Happy Friday! 🎉
Weekend is right around the corner and the winter is coming, brrr... ❄️
I have to say the main topic of this update is quite grim. This is because I've read an incredible book about, you guessed it: ☠️ death.
...or life? Well, it's a bit complicated...
As I wrote the summary, it became the longest article that I've had on the LBS so far! If you go all the way through, it's a full crazy 26-minutes read! Find the link below:
My summary, review & thoughts: The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker
This time, I also thought to share with you some other fantastic articles that I've read in the past month across the internet. Today, they will cover pretty broad topics such as: angel investing, challenges that the DOJ (Department of Justice) is running into when suing Google and an article that will make you think about how would you want to measure your life.
Enjoy!
Best,
Santeri
New book note:
The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker: thoughts, summary, review.
Outtake:
"But nature has protected the lower animal by endowing them with instincts. An instinct is a programmed perception that calls into play a programmed reaction. It is very simple. Animals are not moved by what they cannot react to. They live in a tiny world, a sliver of reality, one neuro-chemical program that keeps them walking behind their nose and shuts out everything else.
But look at man, the impossible creature! Here nature seems to have thrown caution to the winds along with the programmed instincts. She created an animal who has no defense against full perception of the external world, an animal completely open to experience. Not only in front of his nose, in his umwelt, but in many other umwelten. He can relate not only to animals in his own species, but in some ways to all other species. He can contemplate not only what is edible for him, but everything that grows. He not only lives in this moment, but expands his inner self to yesterday, his curiosity to centuries ago, his fears to five billion years from now when the sun will cool, his hopes to an eternity from now. He lives not only on a tiny territory, nor even on an entire planet, but in a galaxy, in a universe, and in dimensions beyond visible universes.
It is appalling, the burden that man bears, the experiential burden..."
How will you measure your life? 🔭
💡 A truly profound article by Clayton Christensen in the HBR
Honestly, I think everyone should read this. As a Harvard professor, Clayton tells why he held to his principles and what he thinks is important to keep in mind for the students of HBS when they graduate and start their professional lives.
"On the last day of class, I ask my students to turn those theoretical lenses on themselves, to find cogent answers to three questions: First, how can I be sure that I’ll be happy in my career? Second, how can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse and my family become an enduring source of happiness? Third, how can I be sure I’ll stay out of jail? Though the last question sounds lighthearted, it’s not. Two of the 32 people in my Rhodes scholar class spent time in jail. Jeff Skilling of Enron fame was a classmate of mine at HBS. These were good guys—but something in their lives sent them off in the wrong direction..."
💰 The World of Investing
Have you ever wished to become an angel investor? 😇
I find this article to be very interesting and honest. Max Tucker lays out his story of why he thinks angel investing is not worth your time, explaining:
- Why he stopped active angel investing
- Why you should never start angel investing
- Who should be doing angel investing
- What you should do instead (and how to invest if you must angel invest)
Seems like being a venture capitalist or investor is not that easy after all! Well... Everything is relative.
The World of Law & Business ⚖️
💥 United States vs. Google
Antitrust investigations into large tech companies have been a hot topic lately, but now the Department of Justice actually "finally" sued Google.
Regulators have this time done something that hasn't been done for decades, and I think this article by Ben Thompson best explains what's in play and why it won't be an easy case to win for the government.
And in fact, many claim it is not in the best interest of US to break up their largest tech companies in the first place. Would this be a self-inflicted weakening in the face of increasing Chinese competition? What kind of regulations would be most suitable for these large tech behemoths? Lots of topics remain open...
The World of Engineering 🛠
🔋 What battery improvements did Tesla announce
After reading Musk's biography I decided to invest into Tesla back when analysts were extremely bearish and there was a crazy amount of short selling happening with the Tesla's stock. Well those times feel far behind now as Tesla announced yet another killer quarter and hosted its annual battery day.
But how do batteries work in the first place and what is Tesla doing here?
This article explains in fair detail what kind of efficiencies, savings and progress Tesla aims to achieve in the coming years with their battery technology, and it's a generally fascinating read into the tech that powers almost all of our devices.
"The level of thought and detail put into rethinking old processes from first principles to make them more efficient is inspiring. The Tesla team didn’t just look at one angle, but all the angles: cell design, manufacturing, vehicle integration, and materials. There is a clear “why” for every decision made that boils down to economics, not just technical gains."
End Note
If you found this new format interesting or want to send a comment, feel free to let me know by replying to this email.
Did you find an interesting article yourself? Let me know about that too! Maybe we can include it here next time.
In case you find this content interesting or useful, I'd be super thankful if you could share the LBS with one or two of your friends.
Best place to send them for updates like these in the future is right here.
Have a great weekend,
Santeri