Blog Feed: [in celebration of overanalyzation]

#sandy

Published on 2012-11-04 19:18:00

All week I've been thinking about how impossible it is to learn something without experiencing it. Even with all the hurricane tips we read on the web (and learned last year for Irene), we couldn't properly prep for losing power for a week in the

how to say nothing in 500 words: a startup guide

Published on 2012-07-29 09:37:00

Last post was about a great essay, how to say nothing in 500 words.As I reread it, I realized that it also reads as a guide to startups.Allow me to reinterpret the following rules:"Avoid the Obvious Content"Marketing 101. Make a list of 'what types of content is everyone else writing' and then willfully do the opposite. You will never stand out by copying others."Take the Less Usual Side"No one ever created a revolution by doing things the 'normal way'. Disagree, often. When industry says, 'this [..]

how to say nothing in 500 words

Published on 2012-07-28 09:08:00

Really enjoyed this essay on how to say nothing in 500 words.Funny to think about the progression I went through from middle school to college to now:Beginner:1. Trying to expand language to make short papers long (loved inserting block quotes and then explicating)Intermediate:2. Expanding the number of arguments (look at all this evidence for my point!)3. Trying to squeeze all of my expanded arguments into the allotted page numbers (margins & spacing FTW)4. Throwing out three arguments to focus [..]

independence vs asking for help

Published on 2012-07-26 20:48:00

Was interviewing an entrepreneur for an apprenticing program a few months ago, and I realized something interesting. One of the critical personality traits of the entrepreneur is a deep, almost irrational independence. We just feel like we can do things better on our own, without help.This independent streak makes us grumble under "weak management" and "bureaucracy", makes us fight to get out on our own, where finally, finally we can do things our own way (the right way!). And then, aside from d [..]

remembering your audience

Published on 2012-07-24 20:26:00

One of the challenges of running a startup is the number of different audiences you have to juggle.In our case, we tell a different story about what CourseHorse is to consumers, schools, investors, partners and potential team members. That's five similar stories whose differences are crucial. The best part is that in a given week, you're telling every single one, often twice in the same day.I honestly still have trouble with this. I'll go into a school sales meeting and find myself talking about [..]

immersion as a means of mastery

Published on 2012-07-23 20:14:00

They say that you become the product of the 5 people you spend the most time with.I think the same is true of the things we wish to master. They require total immersion.I want to one day be a writer. When that phase arrives, I'm going to approach it like a full time job:Writing 4-6 hours per dayCritically studying great writing 4-6 hours per dayFinding other writers whose work I admire to spend my time withStudying great writers, reading about how they approach their workGetting to know the supp [..]

I may or may not be back to writing

Published on 2012-07-22 19:32:00

Too many times I've announced that I've taken up writing on this blog again, only to set the 'pen' down for another several months.This time, no proclamation. Let's see.

on being brief

Published on 2012-07-22 19:31:00

When communicating, there is nothing more important than conciseness. Given a chance, there's a temptation to hold on to the mic as long as you can, but our audience respects our ability to succinctly convey our message far more than the amount of stage time we grab. The same is true in conversation - the more time we spend listening, the faster we get to the point, the more people enjoy conversing with us.This was inspired by a panel I was recently on. I was next to a speaker that just went on [..]

the beauty of a single second

Published on 2012-03-08 21:16:00

Wow, long time huh? Sorry for the hiatus - been jotting thoughts but not completing them here.Getting back to it shortly.This video is what brought me back. It's from a great blog that a great friend just sent my way.It's the 3rd in the series and beautifully captures the power of a single moment. .

getting past the gap

Published on 2011-12-05 23:42:00

I'd been a big admirer of a blogger named Dustin Curtis, and sometime back, he wrote this post, about not being able to create anything new. It moved me, and I responded to it. Here's what I wrote to Dustin (email intro omitted):--I think the first step to escaping 'the gap' is to accept it, fully and immediately. Now, without hesitation. What often paralyzes us is a fear that the product of our hardest labors won't meet others' standards, or worse yet, our own. Thus, in fear, we avoid prod [..]

staying in the fire

Published on 2011-12-03 21:39:00

A friend recently told me about something that was making him unhappy. He works for an event production company in which his role is to first find clients and sell his company’s services, and then to execute the projects he sells. In this industry, one project rarely leads to another, which means he starts from square-one every time – he likened it to the stress of finding a new career every few months. The worst part is that after all his hustle, he only gets a small percentage of the co [..]

destroying to create & improve

Published on 2011-12-01 21:38:00

In both writing and design, I often find that in order to take a step forward, I must completely abandon everything I’ve already created. This means that either I start again from scratch, or I take the pieces of what I have and totally mangle them until I’ve arrived somewhere vastly different from where I began. Why is this important? I find that little tweaks and edits are easy, but they rarely result in a huge step forward. Tweaks help optimize something into the best form it can be, [..]

why you need to blog

Published on 2011-11-30 21:21:00

I recently gave a speech about the benefits of blogging. To reap these rewards, there’s a pre-requisite, which is a willful determination to write 5 times a week. If you meet that one criterion, all these other benefits will emerge organically. First, you’ll improve your writing, and develop the ability to quickly organize a jumbled set of thoughts into a brief, coherent point. More importantly, since you’ll constantly be thinking about what to write next, you’ll be far more likely t [..]

the irony of arrogance

Published on 2011-11-28 20:42:00

Recently I was talking to an entrepreneur complaining about the arrogance of investors he had been speaking to. I actually hear this quite often in the community, and it typically takes a few different forms:The investor doesn't think much of your ideaThe investor doesn't seem to take any interest in the conversationThe investor seems to be more thrilled with his/her own spin on your ideaThe investor never gets back to you or follows up, even when they said they wouldThere's of course a few obv [..]

a new way to resolve conflict

Published on 2011-11-24 16:27:00

I’ve always been a huge observer of the various forms of conflict, what causes it, and most importantly, how to resolve it. For a long time I had a standard approach to all conflict – 1. Assume the fault is mine, and see if I can get past it2. If I can’t get past it, decide whether the person is worth having the conflict (conflict resolution is a huge effort, and some acquaintances just aren’t worth it)3. If I can’t get past it, consider all the things I want to say to explain the pro [..]

why self-remembering is crucial

Published on 2011-11-21 16:29:00

In the Upanishads, there are three central, powerful tenants that lead to enlightenment:Self-Awareness – a constant awareness of what you’re thinking, feeling and doing, and why these thoughts and actions are happeningSelf-Remembering – reminding yourself that you are but a part of existence, rather than separate from it (and all the implications of this)Witnessing – the ability to watch your own thoughts and actions against a backdrop of self-remembering, without self-judgment about how [..]

mentoring from a broader perspective

Published on 2011-11-17 16:27:00

One of the hardest things about mentoring is removing yourself from the equation. There’s a temptation to tell up-and-comers ‘well this is what the process was like for me, and your story will be the same’. Better mentors say things like ‘this is what it was like for me – take what you can from our story and apply it to your own’. Still better are those who discover the broader themes in their own story that apply to your particular situation. They’ve created a framework, a bas [..]

accelerating self-growth

Published on 2011-11-16 16:26:00

I wrote last time about intentionally doing things that are difficult. One of the recent themes I’ve discovered is the concept of accelerating self-discovery. I realized that this is one huge benefits of starting a company – the enormous pace of self-discovery. I define this in three ways:1) Learning SkillsFounders can never have enough skills when starting a company, and our desperate need to learn those skills forces us to develop them rapidly, on the fly. Humans have innately an extra [..]

on doing difficult things

Published on 2011-11-15 16:25:00

A few years back I read an article in the NY Times about how it’s important to praise kids for working hard, and not just for being smart. Receiving praise encourages behavior, and it’s important to praise kids for the things they can control (hard work), rather than the things they cannot (natural intelligence).Throughout my life I’ve been aware of a natural desire to do only the things that I’m good at. I used to literally avoid new activities for fear that I wouldn’t be as good or [..]

eleanor lerman - starfish

Published on 2011-06-23 12:38:00

A good friend sent me this one today - I love it!Starfish This is what life does. It lets you walk up to the store to buy breakfast and the paper, on a stiff knee. It lets you choose the way you have your eggs, your coffee. Then it sits a fisherman

little steps that enable success

Published on 2011-06-18 05:00:00

I’ve often found that I need to do little things to make it easier for myself to succeed. The latest one involves always having thank you cards, envelopes and stamps ready. I’m the type of person that constantly feels deep gratitude towards the

why you should journal / blog

Published on 2011-06-17 05:00:00

I was trying to explain to a friend the value in journaling or blogging, and articulated something I hadn’t realized. One thing I’ve noticed in reading my old moleskin entries or blog post is my past self seems so much more in tune with the worl

late sunlight

Published on 2011-06-16 05:00:00

A mental exercise I’ve been doing is to occupy my thoughts fully in the present when I’m walking down the street. One of the ways that I do this is by fully observing everything around me. By gazing at everything and fully seeing it, all of it,

asking for what you want

Published on 2011-06-14 05:00:00

As a child, I always took a bit of pride in that I was less ‘needy’. My sister was the stereotypical ‘loud’ child – always wanting her way, asking for it, and most of the time, getting it. My distaste for this behavior quite naturally mad

timing your entrance to meetings

Published on 2011-06-13 05:00:00

Had a great conversation with a good friend about how timing when it comes to meetings. He’s the president of his class, which means that he’s constantly setting up meetings with the other members of the student council / faculty advisors, and t

these poems

Published on 2011-06-12 07:20:00

These PoemsThese poems she saidThese poems, these poems,these poems, she said, are poemswith no love in them. These are the poems of a manwho would leave his wife and child becausethey made noise in his study. These are the poems of a man who would m

types of trust

Published on 2011-06-11 05:00:00

Been thinking a lot about trust lately. Everyone knows the basics - that it takes forever to earn and can be lost in a moment. I've been thinking though that there are a few types of trust worth mentioning (in business, and otherwise):- Best Friend

on being too open

Published on 2011-06-10 05:00:00

One thing I'm still working on as a business person is to keep my cards a little closer to my chest. I find it difficult as a very passionate person to keep my self from telling everyone about all the things I'm excited about. Now of course in every

feeling lucky

Published on 2011-06-09 05:00:00

For my entire life, I have had an overwhelming sense that I am a lucky person. Things just seem to work out for me - I have always been able to walk down the street see other people and not for a moment wish that I was them in any way - wouldn't tra

two metaphors for awareness

Published on 2011-06-08 05:00:00

Was talking to my dad about rediscovering self-awareness when things like fear, stress, anger, etc. threaten to rock the boat. Typically, the way back to equanimity and peace is through awareness - to recognize that your fears are not real, that you

a TED talk on vulnerability

Published on 2011-06-07 22:32:00

Really enjoyed this:

bob hicok - calling him back from layoff

Published on 2011-06-05 21:24:00

Calling Him Back from LayoffI called a man today. After he saidhello and I said hello came a pauseduring which it would have been confusing to say hello again so I saidhow are you doing and guess what, he saidfine and wondered aloud how I was and it

rita dove - american smooth

Published on 2011-05-31 07:06:00

American Smooth We were dancing—it must havebeen a foxtrot or a waltz,something romantic butrequiring restraint,rise and fall, preciseexecution as we movedinto the next song withoutstopping, two chests heavingabove a seven-leaguestride—such perfe

joe mills - how you know

Published on 2011-05-22 09:04:00

How You KnowHow do you know if it’s love? she asks,and I think if you have to ask, it’s not,but I know this won’t help. I want to sayyou’re too young to worry about it,as if she has questions about Medicareor social security, but this won’t

career classes for high schoolers

Published on 2011-05-20 19:00:00

Doesn't it make sense to teach basic careers skills to high school students?Amongst the myriad practical skills that I hope to one day fit into a high school curriculum, career skills are amongst the highest. Some basics that no one should graduate

regarding osama

Published on 2011-05-03 20:20:00

I've come across two quotes since I heard about Osama's death."I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure."- Mark Twain""I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of on

nyu biz plan competition winners

Published on 2011-05-02 17:25:00

On Friday, Katie and I pitched CourseHorse in the finals of the NYU Business Plan Competition, and won.For those who aren't familiar, the NYU Business Plan competition is hosted every year for those affiliated with NYU (current students, grad/undergr

coursehorse launches.

Published on 2011-04-21 18:56:00

CourseHorse has launched.CourseHorse helps you find local classes. For the first time ever, there is an easy way for people to access real, local education after they’ve left school. CourseHorse is for everyone that discovered how much they loved

a glimpse of purpose amongst the chaos

Published on 2011-04-21 18:55:00

(semi-warning: this is a long, life defining post)If you look hard enough, you can begin to glimpse the divine order of things. Upon reviewing your past, you can identify the turning points, ever so slight, upon which your present condition has hing

eugenio montale - salt

Published on 2011-04-12 13:26:00

Salt We don't know if tomorrow has green pasturesin mind for us to lie down in besidethe ever-youthful patter of fresh wateror if it means to plant us in some aridoutback ugly valley of the shadowwhere dayspring's lost for good, interred beneath

dylan thomas - do not go gentle into that good night

Published on 2011-04-03 12:41:00

Do Not Go Gentle into That Good NightDo not go gentle into that good night,Old age should burn and rave at close of day;Rage, rage against the dying of the light.Though wise men at their end know dark is right,Because their words had forked no lightn

jackie kay - holy island

Published on 2011-03-27 18:28:00

Holy IslandAll winter I was waitingfor something to giveand today I felt it,a small crack,the sun on the sandy dunesby the Causeway,the feel of the landso close to the sea.Nick and me and the dogstriding alongby the old Benedictine monasterytill we w

regarding experience

Published on 2011-03-25 15:51:00

Looking back, I've written quite a few posts, about how you don't need experience.As with most of my blog posts, I was wrong. In the several months I've spent working on CourseHorse I've already encountered 100's of things that I would do differentl

robert creely - the rain

Published on 2011-03-20 23:08:00

The RainAll night the sound had come back again,and again fallsthis quiet, persistent rain.What am I to myselfthat must be remembered, insisted uponso often? Is itthat never the ease, even the hardness, of rain fallingwill have for mesomethin

more 'fake' local classes

Published on 2011-03-20 14:22:00

Here's another painful part of the class search process, in an addendum to my last post.One thing that many people don't realize is that there's quite a bit of operational risk involved in announcing that you're hosting a class - you've got to lock

'fake' local classes

Published on 2011-03-20 13:51:00

I spend a lot of my time searching for and researching schools in New York City, to find great ones that we'd like to approach about including their classes on CourseHorse. It's a great exercise for many reasons, but two stand benefits out in parti

just 10 minutes

Published on 2011-03-15 21:12:00

I've started to take steps towards meditation, and wanted to share my results.I wouldn't say that I'm meditating fully yet, but here's what I've got going:- Nearly every night, for at least 10 minutes, I sit alone, in my room with the lights on, exam

cesare pavese - and then we cowards

Published on 2011-03-12 23:23:00

“And then we cowards”And then we cowardswho loved the whisperingevening, the houses,the paths by the river,the dirty red lightsof those places, the sweetsoundless sorrow—we reached our hands outtoward the living chainin silence, but our heartst

finding flight

Published on 2011-03-07 02:19:00

Finding FlightThis plane has never crashed is my only uncertain thoughtbefore settling back in stiff cushion comfortas the craft that bears my family prepares to roar,and with nothing more than a tilt into air, fly,plunging into unsuspecting clouds t

when to shut up

Published on 2011-02-27 15:57:00

One thing I'm still struggling with (so much so that I suspect I've already posted on this...perhaps a few times...sorry) is keeping silent when getting good feedback.So much of me wants to explain myself, explain why we made certain decisions - but

great left brained-right brained ad

Published on 2011-02-26 10:05:00

Not really a great ad - just a great drawing.Credit to Ali

unbelievable video game trailer

Published on 2011-02-26 09:32:00

beautiful storytelling/editing - who cares how good the game is when this kind of beautiful work exists in the world?PC Games - E3 2011 - Dead Island

LLC vs S-Corp

Published on 2011-02-25 15:16:00

In recent weeks, we've had a lot of questions about why we chose to be an S-Corporation rather than an LLC, and consequently many other making the same decision are looking for advice. I thought I'd try to write down what I've learned in an effort t

rumi - selected verses

Published on 2011-02-20 09:20:00

Some Rumi PoetryToday, like every other day, we wake up emptyand frightened. Don’t open the door to the studyand begin reading. Take down a music instrument.Let the beauty we love be what we do.There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the gro

billy collins - nightclub

Published on 2011-02-14 01:33:00

NightclubYou are so beautiful and I am a foolto be in love with youis a theme that keeps coming upin songs and poems.There seems to be no room for variation.I have never heard anyone singI am so beautifuland you are a fool to be in love with me,even

don paterson - poetry

Published on 2011-02-07 09:36:00

PoetryIn the same way that the mindless diamond keepsone spark of the planet's early firestrapped forever in its net of ice,it's not love's later heat that poetry holds,but the atom of the love that drew it forthfrom the silence: so if the bright coa

treating doctors like teachers

Published on 2011-02-05 14:31:00

This sums up 'the other side' to the popular education reform on holding teachers to quantifiable, higher standards.What if we treated doctors like teachers? A better question - what if we recruited, trained and paid teachers like we pay doctors?My w

salman khan on the future of education

Published on 2011-01-30 17:28:00

Salmah Khan's (Khan Academy) thoughts on the future of education:The benefits and power of self-paced online learning are undeniable when applied correctly, and Khan is on the forefront of this movement. He highlights two points that I think are wor

simon armitage - i am very bothered

Published on 2011-01-30 05:54:00

I am very botheredI am very bothered when I thinkof the bad things I have done in my life.Not least that time in the chemistry labwhen I held a pair of scissors by the bladesand played the handlesin the naked lilac flame of the Bunsen burner;then cal

10 epiphanies on optimal living

Published on 2011-01-24 23:35:00

I don't agree with it 100, but I respect the hell out of it - http://www.sensophy.com/10-epiphanies-optimal-living-101-part-1/

pablo neruda - amo las cosas loca, locamente

Published on 2011-01-23 12:13:00

I've been neglecting Neruda - this poem is long, but easy and teeming.Amo las cosas loca, locamenteI have a crazy,crazy love of things.I like pliers,and scissors.I lovecups,rings,and bowls –not to speak, of course,of hats.I love all things,not just

two kinds of freedoms

Published on 2011-01-19 22:21:00

There are two polar opposite types of Freedom that I've been thinking about lately.Incidentally, I believe that freedom is what every human ultimately seeks most, though of course I mean a very specific type of freedom.The two that I wanted to discus

raymond carver - locking yourself out, then trying to get back in

Published on 2011-01-18 01:13:00

Locking Yourself Out, Then Trying to Get Back InYou simply go out and shut the doorwithout thinking. And when you look backat what you’ve doneit’s too late. If this soundslike the story of life, okay.It was raining. The neighbors who hada key wer

voice the passion you have

Published on 2011-01-13 22:08:00

One thing I've noticed about myself when I talk about CourseHorse is my tendency to focus so much on explaining what it is and how it's going that I forget to convey just how enthusiastic I am about everything we're doing!When you're focused on not t

the chipotle test

Published on 2011-01-13 21:55:00

I first walked into an NYC Chipotle about 6 years ago - the one on 8th street and Mercer.I loved it immediately - the assembly line process, fewer ingredients leading to better inventory control, its occupation of the "healthy fast food" and "mexican

the first notes

Published on 2011-01-11 22:06:00

What's the first set of notes you take in a meeting full of new people?Why not draw the conference table and write down everyone's name?Every day, I'm getting better at remembering names, and few things are more visibly appreciated then when you reme

city / human thought experiment

Published on 2011-01-10 21:58:00

Here's an interesting thought experiment / metaphor, brought up by a friend over coffee the other day.Imagine how a city is like a human being - what if every human in the city were like a cell in the human body? Just as in the human body, you'd hav

ilse bendorf - catch a body

Published on 2011-01-09 17:41:00

Catch a BodySalinger, I’m sorry, but “Don’t ever tell anybody anything” is a string of words I would like to wrap up in canvas and sink to the bottom of the Hudson, or extract by laser from the ribcage of all of us who ever believed it, who f

don patterson - the wreck

Published on 2011-01-02 12:57:00

The WreckBut what lovers we were, what lover,Even when it was all over -the deadweight bull-black wines we swungtowards each other rang and ranglike bells of blood, our own great hearts.We slung the drunk boat out of portand watched our unreal sober