A Storytelling Coach More details here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravishankar-iyer/
Welcome to the 87th edition of 'Story Rules on Saturday'.
This week's flagship article is a brilliant email by the peerless Matt Levine on the Ethereum Merge.
βa. Ethereum is Merging by Matt Levineβ
(Note: The article is paywalled - you can, however, get it for free by subscribing to the newsletter. If you cannot access it online, you can read a PDF copy of the email here - all rights belong to Matt!)
One piece of news is dominating the world of crypto - the "Ethereum Merge".
I do not even want to try to explain what that means because: (1) I have no clue and (2) We have Matt Levine for precisely that reason.
Let's begin with the rationale and operating model for cryptocurrency itself. In a recent edition of his newsletter, Matt crafted perhaps the simplest explanation I've read about blockchain/bitcoin. Read these four opening paras:
I loved that part about solving "meaningless math problems"... (although the word meaningless is redundant ;p).
Matt then continues with highlighting the biggest issue with mining - its energy-intensive nature:
The solution? Move from a "proof of work" to a "proof of stake" model:
He then parses it a bit further and comes to the realisation that this is like nothing but... interest on a savings account:
Read his entire piece to get the detailed yet nuanced perspective. In my book, there are no other writers who can make high-finance so simple yet entertaining to read.
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βb. 6 Mental Models for Solving Problems by Ali Abdaalβ
In this short but insightful post from his newsletter, prominent YouTuber and course creator Ali Abdaal gives us a good selection of questions to ask when we are stuck at something.
The 6 questions:
π― 1. What Core Value Are You Optimising For?
π 2. What Would Your Mental Board of Advisors Say?
π 3. What Are Your Underlying Assumptions?
π 4. Can You Adjust the Friction?
π¦Ύ 5. Are You Applying Leverage?
π§ͺ 6. Are You Giving Yourself Permission to Experiment?
I especially liked the one about assumptions - often when we seem to be stuck on a decision, we have underlying assumptions that we don't question. For e.g.
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βa. Interview with Kabeer Biswas (CEO, Dunzo) on First Principles by The Kenβ
CEO interviews on podcasts - especially candid ones - are rare in India. Which is why this new podcast hosted by Rohin Dharmakumar (cofounder of The Ken) looks really promising.
I heard their first episode with Kabeer Biswas of Dunzo. It has some eye-opening revelations:
- Kabeer personally has done around 10,000 tasks!
- While most hyperlocal delivery companies focus on speed (10 min delivery!), Dunzo realised that in India speed is not the most important factor for customers. Price and selection are also key. So instead of 'quick commerce', Kabeer calls it 'Quick enough' commerce!
- Speaking about reviews and metrics, Kabeer made an interesting point: At Dunzo, conversations are not about running through a whole bunch of metrics... They spend a lot of time on understanding which metrics are really important. They try and reduce the number of things to be tracked and focus on what they call as P0 (Priority 0) metrics.
- At Dunzo, Kabeer is known for one phrase - "Mota Mota" (roughly). Getting perfect answers is not always important!
- Kabeer is big on reading and came to a realisation some time back: He was not buying all the books he wanted, because he was worried that he was not getting time to read them. So he disconnected the act of buying books from reading them. Now he buys a lot of books irrespective of whether he would manage to read them or not. He revealed that he manages to read only one in 10 of the books he buys!
The podcast is a fascinating portrait of an India-first product company and a young homegrown leader.
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This thread live-tweeted from a restaurant (most likely in Mumbai) features some great storytelling. Vivid, funny and entertaining!
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Btw, I've been to a few "uncle bars" in Mumbai myself. Suyog in Wadala recommended by (who else) my uncle is a favourite haunt for us. I find these restaurants fabulous - chilled beer, free chakna (snacks), super quick service, no loud music (which enables great conversations) and reliable, no-nonsense food.
Gratitude can be powerful.
A great collection of non-fiction book recommendations for the history of key industries.
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βWhereas most technologies tend to automate workers on the periphery doing menial tasks, blockchains automate away the center. Instead of putting the taxi driver out of a job, blockchain puts Uber out of a job and lets the taxi drivers work with the customer directly.β
- Vitalik Buterin, founder Ethereum
I had two days of training scheduled in Bangalore last week (and two in Hyderabad with the same company). It got postponed because of the threat of rains in Bangalore.
I've grown up in Mumbai and suffice to say that I have seen my fair share of heavy rains. If they started shutting Mumbai down for such episodes, the city would never work during the monsoons.
There is something off with Bangalore. For a city with so much resources to struggle so badly with basic civic services is an epic, tragic fail.
At least this illuminating video by Shekhar Gupta gave me some sense of the political realities that underpin this shoddy situation.
For the sake its residents (some of the nicest people) and for the sake of India's reputation, I hope that better sense prevails and we see some improvement in the future.
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That's it folks: my recommended reads, listens and views for the week.
βTake care and stay safe.
Ravi
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A Storytelling Coach More details here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravishankar-iyer/
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