A First, A Second, And Iterations

The Weekly Variable

Every week I’ll dive into a curated list of links from the latest tech to just interesting reads or podcasts, as well as updates on my entrepreneurial endeavors. Thanks for joining on this journey!

Topics for this week:

  • Relaunched with Webflow

  • The Second Kind of Luck

  • A Surprising First

  • More Robots

  • Entrepreneurial Goals

Relaunched with Webflow

Webflow is a very aesthetically pleasing website builder that I initially slept on. I first tried it a few months ago, and was mostly frustrated with having to learn a new interface to do things I already knew how to code. But as I started building a website from scratch, I was reminded how much time can be saved by using a platform that handles so many aspects for you. Webflow has a really clean interface and some impressive templates to start from which helps overcoming those initial creative hurdles of where to begin and what looks good.

Admittedly it’s not the most beginner friendly, you do need some understanding of front end web development, or a strong willingness to learn the concepts, but I would consider Webflow well worth the time investment. I updated my personal website with it in only a couple days and had a great experience once I got in the flow of using it. Check it out!

The Second Kind of Luck

This podcast may have been my tipping point in seriously considering a more non-traditional path, and lately I’ve really been starting to understand Naval’s explanation of the kinds of luck as I’ve been more active on social media and been talking to others about social media strategies.

Naval explains the second kind of luck is basically running around, doing a bunch of things, and luck finds you. You’re bound to find a connection somewhere if you’re stirring the pot and catching attention. Networking is probably what you would have called in the days before the internet. But that still remains a core concept of social media success today, doing things and connecting with people, among other equally important factors.

I can’t recommend the full podcast enough, even at 3 hours:

A Surprising First

Since I just recommended a 3 hour investment above, I’m not going to suggest another 2 hour dedication, but I do want to point out an interesting fact. Lex Fridman released his interview with Jeff Bezos yesterday, and it’s the first time Bezos has done a long form podcast appearance.

Maybe that’s no surprise since Bezos is one of the richest people in the world and doesn’t have time for 2 hour conversations, but at the same time, Elon Musk has appeared on Lex Fridman’s podcast 4 times now and Elon is one of the few that rivals Bezos in wealth and time constraint.

Ultimately I’m just really impressed with what Lex has built and how he’s built it. He’s a role model of dedication while trying to be a good person. In this instance, Lex did an excellent job as usual, but you can use the fun fact for now and bookmark the video for later.

More Robots

Speaking of Elon, yesterday Tesla released a video showcasing the Optimus - Gen 2 robot. It’s really crazy to think I referenced the previous model only a few weeks ago, and now there’s this very humanoid machine that looks like it could be your new coworker tomorrow. Truly mind-blowing.

Realistically we’re a little ways off from passing one of these on the street, but it’s not that far away. For now, there’s a video that’s less than 2 minutes:

Entrepreneurial Goals

It never fails to surprise me when I discover behind the scenes connections. The thumbnail on this video caught me off guard because I recognized everyone in the background and not the guy in front, so naturally I had to find out more. Also a great example of an effective thumbnail.

Hunter Hammonds is the interviewee and he’s on a mission to build 12 companies in 12 months, working with established creators, which all sounds amazing. He clearly has an incredible history to support such a feat, having sold 2 of his own companies already, but his insights during this podcast are fascinating.

12 companies in 12 months is a lofty goal for most but the underlying foundation of knowledge and experience required to accomplish even 2 successful business is something to aspire to. This also ties back to Naval’s podcast where he stresses quality iterations are key, which is something I’ve also written about before as well. Mastering a process or skill, such as building a business, takes practice and typically years for that kind of practice.

I won’t be aiming for 12 companies, but I’ll be looking to learn how Hunter executes and practice some of those ideas myself. For the more business minded, the 1.5 hour podcast with Brett and Hunter below:

And that’s it for this week! Websites and robots and business, what else could you ask for? Those are the links that stuck with me throughout the week and a glimpse in what I personally worked on.

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