Evan's Finds of the Month - April 2016

Below are five things I read in April that are worth sharing. 

What did you read in April that was thought provoking? Please share your thoughts on these articles (or links to other good reads) in the comments section of this post. Hopefully we can generate a good discussion. 

1. Jeff Bezos' Letter to Amazon Shareholders

Summary: This is Jeff Bezos' 2016 annual letter to Amazon shareholders. In addition to discussing Amazon's "three pillars" (Prime, Marketplace and Amazon Web Services,) Bezos comments on Amazon's corporate culture and its ability to continue inventing as a large company. 

My take: Wow, what an article - a glimpse into someone Bezos' mind. He describes Amazon as a "great place to fail;" a company that is "customer obsessed, inventive and experimental, long-term oriented, and cares deeply about operational excellence." I use Amazon Prime (and I imagine many of you do too,) but there is SO MUCH MORE to Amazon that I did not know about. My two favorite parts are when he compares business and baseball to comment on risk taking/failure (4th paragraph of the article) and type 1 vs. type 2 decisions for large companies (3rd paragraph under the header "Invention Machine.")

2. NYC Cabs Will Get Rid Of Their Partitions To Appear More Friendly

Summary: Short and sweet article / news update that NYC taxi's are doing away with the glass partition between the driver and the backseat passengers. 

My take: Seeing this news flash evoked a feeling of realization in me - I always thought something was "off" about the glass partition, but could never put my finger on it. But the title of this article made it obvious - the partitions just are not friendly! I'm happy to see that taxi's will not have the partition going forward.

3. This year's Founders' Letter - Google

Summary: Like Jeff Bezos' Amazon letter, this is a fascinating read. The article discusses where Google is today and where it is going (more mobile based with a focus on artificial intelligence.) It was also interesting to read Sundar Pichai's, Google's CEO, comments on the universality of Google and their belief to make the internet available to as many people as possible (he called this his "job.") Like Amazon, Google is also fundamentally customer obsessed. 

My take: What exactly is artificial intelligence? Reading this article made me realize that I don't know the answer to that question. However according to Google, that is where the world is heading. I found this quote to be thought provoking - "Looking to the future, the next big step will be for the very concept of the “device” to fade away. Over time, the computer itself—whatever its form factor—will be an intelligent assistant helping you through your day. We will move from mobile first to an AI first world."

4. Don't Kick the Can Down the Road

Summary: Fred Wilson, Managing Partner of Union Square Ventures, gives two examples to illustrate his point of not avoiding difficult decisions.

My take: Fred is an incredible writer and one of the most respected people in the VC industry. He posts on his blog, avc.com, everyday but I especially enjoyed this post from late-April about decision making. As a real estate broker I am not concerned about a "down round," but I do agree that it's important to make hard decisions and deal with the consequences rather than avoid change and accept status quo when something is not working. I did find myself "shaking my head" after reading the excerpt towards the end of the article. 

5. How Neuroscientists Explain the Mind-Clearing Magic of Running

Summary: This article, sent to me by my CBRE colleague Arkady Smolyansky, discusses the scientific correlation between aerobic exercise and "cognitive clarity" (i.e. feeling good.) It's interesting that the only scientifically known trigger to produce new neurons in the brain is via aerobic exercise.

My Take: This makes total sense to me, and I especially like the quote by Monte Davis that "It’s hard to run and feel sorry for yourself at the same time." Personally, 45 minutes is enough exercise for me to obtain the cognitive clarity feeling. This is why I like to workout before work. I plan my weekly workouts on Sunday's, put these commitments directly into my outlook calendar, and make sure not to miss these "meetings."