Max Holzheu's Weekly Newsletter - Issue #4
Hi friends! It’s been a while. Raise your hand if you missed last week’s issue ✋🏼. I was caught in the middle of a move so I didn’t have time to write last week. You know what that means for this week right? TONS OF GOODIES. Enjoy 🚀
Quote of the Day 🔑
When you sign up to run a marathon, you don’t want a taxi to take you to the finish line.
Derek Sivers
You never change a system by taking the existing thing and reworking it. you’re better off changing it by creating something new.
Naval Ravikant
What I'm reading 📖
I’ve read more books in the past two weeks than in the rest of the year. Productivity.
- Anything you Want by Derek Sivers. I mentioned Derek Sivers in one of the podcasts in Issue #1 (link). I was so fascinated by him that I read his book. It’s a short book, 1 hour on Audible. It’s about how he grew his company against his will and sold it for $22 Million without ever accepting outside investment. In this book, he shares his unconventional to doing business. He has also spoken multiple times at TED. Great guy. 10/10.
- In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. A classic. Didn’t enjoy it as much to be honest. But I’d been wanting to read some classics. Whack.
- Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins. Yeah, Tony Robbins! My favorite learning (paraphrased):
Society has conditioned us to believe that change is hard, and that it takes time. BS! Change happens in an instant. What takes time is you getting ready to make the change. So, why not just decide right now and make that change? You are assigning more pain to changing than to continue with your problem. It’s all in your head. Make the change now.
It’s a short read. Recommended.
- Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. Barely started with this one. The book is an exploration into why Europe developed faster than the rest of the world.
And that’s it for books! Onwards with the articles of last week:
- Google has developed an AI Fight Club. “The bad guys will be using machine learning to automate their attacks, and we will be using machine learning to defend.”
- The Hard Thing About Software Development. “The hard part isn’t the technology — the number one failure of the software industry is building the wrong product.” “The most valuable asset in the software industry is the synthesis of programming skill and deep context in the business problem domain, in one skull.” This is one of the most illuminating posts I’ve read in a long time. Read this if nothing else in this list.
- The Bitcoin Whitepaper. This is the original paper that Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, wrote. It’s surprisingly easy to read.
- Kindness is Overrated. “Jeff, one day you’ll understand that it’s harder to be kind than clever.” "What I want to talk to you about today is the difference between gifts and choices. Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy – they’re given after all. Choices can be hard. You can seduce yourself with your gifts if you’re not careful, and if you do, it’ll probably be to the detriment of your choices.”
Cool Stuff 🕶
List of all cryptocurrency exchanges
Disney is opening an immersive Star Wars Hotel where each guest gets a storyline | TechCrunch
AHHHHHHH. Disney just announced something that’s potentially so damned cool that I hardly need complete sentences here: Immersive. Star Wars. Hotel…
What I'm listening to 🎶
Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People podcast on Earwolf
1 phone call. 1 hour. No names. No holds barred. That’s the premise behind Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People, hosted by comedian Chris Gethard (the Chris Gethard Show, Broad City, This American Life, and one of Time Out’s “10 best comedians of 2015”). Every week, Chris opens the phone line to one anonymous caller, and he can’t hang up first, no matter what. From shocking confessions and family secrets to philosophical discussions and shameless self-promotion, anything can and will happen!
The Magic, Misdirection, and Mindset of David Blaine | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
“I never look at anything really as a success. I always look at it as a work in progress.” - David Blaine David Blaine (@davidblaine) is a magician, illusionist, and endurance artist. He is best known for his high-profile feats of endurance and has set and broken several world records.
How to Fear Less: Vince Vaughn | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
“Fear is more crippling than the actual consequences.” - Vince Vaughn Vince Vaughn (@WildWest) is one of the most prolific actors, writers, and producers in the world. He’s acted in more than thirty major motion pictures that have gone on to gross more than 1.7 billion at the box office.
How To Become Batman : Invisibilia : NPR
Alix and Lulu examine the surprising effect our expectations can have on the people around us. Plus, the story of a blind man who says expectations have helped him see. Yes, see.
Twitter Shoutout 📣
Dave 🐝💣 (@beesandbombs)
Dave is amazing. David makes gifs. But not the kind you’re expecting. Just click and watch for yourself. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when you get back here two hours later ;)
Feedback 👂
Which is your favorite section of this newsletter? Which one would you remove? Let me know by replying to this message :)
If you absolutely love it, can you share it with one person? ❤️
See you next week!