Top articles of the week | November 21

November 21, 2020

Every week, we put together a list of our top 5 articles of the past week. Happy reading!

Six Lessons from Six Months at Shopify Alex Danco (reading time: 16 minutes)

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work at Shopify, Alex Danco breaks down his first six months at the company. He discusses six lessons from his time there and it’s a great breakdown of how the company thinks & operates. The notion of compressed learning really stuck with me and one that is widely applicable.

Big Tech Sees Like a State The Diff (reading time: 17 minutes)

How do states see? It’s the premise of a book I’m reading, “Seeing like a State”. Governments impose rules in a way to help them organize their activities. Today, these imposers are tech companies. It’s an interesting read about the concept of legibility.

Understanding Airbnb The Diff (reading time: 16 minutes)

This week is a 2 for 1 from The Diff. This post is a great deep dive into AirBnb’s S1. The cohort analysis in particular is great. I’ve always admired the company and despite the worse for travel ever – the company is remarkably resilient. Their future looks incredibly bright.

The Munger Operating System: How to Live a Life That Really Works Farnam Street (reading time: 10 minutes)

Admittedly, this is a bit of a self-help post but comes from a great source – Charlie Munger. This post is a summary of the key learnings that shaped Munger’s life – his operating system.

Dashing to IPO Alex Taussig (reading time: 11 minutes)

Another great analysis of an upcoming IPO. This newsletter from Alex Taussig features Doordash’s IPO. The sophistication of their S1 reveals just how mature a company it is. It also features very detailed cohort analyses and a strategy flywheel! They have been able to lead the US market despite some very intense competition.