July + August Update

Hello, superfriend!

From traveling to 5 different destinations to immersing myself in 3 enlightening books, the past two months have been nothing short of eventful.

July was all about socializing, meeting some fantastic folks at web3 events in Barcelona and Paris.

In August I tried to rest a bit more than usual. While I might've slacked a bit on the exercise front, I made up for it with quality sleep and some riveting reads.

Some moments that stand out include an exhilarating time at the racing track with my dad and a soul-soothing trip to Azores with my mom.

Amidst all this, I've been consciously trying to maintain a balance between personal well-being and professional ambition.

🦉Ideas

Success is like surfing. 🌊

Big waves don’t come often, but when they do you need to be ready. And to be ready you need to practice with the small waves, paddle for hours and fall hundreds of times. Otherwise the big wave will destroy you.

Prioritize, focus, ignore. 🚫

When you feel overwhelmed by the number of problems in your organization, the optimal solution is not to hire more, but to do less.

In my case, killing legacy has proved to be crucial! And by “legacy”, I don’t mean bad features. Those are easy to spot. It’s mostly the cool features that aren’t serving a real purpose in our product. And because they are good features, we don’t wanna kill them.

Seek consistency, not creativity. 📅

Consistency might not sound as glamorous as creativity, but it's often the unsung hero behind most masterpieces. Take Beeple, for instance. His commitment to producing daily digital art pieces wasn't just about showcasing creativity but was a testament to the power of showing up every day. Or the artist Steve Keene, that loves “the idea of doing sixty paintings a day, more than the idea of trying to make one that I think is perfect.” 

As May Sarton's wisely said, "A talent grows by being used, and withers if it is not used. Closing the gap between expectation and reality can be painful, but it has to be done sooner or later. The fact is that millions of young people would like to write, but what they dream of is the published book, often skipping over the months and years of very hard work necessary to achieve that end..."

It's a call to action for all of us. Instead of waiting for the perfect moment of inspiration, it's about diving in, with no expectations, day after day. As James Clear succinctly puts it, "Most of the time you don't need more information, you need more courage."

In the realm of creation, whether you're a writer, artist, or entrepreneur, it's tempting to chase the highs of creativity. But it's the steady drumbeat of consistency that truly shapes our journey. It's about understanding that every stroke, every word, and every effort, no matter how small, contributes to the larger tapestry of our work. So, as we forge ahead, let's champion consistency as our trusted ally in the creative process.

⭐️ Recommendations

1. 📚️ 3 Body Problem. The initial chapters offer a fascinating glimpse into China’s Cultural Revolution, setting a profound backdrop. As the story unfolds, it morphs into a riveting sci-fi thriller, making it a definite page-turner. That said, I felt the characters were a bit uni-dimensional. And, a small confession - I had my moments grappling with the Chinese names! If you're looking for a mix of history, science, and suspense, this might just be your next read.

2. 📚 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow explores platonic love between two gaming creatives. It's a tale of friends, close to love but never crossing that line, immersed in video game design. I was captivated by its engaging narrative, especially as an 80s-born techie. The LA setting also evoked nostalgia, given the months that I spent there in the past 2 years. However, their friendship sometimes felt too toxic, leaving me wondering what the core message was. Perhaps that the bond between creative partners can be even more profound than that of lovers.

3. 🤖 Try Pi, a more personal AI. ChatGPT often feels like an assistant, Pi feels more like a friend.

4. 📔 Gustavo interviewed me for his project REINVENTION.SPACE, where he inspires people to reinvent themselves. 👇️ 

☀️ Progress

1. The move to CPO at Talent Protocol: proud of how the team and product are evolving. 🚀

2. Read 3 books! 🤓

3. Speaker twice in a week in Barcelona (ReFi Gathering Spain & ETHBarcelona), and I’m pretty happy with both my performances. 🎤

🙏 Grateful for

1. Being invited to speak in Barcelona.

2. João, for taking care of me while I was sick.

3. Luminita, it was a pleasure working with her and see her grow.

4. Lucky to win prizes at football and the hackathon.

5. The chillest parents ever.

6. Free vacations in Vilamoura since birth.

7. A chance to spend quality time with Nuno in Vilamoura.

8. Mom, for planning the perfect trip to São Miguel.

9. Meg, for scheduling a breakfast with me.

10. João, for cooking everytime.

11. Gus, for asking great questions.

12. Pedro and Francisco, for being great co-founders.

You’re receiving this email because you’re part of my superfriends group and asked to be updated every month about my progress. I’m trying to figure out how being ambitious at work can fit into a life well lived.

Thank you for your support and feedback.

Your superfriend,

— Filipe | @filmacedo ✌️