The Environment, Time, Startup School & OKRs

I hope you had a great weekend, and you're taking some time off for Canada Day or 4th of July if you're in Canada or the US.

I was planning to write a couple posts this week, but I didn't seem to find the time. The good news is that it was partially because sailing started back up in Nova Scotia, and I swapped out my usual workouts for some trips to the driving range.

That said, I've been thinking about two things:

The first is the environment. We've seen a lot of coverage about the environment 'recovering' during COVID, as a result of the lower pollution and decreased activity. No doubt this is a good thing from an environmental standpoint.

But there have also been negative consequences. I've been an advocate for the zero-waste lifestyle ever since my friend Kate at The Tare Shop introduced me to it. In short, it involves aiming to eliminate personal consumption of single-use plastics. I've become lazier in this effort since the pandemic hit and I came back to Nova Scotia, and apparently I'm not the only one.

From The Economist:

"Whether on the foreshore of the Thames or the deserted beaches of Soko, the planet is awash with pandemic plastic. Data are hard to come by but, for example, consumption of single-use plastic may have grown by 250-300% in America since the coronavirus took hold..."

Other serious issues, like systemic racism, have come to dominate the news cycle–for good reason–but at the cost of coverage of environmental issues.

But the two aren't mutually exclusive. We don't have to drop one to pay attention and learn about the other.

Some areas are using COVID as an opportunity to boost their investment in the environment, as The Economist also reported:

"In May the European Commission proposed a package putting the environment at the centre of recovery efforts. The €750bn ($824bn) fund almost doubles the EU’s budget for 2021-27 to €1.8trn. A quarter of that is earmarked for climate-related spending such as renewable-energy projects and investments in electric-vehicle infrastructure. One pot of €40bn will be spent on shifting carbon-intensive regions, such as coal-mining towns, away from fossil fuels...According to one credible analysis, if the plan is approved it will be the world’s greenest covid-recovery package."

I hope North America takes the opportunity to invest similarly.

Regardless, we each have a part to play, and we do not have to stop our environmental efforts even if other issues are at the forefront.

The second thing I've been thinking about is time. One of my favourite conversation questions these days is "what's the best part of the pandemic been for you?"

The answers cover a wide range, but a recurring topic is time. It's been a time for people to reflect on what they truly want. Or a time when they realize what they miss, and what they don't, and by extension, what they value and the choices they've made (or haven't) with those values in mind.

One of the best articles I have ever read about time is The Tail End, from the blog Wait But Why. It will give you a very concrete understanding of how finite our time really is.

I've linked it before, but I encourage you to read it, and reflect. How are you spending your time?

I'd love to hear your own answer as well: What has been the best part of the pandemic for you?

Articles I'm Reading:

• Startup School - Y Combinator - An archive of resources for startup founders on all kinds of topics, from ideas and getting started to fundraising and later stage.
• 33 Things I Stole From People Smarter Than Me on the Way to 33 - Ryan Holiday - This reflection piece from Ryan Holiday on his 33rd birthday has a bunch of great advice. Some of my favourites:
  Amateurs focus on outcomes more than process
  The most polite excuse is "to have a rule"
  Go to what will teach you the most, not what will pay the most
  Everything starts at zero; don't be discouraged at the outset
  The less expensive stuff you have, the less there is to worry about
• It's All Quality Time - Daily Dad - I enjoyed this parenting piece about not needing "quality time", and instead viewing the ordinary and mundane as special.
• Cunningham's Law from Blake Robbins - "The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer."

Book Notes I Added:Measure What Matters - John Doerr

The bible of the modern tech company management system, OKRs (Objectives & Key Results), I found this book a very useful read, but the anecdotes a bit long. Worth reading if your company uses the system (and even more so if you're responsible for it).
Have a great week!

Graham