Happy 4th!
I read (and tweet) a lot. This week, 125,000+ of you told me which of the reads were the most interesting (and reminded me that most of my tweets are terrible) — here are the top ten:
1. It all starts with the coffee shops. [Link] [Tweet] (On a related note, you can tell a lot about a neighborhood based on the time that the local coffee shop closes. Early is usually bad.)
2. “To hear him speak can remind you of the smallness of your own dreams.” [Link] [Tweet] (It’s pretty cool to see smart people trying to tackle problems, like death, at this scale. It puts some of the “me too” tech companies we’ve all heard about to shame.)
3. “Because we don’t want 50 Silicon Valleys; we want 50 different variations of Silicon Valley” [Link] [Tweet]
4. “we believe that some of them will be exposed as nothing more than horses with sticks taped to their heads” [Link] [Tweet]
5. “After that, give yourself a break. The best you can do is maximize your child’s potential.” [Link] [Tweet] (As a relatively new father, I wish more people would say this sort of thing more openly.)
6. “You’re not a failure, you’re just failing.” [Link] [Tweet] (Fellow founders, read this — it’s worth it.)
7. “The biggest solar revolution will take place on rooftops.” [Link] [Tweet]
8. “Perhaps most importantly, though, lots of teens just don’t want to work anymore.” [Link] [Tweet]
9. SEC Approves Tweeting by Startups to Test Investor Interest [Link] [Tweet] (Wait, so investors look for investment opportunities on Twitter now?)
10. “There’s substantial evidence that the return on capital converges to 0 as the slope of tech progress approaches 1.” [Link] [Tweet]
Where you at?
Last week, I asked you for more speaking opportunities and managed to lock in events in Nebraska, South Carolina and Chile. This year’s starting to get booked up, hit reply and let me know if there’s something happening in your neck of the woods. Let’s get it on the calendar ASAP. (Have I mentioned how great you are?)
How can I make this newsletter better?
I know you’re super busy (thanks for reading this far), so how can I make this weekly letter more useful and interesting for you?
Have a great weekend! (And, remember, always point the bottle rocket at the other end of the neighborhood.)
-P