Can we all admit that without YouTubers pointing out the “defects” in Tesla’s manufacturing, most of the issues would go unnoticed. None of us ever checked panel gaps or paint depth on our Fords, Hondas, or Toyotas.
Disclaimer: I own shares of $TSLA & $F commonstock.com/jmc
Malcom Gladwell recently slammed advocates of working from home on the Diary of a CEO podcast. Among his quotable lines were this one about pajamas:
“I know it’s a hassle to come into the office, but if you’re just sitting in your pajamas in your bedroom, is that the work life you want to live?”
And this great one about belonging to something:
“If we don’t feel like we’re part of something important, what’s the point? If it’s just a paycheck, then it’s like what have you reduced your life to?”
These questions are not only intellectually dishonest, but intentionally reductive.
Forgive the sarcasm, but I have to ask: did you know that you can get dressed for the day when working from home?
Seriously, it’s true. You not only can shower and get dressed without going into an office, most of us did and still do despite having the option not to. And on the days (or weeks) that we don’t, I’m sure we had a good reason to be working in our pajamas or from the bedroom. You know, like the depression and anxiety that comes from a global pandemic affecting life and loved ones.
And taking this one step further, what if someone decides they do their best work in sweats? Maybe that is the work life they want to live, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
And to the point of “belonging” or “feeling part of something important”: I’ve worked remotely for the last seven plus years for three different companies. I’ve been part of important teams and projects for all three, and have contributed at a high level to the success of the companies.
But aside from the fact you can feel that purpose and belonging while working remotely, is it such a bad thing to want your work life to be a means to earning a paycheck? Is it so terrible to derive your self-worth and your happiness from things outside of work? I haven’t “reduced my life to [a paycheck]”, I’ve chosen to maximize my life by minimizing the sacrifices my paycheck demands of me, namely in limiting my commute and maximizing my productivity by controlling my work environment.
So Mr. Gladwell – is it really about pajamas?
Years ago, my friend Dave introduced me to a different way to rate movies: a seven-point scale using whole numbers only (no half stars). He goes into detail breaking down exactly why he advocates for it on his blog.
I recently updated my personal site to use the seven-point scale for my movie ratings, and part of the challenge was mapping Letterboxd ratings to a representative number on the seven point scale. So I briefly wanted to note down how I reasoned about the mapping and what I settled on.
| 5-star | 7-star | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5-1 | 1 | Point for trying I guess? |
| 1.5 | 2 | Not great |
| 2-2.5 | 3 | A below average movie |
| 3-3.5 | 4 | Average |
| 4 | 5 | An above average movie |
| 4.5 | 6 | A great movie |
| 5 | 7 | A perfect movie |
I have found that I’m a little on the generous side when it comes to rating movies on a 5-star scale, so I wanted to lower the curve and have a bit more variation at the top of the scale. While 4/5 doesn’t say the same thing about a movie as 5/7, it feels right.
I’ve been drawing a lot of inspiration from Steve Jobs recently. One quote that’s been bouncing around my head quite a bit is this one from 1983:
“It’s better to be a pirate than to join the navy.”
I’m sure there were many meanings tucked away inside that simple phrase, but the story I’ve seen attributed to Andy Hertzfeld (who was at Apple in 1983) centers around resisting the bureaucratic nonsense that was increasing in the Mac group at Apple as they were growing. Don’t give up your scrappy, win-at-all-costs, counter-culture identity just to conform to “the system”.
Dutch is a 9-week old Goldendoodle, a frequent member of the “good dog” club, and lover of fetch. He’s named after our favorite coffee chain, Dutch Bros. Coffee1 and as a nod to Dutch Formula 1 driver (and defending world champion), Max Verstappen.
He’s the newest member of the family, and we love him so much!
Who’s a good boy?