Incite Your Month: October 2021
At CTQ, we kick each month off with a 5 min collection of ideas & recos from the team’s recent curiosity diet. It helps us ‘incite’ the rest of the month. Here’s this month’s edition.
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One insightful book
“Genius: The life and science of Richard Feynman” by James Gleick
What: A detailed, chronological exploration of the life of a Nobel-winning scientist, original thinker, and lifelong learner.
One takeaway: Feynman was famous for being irreverent, especially towards authority. His father taught him to value curiosity and be suspicious of outward appearances and jargon.
Check it out if:… you are a fan of Feynman and physics, or just want to know how to manage original thinkers.
One intriguing article
“How to do Hybrid Right” by Lynda Gratton
What: Lynda Gratton writes about how hybrid work arrangements should start with individual human concerns and not just institutional ones.
One takeaway: While designing the hybrid model, approach the problem from four different perspectives: (1) jobs and tasks; (2) employee preferences; (3) projects and workflows; and (4) inclusion and fairness.
Check it out if:... you are interested in the future of work and designing hybrid models of work!
One incisive Book Summary
“Subtract” by Leidy Klotz
What: Addition and acquisition is our default instinct. This tells us why ‘subtraction’ and elimination can be a force for change.
One takeaway: When solving problems, we usually fail to consider the option of ‘taking away’. Because it’s not intuitive, add it to your problem-solving checklist.
Check it out if:... you like to learn about human behaviour and how it has been shaped by centuries of evolution..
One inspiring smartcast
How should founders think about building a culture for future relevance, with Ria Shroff Desai
What: Ria Shroff Desai heads People and Culture at Blume VC. We spoke to Ria about how founders should think of codifying their culture and how they should think about their people strategy.
One takeaway: Second and third-time entrepreneurs know the importance of culture debt and don't want to pay the high interest. So they think about the kind of organization they want to build right from the start.
Check it out if: ...you are curious about culture and people strategy in startups!
One interesting podcast
Axolotl - The Model Organism
What: Roman Mars covers about blindspots in the 99% invisible show. Stuff that we usually don't see and what a designer sees. This episode is about Axolotl, a kind of salamander that is seen in many labs all over the world and has always fascinated scientists with its regenerative properties.
One takeaway: While it's ever-present in labs all over the world, it's available only in Mexico City in the wild and is endangered!
Check it out if: ...you like biomedical innovation and conservation.
One Habit Tip from CTQ
What
A reading tip from economist Tyler Cowen: "My philosophy of reading is that no one reads quickly. So someone once asked me, “How long did it take you to read that book?” And I said, “Fifty-seven years.” I’m fifty-seven years old.
So the way you read well is just by reading a lot, and by reading a lot your whole life. And then when you go to read actual books you’re like “I know that I know that, I know that,” and you keep on going, and you read much more quickly. And that’s really the way to read a lot. There are these compounding returns to being obsessed with reading, and starting young, and never stopping."
Closing with an inciting ‘FutureRing’ question
“What is one Time Thief that is holding you back?"
[We also have a video version of these recommendations here.]