Modest Operations | Newsletter Volume 24

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) * "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) * "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)