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# Modest Operations | Newsletter Volume 24
- URL: https://www.drewshannon.net/modest-operations-newsletter-volume-24/
- Published: 2019-05-07T16:59:42.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-13T22:24:43.000Z
- Description: Modest Operations email newsletter Volume 24 (May 07, 2019).
- Author: Drew Shannon
- Tags: linkedin, mr. porter, the outline, akshay kothari, arimeta diop, chris elvidge, modest operations, newsletter, #import-mailchimp-2026-09-13

One of the most positive outcomes of my somewhat-tumultuous professional life over the last year is that it's forced me into situations of learning new skills that I didn't previously have. 

Most recently, as part of a data analysis project I'm working on, I've been learning SQL, which tickles my brain in all the right ways, while simultaneously twisting it into a knot.

**This Week's Links** *A list of things I've been reading & thinking about.*\* "As a founder, I noticed that for every few comments, there was one that highlighted a serious issue we had, or a serious improvement we could make. It allowed employees to let out small tremors frequently as opposed to a bigger earthquake every now and then." - [(Akshay Kothari for *LinkedIn*)](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshaykothari/?ref=drewshannon.net) \* "That’s not to suggest that we shouldn’t enjoy the way our clothes make us look, nor treat them as a vehicle for outward self-expression. According to the utilitarian playbook, though, the form of our clothes must be rationalized by an underlying function. 'Men like to be able to justify a style choice,' says Mr Stephen Mann, the stylist for this shoot and one of the creative forces behind the London-based streetwear collective AFFIX. 'The functional nature of this look is one they can feel confident explaining to their mates.'" - [Why The Utility Trend Is Here To Stay (Chris Elvidge for *Mr. Porter*)](https://www.mrporter.com/journal/the-look/why-the-utility-trend-is-here-to-stay/4525?ref=drewshannon.net) \* "What a relief to know that the people who control all of the money continue to believe in their friends, even after their disastrous, public, and allegedly criminal failures" - [One of Theranos’ first investors has learned approximately nothing from its implosion (Arimeta Diop for *The Outline*)](https://theoutline.com/post/7157/one-of-theranos-first-investors-has-learned-approximately-nothing-from-its-implosion?ref=drewshannon.net)