Hey everyone,
If you're new here, welcome to Never Enough, where I brain dump interesting stuff that has been on my mind over the last week.
- I get distracted easily. If I’m not careful, I’m easily led down rabbit trails and become unfocused across 20 browser tabs. Oddly, despite being easily distracted, I find that I work best from cafes.
I’ve always found the silence of a closed-door office overwhelming. Over the last twenty years, I’ve tried everything from fancy private offices, to buzzy open-concept spaces, to co-working, but nothing hits quite like cafes.
In order to stay focused in a noisy environment, I rely on some guardrails to stay on track. Cafes can be loud and distracting, so I’ve always used my AirPods Pro to drown out the noise. Recently, I discovered a way to make this experience 10x better.
I’ve discovered an app that I absolutely love. It’s called Endel and it creates the perfect soundscape for whatever you’re doing. Ranging from work (deep work, afternoon energy drift, colored noise), to reading, to walking, it dynamically creates the perfect soundtrack to your day (even going so far as to use your heart rate from your Apple Watch to switch it up — super cool).
There’re a million apps like this, but Endel is by far the best designed and executed. Go check it out
- Are you a rat or a frog? Zoe told me about this bizarre meme: all people can be divided into two groups: rats and frogs.
As soon as you think about it, you’ll start laughing. Just start naming people you know and your gut will immediately tell you if they’re a rat or a frog.
Me: Rat
Chris: Frog
Zoe: Frog
One of my sons: Frog
The other one: Rat
I can’t explain it, but it cracks me up. Try it, it’s hilarious.
- Who knew being a trader at JP Morgan was so sexy and exotic? It’s not, but the writers of Industry would have you think it is.
Regardless, it’s a blast to watch, and definitely one of my favorite shows from the last few years. The third season just started and I’m loving it. It’s not dissimilar to Billions: lots of silly exaggeration and drama added to one of the world’s dullest jobs, but the cast is incredible and it’s a lot of fun to watch. It’s on HBO Max (US) or Crave (Canada).
- I’m hosting an event for lonely conglomerateurs (yes, that is a word 🤢, and if you ever want to get punched in the face, introduce yourself as one).
There are tons of support groups for executives and CEOs, but not for folks who run holding companies. It’s a unique role with a rare structure and set of challenges. And frankly, it’s often pretty lonely because there are so few people who can relate to your problems (of which there are many: perverse incentives, compensation negotiations, reporting complexities, etc).
In fact, I so rarely meet people who I can talk to about these problems with that I’ve decided to do what I always do. If I can’t find my group, I build my own group.
So, in January, I’m hosting the first of what I hope to make a bi-annual event exclusively for people who run at-scale holding companies. It’ll be hyper confidential, YPO forum format, and we’ll have folks from a variety of industries and scales. It will be very intimate, with less than 30 people attending.
We’re still working out the details, but if you’re interested in coming email monica@tiny.com with:- A quick bio (if you have one)
- A link to your site
- How many companies you own
- Total revenue (range is fine)
- Where you’re based
- My friend Codie Sanchez came on the pod. I love her message: the best way to get rich is boring and under your nose. It's not AI or drone tech—it's traditional, old school businesses run by baby boomers. I loved this conversation. Check it out here.
That’s all for this week…-Andrew
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