I’ve been quite busy of late in my new role as CTO of Buyside. I’ve loved the challenge of leading development teams and scaling out a rapidly-growing business. However, between those demands and the birth of my third son Jack, I’ve found it difficult to make time for myself. I had previously been an avid reader and movie-watcher, but both of those activities have taken a back seat to more pressing priorities, like hanging out with these guys.
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Lately though, Jack is sleeping better so I’ve been making more of an effort to read. And the common thread in all of the things I’ve read lately is the importance of independent thinking. To name a few things I’ve read recently (all of which I’d HIGHLY recommend):
- How to Pick a Career (That Actually Fits You) by Tim Urban
- Principles for Success by Ray Dalio
- Charlie Munger by Tren Griffin
I know historically, independent thinking isn’t something I’m great at. Growing up I was always great at math. Tell me the rules, I can apply them as logically as any computer, and I’ll get you an answer. That’s probably why I’ve been drawn to computer science too. And there’s an inherent beauty to the order of simple logical processes. But while I’ve gotten far on my logical abilities, I feel like some of the time I’m too much like Emmet from The LEGO Movie, simply following instructions without thinking outside the box:
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This is why I admire writers like Christopher Hitchens and Nicholas Nassim Taleb. They spent a lot of time thinking independently, and have the intellectual courage to formulate and defend their ideas in a public way.
So I’ve been brainstorming a bit on how I can start to flex that independent thinking muscle and I think one good idea is to create a monthly newsletter. Similar to smart folks like Shane Parrish and Patrick O’Shaugnessy, I will be trying to come up with some interesting content on a monthly basis. So if you’re interested, sign up here.