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Dear <<First Name>>,
I randomly came across a really cool learning methodology this week. It's by a software developer named Kalid Azad who runs Better Explained, a website that teaches math, programming, and other concepts for curious minds. The methodology is called ADEPT and here's what each of the letters stands for (image from Azad's site):
I found this to be a really powerful way of organizing a teaching lesson, or in my own case, thinking about effective ways to roll out new processes and approaches at Barrel.
I've always found myself to be a visual learner and explainer, so I tend to create my fair share of diagrams at work when trying to share concepts or my own ideas. In fact, I've become enamored with the design tool Figma, which has made it easier for me to quickly generate diagrams and share with different team members.
What I like about the ADEPT method is that it goes beyond my penchant for diagrams and also asks for an analogy, example, plain English, and technical definition. When I think about how I've explained concepts to team members, I probably rely most heavily on diagram and a couple examples and then jump right into a technical definition. I could do a better job of thinking through an apt analogy and describing the concept with everyday words.
I'm eager to give ADEPT a try so I can not only use it to understand new concepts but to better explain and teach new concepts more effectively.
Last week's newsletter got a 56.6% open rate. The most-clicked link was to the Mirra 2 chair, which has been a great new upgrade in my home office setup. I find myself swiveling, leaning back, and resting in various poses on the arm rests now, which I hope doesn't make me too annoying on Zoom calls.
Consumed
Charlie Munger Is Right, Haul Ass For Your First $100k by Jay Vasantharajah (blog post)
Randomly came across Jay's Twitter account and then his blog while reading tweets about investing. Love Jay's story (consultant turned agency owner turned ecomm biz owner + investor, entrepreneurial instincts, and writing style) and this post about how he saved up his first $100k is really inspiring. The bit about picking up a work colleague while moonlighting as an Uber driver is classic.
My Family’s Shrouded History Is Also a National One for Korea by Alexander Chee (NY Times)
Wouldn't be surprised if every Korean American read this essay this past week. It's a touching recollection by Chee about his grandfather and remembrances of Korea's colonial occupation by Japan, when the Japanese sought to erase Korean culture.
I knew my grandmother could speak Japanese and she would call random things by their Japanese name which my mom would correct when she heard me repeat (e.g. tamanegi for onion vs. yang pa). The most I heard her speak Japanese was with my soon-to-be father-in-law, who grew up learning Japanese in Japan-occupied Taiwan. She didn't speak English so it was heartwarming to see her connect with my future family this way.
Why “no code operations” will be the next big job in tech by David Peterson (Medium blog post)
Peterson, who works at Airtable, believes that the rise of platforms that enable no code solutions will be a boon for businesses that have a continual need for building internal tools because it will allow non-technical team members to own and maintain these tools, freeing up engineers to focus on the high value work they're hired to build. However, this will necessitate a new breed of workers ("no code operations" personnel) who can master tools such as Zapier, Airtable, Parabola, and others to create no code tools.
I am fully on board with this line of thinking. I've long been a proponent of no code approaches to tool-building whether it's cobbling together WordPress plugins, janky Excel macros, or the newer cloud-based solutions. Those who appreciate and immerse themselves in the power of these no code platforms will get a leg up on other knowledge workers who take a brute force, cut & paste approach to their work.
Created
Stock Watch List (Google Sheets)
I've been keeping random bits of info on Evernote regarding stocks I'm interested in, but I figured it would be more organized if I had a spreadsheet with some data. I also forced myself to write down, however brief, why I'm interested in a particular stock. I currently have 15 names on here.
The goal is to keep an eye on these, continue adding/culling names, and if I end up acting, make a note of that as well. I also put in a tab called Simple Reminders to keep me grounded in my decision-making. I hope to keep expanding on these as I get more experience.
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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