How to Retain Top Talent
Before I worked in venture capital, I worked at a firm called Boston Consulting Group. It’s full of great talent (in particular, high-slope young professionals), interesting work, and luxurious perks. Yet top consulting firms still experience really high rates of churn. I’ve spent a good part of the past few years thinking about why that is. More specifically, how to avoid the pitfalls that lead to high churn. One simple framework is to view the costs and benefits undertaken / enjoyed within ...
How to Retain Top Talent
Before I worked in venture capital, I worked at a firm called Boston Consulting Group. It’s full of great talent (in particular, high-slope young professionals), interesting work, and luxurious perks. Yet top consulting firms still experience really high rates of churn. I’ve spent a good part of the past few years thinking about why that is. More specifically, how to avoid the pitfalls that lead to high churn. One simple framework is to view the costs and benefits undertaken / enjoyed within ...
Reading Two Books at Once
I recently wrote about the importance of writing down the non-obvious. The process of writing that essay prompted me to reflect on the things within my own life that feel non-obvious. One in particular that came to mind is how I read books: by reading two at once. I sometimes struggle to find the motivation to sit and read for an extended period of time. It can be challenging with all of the other things vying for attention – email, social media, tv, texting friends, etc. My solution? Read tw...
Reading Two Books at Once
I recently wrote about the importance of writing down the non-obvious. The process of writing that essay prompted me to reflect on the things within my own life that feel non-obvious. One in particular that came to mind is how I read books: by reading two at once. I sometimes struggle to find the motivation to sit and read for an extended period of time. It can be challenging with all of the other things vying for attention – email, social media, tv, texting friends, etc. My solution? Read tw...
Writing Down the Non-Obvious
Whenever you realize something non-obvious, you should write it down. Non-obvious insights tend to arise when people are either novices or experts. The characteristics and utility of these insights tend to differ based on which circumstance evokes the insight.NovicesWhen someone enters a new environment — a new city, a new job, etc — they tend to see their surroundings in a way that those accustomed to the environment do not. For those who are familiar with an environment, expectations and re...
Writing Down the Non-Obvious
Whenever you realize something non-obvious, you should write it down. Non-obvious insights tend to arise when people are either novices or experts. The characteristics and utility of these insights tend to differ based on which circumstance evokes the insight.NovicesWhen someone enters a new environment — a new city, a new job, etc — they tend to see their surroundings in a way that those accustomed to the environment do not. For those who are familiar with an environment, expectations and re...
App-Specific Rollups: A Trade-Off Between Connectivity and Control
Two years ago, app developers faced a fairly simple choice when determining where they wanted to deploy their application: Ethereum, Solana, Cosmos, or maybe a few additional layer-1 chains. Rollups weren’t yet operational, and few had ever heard the phrase “modular stack.” The differences between the L1s (throughput, fees, etc.) were stark and relatively easy to grasp. Today, the landscape looks quite different. App developers are faced with a much larger array of choices: L1s, general-purpo...
App-Specific Rollups: A Trade-Off Between Connectivity and Control
Two years ago, app developers faced a fairly simple choice when determining where they wanted to deploy their application: Ethereum, Solana, Cosmos, or maybe a few additional layer-1 chains. Rollups weren’t yet operational, and few had ever heard the phrase “modular stack.” The differences between the L1s (throughput, fees, etc.) were stark and relatively easy to grasp. Today, the landscape looks quite different. App developers are faced with a much larger array of choices: L1s, general-purpo...
A Wiki Page a Day
Recently, I started building a habit of reading at least one Wikipedia page a day. It’s been a great way to learn about many random things — from bodegas, to Visa, to Wimbledon, to Dunkin Donuts, to where the term “chair” comes from, and much much more. At first, it was a somewhat difficult habit to adopt. I’d ask myself “what should I wiki today?”, which felt forced and wasn’t the intent. But gradually it came more naturally. Walking down the street, I’d see something and wonder “can I wiki ...
A Wiki Page a Day
Recently, I started building a habit of reading at least one Wikipedia page a day. It’s been a great way to learn about many random things — from bodegas, to Visa, to Wimbledon, to Dunkin Donuts, to where the term “chair” comes from, and much much more. At first, it was a somewhat difficult habit to adopt. I’d ask myself “what should I wiki today?”, which felt forced and wasn’t the intent. But gradually it came more naturally. Walking down the street, I’d see something and wonder “can I wiki ...
