Archived: LAP, Issue 001: Inaugural Issue
Hello there! ππ½
Welcome to the first issue of Letters from Across the Pond.
I started this newsletter as a way to share my thoughts, feels, discoveries, sounds and more β in a concise and comprehensive format, as I journey through and make a home for myself in Europe.
Next week I'll be traveling to MalmΓΆ, Sweden to give a talk at CONFRONT on what I've learned about exercising empathy and what diverse perspectives bring to the table when building products. I am super excited to meet some new faces, enjoy Swedish Fika and eat as many cardamom buns as possible. π
Without further ado, let's jump into my latest findings.
Reads
I recently discovered the The Patagonia Business Library while looking for books written by founders who care about people. The series includes: Let My People Go Surfing, The Responsible Company, and Tools for Grassroots Activists. Between these books, Patagonia shares its approaches to business while staying true to their values, the importance of putting people first and navigating activism as a business.
Tools
Bonsai is a suite of tools for freelancers β it covers all the bases, from proposals, contracts, time tracking, invoicing, to payments. They also offer tools to help you stay on track by analyzing your progress and goals.
Mindfulness
"You must go offline to view this page" is displayed on your screen β and in fact, you must disconnect from the internet in order to read Chris Bolin's open letter. They propose an interesting question, "What if certain content required us to disconnect?" A question that has been stuck on my mind since reading Bolin's prose.
Deutsch
Schnapsidee [ΛΚnaps|ideΛ] β an idea formed in a drunken state; an idea you may later regret; a strange or whimsical idea.
Literal translation: Brandy idea.
Sounds
This past week I've kept Taliwhoah's latest track Details in rotation β it's a nice mix of sultry R&B, punching drums with a reggae rhythm.
Also, I've been having fun exploring foreign rap from all over the world. π
Quote
You only got one life, eat good mangoes!
β Anil Dash