Hello my friends,

2022 feels like the longest year ever and we’re still in January.

In search of perspective, I revisited a podcast episode that is as relevant today as it was at the beginning of 2020.

The conversation, between Tim Ferris and Ryan Holiday, was recorded just as Covid began to reshape our lives, offices and the markets.

Ryan and Tim are two of the clearest thinkers of our time, here and in the video below they share how to use Stoicism to manage emotions and make decisions in uncertain times.

The heuristic that I found most useful from their discussion is the act of defining whether you’re realizing opportunity, “alive time”, or disposed to simply existing, “dead time”.

Ryan speaking to Author Robert Greene about leaving his full-time job at American Apparel1:

“Robert, I’m thinking about leaving to become a writer. What should I do?”

And he said,

“This year for you could be alive time or dead time. You could show up to work every day, cash your paycheck, sit at your desk, or you could learn as much as possible, you could meet as many people as possible.

You could, the day you leave your job, have all the research and preparation that you need done for your book, right?”

What time is it for you?

— Andy

Product

• LVMH taking a minority stake in Aime Leon Dore is a clever move that enables them to form a closer connection with consumers. Unlike Logan Roy, it appears that Bernard Arnault listens to his children.

• Sportswear is the new streetwear and Rapha is in a prime position to take advantage. Designer James Pawson explains how they combine performance with contemporary style.

• When everyone can design, what is the future of “the designer”. Tools like Canva and Figma are reconfiguring the role.

People

• Don’t underestimate the power of small teams. Following Amazon’s rule that no project team can be bigger than what two pizzas can feed.

• The great resignation has morphed into the great sabbatical. Increasingly, people are re-evaluating what is important.

• Are you motivated by obligation or opportunity? “It seems to me that groups of thoughtful people who are actively trying to help the world tend to move from an “obligation” mindset to an “opportunity” mindset over time.”

Methods

• If you want to motivate teams or inspire consumers, build a world for them. How to create purpose in the work.

• Tone and language are especially important when you don’t have facial expressions and body language to add context. Wes Kao provides a framework on how to speak accurately.

• Understanding the forces that affect your industry is key to defining your competitive advantage.

  Porter’s Five Forces of Competitive Pressure can help you do that by identifying:

  • Competitive Rivalry

  • Supplier Power

  • Buyer Power

  • Threat of Substitution

  • Threat of Entry

Out of Office

I truly believe Reddit has the answer to everything.

An ingenious workaround that someone used to change a name on an airline ticket.

If you find this newsletter useful please share it with your most curious friends & colleagues ↓

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