</p>
<p>
In 1993, I had a pen-pal from Argentina named Lucia.
She was studying Norwegian and planned to move to Oslo, Norway, some day.
We lost touch.
</p><p>
In 2007, my band was on tour in Oslo for a few days.
I was sitting in a park, wondering if Lucia ever moved there.
</p><p>
A minute later, she walked by.
</p><p>
“Lucia!”
</p><p>
“Derek?!”
</p>
<p>
Today I’m in Singapore.
I went to the library to write.
It was very busy, with nowhere to sit, so I walked from room to room before I finally found the last free seat.
</p><p>
I noticed that the guy next to me was reading a book I recommend often: <i><a href="https://sive.rs/book/EgoEnemy">Ego Is the Enemy</a></i>.
</p><p>
I said, “Great book!”
</p><p>
He said, “I got it because of you. You’re Derek, right?”
</p><p>
His name is <a href="https://twitter.com/ThomasDiong">Thomas</a>.
We had emailed a few days ago.
</p><p>
<strong>
Some people like to think that there are no coincidences.
</strong>
They say, “What are the odds of that?” as if to mean that it can’t be chance.
Life feels more amazing to them if it all has meaning.
(Seeking patterns in randomness is called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apophenia">apophenia</a>.)
</p><p>
<strong>
I like to think that everything is a coincidence.
</strong>
Life feels more amazing to me if <a href="https://sive.rs/ml">it has no meaning</a>.
No secret agenda.
Beautifully random.
</p><p>
What are the odds of winning the big lottery?
Fifty million to one?
Ah, but that’s if you’re being egocentric and thinking only of yourself!
Someone always wins it.
<strong>
So what if you look past yourself and ask, “What are the odds that this rare thing will happen to someone?”
</strong>
Almost 100 percent.
</p><p>
That’s a nice reminder when the odds seem impossible.
Amazingly rare things happen to people every day.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/thomasdiong.jpg">
<div class="small">(Thomas Diong and I, today, at the Singapore library.)</div>
https://sive.rs/odds
What are the odds of that?
2017-07-03T00:00:00+00:00
2017-07-03T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Since my son was born five years ago, I’ve spent at least thirty hours a week with him, just one-on-one, giving him my full attention.
But I’ve never written about parenting before because it’s a touchy subject — too easily misunderstood.
</p><p>
So why am I writing about it today?
Because I realized that <strong>the parenting things I do for him are also for myself.</strong>
And that’s an idea worth sharing.
</p><p>
<strong>
Here are the things I’ve been doing for my son since he was born:
</strong>
</p>
<h3>
Cultivating a long attention span
</h3>
<p>
Whatever he’s doing right now, that’s the most important thing.
So I encourage him to keep doing it as long as possible.
I never say, “Come on! Let’s go!”
</p><p>
We’ll go to the beach or forest, and make things with sticks and sand for half a day before he’s ready to switch.
</p><p>
Other families come to the playground for twenty or thirty minutes, but we stay there for hours.
</p><p>
Nobody else can play with us like this.
Everyone else gets so bored.
</p><p>
Of course my adult mind wanders to all the other things we could be doing.
But I let it go, and return to that present focus.
</p>
<h3>
Entering his world
</h3>
<p>
I’m very ambitious and try to do a lot with my life.
But when I’m with him, I stop everything else.
Phone off.
Computer off.
</p><p>
I try to see things through his eyes — to put myself into his mind.
When he gets upset, I try to remember what it was like to be his age and relate at that level.
</p><p>
When he makes up stories, I enter his invented world.
If he says we’re cats in Paris, we’re cats in Paris.
The minotaur is chasing us?
We both run.
</p><p>
Of course I’m tempted to check my phone.
Most of us have that addiction now.
But I ask myself, “What’s more important?” and leave it off.
</p>
<h3>
Broadening his inputs
</h3>
<p>
I want him to have a wide range of inputs into his senses.
</p><p>
We go play in as many different forests, beaches, mountains, and towns as possible, touching and smelling everything we can.
</p><p>
I play very diverse music in the background.
When we play at home, he’s listening to Persian traditional, Indian classical, ’60s jazz, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glitch_(music)">glitch</a>, Bartok, Stevie Wonder (<a href="https://slate.com/cover_story/2016/12/the-greatest-creative-run-in-the-history-of-pop-music.html">from ’72 to ’76</a>), lots of Bach, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgarian_State_Television_Female_Vocal_Choir">Bulgarian choir</a>, or whatever.
</p><p>
We’ve had season tickets to the <a href="https://www.nzso.co.nz/">New Zealand Symphony Orchestra</a> since he was three, and never miss a concert.
I took him to the opera <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen">Carmen</a></i>, and he was riveted from start to finish.
</p><p>
We get a few new books from the library every week and read together for an hour every night.
</p><p>
We watch a huge variety of movies, but always from start to finish without interruption, so he gets the full story arc.
For the big Disney blockbusters, we watch the Portuguese or Chinese translations.
</p>
<h3>
And now, my point:
</h3>
<p>
The reason I’m finally writing about this is because I realized that <strong>I’m doing all these things for myself as much as for him.</strong>
</p><p>
By cultivating his long attention span, I’m cultivating my own.
</p><p>
By entering his world, I’m letting go of my own, like meditation.
</p><p>
By broadening his inputs, I’m broadening my own.
</p><p>
I thought I was being selfless.
But actually, like most things we consider selfless, they benefit me as much as him.
</p>
<a href="https://sive.rs/images/horseswordbeach.jpg"><img alt="" src="/images/horseswordbeach2.jpg"></a>
<div class="small">Photo of him at our favorite beach in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paekakariki">Paekakariki</a>.</div>
<p>
P.S. You won’t find his name or face online.
I don’t think it’s right to put someone online without their permission.
He’ll put himself online when he’s ready.
</p>
https://sive.rs/pa
Parenting : Who is it really for?
2017-06-26T00:00:00+00:00
2017-06-26T00:00:00+00:00
<style>
.ar, .de, .eo, .es, .fr, .ja, .ko, .pt, .ru, .zh, aside {
display: none;
}
</style>
<div id="langswitch">
<a href="#" data-lang="de">Deutsch</a>
<a href="#" data-lang="en">English</a>
<a href="#" data-lang="es">Español</a>
<a href="#" data-lang="eo">Esperanto</a>
<a href="#" data-lang="fr">Français</a>
<a href="#" data-lang="pt">Português</a>
<a href="#" data-lang="ru">Русский</a>
<a href="#" data-lang="zh">中文</a>
<a href="#" data-lang="ja">日本語</a>
<a href="#" data-lang="ko">한국어</a>
<a href="#" data-lang="ar">العربية</a>
</div>
<aside id="t_ar">
حتى تتمكن من صقّل كتاباتك، قُم باستئجار مترجم.
</aside>
<aside id="t_de">
Um dein Schreiben zu verbessern, engagiere einen Übersetzer.
</aside>
<aside id="t_en">
To hone your writing, hire a translator.
</aside>
<aside id="t_eo">
Por perfektigi vian skribon, dungu tradukiston.
</aside>
<aside id="t_es">
Para perfeccionar tu escritura, contrata a un traductor.
</aside>
<aside id="t_fr">
Pour aiguiser votre plume, engagez un traducteur.
</aside>
<aside id="t_ja">
あなたの文章に磨きをかけるために翻訳者を雇います。
</aside>
<aside id="t_ko">
글쓰기를 연마하시려면, 번역가를 고용하세요.
</aside>
<aside id="t_pt">
Para aprimorar sua escrita, contrate um tradutor.
</aside>
<aside id="t_ru">
Наймите переводчика, чтобы отточить ваши писательские навыки.
</aside>
<aside id="t_zh">
要磨练你的写作,请聘用一名翻译员。
</aside>
<p class="ar">
هل تريد أن تكتب بوضوح وإيجاز؟
</p>
<p class="de">
Möchtest du klar und prägnant schreiben?
</p>
<p class="en">
Do you want to write clearly and succinctly?
</p>
<p class="eo">
Ĉu vi volas skribi klare kaj koncize?
</p>
<p class="es">
¿Deseas escribir de forma clara y concisa?
</p>
<p class="fr">
Vous voulez écrire de façon claire et succincte ?
</p>
<p class="ja">
明確に簡潔に書きたいと思いませんか?
</p>
<p class="ko">
명확하고 간결하게 글을 쓰고 싶으세요?
</p>
<p class="pt">
Deseja escrever de maneira clara e sucinta?
</p>
<p class="ru">
Хотите писать понятно и лаконично?
</p>
<p class="zh">
你希望写得清楚简洁吗?
</p>
<p class="ar">
قُم باستئجار مترجم.
</p>
<p class="de">
Dann engagiere einen Übersetzer.
</p>
<p class="en">
Hire a translator.
</p>
<p class="eo">
Dungu tradukiston.
</p>
<p class="es">
Contrata a un traductor.
</p>
<p class="fr">
Engagez un traducteur.
</p>
<p class="ja">
翻訳者を雇うのです。
</p>
<p class="ko">
번역가를 고용하세요.
</p>
<p class="pt">
Contrate um tradutor.
</p>
<p class="ru">
Наймите переводчика.
</p>
<p class="zh">
请聘用一名翻译员。
</p>
<p class="ar">
حيثُ يتقاضى المترجمون المحترفون حوالي 10 سنتات لكل كلمة، لذلك تجعلك الترجمة تتساءل عن قيمة كل جملة.
</p>
<p class="de">
Professionelle Übersetzer verlangen ungefähr 10 Cent pro Wort, daher lässt dich das Übersetzen den Wert jedes einzelnen Satzes hinterfragen.
</p>
<p class="en">
Because professional translators charge around 10 cents per word, translating makes you question the value of every sentence.
</p>
<p class="eo">
Ĉar profesiaj tradukistoj pagigas ĉirkaŭ 10 cendoj per vorto, traduki igas vin kontesti la valoron de ĉiu frazo.
</p>
<p class="es">
Debido a que los traductores profesionales cobran alrededor de 10 centavos por palabra, recurrir a uno hace que te cuestiones el valor de cada frase.
</p>
<p class="fr">
Comme les traducteurs professionnels facturent environ 10 centimes le mot, faire traduire votre texte vous fait remettre en question la valeur de chaque phrase.
</p>
<p class="ja">
プロの翻訳者は1語当たり約10セントの料金を請求するので、翻訳することによってすべての文章の価値を疑問視するようになります。
</p>
<p class="ko">
전문 번역가는 단어당 10 센트 정도를 받기 때문에, 번역은 모든 문장에 대해서 그만한 가치가 있는가를 생각하게 합니다.
</p>
<p class="pt">
Como tradutores profissionais cobram cerca de 10 centavos de dólar por palavra, traduzir faz você questionar o valor de cada frase.
</p>
<p class="ru">
Так как профессиональные переводчики берут около 10 центов за слово, переводы заставляют вас подвергать сомнению ценность каждого предложения.
</p>
<p class="zh">
因为专业翻译人员翻译每个词的费用约为10美分,所以翻译会让你质疑每句话的价值。
</p>
<p class="ar">
منذ فترة طويلة، كنت امتلك موقع قديم تمت ترجمته إلى عشر لغات.
ولأن كل جملة تتكلف 10 دولارات، وكل فقرة 50 دولار، فقد تعلمت حذف كل كلمة غير ضرورية.
</p>
<p class="de">
Vor einiger Zeit ließ ich meine alte Seite in zehn Sprachen übersetzen.
Da jeder Satz 10 $ und jeder Absatz 50 $ kostete, lernte ich jedes unnötige Word heraus zu kürzen.
</p>
<p class="en">
Long ago, I had my old site translated into ten languages.
Because each sentence cost $10, and each paragraph cost $50, I learned to chop every unnecessary word.
</p>
<p class="eo">
Antaŭ longa tempo, mi tradukitigis mian malnovan retejon al dek lingvoj.
Ĉar ĉiu frazo kostis $10, kaj ĉiu alineo kostis $50, mi lernis kiel forigi ĉiujn ne-neprajn vortojn.
</p>
<p class="es">
Hace tiempo, traduje mi antigua página web a diez idiomas diferentes.
Ya que cada frase me costaba 10 $ y cada párrafo 50 $, aprendí a evitar las palabras innecesarias.
</p>
<p class="fr">
Il y a longtemps, j’ai fait traduire mon ancien site en 10 langues.
Chaque phrase coûte 10$. Chaque paragraphe coûte 50$. J’ai appris à retrancher tous les mots superflus.
</p>
<p class="ja">
ずいぶん前に、私の古いサイトを10の言語に訳してもらったことがあります。
各文章は10ドルかかり、各段落は50ドルかかったので、私はすべての不必要な単語を削ることを学びました。
</p>
<p class="ko">
오래 전, 저의 오래된 사이트를 10개 언어로 번역을 의뢰해 봤어요.
각 문장에 10달러가 들었고, 각 문단에 50달러가 들었기 때문에 모든 불필요한 단어를 없애는 법을 배웠어요.
</p>
<p class="pt">
Muito tempo atrás, eu traduzi meu site em dez idiomas.
Como cada frase custava US$ 10, e cada parágrafo custava US$ 50, eu aprendi a cortar todas as palavras desnecessárias.
</p>
<p class="ru">
Когда-то давно мой старый сайт был переведен на 10 языков.
Так как каждое предложение стоило 10 долларов, а каждый параграф — 50, я научился отсекать каждое ненужное слово.
</p>
<p class="zh">
很久以前,我请人将原来的博客翻译成十种语言。
因为每句话花费10美元,每段话花费50美元,我学会了删减每一个不必要的词语。
</p>
<p class="ar">
فإذا كنت تستطيع توصيل نفس الفكرة باستخدام كلمات أقل، فمن المُرَجَح سهولة قرائتها وفهمها.
</p>
<p class="de">
Wenn du die gleiche Idee mit weniger Worten übermitteln kannst, ist die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass etwas gelesen und auch verstanden wird, größer.
</p>
<p class="en">
If you can communicate the same idea with fewer words, it’s more likely to be read and understood.
</p>
<p class="eo">
Se vi povas komuniki la saman ideon per malpli da vorto, ĝi estos pli verŝajne legata kaj komprenata.
</p>
<p class="es">
Si puedes transmitir la misma idea, pero con menos palabras, es más probable que se lea y se entienda.
</p>
<p class="fr">
Communiquez la même idée avec moins de mots. Vous aurez plus de chances qu’elle soit lue et comprise.
</p>
<p class="ja">
より少ない言葉で同じ考えを伝えることができれば、読んでもらいそして理解してもらう可能性が高くなります。
</p>
<p class="ko">
최소의 단어로 당신의 생각을 전할 수 있다면, 더 쉽게 읽히고 더 쉽게 이해할 수 있는 글이 될 수 있습니다.
</p>
<p class="pt">
Se você conseguir comunicar a mesma ideia com menos palavras, é mais provável que ela seja lida e compreendida.
</p>
<p class="ru">
Если вы изложите идею более кратко, она с большей вероятностью будет прочитана и понята.
</p>
<p class="zh">
如果你可以用较少的词语传达相同的想法,那么它更有可能被阅读和理解。
</p>
<p class="ar">
فالجملة التي يَسهُل ترجمتها، تكون أيضاً أسهل للفهم.
لذا اطلب من المترجم الخاص بك المشورة حول كيفية جعل النص الأصلي أكثر وضوحاً.
</p>
<p class="de">
Ein einfach zu übersetzender Satz, ist zudem einfacher zu verstehen.
Frage deinen Übersetzer daher, wie dein Original besser zu verstehen wäre.
</p>
<p class="en">
A sentence that’s easier to translate is also easier to understand.
So ask your translator how your original could be clearer.
</p>
<p class="eo">
Frazo kiu estas pli facile tradukita estas ankaŭ pli facile komprenita.
Do demandu al via tradukisto kiel via originalo povus pliklariĝi.
</p>
<p class="es">
Cuanto más fácil de traducir sea una frase, más fácil será también de entender.
Así que consulta con tu traductor para que te aconseje sobre cómo podrías hacer de tu original algo más claro.
</p>
<p class="fr">
Une phrase simple à traduire est aussi plus simple à comprendre.
Alors demandez à votre traducteur en quoi votre texte d’origine pourrait être plus clair.
</p>
<p class="ja">
翻訳が簡単であればあるほど文章もより理解しやすくなるのです。
ですから、オリジナルの文章をどうのようにしたらより明確にできるのか翻訳者にアドバイスを求めます。
</p>
<p class="ko">
쉽게 번역할 수 있는 문장은 또한 쉽게 이해 됩니다.
그러니 당신의 번역가에게 당신의 원문이 얼마나 명확한지 조언을 구하세요.
</p>
<p class="pt">
Uma frase que é fácil de traduzir é ainda mais fácil de entender.
Portanto, peça dicas ao seu tradutor sobre como deixar seu original mais claro.
</p>
<p class="ru">
Предложение, которое легче перевести, и понять тоже легче.
Так что спросите у переводчика совета, как можно сделать ваш исходный текст яснее.
</p>
<p class="zh">
一个更容易翻译的句子也更容易理解。
所以请咨询你的翻译员如何让你的原作更清楚。
</p>
<p class="ar">
تحدث مع المترجمين لك أثناء عملهم، حتى يتمكنوا من طرح جميع أسئلتهم.
لقد وجدت أسئلتهم تساعدني دائماً وأتمكن من تحسين النص الأصلي من منظور جديد.
</p>
<p class="de">
Sprich mit deinem Übersetzer, während dieser arbeitet, damit er dir all seine Fragen stellen kann.
Mir helfen die Fragen des Übersetzes, mein Original aus einer ganz neuen Perspektive heraus zu verbessern.
</p>
<p class="en">
Talk with your translator while they work, so they can ask you all of their questions.
I’ve found their questions always help me improve my original from a new perspective.
</p>
<p class="eo">
Parolu kun via tradukisto laboranta, do ri povas respondi iajn demandojn.
Mi trovis ke tradukistaj demandoj ĉiam helpas min plibonigi mian originalon dank’al nova sinteno.
</p>
<p class="es">
Comunícate con tu traductor mientras trabaja; de ese modo puede acudir a ti para resolver todas sus dudas.
Sus preguntas siempre me han ayudado a mejorar el original desde una nueva perspectiva.
</p>
<p class="fr">
Dialoguez avec votre traducteur pendant qu’il travaille, il pourra ainsi vous poser toutes ses questions.
Leurs questions m’ont toujours aidé à améliorer mon texte d’origine en l’abordant sous un angle nouveau.
</p>
<p class="ja">
翻訳している間に翻訳者と話すのです。そうすれば翻訳者はあなたに全ての質問をすることができます。
私は翻訳者からの質問が、新しい観点からオリジナルの文章を改善するのにいつも役立つことに気付きました。
</p>
<p class="ko">
번역을 하는 동안 번역가와 이야기를 통해, 그들이 당신에게 모든 질문을 할 수 있도록 하세요.
새로운 통찰력으로 내 원문을 향상시킬 수 있는 열쇠가 그들의 질문 속에 있었습니다.
</p>
<p class="pt">
Converse com seu tradutor enquanto ele estiver trabalhando, para que ele possa tirar todas as dúvidas com você.
Eu descobri que as perguntas deles sempre me ajudavam a melhorar meu original através de uma nova perspectiva.
</p>
<p class="ru">
Общайтесь с переводчиком, пока он работает, чтобы он мог задавать все свои вопросы.
Я обнаружил, что его вопросы всегда помогают мне улучшить исходный текст с новой перспективы.
</p>
<p class="zh">
在翻译员进行工作的同时与他们交流,这样他们能够问清楚所有的问题。
我发现他们的问题总是会帮助我从一个新的角度改进我的原作。
</p>
<p class="ar">
ولكنّي لست خبيراً في هذا الشأن، لذا يُرجى مشاركة أي اقتراحات في التعليقات أدناه.
</p>
<p class="de">
Ich bin kein Experte auf diesem Gebiet, also teile bitte unten deine Anregungen.
</p>
<p class="en">
But I’m not an expert at this, so please share your suggestions, below.
</p>
<p class="eo">
Sed mi ne spertas pri tio, do bonvolu doni viajn konsilojn, sube.
</p>
<p class="es">
Pero tampoco es que sea un experto en la materia, así que, si tienes alguna sugerencia, no dudes en plasmarla en la sección de comentarios que aparece a continuación.
</p>
<p class="fr">
Mais je ne suis pas expert en la matière, alors si vous avez des suggestions, n’hésitez pas à m’en faire part dans les commentaires ci-dessous.
</p>
<p class="ja">
しかし、私はこれについての専門家ではありませんから、どうか下記のコメント欄でどんな提案でも共有してください。
</p>
<p class="ko">
하지만 제가 이 분야에 전문가는 아니기 때문에, 아래에 어떤 댓글이라도 달아서 의견을 나눠 주세요.
</p>
<p class="pt">
Mas eu não sou especialista nisso, portanto, compartilhe suas sugestões nos comentários abaixo.
</p>
<p class="ru">
Но я в этом не специалист, так что, пожалуйста, делитесь любыми предложениями в комментариях ниже.
</p>
<p class="zh">
但我不是专家,所以请在下面的评论中分享任何建议。
</p>
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https://sive.rs/tra
To hone your writing, hire a translator.
2017-06-21T00:00:00+00:00
2017-06-21T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
A friend asked <strong>why I don’t write more often</strong>.
</p><p>
I told her it’s my minimalism, not wanting to put anything into the world unless necessary.
And because of the size of my mailing list, I don’t want to bother people unless it’s really important.
</p><p><strong>
She said, “Or maybe it’s ego.”
</strong></p><p>
Ouch.
She was right.
Very right.
</p><p>
I re-read my notes on the book “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/EgoEnemy">Ego is the Enemy</a>”.
</p><p><em>
“Ego is the unhealthy belief in our own importance.”
</em></p><p>
Yep.
Confirmed.
</p><p><strong>
I feared releasing something unimportant, so I didn’t release anything at all.
</strong></p><p>
If you would have asked me if I think I’m so important, I would have said no.
But <strong><a href="https://sive.rs/arv">actions, not words, reveal our real values</a></strong>.
</p><p>
So, sorry that I’ve been so silent.
I let my ego make excuses, then believed them.
</p><p>
<a href="https://sive.rs/book/EgoEnemy">Read the book “Ego is the Enemy”</a> if this sounds like you, too.
</p>
<a href="https://sive.rs/book/EgoEnemy"><img alt="" src="/images/EgoEnemy.jpg"></a>
https://sive.rs/ego
Ego is the Enemy
2017-06-16T00:00:00+00:00
2017-06-16T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I told my old coach that I really wanted to start my new company.
</p><p>
He said, “No, you don’t.”
</p><p>
I said, “Yes, I do!
This is really important to me!”
</p><p>
He said, “No, it’s not.
Saying it doesn’t make it true.”
</p><p>
I said, “You can’t ignore what I’m saying.
I know myself well.
I’m telling you what’s important to me.”
</p><p>
He said, “Yes, I can ignore what you’re saying and just look at your actions.
Our actions always reveal our real values.”
</p><p>
I thought about that, but it sounded wrong to me.
What about people who want to learn languages, or create businesses, but haven’t started yet?
What about people who want to quit smoking or quit their jobs, but haven’t been able to yet?
</p><p>
He said, “<strong>If they really wanted to do it, they would have done it.</strong>
You’ve been talking about this new company idea since 2008, but never launched it.
Looking at your actions, and knowing you, I’d say that you don’t really want to start another company.
You actually prefer the simple life you have now, focused on learning, writing, and playing with your kid.
<strong>No matter what you say, your actions reveal the truth.</strong>”
</p><p>
Wow.
Yep.
He was right.
</p><p>
I had been fooling myself for years, telling myself I wanted to do this, but my actions proved otherwise.
Yes, I wanted it a little bit, but I wanted something else more.
</p><p>
Now I’ve been sharing this thought with friends who talk about wanting something, but aren’t making it happen.
Each time, they have the same reaction I did.
</p><p>
No matter what you tell the world or tell yourself, your actions reveal your real values.
<strong>
Your actions show you what you actually want.
</strong>
</p><p>
There are two smart reactions to this:
</p>
<ol><li>
Stop lying to yourself, and admit your real priorities.
</li><li>
Start doing what you say you want to do, and see if it’s really true.
</li></ol>
https://sive.rs/arv
Actions, not words, reveal our real values
2017-06-16T00:00:00+00:00
2017-06-16T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Imagine the Olympics, where you have the three winners of a race standing on the podium: the gold, the silver, and the bronze.
</p><p>
Imagine what it’s like to be the silver medalist.
If you’d been just one second faster, you could have won the gold!
Damn! So close! Damn damn damn!
Full of envy, you’d keep comparing yourself to the gold winner.
</p><p>
Now imagine what it’s like to be the bronze medalist.
If you’d been just one second slower, you wouldn’t have won anything!
Awesome!
You’d be thrilled that you’re officially an Olympic medalist and get to stand on the winner’s podium.
</p><p>
Comparing up versus comparing down:
Your happiness depends on where you’re focusing.
</p><p>
The metaphor is easy to understand, but hard to remember in regular life.
If you catch yourself burning with envy or resentment, think like the bronze medalist, not the silver.
Change your focus.
<strong>
Instead of comparing up to the next-higher situation, compare down to the next-lower one.
</strong>
</p><p>
For example, if you aim to buy “the best” thing, you may feel like gold when you get it, but when the new “best” thing comes out next year, you’ll feel that silver envy.
Instead, if you aim to buy the “good enough” thing, it will keep you in the bronze mindset.
Since you’re not comparing to the best, you’ll feel no need to keep up.
</p><p>
I’ve met a lot of famous musicians.
The miserable ones were upset that they weren’t more famous, because they’d bitterly compare themselves to the superstars.
The happiest ones were thrilled to be able to make a living making music.
</p><p>
On the other hand, when you’re being ambitious, trying to be the best at a specific skill, it’s good to be dissatisfied, like that silver medalist focusing on the gold.
You can use that drive to practice and improve.
</p><p>
But most of the time, you need to be more grateful for what you’ve got, for how much worse it could have been, and how nice it is to have anything at all.
Ambition versus gratitude.
Comparing up versus comparing down.
</p><p>
For funnier thoughts on this, search the web for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=louis+ck+everything+amazing+nobody+happy">Louis C.K.’s “everything is amazing and nobody is happy”</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=seinfeld+silver+medal">Jerry Seinfeld’s “silver medal”</a> routines.
</p>
https://sive.rs/bronze
Think like a bronze medalist, not silver
2017-03-13T00:00:00+00:00
2017-03-13T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Art is useless by definition.
<strong>
If it was useful, it would be a tool.
</strong>
</p><p>
For the past twenty years, I was obsessed with being useful.
That one measure drove all of my daily decisions:
“How can I be the most useful to the most people today?”
</p><p>
That question served me well but had its downsides.
It kept me from playing and doing things just for me.
It’s no coincidence that I stopped making music twenty years ago.
It didn’t qualify as the most useful thing I could be doing.
</p><p>
A few months ago, I decided to stop trying so hard to be useful.
I needed a little more me-time.
I stopped spending hours per day answering strangers’ emails.
</p><p>
I started seriously learning my first foreign language.
It’s totally useless to anyone else, but I love it.
Now I realize why all my previous attempts to learn a language didn’t happen.
It was always a lower priority under all of my useful goals.
</p><p>
I started playing music again, for the first time in twenty years.
Not trying to be famous this time.
No care whether anyone else ever hears it or not.
This is just for me — just playing for its own sake and loving it.
</p><p>
It’s hard to relax into this mindset, after twenty years of the opposite.
It’s such a luxury to not think about you, out there, and how you might value me.
</p><p>
At the top of every page of my website, I used to have a sentence that describes what I do — another way of saying how I might be useful to the stranger browsing my site.
But I erased it last week.
</p><p>
For now, I’m nobody’s tool.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/hammer.jpg">
<div class="small"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/39718079@N00/261054170/">Hammer photo by David Blaine</a>.</div>
<p class="small">P.S. The original source of the “art is useless” idea is Oscar Wilde. See <a href="https://sive.rs/useless#comment-61585">see J.J. Vicars’ comment, below</a>, with a letter further explaining the thought.</p>
https://sive.rs/useless
Art is useless, and so am I
2017-03-10T00:00:00+00:00
2017-03-10T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
<strong>
Personal change needs some space to happen.
</strong>
To bring something new into your life, you need somewhere to put it.
If your current habits are filling your day, where are these new habits supposed to go?
</p><p>
The English word “quit” comes from old French, meaning “to free” or “to release”.
</p><p>
We know about quitting something that’s bad for you, or something you hate.
But what about quitting something you love?
</p><p>
I rebel against anything that feels like addiction.
When I hear myself saying “I need this,” I want to challenge that dependency and prove my independence.
</p><p>
It’s usually something tiny.
For example, I used to keep mints in the car.
One day when I ran out, I thought, “Oh no! I need more!”
But as soon as I felt that need, no — time to quit.
No mints in the car since that day.
</p><p>
Sometimes it’s something big.
I used to have an awesome job.
I loved it so much that I became too comfortable.
So <a href="https://sive.rs/nq">I made myself quit</a>.
That made me figure out how to be a full-time musician.
</p><p>
Ten years ago, I felt addicted to America.
It was my comfort zone.
I loved it too much.
I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
So I made myself quit.
I haven’t lived there in ten years, and probably never will again.
People often ask if I miss it.
Any regrets?
Not at all.
</p><p>
I still love everything I quit.
But not as much as I love all this room for change.
</p>
https://sive.rs/quit
Quitting something you love
2016-12-30T00:00:00+00:00
2016-12-30T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
For the past ten years, I’ve answered up to two hundred emails per day.
I sit alone in my little office for hours, engaging with everyone’s stories and questions for a few minutes each.
</p><p>
Then when friends want to hang out with me, I say I need some me-time first.
They wonder why, since I’ve been alone all day, so I explain how I’ve actually been very social and connected with so many people.
</p><p>
I like what I do, so I’m not complaining — just explaining.
<strong>
It’s unusual to be physically alone, but extremely social.
</strong>
A solitary socialite.
</p><p>
At first I thought this was a new internet thing.
But for decades, there have been people who talk on the phone all day.
Before that, there were people who just answered paper mail all day.
</p><p>
It works for me.
I love people one-on-one.
When I’m not answering emails, I’m often talking on the phone with one of my dear friends across the world, getting into great conversations for hours.
</p><p>
But it’s a strange life.
The solitary socialite.
</p>
https://sive.rs/soso
Solitary socialite
2016-12-27T00:00:00+00:00
2016-12-27T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
In the last ten years, I have answered over 200,000 emails from 86,000 people.
It’s my part-time job — my community service.
These are the most common questions.
</p>
<hr id="career">
<h3>
What should I do about my career?
</h3>
<p>
Read the book “<a href="https://sive.rs/career">So Good They Can’t Ignore You</a>”.
</p>
<hr id="life">
<h3>
What should I do with my life?
</h3>
<p>
Read “<a href="https://sive.rs/hsu">Happy, Smart, and Useful</a>”.
</p>
<hr id="intro">
<h3>
Can you introduce me to (famous person)?
</h3>
<p>
No, sorry.
Definitely not on request.
</p><p>
If my friends <em>ask</em> me if I know someone who’s doing what you’re doing, or have a specific need, then I’ll be glad to recommend you.
But not if they don’t ask.
</p>
<hr id="promote">
<h3>
Will you promote my thing?
</h3>
<p>
Read “<a href="https://sive.rs/nopr">Why I don’t promote</a>”.
</p>
<hr id="invest">
<h3>
Will you invest in my company?
</h3>
<p>
No, sorry.
I never had investors.
I have never invested in anyone or anything.
</p><p>
I don’t know anything about investing, and I’m not interested in it.
</p>
<hr id="use">
<h3>
Can I use your video / article?
</h3>
<p><strong>
Yes.
Anything I put on <a href="https://sive.rs/">sive.rs</a> is free forever.
</strong></p><p>
It would be nice if you could credit me and link back to sive.rs
But honestly I don’t care either way.
</p><p>
For the “<a href="https://sive.rs/ff">First Follower — How to Make a Movement — Leadership Lessons from a Dancing Guy</a>” dancing guy video, please get my original from <a href="https://sive.rs/ff">sive.rs/ff</a> instead of <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement">the one from the TED Conference</a>.
</p>
<hr id="podcast">
<h3>
Will you be on my podcast?
</h3>
<p><strong>
Maybe.
<a href="https://sive.rs/contact">Email me</a> a few questions you’d like to ask.
</strong></p><p>
I enjoy interviews when the questions are interesting, and haven’t been covered before.
</p><p>
<a href="https://sive.rs/i">Here is the archive</a> of my past podcast interviews.
</p>
<hr id="event">
<h3>
Will you speak at my event?
</h3>
<p>
Sorry, I don’t do public speaking anymore.
</p>
<hr id="mine">
<h3>
I’ve got content for your site.
</h3>
<p>
No, this is my personal site, completely non-commercial, for my personal expression only.
</p><p>
No advertising, no income, no analytics, no tracking, nobody else’s stuff.
</p>
<hr id="focus">
<h3>
I can’t focus.
</h3>
<p>
First understand the do-or-die importance of focus.
<strong>
If you don’t learn to focus, you will have a shallow and unrewarding life without any meaningful achievements.
</strong>
So make it a priority.
</p><p>
Read the book “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/DeepWork">Deep Work</a>”.
</p><p>
Read “<a href="https://sive.rs/donkey">Trying to pursue many different directions at once?</a>”.
</p><p>
Practice meditation.
</p><p>
Yes it’s hard.
Websites, phone apps, and media in general are designed to be as addictive as possible.
Treat them as you would other harmful addictions.
</p>
<hr id="balance1">
<h3>
I have a boring well-paying job. Should I quit my job to pursue my art full-time?
</h3>
<p>
Read “<a href="https://sive.rs/balance">How to do what you love and make good money</a>”.
</p>
<hr id="balance2">
<h3>
I’m a full-time artist, but can’t make money. What should I do?
</h3>
<p>
Read “<a href="https://sive.rs/balance">How to do what you love and make good money</a>”.
</p>
<hr id="idea">
<h3>
What do you think of this business idea?
</h3>
<p><strong>
It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, except your customers.
</strong></p><p>
Nobody can predict whether it will work or not.
So stop asking “in-theory” and go find out.
</p><p>
Find just one paying customer, and please that person.
<a href="https://sive.rs/startnow">
Start lo-fi, right now.
</a>
</p><p>
Read “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/LeanStartup">The Lean Startup</a>” book, for more thoughts on this.
</p>
<hr id="mentor">
<h3>
Where can I find a mentor?
</h3>
<p>
First read “<a href="https://sive.rs/ment">How to ask your mentors for help</a>”.
</p><p>
Then read “<a href="https://sive.rs/advice">A warning to anyone receiving advice</a>”.
</p><p>
Then read the best books about the challenges you face, and <strong>let those books be your mentors.</strong>
</p><p><strong>
It’s dangerous to think that there is one special person that can give you all the answers and help you.
</strong></p><p>
Talk with many people, not just experts.
<a href="https://sive.rs/book/WisdomOfCrowds">
Get a diverse group of opinions.
</a>
</p><p>
I never had a mentor.
When stuck on a problem, I’ve always called many friends for feedback.
Some of the best and most helpful insights came from random friends asking naïve questions.
</p>
<hr id="faster">
<h3>
Why isn’t my business or audience growing faster?
</h3>
<p>
I worked on CD Baby for 12-18 hours per day, 7 days per week, for <strong>four years</strong> before it really took off.
</p><p>
As for an audience, I’ve been creating and posting things online for free non-stop since 1994.
Yep, that’s <strong>25 years</strong> now.
And <a href="https://sive.rs/hundreds">keeping in touch</a> with everyone I met that whole time.
</p><p>
Keep pushing, but be patient.
</p>
<hr id="prog">
<h3>
How should I learn programming?
</h3>
<p>
First master HTML and CSS, as described in “<a href="https://sive.rs/prog">Should you learn programming? Yes.</a>”
</p><p><strong>
Then learn JavaScript, as described in “<a href="https://sive.rs/learn-js">How to learn JavaScript</a>”.
</strong></p><p>
If you just want to get a job or make a website, you can ignore the curiosity about other languages.
Just master JavaScript, and it will take you far.
</p><p>
But if you still find programming fascinating, make a point of learning the basics of three or four other vastly different languages, like
<a href="https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/head-first-sql/9780596526849/">SQL</a>,
<a href="https://www.python.org/">Python</a>, and
<a href="https://racket-lang.org/">Racket</a>,
because something clicks once you understand a few different ways of getting the end result you want.
You don’t need to master them.
Just spend a month with each, going through a couple tutorial books about it, and making something happen with it.
</p><p>
Definitely read “<a href="https://pragprog.com/titles/tpp20/">The Pragmatic Programmer</a>”, no matter what.
</p>
<hr id="writer">
<h3>
How do I become a better writer?
</h3>
<p>
First read “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/OnWritingWell">On Writing Well</a>”.
</p><p>
Then read “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/MadeToStick">Made to Stick</a>”.
</p><p>
Write publicly every week.
Post it somewhere people see it.
Something changes when your writing is out in the public, being seen by strangers.
Seeing it through their eyes helps more than anything.
</p>
<hr id="review">
<h3>
Will you read or review my book?
</h3>
<p>
I don’t review books.
</p><p>
I only read for my own self-improvement, based on my own needs at the time, then <a href="https://sive.rs/book">take notes</a> for my own reflection.
</p>
<hr id="musician">
<h3>
I’m a musician. What should I do?
</h3>
<p>
Read “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1631494791/">How To Make It in the New Music Business</a>” by Ari Herstand, and do what he says.
</p><p><strong>
This is the single best book on the current music business.
An absolute must-read for every musician.
</strong></p>
<hr id="cdbaby">
<h3>
Blah blah blah blah CD Baby?
</h3>
<p>
<a href="https://sive.rs/done">
I left CD Baby in 2008.
</a>
I haven’t talked with anyone there since then.
I don’t even know who works there anymore.
</p><p>
I know nothing about what they’re doing.
So I have no insights and no opinions.
</p>
<hr id="models">
<h3>
What should I do about my relationship, or lack of?
</h3>
<p>
Read “<a href="https://markmanson.net/books/models">Models</a>” by Mark Manson.
(Only guys ask me for relationship advice.)
</p>
<hr id="sad">
<h3>
I’m really sad.
</h3>
<p>
Read “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/WhenThingsFallApart">When Things Fall Apart</a>” by Pema Chödrön.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/notlost.jpg">
https://sive.rs/faq
Frequently Asked Questions
2016-12-22T00:00:00+00:00
2016-12-22T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
People with a well-paying job ask my advice because they want to quit to become full-time artists.
</p><p>
But full-time artists ask my advice because they’re finding it impossible to make money.
</p><p>
(Let’s define “art” as anything you do for expression, even just blogging or whatever.)
</p><p>
For both of them, I prescribe the lifestyle of the happiest people I know:
</p>
<ul><li><strong>
Have a well-paying job.
</strong></li><li><strong>
Seriously pursue your art for love, not money.
</strong></li></ul>
<p>
Let’s look at the ingredients of this plan.
First: <strong>balance</strong>.
You’ve heard about balancing heart and mind, or right-brain left-brain, or whatever you want to call it.
We all have a need for stability <em>and</em> adventure, certainty <em>and</em> uncertainty, money <em>and</em> expression.
</p><p>
If you have too much stability, you get bored.
If you don’t have enough stability, you panic.
So keep the balance.
</p><p>
Do something for love and something for money.
Don’t try to make one thing satisfy your entire life.
</p><p>
<strong>
Each half of your life becomes a remedy for the other.
</strong>
You get paid stability for part of your day, but then need creative time for expression.
So you push yourself creatively, expose your vulnerable art to the public, feel the frustration of rejection and apathy, and then long for some stability again.
Each half is a remedy for the other.
</p><p>
<strong>
About the job:
</strong>
Be smart, and choose <a href="https://sive.rs/images/jobwages.jpg">something that pays well with a solid future</a>.
Look for statistics in your area about what pays the best when factoring in the required training.
You’ll probably need to study for a few years to build up the rare skills that are well-rewarded.
<strong>This is a head choice, not a heart choice,</strong> since you’re not trying to make your job your entire life.
</p><p>
<strong>
About your art:
</strong>
Pursue it seriously.
Take lessons.
Make weekly progress.
Keep improving, even if you’ve been doing it for decades.
</p><p>
If you don’t progress and challenge yourself creatively, it won’t satisfy the balance.
Release and sell your work like a professional.
Find some fans.
Let them pay you.
But your attitude is different than someone who needs the money.
You don’t need to worry if it doesn’t sell.
You don’t need to please the marketplace.
You don’t need to compromise your art or value it based on others’ opinions.
<strong>
You’re just doing this for yourself — art for its own sake.
</strong>
And you’re releasing it because that’s one of the most rewarding parts — important for self-identity — and gives you good feedback on how to improve.
</p><p>
<strong>
Your main obstacle to this amazing life will be self-control.
</strong>
You’ll need good time management to stop addictions like social media and video-watching, and make your art your main relaxing activity.
You’ll need good mind management to not think of your job after you leave the office.
</p><p>
Most full-time artists I know only spend an hour or two a day actually doing their art.
The rest is spent on the boring work that comes with trying to make it a full-time career.
So skip the art career and just do the art.
</p><p>
And that’s my advice for a rewarding life.
I’ve met thousands of people over the last twenty years — many of them full-time musicians, many of them not — but the happiest people I know are the ones that have this balance.
</p><p>
Don’t expect your job to fulfill all your emotional needs.
Don’t taint something you love with the need to make money from it.
<strong>
Don’t try to make your job your whole life.
Don’t try to make your art your sole income.
</strong>
Let each be what it is, and put in the extra effort to balance the two, for a great life.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/seesaw.jpg">
<div class="small">See-Saw by Osch aka Otto Schade. Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/maureen_barlin/14946472205/">Maureen Barlin</a>.</div>
https://sive.rs/balance
How to do what you love and make good money
2016-12-19T00:00:00+00:00
2016-12-19T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Motivation is delicate.
</p><p>
When you notice your motivation fading, you have to seek out the subtle cause.
<strong>
A simple tweak can make all the difference between achieving something or not.
</strong>
</p><p>
An hour outside my city, there’s a little mountain range.
The other side is gorgeous.
But the road that crosses the mountains is very twisted, with sharp turns every few seconds.
The first two times I drove across, my kid threw up in the back seat.
It’s also stressful because I’m surrounded by mountain scenery but I can’t take my eyes off the winding road.
Though I drive at a normal speed, the other cars follow impatiently on my tail, because many of them drive this road every day.
</p><p>
Crossing the mountains takes only half an hour, but I always arrive exhausted.
The stress was affecting my motivation enough that I wanted to stop visiting.
</p><p>
So one day I tried a new approach: I drove really slowly.
Now the turns didn’t make my kid sick.
Now I could afford to take a few seconds to glance sideways and appreciate the scenery.
Now it wasn’t stressful, except for one thing: the impatient queue of cars behind me.
I care (perhaps too much) about other people, so just seeing them in my mirror made me go back to driving faster than I wanted, which brought back all the original problems.
</p><p>
So I made one simple tweak:
I tilted my rear-view mirror up towards the ceiling so I couldn’t see anything behind me.
</p><p>
That little tweak changed everything!
</p><p>
Now it feels like I’m almost alone on this gorgeous mountain drive.
Going at my own pace, not influenced or stressed by anyone else.
</p><p>
There’s a passing lane every few minutes, so when it comes, the other cars whiz by me.
But for thirty minutes, they’re not my problem.
When I get to the other side of the mountain, I put my mirror back.
</p><p>
Now I visit all the time — no stress at all.
</p><p>
You know I’m going for the metaphor here:
</p><ul><li>
Social media comments
</li><li>
Distracting environments
</li><li>
Discouraging family members
</li><li>
Your email inbox
</li></ul><p>
Even the toughest of us have delicate motivation.
</p><p>
When you notice that something is affecting your drive, find a way to adjust your environment, even if that’s a little inconvenient for others.
</p>
https://sive.rs/tilt
Tilting my mirror (motivation is delicate)
2016-12-05T00:00:00+00:00
2016-12-05T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
It’s crucial to know why you’re doing what you’re doing.
</p><p>
Most people don’t know.
They just go with the flow.
</p><p>
Social norms are powerful.
The inputs that influence you are powerful.
A great talk, book, or video can instantly change how you think.
</p><p>
But on your death bed, you don’t want that horrible regret, feeling like you spent your life pursuing what someone said you should want, instead of what you actually wanted.
</p><p>
For example, if you want to make a lot of money, you need to admit that.
If you want to be famous, you need to pursue that.
If you want freedom and no responsibilities, or want to learn as much as possible, or whatever else, you need to realize it and embrace it.
</p><p>
<strong>
Whatever you decide, you need to optimize for that goal, and be willing to let go of the others.
</strong>
</p><p>
You can’t diffuse your energy, trying to do a little bit of everything, or you’ll always be in conflict with yourself.
</p><p>
For example, one way to make money is to take on a lot of responsibility, which means letting go of some freedoms.
</p><p>
One way to get famous is to let others make more money, while you take the spotlight.
I learned this while living in Los Angeles, when I got to know some famous Hollywood actors and realized they’re not as rich as you’d think.
The richest people in Hollywood are the ones you’ve never heard of, because they’ve optimized their careers for money.
They know that others are willing to take less money in return for more fame, so they profit from the other side of that deal.
</p><p>
Maybe the most important thing to you is learning, or creating, or giving.
Maybe it’s how many people’s lives you can influence.
Maybe it’s how deeply you can influence just a few people’s lives.
</p><p>
Once you realize what you really want and admit it, you need to pursue it.
</p><p>
If you want freedom, then own a business but delegate all the work.
You won’t be learning or creating or giving as much as you could with a different strategy, but that’s OK.
You know freedom is what you’re after.
</p><p>
Sometimes your best strategy is counter-intuitive.
If you have a high paying job, but realize that charitable giving is what matters most to you, then the best strategy is not to quit your job to go hang mosquito nets in Africa, but actually to keep your job and make as much money as you can, while funding organizations in Africa that hang thousands of mosquito nets.
(Unless your goal is just to look charitable. Then admit that to yourself, too.)
</p><p>
But whatever you choose, brace yourself, because people are always going to tell you that you’re <a href="https://sive.rs/wrong">wrong</a>.
</p><p>
That’s why you need to know why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Know it in advance.
Use it as your compass and optimize your life around it.
Let the other goals be secondary so that when those decision moments come, you can choose the value that you already know matters most to you.
</p>
https://sive.rs/why
Why are you doing?
2016-09-05T00:00:00+00:00
2016-09-05T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When a friend says something interesting to me, I usually don’t have a reaction until much later.
</p><p>
When someone asks me a deep question, I say, “Hmm. I don’t know.”
The next day, I have an answer.
</p><p>
I’m a disappointing person to try to debate or attack.
I just have nothing to say in the moment, except maybe, “Good point.”
Then a few days later, after thinking about it a lot, I have a response.
</p><p>
This probably makes me look <a href="https://sive.rs/ss">stupid</a> in the moment, but I don’t mind.
I’m not trying to win any debates.
</p><p>
In fact, I’ll tell you a secret.
When someone wants to interview me for their show, I ask them to send me some questions a week in advance.
I spend hours writing down answers from different perspectives, before choosing the most <a href="https://sive.rs/counter">interesting</a> one.
Then when we’re in a live conversation, I try to make my answers sound spontaneous.
</p><p>
People say that your first reaction is the most honest, but I disagree.
<strong>
Your first reaction is usually outdated.
</strong>
Either it’s an answer you came up with long ago and now use instead of thinking, or it’s a knee-jerk emotional response to something in your past.
</p><p>
When you’re less impulsive and more deliberate like this, it can be a little inconvenient for other people, but that’s OK.
Someone asks you a question.
You don’t need to answer.
You can say, “I don’t know,” and take your time to answer after thinking.
Things happen.
Someone expects you to respond.
But you can say, “<a href="https://sive.rs/horses">We’ll see</a>.”
</p><p>
And maybe, through example, you can show them that they can do the same.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/treetroll.jpg">
<div class="small">(Tree sculpture by <a href="http://kimbeatonstudios.com/">Kim Beaton</a>.)</div>
https://sive.rs/slow
I’m a very slow thinker
2016-08-26T00:00:00+00:00
2016-08-26T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Until yesterday, I called myself an entrepreneur.
Now, I don’t.
</p><p>
It’s been years since I started a company, so I can’t keep using that title.
</p><p>
Someone who played football in high school can’t call himself an athlete forever.
Someone who did something successful long ago can’t keep calling himself a success.
</p><p>
You have to keep earning it.
</p><p>
Holding on to an old title gives you satisfaction without action.
<strong>
But success comes from doing, not declaring.
</strong>
</p><p>
By using a title without doing the work, you fool yourself into thinking that future success is assured — thinking, “This is who I am!”
But that <a href="https://sive.rs/zipit">premature sense of satisfaction</a> can keep you from doing the hard work necessary.
</p><p>
Stop fooling yourself.
Be honest about what’s past and what’s present.
Retiring outdated titles lets you admit what you’re really doing <a href="https://sive.rs/now">now</a>.
</p><p>
And if you don’t like the idea of losing your title, then do something about it!
This goes for titles like “leader,” “risk-taker,” and “good friend,” too.
</p><p>
Today I updated my <a href="https://sive.rs/">website</a> to reflect which of my accomplishments are in the past.
It’s liberating to speak in the past tense about what you’ve done, and <strong>only speak in the present tense about what you’re actually doing.</strong>
</p>
https://sive.rs/expire
Keep earning your title, or it expires
2016-08-04T00:00:00+00:00
2016-08-04T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Like everyone, I get those times when I’m unmotivated to do anything.
Brain dead.
No energy.
Everything feels like, “Why bother? What’s the point?”
</p><p>
But I’ve finally figured out what to do with those times.
</p><p>
Like everyone, I have a list of boring chores that need to be done but that I’ve been putting off for years.
I never do them because I’m always more excited about something else.
</p><p>
During my last unmotivated funk, I realized that because nothing is exciting me, that means nothing is exciting me more than this boring necessary stuff.
And since I don’t want to waste my inspired times on brainless work, <strong>this is a perfect time to do those dull tasks</strong>.
</p><p>
So I made a list of these necessary things.
I grumbled and complained, but I used some caffeine and got through them.
It actually felt pretty good.
</p><p>
Conventional wisdom tells us to do the important and difficult thing first.
But doing this boring work moves me from a state of doing nothing to doing something.
It makes me feel like doing something important again.
</p><p>
So the next time you’re feeling extremely unmotivated, do those things you never want to do anyway.
</p>
https://sive.rs/unmo
When you’re extremely unmotivated
2016-08-02T00:00:00+00:00
2016-08-02T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
All the best, happiest, and most creatively productive times in my life have something in common: being disconnected.
</p><p>
No internet.
No TV.
No phone.
No people.
Long uninterrupted solitude.
</p><p>
When I was twenty-two, I quit my job and spent five months alone in a house on a remote part of the Oregon coast.
Practicing, writing, recording, exercising, and learning.
No internet.
No TV.
No phone.
No people.
I drove into the city only once a month to see friends and family.
The rest of the time, I was completely disconnected.
</p><p>
In those five months, I wrote and recorded over <a href="https://sive.rs/music">fifty songs</a>, made huge improvements in my musicianship, read twenty books, and got into the best physical shape of my life.
</p><p>
When I was twenty-seven, I moved to the <a href="http://www.jpfolks.com/ECRoadTrip00/ECpages/cdbaby.html">woods of Woodstock</a> and did that again.
Months and months of lovely solitude.
That’s how I started CD Baby.
</p><p>
It’s not that I hate people.
The other best times in my life were with people.
But it’s interesting how many highlights were just sitting in a room in that wonderful creative flow, free from the chatter of the world.
No updates.
No news.
No pings.
No chats.
No surfing.
</p><p>
Silence is a great canvas for your thoughts.
That vacuum helps turn all of your inputs into output.
That lack of interruption helps you <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_%28psychology%29">flow</a>.
</p><p>
Every business wants to get you addicted to their infinite updates, pings, chats, messages, and news.
But if what you want out of life is to <strong>create</strong>, then those are your obstacles.
</p><p>
People often ask me what they can do to be more successful.
I say disconnect.
Even if just for a few hours.
Unplug.
Turn off your phone and Wi-Fi.
Focus.
Write.
Practice.
Create.
<strong>
That’s what’s rare and valuable these days.
</strong>
</p><p>
You get no competitive edge from consuming the same stuff everyone else is consuming.
It’s rare, now, to focus.
And it gives such better rewards.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/disconnect.jpg">
<div class="small">Illustration © 2018 John Warner</div>
https://sive.rs/dc
Disconnect
2016-07-27T00:00:00+00:00
2016-07-27T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
“My two cents” is American slang for adding a small opinion or suggestion.
</p><p>
An employee says to the boss, “I’ve been working for the past two weeks on this new design. What do you think?”
</p><p>
The boss says, “Good job. Maybe just change the blue to gold, change the word ‘giant’ to ‘huge’, and get rid of the border. Other than that, it’s great!”
</p><p>
Now, because the boss said so, the employee will have to make those changes.
</p><p>
But there’s a big downside:
The employee no longer feels full ownership of their project.
(Then you wonder why they’re not motivated!)
</p><p>
Imagine this instead:
</p><p>
The employee says, “I’ve been working for the past two weeks on this new design. What do you think?”
</p><p>
The boss says, “It’s perfect. Great work!”
</p><p>
This slight change made a huge difference in the psychology of motivation.
Now that person can feel full ownership of this project, which is more likely to lead to more involvement and commitment for future projects.
</p><p>
The boss’s opinion is not necessarily better than anyone else’s.
But <strong>once you become the boss, your opinion is dangerous</strong> because it’s not just one person’s opinion anymore — it’s a command!
So adding your two cents can really hurt morale.
</p><p>
A business should not focus on the boss, so this restraint is healthy.
You shouldn’t give your opinion on everything just because you can.
</p><p>
Obviously, if there’s more than “two cents” worth of stuff that needs to change, then this rule does not apply.
But if your contribution is small and just an opinion, let it go.
Let the other person feel full ownership of the idea, instead.
</p>
https://sive.rs/2c
Don’t add your two cents
2016-07-25T00:00:00+00:00
2016-07-25T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I occasionally get a big vision for my future — a huge project that will take many months or years.
Something exciting and very worth doing.
</p><p>
I’ll do a bunch of research, make a bunch of plans, and feel like I’ve made a big decision on a new direction in life.
</p><p>
Then a month later, I have a completely different vision.
Something unrelated to the previous one.
Something I’m <em>more</em> excited about.
</p><p>
And the process repeats.
</p><p>
I used to feel bad about this.
Like I should stop having new ideas for the future, and just stick with one.
I used to feel bad for not acting on them.
</p><p>
Then I made a little change that made a big difference: on my computer, I made a folder called “Possible Futures.”
For each big plan, I make a new file in that folder and put all of my ideas and research into it.
</p><p>
Now I can daydream all I want, not feeling bad that I’m not taking action, because it’s clear that <strong>each plan is just one of many possible futures.</strong>
</p><p>
This collection of plans also reminds me that <strong>I love daydreaming, just for its own sake.</strong>
</p><p>
I’ve got seventy-two different futures in there as of today.
A few times a year, I read through them all.
Some seem stupid now, but some get more and more enticing with time.
</p><p>
When I finish a big project and I’m feeling ready for a new future, I open this folder and pick one to make real.
</p>
https://sive.rs/futures
Possible futures
2016-04-27T00:00:00+00:00
2016-04-27T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
My advice and opinions may sound strange on their own.
</p><p>
Do you know what <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterpoint">musical counterpoint</a> is?
Underneath the main melody, you have a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=counter-melody">counter-melody</a> that goes against it, and together they make harmony.
This is different from harmonizing, where someone sings along with the melody at an interval.
The counter-melody is a separate melody that could stand on its own, but is mainly there to complement the main melody.
</p><p>
Well, if my advice and opinions sound strange, it’s because I’m just the counter-melody.
</p><p>
I know I’m not the only voice you hear.
There’s a common message we all hear these days.
Let’s call that the melody.
</p><p>
I may love that melody, too, but I don’t want to just duplicate it.
So I try to think of a good counter-melody.
</p><p>
I do it to <a href="https://sive.rs/compensate">compensate</a> for something I think is missing in the common message.
<strong>
My public writing is a counterpoint meant to complement the popular point.
</strong>
</p><p>
Of course I don’t think the stuff I say is the only way to go.
I’m just the counter-melody.
</p><p>
Really I hope you listen to the combination.
Eventually you’ll find yourself singing along with the melody you like best, or making up your own.
</p>
<a href="https://marcinryczek.com/portfolio-item/blackwhitegallery/"><img alt="" src="/images/swans.jpg"></a>
<div class="small">“A Man Feeding Swans in the Snow” photo © <a href="https://marcinryczek.com/portfolio-item/blackwhitegallery/">Marcin Ryczek</a>.</div>
https://sive.rs/counter
Singing the counter-melody
2016-04-21T00:00:00+00:00
2016-04-21T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
(part of <a href="https://sive.rs/d1">the “do this” directives</a>)
</p>
<h3>1.
Prioritize lifestyle design.
</h3><p>
You’ve made it, so it’s all about you, now. Make your dreams come true.
</p><p>
Shape your surroundings to please your every desire.
</p><p>
Make your <a href="https://sive.rs/book/TimeParadox">immediate gratification</a> the most important thing.
</p>
<h3>2.
Chase that comparison moment.
</h3><p>
You have the old thing. You want the new thing.
Yes! Do it! Be happy for a week.
</p><p>
Ignore the fact that the <a href="https://sive.rs/book/StumblingOnHappiness">happiness only comes from the moment of comparison between the old and new</a>.
</p><p>
Once you’ve had your new thing for a week, and it becomes the new norm, seek happiness from another new thing.
</p>
<h3>3.
Buy, not rent.
</h3><p>
Why rent a house, castle, boat, or car, when you can buy?
</p><p>
It’s not about the thing, it’s about identity.
This shows who you are now.
</p>
<h3>4.
Internalize your new status.
</h3><p>
You worked hard to get here.
Celebrate. Relax.
</p><p>
Admit you are in a different class of people now, with different needs.
</p><p>
Understand there is no going back.
</p>
<h3>5.
Be a connoisseur.
</h3><p>
Learn what others say is the finest.
</p><p>
Insist on only the finest.
</p><p>
You will now be <a href="https://sive.rs/book/StoicJoy">unhappy</a> with anything but the finest.
</p>
<h3>6.
Get to know your possessions.
</h3><p>
Now that you own the best, it’s time to focus on what you’ve got.
</p><p>
Learn all about the features of your new possessions.
</p><p>
Spend more time getting your surround sound and heated floor just right.
</p><p>
Work out the solar panel charging of your Tesla car.
This is important.
</p>
<h3>7.
Acclimate to comfort.
</h3><p>
Eliminate every discomfort from your life.
</p><p>
<a href="https://sive.rs/book/WhenThingsFallApart">Blame others</a> when the world seems hard, and is not living up to your standards.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/thinking.jpg">
https://sive.rs/d1x
How to stop being rich and happy
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
(part of <a href="https://sive.rs/d1">the “do this” directives</a>)
</p>
<h3>1.
Get famous.
</h3><p>
Do everything in public and for the public.
</p><p>
The more people you <a href="https://sive.rs/book/ShowYourWork">reach</a>, the more useful you are.
</p><p>
The opposite is hiding, which is of no use to anyone.
</p>
<h3>2.
Get rich.
</h3><p>
Money is neutral proof you’re adding value to people’s lives.
</p><p>
So, by getting <a href="https://sive.rs/book/HowToGetRich">rich</a>, you’re being useful as a side-effect.
</p><p>
Once rich, spend the money in ways that are even more useful to others.
</p><p>
Then getting rich is double-useful.
</p>
<h3>3.
Share strong opinions.
</h3><p>
Strong opinions are <a href="http://musicthoughts.com/t/99">very useful</a> to others.
</p><p>
Those who were undecided or ambivalent can just adopt your stance.
</p><p>
But those who disagree can solidify their stance by arguing against yours.
</p><p>
Even if you invent an opinion for the sole sake of argument, boldly sharing a strong opinion is very useful to others.
</p>
<h3>4.
Be expensive.
</h3><p>
People given a placebo pill were twice as likely to have their pain disappear when told the pill was expensive.
</p><p>
People who paid more for tickets were more likely to attend the performance.
</p><p>
People who spend more for a product or service <a href="https://sive.rs/aopv">value it more</a>, and get more use out of it.
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
<a href="http://elvindantes.com/">Elvin Dantes</a> made <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UbixCFJ2DA">this great video</a>:
</p>
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/5UbixCFJ2DA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<img alt="" src="/images/thinking.jpg">
https://sive.rs/d1u
How to be useful to others
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
(part of <a href="https://sive.rs/d1">the “do this” directives</a>)
</p>
<h3>1.
Prepare for the worst.
</h3><p>
Since you have no idea what the future may bring, be open to the best and the worst.
</p><p>
But the best case scenario doesn’t need your preparation or your attention.
</p><p>
So mentally and financially prepare for the worst case, instead.
</p><p>
Like insurance, don’t obsess on it.
Just prepare, then carry on appreciating the good times.
</p>
<h3>2.
Expect disaster.
</h3><p>
Every biography of a successful person has that line, “And then, things took a turn for the worse.”
</p><p>
Fully expect that disaster to come to you at any time.
</p><p>
Completely assume it’s going to happen, and make your plans accordingly.
</p><p>
Not just money, but health, family, freedom.
<a href="https://sive.rs/book/StoicJoy">Expect it all to disappear</a>.
</p><p>
Besides, you appreciate things more when you know this may be your last time seeing them.
</p>
<h3>3.
Own as little as possible.
</h3><p>
Depend on even less.
</p><p>
The less you own, the less you’re affected by disaster.
</p>
<h3>4.
Choose opportunity, not loyalty.
</h3><p>
Have no loyalty to location, corporation, or your past public statements.
</p><p>
Be an absolute <a href="https://sive.rs/book/Antifragile">opportunist</a>, doing whatever is best for the future in the current situation, unbound by the past.
</p><p>
Have loyalty for only your most important human relationships.
</p>
<h3>5.
Choose the plan with the most options.
</h3><p>
The best plan is the one that lets you change your plans.
</p><p>
(Example: renting a house is buying the option to move at any time without losing money in a changing market.)
</p>
<h3>6.
Avoid planning.
</h3><p>
For maximum options, don’t plan at all.
</p><p>
Since you have no idea how the situation or your mood may change in the future, wait until the last moment to make each decision.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/thinking.jpg">
https://sive.rs/d1t
How to thrive in an unknowable future
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
(part of <a href="https://sive.rs/d1">the “do this” directives</a>)
</p>
<h3>1.
Change yes to “Hell yeah!” or no.
</h3><p>
Once successful, you need to <a href="https://sive.rs/switch">switch</a> strategies.
</p><p>
To get successful, you had to say yes to everything.
</p><p>
Now if you continue doing that, you’ll drown in all the opportunities.
</p><p>
Now say no to anything that makes you say anything less than “<a href="https://sive.rs/hellyeah">Hell yeah!</a>”
</p>
<h3>2.
Keep momentum.
</h3><p>
The temptation is to take it easy.
</p><p>
But <a href="https://sive.rs/tarzan">like swinging on jungle vines</a>, if you stop that forward motion you can never get it back.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/thinking.jpg">
https://sive.rs/d1s
What to do when you get successful
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
(part of <a href="https://sive.rs/d1">the “do this” directives</a>)
</p>
<h3>1.
Live where luck strikes.
</h3><p>
Live where everything is happening,
</p><p>
where the money is flowing,
</p><p>
where careers are being made,
</p><p>
where your role models live.
</p><p>
Once there, be as in the game as anyone can be.
</p><p>
Be right in the <a href="https://sive.rs/2014-02-baker">middle of everything</a>.
</p>
<h3>2.
Say yes to everything.
</h3><p>
Meet <a href="https://sive.rs/hundreds">everyone</a>.
</p><p>
Pursue every opportunity.
</p><p>
Nothing is too small.
Do it all.
</p><p>
Like lottery tickets, you never know which one will win.
So the more, the better.
</p><p>
Follow-up and keep in touch with everyone.
</p>
<h3>3.
Learn the multiplying skills.
</h3><p>
Speaking, writing, psychology, design, conversation, 2nd language, persuasion, programming, meditation/focus.
</p><p>
Not pursued on their own, they’re skills that <a href="https://sive.rs/book/HowToFail">multiply</a> the success of your main pursuit.
</p><p>
(A pilot who’s also a great writer and public speaker.)
</p><p>
(A chef with a mastery of psychology, persuasion, and design.)
</p><p>
These skills multiply the results of your efforts, and give you an edge over others in your field.
</p>
<h3>4.
Pursue market value not personal value.
</h3><p>
Do what pays well.
</p><p>
Do not be the <a href="https://sive.rs/starving-artist">starving artist</a>, working on things that have great <a href="https://sive.rs/book/PersonalDevelopmentForSmartPeople">personal value</a> to you, but little <a href="https://sive.rs/book/PredictablyIrrational">market value</a>.
</p><p>
<a href="https://sive.rs/book/SoGood">Follow the money</a>.
It tells you where you’re most valuable.
</p><p>
Don’t try to make a career out of everything you love. For example, sex.
</p>
<h3>5.
Shamelessly imitate success.
</h3><p>
Imitate the best strategies of your competitors.
</p><p>
The market doesn’t care about your personal need to be unique.
</p><p>
It’s selfless and humble to use the best ideas regardless of source, to create the best service or product for your clients.
</p><p>
Get great at executing other people’s ideas as well as your own.
</p>
<h3>6.
Be the owner, not just inventor.
</h3><p>
It’s tempting to try to be the ideas person, having someone else do the dirty work of making those ideas happen.
</p><p>
Ideas don’t make you rich.
Great execution of ideas does.
</p><p>
A rule of capitalism: whoever takes the most financial risk gets the rewards.
</p><p>
The biggest rewards will always go to those that fund it and own it.
</p><p>
<a href="https://sive.rs/book/HowToGetRich">To get rich</a>, be the owner.
Own as close to 100% as possible.
</p>
<h3>7.
Benefit from human nature.
</h3><p>
Instead of complaining about the downside of human nature, find ways to benefit from it.
</p><p>
Instead of complaining about the rules, just learn the game, then <a href="https://sive.rs/book/MeInc">play it</a>.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/thinking.jpg">
https://sive.rs/d1r
How to get rich
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
(part of <a href="https://sive.rs/d1">the “do this” directives</a>)
</p>
<h3>1.
Assume it’s their last day.
</h3><p>
Everyone talks about living like it’s your last day on earth.
</p><p>
Instead, to appreciate someone, live like it’s <a href="https://sive.rs/book/PowerOfNo">their</a> last day on earth.
</p><p>
Treat them accordingly. Try to fulfill their dreams for the day.
</p><p>
Really listen to them. Learn from them.
</p>
<h3>2.
Be who you’d be when alone.
</h3><p>
You could live in a crowd, pleasing only others.
</p><p>
You could live in solitude, pleasing only yourself.
</p><p>
But ideally, when in a crowd, be the same person you’d be when alone.
</p>
<h3>3.
Assume men and women are the same.
</h3><p>
Men think women are so different from them.
</p><p>
Women think men are so different from them.
</p><p>
But the differences <a href="https://sive.rs/mw">among</a> men and differences <a href="https://sive.rs/mw">among</a> women are far greater than the differences between men and women.
</p><p>
So <a href="https://sive.rs/compensate">counteract</a> your tendency to exaggerate the differences.
</p><p>
<a href="https://sive.rs/book/Mindwise">Assume men and women are the same</a>.
</p>
<h3>4.
Always make new friends.
</h3><p>
As you grow and change, old friends and family will be unintentionally invested in maintaining you as you were before.
</p><p>
Let go of people that don’t welcome and encourage your change.
</p>
<h3>5.
Avoid harming the relationship.
</h3><p>
For long-term relationship success, it’s more effective than seeking the positive.
</p><p>
A friendship that may take years to develop can be ruined by a single action.
</p>
<h3>6.
Act calm and kind.
</h3><p>
Regardless of how you feel.
</p>
<h3>7.
Don’t try to change them.
</h3><p>
... unless they asked you to.
</p><p>
Don’t teach a lesson.
</p><p>
Stop trying to change people who don’t think they have a problem.
</p>
<h3>8.
Find wisdom in your opponents.
</h3><p>
Really engage those who think <a href="https://sive.rs/book/Mindwise">opposite</a> of you.
</p><p>
You already know the ideas common on your own side.
</p>
<h3>9.
Purge the vampires.
</h3><p>
Get <a href="https://sive.rs/book/PowerOfNo">rid</a> of people that drain you, that don’t make you feel good about yourself.
</p><p>
They make you hate all people.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/thinking.jpg">
https://sive.rs/d1p
How to like people
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
First see “<a href="https://sive.rs/2do">just tell me what to do</a>” for context.
</p><p>
These directives will take another form some day, with more details and references.
And there are many more to come.
</p><p>
But I decided to post this outline now, because so many people have asked for these since <a href="https://sive.rs/2015-12-ferriss">Tim’s show</a>.
</p>
<hr/>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/d1u">How to be useful to others</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/d1r">How to get rich</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/d1t">How to thrive in an unknowable future</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/d1p">How to like people</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/d1s">What to do when you get successful</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sive.rs/d1x">How to <strong>stop</strong> being rich and happy</a></li>
</ol>
<img alt="" src="/images/thinking.jpg">
<hr/>
<h3>
Responses:
</h3>
<p>
<a href="http://elvindantes.com/">Elvin Dantes</a> made <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UbixCFJ2DA">this great video</a>:
</p>
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/5UbixCFJ2DA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
<a href="https://twitter.com/CBE">Cheryl B. Engelhardt</a> wrote “<a href="http://livingongigging.com/do-this-instead/">Do This Instead</a>”, which I love.
</p>
https://sive.rs/d1
Do this. Directives — part 1
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
2016-04-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When you bake a cake, you need to do first things first.
You need to get the ingredients before you turn on the oven.
You need to bake it before you frost it and slice it.
</p><p>
I meet a lot of people who want to start a business.
Some don’t have an idea yet.
I don’t understand this.
It’s like wanting to wear a bandage when you don’t have a wound.
</p><p>
Most have an idea but no customers.
For them I always say, “Don’t start a business until people are asking you to.”
</p><p>
This is not meant to be discouraging.
It just means you need to get the ingredients before you turn on the oven.
</p><p>
First you find real people whose problem you can solve.
You listen deeply to find their dream scenario.
You make sure they’re happy to pay you enough.
</p><p>
Don’t <a href="https://sive.rs/zipit">announce</a> anything.
Don’t choose a <a href="https://seths.blog/2003/06/naming_a_busine/">name</a>.
Don’t make a website or an app.
Don’t build a system.
<strong>
You need to be free to completely change or ditch your idea.
</strong>
</p><p>
Then you get your first paying customer.
Provide a one-on-one personal service.
Then you get another paying customer.
<strong>
Prove a real demand.
</strong>
</p><p>
Then, <a href="https://sive.rs/walkways">as late as possible</a>, you officially start your business.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/ingredients.jpg">
https://sive.rs/asking
Don’t start a business until people are asking you to
2016-04-13T00:00:00+00:00
2016-04-13T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I’ve been the guest on 54 interview shows, most of them in the past year.
</p><p>
Now you can hear or read them all in one place: <a href="https://sive.rs/i">sive.rs/i</a>
</p><p>
You might find them interesting because I put a lot of heart into them, getting personal in a way I don’t in my succinct blog posts or stage talks.
</p><p>
You might find them interesting because I put a lot of work into them, too.
The host will email me some questions in advance and I’ll spend like six hours writing, thinking, writing, editing, and writing before we do the call and hit record.
I try to go beyond the first answer that comes to mind, to get to the more surprising and useful answer.
</p><p>
If you like to listen, I made an easy MP3 download link for each one.
</p><p>
If you’d rather read, there’s a full transcription on each page.
</p><p>
There’s also a link to the original website where you can find out more about the interviewer, and follow their work.
</p><p>
Since websites come and go, but sive.rs will be alive longer than me, I figured I should start archiving all these interviews in one place.
</p><p>
So, <a href="https://sive.rs/i">sive.rs/i</a>
</p><p>
I’m announcing this now because the one I posted yesterday is going to be my last interview for a long time.
So now is the best time to go listen or read, if interested.
</p>
https://sive.rs/interviews
Interviews at sive.rs/i
2016-03-27T00:00:00+00:00
2016-03-27T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Every day, someone asks me to promote or announce something they’ve created.
</p><p>
Every day, I have to say no, no matter who or what it is.
</p><p>
It upsets me every time.
</p><p>
Almost everyone I know is a creator.
Everyone has made a song, site, video, book, business, or project.
Most of them are quite good.
I want them all to succeed.
</p><p>
I hate to play favorites.
But if I announced them all, my site and feed would be a daily firehose of “check it out”.
Or if I was a discerning curator, it would be a full-time job.
</p><p>
I admire the curators.
They click every link, hear every idea, listen to every song, watch every video, read every article, assess every project, then share the best stuff they find.
I’m so glad those people exist, but that’s the opposite of the life I want.
</p><p>
I’ve never been a fan.
Even as a musician, I was never that into other people’s music.
I just liked the creative process of making my own music.
</p><p>
Even now, I don’t check out much.
If I said OK to every “check it out”, I’d have to spend hours a day just surfing, browsing, listening, and watching.
But what I really love is making, making, making, and making.
</p><p>
Sometimes a friend says, “Please. For me.”
I have to say no to them, too.
It wouldn’t be fair to everyone else.
</p><p>
So, <strong>a sincere apology</strong> to everyone who wants me to announce their thing.
I try to be helpful in other ways.
But <strong>I’m just not a promoter.</strong>
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/stepping.jpg">
<div class="small">Photo © <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pss/1359407958/">Paul Stevenson</a>.</div>
https://sive.rs/nopr
Why I don’t promote
2016-03-17T00:00:00+00:00
2016-03-17T00:00:00+00:00
<img alt="" src="/images/hsu.gif">
<p>
There are three things to consider when making life-size decisions:
</p><ul><li>
What makes you happy
</li><li>
What’s smart — meaning long-term good for you
</li><li>
What’s useful to others
</li></ul><p>
We have a tendency to forget one of these.
For example:
</p><h3>
Smart and useful (but not happy)
</h3><p>
This is the stereotype of the strict parent who says, “You will go to the best school, get perfect grades, get a degree in law or medicine, and make lots of money. What you want does not matter. This is what’s best for you and your family.”
</p><p>
Smart and useful isn’t bad.
It’s rational, like a machine.
<strong>
But happiness is the oil.
</strong>
Without it, the friction kills the engine.
</p><h3>
Happy and smart (but not useful)
</h3><p>
This is the stereotype of the “lifestyle design” or self-help addict: always learning, always improving, and obsessively focused on how to be happy and create the perfect life.
</p><p>
They look for “passive income” instead of focusing on doing something that’s <a href="https://sive.rs/starv">really valuable to others</a>.
</p><p>
Happy and smart isn’t bad.
The self-focus feels great at first.
But you can’t actually <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pull_oneself_up_by_one%27s_bootstraps">pull yourself up by your bootstraps</a>.
<strong>
Ultimately you must be lifted by those around you.
</strong>
</p><h3>
Happy and useful (but not smart)
</h3><p>
This is the stereotype of charity volunteers.
After getting expensive university degrees, they spend years flying to exotic impoverished places to dig wells and thatch roofs.
</p><p>
But if a graduate’s time could be worth $200 per hour, yet they’re doing work that locals could do better for $10 per hour (and without airfare and hotels), then they’re actually doing a disservice to others.
(For more thoughts on this, find two articles online: “<a href="https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/pC47ZTsPNAkjavkXs">Efficient Charity: Do Unto Others</a>” and “<a href="https://medium.com/the-development-set/the-reductive-seduction-of-other-people-s-problems-3c07b307732d">The Reductive Seduction of Other People’s Problems</a>.”)
</p><p>
In this same category are people who stay at the same jobs for life without improvement, and the musicians who always perform at the local venues but never make good recordings.
</p><p>
Happy and useful isn’t bad.
These people are doing good for the world, so it’s hard to find fault.
<strong>
They have great intentions but lame strategies — wasted effort and unused potential.
</strong>
</p><h3>
Just happy (not smart or useful)
</h3><p>
This is the <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=mexican+fisherman+american+business">parable of the Mexican fisherman</a>.
</p><p>
Some say, “Just be happy. That’s all that matters.”
It sounds so simple, it must be profoundly true, right?
</p><p>
But, as in Aesop’s fable of “<a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=ant+grasshopper+fable">The Ant and the Grasshopper</a>,” you’ll be full of regret if you think of nothing but today and don’t prepare for tough times.
</p><p>
And you’ll be very unrewarded if you serve only yourself, not others.
</p><h3>
So…?
</h3><p>
When life or a plan feels ultimately unsatisfying, I find it’s because I’ve forgotten to find the intersection of all three:
</p><ul><li>
What makes me happy
</li><li>
What’s smart
</li><li>
What’s useful to others
</li></ul>
<img alt="" src="/images/hsu.gif">
https://sive.rs/hsu
Happy, Smart, and Useful
2016-03-03T00:00:00+00:00
2016-03-03T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Men say, “Women can never make up their minds.”
</p><p>
But actually both men and women are equally indecisive.
</p><p>
Women say, “Men think one thing but say another.”
</p><p>
But actually both men and women are equally indirect.
</p><p>
<strong>
We think the differences between our group and another group are greater than they are.
</strong>
</p><p>
But the differences <em>among</em> men, and the differences <em>among</em> women, are much bigger than the differences <em>between</em> men and women.
</p><p>
So instead, <a href="https://sive.rs/compensate">to compensate for your tendency to exaggerate those differences</a>, just assume that men and women are the same.
</p><p>
They’re not the same, but if you follow this rule, your thinking will be closer to correct than not.
</p>
https://sive.rs/mw
Assume men and women are the same
2016-02-28T00:00:00+00:00
2016-02-28T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Imagine that you hand someone your camera, and ask him to take a photo of you.
He does, but when you look at the photo later, you notice that he took a photo of himself by mistake.
</p><p>
Imagine you’ve got a big question like, “Should I quit my job and start my own company?”
You go ask the advice of some successful people you respect.
Because they can’t know everything about you and your unique situation, they’ll give advice that’s really just a reflection of their own current situation.
</p><p>
So let’s look at some ways that advice is biased.
</p><p><strong>
Lottery numbers:
</strong>
When successful people give advice, I usually hear it like this:
“Here are the lottery numbers I played: 14 29 71 33 8. They worked for me!”
Success is based on so many factors.
Some are luck.
Some are not.
It’s hard to know which are which.
So which do you learn from?
</p><p><strong>
Underdog opinion in their context:
</strong>
Someone giving advice doesn’t want to say what’s been said too much already.
But he’s basing that on his surroundings, not yours.
So if everyone around him is quitting their jobs, his advice to you will be to keep your job.
That advice has nothing to do with what’s best for you — it’s just the opinion that seems under-represented in his environment that day.
</p><p><strong>
Creative sparks:
</strong>
You ask, “What should I do, option A or B?”
He replies, “Zebra!”
He’s treating the situation as an invitation to brainstorm, giving a crazy suggestion just to open up <a href="https://sive.rs/options">more options</a>.
Like an <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=oscar+wilde+quotes">Oscar Wilde quip</a>, it was meant to be mostly entertaining, maybe useful, and probably not correct.
</p><p>
The problem is taking any one person’s advice too seriously.
Ideally, asking advice should be like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_echolocation">echolocation</a>.
Bounce ideas off of all of your surroundings, and listen to all the echoes to get the whole picture.
</p><p>
<strong>Ultimately, only you know what to do</strong>, based on all the feedback you’ve received and all your personal nuances that no one else knows.
</p>
https://sive.rs/advice
Beware of advice
2016-02-25T00:00:00+00:00
2016-02-25T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
You have something you want to change: a thought process or habit you want to fix.
</p><p>
Let’s use the metaphor of a bunch of bricks on a seesaw.
Right now all the bricks are stacked on one side.
This is the way you have been.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/compensate-l.jpg">
<p>
To make a change, <strong>most people don’t do enough.</strong>
</p><p>
If you do something small and sensible, it’s like moving one brick to the other side.
You’re still unbalanced.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/compensate-l1.jpg">
<p>
You think you made the change, but it’s not accounting for:
</p><ul><li>
a lifetime of doing it the other way,
</li><li>
the environment that made you that way, and
</li><li>
the pressure from friends to stay that way.
</li></ul><p>
<strong>
To make a change, you have to be extreme.
</strong>
Go all the way the other way.
<strong>It will feel like overcompensating</strong>, but you have to stack a huge pile of bricks on the other side.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/compensate-r.jpg">
<p>
This new you sounds extreme and exciting.
You’ll think you’re going to be completely changed.
</p><p>
But actually the old stuff is still there.
So really this is what you needed to do to balance — to compensate for that cultural baggage, self-identity, habit, and history.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/compensate-b.jpg">
<p>
Once you’re balanced, the new perspective will sink in and become your new normal.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/compensate-b2.jpg">
<br/>
<img alt="" src="/images/compensate-b3.jpg">
<div class="small">Illustrations by <a href="http://portfolios.ru/cherry_inspiration">Victoria Medvedeva</a> in Saint Petersburg, Russia. They are free for you to use.</div>
https://sive.rs/compensate
Overcompensate to compensate
2016-02-23T00:00:00+00:00
2016-02-23T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
You would think this would be a basic life skill, but it seems almost nobody knows it, so please spread the word.
</p><p><strong>
When someone gives you a compliment, what should you do?
</strong></p><p>
Do you say, “What? No! Not at all. That’s ridiculous.”
Do you give details of why you disagree?
</p><p>
That’s what most people do.
They refuse it.
They deny it.
</p><p>
But think of how <strong>inconsiderate</strong> that is.
</p><p>
It takes <strong>courage</strong> to give you a compliment.
It’s a little <strong>vulnerable</strong> for someone to admit they like something about you, and then to go up to you and tell you so.
So when they do, is that nice of you to <strong>argue</strong> with them about it?
How do you think that makes them feel in that moment?
</p><p>
So, when someone gives you a compliment, what should you do?
</p><p><strong>
Just say, “Thank you.”
</strong></p><p>
Nothing more.
</p><p>
It feels strange, but it’s the right thing to do.
</p><p>
It doesn’t mean you agree.
You’re just thanking them for their vulnerable courage in that moment, for taking the trouble to tell you something nice.
</p><p>
Then sincerely return their interest.
Ask their name, or something more about them.
</p><p>
This advice came from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livingston_Taylor">Livingston Taylor</a>, and was originally aimed at musicians, since they often get compliments after a gig, and always actively disagree with these compliments.
But everyone can use this simple life skill.
</p>
https://sive.rs/thx
How to take a compliment
2016-02-18T00:00:00+00:00
2016-02-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
About once a month, someone asks for my mailing address because they want to send me something.
They liked something I wrote, and want to send me a gift in return.
I’m very thankful, but have to say no.
Here’s why.
</p><p>
I live in a little pre-furnished apartment with no stuff, and I love it this way.
I have no books, knicknacks, decorations, and really no personal items at all.
Just some minimal clothing, my laptop, headphones, and not much else.
All the kitchenware and furniture just came with the place, and will stay here when I leave.
</p><p>
I just moved into this place a few weeks ago.
I’ve moved every year or two since I was 17.
I do it because I can, and living this way makes me happy.
</p><p>
Every year, I erase my computer’s hard drive and re-install my operating system from scratch.
Every week, I erase my phone’s log of texts and calls.
I just love that uncluttered feeling.
</p><p>
So when I receive something in the mail, no matter how thoughtful it is, it kinda sucks because <strong>now I have to figure out how to get rid of it.</strong>
I feel really wasteful if I just throw it in the trash, so I have to figure out who to give it to.
</p><p>
Then I feel bad for whoever spent a bunch of money and time to get and send me something.
<strong>I appreciate the thought</strong>, but really a nice compliment by email is actually much more appreciated than some thing that shows up in the mail.
</p><p>
My family and friends know this about me, so I haven’t received anything for Christmas or my birthday in almost 20 years.
I’ve been living this way a long time.
It makes me really happy when another Christmas or birthday has passed and I didn’t receive anything.
It makes me feel understood.
</p><p>
I’m not saying anyone else should be this way.
Back when I was a full-time musician, I had a whole recording studio full of stuff.
But these days, everything I want to do is on my laptop.
If I had a different hobby, I’d have a different situation.
I’m in awe of my friends with a steady home and huge collections that make them happy.
</p><p>
It’s not even a problem.
I’m not complaining or bragging.
I’m incredibly grateful that I even have to write this.
But because it comes up often, I thought I should explain it here.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/transparentchurch.jpg">
<div class="small">“<a href="http://www.design.spotcoolstuff.com/cool-archiecture/transparent-church-belgium">Reading Between the Lines</a>” transparent church in Belgium. It’s worth a trip if you’re near. Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/88100135@N02/24634580891/">Tom Davidson</a>.</div>
https://sive.rs/gifts
Why I don’t want stuff
2016-02-16T00:00:00+00:00
2016-02-16T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When I was 14 years old, my guitar teacher told me something important:
</p><p><strong>
“You need to learn to sing. Because if you don’t, you’re always going to be at the mercy of some asshole singer.”
</strong></p><p>
His point was about self-reliance.
If you ever have any ideas, whether for songs or apps, you need to have some basic skills to turn those ideas into reality.
</p><p>
One of the most common things I hear from aspiring entrepreneurs is, <strong>“I have this idea for an app or site. But I’m not technical, so I need to find someone who can make it for me.”</strong>
</p><p>
I point them to my advice about <a href="https://sive.rs/how2hire">how to hire a programmer</a>, but most programmers are already busy and expensive.
</p><p>
Imagine if someone said, “I have this idea for a song. But I’m not musical, so I need to find someone who will write, perform, and record it for me.”
</p><p>
You’d probably advise them to just learn enough guitar or piano so they can play their song.
</p><p><strong>
It’s like learning to drive or make dinner.
You only need to learn enough so you’re not helpless.
</strong></p><p>
So, yes, you should learn some programming.
Basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are enough to start.
</p><p><strong>
I recommend <a href="http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596159924.do">Head First HTML and CSS</a> first, then <a href="http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920010906.do">Head First HTML5 Programming</a>.
</strong>
Those are very fun, visual books where you need to see the detailed illustrations, so get the paper book or PDF.
</p><p>
If you prefer a course and community, use <a href="https://www.freecodecamp.org/">Free Code Camp</a>.
Ideally, do those books and this course at the same time, to really reinforce what you’re learning.
</p><p>
You could go through those books or courses in a few weeks, and you’d already know as much as half of the people that call themselves web developers.
</p><p>
It’s a really amazing feeling.
The mystery is lifted.
You’ll look at all websites in a new way.
You’ll understand what’s going on behind the scenes.
You’ll know how to do it yourself.
It’s really empowering.
(It’s definitely been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever learned.)
</p><p>
For an inspiring example <a href="http://blog.jenniferdewalt.com/post/56319597560/im-learning-to-code-by-building-180-websites-in">see Jennifer Dewalt</a>, who learned to code by building <a href="http://blog.jenniferdewalt.com/post/62998082815/after-180-websites-im-ready-to-start-the-rest-of">180 websites in 180 days</a>, with no previous experience.
</p><p>
Next, <a href="https://sive.rs/learn-js">read my advice on learning JavaScript</a>.
</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/plarsen/35590387/"><img alt="" src="/images/bicycle-repair.jpg"></a>
https://sive.rs/prog
Should you learn programming? Yes.
2016-02-14T00:00:00+00:00
2016-02-14T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Life is like any journey.
You need to change directions a few times to get where you want to go.
</p><p>
<strong>
Early in your career, the best strategy is to say yes to everything.
</strong>
The more things you try, and the more people you meet, the better.
Each one might lead to your lucky break.
</p><p>
Then when something is extra-rewarding, it’s time to switch strategies.
<strong>
Focus all of your energy on this one thing.
</strong>
Don’t be leisurely.
Strike while it’s hot.
Be a freak.
Give it everything you’ve got.
</p><p>
If by chance it was a dead-end road, then switch your strategy back to trying everything.
</p><p>
Eventually your focus on something will pay off.
Because you’re successful, you’ll be overwhelmed with opportunities and offers.
You’ll want to do them all.
But this is when you need to switch strategies again.
<strong>
This is when you learn to say “<a href="https://sive.rs/hellyeah">hell yeah or no</a>” to avoid drowning.
</strong>
</p><p>
Now you admit you’ve arrived at your first destination.
This is where you stop following old directions, and decide where you’re going next.
The new plan means you need to switch strategies again.
</p>
https://sive.rs/switch
Switch strategies
2016-01-27T00:00:00+00:00
2016-01-27T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
A month ago I announced <a href="https://sive.rs/nowff">the /now page movement</a>, where many personal websites are adding a “/now” page to answer the question, “What are you focused on now?”
</p><p>
At the time, only ten websites had a /now page.
Now there are over 280.
</p><p>
It’s incredible.
People are saying it helps them prioritize and focus.
</p><p>
<a href="http://gregalbritton.com/now">Greg Albritton</a> emailed to say he made a list of everyone with a /now page.
So I turned that into its own website: <strong><a href="http://nownownow.com/">nownownow.com</a></strong>.
</p><p>
It’s been a fun programming project.
I’ve been doing it full-time for the past month.
(Thanks to <a href="https://github.com/SaschaKrause">Sascha Krause</a> in Berlin for contributing a better design.)
</p><p>
Then Greg wanted to do feature profiles, so he came up with six questions that I asked everyone.
Now if you click the (+) by any link on <a href="http://nownownow.com/">nownownow.com</a>, it will bring you to a page where you can get to know the person behind the site.
</p><p>
It’s addicting and inspiring to browse these profiles, and visit their sites.
There’s a Twitter account — <a href="https://twitter.com/NowNowNow">@NowNowNow</a> — that tweets out a link to a new profile every hour.
</p><p>
People have told me they are getting a good amount of traffic to their site from people browsing <a href="http://nownownow.com/">nownownow.com</a>, so…
</p>
<h3>
How to add yours?
</h3>
<p>
<strong>If you already have a website</strong>, just add a new page.
If you’re using WordPress, look for “Pages” on the left, and choose “Add New”.
Give it a “permalink” of /now.
(Sorry I can’t help with tech support.)
</p><p>
Write something about what you’re doing now, and publish.
<strong>Once it’s online, email me the link at <a href="mailto:derek@sivers.org">derek@sivers.org</a>, and I’ll add it to nownownow.com.</strong>
After it’s up, I’ll ask you the questions for a profile page.
</p><p>
<strong>If you don’t have a website</strong>, but have been meaning to get one, create a free one at <a href="https://wordpress.com/">wordpress.com</a>.
Before you announce it, I highly recommend getting your own domain name at <a href="https://www.hover.com/">hover.com</a>.
Point your domain to your WordPress blog, and use that.
(Again, sorry I can’t help with tech support, but this is very common stuff, so anyone else can.)
</p>
<h3>
What now?
</h3>
<p>
Someone asked me what my vision is for the /now page movement.
But I’ve never had one.
I just enjoy being of service.
<strong>
People tell me what they want, and if it’s something I can do, I do.
</strong>
</p><p>
So if you have a good idea for what this could use or could be, please leave a comment here, or email me at <a href="mailto:derek@sivers.org">derek@sivers.org</a>.
</p>
<a href="http://nownownow.com/"><img alt="" src="/images/nowclock.jpg"></a>
https://sive.rs/now3
nownownow.com
2015-11-20T00:00:00+00:00
2015-11-20T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
People often ask me what I’m doing now.
</p><p>
Each time I would type out a reply, describing where I’m at, what I’m focused on, and what I’m not.
</p><p>
So earlier this year I added a <a href="https://sive.rs/now">/now</a> page to my site:
<strong><a href="https://sive.rs/now">sive.rs/now</a></strong>
</p><p>
A simple link.
Easy to remember.
Easy to type.
</p><p>
It’s a nice reminder for myself, when I’m feeling unfocused.
A public declaration of priorities.
</p><p>
(If I’m doing something that’s not on my list, is it something I want to add, or something I want to stop?)
</p><p>
It helps me <a href="https://sive.rs/no2">say no</a>, too.
When I decline invitations, I point them to that page to let them know it’s not personal.
</p><p>
Anyway, <strong>today</strong> the brilliant Gregory Brown announced that <strong>he added <a href="http://practicingdeveloper.com/now/">a /now page</a> to his site!</strong>
</p><p>
I re-tweeted his announcement, and <strong>within hours, 8 more people made a /now page!</strong>
</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://mikevial.com/now/">mikevial.com/now</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.theubergeekgirl.com/now/">theubergeekgirl.com/now</a></li>
<li><a href="http://blitzprog.org/now">blitzprog.org/now</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.notkindacool.com/now/">notkindacool.com/now</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.marclittlemore.com/now/">marclittlemore.com/now</a></li>
<li><a href="https://marcjenkins.co.uk/now/">marcjenkins.co.uk/now</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lewiswalsh.com/now/">lewiswalsh.com/now</a></li>
<li><a href="http://garrickvanburen.com/now/">garrickvanburen.com/now</a></li>
</ul>
<p>
I love it!
I wish <em>everyone</em> had one!
</p><p>
<strong>If you make a /now page on your site, please add the URL in the body of a comment, below.</strong>
Use the full http:// URL, so it will be a clickable link.
</p>
<h4>Update: all /now pages listed at <a href="http://nownownow.com/">nownownow.com</a></h4>
<p>
(You do get what’s going on here, don’t you?
Gregory Brown has <a href="https://sive.rs/ff">started a movement</a>!)
☺
</p>
<a href="http://nownownow.com/"><img alt="" src="/images/nowclock.jpg"></a>
https://sive.rs/nowff
The /now page movement
2015-10-21T00:00:00+00:00
2015-10-21T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
A few years ago, I lived in Santa Monica, California, right on the beach.
</p><p>
There’s a great bike path that goes along the ocean for seven and a half miles.
So, fifteen miles round trip.
On weekday afternoons, it’s almost empty.
It’s perfect for going full speed.
</p><p>
So a few times a week, I’d get on <a href="https://surlybikes.com/bikes/straggler">my bike</a> and go as fast as I could for the fifteen-mile loop.
I mean really full-on, 100 percent, head-down, red-faced sprinting.
</p><p>
I’d finish exhausted and look at the time:
<strong>
forty-three minutes.
</strong>
Every time.
Maybe a minute more on a really windy day, but basically always forty-three minutes.
</p><p>
After a few months, I noticed I was getting less enthusiastic about this bike ride.
I think I had mentally linked it with being completely exhausted.
</p><p>
So one day I decided <strong>I would do the same ride, but just chill</strong>.
Take it easy, nice and slow.
OK, not <em>super</em> slow, but dialing it back to about 50 percent of my usual effort.
</p><p>
And ahhh… what a nice ride.
I was relaxed and smiling and looking around.
I was barely giving it any effort.
</p><p>
I saw two dolphins in the water.
A pelican flew right over me in Marina del Rey.
When I looked up to say “wow!” he shit in my mouth.
I can still remember that taste of digested shellfish.
I had to laugh at the novelty of it.
</p><p>
I’m usually so damn driven, always doing everything as intensely as I can.
It was so nice to take it easy for once.
I felt I could do this forever, without any exhaustion.
</p><p>
When I finished, I looked at the time: <strong>forty-five minutes.</strong>
</p><p>
Wait — what?!?
How could that be?
Yep.
I double-checked: forty-five minutes, as compared to my usual forty-three.
</p><p>
So apparently all of that exhausting, red-faced, full-on push-push-push I had been doing had given me only a <strong>4 percent</strong> boost.
I could just take it easy and get <strong>96 percent of the results</strong>.
</p><p>
And what a difference in experience!
To go the <em>same</em> distance, in about the <em>same</em> time, but one way leaves me exhausted, and the other way, rejuvenated.
</p><p>
I think of this often.
When I notice that I’m all stressed out about something or driving myself to exhaustion, I remember that bike ride and try dialing back my effort by 50 percent.
It’s been amazing how often everything gets done just as well and just as fast, with what <em>feels</em> like half the effort.
</p><p>
Which then makes me realize that half of my effort wasn’t effort at all, but just unnecessary stress that made me <em>feel</em> like I was doing my best.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/bikesand.jpg">
<div class="small">Bicycle photo <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mike-dean/12008975114">© Mike Dean</a></div>
https://sive.rs/relax
Relax for the same result
2015-10-02T00:00:00+00:00
2015-10-02T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
<a href="https://stevenpressfield.com/about/">Steven Pressfield</a> called himself an author for years, but he’d never actually finished a book.
Eventually, the psychological pain of not finishing kept building until he couldn’t stand it anymore.
He decided to finally beat the devil he calls “The Resistance”.
</p><p>
He created a situation with no escape.
He rented a cabin, brought his typewriter, and shut off all other options.
</p><p>
He said,
</p>
<blockquote>
“I didn’t talk to anybody during that year…
I didn’t hang out.
I just worked.
I had a book in mind and I had decided I would finish it or kill myself.
I could not run away again, or let people down again, or let myself down again.
This was it, do or die.”
</blockquote>
<p>
After a difficult year of wrestling with those inner demons and avoiding all temptations, he did it.
He finished his first book.
It wasn’t a success, but it didn’t matter.
He had finally beat The Resistance.
He went on to write many successful novels.
</p><p>
He told this story in the great book <i><a href="https://sive.rs/book/TurningPro">Turning Pro</a></i>, the third in his series of little books about the creative struggle, including <i><a href="https://sive.rs/book/WarOfArt">The War of Art</a></i> and <i><a href="https://sive.rs/book/DoTheWork">Do the Work</a></i>.
Read all three.
</p><p>
“<a href="https://sive.rs/hellyeah">Hell yeah or no</a>” is a filter you can use to decide what’s worth doing.
But this is simpler and more serious.
<strong>
This is a decision to stop deciding.
</strong>
It’s one decision, in advance, that the answer to all future distractions is “no” until you finish what you started.
<strong>
It’s saying yes to one thing, and no to absolutely everything else.
</strong>
</p>
https://sive.rs/no2
Saying no to everything else
2015-09-23T00:00:00+00:00
2015-09-23T00:00:00+00:00
<h3>
Internalizing books
</h3>
<p>
Wanting to be successful, I’ve always read every book I thought could help.
Even if a book had just one useful insight, it was worth the $20 and my time spent reading and thinking.
</p><p>
A few years ago, I realized I was forgetting the lessons I’d learned from past books.
So I started taking detailed notes while reading, saving every important idea.
I wanted to permanently remember what I’d learned, and act on it.
</p><p>
I saved these notes as text files and put them on my phone, so I could review them often.
Now I also share them on my site at <a href="https://sive.rs/book">sive.rs/book</a>.
There are over 200 books there now, with my top recommendations at the top. Enjoy.
</p>
<h3>
“Just tell me what to do.”
</h3>
<p>
When I’d tell my friends about a great book I’d just read, they didn’t want to read it.
They didn’t want 300 pages of anecdotes, explanations, and supporting arguments.
They’d say, “Just tell me what to do.”
</p><p>
I realized that for some things, I also don’t want the full 20-hour explanation.
I’d be happier with just the conclusions — the actions — the directives.
</p><p>
For example, I’d heard great things about Michael Pollan’s book “<a href="http://michaelpollan.com/books/the-omnivores-dilemma/">The Omnivore’s Dilemma</a>”.
But 450 pages about the history of food? Eh...
</p><p>
Then two years later he wrote “<a href="http://michaelpollan.com/books/in-defense-of-food/">In Defense of Food</a>”.
It sounded like a tighter argument at 250 pages, but... eh....
</p><p>
Then he wrote “<a href="http://michaelpollan.com/books/food-rules/">Food Rules</a>”, a tiny little book that <strong>compresses all of his advice into 64 sentences</strong>.
<a href="https://sive.rs/hellyeah">Hell yeah!</a>
</p><p>
It takes only 30 minutes to read, with succinct advice like “Eat only foods that will eventually rot.” and “Avoid food products that make health claims.”
Each point has just a few sentences of explanation.
That’s all I needed, because I already trust him.
But you can reference his previous book if you want the supporting evidence behind the advice.
</p><p>
Compressing wisdom into directives — (“Do <em>this</em>.”) — is so valuable, but so rarely done.
It feels arrogant and imperial to tell people what to do.
Who am I to order people around?
On the other hand, who am I <em>not</em> to?
It’s useful to people, so do it.
</p><p>
I’m humble.
I don’t expect anyone to actually do what I say.
It’s just a succinct and powerful way to communicate an idea.
Focus on the action.
</p>
<h3>
Compressing all this wisdom into directives
</h3>
<p>
So I spent the last few months going through all my notes for 220 books.
</p><p>
First I extracted just the most essential and counterintuitive points.
</p><p>
Then the hardest part was turning observations into advice.
</p><p>
For example, this observation —
</p><p><em>
“Behavioral psychologists Stephen M. Garcia and Avishalom Tor showed that merely knowing there are more competitors in a competition decreases our performance.”
</em></p><p>
— turns into this advice:
</p><p><em>
“Avoid awareness of competitors.”
</em></p><p>
But what about this observation?
</p><p><em>
“Half a group was shown that extraverts are more successful. Other half shown that introverts are more successful. Then when asked to recall events from their past to help determine which they were, they remembered just the events that support the successful group they were told.”
</em></p><p>
How would you turn that into advice?
</p>
<h3>
The result?
</h3>
<p>
I’ve now got hundreds of these wise directives.
</p><p>
I tried turning them into a 30-minute talk for a conference, but it was a disaster.
Fun for the first three minutes, then overwhelming.
A 30-minute TO-DO list that would take a lifetime to complete.
</p><p>
<a href="https://sive.rs/d1">I list many of them at sive.rs/d1</a>, but I think a list is not as useful.
I prefer presenting <a href="https://sive.rs/1idea">one idea at a time</a>.
</p><p>
Maybe I’ll turn them into a book.
(I like the title “Do This”.)
</p><p>
<strong>Any other ideas?</strong>
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/bonsai.jpg">
<div class="small">(Bonsai photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/grufnik/408948777">Grufnik</a>.)</div>
https://sive.rs/2do
“Just tell me what to do”: compressing knowledge into directives
2015-08-29T00:00:00+00:00
2015-08-29T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
If you are a web or API developer, programming code that uses an SQL database, this is for you.
</p><p>
I’ve found a very different and useful way to structure code.
It’s made such a big difference for me that I had to share it here.
</p>
<h3>
How things are
</h3>
<p>
Most web development — whether custom or using frameworks like Rails, Django, Laravel, Sinatra, Flask, and Symfony — tends to work the same way:
</p>
<ul><li>
At the core is a <strong>database</strong>, which is just the storage of data.
</li><li>
<strong>All intelligence</strong> is in Ruby/Python/PHP/JavaScript classes.
</li></ul>
<h3>
Why that’s bad
</h3>
<p>
These norms have some dangerous implications:
</p>
<ul><li>
<strong>Everything</strong> must go through these Ruby/Python/PHP/JavaScript classes — including shell scripts and other things not part of this application.
</li><li>
<strong>Nothing</strong> else may access the database directly, since doing so may break the rules defined by these surrounding classes.
</li><li>
The <strong>database is treated as dumb storage</strong>, even though the database is smart enough to have most of this logic built-in.
</li><li>
But if you add data logic into the database itself, it’s now <strong>duplicated</strong>, requiring changing in multiple places if the rules change.
</li><li>
These two systems — the database and its surrounding code — are <strong>coupled and dependent</strong> on each other.
</li><li>
If it’s ever advantageous to <strong>switch applications</strong> (say from a web app to mobile app, or Python to JavaScript), you’re going to have to <strong>re-write all of that data logic</strong>.
</li></ul>
<h3>
Simple vs complex
</h3>
<p>
Please go watch this amazing 35-minute talk as soon as possible:
<strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI8tNMsozo0">Simplicity Matters by Rich Hickey</a></strong>.
</p><p>
Here are his important points for this article:
</p><ul><li>
“<strong>Complex</strong>” is objective.
It means <strong>many things tied together</strong>.
</li><li>
“<strong>Simple</strong>” is objective.
It means <strong>one ingredient</strong> — the opposite of complex.
</li><li>
These are unrelated to “easy”.
It is easy to install and bind yourself to something very complex (like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-relational_mapping">ORM</a>), and can be hard to build something simple.
</li><li>
Classes, models, and methods (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-oriented_programming">OOP</a>) are an <strong>unnecessary complication</strong>.
</li><li>
Information is simple, so <strong>don’t hide it</strong> behind a micro-language.
</li><li>
<strong>Work with values directly</strong>: hash/map of strings.
</li><li>
Since a <strong>JSON API</strong> — a hash/map of strings — is often the eventual interface, it’s even more reason to skip the abstractions and work with values directly.
</li></ul>
<h3>
Why this hit home for me
</h3>
<p><strong>
Databases outlive the applications that access them.
</strong></p><p>
I’ve been using the same SQL database since 1997: same data, values, and SQL tables.
But the code around it has changed so many times.
</p><p>
In 1997, I started in Perl.
In 1998, I switched to PHP.
In 2004, a rewrite in Rails.
In 2007, <a href="https://sive.rs/rails2php">back</a> to PHP.
In 2009, minimalist Ruby.
In 2012, client-side JavaScript.
</p><p>
<strong>Each time I’d have to re-write all of the logic around the database</strong>:
how to add a new person into the database,
how to verify an invoice is correct,
how to mark an order as paid, etc.
</p><p>
But <strong>that whole time, my trusty PostgreSQL database stayed the same</strong>.
</p><p>
Since most of this is <a href="https://rob.conery.io/2015/02/21/its-time-to-get-over-that-stored-procedure-aversion-you-have/">data logic, not business logic</a>, it should be in the database.
</p><p>
So I’m putting this data logic directly into <a href="https://www.postgresql.org/about/">PostgreSQL</a>, since I plan to stay with it for many more years, but plan to keep experimenting with programming languages.
(<a href="https://nim-lang.org/">Nim</a>, <a href="https://elixir-lang.org/">Elixir</a>, <a href="https://racket-lang.org/">Racket</a>, <a href="https://www.lua.org/about.html">Lua</a>, whatever.)
</p>
<h3>
How things could be
</h3>
<p>
Web developers have been treating the database as dumb storage, but it’s actually <a href="https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/server-programming.html">quite smart</a>.
</p><p>
It’s <strong>simple</strong> to have all of this intelligence <strong>in the database itself</strong>.
</p><p>
It’s <strong>complex</strong> to have it tied to surrounding outside code.
</p><p>
Once you put all of the intelligence directly into the database, then the outside code disappears!
</p><p>
Then <strong>the database is self-contained, and not tied to anything</strong>.
</p><p>
Your outside interface can <strong>switch</strong> to JavaScript, Haskell, Elixir or anything else with ease, because your core intelligence is all inside the database.
</p>
<h3>
How to do it
</h3>
<h4>
Table constraints
</h4>
<p>
The easiest place to start is <a href="https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/ddl-constraints.html">constraints</a>:
</p>
<pre><code>
create table people (
id serial primary key,
name text not null constraint no_name check (length(name) > 0),
email text unique constraint valid_email check (email ~ '\A\S+@\S+\.\S+\Z')
);
create table tags (
person_id integer not null references people(id) on delete cascade,
tag varchar(16) constraint tag_format check (tag ~ '\A[a-z0-9._-]+\Z')
);
</code></pre>
<p>
Define what is considered valid/invalid data here.
</p><p>
In my people example above, it says name can’t be empty, email must match that pattern with “@” and “.” and no whitespace.
Then it says tags.person_id has to exist in the people table, but if the person is deleted then delete the tags, too.
And the tag has to fit that regexp pattern of lowercase letters, numbers, dot, underscore, dash.
</p><p>
It helps to name your constraints for later use in error catching.
</p>
<h4>
Triggers
</h4>
<p>
For things that happen before or after you alter data, use <a href="https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/trigger-definition.html">triggers</a>:
</p>
<pre><code>
create function clean() returns trigger as $$
begin
new.name = btrim(regexp_replace(new.name, '\s+', ' ', 'g'));
new.email = lower(regexp_replace(new.email, '\s', '', 'g'));
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
create trigger clean before insert or update of name, email on people
for each row execute procedure clean();
</code></pre>
<p>
This example cleans the input before it’s put into the database, in case someone accidentally put a space in their email address, or a line-break in their name.
</p>
<h4>
Functions
</h4>
<p>
Make little re-usable functions for things you’ll use often inside your code.
</p>
<pre><code>
create function get_person(a_name text, a_email text) returns setof people as $$
begin
if not exists (select 1 from people where email = a_email) then
return query insert into people (name, email)
values (a_name, a_email) returning people.*;
else
return query select * from people where email = a_email;
end if;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
</code></pre>
<p>
That’s one I use often:
Given someone’s name and email, if they’re not already in my database, add them.
Then, either way, return the database info for this person.
</p>
<h4>
Views for JSON
</h4>
<p>
Instead of requiring outside code to convert your data into JSON, you can have the <a href="https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/functions-json.html#FUNCTIONS-JSON-CREATION-TABLE">database create JSON directly</a>.
</p><p>
For this, use <a href="https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/sql-createview.html">views</a> as JSON structure templates.
Inside the view, use <a href="https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/functions-aggregate.html">json_agg</a> for nested values.
</p>
<pre><code>
create view person_view as
select *, (select json_agg(t) as tags from
(select tag from tags where person_id=people.id) t)
from people;
</code></pre>
<p>
This will be used in the API functions, below:
</p>
<h4>
API functions
</h4>
<p>
These are the only functions your outside code will access.
</p><p>
They return only JSON.
</p>
<pre><code>
create function update_password(p_id integer, nu_pass text, out js json) as $$
begin
update people set password=crypt(nu_pass, gen_salt('bf', 8)) where id = p_id;
js := row_to_json(r) from (select * from person_view where id = p_id) r;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
create function people_with_tag(a_tag text, out js json) as $$
begin
js := json_agg(r) from
(select * from person_view where id in
(select person_id from tags where tag = a_tag)) r;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;
</code></pre>
<p>
No matter what you need to do with your database, the <a href="https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/xplang.html">procedural languages built-in to PostgreSQL</a> can do it.
</p><p>
<a href="https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/plpgsql-overview.html">PL/pgSQL</a> is <strong>not the most beautiful language</strong>, but the <strong>simplicity</strong> of having everything in the database is worth it.
</p><p>
If you like JavaScript, check out the promising <a href="https://plv8.github.io/">plv8</a>.
</p>
<h3>
Now, if you need a REST API:
</h3>
<pre><code>
require 'pg'
require 'sinatra'
DB = PG::Connection.new(dbconfig)
def qry(sql, params=[])
@res = DB.exec_params('select js from ' + sql, params)
end
after do
content_type 'application/json'
body @res[0]['js']
end
get '/people' do
qry('get_people()')
end
get %r{/people/([0-9]+)} do |id|
qry('get_person($1)', [id])
end
put %r{/people/([0-9]+)} do |id|
qry('update_password($1, $2)', [id, params[:password]])
end
get '/people/tagged' do
qry('people_with_tag($1)', [params[:tag]])
end
</code></pre>
<h3>
Or if you need a client library:
</h3>
<pre><code>
require 'pg'
require 'json'
DB = PG::Connection.new(dbconfig)
def js(func, params=[])
res = DB.exec_params('select js from ' + func, params)
JSON.parse(res[0]['js'])
end
def people
js('get_people()')
end
def person(id)
js('get_person($1)', [id])
end
def update_password(id, newpass)
js('update_password($1, $2)', [id, newpass])
end
def people_tagged(tag)
js('people_with_tag($1)', [tag])
end
</code></pre>
<h3>
That’s it!
</h3>
<p>
Now whether a REST API or client library, <strong>all it really has to do is pass the arguments into the database functions, and return the JSON</strong>.
</p><p>
I’m not trying to convince everyone to do things this way.
But I hope you find it useful or at least interesting to consider.
</p>
<img src="/images/postgresql.png" alt="postgresql logo">
https://sive.rs/pg
Simplify: move code into database functions
2015-05-04T00:00:00+00:00
2015-05-04T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
The last time I was in really bad state of mind, I used these five steps to get out of it.
I’ve shared this with a few friends in a similar situation, and they said it helped.
I hope it works for you too.
</p>
<p><strong>
1.
Ask myself what’s wrong in this very second.
</strong></p><p>
Am I in physical pain or danger?
No.
I’ve got mental pain, but that’s just me imagining things or remembering things.
None of it is real.
</p><p> If I put aside the mental torture I’m giving myself, the only thing that’s real is this physical moment.
Is it so bad?
No.
It’s not perfect, but not horrible.
I look around and appreciate that I’m not in hell.
It’s a nice place, nice trees, nice food, and has some nice people.
</p><p>
Of course the mental anguish is still there, but this question is a nice reminder that the pain is all in my head.
</p>
<p><strong>
2.
Observe now. Act later.
</strong></p><p>
When I’m feeling cloudy, my decisions and actions will be cloudy too.
So I wait a few days before acting on anything.
I watch the emotions pass by like a thunderstorm.
And the longer I wait, the <a href="https://sive.rs/walkways">smarter I get</a>.
</p>
<p><strong>
3.
Raise standards.
Say no to anything less than great.
</strong></p><p>
When I’m down, I avoid anyone who doesn’t rejuvenate me.
They’re not allowed in my life right now, not even for a minute.
No big explanation needed.
No compromise.
No favors.
</p><p>
Everything I’m doing that isn’t good for me.
Everything I’m eating or drinking that isn’t making me more healthy.
People who are “fine” or who I “kill time” with, but don’t actually love and enjoy?
Nope.
Not good enough.
I say no.
</p><p>
Raising the bar not only gives me a huge feeling of self-worth, but also empties my time.
Empty time helps me think clearly, because there’s more time to process and reflect.
</p><p>
Empty time has the potential to be filled with great things.
Time filled with little things has little potential.
</p>
<p><strong>
4.
Focus on my goal
</strong></p><p>
The empty space from #3 helps me remember what I’m really doing with my life.
</p><p>
Creating, learning, improving, whatever.
It’s the ten-year-plan type of stuff.
Clearing the clutter helps me see the horizon.
</p><p>
It’s a huge energy-filled feeling of “Oh yeah! That’s where I’m going! I had forgotten! I can see it now! Let’s go!”
</p><p>
Focus helps me say no, because once you can clearly see where you’re heading, you’re less likely to let anything get in your way.
</p>
<p><strong>
5.
Do all the necessary stuff
</strong></p><p>
When I’m upset, I don’t feel like doing anything but wallowing in it.
</p><p>
But despite feeling that way, I brush my teeth, make healthy meals, take the kid out to play, do the dishes, pay the bills, take my vitamins, clean up, and go to bed early.
</p><p>
These tasks are so mundane, but they help me to feel on top of things.
When everyday responsibilities are done, my mind is less distracted.
</p><p>
When I ask, “What’s wrong right now?” — and I see this clean house, paid bills, and happy child — I can answer “nothing!”
</p><p>
Going through the motions, even though I don’t feel like it, is peaceful.
I think and process in the background as going about real life.
</p><p>
It’s a great reminder that I have to eat, even if I’m not feeling hungry.
I have to clean the house, even if my mind is a mess.
I have to sleep, no matter what!
</p><p>
Like #1, above, this step separates the mental anguish from the physical reality.
It keeps me focused on what’s real versus what I’m just imagining.
</p>
https://sive.rs/bad
Getting out of a bad state of mind
2015-02-01T00:00:00+00:00
2015-02-01T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I get emails from many people wanting to change or build their career.
I always recommend the best book on the subject: “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/SoGood">So Good They Can’t Ignore You</a>” by Cal Newport.
Here are a few of its best points:
</p>
<h3>
Forget passion and purpose
</h3>
<p>
Forget “follow your passion” or “find your true calling”.
Stop thinking like that.
Here’s why:
</p><p>
Words like “passion” and “purpose” are dangerous because they sound huge and romantic.
If you think you haven’t found your passion yet, you’re probably <strong>expecting it to be overwhelming</strong> — to hit you like lightning.
</p><p>
Looking for your passion, purpose, or calling is an example of the <a href="https://sive.rs/mindset">fixed mindset</a>.
You’re assuming that this is an inherent and unchanging thing inside of you, like trying to read your DNA or blood type.
But you won’t find passion and purpose there, because <strong>that’s not where those feelings come from.</strong>
</p><p>
Passion and purpose are <strong>emotions that come after expertise and experience.</strong>
The way to get them is to commit to <a href="https://sive.rs/book/Mastery">the path of mastery</a>, get great at something, and do great work.
</p><p>
So instead of looking for passion and purpose, just keep mastering whatever work you’ve started, becoming more and more valuable in your field.
Passion and purpose will follow a great career.
</p>
<h3>
Great careers are only for the rare and valuable
</h3>
<p>
Think of what makes a great career:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
good pay
</li>
<li>
room to grow
</li>
<li>
freedom and control
</li>
<li>
positive impact
</li>
<li>
emotionally rewarding
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Jobs like this are rare and valuable.
A great career isn’t something you <strong>find</strong> — it’s something you <strong>earn</strong> when you’ve got <strong>rare and valuable skills to offer in return.</strong>
</p><p>
In other words, you can only earn a great career by building your expertise and experience.
</p>
<h3>
Solution: focus on the craft, not passion.
</h3>
<p>
The solution to this problem is what’s called “the craftman’s path” — the long-term path to mastery.
</p><p>
Everyone who became great at something has a similar story:
For years, they worked on their craft every day, even if they weren’t in the mood.
Always pushing, practicing, working, and improving.
</p><p>
It doesn’t matter if you’re feeling passionate about it that day or even that month.
You keep working and keep improving.
</p><p>
It doesn’t matter whether your work environment is ideal or you’re being wonderfully rewarded yet.
You keep working and keep improving.
</p><p>
Yes it takes thousands of hours of practice, but that’s good news!
<strong>It’s a clear path and it’s under your control</strong>, instead of dwelling on unanswerable questions like “What is my true calling?”
</p><p>
You forget the self-centered concerns about your passion and purpose, and instead just keep improving and getting really damn good.
</p><p>
It doesn’t matter if your current job isn’t perfect.
<strong>You just keep improving</strong>, no matter where you are, <strong>becoming more and more valuable</strong>.
</p><p>
By building your skills, experience, and value, you earn a great career.
</p><p>
By building your skills, experience, and value, <strong>passion and purpose come to you</strong>.
</p><p>
By building your skills, experience, and value, you are building your “career capital”.
</p>
<h3>
Career capital: use it to make a change
</h3>
<p>
“Career capital” is a metaphor.
Think of it like gold tokens you’re earning over years of building your expertise, experience, connections, and reputation.
</p><p>
The important point is to <strong>remember how valuable it is</strong>.
</p><p>
When you want to make a change to your career, you spend this career capital you’ve earned.
</p><p>
But if you’re really sick of your current field and want to switch to another field, <strong>don’t just quit and throw away all the career capital you’ve built up!</strong>
</p><p>
<strong>
If you’re thinking of quitting your job to follow your passion, please don’t miss this point!
</strong>
</p><p>
Think of ways you can <strong>use the value you’ve built up</strong> to make the transition to another field.
</p><p>
<a href="https://sive.rs/tarzan">Like Tarzan</a>, use your connections, reputation, experience, and expertise to <strong>transition</strong> into a better situation in the new field before leaving the old one.
</p><p>
Realize the career capital you’ve built up already, and don’t just throw it away.
</p>
<h3>
Starting from scratch?
</h3>
<p>
If you’re starting from scratch anyway, jump into any growing field and start building your skills, expertise, connections, and reputation.
Pick a niche and dominate it.
</p><p>
If you have no ideas, check out <a href="http://www.ycombinator.com/rfs/">this list of what startup investors want to invest in</a>.
And <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=jwt+things+to+watch">JWT’s “Things to Watch”</a> is always fun and inspiring.
</p>
<h3>
Read “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/SoGood">So Good They Can’t Ignore You</a>”
</h3>
<p>
The ideas here are just a little incomplete intro to an amazing book.
</p><p>
“<a href="https://sive.rs/book/SoGood">So Good They Can’t Ignore You</a>” by <a href="http://calnewport.com/">Cal Newport</a>, is the best I’ve ever read on the subject of building or changing your career.
<a href="https://commoncog.com/blog/so-good-they-cant-ignore-you/">Here is a great summary of it.</a>
</p><p>
I just searched my email out-box and found out that I’ve personally recommended it to people over a hundred times in the past two years.
</p><p>
If this subject interests you at all, please <a href="https://sive.rs/book/SoGood">get and read the full book</a>, not just my summary.
</p>
https://sive.rs/career
How to change or build your career
2014-10-06T00:00:00+00:00
2014-10-06T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
One of the most important concepts I’ve learned is the difference between the “fixed” mindset and the “growth” mindset.
</p><p>
It’s a little bit like “nature vs nurture”:
</p><p>
People in a <strong>fixed</strong> mindset believe you either are or aren’t good at something, based on your inherent nature, because it’s just who you are.
</p><p>
People in a <strong>growth</strong> mindset believe anyone can be good at anything, because your abilities are entirely due to your actions.
</p><p>
This sounds simple, but it’s surprisingly deep.
<strong>The fixed mindset is the most common and the most harmful</strong>, so it’s worth understanding and considering how it’s affecting you.
</p><p>
For example:
</p><p>
In a fixed mindset, you believe “She’s a natural born singer” or “I’m just no good at dancing.”
</p><p>
In a growth mindset, you believe “Anyone can be good at anything. Skill comes only from practice.”
</p><p>
<strong>
The fixed mindset believes trouble is devastating.
</strong>
If you believe, “You’re either naturally great or will never be great,” then when you have any trouble, your mind thinks, “See? You’ll never be great at this. Give up now.”
</p><p>
The growth mindset believes trouble is just important feedback in the learning process.
</p><p>
Can you see how this subtle difference in mindset can change everything?
</p>
<p><strong>
More examples:
</strong></p>
<p>
In a <strong>fixed</strong> mindset, you want to hide your flaws so you’re not judged or labeled a failure.
</p><p>
In a <strong>growth</strong> mindset, your flaws are just a TO-DO list of things to improve.
</p><p>
In a <strong>fixed</strong> mindset, you stick with what you know to keep up your confidence.
</p><p>
In a <strong>growth</strong> mindset, you keep up your confidence by always pushing into the unfamiliar, to make sure you’re always learning.
</p><p>
In a <strong>fixed</strong> mindset, you look inside yourself to find your true passion and purpose, as if this is a hidden inherent thing.
</p><p>
In a <strong>growth</strong> mindset, you commit to mastering valuable skills regardless of mood, knowing passion and purpose come from doing great work, which comes from expertise and experience.
</p><p>
In a <strong>fixed</strong> mindset, failures define you.
</p><p>
In a <strong>growth</strong> mindset, failures are temporary setbacks.
</p><p>
In a <strong>fixed</strong> mindset, you believe if you’re romantically compatible with someone, you should share all of each other’s views, and everything should just come naturally.
</p><p>
In a <strong>growth</strong> mindset, you believe a lasting relationship comes from effort and working through inevitable differences.
</p><p>
In a <strong>fixed</strong> mindset, it’s all about the outcome. If you fail, you think all effort was wasted.
</p><p>
In a <strong>growth</strong> mindset, it’s all about the process, so the outcome hardly matters.
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
And yes, the mindset itself is not fixed.
You can change your mindset just by thinking it through.
</p><p>
I’ve talked about this in <a href="https://sive.rs/ml">my “Meaning of Life” talk</a>, and <a href="https://sive.rs/failure">my “Why You Need to Fail” talk</a>, if you’re interested in checking those out, too.
</p><p>
But I get no credit for these insights.
This is all from <a href="https://sive.rs/book/Mindset">Carol Dweck’s book, “Mindset”</a>, and <a href="https://sive.rs/book/ArtOfLearning">Josh Waitzkin’s book, “The Art of Learning”</a>, both of which I highly recommend.
</p>
https://sive.rs/mindset
Fixed mindset vs Growth mindset
2014-09-21T00:00:00+00:00
2014-09-21T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Most of the time, I feel smart, successful, and driven — like I’ve got it all figured out.
But last month a bunch of stuff knocked me on my ass.
I’ve never felt so wrong.
</p><p>
I vulnerably called on friends for help.
They gave me a bunch of good advice, and helped me see things from a new point of view.
Each different perspective made me feel good for a while.
Then I fell back into the whirlpool of destructive thoughts.
</p><p>
Whenever something has gone wrong in my life, I’ve asked myself, “What’s great about this?”
</p><p>
Usually I find an answer.
But this time, my only answer was, “Nothing. This just sucks.”
I tried asking it again every day or two, but the answer was the same.
</p><p>
Eventually, I had an epiphany.
<strong>I actually love being wrong</strong>, even though it cracks my confidence, <strong>because that’s the only time I learn.</strong>
<strong>I actually love being lost</strong>, even though it fuels fears, <strong>because that’s when I go somewhere unexpected.</strong>
</p><p>
I pursue being wrong and lost in small doses.
I love little lessons that surprise my expectations and change my mind.
If we’re not surprised, we’re not learning.
</p><p>
So I finally figured out what’s great about this.
Getting knocked on my ass made me humble as hell.
It’d been years since I’d called for help.
It’d been years since I was so open to advice.
</p><p>
I smiled, thinking of how much I’d learned from my friends this past month.
I realized how ultimately happy it makes me to be so empty, even if it really hurts at first.
<strong>
It’s better than thinking I’ve got it all figured out.
</strong>
</p>
https://sive.rs/lw
I love being wrong
2014-09-09T00:00:00+00:00
2014-09-09T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Your business is secure.
Even if it’s not, you have to feel that it is.
</p><p>
Money is coming your way.
You are doing well.
You are one of the lucky ones.
</p><p>
Most are not so fortunate.
You can afford to be generous.
</p><p>
<strong>
All great service comes from this feeling of generosity and abundance.
</strong>
</p><p>
Think of all the examples of great service you’ve encountered: free refills of coffee, letting you use the toilets even if you’re not a customer, extra milk and sugar if you need it, and an employee that spends a whole hour with you to answer all your questions.
</p><p>
Contrast those with all of the bad experiences you’ve had: not letting you use the toilets without making a purchase, charging an additional 25 cents for extra sauce, and salespeople who don’t give you a minute of their time because you don’t look like big money.
</p><p>
<strong>
All bad service comes from a mindset of scarcity.
</strong>
They act like they’ll go out of business if they don’t fiercely guard their bottom line.
The short-term thinking of desperate survival blocks the long-term thinking of smart strategy.
</p><p>
If you really feel secure and abundant — that you have plenty to share — then this feeling of generosity will flow down into all of your interactions with customers.
</p><p>
Give refunds.
Give them attention.
Take a little loss.
You can afford it.
</p><p>
Of course it’s also just smart business.
Losing 25 cents on extra sauce can mean winning the loyalty of a customer who will spend $1000 with you over the next ten years, and tell twenty friends that you’re awesome.
</p>
https://sive.rs/afford
You can afford to be generous
2014-07-04T00:00:00+00:00
2014-07-04T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Customer service often starts when someone has a problem, and is upset.
When you feel attacked, it’s hard not to fight back, especially when you know they’re wrong.
</p><p>
But the best thing to do is to lose the fight.
Let them know that they were right, and the company was wrong.
Tell them you’re prepared to do whatever it takes to make them happy again.
</p><p>
If you catch yourself about to say or write something that’s even the slightest bit aggressive, stop and replace it with something humble and generous.
</p><p>
Doing this every day is actually very peaceful.
<strong>
Acting like an angel makes you both feel better.
</strong>
It feels like daily empathy practice.
</p><p>
You know that scene in the movies, where someone is saying something nasty or secret, but then realizes a microphone is on?
Then they immediately straighten up, correct themselves, and say the publicly-acceptable thing instead?
Well, your microphone is on.
There is no private communication in customer service.
Anything you say is likely to be shared online for the world to see.
So you must always be the best version of yourself.
</p><p>
CD Baby had some huge evangelists: people who loudly and constantly told everyone to use our company.
When I looked back through their contact history, I saw that the first time they contacted us, they were loudly upset.
<strong>
Loud people are loud people, whether complaining or praising.
</strong>
So when you get some loud complaint, use that opportunity to make them so happy that they become a loud evangelist.
</p>
https://sive.rs/cs3
Lose every fight
2014-07-03T00:00:00+00:00
2014-07-03T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Probably only 1% of your potential customers ever bother to contact you.
So when they do, it’s your time to shine.
</p><p>
Three minutes spent talking with them is going to shape their impression of your company more than your name, price, design, or features all combined.
This is your shining moment to be the best you can be — to blow them away with how cool it was to contact you.
</p><p>
If your customer service is taught to be efficient, it sends the message, “I don’t really want to talk with you. Let’s make this quick.”
Do the opposite.
<strong>
Take a few inefficient minutes to get to know anyone who contacts you.
</strong>
</p><p>
When a musician would call to sell their music, we’d take a few minutes up-front to get to know them.
Like, “What’s your name? Hi Reza. Got a website? Is that you on the home page? Cool. Is that a real Les Paul? Sweet! Here, let me listen to a bit of the music. Nice, I like what you’re doing. Very syncopated. Great groove. Anyway… what would you like to know?”
</p><p>
Musicians find it very hard to get anyone to listen to their music.
So when someone takes even a couple minutes to listen to it, it’s so touching that they remember it for life.
</p><p>
Imagine what you’d do if your favorite rock star called.
You’d drop everything, and give them all the time in the world.
So that’s how you should treat everyone that contacts your company.
</p><p>
Why not?
You don’t have time?
Make time.
It’s how everyone deserves to be treated.
</p><p>
It makes life better.
It makes work more fun.
And it’s the right thing to do.
</p>
https://sive.rs/cs2
Every interaction is your moment to shine
2014-07-02T00:00:00+00:00
2014-07-02T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I was honestly surprised that CD Baby was such a runaway success.
But I was even more surprised to find out why.
</p><p>
Whenever I was out at events, I’d listen as musicians would tell other musicians why they chose CD Baby.
Was it the pricing?
The features?
Nope.
The top reason, by far, was this:
“They pick up the phone! They reply to my emails! You can talk to a real person!”
</p><p>
Who could have guessed?
Despite all your efforts put into features, pricing, design, partnerships, and more, <strong>people will choose one company over another just because they like the customer service</strong>.
</p><p>
So I structured my company to match this priority.
Out of my 85 employees, 28 were full-time customer service.
</p><p>
Customer service is not an expense to be minimized.
It’s a core profit center, like sales.
<strong>
It’s where you should put your best people.
</strong>
</p><p>
Hire the sweetest, most empathetic people, and make sure they have all the time and resources they need to make your customers very happy.
If they get so busy that their interactions are getting succinct, it’s time to hire another.
It’s worth it.
</p><p>
It’s much harder to get a new customer than it is to get more business from an existing customer.
Companies focus so much on getting new customers, but keeping existing customers thrilled is a better investment.
</p>
https://sive.rs/cs1
Customer service is everything
2014-07-01T00:00:00+00:00
2014-07-01T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I was honestly surprised that my company, CD Baby, was such a runaway success.
But I was even more surprised to find out why.
</p><p>
CD Baby had lots of powerful well-funded competitors, but after a few years they were all but gone, and we dominated our niche of selling independent music.
150,000 musicians, 2 million music-buying customers, $139 million in revenue, $83 million paid directly to musicians.
</p><p>
<strong>
What was the secret to CD Baby’s success?
</strong>
I never did any marketing.
Everyone came by word-of-mouth.
But why? I honestly didn’t know.
</p><p>
So whenever I was out talking with my musician clients, I’d ask them.
For years, I asked hundreds of clients why they chose CD Baby instead of the alternatives.
Or I’d just listen as they’d rave to others nearby about why they loved it.
</p><p>
Was it the pricing? The features? Nope.
The #1 answer, by far, almost every time someone raved about the company, was this:
</p><p>
<strong>
“You pick up the phone! I can reach a real person.”
</strong>
</p><p>
They called and got a real person on the 2nd ring, instead of an automated call-routing system.
Or they emailed and got a surprisingly helpful personal reply, instead of an impersonal scripted FAQ response.
</p><p>
<strong>
And that was it.
</strong>
Who could have guessed?
That despite all efforts put into features, pricing, design, partnerships, and more, <strong>clients would choose one company over another mainly because they liked their customer service</strong>.
</p><p>
I structured the business to match this priority.
Out of 85 employees, 28 people were full-time customer service.
</p><p>
Since then, many entrepreneurs and interviewers have asked for my customer service tips and tricks, but I recently realized it’s not something you can add on top, it’s really a philosophy — a mindset that has to come from the core.
</p><p>
I’m no expert on the subject, but I’ve learned a few things from 16 years of experience, so here are the 6 key mindsets that I think guide great customer service:
</p><p>
<em>
(Actually, I prefer the term <strong>“client care”</strong>, since <strong>“client” implies a relationship, instead of “customer”, which is transactional.</strong>
But I’ll use the normal term instead of confusing things by using mine.)
</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<h3>
#1: You can afford to be generous
</h3>
<p>
The #1 most important mindset to start with, underlying everything, before engaging in communication with a customer or client, is that <strong>your business is secure</strong>.
</p><p>
Even if it’s not, you have to feel that it is.
Money is coming your way.
You are doing well.
You are one of the lucky ones.
Most are not so fortunate.
You can afford to be generous.
</p><p>
<strong>
All great service comes from this feeling of generosity and abundance.
</strong>
</p><p>
Think of all the examples of great service you’ve encountered.
Free refills of coffee.
Letting you use the toilets even if you’re not a customer.
Extra milk and sugar if you need it.
A employee that spends a whole hour with you to help answer all your naive questions.
</p><p>
Contrast it with all of the bad experiences you’ve had.
Not letting you use the toilets without making a purchase.
Charging an additional 50 cents for extra sauce.
Salespeople who don’t give you a minute of their time because you don’t look like big money yet.
</p><p>
<strong>All bad service comes from a mindset of scarcity</strong>, feeling like they’ll go out of business if they don’t fiercely guard their bottom line.
</p><p>
They say the reason those in poverty so often stay in poverty is that short-term thinking of desperate survival doesn’t leave room to think of long-term solutions.
</p><p>
If you really feel secure, abundant, that you have plenty to share, then this feeling of generosity will flow down into all of your interactions with customers.
Share.
Be nice.
Give refunds.
Take a little loss.
You can afford it.
</p><p>
Of course <strong>it’s also just smart business</strong>.
Losing 10 cents on extra sauce can mean winning the loyalty of a customer who will spend $1000 with you over the next 10 years, and tell 20 friends that you’re awesome.
</p>
<hr/>
<h3>
#2: The customer is more important than the company
</h3>
<p>
Think of a time where you had to make a big decision.
For example, the choice between a job that pays more money versus another that pays less but gives more freedom.
</p><p>
Do you remember how it felt when you were conflicted between these two choices?
Weighing pros and cons, going back and forth?
</p><p>
The way you resolved this was to finally <strong>decide which value was more important to you</strong>.
For example: more money or more freedom.
</p><p>
Most of us don’t decide which value is most important to us until we’re forced to make this decision.
</p><p>
But if you want great customer service, you need to <strong>make this value choice up-front, and decide that your customer’s happiness is your top priority</strong>, above company profitability, then make sure that everyone in the company knows this and acts upon it.
</p><p>
You can’t micro-manage the details of every possible scenario, so make sure everyone in the company knows that whenever they have to make decision about what is the right thing to do,<strong>always do what’s best for the customer, what would make them the happiest, and don’t worry about the company</strong>.
The customer is more important than the company.
</p>
<hr/>
<h3>
#3: Customer service is a profit center
</h3>
<p>
Companies put so much energy into sales — getting people to buy — but they don’t put as much effort into the customer experience <strong>after people buy</strong>.
</p><p>
Anyone can see the reason to focus on getting customers to buy.
It’s obvious profit.
But it takes some wisdom, experience, and long-term thinking to understand that <strong>
keeping your existing customers thrilled is even more profitable
</strong>.
</p><p>
<strong>
Customer service is not an expense to be lessened.
It’s a core profit center, like sales.
</strong>
It’s something you <strong>put the best people on</strong>, not the cheapest.
</p><p>
You’ve heard the old business truism that <strong>it’s 5 times harder to get a new client than it is to get repeat business from an existing client</strong>, so this is where you put it into practice.
</p><p>
Hire the sweetest most charming people and make sure they have all the time in the world to spend with your clients, making sure they’re so heard, and so happy with your service, that they’ll tell everyone they know.
</p><p>
Hire enough people so that they have the time to pick up the phone, instead of routing people into an automated system.
If they’re so busy that their communications are getting too succinct, it’s time to hire another.
It’s worth it.
</p>
<hr/>
<h3>
#4: Every interaction is your moment to shine
</h3>
<p>
Probably only 1% of your customers or clients ever bother to make a customer service interaction.
</p><p>
So when they do, this is your time to shine.
<strong>
Three minutes spent talking with them is going to shape their impression of your company more than your name, price, design, website, or features all combined.
</strong>
This is your shining moment to be the best you can be, to <strong>blow them away with how cool it was to contact you</strong>.
</p><p>
If your customer service is taught to be <strong>efficient</strong>, it sends the message, “I don’t really want to talk with you. Let’s get this over with quick.”
</p><p>
Since that’s what everyone else does, do the opposite.
<strong>
Take a few inefficient minutes to get to know anyone who contacts you.
</strong>
</p><p>
For example, at CD Baby, if someone would call, saying, “I’d like to talk with someone about selling my music through you,” we’d say, “Sure. I can help. What’s your name? Cool. Got a website? Can I see it? Is that you on the home page there? Very cool. Is that a real Les Paul? Awesome. Here, let me listen to a bit of the music. Nice, I like what you’re doing. Very syncopated. Great groove. Anyway... so... what would you like to know?”
</p><p>
From my own experience of being a self-promoting musician for 15 years, I can tell you that it’s very hard to get anyone to listen to your music.
So when someone takes even a couple minutes to listen to you, it’s so touching that you remember it for life.
</p><p>
This isn’t some sales technique, <strong>it’s just good human behavior</strong>.
It makes life better.
It makes work more fun.
It’s the right thing to do.
And it pays off.
</p><p>
When people would call to buy music, we’d ask them where they heard of the artist, not in some monotonous scripted way, but as part of engaging the customer in a little conversation, sincerely interested in the details, maybe asking if they often discover new music that way, or whatever.
Then we’d include these details in the order on the backend, so the musician could see it, too.
It helped the musician be more connected to their fans, and helped both them and us understand why people were buying music.
</p><p>
<strong>
Imagine what you’d do if Paul McCartney called
</strong>.
You’d drop everything, gush some praise, be thrilled that he’d contact you at all, and give him all the time in the world for whatever he wants.
So that’s how we should treat everyone that contacts us.
Why not?
You don’t have time?
Make time.
<strong>
It’s how everyone deserves to be treated.
</strong>
</p><p>
You know there’s research that says that we don’t smile because we’re happy.
We smile first, and the physical act of smiling makes us happy.
So I think the act of acting your best, being sincerely interested in others, taking the time to make each person happy, even if you weren’t in the mood at first, is a great way of actually being your best.
</p>
<hr/>
<h3>
#5: Lose every fight
</h3>
<p>
Customer service often starts when someone has a problem, and is upset.
</p><p>
But kind of like you need to feel secure for your business to be generous, you need to feel secure enough to lose every fight.
</p><p>
Whenever they’re upset, let them know that they were right, and the company was wrong.
They win.
You lose.
And you’re prepared to <strong>do whatever it takes to make them happy again.</strong>
</p><p>
I’m saying this, but let’s admit that it’s so hard to turn off our human nature to feel things are directed at us — to lash back, and show them they’re wrong, to not lose this fight.
Occasionally, still, I start typing a response that’s not so nice, but after years of getting burned for doing that, I catch myself, and replace it with something angelic instead.
</p><p>
But you know that scene in the movies, where someone is saying something nasty or secret, and then realizes their microphone is on, so they immediately straighten up, correct themselves, and say the publicly-acceptable thing instead?
</p><p>
Well, <strong>your microphone is on</strong>.
There is no private communication in customer service.
Anything you say is likely to be put onto someone’s blog or Facebook, retweeted, and seen by everyone.
</p><p>
So you must <strong>be the best version of yourself</strong>.
You must let them win every fight.
You must humbly bow to your superior, and make them happy.
And kinda like I said about how smiling makes you happy, I think the act of doing this every day is very peaceful.
It feels like <strong>daily empathy practice</strong>.
</p><p>
Over the years, my company had some huge evangelists: people who loudly told everyone they met that they absolutely must use CD Baby to sell or buy their music.
Funny thing is, when I’d look back through that person’s history of communication, I’d often find out that the first time they contacted us, they were loudly upset about some problem.
I think the lesson learned is that <strong>loud people are loud people, whether complaining or praising</strong>, so when you get some loud complaint, take it as an opportunity to do whatever it takes to make them so happy that they become a loud evangelist.
</p>
<hr/>
<h3>
#6: Rebelliously right the wrongs of the world
</h3>
<p>
You know there’s this little passive-aggressive move we all do, when we don’t like how someone is behaving, we instinctively “take the high road” to show them how to behave?
</p><p>
Like if someone is talking too loudly in a quiet place, you speak extra-quiet to them.
If someone is being a complete slob, you clean up your zone before confronting them.
</p><p>
It’s a kind of defiant act that says, “No. You’re doing it wrong. Here. Watch me. I’ll show you how it’s done.”
</p><p>
Well, I think <strong>your business is your little part of the world where you can right all the wrongs of the world, and show them all how it’s done.</strong>
</p><p>
To do this, you need to be rebellious.
<strong>
Don’t follow norms.
</strong>
Don’t do what the other businesses are doing.
Instead, think of the worst you’ve experienced, and do the opposite.
Show them how wrong they were.
It’s very cathartic.
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
What do you think?
Did I miss any important ones?
I’d love to hear any suggestions.
</p>
<img src="/images/onphone.jpg" alt="girl on phone by Mark Roy" />
<div class="small">(Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/electricnerve/3136696489">Mark Roy</a>.)</div>
https://sive.rs/cs
The philosophy of great customer service
2014-06-29T00:00:00+00:00
2014-06-29T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Be careful when you say you like or dislike something, because you could change your mind soon.
</p><p>
The first time I heard Tom Waits’s music, when he was a guest on <i>David Letterman</i>, I thought it was so horrible that it must be a joke.
Even years later, when I heard him again, I hated his music passionately.
But then I heard his cover version of the Cole Porter song “It’s All Right With Me”, and loved it.
So I got his album <i>Rain Dogs</i> and fell in love with it, then the rest of his music, too.
The funny thing is, on YouTube I found his old performance of my new favorite song, then realized it was that same appearance on David Letterman that I’d hated so much before.
</p><p>
I had no prejudice against Indonesia at first.
I was running cdbaby.com out of my bedroom in New York, selling CDs to the world.
I started getting huge orders from Indonesia, shipping thousands of dollars’ worth of CDs there.
Then after a few months, the banks told me those were fraudulent orders placed with stolen credit cards, and they took all the money back.
I cursed Indonesia as a “nation of thieves” and blocked all Indonesian orders on my site.
</p><p>
Ten years later I was living in Singapore and was invited to speak at TEDxJakarta.
I listened to twenty Indonesian speakers telling their stories and showing their amazing work.
It was so heart-warming and endearing.
I spent a week in the home of my new Indonesian friends and fell in love with the people there.
Afterwards I remembered I used to hate Indonesia.
But experience erases prejudice.
</p><p>
Same thing with weightlifting.
For decades I mocked it as the mindless activity of dumb vain jocks.
Then I kept reading scientific research showing that it’s one of the best things you can do for your health.
So I tried it and have loved it ever since.
</p><p>
Of course there are examples going the other way, too: food and music I used to like as a teenager but don’t like anymore.
</p><p>
I have to smile, thinking about what my former self would say.
But the former self is not always right.
We shouldn’t preserve our first opinions as if they reflect our pure, untarnished, true nature.
They’re often just the result of inexperience or a temporary phase.
<strong>
Old opinions shouldn’t define who we are in the future.
</strong>
</p>
https://sive.rs/hate
Loving what I used to hate
2014-05-18T00:00:00+00:00
2014-05-18T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Let’s just figure out the meaning of life, once and for all, in under 20 minutes, OK?
</p><p>
This is a 19-minute talk I’ve given at four conferences in Ireland, Taiwan, India, and New Zealand.
I’ve improved it after each, and finally consider it done, so this is now the best and final recording of it.
</p><p>
The video doesn’t add much, so if you would rather just listen, <a href="https://sivers.b-cdn.net/DerekSivers-MeaningOfLife.mp3">download the MP3</a>.
</p><p>
The video should be visible below, but if not, <a href="https://sivers.b-cdn.net/DerekSivers-MeaningOfLife.mp4">download the MP4 video</a>.
</p>
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/zzcCWEb-tyk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Huge thanks to some friends who suggested great improvements:
<a href="https://www.michellewelsch.com/">Michelle Welsch</a>,
<a href="https://tynan.com/">Tynan</a>,
<a href="https://alytadros.com/">Aly Tadros</a>, and
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Marx">Jeff Marx</a>.
</p><p>
Also thanks to a hundred drunk programmers in Ireland who shouted and sang their way through my first performance of it, standing on chairs at the end of a Saturday night.
</p><p>
If you would like to make a better video for this talk, please do.
<a href="https://sivers.b-cdn.net/DerekSivers-MeaningOfLife.wav">Download the master WAV audio</a>, and let me know when it’s done.
Assuming I like it, I’ll be happy to link to it here.
</p><p>
Here’s the full transcript, if you hate surprises and my charming voice:
</p>
<hr/>
<h3>
Transcript:
</h3>
<p>
There’s a true story about the student who showed up late to math class.
He copied the problem that was already written on the board, assuming it was homework, and solved it that week.
Only afterwards did he find out the teacher put it on the board as an example of an unsolvable problem.
</p><p>
This question — “What is the meaning of life?” — is the classic unsolvable problem.
For thousands of years, people have been trying to figure it out.
It’s the punchline cliché of unanswerable questions.
</p><p>
But right now, let’s be the naive ones that don’t know it’s considered unsolvable, and just figure out the meaning of life in under 20 minutes. OK?
</p>
<h4>
LIFE IS __________
</h4>
<p>
What word do you think goes in that blank?
Life is what?
Any ideas?
</p><p>
Let’s look at some of the different options that philosophers and smarties have said.
</p>
<h4>
LIFE IS TIME
</h4>
<p>
Some say life is time.
Life is all about time.
The definition of life is the time between when you’re born and when you die.
So the literal meaning of life is time.
</p><p>
So if life is time, the way to have a good life is to use time wisely.
</p><p>
How can you use time wisely?
Five ways.
</p>
<ol>
<li>
Remember it’s limited
<p>
If you find out tonight that you’ve only got one year left to live, you’ll make the most of this next year.
If you act like life is infinite, you won’t.
</p><p>
To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time.
</p><p>
Give yourself tight deadlines.
Remember you could die at any time.
Don’t delay.
</p><p>
How can you use time wisely?
</p></li><li>
Be mostly future-focused
<p>
Make most of your current actions serve your future self.
Learn, practice, exercise, delay gratification, save and invest your money, and build towards your ideal future.
People who do this are more successful and even happier.
</p><p>
But too much future focus leads to being a successful person on your 4th marriage, with no true friends.
Too much future focus can take time away from important things that need you to be in the moment.
</p><p>
How can you use time wisely?
</p></li><li>
Be somewhat present-focused
<p>
Sometimes, pull your head out of the future, and give your full attention to the present.
Relationships, communication, and sex require this.
</p><p>
But too much present focus is hedonism: living only for immediate gratification with as much excitement and novelty as possible.
</p><p>
Too much present focus leads to an empty bank account and no impulse control.
</p><p>
Too much present focus robs you of the deeper happiness of delayed gratification, achieving long-term goals, and developing valuable expertise.
</p><p>
How can you use time wisely?
</p></li><li>
Be somewhat past-focused
<p>
To remember your past is to live twice.
</p><p>
Keep your life in the context of the past, to see how far you’ve come.
</p><p>
Put aside time to re-interpret your past events, as a powerful reminder that you can re-interpret your present and future, too.
</p><p>
How can you use time wisely?
</p></li><li>
Get in the zone
<p>
You know the feeling of flow — where you’re focused on work that’s not too easy and not too hard — where the work itself has clear goals and is its own reward.
</p><p>
People at the end of their life who claimed to be the happiest with their life were the ones who had spent the most time in this state of flow.
</p><p>
For a good life, pursue the work that puts you in this state, and avoid the things that pull you from this state.
</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>
Let’s say life is time. What do you think? Pretty good argument?
</p><p>
Let’s look at another perspective.
</p>
<h4>
LIFE IS CHOICE
</h4>
<p>
Some say life is choice.
Life is all about choice.
You make a hundred little choices a day, and a hundred big choices in your life.
These choices change your entire life.
Your life is created by your choices.
Therefore life IS choice.
</p><p>
So if life is choice, the way to have a good life is to make good choices.
</p><p>
How can you make good choices? Four ways.
</p>
<ol>
<li>
Let instinct trump logic
<p>
The different parts of your brain started developing at different periods in evolution.
The oldest part of your brain, the one that’s been evolving since we were fish, deals with instincts, fears, and gut feelings.
The newest part of your brain, the one that’s pretty uniquely human, deals with logic, language, and predictions.
</p><p>
This newest part is still in beta.
A $5 calculator can beat it at math.
But this oldest part was launched a billion years ago, and has been in production and development ever since.
</p><p>
Everything you observe and learn is first processed by your logical brain, but then the results are permanently stored as instincts, fears, and gut feelings.
Your instincts and emotions hold the culmination of everything you’ve ever observed and learned.
So you’ll make better choices if you listen your instincts, instead of relying too much on your $5 calculator beta brain.
</p><p>
How can you make good choices?
</p></li><li>
Stop at good enough
<p>
You now have more options than ever.
You try to choose the best option, the best career, the best school, and the best boyfriend/girlfriend/partner/spouse.
</p><p>
But thinking this way makes you feel worse about the choices you’ve made.
You’re more aware than ever of all the options you didn’t choose, and the benefits of each.
</p><p>
So don’t seek the absolute best. Stop when you find an option that is good enough.
You’ll make an equally good choice, but more importantly, you’ll feel much better about it.
Happiness counts.
</p><p>
How can you make good choices?
</p></li><li>
Set limits
<p>
Every choice you have to make causes a little bit of pain.
Having choice in life is good, but having more choice is not always better.
</p><p>
You’re happier when you let other people make some choices for you.
If you’re very sick, you want your doctor to choose what’s best, not say, "There are dozens of good options. What do you want to do?"
This is the appeal of religion.
It gives you rules.
It makes many of the choices for you.
</p><p>
So set limits to your choices in life.
Cut off some options.
Give yourself rules.
</p><p>
How can you make good choices?
</p></li><li>
Choose important not urgent
<p>
You know the difference between what’s long-term important versus short-term urgent.
</p><p>
What’s urgent are emails, texts, tweets, calls, and news.
</p><p>
What’s important is spending a thousand hours to learn a new skill that will really help you in your life or work.
What’s important is giving your full undistracted attention to the important people in your life.
What’s important is taking time to get exercise, or to collect and share what you’ve learned.
</p><p>
But none of these things will ever be urgent.
</p><p>
So you have to ignore the tempting cries of the urgent, and deliberately choose what you know is important.
</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>
So life is choice?
What do you think?
Pretty good argument?
Let’s try another.
</p>
<h4>
LIFE IS MEMORY
</h4>
<p>
Some say life is memory.
The future doesn’t exist.
It’s something we imagine.
The present is gone in a millisecond, so everything we experience in life is a memory.
You could live a long life, but without a lot of memories, you only experienced a short life.
If you don’t remember your life, it’s like it never happened.
So life is memory.
</p><p>
So if life is memory, the way to have a good life is to make more memories.
</p><p>
How can you make memories?
</p><p>
Change routines.
Break monotony.
Move.
Make a major change whenever you can.
These are your chronological landmarks.
These are the hooks where you’ll hang your memories.
</p><p>
Document it.
Blog it.
Not in a company’s walled garden, but in a format you can archive and look through in 50 years, or your grandkids can look through in 100 years.
Keep a private blog for your future self, and tell the tales of where you’ve been, what you did, and the quirky people you’ve met along the way.
You’ll be surprised how much you forget if you don’t record it.
</p><p>
Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living.
What about the forgotten life?
</p><p>
So life is memory?
What do you think?
Want to do another?
</p>
<h4>
LIFE IS LEARNING
</h4>
<p>
Both my smart friends and my spiritual friends insist that the meaning of life is learning — that the reason you’re here is to learn.
Not just for your own sake, but for everyone alive, and future generations, the meaning of your life is to learn.
</p><p>
So if life is learning, the way to have a good life is to learn a lot.
</p><p>
How can you learn a lot?
</p><p>
Instead of talking about learning techniques, let’s talk about getting the right mindset, so you can learn more than you realize.
</p><p>
You’ve probably heard about the Fixed mindset and the Growth mindset.
</p><p>
The Fixed mindset says, "I am good at this" or "I am bad at this".
This starts in childhood when your parents say, "You’re so good at math!"
You think, "I’m good at math!"
But then when you do poorly on one test, you think, "They were wrong. I’m not good at math.”
Most people think this way.
You can hear it when they say, “She’s a great singer” or “I’m just no good at dancing.”
</p><p>
The Growth mindset says, "Anyone can be good at anything. Skill comes only from practice."
</p><p>
Two impossibly hard tests were given to hundreds of children.
After the first test, all of the students were praised, but half of the students were privately told these 6 words: "You must be good at this."
The other half were privately told these 6 words: "You must have worked really hard."
</p><p>
When they were given the second test, the students who were told, "You must be good at this", did 20% worse on the 2nd test.
Those 6 words encouraged a fixed mindset that made them feel there was no point in trying.
You either are or you aren’t.
</p><p>
The students who were told "You must have worked really hard", did 30% better on the 2nd test.
Those 6 words encouraged a growth mindset that made them feel that working harder made all the difference.
</p><p>
So that’s a +-50% difference in performance because of 6 quick words by one teacher.
</p><p>
Multiply that by all the people in your life, all the days you hear feedback, and all the things you tell yourself, and you can see how this simple difference in mindset can make or break a life of learning.
</p><p>
Parents, pay attention to this.
You may be harming your kids when you tell them they’re good at things.
</p><p>
Successful people, pay attention to this.
You may be harming yourself if you believe the praise that people give you.
People tell you you’re great at what you do, never just that you must have worked hard.
</p><p>
So... life is learning?
What do you think?
</p>
<h4>
Something else?
</h4>
<ul>
<li>
Should we look at the Buddhist idea that life is SUFFERING?
Nah, that’s no fun.
</li><li>
Life is LOVE?
Too ambiguous.
</li><li>
Life is NOTHING BUT REPLICATING DNA?
Too accurate.
</li></ul>
<p>
Let’s change the subject.
</p>
<h4>
Chinese
</h4>
<p>
A few years ago, I started learning Chinese.
I’m fascinated with the writing.
I’m trying to memorize how to write these characters.
</p><p>
Chinese characters look complicated, but they’re mostly made up of smaller simpler characters, the way that English words are made up of Latin roots and such.
So you can remember the meaning of each character by knowing the meaning of its ingredients.
For example:
</p><p>
语 language = words 讠+ five 五+ mouth 口
</p><p>
So... Language is words that at least five mouths speak? Brilliant!
</p><p>
谢 thank you = words 讠+ body 身+ inch 寸
</p><p>
Hmmm... This one is not so obvious.
Maybe the idea is that when you say thanks, you speak words that give a body an inch of respectful space?
That’s interesting.
</p><p>
名 name = evening 夕 + mouth 口
</p><p>
So your real name is what’s spoken by a mouth in the evening?
That’s kind of romantic.
</p><p>
I get so curious about the historical or cultural meaning behind each one.
</p><p>
Let’s change the subject.
</p>
<h4>
Talking Heads
</h4>
<p>
Talking Heads were a great band from the late-70s to mid-80s.
Their lyrics were really evocative and mysterious.
They made you wonder what they were really about.
</p><p>
Then I read an interview with the Talking Heads where they said that many of their lyrics were just random.
They would write evocative phrases onto little pieces of paper, then throw them into a bowl, and shuffle them up.
Then they’d pull them out, and put them into the song in that order.
They did this because they liked how the listener creates meaning that wasn’t intended.
</p><p>
We assume that if someone writes a song, then sings it on stage into a microphone, that it must have meaning to them.
</p><p>
But nope.
It was just random.
Any meaning you think it contains was put there by you, the listener, not the writer.
Like a Rorschach test.
</p>
<h4>
Back to Chinese
</h4>
<p>
I got so curious about the historical meaning of these Chinese characters that I got a Chinese etymological dictionary that tells the full history behind every one.
</p><p>
I looked up the examples I gave here, and found out those characters were just phonetic!
Those composite character bits were NOT chosen for their meaning at all, just their sound!
</p><p>
So it seems I’ve just been putting the meanings into them, myself.
They actually had no meaning at all!
</p><p>
It blew my mind.
I had been memorizing hundreds of characters for months, reading all kinds of meaning into the ingredients of each one.
</p><p>
After recovering from that, I thought:
How many other things in life really have no meaning?
What else have I been putting my own meaning into, thinking it was true?
</p>
<h4>
Wired
</h4>
<p>
I know that we’re wired to do it.
I know we survived on the savannah for eons because we evolved to look for patterns.
Our ancestors are the ones who noticed the patterns of the tiger stripes or the lion face in the grass.
</p><p>
<strong>A moth is so deeply wired to fly towards the light that it may never accept that your light bulb is not the moon.</strong>
</p><p>
<strong>We are so deeply wired to find patterns that we may never accept that many things are just random.</strong>
</p><p>
We should have the same sympathy for our faulty wiring as we do for the moth.
Evolution taught us to do this thing, but didn’t teach us to stop.
</p><p>
Give us some dots and a line, and we’ll see a face.
Burn some toast and we’ll find Elvis in it.
</p><p>
A carrot from my garden looks like Jesus.
What does it mean?
</p><p>
A black cat crossed my path as I walked under a ladder on Friday the 13th.
What does it mean?
</p><p>
An old friend calls just a minute after I was thinking about them.
What does it mean?
</p><p>
What does it mean that you went to a prestigious well-known school?
What does it mean that you didn’t?
</p><p>
What does it mean that your good friend died?
What does it mean that you’re tall?
</p><p>
What does it mean that you have a lot of followers online?
What does it mean that you don’t?
</p><p>
What does it mean that you’re female?
What does it mean that you’re male?
</p><p>
What does it mean that you’re an entrepreneur?
What does it mean that you’re not?
</p><p>
What does it mean that all of your previous attempts at something have failed?
</p><p>
Nothing! Nothing at all.
</p><p>
Nothing has inherent meaning.
Everything is only what it is and that’s it.
</p><p>
So let’s get back to our original question and wrap this up.
</p>
<h4>
Life Is _____
</h4>
<p>
What is the meaning of life? LIFE IS ______
<br/>
TIME?
<br/>
CHOICE?
<br/>
MEMORY?
<br/>
LEARNING?
<br/>
SUFFERING?
<br/>
LOVE?
<br/>
REPLICATING DNA?
</p><p>
You can tell by the variety of answers that they are just projected meanings.
</p><p>
You can choose to project one of these meanings onto your life, if it makes you feel good, or improves your current actions.
</p><p>
But you know the real answer is clear and obvious now.
</p><p>
Life is (just) life.
It doesn’t <strong>mean</strong> anything.
</p><p>
Erase any meaning you put into past events.
Erase any meaning that’s holding you back.
Erase those times where people said that this means that.
None of it is real.
</p><p>
Life has no inherent meaning.
Nothing has inherent meaning.
</p><p>
Life is a blank slate.
</p><p>
You’re free to project any meaning that serves you.
</p><p>
You’re free to do with it, anything you want.
</p><p>
Thank you.
</p>
https://sive.rs/ml
The Meaning of Life
2014-05-05T00:00:00+00:00
2014-05-05T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I get emails from many people who want to make a big change in their career.
</p><p>
Each one wants to quit their current career, and boldly leap into their new venture or preferred lifestyle.
</p><p>
When they ask my advice, they think I’m going to say, “Yes! Quit! Go for it!”
</p><p>
But instead, they’re surprised at my suggestion:
</p><p>
Remember how Tarzan swings through the jungle?
He doesn’t let go of the previous vine until the next vine is supporting his weight.
</p><p>
<img src="/images/tarzan-600x450.gif" alt="Tarzan swinging on vines">
</p><p>
So my advice is: Change careers like Tarzan.
</p><p>
<strong>
Don’t let go of the old one until the new one is supporting you.
</strong>
</p><p>
<strong>
And make sure you don’t lose momentum.
</strong>
</p><hr/><p>
P.S. I highly recommend reading the book “<a href="https://sive.rs/book/SoGood">So Good They Can’t Ignore You</a>” for more thoughts on this.
</p><p>
P.P.S. Full credit for the “momentum” metaphor goes to <a href="http://philippantar.com/">Philipp Antar</a>, from the comments, below.
</p>
https://sive.rs/tarzan
Change careers like Tarzan
2014-03-30T00:00:00+00:00
2014-03-30T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
You know that feeling you have after a big meal?
When you’re so full that you don’t want anything more?
</p><p>
Ever wonder what that would feel like in other parts of your life?
</p><p>
We do so many things for the attention, to feel important or praised.
But what if you had so much attention and so much praise that you couldn’t possibly want any more?
What would you do then?
What would you stop doing?
</p><p>
We do so many things for the money, whether we need it or not.
But what if you had so much money that you couldn’t possibly want any more?
What would you do then?
What would you stop doing?
</p><p>
And then if you stopped doing all these things you’re doing just for the money or the attention, what would be left?
<strong>
Who would you be if you didn’t do these things?
</strong>
If you were completely satiated, then what?
After an understandable period of relaxing, what would you pursue?
</p><p>
Don’t say “sit around and do nothing,” because that’s still just relaxing.
I mean after that, when you’re ready to be useful to others again.
</p><p>
What would you do then, if you didn’t need the money and didn’t need the attention?
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/pigeon.jpg">
<div class="small">(Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/villes/2865833414/">ZeroOne</a>).</div>
https://sive.rs/full
What if you didn’t need money or attention?
2014-03-19T00:00:00+00:00
2014-03-19T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Imagine that I’m going to auction a $100 bill.
The bidding starts at $1.
</p><p>
The regular rules of auctions apply with one change: if you are the second-highest bidder, you don’t get the $100 bill but you still have to pay what you bid.
OK?
Go.
</p><p>
I get bids for $1, $2, $3.
Why not?
Someone might win $100 for only $3!
But the bids keep coming.
</p><p>
Once they get to $99, the person offering $98 thinks, “Uh oh. The other person isn’t backing down.”
They raise their bid to $100, so as not to be the second-highest bidder and lose it all.
</p><p>
But now the person offering $99 raises their bid to $101.
Better to lose only $1 than $99, right?
Soon they’re offering me well over $100 to buy a $100 bill, just hoping the other person quits first.
</p><p>
The real problem was not thinking it through in advance.
</p><p>
When the game starts, it’s easy to think short-term and say, “Ooh! Good deal!”
Then when it’s too late, you slowly realize, “Uh-oh. What have I done?”
</p><p>
A lot of people get into bad life situations this way.
A homeowner buys a house at the top end of their budget.
A romantic falls for someone who’s already in a relationship.
Later they complain about how they’re so in debt, or their sweetheart is cheating.
</p><p>
<strong>
Before you start something, think of the ways it could end.
</strong>
Sometimes the smart choice is to say no to the whole game.
</p>
https://sive.rs/game
How will this game end?
2014-02-06T00:00:00+00:00
2014-02-06T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
You know that song you love that you wish you’d written?
Copy it.
</p><p>
You know that existing business that you wish you had thought of?
Copy it.
</p><p>
Why?
Because we’re imperfect mirrors.
</p><p>
<strong>
Like a funhouse mirror that distorts what it reflects, your imitation will turn out much different from the original.
</strong>
Maybe even better.
</p><p>
When a musician covers someone else’s song, they reveal their own warped perspective, since we know what the original sounds like.
Because of this, performing a cover song is actually a great way to define who you are as an artist.
</p><p>
When a musician writes a new song that imitates someone else’s song, almost nobody notices the similarity.
People don’t make the connection unless you tell them the source of its inspiration.
</p><p>
So an entrepreneur can imitate someone else’s business, and still be adding a great service to the world.
</p><p>
I used to believe that everything I did had to be 100 percent original.
My old company had a competitor that offered credit card machines to musicians.
Customers would tell me how much they loved that service, and even told me they wished we had it, too.
But copying the competitor seemed out of the question.
It took me a long time to swallow my pride and realize that I’d be doing my clients a favor if I imitated that idea.
So I copied it, and it was one of the most successful things I ever did.
Those little credit card machines made over $8 million for thousands of musicians.
</p><p>
So look around at those existing ideas in the world.
You can imitate them and still be offering something valuable and unique.
</p>
https://sive.rs/mirror
Imitate. We are imperfect mirrors.
2014-02-02T00:00:00+00:00
2014-02-02T00:00:00+00:00
<p><em>
This essay is by Jeremy Wellard, who is based in Hanoi.
This is the first chapter of my new <a href="https://woodegg.com/vn">Vietnam 2014 book</a>.
</em></p>
<hr/>
<p>
The only thing most people know of Vietnam is the Vietnam War.
In Vietnam, they call it the American War, and it’s just old history.
There is so much more to this youthful, thriving country.
</p>
<p>
Vietnam has long been considered the cultural and artistic heart of Asia, and the Vietnamese are the “Italians of Asia”.
Highly social and heart-driven, with a penchant for drama and performance they are quick to raise their voices to sway a discussion, but equally quick to laugh off a misunderstanding.
One of the greatest strengths of Vietnamese is their ability to find joy in everyday moments.
Whether laboring in the fields or rushing through busy urban lives, they still find any excuse to put down their tools and laugh in conversation over a cup of tea.
</p>
<p>
Since opening up to the world in the late 1980s, the Vietnamese have been racing ahead at full speed.
Years of struggle under a system of collective production left people ready to enthusiastically embrace capitalist ideals.
Since the late 1990s, Vietnam has had one of the highest economic growth rates in the world.
This rapid growth created a highly entrepreneurial environment where everyone seems to have a second or third business on the side.
</p>
<p>
Vietnam is the world’s only “Socialist-Oriented Market Economy”.
This means the government maintains a large ownership and control of major companies, while small and medium businesses are left to develop freely.
</p>
<p>
Forget any notions of the frugal communist lifestyle.
Wealth and possessions are flaunted as signs of success.
People will spend many months’ salary for a status symbol like an iPhone, fancy motorbike, or designer clothes.
</p>
<p>
Yet there’s a deep-seated habit of saving money wherever possible.
This can be seen in shops, where the air-conditioning is turned off until a customer walks in, or in the recycling culture where even used plastic bags have value.
Vietnamese take great pride in their bargaining skills.
When a new purchase is shown to friends, someone will immediately ask how much they paid for it.
Ability to negotiate a good price demonstrates not just savvy but strong relationships.
</p>
<p>
Trading on relationships is key.
A popular saying is, “First your family, second your friends, third comes money.”
This means people will always look out for family and friends, but for outsiders their help comes at a price.
</p>
<p>
Strong family networks define the career and social lives of many Vietnamese.
The government strongly recommends families have only two children, and most do.
There are highly traditional expectations regarding responsibility to family, education, career choices, gender roles, marriage, and children.
Newly wed couples live at the home of the husband’s parents until they can afford to buy their own house.
Three generations often live together under one roof, and grandparents play an important role in providing childcare.
Because of this in-home care, mothers usually return to work much sooner than the six months of maternity leave given by Vietnam’s labor laws, which strongly favor worker’s rights.
</p>
<p>
In Vietnam, the year and date of a person’s birth is very important.
It influences their whole life, including when they are allowed to marry, open a business, hold important meetings and have children.
Social interactions and forms of address are determined by age, so upon meeting a new person, one of the first questions Vietnamese will ask is what year they were born.
</p>
<p>
Because of a strongly collective past, where standing out from the crowd was potentially dangerous, new ideas may be regarded with caution.
But once the viability of an idea is demonstrated, acceptance, imitation and adaptation rapidly follow.
This tendency to follow others can lead Vietnamese to seem unoriginal in their thinking.
But in fact their ability to quickly see an opportunity and willingness to capitalize on it creates a very dynamic and exciting environment.
</p>
<p>
Despite the collective past, upwardly mobile Vietnamese have fully embraced the concept that the individual who works smarter and has more relationships can have more than their neighbor.
A new “me-first” culture is rising.
But there still remains a highly structured society underneath.
In many ways, Vietnam is perhaps both the most-collective and least-collective of the Asian cultures.
</p>
<p>
Vietnamese have been living with occupation, change and uncertainty for thousands of years and have developed community-based social systems that preserve order and personal freedom at a micro level, regardless of macro changes.
As the local saying goes, “The rules of the village are stronger than the rules of the king.”
</p>
<p>
Unlike common misconceptions regarding Communist states, Vietnam is actually a democracy, and all citizens have the right to vote every three years.
Although they can only choose candidates from one political party, within this party there are factions with very different viewpoints.
Individuals have a lot of freedom in most areas of everyday life.
Overall though, they tend to avoid openly discussing political issues.
Speaking against the government, protesting high-level corruption, or promoting other political systems can incur severe punishments for locals and expulsion for foreigners.
</p>
<p>
Vietnam is chaotic, but far from lawless.
The country has an advanced legal system.
But there are many ways in which rules can seem more like guidelines.
A “no” can become a “yes” with the right timing and persuasion.
This can seem daunting, but those who understand the system are great at navigating its complexities.
This is one of the main reasons foreign business people need a trusted local partner or good lawyer.
</p>
<p>
Foreigners are surprised that sociopolitical tensions are actually highest with China, rather than the United States, France, or Japan.
Vietnam is increasingly wary of China’s growing power and territorial ambitions.
This has caused a strong wave of anti-China sentiment where Chinese products, particularly food, are considered poor quality and unhealthy.
It has also driven a celebration of products “Made in Vietnam” and is combining with a growing awareness of health and safety to birth a clean-food movement.
</p>
<p>
The only thing constant in Vietnam is change.
Trends come and go, businesses open and close, and construction is a constant.
The pervasive dust and noise are the sweat and tears of progress.
But underneath this turmoil, there is a country that remains deeply Vietnamese, and people who are proud, ambitious, and happy to be open to a world of opportunities.
</p>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/vn"><img alt="" src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-VN-200.jpg"></a>
https://sive.rs/vn14
Understanding Vietnam
2014-01-21T00:00:00+00:00
2014-01-21T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When I tell people I live in Singapore, the most common misunderstandings I hear are:
</p>
<ul><li>
“How can you live in that sterile squeaky-clean police state?”
</li><li>
“Isn’t that where they cane people for chewing gum?”
</li><li>
“Disneyland with a death penalty! Haha!”
</li><li>
“What part of China is that in?”
</li></ul>
<p>
I’m not surprised when people misunderstand Singapore, because it requires a little explanation.
</p>
<h4>
First — some important context:
</h4>
<p>
Singapore is an island so small you can drive around the whole country in two hours.
</p><p>
In 1819, it was set up by the British as a tax-free trading port, instantly attracting business from the entire region.
So it’s always had a mix of Malay, Indian, and Chinese people, though the majority are Chinese.
</p><p>
It quickly became an anything-goes town, with opium, prostitution and gambling, run by secret societies.
Its nickname was “Sin-Galore”.
</p><p>
In 1963, Singapore became a part of Malaysia.
But racial tensions between the Malay and Chinese populations led to ongoing race riots.
So in 1965, Singapore was kicked out of Malaysia, making it suddenly (and reluctantly) an independent country.
</p><p>
Since Singapore had no natural resources, no local industry, and was geographically vulnerable, few people believed it would survive.
</p><p>
But being a do-or-die survival situation, the government and people of Singapore got <strong>extremely focused, pragmatic, and competitive</strong> to do whatever it takes to make this tiny island thrive against the odds.
</p><p>
Their main survival strategy was to focus on making Singapore an ideal place for big business — attracting multinational corporations to set up their Asian headquarters here.
</p><p>
All these historical ingredients are important for the rest of this explanation to make sense.
</p>
<h4>
Why so clean?
</h4>
<p>
Because Singapore is so small, keeping it clean is a manageable job.
(You can’t easily clean India or China.)
</p><p>
But really <strong>the cleanliness is marketing</strong>.
What better way to prove to multinational corporations that Singapore is a stable, trustable, and efficient place to set up your headquarters?
It’s no coincidence that the highway leading from the airport to downtown has the most perfectly manicured landscape.
First impressions matter to visiting CEOs.
</p><p>
It’s why the country’s leaders all wear white.
It’s a show of incorruptibility — a metaphor for being orderly and transparent with attention to detail.
Getting to know Singapore’s government is like looking under the hood of a Ferrari.
It’s incredibly well-designed and well-run.
</p><p>
<strong>
Singapore is always selling itself to the world.
</strong>
The chairman of the government’s Economic Development Board told his colleagues, “We are in the hospitality business.”
The government works hard to stay competitive on every international measure.
Any time there are international rankings comparing countries, you’ll find Singapore near the top of the list.
Except for free speech, but I’ll cover that next.
</p><p>
Lastly: why no chewing gum?
Purely pragmatic.
It was gumming up the subway system, causing delays, and was too hard to clean off surfaces, so the sale of it was banned.
Keeping the country clean and running smoothly was more important.
</p><p>
So that’s why Singapore has an international reputation for being so clean.
It’s brilliant marketing — visual proof of the order and cleanliness you can expect if you set up your business or banking here.
</p>
<h4>
Why so strict?
</h4>
<p>
Three reasons: transformation, size, and marketing.
</p><p>
First: transformation.
To quickly turn Singapore from “Sin-Galore” to being the Switzerland of Asia would require great strategy and strict, uncompromising execution of that strategy.
We’re used to seeing this in corporations, like Jack Welch at GE or Steve Jobs returning to Apple, but it’s surprising to see it carried out successfully in a government.
(Many say Singapore is more like a corporation than a country.)
</p><p>
And it worked!
In one generation, Singapore went through a dramatic increase in the standard of living.
In one generation, this tiny dot went from being broke to being one of the richest countries in the world, without any natural resources, purely by strict execution of a great strategy.
</p><p>
Its lack of corruption was an important ingredient in its success.
In a region where political corruption is rampant, Singapore is the only country that severely punishes corruption.
It regularly ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world.
</p><p>
Next: size.
Singapore’s UN representative once said, “America is like an aircraft carrier.
If you jump up and down, it’s not going to shake.
Singapore is like a canoe.
If you jump up and down, it will sink.
If you lose stability in Singapore, you lose everything.”
</p><p>
Lastly: marketing.
When an American teenager vandalized 18 cars in Singapore, he was sentenced to jail and caning.
This turned into an international incident, with Bill Clinton asking Singapore not to prosecute him.
But as a government official said, “It was a way of demonstrating that Singapore was prepared to stand up against the mighty America.”
</p><p>
To me, that’s brilliant marketing.
A memorable way for a country to prove to the world that they obey the rule of law, without exception, and don’t waive the laws for special requests from powerful people.
I think this kind of approach makes corporate leaders more likely to do their business and banking in Singapore.
</p><p>
All that said, you could argue that Singapore is not so strict — less strict than Switzerland or California — because it’s a <em>laissez-faire</em> “do what you want” approach where life and business are not regulated for most of us in the middle.
Only the behavior that clearly hurts others or society is punished.
Everyone else gets to live in an incredibly safe, crime-and-corruption-free place.
</p>
<h4>
So very pragmatic
</h4>
<p>
The common thread behind everything here is pragmatism.
The country’s leadership consistently makes rational choices to improve the strength and profitability of Singapore.
<strong>
It’s pragmatic, not dogmatic.
</strong>
It’s not that the leaders of Singapore hate chewing gum or are neat freaks.
These were just rational decisions to do what was best for the country at that time.
The prime minister has a degree in Computer Science, as does the deputy prime minister.
This is a country run by engineers and economists.
</p><p>
So it’s important to know that these things are changing fast.
The government is constantly but conservatively re-assessing its stance on everything, to keep up with the times.
The last few years have seen a huge move towards more democracy and free speech, with the theater and arts scene blossoming because of it.
</p><p>
Singapore’s #1 enemy is complacency.
Now that Singapore is one of the most successful countries in the world, the top priority is to keep that competitive edge.
This “keep on your toes” message is constantly communicated at all levels — a reminder to never assume that things will stay this good.
Keep pushing.
Stay on top.
Don’t let your guard down.
Always be competitive.
</p><p>
Singapore was founded on the ideals of the Age of Enlightenment — the age of reason and rationality — and its founder built those lofty ideals into its blueprint.
So to understand Singapore, you need to understand that it’s always been designed top-down, from the beginning, to realize these rational ideals.
</p>
https://sive.rs/sg14
Understanding Singapore
2014-01-21T00:00:00+00:00
2014-01-21T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
<em>
This essay is by <a href="https://twitter.com/danielziv">Daniel Ziv</a>, who has worked in Indonesia for 14 years as a journalist, editor, and now filmmaker.
He wrote the bestselling book “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/9799589878">Jakarta Inside Out</a>” and directed the award-winning documentary film <a href="http://jalananmovie.com/">JALANAN</a>, about the lives of three Jakarta street musicians.
This is the first chapter of my new <a href="https://woodegg.com/id">Indonesia 2014 book</a>.
</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
Indonesia is the world’s 4th biggest country by population, but is still a work in progress — a beta version.
</p>
<p>
Indonesia 1.0 began in 1945, when they gained independence from the Dutch and became a country.
Suddenly, 17,000 islands, 300 ethnic groups and 700 languages needed to be held together under one flag and one language.
These indigenous cultures were officially co-opted as caricatures rather than being allowed to grow organically.
The new official language was imposed very effectively at the expense of preserving local dialects.
</p>
<p>
Indonesia 2.0 began in 1998, with the toppling of Suharto, the country’s dictator of 32 years.
This new era of reform and democratization has seen impressive stability and progress.
</p>
<p>
So let’s talk about the best part of Indonesia — its people: warm, open-minded, easygoing and always lots of fun.
</p>
<h4>
Flexibility:
</h4>
<p>
Indonesians are acrobats.
They’ve learned the hard way not to trust the system, but also to rarely challenge it.
So they find resourceful ways of solving problems, relying on each other and adopting an optimistic, can-do attitude in any circumstance.
Flexibility, elasticity and teamwork are key in nearly every walk of life, and Indonesians prize the following traits:
</p>
<p>
<strong>
Non-confrontation:
</strong>
Indonesians put a premium on getting along and not making each other lose face.
Confrontation is truly a last resort.
Indonesians love group consensus as a solution to any debate.
The outcome is not as important as the fact that the decision was arrived at inclusively.
</p>
<p>
<strong>
Patience:
</strong>
A favorite Indonesian phrase is “jam karet”, which literally means “rubber time”, suggesting that time is a flexible, unpredictable commodity.
It’s common for Indonesians to arrive an hour late to a meeting, and just as common for their colleagues to accept this as routine.
</p>
<p>
<strong>
Rule-bending:
</strong>
If time is rubber, so are rules, which are meant to be delightfully broken.
Fees are waived, timetables sped up, and restrictions ignored, all for the right payment, family member, or childhood buddy.
</p>
<p>
<strong>
Self-reliance:
</strong>
In a society where very few people have health insurance, social security, or even life savings, mutual help is very common.
If someone is very ill, the entire family and even neighbors pitch in to cover costs.
If an uncle can’t afford his own motorbike, his son-in-law and two school friends will cover the down payment.
If the government won’t fix an awful road, local residents mobilize their own resources to get the job done.
</p>
<h4>
Corruption:
</h4>
<p>
Indonesians are fundamentally good, honest people born into a system that is utterly corrupt.
So deeply rooted is the graft that just to get things done, one must either be corrupt or play along with corruption.
</p>
<p>
Corruption is therefore a double-edged sword: it’s totally unjust and results in exorbitant costs, but it also allows people to get things done easily and quickly.
</p>
<p>
Indonesians resent paying huge bribes just to start up a small, legitimate business, yet love paying $25 to obtain an instant drivers license instead of the official $10 with its days of bureaucracy and road tests.
</p>
<p>
Some cynically view low-level corruption as a tax system in a non-tax-paying society.
Since the government cannot afford to pay police or teachers a livable wage, traffic cops demand petty bribes from drivers wanting to avoid hefty official fines, while teachers will accept payment to give students passing grades.
</p>
<h4>
Pleasure:
</h4>
<p>
If you thought this is a conservative nation of Muslim puritans, think again.
Indonesia is a surprisingly hedonistic society that could teach America a thing or two about the “pursuit of happiness” and pleasure.
</p>
<p>
Indonesians sometimes have it rough — with poverty, poor health, traffic jams, and pollution — but they constantly and unapologetically compensate themselves for these hardships.
In Western countries, salons and spas are for the affluent, while in Indonesia even slum dwellers set aside the time (and as little as 50 cents) for a cream bath scalp massage or foot reflexology at a local spa shack.
Infidelity, drugs and prostitution are rampant across all social classes in Indonesia.
Why?
Because people enjoy it, and deny themselves very little.
</p>
<h4>
Religion:
</h4>
<p>
See all the young women wearing headscarves on the streets?
Muslim extremists?
Not even close.
In fact many probably work as office girls for multinational companies and might even join colleagues at a karaoke lounge at night.
Indonesia is a constant interplay between surface and substance, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the confusing, paradoxical attitude toward religion.
The country is a cradle of “nominal Islam” – around 85% identify themselves as Muslims, yet very few are religious in the orthodox sense.
</p>
<p>
The government dictates that every citizen must belong to one of the country’s six official religions, and this gets listed on every Indonesian’s ID card.
But for most Indonesians, religion is more of an identity label, security blanket or family tradition than a matter of orthodox belief or practice.
</p>
<p>
These official religious labels mask over society’s far deeper influences: pre-Islamic animist and Hindu roots, folk superstitions, and possibly more time spent worshiping English football matches or pop stars than praying in mosques or churches.
</p>
<h4>
Openness:
</h4>
<p>
Indonesians take humble pride in their own culture and achievements, but are incredibly open to outside influence.
(Unlike the Thais, for example.)
They are very welcoming and adaptive toward foreigners.
There’s no xenophobia here.
</p>
<p>
This extends to the business world too.
Foreigners have been welcomed into many of Indonesia’s largest conglomerates as both senior directors and shareholders, while many have started major local companies of their own.
This open-minded society has resulted in an open market full of opportunity.
</p>
<p>
This openness may explain why travel is booming.
Indonesians are increasingly traveling overseas, interacting more intensively with the world and global economy.
Indonesian expats are returning from years overseas to participate in the nation-building at home, becoming local entrepreneurs, academics, NGO types, lawyers, etc.
And Indonesians are suddenly eagerly touristing locally, discovering their own country in a way they never did before.
</p>
<h4>
Future:
</h4>
<p>
The future looks bright for Indonesia.
</p>
<p>
There have been three democratic, peaceful regime changes in the 15 years since the big reform, and no real fear that Indonesia will return to dictatorship.
</p>
<p>
Indonesia is today the most democratic country in Southeast Asia, having surpassed more “progressive” neighbors like Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia.
(Just fifteen years ago, Indonesia would have trailed far behind.)
</p>
<p>
Despite criticism of the current government — which in itself is a breath of fresh air — President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono managed to steer the economy very skillfully, attracting huge foreign direct investment.
</p>
<h4>
Summary:
</h4>
<p>
In Indonesia, one must always look beyond the surface at the substance.
It’s easy to be intimidated by corruption, traffic and pollution.
But those frustrations are merely superficial distractions in a country that is unbelievably welcoming and more open for business than ever before.
</p>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/id"><img alt="" src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-ID-200.jpg"></a>
https://sive.rs/id14
Understanding Indonesia
2014-01-21T00:00:00+00:00
2014-01-21T00:00:00+00:00
<p><em>
This essay is adapted from an excerpt of the great book “<a href="http://www.kirainet.com/english/a-geek-in-japan-the-book/#author">A Geek in Japan</a>” by <a href="http://www.kirainet.com/english/">Héctor Garcia</a>.
It is the first chapter of my new <a href="https://woodegg.com/jp">Japan 2014 book</a>.
</em></p>
<hr/>
<p>
If three Japanese people are talking together, and a fourth one joins the conversation, he will apologize upon approach for breaking the harmony of the group.
Why?
</p><p>
In Japan, everything looks like it works to perfection.
People do what they’re supposed to.
Trains run well.
Everybody has a job.
Everybody has money to live.
It has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.
Children study well and are some of the best in the world.
Tokyo is one of the cleanest cities you’ll ever see despite being the largest urban area in the world.
It seems to be a perfect place.
How have they achieved this?
</p><p>
To understand the Japanese way, you must understand a few concepts that are deeply rooted into the culture.
</p>
<h4>
Samurai role model
</h4>
<p>
The samurai adhered to a way of life, ethics, rules, and a code that spread to all branches of society, and even today affects the way Japanese think.
</p><ul>
<li>
Buddhism taught them to stay calm and patient.
</li>
<li>
Confucianism taught them that relationships between people are the basis of society — to respect our ancestors, relatives, and superiors.
</li>
<li>
Loyalty, justice, and honor are central.
</li>
<li>
Sincerity, compassion, courtesy, and honesty are important key values.
</li>
</ul><p>
Though the samurai no longer exist, this way of viewing life is ever-present in society.
Students are loyal to their teachers.
Workers are loyal to their companies, putting in long overtime hours.
Japanese are loyal, honest, sincere, and disciplined at work.
They follow rules and try to improve themselves every day, just as the samurai did in their time.
</p><p>
A high compliment is the word “iki” (粋).
You say a person is iki if they are original, calm, refined, and sophisticated, without being too perfect, complicated, or self-conscious.
It’s similar to the word “elegant” or “graceful”.
</p>
<h4>
“Honne”, “tatemae”, and no “no”
</h4>
<p>
Honne (本音) refers to the opinions and true feelings that everybody has.
</p><p>
Tatemae (建前) refers to social obligations, and opinions that have been adjusted to be socially acceptable — when words and true intentions don’t fully coincide.
</p><p>
What someone really thinks is “honne”, but what they actually express is “tatemae”.
In Western countries we could call it hypocrisy, but in Japan knowing how to express tatemae and honne at the right time is considered a virtue.
</p><p>
From the Western point of view, concealing the truth may be looked on with disfavor, but in Japan, preserving harmony is more important.
That’s why true thoughts (honne) are not expressed in a straightforward way, for fear of hurting people’s feelings.
It’s used to ease relationships and business, where established conventions have to be followed.
</p><p>
Japanese hardly ever use the word “no”.
Using it is considered very curt.
Instead, there are many ways to say “no” delicately, such as, “A little bit…,” or “This is very interesting,” or “We will study your proposal,” or “This is complicated but…”
When someone says these things, they are very politely but clearly telling you “no”.
</p><p>
An example: Imagine you want to buy a ticket and there are no seats left.
The ticket salesperson won’t give you a straight answer like, “There are no tickets left.”
Instead he will probably keep you waiting, pretending he is looking into something on his computer, make weird faces, and say something like, “Finding seats can be difficult.”
This is tatemae at its best.
</p>
<h4>
Modesty and humility
</h4>
<p>
No matter what their social class, talent, studies, or job, Japanese people are expected to behave with modesty.
</p><p>
The most typical way to show our humility is by diminishing our own achievements while praising those of others.
If someone tells you that your recent work has been great, you must answer that the credit is not yours, that the latest successes have been achieved thanks to what your boss and company have taught you.
</p><p>
If someone is too ambitious or flaunts their power too much, he ends up being ostracized by his company and society.
There are many cases where a person of great promise was too ambitious, and his/her superiors reassigned him/her to tasks such as serving tea in meetings or even cleaning the company bathrooms.
The Japanese see ambition as a threat to the inner balance of the system, which might bring them down in the future.
</p>
<h4>
The way of elegance and perfection
</h4>
<p>
A deep-rooted Japanese concept is “do” (道), which means “the way”.
Look at many of the Japanese words we use in English.
“Judo” is the gentle way.
“Aikido” is the way of the union of spirit and mind.
“Dojo” is the place of the way.
There are hundreds of words with the character “do”, so it’s not merely a character but a whole philosophical concept and a way of life that has been deeply rooted in Japanese thinking for centuries.
</p><p>
Here is one important application of this concept:
It is very common to seek perfection in some tasks as a means to acquire spiritual satisfaction.
Education is repetition, following the set path, “the way”.
Through repetition of certain patterns, they get to be very good at what they do.
But this also makes it very difficult for them to depart from their routine.
Now you can see why Japanese companies have a reputation for being slow to change and avoiding innovation.
</p><p>
In individualistic societies (America, Europe, Australia, etc.), the common belief is that if you pursue your own self-interest this will automatically help with the interests of your society.
In Japan, the belief is reversed.
If you give your utmost in your work to serve your company, customers, and society, then this will automatically serve your own self-interest.
This is why Japanese companies are known for having such incredible customer service.
This helps you have a better life, and in turn you help others have a better life, while benefitting companies and the Japanese economy in general.
</p>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/jp"><img alt="" src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-JP-200.jpg"></a>
https://sive.rs/jp14
Understanding Japan
2014-01-19T00:00:00+00:00
2014-01-19T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I had just moved to Singapore when I met the brilliant <a href="https://twitter.com/benjaminjoffe">Benjamin Joffe</a>.
He’s a startup consultant and investor from France, who has spent the last 13 years living around Asia — a few years each in <a href="https://woodegg.com/kr">Korea</a>, <a href="https://woodegg.com/cn">China</a>, and <a href="https://woodegg.com/jp">Japan</a>.
</p><p>
I asked him if he could tell me the most important thing he learned from living in these different countries.
</p><p>
He said, “<strong>Even though we are all using English as a common language, the same word can mean very different things in different places</strong>.”
</p><p>
I looked confused, so he said, “<strong>When I say the word ‘quality’, what do you think it means?</strong>”
</p><p>
I thought and said, “Quality means <strong>it works</strong>. It’s well-built. It will last.”
</p><p>
He beamed a big smile and said, “Exactly! I knew you were going to say that, because you’re American!
If you ask almost any American what ‘quality’ means, they’ll say ‘it works’.
To you, that’s the definition of the word, but it’s actually just the American definition of the word.
</p><p>
“In <a href="https://woodegg.com/kr">Korea</a>, if I ask almost anyone what quality means, they’ll say, ‘<strong>it’s brand new</strong>’.
In Korea, newness is important.
Don’t go to Korea trying to emphasize the timeless long-lasting quality of your product.
What matters is what’s new.
</p><p>
“In <a href="https://woodegg.com/jp">Japan</a>, if I ask almost anyone what quality means, they’ll say, ‘<strong>it’s perfect — zero defects</strong>’.
Japanese culture emphasizes the importance of striving for perfection.
I saw a company ship a huge box of their products to Japan, but the shipment was not accepted because the shipping container was dented.
Although the items inside were fine, it was no longer a ‘quality’ shipment, since it was no longer perfect.
</p><p>
“In <a href="https://woodegg.com/cn">China</a>, if I ask almost anyone what quality means, they’ll say, ‘<strong>it gives status</strong>’.
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanxi">Guanxi</a> is everything — your standing in a personal network — so any item that gives you social status is considered quality.
It doesn’t matter if it’s well-built or will last, as long as it raises your social status.”
</p><p>
He waited while I digested this thought.
</p><p>
Then he said, “This is why you can’t just take your brilliant American business idea and go make it happen in any country.
‘Quality’ is just one word, but imagine the different cultural meanings of words like ‘music’, ‘romantic’, ‘friends’, or even ‘fun’!”
</p><p>
<strong>
This conversation is a big reason I started my <a href="https://woodegg.com/">Wood Egg book series</a>.
</strong>
Understanding the different mindsets of different cultures has interested me ever since, so it’s fun to keep diving deeper and deeper into the subject.
</p><p>
Later, I asked a Singaporean friend why high-tech always-online <a href="https://woodegg.com/sg">Singapore</a> has almost no online shopping.
</p><p>
He said, “Shopping is something you go out and do with your friends!
A few companies have tried to popularize online shopping in Singapore, but it has never worked.”
</p><p>
When I explained how it would save people a lot of time and money to being able to buy anything at home, without having to go out to the mall, he smiled and said, “What if I came to America and tried to start a company that helped people stay at home and get drunk alone, while sitting at their computer, so that they didn’t need to go out to bars with friends anymore? Wouldn’t that save them a lot of time and money?”
</p><p>
Touché.
</p>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/kh" title="Cambodia 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-KH-200.jpg" alt="Cambodia 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/cn" title="China 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-CN-200.jpg" alt="China 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/hk" title="Hong Kong 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-HK-200.jpg" alt="Hong Kong 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/in" title="India 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-IN-200.jpg" alt="India 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/id" title="Indonesia 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-ID-200.jpg" alt="Indonesia 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/jp" title="Japan 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-JP-200.jpg" alt="Japan 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/kr" title="Korea 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-KR-200.jpg" alt="Korea 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/my" title="Malaysia 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-MY-200.jpg" alt="Malaysia 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/mn" title="Mongolia 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-MN-200.jpg" alt="Mongolia 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/mm" title="Myanmar 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-MM-200.jpg" alt="Myanmar 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/ph" title="Philippines 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-PH-200.jpg" alt="Philippines 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/sg" title="Singapore 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-SG-200.jpg" alt="Singapore 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/lk" title="Sri Lanka 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-LK-200.jpg" alt="Sri Lanka 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/tw" title="Taiwan 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-TW-200.jpg" alt="Taiwan 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/th" title="Thailand 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-TH-200.jpg" alt="Thailand 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/vn" title="Vietnam 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-VN-200.jpg" alt="Vietnam 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/aa" title="Asia 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-AA-200.jpg" alt="Asia 2014"></a>
https://sive.rs/quality
Same word. Different places? Different meanings.
2014-01-16T00:00:00+00:00
2014-01-16T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
If you know you’ll never go to Asia, you can skip this.
</p><p>
If you’re looking for a travel guide, you can skip this.
</p><p>
But if you might do business in Asia, have thought about moving to Asia, or just want to understand the cultures of Asia, you will love this.
</p><p>
<strong>
16 books about moving to and doing business in 16 countries in Asia:
</strong>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/kh">Cambodia</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/cn">China</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/hk">Hong Kong</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/in">India</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/id">Indonesia</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/jp">Japan</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/kr">Korea</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/my">Malaysia</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/mn">Mongolia</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/mm">Myanmar</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/ph">Philippines</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/sg">Singapore</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/lk">Sri Lanka</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/tw">Taiwan</a>,
<a href="https://woodegg.com/th">Thailand</a>, and
<a href="https://woodegg.com/vn">Vietnam</a>.
</p><p>
They’re all ebooks for under $10 each, sold at LeanPub, Amazon, and Apple iBooks.
</p><p>
Plus this year there’s <a href="https://woodegg.com/aa">a 17th book, combining all 16 books into one massive 4448-page ebook</a>, for easy comparison between different countries.
</p><p>
<strong>
Please go to <a href="https://woodegg.com/">woodegg.com</a> to check them out now.
</strong>
</p><p>
These 2014 editions were <strong>all written in the last three months, based on research from the last six months.</strong>
They’re the most current and thorough guides of their kind.
</p><p>
The 2013 editions were OK, but I never promoted them because I wanted them to be deeper, more thorough, and more insightful.
But these 2014 editions were created by some amazing researchers and writers, so I can now proudly say these books are really very good.
</p><p>
I’ll have more to say about them in the coming weeks.
</p><p>
But for now, I just want to say <a href="https://woodegg.com/">they’re here</a>.
Two years of effort by over 140 people.
I’m so thrilled, and honestly a little in awe of what we’ve created.
</p><p>
I hope you <a href="https://woodegg.com/">buy one</a>, and hope you like it.
</p>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/kh" title="Cambodia 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-KH-200.jpg" alt="Cambodia 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/cn" title="China 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-CN-200.jpg" alt="China 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/hk" title="Hong Kong 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-HK-200.jpg" alt="Hong Kong 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/in" title="India 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-IN-200.jpg" alt="India 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/id" title="Indonesia 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-ID-200.jpg" alt="Indonesia 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/jp" title="Japan 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-JP-200.jpg" alt="Japan 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/kr" title="Korea 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-KR-200.jpg" alt="Korea 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/my" title="Malaysia 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-MY-200.jpg" alt="Malaysia 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/mn" title="Mongolia 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-MN-200.jpg" alt="Mongolia 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/mm" title="Myanmar 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-MM-200.jpg" alt="Myanmar 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/ph" title="Philippines 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-PH-200.jpg" alt="Philippines 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/sg" title="Singapore 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-SG-200.jpg" alt="Singapore 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/lk" title="Sri Lanka 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-LK-200.jpg" alt="Sri Lanka 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/tw" title="Taiwan 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-TW-200.jpg" alt="Taiwan 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/th" title="Thailand 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-TH-200.jpg" alt="Thailand 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/vn" title="Vietnam 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-VN-200.jpg" alt="Vietnam 2014"></a>
<a href="https://woodegg.com/aa" title="Asia 2014"><img src="https://woodegg.com/images/we14/we14cover-AA-200.jpg" alt="Asia 2014"></a>
https://sive.rs/we14
Wood Egg 2014 books are on sale now
2014-01-12T00:00:00+00:00
2014-01-12T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
I met Jac Holzman the same day I met Bill Gates, but Jac made a much bigger impression, and he’s been my friend and mentor ever since.
</p><p>
Jac Holzman is a living legend.
He founded <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elektra_Records">Elektra Records</a> in 1950.
(Yeah! 1950! Let that soak in a minute. That’s years before rock music was even invented!)
He signed artists like The Doors, Carly Simon, Harry Chapin, and Judy Collins to their first record deal.
In 1964, he founded the amazing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonesuch_Records">Nonesuch Records</a>, too.
</p><p>
He’s done a lot more than that, so you can <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jac_Holzman">read his Wikipedia page</a> for more.
He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, so <a href="https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/jac-holzman">there’s a good biography of him on their site</a>.
</p><p>
Back in 2005, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_L._Nash">mutual friend</a> said Jac wanted to meet me, so we set a lunch date a couple weeks in advance, because I wanted to read his autobiography first.
</p><p>
I was deep in the middle of running CD Baby.
Business was booming almost out of control.
It was a little lonely, because all my friends are musicians but the stuff I was going through — trying to lead a company of 85 employees and thousands of clients — was something that none of my friends could relate to.
</p><p>
But when I read Jac’s book, <strong>it was like I had been walking a mountain path alone, then came upon a cabin with the diaries of someone who had walked that track 50 years earlier.</strong>
</p><p>
Everything I was going through, he had gone through 50 years ago.
Keeping musicians happy, managing crazy employees, satisfying the needs of music lovers, navigating a booming music business — I thought it was just me, but nope.
Jac had been there and done that.
</p><p>
The book is called “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0966122100">Follow the Music: The Life and High Times of Elektra Records in the Great Years of American Pop Culture</a>.”
I spent 16 kindred hours in his head, reading that 400 page book, before we finally met.
</p><p>
I was nervous before our lunch.
I expected him to be aloof on a pedestal, while I fawned over him in awe.
</p><p>
Instead, he bounded up to me, warm as can be, giving me a big hug, saying he was so honored to meet me, and had been looking forward to our lunch for weeks.
To this day, I think it’s one of the warmest greetings I’ve ever had from anyone.
</p><p>
We talked for hours about music, and had lots of questions for each other.
It was awesome.
</p><p>
Jac has these enormous blue eyes.
It’s amazing to think about what his eyes have seen.
Not just Jim Morrison showing up drunk on his doorstep and all of that.
<strong>
This world of modern music that has been my whole life — Jac was right there in the middle of the creation of it.
The stories and the characters are mythical legends to me, but recent memories to him.
</strong>
</p><p>
He’s a real music and audio afficianado.
He always puts the music and musicians first, whether it later made money or not.
</p><p>
He has this great story about needing to get the Beatles’ permission to license something from them in the 60s.
He met with them and asked.
George Harrison said, “Elektra Records? Didn’t you put out <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koerner,_Ray_%26_Glover">Koerner, Ray & Glover</a>?”
When Jac said yes, John Lennon said, “Anyone who puts out Koerner, Ray & Glover is OK by us,” and gave his OK.
</p><p>
He later told me that it was actually a long-term strategy of Elektra.
That sometimes he’d release records by amazing artists, knowing they’d probably lose money, because not only was it the right thing to do, but other successful artists would later choose to sign with Elektra instead of another label, because he had proven that Elektra would support their artistic exploration.
</p><p>
I look up to him so much that when he tells me to do something, I do it.
He’s the one that told me to go to New Zealand, the first time.
</p><p>
He tried to get CD Baby to work with Warner Music at one point, which was a nice gesture, though not the best fit.
Still it led to some priceless moments like sitting around the pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel, talking with a shirtless <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyor_Cohen">Lyor Cohen</a>, smoking a cigar.
</p><p>
Jac is such a perfectionist, always insisting that everything is the best possible quality it can be.
From his early hands-on audio recordings in the early 1950s — bringing his equipment on his back on his Vespa, recording in musicians’ apartments — to 2013 when he just spent countless hours making <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-doors/id609344635?mt=8">The Doors iPad app</a>.
</p><p>
Clearly, we hit it off so well that we made a point of meeting up every month or so after that.
He’s an avid hiker, so many times we’d go on long hikes up the hills of Los Angeles.
He was impressed I could keep up with him.
</p><p>
<strong>
There’s no conclusion to this story.
</strong>
</p><p>
I called Jac just now while writing this article, and he wanted to hear all about how my family is doing.
Warm as always.
</p><p>
Go <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0966122100">get his autobiography of the Elektra years</a>, or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jac+holzman">search YouTube for Jac Holzman</a> to see some great interviews and such.
</p><p>
<img src="/images/JacHolzman-600x300.jpg" alt="Jac Holzman photo">Photo of Jac Holzman then and now. Both at home with a microphone. <img src="/images/JacHolzman-600x359.jpg" alt="Jac Holzman photo">
</p><p id="ps">
<strong>
P.S. One more story:
</strong>
</p><p>
When I was 16, I heard this album called “<a href="https://www.nonesuch.com/albums/bali-music-morning-world">Music From the Morning of the World</a>”.
It blew my mind.
It changed my life.
I listened to that album over and over again all year, and a hundred times since.
</p><p>
Because of that album, I got interested in Asia in general, and Bali in particular.
I swear it’s to blame for a lot of my life’s journeys.
So <strong>24 years after hearing that album, I finally booked my flight to Bali.</strong>
</p><p>
The night before I left, Jac called out of the blue to say hi, and ask what I was doing.
I said I was packing to go to Bali, and how it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, since I was 16 and heard this record…
</p><p>
Then I stopped.
Wait.
Wasn’t that album on Nonesuch Records?
Yes! It was!
</p><p>
I said, “Jac! <strong>I’m going to Bali because of YOU!</strong>
Because of the obscure record of Balinese Gamelan music you put out in 1967, I moved to Asia, and now I’m about to go to Bali for the first time because of you!”
</p><p>
Ah, the loops and circles of life.
</p>
https://sive.rs/jac
Jac Holzman
2013-12-24T00:00:00+00:00
2013-12-24T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Looking around the room.
</p><p>
“Why am I here?”
</p><p>
It’s a useful question to ask often.
</p><p>
Either it will <strong>re-focus</strong> your reasons for being where you are, or it will make you realize your reasons have <strong>expired</strong> and you should be somewhere else.
</p><p>
In a little apartment in Singapore, I ask it again.
</p><p>
“Why am I here?”
</p><p>
Because of the brilliant and fascinating people here.
</p><p>
<em>
(But I’m refusing all requests to meet, to stay focused on my work.
For the past 3 years I was very social, but now I’m not.)
</em>
</p><p>
Because I love learning about Asia, and Singapore is a great central home base for that.
</p><p>
<em>
(But I’m not exploring Asia right now.
For the past 3 years I was, but now I’m inwardly-focused on my writing and programming.)
</em>
</p><p>
Because I love and admire it, and it feels like home.
</p><p>
<em>
(But I’ve loved everywhere I’ve lived, from California to New York to London to Portland.
They’ve all felt like home.
Future places will feel like home, too.)
</em>
</p><p>
Because I’m here right now.
</p><p>
<em>
(But there are airplanes.
You can sit in them.)
</em>
</p><p>
<strong>
Most of us are where we are because of decisions we made years ago.
But are those reasons still current for what we need now?
Ask again.
</strong>
</p><p>
“Why am I here?”
</p><p>
Damn.
I ran out of reasons.
I should be somewhere else.
</p><p>
I want silence, solitude, and wide open spaces.
</p><p>
I want to work all day while listening to nothing but birds and wind in the trees.
</p><p>
I want an intentional lack of distractions, far far away, to cure my tendency to say yes to intellectually stimulating events.
</p><p>
So the answer was clear.
</p><p>
I moved to New Zealand’s South Island.
</p><p>
<a href="http://www.newzealand.com/">Here</a> I am.
</p><p>
“Why am I here?”
</p><p>
To work.
To focus.
To write.
To code.
To launch.
</p><p>
Yes.
Good answer.
</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/7960290272/"><img src="/images/milford.jpg" alt="New Zealand photo"></a><div class="small">(<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/7960290272/">photo</a> by Trey Ratcliff)</div>
https://sive.rs/here
Why am I here?
2013-12-20T00:00:00+00:00
2013-12-20T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Over dinner my friend Valerie said, “I’m not worried about someone finding out my secrets, because secrets are just facts, right?
So if someone is going through my private things, for example, and gets upset about what they find, then that’s their problem, not mine!”
</p><p>
I liked that attitude, and kept thinking about it.
</p><p>
Later as we were leaving, I helped her put on her coat, and picked up her purse.
It was so heavy, I had to ask, “What’s in here?”
</p><p>
She said, “Oh probably my two big diaries.
I have one diary that’s private, and another that’s like super-super private.”
</p><p>
Because of what she just said about secrets, I had to ask: “Can I read the super-super private one, then?”
</p><p>
She was a little shocked, thought for a few seconds, laughed, and said OK.
</p><p>
We got two ciders and she patiently waited while I spent 20 minutes reading through it.
Pages filled with words about processing family drama, formulating goals, plans for life changes, romantic details, lists of regrets, contemplations, etc.
</p><p>
I was surprised <strong>it was all meaningless to me</strong>.
These pages meant the world to her, but to me they meant no more than any non-secret conversation we’d ever had.
It was the same stuff that we all think.
</p><p>
Later, I thought about the stuff I keep secret.
</p><p>
Like my programming code, for example.
I had it locked in an SSH-only server, on an encrypted partition.
My current life’s work.
Super-super private.
Can’t let anyone get access to this!
</p><p>
But what did I think would really happen if someone read my code?
They’d steal it and thrive?
<a href="https://sive.rs/multiply">Really?</a>
</p><p>
Then I realized it’s like Valerie’s diary.
Meaningful to me.
Meaningless to others.
So why go to the trouble to keep it so secret?
</p><p>
<em>
(I realize there’s an argument on the other side.
Why go to the trouble to make it public?)
</em>
</p><p>
But life is an ongoing experiment, so <strong>I decided to make all my programming code and business ideas public and open source</strong>, just to see what happens.
</p><p>
I wanted to <strong>challenge that fear that someone is going to steal our ideas</strong>.
</p><p>
Actually all those business ideas have been posted freely on my site for over two years now, and nobody has “stolen” them, yet.
You’re welcome to try.
I’ll keep adding more.
</p>
https://sive.rs/ws
Why my code and ideas are public
2013-12-12T00:00:00+00:00
2013-12-12T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Yesterday I procrastinated, tinkered, and wasted time, doing nothing of any value.
</p><p>
Then this morning, I found out that one of my best friends died yesterday.
He was out on a bike ride on a quiet street when a car swerved into the bike lane, <a href="https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/12/08/bicyclist-struck-and-killed-by-sheriffs-radio-car-in-calabasas/">killing him instantly</a>.
</p><p>
We shared my online music account.
I see he had just downloaded the entire Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young catalog yesterday before he left on his ride.
</p><p>
I’ve been crying off and on all morning, thinking about what we do with our time — what’s worthy and what’s a waste.
</p><p>
Time really is limited.
We can’t pretend it’s not.
Time spent doing one thing is time spent not doing something else.
</p><p>
It’s so easy to waste time doing stuff that’s not important, not really fun, and not useful to anyone, not even yourself.
</p><p>
It’s so hard to fight the <a href="https://sive.rs/book/WarOfArt">resistance</a> to do the more difficult but more important thing.
Finishing that book.
Writing that song.
Launching that project.
</p><p>
I spent this morning thinking about what doesn’t matter and what does.
For me, writing is about the most worthy thing I can do with my time.
I love how the distributed word is eternal — that every day I get emails from strangers thanking me for things I wrote years ago that helped them today.
I love how those things will continue to help people long after I’m gone.
</p><p>
My friend was a brilliant conversationalist, one of the brightest minds I’ve met, but he never put his thoughts into writing.
<strong>
It’s extra-sad that his thoughts are gone, too.
</strong>
</p><p>
So this lesson is dedicated to you, Milt Olin.
I’m going to start writing again.
</p>
<img src="/images/miltolin.jpg" alt="Milt Olin Twitter page">
https://sive.rs/milt
OK Milt, I’ll start writing again
2013-12-09T00:00:00+00:00
2013-12-09T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When I <a href="https://sive.rs/eg">first had the idea for Wood Egg</a> — publishing 16 books about 16 countries every year — I thought I would write them all <strong>myself</strong>.
Visit 16 countries for 3 weeks each, doing intensive research the whole time.
That’s 48 weeks, so I could do it again each year.
</p><p>
… But I had a baby on the way, so that idea lasted about a minute.
</p><p>
Then I thought of <strong>a journalist</strong> I know who would love that kind of life.
I asked, she said yes, she flew to Singapore, and started working.
</p><p>
… But it was a really bad fit, so after five weeks, we called it quits.
</p><p>
Then I decided to hire <strong>one writer per-country</strong>.
16 authors to write 16 books.
This went OK at first.
<a href="http://mohitpawar.com/about/">Mohit Pawar</a> did a great job with India, and <a href="http://www.cameronkeng.com/about/">Cameron Keng</a> did a great job with Taiwan.
</p><p>
… But the people I hired for the other countries flaked out, so I realized this plan was still too fragile.
</p>
<h4>
Making a Robust Plan
</h4>
<p>
I really wanted this to work.
I had to be smart.
I had to make a better plan.
</p><p>
I re-read my notes on <a href="https://sive.rs/book/EMythRevisited">E-Myth</a>, <a href="https://sive.rs/book/WisdomOfCrowds">The Wisdom of Crowds</a>, <a href="https://sive.rs/book/Crowdsourcing">Crowdsourcing</a>, and <a href="https://sive.rs/book/HereComesEverybody">Here Comes Everybody</a>.
(In fact, I re-read <a href="https://sive.rs/book">my notes on 130 books</a>. It was an enlightening week.)
</p><p>
I learned a few things:
</p><ol>
<li><strong>
If you want help, it helps to get specific.
</strong></li>
<li><strong>
A plan that’s too dependent on any one person is too fragile.
</strong></li>
</ol>
<h4>
Getting Specific:
</h4>
<p>
Before, I had a very vague outline of what I wanted the book to cover.
I asked the authors to include sections on culture, government, business setup, hiring, banking, and marketing.
That was it.
The details were up to them.
Go!
</p><p>
In hindsight, I can see how daunting it was.
Too wide open.
I’ve written about the need to get specific before — (see “<a href="https://sive.rs/get-specific">Get specific</a>” and “<a href="https://sive.rs/restrictions-will-set-you-free">Restrictions will set you free</a>”) — but I had forgotten to apply it to this.
</p><p>
So I spent a couple weeks and <strong>came up with <a href="http://woodegg.com/in#toc">200 specific questions</a></strong>.
Now, to write the book, we just had to answer those 200 questions.
</p><p>
It’s infinitely easier to find someone to answer a specific question than to find someone to impart wisdom on a vague topic.
It <strong>puts the burden on the asker</strong>, to come up with a good question, and <strong>lifts the burden from the answerer.</strong>
</p>
<h4>
Multiple People:
</h4>
<p>
So that the book was not dependent on any one person, and the book was not one person’s opinion, I made a system where each of those 200 questions had to be <strong>answered by three different people</strong>.
Ideally, one local, one foreigner, and one other.
</p><p>
16 countries × 3 researchers = 48 people.
I used <a href="https://www.upwork.com/">Upwork.com</a> to find people in each country.
</p><p>
Of course, some disappeared, some never finished, and a few gave bad answers, but that was OK.
Life happens.
People’s circumstances change.
I understand.
But it won’t hurt my plan.
If any one person is gone, I can still carry on.
</p><p>
When all 200 questions had 3 answers each, (16 × 200 × 3 = 9600 answers), I hired a few writer/editors to combine the answers into one essay per question.
Again, one person disappeared, but it was easy for another to step in.
</p><p>
And that was the robust plan that got it <a href="http://woodegg.com/">done</a>.
</p><p>
<em>
(Note: I was also visiting every country myself, and contributing my own research to the books. But it was important that the plan didn’t require me, either.)
</em>
</p>
<h4>
Lessons learned?
</h4>
<p>
If you’re starting a project or company:
</p>
<ol>
<li>
Don’t expect anyone to care as much as you.
</li>
<li>
Don’t require them to think as hard about this as you have.
</li>
<li>
Do expect them to change their mind and disappear.
</li>
<li>
Make a robust plan that includes #1-3.
</li>
</ol>
<p>
<strong>
As the founder, the burden is on you to come up with a great plan, to lift the burden from the people helping you.
</strong>
</p><p>
Then, when you find some <a href="https://sive.rs/book/Linchpin">brilliant people</a>, it’s a great bonus, instead of an absolute necessity.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/table-many-legs.jpg">
https://sive.rs/robust
Fragile Plan vs Robust Plan
2013-06-15T00:00:00+00:00
2013-06-15T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Like everyone, I can get deeply curious about something, and dive in.
</p><p>
Starting five years ago, I got deeply curious about the differences between countries and cultures, fascinated with understanding the different perspectives.
I talked about a few fun ones in <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_weird_or_just_different.html">this 2-minute TED talk</a>.
</p><p>
So two years ago, <a href="https://sive.rs/singapore">I moved to Singapore</a>, and started visiting all the countries in Asia, asking dumb questions, making good friends.
</p><p>
Getting to know these countries is endlessly interesting.
I want to understand them as well as I understand the 50 U.S. states.
</p><p>
But my learning felt too unstructured.
So while walking around Yogyakarta, Indonesia, remembering “<strong>the best way to learn something is to teach it</strong>”, I came up with an ambitious plan.
</p><p>
I decided to produce and publish <strong>16 books per year on 16 countries in Asia</strong>:
Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
</p><p>
Sure, they wouldn’t be great at first, but I committed to <strong>improving them every year for many years</strong>.
After a few years of doing this, they should be pretty awesome.
</p><p>
Instead of being all-encompassing, I decided to focus just on entrepreneurship: a network I was already tapped into, a good filter for understanding a country’s culture, and a subject that may be useful to others.
</p><p>
What to name it?
That only took a minute.
I like <a href="https://seths.blog/2003/06/naming_a_busine/">Seth Godin’s advice about naming</a>.
The Entrepreneur’s Guide?
E… G… Egg!
Golden Egg? Too cliché.
Wood Egg? Yep!
Sounds like an exotic carved Thai or Indonesian treasure.
Good enough.
</p><p>
I set up a Singapore corporation for it from my Yogyakarta hotel room that night in August 2011, and began the next day.
</p><p>
And now, <strong>after a year and a half of work</strong> — (and some hard lessons learned that I’ll write about soon) — <strong>they’re done!
So my new company is launched:</strong>
</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://woodegg.com/">Wood Egg — the entrepeneur’s guides to Asia</a> (<a href="http://woodegg.com/">woodegg.com</a>)</strong></p>
<a href="http://woodegg.com/"><img src="/images/wood-egg-450-450.jpg" alt="wood egg"></a>
https://sive.rs/eg
Wood Egg (my new company)
2013-06-08T00:00:00+00:00
2013-06-08T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Some people are into money. Some aren’t.
Some people are inspired by helping the needy. Some aren’t.
Some people are into fame, power, and prestige.
Others are into anonymity and freedom from responsibility.
</p><p>
People have different preferences in different parts of their lives.
Famous online, but anonymous in their neighborhood.
Generous with time, but stingy with money.
Introvert when working, but extrovert when not.
</p><p>
You have to <a href="https://sive.rs/why">know your preferences well</a> because no matter what you do, someone will tell you you’re wrong.
</p><p>
If you’re not into money, many people will say you’re foolish.
If you’re not into charity, many people will say you’re greedy.
If you’re not into crowds, many people will say you’re missing out.
</p><p>
Some careers come with excuses:
The classic novelist thrives in solitude, alone in a cabin in the woods, writing books that reach millions.
The classic journalist thrives in a crowd, talking with everyone, building the story from a thousand accounts.
The quiet librarian.
The aggressive lawyer.
The flaky artist.
No explanation needed.
</p><p>
<strong>
But when you go against the stereotype, people get confused.
</strong>
</p><ul><li>
The entrepreneur who’s not into money
</li><li>
The musician who avoids crowds
</li><li>
The ambitious conservationist
</li><li>
The artist who’s into discipline
</li></ul><p>
If you expect criticism in advance and take pride in your unusual stance, you can bash on with a smile, being who you want to be.
</p><p>
Then every time they say you’re wrong, that’s a sign you’re doing it right.
</p>
https://sive.rs/wrong
Some will always say you’re wrong
2013-06-03T00:00:00+00:00
2013-06-03T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
Everyone thinks you have to move to the big music cities.
But Mihkel Raud in Estonia sold thousands of albums, 100% independent, without leaving Estonia.
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00007MB39">Rondellus Sabbatum</a>” was an album so unique that word-of-mouth sold thousands, with hardly any promotion.
</p><p>
Everyone says you need to make your music appeal to the masses.
But Regina Spektor proved that emphasizing your quirks gets you further.
<a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/artist/ReginaSpektor">Listen to her early albums from 2001 and 2002</a>.
She was more mainstream piano vocal.
But the weirder she got with “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycum4o6jlzQ">Soviet Kitsch</a>”, the more remarkable and noteworthy she became, and that’s when her career really took off.
</p><p>
Everyone is worried about piracy, copyright, and trademark.
But <a href="http://www.jonathancoulton.com/">Jonathan Coulton</a> writes a song a day, gives most away, and is one of the most successful independent artists today.
By making more and more music, and letting it flow, his music has gotten into unusual places like webcomics, audiobooks, comedy shows, and others’ YouTube videos.
He disclosed that he makes about $500,000 a year by licensing, touring, donations, and people choosing to buy his music from his site, even though they could get it for free.
</p><p>
Because the music business is mostly perception, and minds are irrational, you can really have some fun with the counter-intuitive pop-psychology of it.
</p><p>
A great way to win fans is to target a sharp niche — to <a href="https://sive.rs/exclude">proudly exclude</a> 99% of the public.
So the way to win fans is to exclude almost everyone.
</p><p>
A great way to get funding is to act as if you’ll never get funding — to make <a href="https://sive.rs/gbp">a plan that doesn’t need it</a>.
So the way to get funding is to ignore funding.
</p><p>
A great way to have a serious career in music is to take nothing seriously.
Do the opposite of other musicians.
Make up your own game.
</p><p>
<strong>
Gurus will say what you must do or can’t do.
They mean well, but they’re wrong.
</strong>
</p><p>
For every rule they tell you, there’s an exception.
<strong>
They are just telling you their specific past, not your specific future.
</strong>
</p><p>
There are no rules in this game.
You change them as you go.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/bloodyclown.jpg">
<div class="small">photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/zickie/4025087286/">zickie</a>.</div>
https://sive.rs/360
No rules in this game
2013-05-20T00:00:00+00:00
2013-05-20T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
The word “inspiration” usually means “something that mentally stimulates you.”
</p><p>
But “inspiration” also means to <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/inspiration">breathe in</a>.
</p><p>
The meanings poetically combine when you think of yourself breathing in thoughts, filling your body with ideas.
<strong>
But don’t forget to breathe out.
</strong>
</p><p>
People surf the web, reading pithy articles, looking for inspiration.
People listen to hours of podcasts, looking for inspiration.
Musicians, writers, artists, and everyone else, all scouring the world for inspiration.
</p><p>
Breathing in, and in, and in, and in.
</p><p>
Yet most of them aren’t feeling inspired enough.
They’re looking for more, thinking that something else out there will truly inspire them.
</p><p>
Want to know why?
<strong>
Because nothing is truly inspiring unless you apply it to your work.
</strong>
<em>
(“work” meaning your life’s output, whether creative, business, or personal).
</em>
</p><p>
In other words, your work, itself, is the inspiration.
</p><p>
You may hear something or see something that gives you a new idea.
But it’s only when you stop and think of your work through this new perspective, that you actually jump up and go turn the idea into reality.
That’s the real inspiration that everyone is looking for.
</p><p>
<strong>
Inspiration is not receiving information.
Inspiration is applying what you’ve received.
</strong>
</p><p>
People think that if they keep reading articles, browsing books, listening to talks, or meeting people, they’re going to suddenly get inspired.
But constantly seeking inspiration is anti-inspiring.
You have to pause the input and focus on your output.
</p><p>
For every bit of inspiration you take in, use it and amplify it by applying it to your work.
Then you’ll finally feel the inspiration you’ve been looking for.
</p><p>
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
</p>
https://sive.rs/io
Seeking inspiration?
2013-04-14T00:00:00+00:00
2013-04-14T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
A friend I hadn’t heard from in years called me out of the blue yesterday, and just said, “Dude... did you hear?”
</p><p>
I went home and my girlfriend immediately said, “Babe... I heard the news. Are you OK?”
</p><p>
They all know I’m a fan of <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/">Roger Ebert</a>.
He died yesterday.
</p><p>
I was also a massive James Brown fan, but I wasn’t as affected when he died, because it’s not like I was tuning in weekly to hear what new music he was making.
</p><p>
But Ebert... ooof....
</p><p>
Every Friday since 1994 — yes 1994 — I’d go to rogerebert.com to read his new in-depth film reviews.
I feel like I’ve been in his part-time film school class for the last 19 years.
My life is so much richer from it.
</p><p>
This is going to be a hard habit to break.
</p><p>
Every time we’d watch a movie, I’d go back and read Ebert’s essay on it, to get a different perspective.
My girlfriend would joke, after the credits rolled, “OK, now go find out what Ebert said about it. I know you want to. I’ll wait.”
</p><p>
“The Great Movies” was his collection of films he felt were the best.
Years after his initial review, he’d go back and watch it at least once more, then write a deeper essay about it.
</p><p>
A few years ago, I subscribed to Netflix and put all 300-or-so of “The Great Movies” in my queue.
We’d watch one or two a week, not reading his essay until afterwards.
I’ve seen most of them now.
</p><p>
A hidden world opens up to you when you dive deep into an art form.
Years of studying jazz at Berklee School of Music opened up that world to me.
Art is so much deeper when you get the contexts and references.
Ebert single-handedly did that for me for movies.
</p><p>
Someone recently asked Ebert if technical knowledge of movies is distracting.
</p><p>
He answered, “The more movies you see and write about, the more you know about them. Consider baseball. The ‘innocent’ crowd member sees a bunch of guys running after a little ball while wearing funny costumes. The Cubs fan sees inevitable tragedy unfolding.”
</p><p>
So, yeah.
I recommend you watch as many of these movies and read as many of these 364 essays as you can.
Especially the ones you think you’d be least likely to enjoy.
I’ll keep the links here permanently.
</p>
<h3>
Roger Ebert’s “Great Movies” essays:
</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-12-angry-men-1957">12 Angry Men</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-ace-in-the-hole-1951">Ace in the Hole</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-adaptation-2002">Adaptation.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-adventures-of-robin-hood-1938">The Adventures of Robin Hood</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-after-dark-my-sweet-1990">After Dark, My Sweet</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/after-hours-1985-1">After Hours</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-age-of-innocence-1993">The Age of Innocence</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-aguirre-the-wrath-of-god-1972">Aguirre, the Wrath of God</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-ai-artificial-intelligence-2001">A.I. Artificial Intelligence</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-ali-fear-eats-the-soul-1974">Ali: Fear Eats the Soul</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-alien-1979">Alien</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-all-about-eve-1950">All About Eve</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-amadeus-1984">Amadeus</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-amarcord-1974">Amarcord</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-annie-hall-1977">Annie Hall</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-apartment-1960">The Apartment</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-apocalypse-now-1979">Apocalypse Now</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-apu-trilogy-1959">The Apu Trilogy</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-army-of-shadows-1969">Army of Shadows</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-atlantic-city-1980">Atlantic City</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-au-hasard-balthazar-1966">Au Hasard Balthazar</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-au-revoir-les-enfants-1987">Au Revoir, les Enfants</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-an-autumn-afternoon-1962">An Autumn Afternoon</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/babel-2006">Babel</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-badlands-1973">Badlands</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-ballad-of-narayama-1958">The Ballad of Narayama</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-band-wagon-1953">The Band Wagon</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-bank-dick-1940">The Bank Dick</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-baraka-1992">Baraka</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/barry-lyndon-1975">Barry Lyndon</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-battle-of-algiers-1967">The Battle of Algiers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-battleship-potemkin-1925">The Battleship Potemkin</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-beat-the-devil-1954">Beat the Devil</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-beauty-and-the-beast-1946">Beauty and the Beast</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-being-there-1979">Being There</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-belle-de-jour-1967">Belle de Jour</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/la-belle-noiseuse-1991">La Belle Noiseuse</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-best-years-of-our-lives-1946">The Best Years of Our Lives</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-bicycle-thief--bicycle-thieves-1949">The Bicycle Thief</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-big-heat-1953">The Big Heat</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-big-lebowski-1998">The Big Lebowski</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-big-red-one-1980">The Big Red One</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-big-sleep-1946">The Big Sleep</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-birth-of-a-nation-1915">The Birth of a Nation</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-blade-runner-the-final-cut-1982">Blade Runner</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-blow-up-1966">Blow-Up</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-blue-kite-1993">The Blue Kite</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-bob-le-flambeur-1955">Bob le Flambeur</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-body-heat-1981">Body Heat</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-bonnie-and-clyde-1967">Bonnie and Clyde</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-breathless-1960">Breathless</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-bride-of-frankenstein">Bride of Frankenstein</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai-1957">The Bridge on the River Kwai</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-bring-me-the-head-of-alfredo-garcia-1974">Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-broken-blossoms-1919">Broken Blossoms</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari-1920">The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-cabiria-1914">Cabiria</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-cache-2005">Cache</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-casablanca-1942">Casablanca</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-cat-people-1942">Cat People</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-la-ceremonie-1995">La Ceremonie</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-un-chien-andalou-1928">Un Chien Andalou</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-children-of-paradise-1945">Children of Paradise</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-chimes-at-midnight-1965">Chimes at Midnight</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-chinatown-1974">Chinatown</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/chop-shop-2008-1">Chop Shop</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-a-christmas-story-1983">A Christmas Story</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-chuck-jones-three-cartoons">Chuck Jones: Three Cartoons</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-circus-1928">The Circus</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-citizen-kane-1941">Citizen Kane</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-city-lights-1931">City Lights</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-la-collectionneuse-1967">La Collectionneuse</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-color-purple-1985">The Color Purple</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-come-and-see-1985">Come and See</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-contact-1997">Contact</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-conversation-1974">The Conversation</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-cool-hand-luke-1967">Cool Hand Luke</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-cries-and-whispers-1972">Cries and Whispers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-crimes-and-misdemeanors-1989">Crimes and Misdemeanors</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-crumb-1994">Crumb</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-dark-city-2005">Dark City</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-day-for-night-1973">Day for Night</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-days-of-heaven-1978">Days of Heaven</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-dead-1987">The Dead</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-decalogue-1988">The Decalogue</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-departures-2009">Departures</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-detour-1945">Detour</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-diary-of-a-country-priest-1951">Diary of a Country Priest</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-diary-of-a-lost-girl-1929">Diary of a Lost Girl</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-discreet-charm-of-the-bourgeoisie-1972">The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/diva-2008">Diva</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-do-the-right-thing-1989">Do the Right Thing</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-dog-day-afternoon-1975">Dog Day Afternoon</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-dont-look-now-1974">Don’t Look Now</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-double-indemnity-1944">Double Indemnity</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-double-life-of-veronique-1991-1">The Double Life of Veronique</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-dr-strangelove-1964">Dr. Strangelove</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-dracula-1931">Dracula</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-duck-soup-1933">Duck Soup</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-et-the-extra-terrestrial-1982">E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-earrings-of-madame-de-1953">The Earrings of Madame de...</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-easy-rider-1969">Easy Rider</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-8-12--eight-and-a-half-1963">8½ / Eight and a Half</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-el-norte-1983">El Norte</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-el-topo-1970">El Topo</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-enigma-of-kaspar-hauser-1974">The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-2004-1">Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/exotica-1994">Exotica</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-exterminating-angel-1962">The Exterminating Angel</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-fall-of-the-house-of-usher-1928">The Fall of the House of Usher</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-fanny-and-alexander-1983">Fanny and Alexander</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-fargo-1996">Fargo</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-faust-1926">Faust</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-firemens-ball-1968">The Firemen’s Ball</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-fitzcarraldo-1982">Fitzcarraldo</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-five-easy-pieces-1970">Five Easy Pieces</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-floating-weeds-1959">Floating Weeds</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-forbidden-games-1952">Forbidden Games</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-400-blows-1959">The 400 Blows</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-french-cancan-1954">French Cancan</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-gates-of-heaven-1978">Gates of Heaven</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-general-1927">The General</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-godfather-1972">The Godfather</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-godfather-part-ii-1974">The Godfather, Part II</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-goldfinger-1964">Goldfinger</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-gone-with-the-wind-1939">Gone With the Wind</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-1968">The Good, the Bad and the Ugly</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-goodfellas-1991">GoodFellas</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-gospel-according-to-st-matthew-1964">Gospel According to St. Matthew</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-grand-illusion-1937">Grand Illusion</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-grapes-of-wrath-1940">The Grapes of Wrath</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-grave-of-the-fireflies-1988">Grave of the Fireflies</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-great-dictator-1940">The Great Dictator</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-great-expectations-1946">Great Expectations</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-greed-1925">Greed</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-grey-zone-2001">The Grey Zone</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-groundhog-day-1993">Groundhog Day</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-hairdressers-husband-1990">The Hairdresser’s Husband</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-harakiri-1962">Harakiri</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-a-hard-days-night-1964">A Hard Day’s Night</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-heart-of-glass-1976">Heart of Glass</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-hoop-dreams-1994">Hoop Dreams</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-house-of-games-1987">House of Games</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-howards-end-1992">Howards End</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-hustler-1961">The Hustler</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-ikiru-1952">Ikiru</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/in-a-lonely-place-1950">In a Lonely Place</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-in-cold-blood-1967">In Cold Blood</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-inherit-the-wind-1960">Inherit the Wind</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-its-a-wonderful-life-1946">It’s a Wonderful Life</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-ivan-the-terrible-parts-i-and-ii">Ivan the Terrible, Parts I & II</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-jaws-1975">Jaws</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-jfk-1991">JFK</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/johnny-guitar-1954">Johnny Guitar</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-jules-and-jim-1961">Jules and Jim</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-juliet-of-the-spirits-1965">Juliet of the Spirits</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-films-of-buster-keaton">The Films of Buster Keaton</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-killer-of-sheep-1977">Killer of Sheep</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-killing-1956">The Killing</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-kind-hearts-and-coronets-1949">Kind Hearts and Coronets</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-king-kong-1933">King Kong</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-latalante-1934">L’Atalante</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-lavventura-1960">L’Avventura</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-la-confidential-1997">L.A. Confidential</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-la-dolce-vita-1960">La Dolce Vita</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-lady-eve-1941">The Lady Eve</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-last-laugh-1924">The Last Laugh</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-last-picture-show-1971">The Last Picture Show</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-last-tango-in-paris-1972">Last Tango in Paris</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-last-temptation-of-christ-1988">The Last Temptation of Christ</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-last-year-at-marienbad-1961">Last Year at Marienbad</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-late-spring-1972">Late Spring</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-laura-1944">Laura</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-lawrence-of-arabia-1962">Lawrence of Arabia</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-le-boucher--the-butcher-2003">Le Boucher / The Butcher</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-le-samourai-1967">Le Samourai</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-leaving-las-vegas-1995">Leaving Las Vegas</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-leolo-1993">Leolo</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/leon-morin-priest-1961">Leon Morin, Priest</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-leopard-1963">The Leopard</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp-1943">The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-river-le-fleuve-1951">The River (Le Fleuve)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-life-of-oharu-1952">The Life of Oharu</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-long-goodbye-1973">The Long Goodbye</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-lost-in-translation-2003">Lost in Translation</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-m-1931">M</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-magnolia-1999">Magnolia</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/make-way-for-tomorrow-1937">Make Way for Tomorrow</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-maltese-falcon-1941">The Maltese Falcon</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-a-man-escaped-1956">A Man Escaped</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-man-who-laughs-1928">The Man Who Laughs</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-man-who-shot-liberty-valance-1962">The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-man-with-a-movie-camera-1929">Man With a Movie Camera</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-manchurian-candidate-1962">The Manchurian Candidate</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-manhattan-1979">Manhattan</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-marriage-of-maria-braun-1979">The Marriage of Maria Braun</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-match-factory-girl-1990">The Match Factory Girl</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-mccabe-and-mrs-miller-1971">McCabe & Mrs. Miller</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-mean-streets-1973">Mean Streets</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-mephisto-1981">Mephisto</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-metropolis-1927">Metropolis</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-metropolis-2010-restoration-1927">Metropolis-2010</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-mishima-a-life-in-four-chapters-1985">Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-mon-oncle-1958">Mon Oncle</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-mon-oncle-antoine-1971">Mon Oncle Antoine</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mon-oncle-damerique-1980">Mon Oncle d’Amerique</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-monsieur-hire-1989">Monsieur Hire</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-moolaade-2007">Moolaade</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-moonstruck-1987">Moonstruck</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-mr-hulots-holiday-1953">Mr. Hulot’s Holiday</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-mulholland-dr-2001">Mulholland Dr.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-music-room-1958">The Music Room</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-my-darling-clementine-1946">My Darling Clementine</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-my-dinner-with-andre-1981">My Dinner With Andre</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-my-fair-lady-1964">My Fair Lady</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-my-man-godfrey-1936">My Man Godfrey</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-my-neighbor-totoro-1993">My Neighbor Totoro</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-mystery-train-1989">Mystery Train</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-nanook-of-the-north-1922">Nanook of the North</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-nashville-1975">Nashville</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-network-1976">Network</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-night-moves-1975">Night Moves</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-night-of-the-hunter-1955">The Night of the Hunter</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-nights-of-cabiria-1957">Nights of Cabiria</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-nosferatu-1922">Nosferatu</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-nosferatu-the-vampyre-1979">Nosferatu the Vampyre</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-notorious-1946">Notorious</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-on-the-waterfront-1954">On the Waterfront</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest-1975">One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-only-son-1936">The Only Son</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-ordet-1955">Ordet</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-orpheus-1949">Orpheus</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-out-of-the-past-1947">Out of the Past</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-pale-flower-1964">Pale Flower</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-pans-labyrinth-2006">Pan’s Labyrinth</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-pandoras-box-1928">Pandora’s Box</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-paris-texas-1984">Paris, Texas</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-passion-of-joan-of-arc-1928">The Passion of Joan of Arc</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-paths-of-glory-1957">Paths of Glory</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-patton-1970">Patton</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-peeping-tom-1960">Peeping Tom</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-persona-1966">Persona</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-phantom-of-the-opera-1925">The Phantom of the Opera</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-pickpocket-1959">Pickpocket</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-picnic-at-hanging-rock-1975">Picnic at Hanging Rock</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-pink-floyd-the-wall-1982">Pink Floyd: The Wall</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-pinocchio-1940">Pinocchio</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-pixote-1981">Pixote</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-planes-trains-and-automobiles-1987">Planes, Trains and Automobiles</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-playtime-1967">Playtime</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-pledge-2001">The Pledge</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-prairie-home-companion-2006-1">A Prairie Home Companion</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-producers-1968">The Producers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-psycho-1960">Psycho</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-pulp-fiction-1994">Pulp Fiction</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-raging-bull-1980">Raging Bull</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-raiders-of-the-lost-ark-1981">Raiders of the Lost Ark</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-raise-the-red-lantern-1990">Raise the Red Lantern</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-ran-1985">Ran</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-rashomon-1950">Rashomon</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-rear-window-1954">Rear Window</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-rebel-without-a-cause-1955">Rebel Without a Cause</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-red-beard-1965">Red Beard</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-red-river-1948">Red River</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-red-shoes-1948">The Red Shoes</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/richard-iii-1996-1">Richard III</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-rififi-1954">Rififi</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-right-stuff-1983">The Right Stuff</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rio-bravo-1959">Rio Bravo</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-ripleys-game-2002">Ripley’s Game</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-rocco-and-his-brothers-1960">Rocco and His Brothers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-romeo-and-juliet-1968">Romeo and Juliet</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-rules-of-the-game-1939">The Rules of the Game</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-safety-last-1923">Safety Last</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-samurai-rebellion-1967">Samurai Rebellion</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-sansho-the-bailiff-1954">Sansho the Bailiff</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-santa-sangre-1989">Santa Sangre</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-saturday-night-fever-1977">Saturday Night Fever</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-say-anything-1989">Say Anything</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-scarface-1983">Scarface</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-scarlet-empress-1934">The Scarlet Empress</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-schindlers-list-1993">Schindler’s List</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-searchers-1956">The Searchers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/secrets-and-lies-1996-1">Secrets & Lies</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-senso-1954">Senso</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-seven-1995">Seven</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-seven-samurai-1954">The Seven Samurai</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-seventh-seal-1957">The Seventh Seal</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-shadow-of-a-doubt-1943">Shadow of a Doubt</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-shane-1953">Shane</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-shawshank-redemption-1994">The Shawshank Redemption</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-shining-1980">The Shining</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-shoah-1985">Shoah</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-silence-of-the-lambs-1991">The Silence of the Lambs</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-silence-1963">The Silence</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-singin-in-the-rain-1952">Singin’ in the Rain</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-smiles-of-a-summer-night-1955">Smiles of a Summer Night</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs-1937">Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-solaris-1972">Solaris</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-some-like-it-hot-1959">Some Like It Hot</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/souls-for-sale-1923">Souls For Sale</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-spirit-of-the-beehive-1973">Spirit of the Beehive</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-spirited-away-2002">Spirited Away</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/spring-summer-fall-winter_and-spring-2003">Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-stagecoach-1939">Stagecoach</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-star-wars-episode-iv-a-new-hope-1977">Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-strangers-on-a-train-1951">Strangers on a Train</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-stroszek-1977">Stroszek</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-a-sunday-in-the-country-1984">A Sunday in the Country</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-sunrise-1928">Sunrise</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-sunset-boulevard-1950">Sunset Boulevard</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-superman-1978">Superman</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-sweet-smell-of-success-1957">The Sweet Smell of Success</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-swing-time-1936">Swing Time</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-a-tale-of-winter-1992">A Tale of Winter</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-taxi-driver-1976">Taxi Driver</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-tender-mercies-1983">Tender Mercies</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-terrorist-2000">The Terrorist</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-thief-of-bagdad-1940">The Thief of Bagdad</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-thin-man-1934">The Thin Man</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-third-man-1949">The Third Man</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-this-is-spinal-tap-1984">This Is Spinal Tap</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-three-colors-trilogy-blue-white-red">Three Colors Trilogy: Blue, White, Red</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-3-women-1977">3 Women</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-through-a-glass-darkly-1961">Through a Glass Darkly</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-tokyo-story-1953">Tokyo Story</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-top-hat-1935">Top Hat</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-touch-of-evil-1958">Touch of Evil</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-touchez-pas-au-grisbi-1954">Touchez Pas au Grisbi</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-treasure-of-the-sierra-madre-1948">The Treasure of the Sierra Madre</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-triumph-of-the-will-1935">Triumph of the Will</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-trouble-in-paradise-1932">Trouble in Paradise</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/25th-hour-2002">25th Hour</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-2001-a-space-odyssey-1968">2001: A Space Odyssey</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-ugetsu-1953">Ugetsu</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-umberto-d-1952">Umberto D</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-unforgiven-1992">Unforgiven</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-up-documentaries-1985">The Up Documentaries</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/vengeance-is-mine-2008">Vengeance Is Mine</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-veronika-voss-1982">Veronika Voss</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-vertigo-1958">Vertigo</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-victim-1961">Victim</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-viridiana-1961">Viridiana</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-vivre-sa-vie--my-life-to-live-1963">Vivre sa Vie / My Life to Live</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/waking-life-2001-1">Waking Life</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-walkabout-1971">Walkabout</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/werckmeister-harmonies-2000">Werckmeister Harmonies</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-west-side-story-1961">West Side Story</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-what-ever-happened-to-baby-jane-1962">What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-wild-bunch-1969">The Wild Bunch</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-wings-of-desire-1988">Wings of Desire</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-winter-light-1962">Winter Light</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/withnail-and-i-1987">Withnail & I</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-wizard-of-oz-1939">The Wizard of Oz</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-woman-in-the-dunes-1964">Woman in the Dunes</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-a-woman-under-the-influence-1974">A Woman Under the Influence</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-a-womans-tale-1992">A Woman’s Tale</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-woodstock-1970">Woodstock</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-wr-mysteries-of-the-organism-1971">WR -- Mysteries of the Organism</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-written-on-the-wind-1956">Written on the Wind</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-yankee-doodle-dandy-1942">Yankee Doodle Dandy</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-a-year-of-the-quiet-sun-1984">A Year of the Quiet Sun</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-yellow-submarine-1968">Yellow Submarine</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-yojimbo-1961">Yojimbo</a></li>
</ul>
<p class="small">(and a cache of them <a href="https://sive.rs/file/ebert.zip">here</a>, just in case)</p>
https://sive.rs/ebert2
The Great Movies
2013-04-06T00:00:00+00:00
2013-04-06T00:00:00+00:00
<h3>
The listening algorithm
</h3>
<p>
A year after I started CD Baby, when it was still just me in my bedroom, the CEO and VP of a hugely-funded Silicon Valley online music company contacted me, saying they wanted to fly out to New York to meet me.
I said OK, and we met a week later for dinner.
</p><p>
Dinner was a lot of blah blah blah smalltalk, and I wondered what they really wanted.
Then they finally got to the real point:
</p><p>
“The reason we flew out to meet you is because we’ve been looking at many music recommendation engines, and the one that’s powering cdbaby.com is one of the best we’ve found.
Could you tell us a little something about the algorithms and data points you’re using?”
</p><p>
Uh...
I was confused, and asked what they meant.
</p><p>
They said, “The music recommendations on your site don’t seem to be sales-driven like Amazon.
The music-matching algorithm comes up with incredible recommendations.
What software are you using for that?”
</p><p>
Ah! I get it.
I smiled and pointed to my ear.
</p><p>
“No software.
<strong>
I just listen to everything that comes in, and recommend other good stuff like it.”
</strong>
</p><p>
Now they looked confused.
<strong>
“But how will that scale?
</strong>
You can’t just listen to every single album!
What will you do when you start getting a hundred albums a day?”
</p><p>
I said, “Maybe hire someone just to listen.
I don’t know.
I’m not there yet.
I’ll worry about it then.”
</p><p>
And that’s what I did.
When we were getting a hundred albums a day, it became someone’s full-time job to listen to every new arrival and do the internal recommendations.
</p>
<h3>
Minimizing or Maximizing?
</h3>
<p>
<strong>
When everyone else is trying to automate everything, using a little human intervention can be a competitive advantage.
</strong>
</p><p>
The problem is when business owners see it as a cost, instead of an opportunity.
<strong>
Trying to minimize costs, instead of maximize income, quality, loyalty, happiness, connection, and all those other wonderful things that come from real human attention.
</strong>
</p><p>
You can buy a fancy phone routing system, so people have to listen to 9 options, choose option 5, then listen to 6 more options...
</p><p>
... or ...
</p><p>
You can hire a charming person to pick up the phone on the first ring, and make a great impression.
</p><p>
<strong>
Which one do you think will win you new fans?
</strong>
</p><p>
You can put rules into your online forms, so if someone puts a dash in their phone number, or writes “coming soon” as their URL, it tells them they’re wrong and makes them do it over again....
</p><p>
... or ...
</p><p>
You can have new submissions be checked-over quickly by a real person.
It’s worth the 10 seconds of human effort, to <strong>keep the end-user experience easy</strong> but the internal data correct.
</p><p>
It’s fun for techies to try to find the tech solution to everything, but don’t forget that even a tiny touch from a real person can be the best algorithm, and a massive business maximizer.
</p>
<h3>
Who should do the work?
</h3>
<p>
I understand the mindset.
It’s saying, “By having our software and our users do most of the work, we can keep our business efficient and scalable.”
</p><p>
But if you want them to pay you, if you want to be more valuable, you have to <a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/schlep.html">take on more of that work</a>.
</p><p>
I meet so many entrepreneurs who are convinced their thing will be as big as Facebook, so they can’t afford to have a personal touch for all those billions of users that are going to start flowing through their app.
</p><p>
But by removing all human contact, they’re making their app less valuable.
They’ll never get big enough for the question of scale to matter.
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/carrying_crate.png">
https://sive.rs/hi
Human Intervention as a Competitive Advantage
2013-03-21T00:00:00+00:00
2013-03-21T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
When you hear, “It’s all who you know,” it sounds so intimidating — like you need to be a former roommate of Mark Zuckerburg, cousins with Richard Branson, and dating Taylor Swift.
</p><p>
But simply contacting a stranger can lead to a worldwide network of connections.
</p><p>
When I was 18, at <a href="https://www.berklee.edu/">Berklee College of Music</a>, we had a guest speaker named Mark Fried, who was an executive at <a href="https://www.bmi.com/">BMI</a> — a big music company in New York City.
</p><p>
He walked into the classroom just before class began, and I heard him ask the teacher, “Oh, I thought we were going to have food.”
</p><p>
The teacher said, “Oh, no, sorry, I thought you ate already! Didn’t you have lunch?”
</p><p>
Mark said, “Damn. No. And it’s a two hour class. Oh well.”
</p><p>
Hearing this, I quickly ran out of the room and called the local pizza place, asking them to deliver three large pizzas to classroom #115.
</p><p>
45 minutes later, the pizzas showed up.
I gave one to Mark and shared two with the class.
</p><p>
He smiled at me and said, “Good move. I owe you one. Here’s my card. Call me any time, and let me know how I can help. When you come to New York City, I’ll be happy to meet up.”
</p><p>
For the next two years, I took him up on that, sending him my new songs for feedback, and he’d tell me his insights and advice about the music industry.
</p><p>
When I told Mark I wanted to move to New York, he said, “Send me your resume, and I’ll find you a job.”
</p><p>
Sure enough, a few weeks later, I got a call in my dorm room from Julie Gengo at <a href="https://www.warnerchappell.com/">Warner/Chappell Music Publishing</a>, saying, “We need someone to run our tape room, and Mark Fried said we should hire you. Can you start Monday?”
</p><p>
Just like that, I was in.
</p><p>
Because I was working inside Warner Brothers, it was easy to meet everybody in the New York City music scene.
Every person I met connected me to many more.
A few years later, it was no problem to move to Los Angeles, because I now had a huge network in LA, through one degree of separation.
</p><p>
Now it’s grown worldwide.
Whether I’m visiting Iceland, Shanghai, Rio, Japan, or Silicon Valley, I’ve got a wonderful network of connections to call on, and people worldwide who can call on me anytime.
Usually we know each other loosely — having only traded a couple emails — but those quickly turn into real friendships.
</p><p>
All because I bought a pizza for a stranger.
</p>
<h3>
Surrounded by success
</h3>
<p>
Soon after arriving in New York, I was surrounded by successful people.
I was only 20 years old, but <strong>I learned so much from watching how people become successful, hearing their stories, philosophies, and mistakes.</strong>
Opportunities were everywhere.
(A chance recommendation from my roommate got me a gig touring the world, <a href="https://sive.rs/sakamoto">playing guitar for Ryuichi Sakamoto</a>.)
</p><p>
These people shaped the way I see the world.
<strong>
The people you surround yourself with don’t just open doors. They change the way you think, and change your self-image of your capabilities!
</strong>
</p><p>
When you’re surrounded by successful people, it feels so easy, it’s obvious.
Their attitude and actions rub off on you.
</p><p>
But I meet so many people that feel that success is so far away, so impossible to imagine, that they act accordingly, aim low, and complete the self-defeating circle.
</p><p>
I know much of success is luck, but I never realized how much the mindset of success comes from who you know.
</p><p>
Luckily, who you know is <a href="https://sive.rs/ppweek">up to you</a>, not luck.
</p>
<h3>
No need to be in the big city
</h3>
<p>
I used to advise ambitious people to move to the big city, where everything is happening.
And it’s still true that it offers some benefits.
</p><p>
<strong>
But now “where everything is happening” is online.
And the way to be there is to create something that adds to it.
</strong>
</p><p>
Most of the fascinating and successful people I know now are people I met online.
I see something they’ve done, or they see something I’ve done, one of us sends the other an email, and that’s it.
A few emails, maybe a phone call, and we’re friends.
</p><p>
What’s even more fascinating is finding out that the super-connectors, the people who know everybody and everybody knows, are often physically remote.
</p><p>
The reasons they’re so connected are:
</p>
<ol><li>
because they keep creating great stuff and posting it online, which gets the attention of their peers, so soon “everyone” knows who they are
</li><li>
because they reach out to say hello to the people they admire
</li></ol>
<p>
So if it seems that there’s an uncrossable canyon between you and your heroes, don’t forget that all it takes is one connection to catch your rope, so you can shimmy across.
And you can do this from anywhere by creating great stuff online, and reaching out to potential friends.
</p><p>
No need to attend Harvard with Mark Zuckerburg.
No need to become a cousin of Richard Branson.
And no need to date Taylor Swift.
</p><p>
<em>
(See? There are three things you can cross off your TO-DO list now.)
</em>
</p>
<img alt="" src="/images/people-per-week.gif" />
https://sive.rs/xn
It’s all who you know?
2013-02-11T00:00:00+00:00
2013-02-11T00:00:00+00:00
<p>
You have a bigger audience than you had just a few years ago.
</p><p>
You have more people reading your updates, and wanting to hear something new.
</p><p>
Standing on this virtual stage, you want to be entertaining, post exciting updates, be impressive, and keep their attention.
You’re so rewarded with status when you do.
</p><p>
But what happens when the thing you really need to do is boring to others?
</p><p>
The <a href="https://sive.rs/book/Mastery">path to mastery</a> requires months and years of practice that isn’t exciting to your audience.
</p><p>
Then you’ve got a conflict:
What’s best for you is to <strong>shut up, sit down, and focus</strong>.
What’s best for them (now) is for you to be entertaining.
</p><p>
You remind yourself that in the future, this will pay off.
The things you’re creating and skills you’re developing will benefit everyone.
But by being online, you’re still on stage.
How can you not entertain?
</p><p>
Do you go full recluse, and completely disconnect?
</p><p>
Do you stay connected, but stop contributing?
</p><p>
Do you give up the deep work, and give in to the shallow rewards of just entertaining?
</p><p>
Or do you somehow keep up your obligations to entertain, while doing your “shut up, sit down, and focus” work on the side?
</p>
<img src="/images/audiencetent.jpg" alt="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tereneta/107491739/">
<p>
(No answers.
Just questions, today.
And yes, I’m talking to myself, but I think a lot of people are going through this, so I’m asking you, too.)
</p>
https://sive.rs/boring
Focus, entertain, or both?
2013-01-27T00:00:00+00:00
2013-01-27T00:00:00+00:00
2000-01-01T00:00:00+00:00