Finding focus, "Productive Phones" family planning, and NFT's are still the future.
Every week I’m in constant conversation with dozens of entrepreneurs seeking to answer the big questions about their business & lifestyle.
Every week I’m in constant conversation with dozens of entrepreneurs seeking to answer the big questions about their business & lifestyle. My intent with this letter is to curate what I believe has depth and real value beyond surface-level content; focusing on trends, opportunities, products, and services that will help you grow.
Cafe
Enjoy some other writing I’ve published…
When making difficult career decisions, explore the infinite potential upside, not just the scarcity of the downside. The net is a foot down, the ceiling is infinite.
Sleep is a reset button. Start your day with the right line of thinking and watch it compound. Success starts at sunrise.
Personal note: I’m signing a lease in East Austin!
We’ve found a 3-bedroom house in Austin off East Cesar Chavez. The move date is likely March first as I’m heading to India for 2 weeks in mid-February. There are so many people I want to hang with there! Super ready for the new spot to host others, and I’m very ready to be fully settled into a new city after 100+ travel days last year.
Lobby
Last time, I wrote about What Longevity Obsessive Bryan Johnson is Really Teaching Us. We learned that, ironically, longevity needs no devices, tracking, doctors, or workout plans when it comes to certain parts of the world. Also,
I got a bunch of emails back from people so I wanted to round up a few resources that were shared in response to that email. Here are some resources that founders shared (Thanks Nick, Luke, Chase for the recs)!
Here is a good tweet on how inconclusive longevity research is
Dr. Jeff Chen’s Longevity Guide (google doc)
Bellsant and Simplavida
This quote is doing rounds; “Accept the initial Agitation.”
I think about this often when it comes to getting work started and moving into a flow. If you feel resistance, it can be what you use to move forward, rather than what is blocking you from starting.
“There is a gate of entry. You have to wade through some sewage before you can swim in clear water. That's the way I always think about it."
I once told Andrew that I say to myself, "Accept the initial agitation," every time I sit down to read or write, and he said, "The agitation is indeed the doorway to the whole process."
Source: Billy Oppenheimer
I bought an iPhone 12 mini and turned it into a “productive phone.”
What would a phone look like with only my “productive” apps and what would a phone look like with all of my entertainment apps?
So I picked up a second phone line and now have two phones. One is my “play phone” and the other, an iPhone 12 mini, is my “productive” phone and has less than 8 apps on it. Leaving home for the first time with my “productive phone” for the first time was incredibly freeing. No texts. No calls. No ability to check anything pressing for my attention. Only 2 people have my number.
This clip from Tim Ferris hit the target on major themes I’ve been feeling; “Chasing the algorithm.”
The biggest takeaway is to slow down when you feel that emotional pull towards doing something everyone else is doing. The algorithm incentivizes clickbait and silly images. Is this the enduring work you want to create? Or a means to ego/dopamine?
There are also two awesome classic book recommendations in here:
Blue Ocean Strategy
80/20 Principle
I picked them up to listen to at the gym.
I am going to do some personal parent testing thanks to a recommendation.
recommended Meetfellow. I’m 33, and my wife and I have yet to move into our life phase where we’re planning to have kids, because of that, I think given the opportunity to ensure I’m as healthy as I feel, I decided to pay what I feel is a very good price of $150 for personal testing.NFT’s are still the future
Improvements to the technology will further increase a wide variety of new use cases and they will effectively become so ubiquitous we will stop thinking of them as NFT’s. New use cases mean new behaviors mean new cycles…
Here’s a fantastically clear and concise piece by
written on Mirror. Another great piece with some data fromHere are two books I am picking up to further my understanding here:
I am also digging this new concept for this web3 native DTC incubator, Slow Rodeo
Here’s how they describe themselves:
Our incubator. Where we build on-chain consumer brands designed to be accessible to both on- and off-chain audiences. All brands are built upon three core pillars already familiar to today's consumers: membership, participation, and ownership.
I bought this Jet Lag Kit for my upcoming India Trip.
I’ve also been looking into all types of weird ways to feel better while going through a pretty tough time-zone transition from LA to New Delhi. One example from Ben Greenfield here. This Flykitt uses fairly common supplements that you can buy yourself and comes with app recommendations on timing for both supplementation and caffeine or sleep. At this time I still prefer the time shifter app.
Rooftop
What products, services, or ideas have most improved your lifestyle as an entrepreneur? I’d love to hear and explore further, potentially sharing here to help it get more visibility. You can respond to this email or let me know in the comments!
As always lmk what you think or how else I can help,
xx David
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I’m David Sherry, founder of Death to Stock, and partner to 15+ Modern Founders & CEOs with a new vision for how we build companies. X, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin.
Love the phone recommendation. I have a tiny Palm PVG-100 similarly loaded with only a few critical apps. Right now I just tether it to my iPhone hotspot and keep the latter zipped deep in my bag, but considering a second SIM. Real freedom will be a flip phone and having to pull my laptop out for any real work. I need the higher barriers to prevent distraction. This is a great trend!