In addition to my original reporting on Of Interest, I like to recommend stories that made an impact on me. These are my recommended reads.
The Suicidal Founder
by Anthony Tan on
Anthony Tan, founder of the first VR dating app Flirtual, talks about how idealism can sour into something much more toxic when you’re trying to be the visionary everyone wants you to be. Seeing yourself through someone else’s eyes can be frightening, and Anthony’s story is a great example of how dangerous it is to convince yourself you’re “that person,” at the expense of everything else.
To the unnamed officer in a Mint Hill Hospital
by Morgan Stephens on
The kindness of others is something that most of us don’t truly value. We overlook a million things we all have in common and search for friction. It’s often in the direst of situations that we form lifelong bonds with people we may never see again. Morgan’s story of the kindness of an unnamed hospital officer who grabbed her hand as she was falling over a metaphorical ledge is a reminder that at the end of the day, we’re all human.
Falling With Style
by Ed Zitron on
Elon Musk has only been Twitter CEO for six months, but it’s felt like a lifetime (and not in a good way). Ed frequently often writes about missteps across the tech industry and Musk has made many of them. His latest post is a thorough chronicle of all the bewildering, infuriating moves that Musk has made so far, and how they’ve affected Twitter from both a business and user experience perspective. It’s like a trainwreck you can’t stop reading.
Can grown men wear backpacks?
by Jonah & Erin on
This one hit me hard because I ask myself this on a weekly basis. I go hiking sometimes, or long treks across town, spending hours on foot with little room to carry anything. I bought a backpack to solve this problem, but frequently feel like the “little Timmy” character described in this post. They suggest carrying a briefcase or an over-the-shoulder bag (just one strap) but man, I feel like that gives off an even weirder vibe. Maybe I’m just a little Timmy.
If you enjoyed these stories and haven’t yet read my latest article, why not give it a go? I interviewed Linda Katz, the internet’s first accidental entrepreneur, about how she turned an early 90s parody website into a business that lasted decades.
Have a good one, and take care of yourself and others.
Mike