In this week’s blog roundup, we delve into everything from the must-have Mac apps that keep me productive, to the underrated power of self-compassion in fostering success. I also share insights on decluttering your digital photo mess and making the most out of in-person office time in a hybrid work environment. Additionally, we explore tips on analyzing feedback to innovate your product, navigating complex team priorities, and a novel approach to product development by mimicking slime mold. Plus, discover breakthrough scientific findings, easy bread recipes that’ll make you forget sourdough, creative life hacks for 2024, and the benefits of maintaining evergreen notes.
- 8 Non-Negotiable Apps I Need to Have on My Work Mac: I cannot work for even a single day without these Mac apps
- Studies Show Self-Compassion is the Motivator You’re Missing: Pushing ourselves and holding ourselves accountable are how we achieve success. Unfortunately, many of us mistake harsh self-criticism and self-castigation for “pushing ourselves.” And that has the opposite of the desired effect.
- Your Phone’s Camera Roll Is a Mess. Here’s How to Clean It Up.:
- How might we best use in-person office time?: Thinking about the hybrid context. If you treat in-person office time as a valuable, scarce resource, what’s the best use of that time?
- Feedback Analysis: How to Extract Insights to Fuel Your Product Strategy: Effective feedback analysis is like cracking a secret code. Every user interaction leaves clues that can make your product better.
- TBM 285: Shared Teams and Apples-to-Oranges Priorities: Here is one of the most common anti-patterns I see in product work. Leadership dutifully converges on a few equally weighted priority “pillars”. The priority pillars don’t lend themselves to being prioritized against each other as stated (e.g., one relates to new revenue, the other to customer satisfaction, and another to reduce costs). Apples to Oranges. Different teams latch on to different priorities, but they all depend on teams that, in addition to serving those dependencies, also have work linked to top-level priorities.
- How Perplexity builds product: Johnny Ho, co-founder and head of product, explains how he organizes his teams like slime mold, uses AI to build their AI company, and much more
- Found: the dial in the brain that controls the immune system: Scientists identify the brain cells that regulate inflammation, and pinpoint how they keep tabs on the immune response.
- Forget sourdough! How to make 10 of the world’s easiest breads: Keen to bake for your family or housemates, but put off by previous attempts? Here are delicious options including some that donât require yeast, and one that doesnât even need an oven
- 2024’s Most Useful Creative Life Hacks: Little Black Book, Make your New Year’s resolution to hack your creativity in 2024 – hear what techniques are keeping creatives inspired and focused this year, writes LBB’s Ben Conway
- Evergreen notes: Evergreen notes are written and organized to evolve, contribute, and accumulate over time, across projects.