Hi All,
Hope you are well! In light of recent events, I realized that I knew too little about American history and the struggles of Black people since I didn't grow up in the United States. I also wasn’t sure how I could really help but I think educating myself and now you all reading this, I think, is the best way I can help.
While I knew the basics I didn’t realize how deep seated this was.. While reading the below articles I remembered a touching movie called “The Help” which was definitely worth a watch.
As always if you enjoyed reading this please share (or subscribe) if you are a first time visitor
On Redlining and the struggles
Here are a couple of reads on redlining. Last year I took a class at Berkeley-Haas with Molly Turner called Tech and the City: How to get urban innovation right and as part of the class there was some reading on redlining. What I hadn’t realized is that 4-5 decades later the problem still exists!
Two reads, one Dust in the Light from Ben Thompson and What a Southerner Learned about Housing Discrimination in the San Francisco Bay Area that were very educational. There is a good reason why the 101 runs right in the center separating Palo Alto and East Palo Alto.
Lastly this read from Ta-Nehisi Coates on the experiences of Clyde Ross and his battle for equality, fair housing, and living the American dream. As an immigrant to the United States I (think that) I have not faced any racism but who knows right? Is my interest rate higher or am I charged more at a car dealer? : The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Talk is cheap
I think that a lot of tech CEO’s talk about/write a blog post related to racism but how many actually put their money where their mouth is? Alexis Ohanian (Reddit) resigned from the Reddit board and asked for a Black candidate to fill this role : "What Did You Do?" — Alexis Ohanian Sr.
The big picture
The graphs in this article also put things into perspective… US racial inequality in 6 stark charts
On Breathing, how long you can hold your breath is an indicator of how healthy you are
Amazon stopped including item details in the order confirmation and shipment notification emails. No emails, no spying, no competition! : Blog - Unhelpful Amazon Order Confirmation E-mails
The Golden Gate bridge now whistles (you may be interested if you live in the Bay Area) : Why the Golden Gate Bridge Is Now a Giant Orange Wheezing Kazoo
From a Berkeley-Haas Strategy group that I am part of:
The Hitchens's razor
The burden of proof regarding the truthfulness of a claim lies with the one who makes the claim; if this burden is not met, then the claim is unfounded.
COVID-19 reads this week
COVID-19 and language translations : Covid-19 Is History's Biggest Translation Challenge | WIRED
What is with the stock market? : 3 Keys to Understanding the Strangest Economy Ever
The COVID-19 crisis is simultaneously thrusting Americans into the pre-urban homestead economy of the 1830s, re-creating the Depression-era joblessness of the 1930s, and pulling forward the virtual economy of the 2030s. We are living in the weirdest economy ever.
But that logic also leads to the assumption that if the public-health problem is solved, the economic recovery could be quick. That’s why stocks have jumped on optimistic rumblings about vaccines trials. When every company is in the plague business, every stock is a vaccine stock—and every cheery vaccine headline is a corporate-equity stimulus.
This week’s dozen:
ORIGINAL POST : Starting off with an article I wrote on Quibi’s problems and why they are either going to have to rethink their strategy or risk being a has-been (I personally think they will fall by the wayside after burning a LOT of cash) : What should Quibi do?
A meta read from Robert Cottrell on reading and the below excerpt is exactly why I curate this (though i'm far from a thousand reads a day 🤷🏼♂️) : The Man Who Reads 1,000 Articles a Day
I want something that’s enjoyable to read in the moment, but will also be worth reading if it turns up in three, six or 12 months’ time.
Pieces with lasting value do three things: share really interesting ideas, deploy strong arguments, and have particularly fine writing — typically in first person.
By nature, a lot of breaking news pieces will not have lasting value.
The next stage of identity : Q&A: The Pioneers of Web Cryptography on the Future of Authentication
Full sovereign identity. You should be in charge of your own identity. It is yours after all. Identity ought to have different layers, depending on whether you're presenting it to your business, website, or government. You determine what you show of your identity. A commercial website may not ask for a lot of identifying information, but the government may want a much fuller view. You should be able to be in complete control of your own identity and how you present it, instead of letting Facebook be in charge of your identity and knowing who your friends are and what apps you visit, what things you buy. Why should they be charged for that or make money off it? It's going to flip the entire Internet and the ad-supported model and Google and Facebook's models on their heads.
The unintended consequences of risk compensation : When Safety Proves Dangerous
Risk compensation means that efforts to protect ourselves can end up having a smaller effect than expected, no effect at all, or even a negative effect. Sometimes the danger is transferred to a different group of people, or a behavior modification creates new risks. Knowing how we respond to risk can help us avoid transferring danger to other more vulnerable individuals or groups.
All products aren't created equal: Empty and filled products
While most development teams agree that the path to a Filled product will be paved with challenges, end-users are not necessarily aware of that. Their expectations for the product won't be any lower. And so, overall product quality - design, speed and features - must stay at the highest standards to delight your customers.
A good collection of UI/UX patterns to onboard your customer : We categorized over 500 user onboarding experiences into 8 UI/UX patterns
Ladders of wealth creation. Loved this read on how one can create long term sustainable wealth : The ladders of wealth creation: a step-by-step roadmap to building wealth
Nathan Berry linked to this interesting article on why Patels own a lot of motels in the bay area. It’s an old read but quite interesting really (full disclosure : I am an Indian Gujarati by birth) : A Patel Motel Cartel?
How to take smart notes and turn those notes into writing. I feel this with my writing. I have an idea about what I want to write about but develop it along the way as I actually write. There are also tips on how you can develop your own personal Google, which I think is very cool! How To Take Smart Notes: 10 Principles to Revolutionize Your Note-Taking and Writing
I totally agree with this article as an introvert. I am super happy hanging out with friends but hate conferences and the fakeness, the fake smiles, the fake places, and even those horrible badges you hang around your neck like a noose. At the end if it though, i like to have space to recover and recharge.
Loneliness has more to do with our perceptions than how much company we have. It’s just as possible to be painfully lonely surrounded by people as it is to be content with little social contact. Some people need extended periods of time alone to recharge, others would rather give themselves electric shocks than spend a few minutes with their thoughts. Here’s how we can change our perceptions by making and experiencing art.
You can do this! How to Use Positive Self-Talk When Running
If your answer is that you addressed yourself as “you,” good on ya! According to first-of-its-kind research on self-talk and endurance performance, talking to yourself as if you’re another person should help you run better in challenging workouts.
Thank you for reading. Stay safe, be well. If you liked this read please share with other folks that might be interested!