Issue 8

We are closing January. One down out of twelve. I haven’t been able to focus on a topic and dive deep. The work has been challenging and my energy at the end of the day is low. An excuse, among many - but truthful nonetheless. I have been contemplating writing my own version of Rings of Power. Or rather the period after Morgoth was defeated, but before the One Ring was forged. I have a small arch in my head, but this isn’t quite enough to get things going. I am missing the part where the different streams finally collide. An on-going mental exercise - I haven’t put anything on the paper.

The layoffs from Microsoft and Google have been brutal. A total of 22 thousand people. This is only in the US. Who knows if and when other places will be hit? A good reminder that an employer, especially in these massive companies, is faceless. Saw people with 12 and 20 of house years being let go. Loyalty? What does that even mean? Both CEOs take “responsibility”. Empty words. Tomorrow is another day.

I am now reading Isaac Asimov’s Foundation. A classical written in 1955. It feels so fresh. Doesn’t feel dated one bit. When I was reading Dune many years ago, it was the opposite. But back then I hadn’t had the opportunity to read many sci-fi books, so my experience was limited. I should probably revisit it again.

This week I wrote a couple of articles that I was planning for a while. Mezzo-piano is one. I wanted to write about this topic, but I kept writing about something else. Finally the opportunity came. I don’t believe I expressed myself quite like what I have desired. An opportunity to edit it at a later point.Culture and Values was an article I had in my drafts for more than a year. The only reason I haven’t posted it before, was because I forgot about it. I have a small list of topics I want to write about, some of them with a single line, or two. Just enough to get me going. Growing pains is a good reflection of how things are going in my day to day - excitement and constant challenge. Trade offs is then a segue-way. The reason why people leave stable, comfortable jobs over startups. Finally my general advice for smaller companies about hiring. Hopefully someone else can learn a thing or two from my own mistakes.

Until next week.