Writing
No blog post last week, but I was able to wrap up reading ”Freakonomics” by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. I know the book has been out there for a number of years (the follow-up edition is sitting on my nightstand), but I just got the inspiration to tackle it a couple weeks ago. Among the many lessons, including why drug dealers live with their parents, it also taught me answers to certain questions may not actually be the obvious choice. Data is the key there.
What’s up next? I started in on “How Will You Measure Your Life” by Clayton Christensen as my commute read. I’ve also begun reading “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” I am an extremely organized person, an anti-hoarder actually. But this book caught my eye at the airport a few weeks ago and it’s been fascinating to read before bed.
Reading
Apple made big changes to Apple News in iOS 10, including the addition of subscriptions and push notifications. The New York Times isn’t doing either, but several brands are — one has even pulled out completely. Apple also adjusted Spotlight news traffic from mobile web (direct-to-publisher) to Apple News.
Amazon and Pandora are breaking subscription price norms (~$9.99) by releasing $5 music products.
Who knew Kickstarter was so big in the publisher space?
I’ve read more about self-driving cars in the last two months than any time before. This inside (simplified) glimpse from Tesla shows some of the thinking behind autonomous vehicles — how should the car react to a soda can in the road vs. a case of soda cans?
A New York Times reporter also took Uber’s first self-driving car for a spin.
The 10th anniversary of 9/11 took two weeks ago. This narrative from Politico on President Bush’s day was long, yet every word fascinating.
Fast Company wrote the latest profile on Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey.
The Players’ Tribune has been putting out some great player-perspective content over the last year. This story from Antoine Walker, an NBA player who made more than $100m and lost it all, on what he would tell his younger self is tremendous.
Uber owns 9 out of every 10 ride share requests. Google is looking to level the playing field though with their new ride-sharing price comparison tool. Perhaps it’s also a way to throw their hat into the ride-sharing ring, as I told you about last week.
Finally, as I tell audiences at the conferences, success leaves clues. This includes how to become the CEO.
Rock and Roll.
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