Oversimplified: Volume 129
Digital nomad reflections, why life can't be simpler, and faster analytics
Hey there đ
Oversimplified is a digest of the best links I stumble upon each week, and any new posts from me. If this is your first issue, welcome! You can subscribe with the big blue button below:
âď¸ 6 Months Digital Nomading: A Review
Last August I dropped my lease and went all-in on the âdigital nomadâ lifestyle. Itâs been a little over 6 months since then. Howâs it been? Overall, itâs been energizing. Itâs also been challenging! More details in the post, but long story short Iâm settling down for the next year in New York. If youâre around, letâs grab coffee.
đ On Hustle Culture
This post from Erik Torenberg is a thought-provoking one. Personally, I see myself swinging back and forth between embracing and rejecting âhustle culture.â Iâm still searching for the right balance, but regardless itâs nice to see an argument for hustle thatâs actually well-thought-out.
đ Speed Changed Analytics
A lot of the observations in this post hit home for me and resonate with what weâre working on at Metabase. One interesting prediction: âThe last decade felt like the decade of the data scientist. The last few years felt a push towards analytics engineering. I imagine the next few years are going to be all about the decision scientist.â
đ Search Party
Why does Google still have that âIâm Feeling Luckyâ button? It doesnât get used all that often and actively steals advertising revenue from Google, but it persists. This is a really cool prompt for an essay and nice execution from Adam Willems.
đ Why Life Canât Be Simpler
âWeâd all like life to be simpler. But we also donât want to sacrifice our options and capabilities. Teslerâs law of the conservation of complexity, a rule from design, explains why we canât have both. Hereâs how the law can help us create better products and services by rethinking simplicity.â
đ Gmail UX Case Study
I enjoyed clicking through this slide show examining the Gmail setup flow. Even the behemoths make the mistake of overlooking aspects of the new user experience.
đ 30 Quotes Iâm Pondering and Revisiting
Thereâs a lot of wisdom in this collection of behavior- and thought-influencing quotes. One of my favorites: âThe secret to doing good research is always to be a little underemployed. You waste years by not being able to waste hours.â
Food for Thought
âLanguage can become a screen which stands between the thinker and reality. This is the reason why true creativity often starts where language ends.â â Arthur Koestler
Until next time
As always, if you're enjoying Oversimplified, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend or two. If anything stood out, whether good or bad, I would love to hear about it. Reply to this email or tweet at me and letâs chat.
Until next time,
Conor