Month: September 2021

Our life can either be a quest to obtain a series of wants or a journey of continual discovery of a series of things we ought to be grateful for.

Our choice.

“I don’t have enough time” is a pointless refrain.

We never have enough time to do everything we want.

We only have enough time to do what we prioritize.

“I got about eight hundred email messages in the last twenty-four hours. Most of them are complaining. There’s no USB cord! There’s no this, no that. Some of them are like, ‘F— you, how can you do that?’ I don’t usually write people back, but I replied, ‘Your parents would be so proud of how you turned out.’ And some don’t like the iPad name, and on and on. I kind of got depressed today. It knocks you back a bit.” | Steve Jobs after the iPad launch

This made me chuckle. Such a fascinating excerpt in retrospect.

I got word of two deaths this week.

The first was of a one-time neighbor who was killed by a speeding car. He was 29.

The other is of a schoolmate who helped me a lot as I was graduating high school and hoping to go to university in Singapore. He was one year ahead and was in school where I wanted to go. Sadly, he was diagnosed with a challenging mental illness and withdrew from society over the years.

We didn’t have the closest relationship at the time – but, it was warm and cordial. I remain grateful to him for all his help. It made a meaningful difference in my life. I hope he’s found peace.

I think of these events as a gift of perspective from the universe.

There’s nothing quite like a reminder of our mortality to shift our perspective.

Shreyas Doshi, a product advisor, shared this post on good strategy recently.

Incorrect:
Good strategy is about how we will be 10X better.

More correct:
Good strategy is about where we will choose to be 10X better (differentiate), where we will be 1X (meet table stakes), where we will be 0.1X (below table stakes), and the rationale for these trade-offs.

It resonated.

In virtual discussions with groups larger than 8-10 people, it is almost always a bad idea to go around the room – i.e., to hear from each person – when discussing a topic. Many group members inevitably (and understandably) zone off – either to do something else or to think of what they want to say.

An alternative approach that works significantly better is to use a shared spreadsheet to facilitate the discussion. Give each person a cell/row and some time to to write out their point-of-view. Then, give everyone else a chance to read each other’s point-of-view and comment.

As this approach is more engaging and information dense, the discussion that follows is richer.

We recently took the same customer service problem to two different agents in the same company.

One took us through a path filled with problems.

Just when we were about to give up and look for an alternate route, we spoke to another who found a way to solve the problem within minutes.

I’m sure there is a lot of rigorous process to ensure good customer service.

But, no amount of process can help bridge the gap between folks who are problem minded and folks who are solution minded.

I was setting up a Nest Thermostat today and ran into some trouble figuring out the wiring. I called the Nest helpline and the support was fantastic.

As we were waiting on the Thermostat to turn on, I asked my support representative if she was from the Philippines (I recognized the accent). When she said yes, I asked her what time it was.

It was 3am.

She explained that she had been doing the “graveyard shift” for 3 years now on Nest support.

It was one of those moments when I became deeply aware of the privileged I’ve accumulated in the past years.

I work fairly hard during the course of the week. I don’t complain about the work – I love it, aim to give it my best shot, and make the associated trade-offs consciously.

But, I don’t have to weigh the trade-offs of a graveyard shift. That speaks to more privilege on a daily basis than I often realize and a reminder to never complain about the trade-offs I get to make.

For Manchester United fans, yesterday was all about the return of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo left Manchester United just as he became the (joint) best football player in the world. In the 12 years since, he’s won everything there is to win and returned to United for his final act.

36 years of age is typically when most footballers retire. But, Ronaldo has always defied logic. And, today’s return was marked with 2 goals. He’s made it clear that he’s here to win. Few would bet against a prolific 2-3 year run.

I felt more of that warm fuzzy feeling watching him score than I expected. There was something fitting, nostalgic even.

Seeing him at the top of his game was a reminder of the power of focus and dedication. He’s known for how well he takes care of himself and his obsessive pursuit of excellence.

There’s a lesson there somewhere for all of us in our chosen paths as well.

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” | Albus Dumbledore

It is so much easier to have a tough conversation with someone you don’t know. But, being candid and forthright with those around you is a whole different matter.