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Apple’s bad ad
Two words you don’t see together very often: Apple apologizes. Recently, Apple released a new commercial intended as a sequel to its iconic 1984 commercial. Instead, it completely fell flat. It’s not just that Apple made a misstep, which seems to be happening more often lately. It’s more that its usual defenders aren’t as vocal,…
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J. Cole’s hard decision for an easy life
In case you’ve missed it, two of hip-hop’s biggest superstars—Drake and Kendrick Lamar—have been in conflict for the past several weeks. (There’s a Wikipedia page!) The inciting incident for this particular one was Kendrick responding to Drake and J. Cole’s song, “First Person Shooter.” While J. Cole responded with a diss, he quickly withdrew it…
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Listen to yourself, and do more of what works
You would think that writing a second book would be easier than writing a first one. As I prepare to put my second book together, I haven’t found that to be the case. While there are lots of new things I learned, as I apply them this time around, it’s almost like they’re bumping out…
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Contact list to database
One day, an upcoming recording artist named Rich the Kid discovered the phone numbers of really important people. They just popped up on his phone, and he’s still not sure how it happened. Through a technical glitch, he had inherited a key part of someone else’s database. While he didn’t have relationships with or introductions…
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Be your own co-founder (or publisher, or distributor, etc.)
The most effective way to get something done is to do it yourself. Rely only on yourself, and pick up all the skills you need along the way. Scope things down. Paul Graham writes, “I’m skeptical when people tell me they’re very determined to make their startup succeed, but they can’t find a technical cofounder.…
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The database stance
Early into my career, I worked as an apprentice with Ryan Leslie. He saw social media algorithms shrink organic reach, he observed how every tour he went on required a press run, and he decided there was a better way. In marketing, these practices are known as renting an audience. He resolved to build direct…
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Good editing means trusting yourself
While editing certainly involves a lot of hard skills—structuring a piece, making it flow, continuing to draw the eye onward—it equally requires understanding what the author is trying to do. It means listening closely to them, helping them see their options, and advising them on making the best decisions. It doesn’t always look like that,…
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Get rich or die tryin’
It’s good to be willing to take the leap, to step up. Most people won’t. Sometimes though, when you’re willing to take drastic action, you can also get in your own way. Shane Parrish writes in Clear Thinking, “When you are well positioned, there are many paths to victory. If you are poorly positioned, there…
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The effort is the point
When I was working with an executive assistant, one of their tasks was scheduling meetings with my clients. I considered having them schedule meetings with my friends too, and that never felt right for me. Sometimes, scheduling is just about meeting to discuss business, which is where tools such as Calendly or SavvyCal or Vimcal…
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What AI won’t change in art
Google launched 25 years ago. While it has become one of the biggest, most powerful companies in the world, it hasn’t changed everything about us. For example, while we search a lot, we still ask each other questions. (Partially because Google search has deteriorated.) We still meet up at events, ask for coffees, and sign…