Friday's Too Good Not to Share: 6.9.23
Last week I finally hit that brick wall, commonly known as writer's block. I just couldn't get my words together as I've been cranking daily on my tome.
I'd start sentences, but couldn't finish them. Thoughts would come to me but then vanish in an instant. Doubt started to creep in. I'd find myself looking for distractions, longing to do anything other than the task at hand which was writing.
So how I did I overcome that wall? I didn't.
I just did other things until my mind had nothing left to focus on but the task at hand. Every chore – done. Every follow up email – sent. Every task I had been putting off until I had a moment – completed. Every time I felt tired – slept.
Some people will give you tips on how to power through these moments. I haven't been successful with that approach. What has worked for me is to ride the wave.
Sometimes I'll be incredibly productive and inspired and the creative force within me yearns to wash over everything I'm doing with its genius. Other times, I'm just stuck or fearful or lethargic about what needs to be done.
In those moments when I freeze on a task, I just try to focus on whatever it is that my body and mind allow me to do.
Writing wasn't where I was going to get movement so dishes were the next best thing and so on.
Once my mind couldn't focus on the other distractions, it just settled back into the important task. Works like a charm.
Mark Zuckerberg: Future of AI at Meta, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp | Lex Fridman Podcast #383
It's a good time to hear from Zuck. The world is changing all around him and he's no longer the wunderkind. He's a seasoned, 20-year vet that is on to his next major pivot, the Metaverse. He's also at the forefront of all that is happening with AI and he has had massive layoffs at his company. Not an easy year to say the least.
His approach to AI and mixed reality has always been through the lens of social. Using tech as a means to connect. It's in contrast to what Apple does. It thinks of technology as a means to create. They're at different ends of the spectrum but this is a situation where both may be right because they're (literally) inventing the future.
Watch his full sit down with Lex Friedman here [2 hrs 42 mins].
Introducing Apple Vision Pro
In the past year, I've been blown away three times by technology. First it was with ChatGPT, second was using Midjourney, and now it's the announcement of Apple's Vision Pro.
$3500 aside (yikes), this is a momentous product that will shift how we compute moving forward. They were careful to use the term "spatial computing" to reinforce what this product represents, a new computing platform.
Yes, there have been other attempts at this (Google glass anyone? Quest?) but none are going to be as consequential as this product.
Watch the full unveiling video here [10 mins].
P.S. Bonus reading - "Tim Cook on Shaping the Future of Apple" via GQ
I've noticed that I haven't been sharing many articles as of late. Podcasts are just easier to get to in my schedule.
To honor those who prefer the written word, here are a couple of good articles to dive into:
- Agents on the Brain - A look at AI agents from Sequoia Capital
- Paying Attention - How to decide what to pay attention to from Morgan Housel of Collab Fund
Leave today better than yesterday ✌️.
Music of the weekend: Enjoy Babyface's Tiny Desk concert
Bonus tracks: