#77 How Curious! Reducing Blindspots, Padel Business Breakdown, and Timezone Calculators
Plus Rocumentaries, AI debating, 100 Ways To Live Better, and much more!
Happy October, and welcome to the 77th issue of ‘How Curious!’✌️
After several weeks on the move, September provided a bit more stability. The first two weeks were spent in Ireland, with trips to the West Coast. Special thanks to my friend Ken for being the ultimate tour guide as he brought us on his family’s Skellig Island boat tour. Star Wars fans may recognise these islands from Episodes VII & VIII.
We've now settled in Haarlem, Netherlands, for the next 10 weeks. It feels great to be more stationary, establish good habits, and enjoy my amazing home office setup!
Having said that, I'll be in London for the Legal Geek legal technology conference this week. I've been on conference panels, but with nearly 3,000 conference attendees, this is set to be my largest solo public speaking event. I'm excited!
💡 Quotes
The odds increase, the more you try. - James Clear
Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. - Mark Twain.
Generosity is luck going in the opposite direction, away from you. If you’re generous to someone, if you do something to help him out, you are in effect making him lucky. This is important. It’s like inviting yourself into a community of good fortune. – Twyla Tharp
🎙️ Podcasts
💡 Tim Ferriss #695: Shane Parrish on Wisdom from Warren Buffett, Rules for Better Thinking, How to Reduce Blind Spots, The Dangers of Mental Models, and More
I've followed the insights of Shane Parrish and Tim Ferriss for years. So, listening to Shane as a guest on Tim's podcast was a real treat. Their methodologies in decision-making have significantly shaped my own.
In this episode, Shane covered several influential stories from his childhood, providing additional context for his life’s path. I particularly enjoyed the discussion on establishing preset rules for frequent decisions, and the importance of writing in the era of AI.
📚 Lex Friedman #395 – Walter Isaacson: Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Einstein, Da Vinci & Ben Franklin
Lex talks with Walter Isaacson, renowned for his series of acclaimed biographies. Their discussion revolves around Walter's latest book on Elon Musk and the notable figures featured in his other works.
A recurring theme is the impact of early life experiences on these accomplished individuals, along with their adeptness in utilising first-principle thinking.
🎾 Business Breakdowns #127 - Padel: Causing a Racket
Padel is a dynamic racket sport that blends aspects of tennis and squash, played by four players on a court surrounded by glass walls. Its popularity has been skyrocketing, and having tried it out in Gran Canaria, I can vouch for its entertainment value!
The podcast delves into the sport's rise, the investment opportunities in Padel clubs, addressing scalability and supply challenges, and much more.
🏆 Best of the web
💯 100 Ways To Live Better
Long-term readers of this newsletter will know I love a good list of life learnings! My favourites from this list include:
Collect feedback from everybody.
In ⚽/🎾/🏓/🏐 , keep your eye on the center of the ball through the hit. The goal/court/table doesn’t move, only the ball does.
If you’re thinking about doing that degree, think twice. If it’s a PhD, think ten times. Can you start doing now what you hope to do with the credential and get where you want in fewer years while also making money?
How To Be Successful - Sam Altman
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, shares 13 thoughts on achieving outlier success, focusing on exponential growth and long-term thinking. Taking risks, working hard, being bold, and developing a network of talented people are also among the traits he deems important for success.
📽️ Rocumentaries - Curated links to the very best documentaries
Over 200 awe-inspiring films and series from your favourite channels.
I recently watched ‘The Deepest Breath’ on Netflix about the extreme sport of freediving. It is highly worth watching!
🌍 Easy Timezone calculator
Working remotely is fantastic, but juggling client calls across various time zones and managing multiple client-specific calendars can be challenging. Thankfully, this handy free tool simplifies calculating and monitoring time zones.
🤖 Let AI debate your topic
A free tool where two AI debaters argue back and forth on your topics of choice. This is a nice way to rapidly challenge your arguments and view other perspectives.
🐤 Best of Twitter/X
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- Peter Duffy