Weekly Mix #251 - What happens when you plan something perfectly

Patagonia, Future Cities, Team Sports & the Value of Detailed Plans

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Happy Monday!

Two weeks ago, I started working out again after several years without a regular gym habit.

It also marked the return of any organized health routine at all in my life.

In some ways, that's a good thing; I've incorporated health and exercise well enough in my life that I don't have to think too much about them.

But I was also reminded how valuable a plan and a system can be.

It doesn't only apply to health, either. Some of my favourite stories are those about people who spend an absurd amount of time planning, and then get extraordinary results.

The story of Peter Thiel and Gawker, told in Conspiracy, is one example.

And the Twitter thread I've shared below is another.

Planning always has to be balanced with action, but sometimes we forget how valuable a detailed plan can be.

Have a great week!

Graham

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Links

📚 Book: Let My People Go Surfing - Yvon Chouinard - Continuing the trend of reading biographies of entrepreneurs, I've been getting into Yvon Chouinard's story of building Patagonia. I find the business challenges most interesting, but the environmental drive behind the company, and how that focus evolved, is interesting too. His description of Patagonia is that it kind of "happened to him," though I suspect the reality isn't quite as simple.

🤔 THE LINE - This week I learned about THE LINE, a "civilizational revolution" project in Saudi Arabia. It's a 170km-long, 200m-wide, self-enclosed city that aims to prioritize "health and wellbeing...over transportation and infrastructure."

At the very least, it's an extraordinarily ambitious project, but it reminds me of products that get hype and a huge amount of investment, but then fail, because there isn't really a need. Or the Olympic villages that get build and then never used again.

📖 Marriage is a Team Sport - The Atlantic - I'm not married, but this article resonated because of the link between how good teams operate and how good marriages operate.

In particular, I've noticed how much the language that we use affects how we think (and vice versa), which can make a big difference in how you work with others.

📱 The story of Gas app - I love hearing stories like the one in this Twitter thread. This is the launch story of Gas, an app which has risen to be one of the most popular in the US in a matter of days. The launch was meticulously planned and executed, and for me is a reminder of the exponentially better results you can get when you plan/think a bit harder than everyone else.

Luke Sophinos-->

@lukesophinos

A former Facebook manager just launched an app that overtook giants like TikTok & Instagram to be #1 on the App Store.

He made $1M in 10 days with a team of 4 people.

Gas App 🧵 pic.twitter.com/yUW27d6EV7

November 17th 2022

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Photo of the Week

This is what cycling looks like in November when you live in Montreal:

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