Tom’s Top 3: Week of 3/10/24

Worms and Octopi

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning into Tom’s Top 3, a weekly newsletter where I share the three things that tickled my fancy on any given week. This could include blog posts, books, podcasts, products, YouTube videos, you name it. I’ll include links and a short description about why I found something particularly interesting. I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to share with a friend!

1. ’Dune: Part Two’ and Denis Villeneuve’s Worldbuilding. Plus, Mailbag Questions – The Watch Podcast
   • Description
     • If you’ve never listened to The Watch podcast, this episode is the quintessential example of why I love the show. Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan have some of the best camaraderie, and Dune 2 provided ample ammunition for their witty banter. Whether you are a Dune fan or not, you will be entertained.
   • Takeaway
     • After some (genuine) laugh-out-loud moments and some creative critiques of Denis Villeneuve’s work, the latter half of the episode contains an insightful state of the union for Hollywood and some calls to action. I thought this was the most compelling description of how film and television has evolved over recent history.
2. How I Turned my iPhone into a productivity machine – Miles Mochizuki YouTube
   • Description
     • I stumbled upon this YouTube video and just thought it was a super creative idea. As someone who tries to optimize too much, I can understand if this kind of thing is not for everyone. Still, I think the tech is pretty impressive.
     • Miles uses a combination of Focus Modes and the Shortcut widget on his iPhone to essentially create custom home screens and notification settings for each of his main activities. Cool idea, and I liked his aesthetic choices as well.
   • Takeaway
     • Technology is a tool that should be used to work for us, not against us. While so much good has come from the iPhone, our attention is being pulled in so many directions that I admire someone trying to take back control of their time.
3. How to Pick a Career (That Actually Fits You) – Wait But Why Blog
   • Description
     • For anyone exploring a new career path or assessing their current one, Tim Urban masterfully lays out an approachable framework for doing so. He describes how our career options exist at the intersection of our wants and reality.
     • Our wants are shaped by many factors, most of which are at conflict with each other, and this leads us to be confused and frustrated. Tim affectionately refers to this as the Yearning Octopus, with each tentacle representing one of the factors (Personal, Social, Lifestyle, Moral and Practical).
     • It’s important to be realistic about how much distance there is between your goal and yourself. This determines how much time it will take to reach your desired career, which may sway your decision one way or the other.
   • Takeaway
     • Progress = Pace x Persistence. Pace is a product of chefness (Tim’s shorthand for creativity built off of experience and observation), work ethic, and natural abilities. I found this framing to be motivational. Long term goals seem so far away as to be unattainable, but focusing on the inputs means that progress is within our control. Tim references Steve Job’s quote about how you can only connect the dots looking backward, and he suggests we keep an eye on the dots closest to us.