Blas Media Bias for Past 90 Days

Thank You, Patron!

Your support and generosity are appreciated more than you know! It is people like you who make learning in public so exciting and rewarding. If you’re looking for a place to start, our books worth re-reading, our essays, and our worthwhile resources might provide the greatest bang for your buck. If you ever have any […] The post Thank You, Patron! appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Mar 03, 2021

The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge

economy and finances

Summary HubSpots head of sales, Mark Roberge, walks us through the early days, pitfalls, and successes of HubSpot’s monstrous growth and how his sales acceleration formula helped achieve it. “The Sales Acceleration Formula completely alters this paradigm. In today’s digital world, in which every action is logged and masses of data sit at our fingertips, […] The post The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Feb 27, 2021

Working Backwards by Colin Bryar, Bill Carr

Summary The authors lay out the leadership principles of what it means to be “Amazonian.” Working backwards is all about starting with the customer perspective, working backwards step-by-step, questioning assumptions until you figure out exactly what you want to build and how you want to deliver it. It is all about seeking truth. This process […] The post Working Backwards by Colin Bryar, Bill Carr appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Feb 27, 2021

The Rebel Allocator by Jacob Taylor

unrest, conflicts and war

Summary Through Socratic dialogue and real-world life lessons, a successful businessman (Mr. X) shares his wisdom and learnings with a skeptical young student, Nick. Key Takeaways Strategy ROIC > project ROIC Longer term, more fluid and dynamic Capital allocation is the study of opportunity cost. This skill is extremely important as it helps usher in […] The post The Rebel Allocator by Jacob Taylor appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Feb 27, 2021

Theory of Everything by Ken Wilber

tourism,travel and commuting

Summary The author aims to provide an integrated, unified view of the cosmos – matter, mind, body, soul, art, and everything else. Not reducing things down unnecessarily to matter alone. This endeavor is surely to fail and overgeneralize, but it is a worthwhile journey because a little bit of wholeness is better than a whole […] The post Theory of Everything by Ken Wilber appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Feb 27, 2021

On Investing by John Neff

Investing

Summary John Neff, former fund manager of Windsor, recounts his history and lessons learned running one of the best performing funds of his era. Key Takeaways Contrarian that I am, the format for this book is intentionally unorthodox as books on investing go these days. It is not about Hail Mary passes; it’s about grinding […] The post On Investing by John Neff appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Feb 27, 2021

The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell

art and culture

Summary The author provides 113 lenses in which to “view” game design from. Can be thought of as various mental models, perspectives, and / or as a checklist to help guide you in your game design journey Key Takeaways Game design = decision of what a game should be Listening is the most important skill. […] The post The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Feb 27, 2021

Diffusion of Innovations by Everett Rogers

Summary This book is about social change, moving from information to innovation. “Information is a difference in matter-energy that affects uncertainty in a situation where a choice exists among a set of alternatives. One kind of uncertainty is generated by innovation, defined as an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an […] The post Diffusion of Innovations by Everett Rogers appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Feb 23, 2021

Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Understanding Competition and Strategy by Joan Magretta

sport

Summary My goal is to present the essential Porter in a form that can be more easily digested and put to work than the original. But, to extend my metaphor, if you really want to digest these critically important ideas, you have to be willing to chew on them before you swallow. Strategy is not […] The post Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Understanding Competition and Strategy by Joan Magretta appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Jan 30, 2021

The Systems Thinker by Stefan Maidan

Summary A practical guide to use critical thinking to change your life, know yourself through thought patterns, view and work on your behaviors to increase your problem solving skills Key Takeaways Meaning > Pleasure Be specific, have milestones, have due dates, write it down Systems thinking is a method of reasoning which targets the interconnections […] The post The Systems Thinker by Stefan Maidan appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Jan 30, 2021

The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey

Summary Speed to market is the ultimate competitive advantage and lack of trust creates tremendous friction. You can build trust through competence and character Key Takeaways Competence + Character = trust Can build trust simply by keeping your commitments When you add trust, you add speed and reduce costs. Low trust is an invisible tax […] The post The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Jan 30, 2021

The Star Principle by Richard Koch

Summary What is a star venture? It has two qualities. One, it operates in a high-growth market. Two, it is the leader in that market. Key Takeaways The answer is not to work or invest in the great majority of ventures. The key is to select the ventures that are likely to succeed anyway. Without […] The post The Star Principle by Richard Koch appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Jan 30, 2021

Notes on the Synthesis of Form by Christopher Alexander

Summary Discusses the idea of the diagrams. These diagrams, which in my more recent work, I have been calling patterns, are the key to the process of creating form…The idea of a diagram, or pattern, is very simple. It is an abstract pattern of physical relationships which resolves a small system of interacting and conflicting […] The post Notes on the Synthesis of Form by Christopher Alexander appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Jan 30, 2021

The Polymath by Waqas Ahmed

Summary The author lays out some historical examples of polymaths and some of the benefits to this approach to life. “Humans of exceptional versatility, who excel in multiple, seemingly unrelated fields. That’s the superficial definition. Put differently, polymaths are multi-dimensional minds that pursue optimal performance and self-actualisation in its most complete, rounded sense. Having such […] The post The Polymath by Waqas Ahmed appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Jan 30, 2021

The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age by James Dale Davidson, Lord William Rees-Moog

Summary Discuss the powerful shift from a world defined by industry and large corporations to an information-based society that empowers the individual. “The theme of this book is the new revolution of power which is liberating individuals at the expense of the twentieth-century nation-state. Innovations that alter the logic of violence in unprecedented ways are […] The post The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age by James Dale Davidson, Lord William Rees-Moog appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Jan 30, 2021

The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future by Kevin Kelly

Tech

Summary Banning the inevitable usually backfires. Prohibition is at best temporary, and in the long run counterproductive. A vigilant, eyes-wide-open embrace works much better. My intent in this book is to uncover the roots of digital change so that we can embrace them. Once seen, we can work with their nature, rather than struggle against […] The post The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future by Kevin Kelly appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Jan 28, 2021

November 2020

The monthly newsletter covers the books I’ve read over the course of the month, any essays I wrote or challenges I undertook, and some other interesting articles, interviews, etc. Books The E-Mythby Michael Gerber How to Take Smart Notesby Sonke Ahrens No Rules Rulesby Reed Hastings What Owen Didn’t Knowby Laurence Endersen […] The post November 2020 appeared first on The Rabbit Hole.
Blas     Jan 08, 2021