hey, where's the rush?
I know, I've been known to shout the following in sand sections of cyclocross races, muddy sections of gravel rides and on loose rocky climbs:
"If you slow down, you go down!"
But, I'm learning, if you don't slow down, you'll also go down.
Rest is best, after all.
This week, I read about how efficiency is actually dangerous and how slowing down makes life better. (Surprised?) Well, I'm sure we're all keen to get back into the swing of things after going on six months of stay at home stuff but hear me out.
‘Slow down, you move too fast …’ – ‘The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)’ (1966) by Paul Simon
Barry Schwartz wrote this article for psyche.co and here are my top outtakes for you to end your week with:
1. Some motivation produces excellent performance; too much motivation produces choking. Some group collaboration produces cohesion and enhances productivity; too much of it leads to staleness. Some empathy enables you to understand what another person is going through; too much could prevent you from saying and doing hard things.
2. What should we do in the face of this radical uncertainty? When making decisions, instead of asking ourselves which option will give us the best results, we should be asking which option will give us good-enough results under the widest range of future states of the world.
3. A little something to slow us down in the uncertain world we inhabit could be a life-saver. Building friction into our lives, as individuals and as a society, is building resilience into the system. It could be our insurance policy against catastrophe.
Another adage I repeat to my kids is 'take your time & do it right'.
There has never been a better time to look before you leap and while you wanna keep appearances and look PRO, heed Schwartz's advice and decide to go slow.
As always, thank you for reading! I hope you have a low velocity weekend ahead,
Jon
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Header image of yours truly is from 2020’s Bohemian Border Bash in Saxon Switzerland by Erwin Sikkens.
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Cycling
Brooks LAB, Films and Range
We recently got back to work my favourite saddle brand of all time, Brooks England. Of course, Brooks has been about more than saddles since eons already but our most recent project was not only about the launch of their LAB range but these inspiring films they've created with Nowness.
The partnership with Nowness brings "a creative approach to boundless journeys" by exploring cycling through captivating narrative storytelling that is new to Brooks.
The emotionally charged conceptual short film above, Rite of Passage, is by IGGY LDN about two brothers who escape the heart of London, and their fractious relationship, to discover new possibilities in the outdoors and themselves, through the act of cycling together out of town
Prior to the launch, Brooks also released a short film by NYC based director Sandra Winther entitled The Ties That Bind about a Copenhagen family desperate to be reunited that explores how the cycling experience can transform your relationship with nature and the people around you.
Looking back to the Atlas Mountain Race
I had a chance to ride a bit with Andrea in Morocco. She had a number of issues along the way and kept carrying on and doing so super strong!
Read some words with her now half a year after the race.
Zwift raises a further US$450 million, now likely valued at over US$1 billion
Zwift's Series C investment is pretty mega! Grateful for getting my start with Zwift projects all the way back to London in December 2014! Congrats to Eric & the team!
Creativity
How Can We Pay for Creativity in the Digital Age?
There’s still money to be made, but it’s mostly not the creators who are getting rich.
Spoiler alert: Art will always matter even as it loses value. Keep creating!
Welcome to Your Bland New World of Consumer Capitalism
Why do disruptive startups slavishly follow an identikit formula of business model, look and feel, and tone of voice? Because it works, sort of.
Blands are:
- affable — but not overbearing
- upbeat — but not unrealistic
- casual — but not careless
- pure — but not pious
- cheeky — but not annoying
- sincere — but not earnest
How to make your own luck and turn a mistake into the best thing ever
Seeing meaning in the unexpected can help turn mistakes into opportunities
haha, this may be the ethos I harness to sustain my endless optimism.
Startups
PR Book for Startups I The PR Paradox
Matias Rodsevich has been an active member of the Amsterdam start-up scene for several years, runnign PR-Lab for 2 and now has published his first book. I'm keen to read it!
Heads up: he's hiring too!
Ampler is hiring in Germany & Estonia!
- Head of Retail, based in Berlin, DE
- Web Content and Localisation Manager, based in Tallinn, EE or Berlin, DE
- Head of Quality Control, based in Jüri, EE
- Zweiradmechaniker Meister, based in Cologne, DE
- HR & Office Assistant (m/f/d), based in Berlin, DE
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We recently helped Ampler with a test event here in Amsterdam, check it out.
The tech battle for Belarus (and the world)
Belarus is living through the toughest period in its history. The people of Belarus are standing up for freedom, human rights and dignity. Since the Presidential election that took place on the 9th of August, hundreds of thousands of Belarusians went to the streets to peacefully protest against the results...
Another Belarus link this week.
Will a similar fate await The States? I think yes.
Radness
rEUnion: Social Bikepacking in the time of COVID-19
Unable to travel outside of their respective countries due to COVID-19 lockdown measures, Austrian Max Riese and Italian Bruno Ferraro charted a route connecting a historical gravel trail to meet and share a beer at a remote stretch of border deep in the Alps. Watch films following their journeys and read about the rEUnion project here. And via Max's above & Bruno's below : )