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Climatecheck.com (article)
The data models shared by a Berkeley-based firm show what climate change may do to most parts of the U.S. in the next 30 years. Climate migration stands to have a bigger impact than the economic migration which happened during the Covid pandemic. A fleeing population that chose economic freedom and a lower cost of […]
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Panoramic Vision (podcast)
Great clip from Tim Ferriss’ podcast: Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman shares insights on how we can reduce stress by reducing eye strain. Time spent staring at screens can be offset by scenic vistas.
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Lastdivebar.com
The Oakland A’s are the last professional sports team left standing in the East Bay. Too many good memories at the last dive bar. 🤣
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New Tech Economy Japan (BBC show)
Japan remains off the beaten path in 2022 with strict travel rules and limited intake of foreign immigrants and refugees. Its amazing culture continues to spread worldwide. Tourists are eager to return. In this BBC video, Japan pushes towards entrepreneurship because of economic issues such as struggling industries and an aging population. Japan previously succeeded […]
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8/13 – Japan/US Tennis Tourney
The Bay Area is one of 4 or 5 places on the planet where there’s a convergence of culture, activities, innovation, and course, international people. Participated in the annual tennis tourney hosted by the Japan Society for those from Japan or who have deep ties there.
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Tsundoku (積ん読)
I read a lot. Still, I’ve got a lot of books piled up. Tsundoku is an apt description.
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7/26 – The Future of Customer Success
Customer success leaders from ESO coordinated a great event with ClientSuccess, a SaaS-based company known for its customer success software, and an annual conference in Sundance, Utah. Dave Blake, CEO of ClientSuccess, co-hosted the event with a panel of customer success leaders based in Austin. ESO, an Austin-based software company, caters to emergency medical services. […]
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Sadhguru quote
Like this saying from Sadhguru. The past doesn’t need to be a prologue. This is just another self-reminder for making every day count as if the marathon is tomorrow. Embracing the unknown requires self-care.
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Austin Customer Success stories (article)
Great examples of how customer success is operationalized and scaled up: link
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Thich Nhat Hanh quote
The great Buddhist teacher shares the meaning of sangha. I dedicate this quote to my uncle who recently passed away in Houston. He was a connector, a community-builder, and a source of love & wisdom. Sangha was hard to find especially as an immigrant in rural Texas. He found a personal need for spiritual solace […]
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Austin Japan Community
Expats like me may leave Japan but the culture stays wherever we go. The Austin Japan Community is a new group that meets regularly. The map shared by the group shows where one can still find Japanese culture and food in the land of BBQ. Austin has nonstop flights to London, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. Is […]
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Self-reminder: Just breathe
I had a forgettable week. Time was lost. I experienced theft during my travels. Gas cost over 100 dollars to fill the tank. The stock market took a dive. The flight was full. The highlight was a talk given by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Austin. The ancient techniques taught by Sri Sri and […]
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Invisible A’s (article)
My favorite baseball team lacks fan support. The team also lacks star players —- shipping away last year’s talent that contributed to 97 wins in 2019 and 86 in 2021. It’s a slow start in 2022. The A’s need a new home, too. Maybe they need Vegas more than Vegas needs them. I think the […]
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Podcast: How Square survived
Interview with Co-founder Jim McKelvey: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1512417937&i=1000555558931
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Leadership Austin
Enrolled in a local program for folks interested in community involvement. I’m a pandemic refugee to the Austin area. Austin has a lot to offer. It’s exciting to meet people coming to this group for similar reasons. There are plenty of jobs @Austin Inc. The blueprint for turning Austin into another Silicon Valley has been […]
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Austin versus Nashville
I recently visited Nashville. Austin looks and feels the most like Nashville in terms of demographics, being college towns (UT versus Vanderbilt), and hosting the state government. It makes sense why people are looking at these tourism meccas with a lower cost of living (compared to CA, WA, Chicago, and the Northeast). Austonia highlighted the […]
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Guru-NBA
The concept of gurukula is traced to ancient schools of thought in India where students lived near gurus and embraced a way of life to be carried forward to other students in perpetuity. Over ten head or former head coaches in the NBA were taught about winning at the house Greg Popovich built in San […]
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Change and Patience
Robin Sharma’s book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari sits on an older bookshelf. It’s still intact, if not worn from travel during a lifetime that endures change. Change is hard. It gets messy. Eventually, things work out. Just when the light from the end of the tunnel becomes an answer to prayers, the view […]
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Privacy is Power
A good book about Privacy by Carissa Veliz. She had an insightful interview on The Open Mind show. This is a bipartisan issue that deserves prioritization this year given the global political challenges. Technology overtook our lives only in the last 15 years or so. The average member of Congress is much closer to retirement […]
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Texas-Squared Newsletter
Marc Nathan, an Austin-based entrepreneur/consultant runs a great newsletter for anyone interested in Texas startups/tech news/happenings. Texas is fully open for business in 2022. This weekly newsletter has become my best source for local info. Join
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Mountains beyond Mountains
The sudden loss of Dr. Paul Farmer is being felt around the world. Tracy Kidder’s biography tells the riveting story of Farmer’s ascension from difficult family circumstances in Florida without basic health insurance to becoming the preeminent voice of the poor in global public health. He survived an unfair system and made his mission to […]
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Safety Cloud
Last month, Salesforce came up with a ticket/safety/security solution for in-person events. While I think the laws have gone too far shutting down the economy, this extra layer helps those with underlying health issues who need to attend large-scale events for their livelihood. It also frees up senior citizens to resume important life events. I […]
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True Champion (ESPN video)
Justin Hardy plays basketball in the gym I know all too well in St. Louis, Missouri. He’s putting on a valiant fight off the court, in addition, to being a Division 3 basketball star. The one thing I’ve learned about this illness is to keep doing the things you love whether you experience it personally, […]
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Pandemic podcasts
Listened to these podcasts multiple times during the lockdown. Oddly enough, none made this top 100 list: link
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Austin Access Limits
I agree with this article highlighting the vibrancy of downtown Austin. However, Austin has much to learn from other cities about developing sophisticated mass transit systems. The downtown experience doesn’t mean much when there is limited accessibility for most Austin metro residents. The organic growth of downtown Austin continues to attract workers who prefer city […]
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The New World of Work (Podcast)
Here’s some info you can use. Great podcast hosted by Guy Kawasaki interviewing consultant Keith Ferrazzi. Just picked up Keith’s book. podcast Link I found this incredibly helpful. Keith shares many pointers to help re-organize work as we know it.
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Steve Jobs quote
Finding the present moment — the ground underneath — unveils work that builds a better tomorrow. Gotta keep moving.
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Free Minds Austin
I learned about Free Minds Austin after watching the film A Reckoning in Boston which highlights the ongoing educational program known as The Clemente Course in the Humanities. The Austin nonprofit program represents Clemente here. The program engages low-income adults and provides a humanities pathway to graduation. The new film shows the trials and tribulations […]
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Don DeLillo quote
Famed writer Don DeLillo began a writing career that freed him from the boredom of working as a parking attendant in his childhood. It’s much harder to write these days, but I think technology overload is invoking the same kind of boredom that allows for creativity. Putting something original down on paper or a computer […]
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Gandhi quote
They say it takes physical effort to get to the starting line. Reaching the finish line requires sheer willpower. In the last two years, every task required more physical and mental energy to get done. I think about increasing my willpower every day. When I don’t execute, it’s usually because my mind wasn’t up to […]
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2021 – Year in Review on the court
I played too much tennis last year. I found out that I’m really good, but have the margin to get better. Here are some tennis resources if you are looking to get your game back. UTR is a virtual league with events across the world. The rating system is somewhat ambiguous. They generously hand out […]
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1/17/2022 – Customer Success for Startups
Austin is getting back to normal faster than other tech meccas. Entrepreneur and investor Jason Calacanis says Austin gives off the San Francisco startup vibe circa 2013 via the All-In podcast. Customer Success became a named role at every SaaS company. Back then it also became an emerging category with product-based startups such as Gainsight […]
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Brene Brown quote
Collecting moments of joy, no matter how small, keeps the cup full for my family during the pandemic. Joy is the key to life.
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Number One
Here’s a good stocking stuffer for the tennis fanatic in your life. NYT writer Christopher Clarey writes a masterpiece of the master himself: link Roger Federer was the number one tennis player globally for 237 consecutive weeks from early 2004 to late 2008. It’s a record that Novak Djokovic can surpass in another 2+ years, […]
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Prof G podcast: The Psychedelics Industry
Psychedelics gain traction to treat PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Prof G interviews one of the leaders of the industry. I think there’s a use case here from a critical care perspective, however, I also think much more can be done in integrated and preventative medicine to avoid this path. I find exercise, yoga, and meditation […]
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Greenlights
Greenlights is a surprisingly good book, and Matthew McConaughey is as quotable as the Dalai Lama. I’ve read way too much, especially long-form journalism during the pandemic. This book stood out. In a recent NYT interview, McConaughey concisely unveils a common-sense approach to living curated over a lifetime of diversified experiences: Link “Responsibility, I would […]
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Austin > Tokyo (article)
I never imagined living in Tokyo while growing up in Austin. After my foray into Japan, Austin City Limits was supposed to be just a passing memory, a TV show meant to be forgotten, not a destination made convenient by the Covid pandemic. Returning home invokes bittersweet memories. Quality of life remains high. It’s no […]
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The Things that Count
The Fountainhead is one of my favorite books from childhood. Self-awareness means many things, including cultivating those things you already have so that you count when it matters the most — when the rest of the world pays attention. There is a lot of noise that can hinder personal development.
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NIMBYism vs Affordable Housing (article)
Not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) has been an overwhelming criterion for voters since the 80s. People choose to vote based on neighborhood impact. They often voted against high-density housing (attracting a low-income population), industrial factories (harmful pollution), and public transportation (bringing urban crime to the suburbs). In the last three decades, the NIMBY culture has overtaken the Bay […]
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Texas as the Future?
Is Texas a better version of California, given all the West coast issues? Or will it become a temporary shelter for fleeing families? Good NYT op-ed
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David Gergen quote
Reading David Gergen’s new book. The longtime political commentator writes about leadership and the need to empower young people. I like Gergen’s reference to the Bill Moyer observation from an African village. Not enough of us throw logs into the fire to keep the community warm. We risk burning up our planet while sustaining a […]
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Be like Bill
The doldrums of a wicked Summer are overcome by the beauty of Fall. A door is opened and American football runs its course churning long days and shortening the specter of the daily routine. The academic and prolific podcaster Russ Roberts wrote a fascinating chapter in his latest book titled, “Be like Bill” about the […]
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Flourishing vs Languishing
I referenced the architect Jan Gehl not too long ago while enjoying the comforts of urban living — even if that meant traveling across the United States during most weeks of the year. I experienced the suburbs and the urban core of Atlanta, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, and Houston. In my prior post (link) I shared […]
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How to Make a Decision When There’s No ‘Right’ One (NYT)
The path to Mars, the path to a good college, or the path to becoming fabulously wealthy may count less than understanding the targeted destination in the first place. Has the homework been done about where to go in life (based on knowing thyself)? Crafting a clever decision based on raw analysis could take us […]
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Tim Ferriss podcast with Russ Roberts
Podcasts were much less known in 2006 when Business economist Russ Roberts began his series. Over eight hundred podcasts later Russ Roberts meets Tim Ferriss on Tim’s podcast. Russ Roberts was a popular college professor at WashU where I attended his lectures. I’m happy to re-discover Russ after all these years. The latest book from […]
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Rebels against the British Raj
Indian historian Ramachandra Guha chronicled the lives of five Brits and two Americans as they migrated to India during British rule and joined sides with Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom movement. These seven extraordinary souls helped transform India’s narrative so it could complete its victory lap: Annie Besant, Samuel Stokes, Mira Behn, B.G. Horniman, Catherine […]
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Tim Ferriss podcast
Tim Ferriss interviews entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan. The ex-Bay Area luminaries moved away in recent years. Tim resides in Austin, while Balaji lives in Singapore. These are fascinating insights from Balaji (new book) about a dystopian future controlled by stateless actors who gain influence virtually and manage their own societies without being usurped by current nation-states […]
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TED-style Talk (clip)
Positive content whether it’s from music, spiritual writing, and TED-style podcasts helps offset the deluge of negativity from the daily news and social media. Arthur Brooks and Pico Iyer share ways to cope when the headwinds go against our instinct to do good things and create positive outcomes. These two content creators from different corners […]
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Willie Nelson quote
The world rushes towards the euphoria of fame and glory. When nothing is garnered in this pursuit, there’s a feeling of obsolescence. Obsolescence creates antipathy towards the haves by the have-nots. Ultimately, acceptance of shared obsolescence gives the feeling of letting go. Freedom begins when hate ends and there’s acceptance of the present moment. You […]
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