#SoG152 - 5 links that WILL make you smarter, #5onFriday, 190419
Five on Friday, v19Apr19 (#SoG152)
So, every Friday, I send a list of links that you can read over the weekend. Like my letters every day, each of these links is supposed to help you become better. Each of these links is vetted. Each of these links has been consumed by me and I sincerely believe that these can add IMMENSE value. Most days I try to extract the juice and condense the lessons and all that. Just that on Fridays I get a tad bored and leave the onus on you guys to extract whatever you can from these links. Fair?
Good morning, Here are 5 links that made me think in the week gone by.
1. David Perell's ultimate guide to writing online
This one piece has given me SO much thought about how to write and what to write that I feel like a fool for not having thought of those things myself. If you are a solopreneur or if you want to build an audience, this is THE thing you need to start creating. And hopefully, break the internet.
Read it at this link.
In case you didn't realise, I talked about David in last week's links as well.
2. Inside Facebook
This long-form piece looks at how Facebook lost its charm with investors, advertisers, policy-makers and users. Maybe. Maybe not. I mean the profits are surging like never before. What if the top brass is leaving? What if the efforts to appease governments across the world are crashing? Facebook is the starting page for most of Gen Z. No? What is your start page?
Link: Wired
3. Hi, Peccy!
Yet another set of links. Yet another link about Amazon. I was reading a piece about the head of HR at Amazon when I saw this piece where they talked about the mascot for Amazon, Peccy. Something that even a hardcore fan like wasn't aware!
Link: https://www.fastcompany.com/90329525/amazon-peccy
4. Smart... guns!
You know, these days, we have everything smart around us. Smartphones, smart TVs, smart contracts, smart pants, smart condoms... think of a thing and there is a smart version of that! Now, think about all those accidental gun-shots in the US. Wait. Come back to India. You know a gun can go off when a car hits the pothole? Trust me it happened in Delhi. See this piece on The Times of India. Wait. Don't click. That's not what I want you to read. I want you to read this piece that talks about why smart guns do not exist. Fascinating read.
Link: Bloomberg
5. Bill Gates' 2019 Letter
Last week I shared the annual letter from Jeff. Today, its the annual letter from Melinda and Bill Gates. Although this is kind of old (came out in Feb), each word is, like I like to say, worth its weight in Gold. I love how they straddle from things like toilets to gender equality to Malaria to the application of technology to globalisation and everything else in between. Bill is a fascinating person to me because after having made all the money that he could by installing Windows in every computer that he could, he turned his attention and resources to causes that affect the humanity as a whole. If Elon is trying to give us a plan B that may pan out in the next 100 years, Bill is trying to solve the issues from within that may render Elon's plan useless! Wow! What a time to be alive! Do read this one. In fact, if you could read one thing this week, read this one. Please.
Link: https://www.gatesnotes.com/2019-Annual-Letter
That's it for the day!
Thank you for reading,
@saurabh
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TAGS: 5onFriday, David Perrell, Peccy, Bill Gates, Facebook, Solopreneurs
STREAK: 1
HOUSEKEEPING: Last two-three weeks have been terribly busy and hence this drop in the frequency in terms of writing letters. In fact next Friday on, I am on the road for about 10 days. I don't think I will be able to write. In fact, I don't even want to try. I will rather use that time to think about the future of these. While most of you who've written back like the daily letters, I have also got feelers that I need to reduce the frequency. Let's see what I decide once I come back.
However, till then, lemme try and send a letter on all 7 days and end my break on an 8-day streak. Wish me luck :)