"If you have something interesting to say, send an e-mail. Otherwise don't send anything. It's really that simple." — Ben Chestnut of @Mailchimp.
I feel like we need to be reminded of that sometimes. Sending emails is at the absolute foundation of what my company does, ultimately, what are clients do and likely what you do too. So much more can often be said with less (emails). Especially after some reflection, which is what this newsletter is all about to me.
So thank you for taking the time to soak in the big ideas I do my best to boil down each week!
Cycling
Argonaut / Chris King Precision Components / T47 Standard on Vimeo
For the non-cyclist readers, many top-end frames use a press fit bottom bracket despite threaded bottom brackets being easier to install and more reliable. They do limit the choice of cranks and the pursuit of increased frame stiffness. Props to Argonaut & Chris King for thinking outside of the box & inside the BB shell ; ) One thing I love about cycling is how passionate people can get about the small things, any story about this product has a massive list of comments. Amazing.
Utrecht: busiest Dutch cycle lanes, Amsterdam: the slowest cyclists.
Remember when Strava said the fastest cyclists are Amsterdam? Well apparently, the provinces of Drenthe and Overijssel are even faster ; )
Multimodal cycling is so hot right now
The coolest thing in road cycling right, contrary the the hype around the fancy BB above, now isn't spending 10 grand on a carbon-fiber racing bike but rather picking a destination to ride to — someplace far — pedaling there, and then taking the train home.
Startups
Ben Chestnut | Do What You Love | CreativeMornings/ATL
Mailchimp Founder Ben Chestnut speaks on one of the most poignant topics of all time, quitting your job to do what you love. This talk is gold. I started at Highgroove Studios right after Ben did this talk & my new boss, CBQ, suggested I watch it. Wild that it has nearly been 3 year. This timeless talk worth 42mins. Watch it now : )
Why Organizations Don’t Learn
Our traditional obsessions—success, taking action, fitting in, and relying on experts—undermine continuous improvement. After you watch Ben's talk from 2011 above, read this HBR article from 2015. Pretty wild that the 'Bias Towards Action' mantra from Highgroove is underscored here. TL;DR from the talk & this article? Don't think like a manager. ; )
5 Tips for American Entrepreneurs & Investors in Amsterdam
Some clichés but the the 2nd tip, the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty did make staying in Amsterdam as an entrepreneur possible for me. #4, "Consumer is king in America, but B2B, Service & Industry are king in Europe" especially rang true for me too. What do you think?
Sales
What an obscure Danish philosopher can teach modern workplaces
Unless you’re Danish, you have probably never heard of K.E. Løgstrup. The idea that your attitude towards other human beings is affected by time pressure, economic pressure, performance pressure etc is irrefutable. So remember in your next interaction at work that theories and views are far less likely to influence someone's perspective than your simply your attitude.
SalesTips.io Noº1 shipped!
Each week, we’ll share two highlights from the salestips.io blog, three posts from around the web and handpicked tools to try.
Fostering Modern Culture in the Cloud at Salesloft
Growing from 5 employees to over 70 in just 18 months may not be feasible for every team or even a goal. But tenants like practicing transparency and vulnerability & creating a culture of education are things that every organization would be wise to adopt.
Here's to practicing reflection before responding this week!
