1: “We had lost our bearings. We were wandering in the valley of death,” Andy Grove writes in his book Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company.
The year was 1984, a pivotal moment for Intel.
The company had been founded 16 years earlier. “Every start-up has some kind of a core idea,” Andy notes.
“Ours was simple. Semiconductor technology had … continue reading
1: It was the summer of 1985.
One of Silicon Valley’s most legendary meetings was about to happen.
“I was in my office with Intel’s chairman and CEO, Gordon Moore, and we were discussing our quandary,” Andy Grove writes in his book Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company.
“Our mood was downbeat,” Andy recalls.
“I looked out the window at … continue reading
1: In her book Imaginable, New York Times bestselling author Jane McGonigal takes her readers through what she calls “futures thinking” that “inspires us to take actions today that set us up for future happiness and success.”
The guided exercise has us imagine our future self in great detail.
Imagine that it is our 80th birthday…
“What are we wearing? Where are we? What’s around us? Who is around … continue reading
In honor of Presidents’ Day next week, I’m sharing several posts this week on Abraham Lincoln, one of my favorite leaders of all time.
1: “In the early days of the American Civil War,” Ryan Holiday writes in his terrific book Stillness is the Key, “there were a hundred competing plans for how to secure victory and whom to appoint to do it.
“From every general and for every … continue reading
1: One summer night in Milwaukee, the San Francisco Giants lost to the Brewers in a brutal late-inning collapse.
Bruce Bochy, the team’s manager, found himself sitting alone in his office, brooding over the loss.
Still restless, he decided to walk back to the team’s hotel.
“It was maybe four miles, and it was late, and the Brewers’ stadium is not exactly pedestrian-friendly,” Rustin Dodd writes in his post … continue reading
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.
Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share a fresh perspective on living.
This week, we’ve been exploring some of Sahil Bloom‘s ideas on Mental Wealth from his book The 5 Types of Wealth. Today, we share a selection of “Mental Wealth Hacks I Wish I Knew … continue reading
1: Eleanor Brown took out her journals and sighed.
“There were some good times,” she said, “but mostly these journals are filled with over fifty years of dreams that never came true.”
She confided this to Diane Button, her end-of-life doula.
Eleanor was seventy-two years old. She had been journaling since she was 21.
She flipped through the pages, reading entries aloud, as Diane recalls in her powerful book … continue reading
1: It was a broiling hot day.
Future entrepreneur and venture capitalist Ben Horowitz was early in his career. He was married with three young children.
One day, his father came to visit.
“We could not afford air-conditioning, and all three children were crying as my father and I sat there sweating in the 105-degree heat,” Ben writes in The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There … continue reading
1: Ben Horowitz had been set up on a blind date by his friend and high school football teammate Claude Shaw.
It was the summer of 1986, and Ben had just finished his sophomore year of college at Columbia University and was living in Los Angeles with his father.
This would be a double date, and Ben and Claude decided to prepare an elaborate dinner for Claude’s girlfriend, Jackie Williams, … continue reading
1: Researchers at Harvard and MIT analyzed the moods and behaviors of 28,000 smartphone users.
What did they learn?
“When people felt down,” Rachel Barr writes in How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend, “they tended to seek out activities that promised instant gratification, like watching TV or drinking wine.”
When the participants were in a good mood, however, “they leaned toward more productive activities,” Rachel notes, “that … continue reading
