So, where were we? For those not in the know, I recently moved to Bangalore. The traffic is as bad as I remember and the weather is as good as advertised. While the dynamism around the startup ecosystem here cannot be denied, the city’s infrastructure seems to be fraying under the immense stress of inward immigration. Finding a house in Bangalore will remain one of the biggest achievements of my life no matter what I achieve going forward.
While writing NIV 31, I remember being extremely concerned about the Russia-Ukraine war. Surprisingly for everyone involved, Russian forces have made very little headway into the Ukrainian territories since. While all the Ukrainian suffering and loss can’t be ignored, driving the conflict into a bit of a stalemate is definitely a major achievement for the outmatched Ukrainian forces. It has also made me update a lot of my priors around modern Russia.
Anyway, without further ado, onto this week’s reading:
Links of the Week
Productivity - A first-principles approach to writing clearly, thinking clearly, and learning faster. While the guide is written for grad students, I think the advice generalizes really well. (Link)
Recruiting - Nintil reviews Tyler Cowen and Daniel Gross’ book ‘Talent’ on how to spot and hire talent. The review works both as a collection of helpful tips to interview and also as a general manual to learn about the kind of traits that predict success at different kinds of jobs. (Link)
Venture Capital - Another similarly illuminating book review of Sebastian Mallaby’s ‘The Power Law’. The book (and the review) address the age-old question:
How much of the value created by startups are the VCs responsible for? And more generally, is success in venture capital a product of some lucky bets or is it a business of replicable skill?
The book itself is a great read as well. For those interested, Mallaby has also written an excellent book on hedge funds as well as a smashing biography of Alan Greenspan.
History - Why is it that when we read about Indian history, we read only about the Mauryas, the Guptas, and the Mughals? Where are the songs and essays about the Cholas, the Chalukyas, and the Rashtrakutas? (Link)
Business - I recently discovered Sriram Krishnan’s collection of famous and read-worthy internal company memos. While all of them are great reads in one way or another, I particularly loved the infamous internal Yahoo memo articulating all the things wrong with Yahoo’s culture. (Link)
Technology - Why is it that the future of flying cars that we were promised never came to pass? This is a brilliant article and should make us all determined to build a great future. (Link)
Sociology - Fertility rates dropping around the world is an understudied phenomenon that deserves a lot more attention. (Link)
Happy reading!