Is Winners Take All (2018) by Anand Giridharadas depressing? Yes. Will it make you angry at the world’s billionaires, thought leaders, and corporate do-Gooders? Yes. Is it socialist propaganda? My boss seems to think so. But it will make you think about government differently and who should actually be considered the “little guys” (hint: it’s not Silicon Valley), and why we need accountability and critical thinking and not TED Talks. Nobody is safe from this book. Simon Sinek? Roasted. Brene Brown? Roasted. Bill Clinton? Roasted. Airbnb? Roasted. Power posing? Roasted. Oh and all of us marketers who are helping our client’s build a better world? We should discuss. I have thoughts.
business
Uber: The underbelly of a celebrated hustle culture
September 2019
Super Pumped (2019), written by NY Times’ writer Mike Isaac, chronicles Travis Kalanick’s rise and fall as Uber’s “always-be-hustlin” CEO. If you’re following the dumpster fire that is Silicon Valley’s “unicorns” and get a bit of glee from watching a bro get dethroned, this book is for you. If you’re a founder of a company and want to know how to avoid bro culture, this book is for you. If you’re at all skeptical of Arianna Huffington, this book is for you. If you had any part in Uber’s marketing (aka me) and want to realize how little importance it had on the bottom line, this book is for you. Read while drinking a White Claw.
A necessary read for serial "yes" men
If you’re feeling like you do everything but aren’t really good at any of it it’s time to start saying no. Essentialism (2014) by Greg McKeown is like Marie Kondo but for projects. Time to start declining meeting invites!
This is a quick read.