The Connection Newsletter 32 - Listen

The Connection Newsletter 32 - It just means JJ Abrams has more shows

November 05, 2018

Hello!

This is edition #32 of

The Connection

, the weekly email I send family, friends, and future friends (hello!) Glad you're here.

Last week I took my son on his first trip to NYC, before heading to Boston for a Reforge 2019 planning session. As always, great to see old friends (and meet new ones).

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Make sure to hit "Display Images" above to see puppy pics. 

First, this week’s article:

. We’re in the middle of our Reforge programs, so I’ve been thinking a lot about our customers' feedback. Hearing feedback is hard -- really hard.

I remember putting out my first online course -- it was about social skills -- and how sick I felt when early comments and emails started rolling in. Each one felt like an overhand right delivered to the chin. My stomach was in knots. I had to stop reading.

And that was just the positive comments.

It’s definitely gotten easier, but it’s never easy. So I wrote some suggestions on how to listen to your customers I’ve learned over the years.

.

Next, onto the articles this week:

…

. An inside look at how streaming services like Netflix have transformed the landscape for Hollywood artists. With the new business model (no viewership reporting made to the public, buying out residuals, and shorter seasons) writers, directors, and actors have to adapt to thrive.

“Yes, there are more buyers. But that just means that J.J. Abrams has more shows.”

…

. I’ve been wanting to read more about the history of the venture capital world, but was daunted at the amount of time it would take. What I need, I thought, was a terrific summary. The next day, Neil Devani and  Michael Ramos-Lynch published their first installment of a super fast overview of tech venture capitalism.

If you’re interested in how the coming tech IPO boom will come to pass, I strongly recommend this read.

“Ten Internet IPOs in 1995 turned into 18 in 1996, 15 in 1997, and 40 in 1998. In 1999 there were 272. Even in

2000

there were 148, despite the stock market crash of March of that year. In 2001 reality finally sank in and there were only 6 Internet IPOs.”

…

Natalie Portman: Voice of Light. The profile was good, but the writing of it really stood out to me. This Vanity Fair cover story by Durga Chew-Bose is a beautiful read. 

"What Portman attains is acting that touches the fulcrum. Her power lies in her willingness to go there without

runoff

, her twisty focus like some kind of amulet. She is sharp, indefinite. She visits the screen, looks over her shoulder, canonizes a pink wig. A shaved head. A choker. Big headphones. Pearls, a pillbox hat. Wings. A crown. "

…

.

The unit economics of a chicken wing took Twitter by storm.

…

(Amazon, not an affiliate link)

Finished Krysten Ritter’s first novel this week. Ms. Ritter is better known for her acting work (

B in Apt 23, Jessica Jones, others

). This was an impressive debut novel, and a reminder that yes, teenagers can be cruel, but it’s our job as parents to raise them otherwise.

Thanks for reading!

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