Monday Dispatch 2024/01/29

Link and recommendations. Plus, business update and what to expect next.

Welcome to Monday Dispatch, a bonus publication for premium subscribers with additional notes, deep dives, reading recommendations, and business updates.

Before getting started, a reminder to submit your questions for the premium subscribers’ AMA at the end of the month.

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Links and recommendations

The Deutsch Files II on Naval’s podcast. This is a continuation of the conversation I recommended a couple of weeks ago and the quality is equally high. This second installment delivers more food for thought on a variety of topics, including what problems really are, free-will, optimism and how to make the world better.

The Mundanity of Excellence, an interview with Daniel Chambliss on The Art of Manliness podcast. From 1983 to 1984, Chambliss studied elite swimmers looking for what made them excel. What he found does not make for a good headline, which is why we ought to pay attention to it. The ingredients for success are unremarkable, or, as he put it, mundane. The findings, which he discuss in detail in the podcast, are fascinating and align with my thinking on productivity. There is no secret. No silver bullet. Just a lot of consistent work, the right attitude, and placing yourself in a healthy environment. As an aside: Chambliss’ work has been relevant for forty years and continues to be relevant. That’s what you get when you tackle profound problems.

Business update and what to expect next