This week my son Freddy learned the most valuable gesture of them all, to cross his fingers. See above. And my book recommendation is Paris Trance by Geoff Dyer. Reading it, I’ve come to realize good writing should speak for itself. So, here’s some things I’ve been working on, lately. Fingers crossed, you’ll enjoy a bit or two:
- What would you do if your childhood home burned down with everything in it? — A LinkedIn article I wrote for their “Idea of the Day” feature.
- As Black Women, Finding A Therapist Who ‘Gets It’ Was Almost Impossible — I worked with Health in Her Hue founders Ashlee Wisdom, MPH and Eddwina Bright, MBA to pitch and place this personal essay at the Huffington Post. It’s both shocking and engaging. And it makes you think.
- Ever borrowed money from friends and family to fund your startup? What about dipping into your partner’s 401k? This stuff is hard, right?! And we don’t talk enough about the emotions and learning that go with being a founder. I’m enjoying working with venture studio Further Faster on a series of #FeelTheBurn interviews with tech founders who’ve learned lessons the hard way.
- The best question you can possibly ask when you’re networking is ‘how can I help you?’ A piece I wrote for National Mentor’s Day about the best advice I’ve ever gotten from my own professional mentor.
- The State of Black Tech report — something I worked on with /dev /color, which raises important questions about how Black people working in tech feel about diversity theater. We also got them quoted in Wired on the subject.
- Let’s talk about #PaternityLeave. Guess what? I’m in favor.
- The Bystander App has been adopted by the City of Tallahassee in Florida, allowing citizens to record their interactions with police and send them direct to city servers. I worked with the app’s creators to get them into USA Today.
What are you working on? I’m curious!
Meanwhile, last week’s newsletter slamming how rubbish I found some podcasts prompted several of you to get in touch with recommendations. Thank you. Between them Erik, James and Jerry variously recommended the following for your listening pleasure:
- A Welsh feminist view on modern witches. I mean, what’s not to like?
- Bunga Bunga about Silvio Berlusconi.
- Adam Buxton interviewing Billy Connolly. Billy is a Scottish comedian and Adam is an English one. But he’ll never take our freedom. That’s a Braveheart reference. Not sorry.
- Desert Island Discs which is really a BBC Radio Four show about what music you’d listen to if you were marooned. But whatevs. Listen to Tom Hanks and Dustin Hoffman. And Bob Mortimer. Oh, please listen to Bob Mortimer.
- The Ezra Klein Show. “A smart guy talking about smart things with smart people.” Or a smug one. I’m still undecided on Ezra Klein, honestly. Probably because I’m insecure.
- Smartless. Described as “much dumber than the Ezra Klein show, and it depends how much you like the hosts.” I do like the hosts, though. So.
- On the Media which is really a WNYC show. Which sort of remakes my point about podcasts. Doesn’t it? How I love to go full circle.
On the same subject my friend Ellen also got in touch to agree that “the problem with podcasts” is the same as self-publishing and build-your-own-websites. They’re not inherently bad. It’s just that the form emphasizes de-professionalizing, and not necessarily believing in, or employing, the talents of professional writers, designers, and editors. People work on a shoestring budget to raise their social profile, but don’t always work with or listen to, people who craft and produce and collaborate as a skill. Or they don’t understand that skill. I think this is a good reminder to all of us to value and understand the skills of people we work with. Particularly experienced professionals. There’s an awful lot of ageism in tech, for example, to that point. But I always try to bring my granddad’s sensibility to discussions with founders.
“Why on earth would anybody want to do that?” *(Delivered in a thick Middlesbrough accent).
You know. I wish somebody had said the same thing to Mark Zuckerberg before his PR people convinced him to change the name of his entire company to Meta. Or at the very least that my granddad was still alive to tell him the idea sounds idiotic.
My favorite reaction so far came from a fast-food chain.
Listen to people. That’s the overall lesson. But…not to idiots. Do not listen to idiots. And that’s hard, isn’t it, with so many of us out there?
Parting thought: I like to make the case that like hiring a good accountant, hiring a professional writer is a good idea. It’s just that the opportunity cost of bad writing is less painful in the short term than, say, a tax audit. But: Think what fun you’re missing out on.
Happy belated Halloween. 🎃
