Every week, we put together a list of our top 5 articles of the past week. Happy reading!
Marc Andreessen The Observer Effect, Sriram Krishnan (reading time: 30 minutes)
This is a brand new blog by Sriram Krishnan, a well known product guy in Silicon Valley. In his first post, he interviews Marc Andreesen. It’s a rare inside look into the life of one of the most prominent tech VCs. Marc shares some tips on managing his calendar, delegation, achieving goals and much more. He also dives into his viral post (It’s time to build) from a few weeks ago.
Speed matters: Why working quickly is more important than it seems James Somers (reading time: 6 minutes)
We often talk about velocity at work and its importance for executing a strategy. This post by James Somers serves as a great reminder on the importance of working quickly. It doesn’t mean sloppy but fast. The human brain’s natural reflex is to preserve calories and move slowly. James argues that speed needs to become a habit. I couldn’t agree more.
News by the ton: 75 years of US advertising Benedict Evans (reading time: 8 minutes)
If you are interested in advertising and media, you have to check out Benedict Evans analysis of the newspaper industry. He pulls together several stunning analyses by looking at 75 year’s worth of data. There are some great takeaways notably that the decline of newspaper advertising (relative to the overall US GDP) started before the advent of internet. It solidifies the hypothesis that new & varied business models are necessary for the media industry.
Ten Principles for How to Run a Company On Human Enterprise (reading time: 5 minutes)
Niko Canner proposes a neat thought experiment. What if you had to design guiding principles on how to run a company that would stand the test of time, what would they look like? He shares 10 timeless ideas on what these should be, and they are captivating.
Aliens, Jedi & Cults Richard Burton (reading time: 5 minutes)
How do you spot early a breakthrough start up? Chances are that you don’t really know. Richard Burton provides one way to look at it. He’s seen several world changing startups up close and has come up with a framework. An alien founder assembles a group of Jedi to start a cult and go on a mission together.
