Maverick - Maverick's Quest

Maverick's Quest

Sign in Subscribe

Maverick

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

People want to join you when you are already successful. So if you have a great idea, but it's not proven - people won't help you. I'm starting a new business and struggling to get the attention of investors, co-founders, and clients. My idea is good. It's better than much

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Abstract thinking is a trap that creates an illusion of knowledge. It is better to avoid generalization and use storytelling with takeaways instead of more abstract discussion.

Build your castle

Build your castle

After worshiping "minimalism" and refusing to own a home for many years, Maverick finally buys a house in Texas after meeting a terrifying creature.

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Do you need an alarm clock? An alarm clock enforces a somewhat unnatural behavior. It's an instrument of management and improvement, not authenticity and enjoyment. Rephrasing Joe Hudson, you need to manage someone only if they won't do the desired action by themselves without your intervention. That begs the question:

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

On addictions I'm exploring a lifestyle free of addictive substances. Addiction happens when something evolutionary good but scarce becomes too readily available. Addictions are brain hacks when we game the mind to get pleasure without effort. Examples: * Sugar. Sweet things in nature evolutionally were good because they were calorie-rich fast

Monday, May 15, 2023

Focus your essay on a single idea that is supported by your story. I was writing an essay about the benefits of ownership. I started with an abstract list of benefits and tried to remember stories that drove my point home. The points were weak. The stories were dry. The

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Write about things you're passionate about using your own unique voice. Don't try to be someone you're not. Don't use platitudes or generic examples.

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

May 9th Today is a "victory day" in Russia, and I'm not celebrating. Also, today is Dave Gahan's birthday. Happy birthday, Dave! Attack or Defence? When I put a lot of value in someone else's opinion, I lose my integrity and open up for being hurt. It's like you suddenly

Monday, May 8, 2023

I spent most of the day writing. I often don't know what I think when writing a piece. I can start with one idea morphing into a completely different one. Therefore, it's not important where I start. If the topic is interesting to me in general, if I feel some

Friday, May 5, 2023

Value of crypto * One problem with crypto is that it tries to monetize something without proven value. * Of course, defi is good, but it's just greed. People will be interested because it makes money. * However, defi doesn't deliver value by itself. It can optimize other industries that create down-to-earth, normal

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Form and Essense Human civilization is an interplay between form and meaning. People forget why the form was created and what its meaning is. They like to take that form as it is. However, without the meaning, the form is dead. If you don't understand the meaning of things, you

Wednesday, May 3, 2024

On writing Very often, I delete the first paragraph when I write. It takes me a bit to warm up. Usually, the good stuff starts to come out after a few contextual sentences that establish a starting point for my mind to think and develop the story. But, more often

Stop telling kids what to do

Stop telling kids what to do

I watched a fountain of blood and bones on my 4K HDR TV. A moment later, I realized that my 3-year-old son secretly watched it with me. Cold goosebumps of horror rushed through my body. Did I fail as a parent?

All kids are good

All kids are good

The notes Hand-in-Hand Parenting class, Session 1. All kids are good. If you think they are not - look inside yourself. Change your mindset and behavior. Build connection. Kids will follow!

Introducing Daily Notes

Introducing Daily Notes

There's a new Daily Notes section in the navigator. I will publish my unfiltered thoughts there daily. They won't be in the newsletter.

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Deep Leverage I called ten companies to repair an issue with my house's HVAC unit. Most of them connect to some form of "coordinator" who collects the order and sends your info to the operations person who schedules your visit. At no point you talk to an actual technician before

Monday, May 1st, 2023

11:44pm This is my first Daily Note and I don't know really what to write. I felt it would be great to share some stream of consciousness and things that I notice during the day. 5:30pm My favorite pillow is Nest's Easy Breather Pillow - it changed the

How can impartiality improve relationships?

How can impartiality improve relationships?

What if I told you the best way to achieve your goals is to drop them? This story defines the concept of Impartiality and shows how it can improve your connection with other people.

Sometimes we need to say "Yes"

Sometimes we need to say "Yes"

To make friends as an adult, we need to start accepting invitations. Today I made my first step.

Look at the people

Look at the people

When deciding which company to join or what city to live in, look at the people, not physical objects.

How to protect yourself from “engineered speech?”

Interpersonal Skills

How to protect yourself from “engineered speech?”

"Engineered speech" is a conversational technique to get results from people by withholding information, pushing people's psychological buttons, or selling them a new narrative. While it can harm people through manipulation, it can also help by reframing the situation positively.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Cold Showers!

Personal Growth

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Cold Showers!

Every morning after waking up I go straight to the shower, turn on cold water, and stay under for 2-3 minutes. The cold shower helps me wake up, trains my willpower, and gives me an energy burst for the rest of the day. This story is about how I got there.

Five steps to create a persuasive slide deck

Interpersonal Skills

Five steps to create a persuasive slide deck

There’s a simple way to design a convincing and clear slide deck: follow a top-down process starting with a goal, creating your narrative, drafting your slides, adding the content, and then proceeding to the visual design. This method helped me get my point across as a product manager at Google.