My Top Reads from 2014 — Startups, Tech, Life
On January 1, 2014, I knew what I had to change about myself this new year. What I had in mind was to learn a lot of things by reading a lot of things. And so I did. Maybe not as much as I could have, but enough to be able to have an educated conversation on certain topics (or just be able to say “I don’t know”).
I look back on the things I read this year, on the things that did their bit in making me who I am today. The following is a list articles and books sorted by the month-of-reading that I loved the most and that positively contributed to my being.
I’d encourage you to scroll through the entire list and read the ones that seem interesting to you. And feel free to share what you loved to read this year. Oh, and I’m @karangoel.
Note: Most of my favorite reading happened through Medium — that’s my go-to platform for discovering great content. If you have suggestions for other content discovery platforms, add a comment here!
January
An Engineer's guide to Stock Options * Alex MacCaw
There's a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt when it comes to stock options, and I'd like to try and clear some of that…blog.alexmaccaw.com
There's a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt when it comes to stock options, and I'd like to try and clear some of that…blog.alexmaccaw.com
February
Bitcoin - The Internet of Money
This post is old - I wrote it for Wired, which just published an excerpt in "The Wired World in 2014" issue, but the…startupboy.com
This post is old - I wrote it for Wired, which just published an excerpt in "The Wired World in 2014" issue, but the…startupboy.com
7 Reasons Why You Will Never Do Anything Amazing With Your Life
A unique perspective on what it takes to succeed in life.medium.com
A unique perspective on what it takes to succeed in life.medium.com
March
Confessions of an ex-tech journalist
20 months, 1,740+ articles, and countless pitches later, I’ve got some truths to tell medium.com
20 months, 1,740+ articles, and countless pitches later, I’ve got some truths to tell medium.com
April
Silicon Valley's Youth Problem
The Cisco Meraki office in Mission Bay, San Francisco, is 40 paces from the water, and just as nice as Google's. On a…www.nytimes.com
The Cisco Meraki office in Mission Bay, San Francisco, is 40 paces from the water, and just as nice as Google's. On a…www.nytimes.com
What every founder fears.
Answers to your questions ¶
The other night I found myself in a surreal moment of storytelling as a part of the…medium.com
Answers to your questions ¶
The other night I found myself in a surreal moment of storytelling as a part of the…medium.com
This is your brain on mobile
A critique of destructive smartphone habits diagnosed by someone that makes a living off of them.medium.com
A critique of destructive smartphone habits diagnosed by someone that makes a living off of them.medium.com
How to be an open source gardener * Steve Klabnik
I do a lot of work on open source, but my most valuable contributions haven't been code. Writing a patch is the easiest…words.steveklabnik.com
I do a lot of work on open source, but my most valuable contributions haven't been code. Writing a patch is the easiest…words.steveklabnik.com
May
Two Weeks Ago, I Almost Died in the Deadliest Plane Crash Ever
How Two Jetliners Nearly Collided Over the Pacific, Why No One Knows About It, and What It Means for Safety Oversight…medium.com
How Two Jetliners Nearly Collided Over the Pacific, Why No One Knows About It, and What It Means for Safety Oversight…medium.com
The Great Works of Software
Is it possible to propose a software canon? To enumerate great works of software that are deeply influential—that…medium.com
Is it possible to propose a software canon? To enumerate great works of software that are deeply influential—that…medium.com
June
My startup failed, and this is what it feels like…
We had users and traction, then we fell off a cliff. My 4 year emotional rollercoaster just came to an end.medium.com
We had users and traction, then we fell off a cliff. My 4 year emotional rollercoaster just came to an end.medium.com
BuzzFeed’s Jonah Peretti Goes Long
The media mogul (twice over) on being both contagious and stickymedium.com
The media mogul (twice over) on being both contagious and stickymedium.com
Technical debt 101
A primer about technical debt, legacy code, big rewrites and ancient wisdom for non technical managersmedium.com
A primer about technical debt, legacy code, big rewrites and ancient wisdom for non technical managersmedium.com
The Secret to Getting Top-Secret Secrets
How a journalist with a dark past learned to pry info from the government—and redeemed himself in the processmedium.com
How a journalist with a dark past learned to pry info from the government—and redeemed himself in the processmedium.com
9 Things I Learned as a Software Engineer
…that I wish I had known when I started grad schoolmedium.com
…that I wish I had known when I started grad schoolmedium.com
12 Lessons of Waking Up at 4:30 a.m. for 21 Days
If it works for me, maybe it works for you!medium.com
If it works for me, maybe it works for you!medium.com
July
10 Tricks to Appear Smart During Meetings
Here are my ten favorite tricks for quickly appearing smart during meetings.medium.com
Here are my ten favorite tricks for quickly appearing smart during meetings.medium.com
We All Got Trolled
Supporters of Internet freedom rallied around weev before he went to prison. Now that the hacker is out, he’s maybe…medium.com
Supporters of Internet freedom rallied around weev before he went to prison. Now that the hacker is out, he’s maybe…medium.com
How to Flawlessly Predict Anything on the Internet
Spark conspiracies, incite riots, and predict the future with a confidence scam for the Twitter eramedium.com
Spark conspiracies, incite riots, and predict the future with a confidence scam for the Twitter eramedium.com
August
I Quit Liking Things On Facebook for Two Weeks. Here’s How It Changed My View of Humanity
a hopeful look at what happens when you quit the Likemedium.com
a hopeful look at what happens when you quit the Likemedium.com
What Kind of Logo Do You Get for $5?
An epic tale of deception, stolen artwork, and crappy logosmedium.com
An epic tale of deception, stolen artwork, and crappy logosmedium.com
DON’T do what you love.
“Do what you love and the money will follow,” is terrible advice given by lucky people.medium.com
“Do what you love and the money will follow,” is terrible advice given by lucky people.medium.com
September
How quitting my corporate job for my startup dream f*cked my life up
And five questions I wish I had asked myself at the very beginningmedium.com
And five questions I wish I had asked myself at the very beginningmedium.com
What It’s like to Fly the $23,000 Singapore Airlines Suites Class
The world’s best airline experience, from Singapore to New York.medium.com
The world’s best airline experience, from Singapore to New York.medium.com
How Andreessen Horowitz Is Disrupting Silicon Valley
Just over the crest of the highest point on Sand Hill Road, amid a cluster of relaxed buildings that could easily pass…medium.com
Just over the crest of the highest point on Sand Hill Road, amid a cluster of relaxed buildings that could easily pass…medium.com
October
Sex Is Sex. But Money Is Money.
Escorts make $100 a hand job — but entrepreneurs like me? We make $5,000 a night. How I hacked the new economy of the…medium.com
Escorts make $100 a hand job — but entrepreneurs like me? We make $5,000 a night. How I hacked the new economy of the…medium.com
How to start a startup without ruining your life
Startups are emotional roller coasters that make you feel like you’re changing the world and that everything is falling…medium.com
Startups are emotional roller coasters that make you feel like you’re changing the world and that everything is falling…medium.com
Tilde.Club: I had a couple drinks and woke up with 1,000 nerds
I had a couple drinks and woke up with 1,000 nerds ¶
The story of Tilde.Clubmedium.com
I had a couple drinks and woke up with 1,000 nerds ¶
The story of Tilde.Clubmedium.com
Here’s Why Public Wifi is a Public Health Hazard
Maybe Better If You Don’t Read This Story on Public WiFi ¶
We took a hacker to a café and, in 20 minutes, he knew…medium.com
Maybe Better If You Don’t Read This Story on Public WiFi ¶
We took a hacker to a café and, in 20 minutes, he knew…medium.com
November
Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed
Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed [Alexis Ohanian] on Amazon.com. *FREE…www.amazon.com
Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed [Alexis Ohanian] on Amazon.com. *FREE…www.amazon.com
How to Get Away with Uber
What exactly is it about the controversy-baiting, aggressive, indispensable taxi app that pisses so many people off?medium.com
What exactly is it about the controversy-baiting, aggressive, indispensable taxi app that pisses so many people off?medium.com
How Burrowing Owls Lead To Vomiting Anarchists (Or SF's Housing Crisis Explained)
Microsoft Rolls Out The April Xbox One Update - Here's What's Inside The Santa Clara Valley was some of the most…techcrunch.com
Microsoft Rolls Out The April Xbox One Update - Here's What's Inside The Santa Clara Valley was some of the most…techcrunch.com
The Most Fascinating Profile You'll Ever Read About a Guy and His Boring Startup | WIRED
Ariel Zambelich/WIRED Stewart is hungry. He's munching on potatoes smothered in chicken fat drippings, sitting by a…www.wired.com
Ariel Zambelich/WIRED Stewart is hungry. He's munching on potatoes smothered in chicken fat drippings, sitting by a…www.wired.com
December
Time Hacking for College Students
Picture this: Full-time student taking full course load, working part time, leading a growing club at his university…medium.com
Picture this: Full-time student taking full course load, working part time, leading a growing club at his university…medium.com
Feel free to share what you loved to read this year. Oh, and I’m @karangoel.
Off to a great 2015!
