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Dear <<First Name>>,
This tweet by Atomic Habits author James Clear got me thinking about how we could do a better job at Barrel of fostering an environment where teams feel comfortable generating ideas.
Over the years, we've employed various tactics to limit groupthink and open up discussions. However, it's hard to shake the feeling that sometimes, rather than generating a wealth of interesting and "out there" ideas, our group meetings end up with a few uninspired options trying to hit the "right answer", as if one could be penalized for being wrong.
Part of it could be time pressures, part of it could be that people are distracted/not fully focused, and part of it could be fear of sounding/looking dumb. I suspect it's mostly the fear thing, but there's no easy solve for this. We'll keep experimenting with meeting structures and see how these changes impact the quality and quantity of ideas.
Last week's newsletter got a 63.5% open rate and the most-clicked link was my blog post on software companies we could have invested in at Barrel but didn't.
Consumed
Zen Work Pod (website)
I had a fantasy that instead of working on our bedroom dresser sitting in a metal folding chair as I've done for the past 2 months, I could buy one of these for our outdoor terrace area. Alas, the required area was too big and I doubt building codes would allow such a structure. Thankfully, the weather has been warm enough recently to let me work outside a couple times this past week.
How Domino’s Stock Returned 4,595%: The original cloud kitchen, ten years before it was cool by Adam Keesling (Divinations newsletter)
Great analysis on how Domino's Pizza, with their focus on delivery/takeout, cheap food, and their franchise model, accelerated their growth and value over the past decade.
We used to live right across the street from a Domino's and I always marveled at the efficiency of the ordering experience. On more than 1 occasion, I knew that if I put in an order 2 subway stops away via the mobile app, the pizza would be ready for takeout by the time I walked up and the Pizza Tracker would let me know if that wasn't the case. Great user experience, good enough product, great value.
The Great Asshole Fallacy: On Michael Jordan being a jerk to make the Bulls great… by MG Siegler (Medium blog post)
"Even just watching the documentary, it’s pretty clear that Jordan wasn’t always a tyrannical asshole. He inspired in other ways too, depending on the person or player. (Dennis Rodman, as one prime example in the doc.) The negative framing is perhaps the more interesting one, but it’s not the only one. And Jordan does himself a disservice by suggesting that it is.
The focus should be on the insistence of excellence, both from yourself and from those around you. The wisdom from experience. The work ethic. The drive. The dedication. The sacrifice. Jordan hits on all of those. And he even implies that not everyone needed the 'tough love' to push them. But that’s glossed over for the more powerful mantra. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that not only are there other ways to tease such greatness out of people — different people require different methods.
That’s what i think of when I think of leadership. Someone who is malleable enough to both know and to react to the different needs of different people on their team. And I think Michael Jordan fits that bill! I just think the documentary paints it differently in the service of great television."
Created
How Shopify Agencies Are Dealing With Coronavirus (Sufio blog post)
I was interviewed, along with a few others in the Shopify agency space, for an article that was published by Sufio, an app that lets online stores create professional invoices. The topic was about how coronavirus had impacted the business, how we've adapted, and thoughts on what may change in the future.
Cheers,
Peter
P.S. You can check out my list of books read right here. My hope is to get a good mix of challenging reads with some that are entertaining, inspiring, and instructive.
If you like what you've read, please share with your friends. They can sign up for the list here. Also, I always welcome recommendations of any kind–books, podcasts, movies, etc.
About me: Peter Kang is co-founder of Barrel, a digital agency in New York City. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, son, and dog.
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