What I'm up to - January 2025

Here's my monthly newsletter about what I'm up to, which I send in place of social media.

What I did in December

I'm amid some big life changes. I'm joining an AI startup in San Francisco, and moving out of NYC. I wrote more here: Lost and found.
Visited Prodigal Coffee's roastery in Colorado, which was fun. I've been mail-ordering their beans and it was fun to get a behind-the-scenes peek.
Spent some time in Boulder and loved the Portal pop-up sauna. I wish there were more social saunas in the USA, especially in San Francisco.
Made the decision to move out of New York City, and had vacated it within two weeks.

Articles: Paklan is my favorite new newsletter. MAMICs: the Middle Aged Man Into Coffee. The year I learned to stop hating the robotaxis - Waymos are magical. "[Waymo insurance data shows] 86% reduction in property damage claims and 90% in bodily injury claims" - similar to properties, I expect insurance costs to drive the adoption of self-driving cars. The science of love had some actionable advice. The changes in vibes — why did they happen? was prescient and explains a lot of shifts in US politics. Norwegian Fishermen Hunting for Halibut Caught a US Nuclear Sub. Taxing unrealized gains has caused an entrepreneurial exodus in Norway.
Resources: San Francisco Night Java - a map of late-night cafes.
Books: I've been enjoying Staff Engineer: Leadership Beyond the Management Track, re-reading Slow Productivity, and The Finnish Way.
Podcasts: Peter Thiel with Rick Rubin was an unexpected pairing with a great discussion.