Issue 18
Welcome to a previous issue of The Journal. To get the latest issue delivered to your inbox, once a month, sign up for the newsletter here.
Hi all,
I hope this email finds you well. Darya, Toaster, and I are heading to Portland, Oregon to visit some family over the 4th of July holiday, then off to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for some fishing. I hope you get some time this summer to relax and enjoy the outdoors.
This is a fun issue (albeit a little Japanese heavy) issue. Enjoy.
Kevin
PS. — I’m on Instagram + follow Oak’s Instagram for inspiration!
Two new podcasts: Bill Maris & Sean Ellis
(Bill Maris, Founder of Google Ventures)
Now that I’m back in San Francisco my output of podcasts has started to increase.
Rather than confuse you with a bunch of different shows (The Journal, Foundation, etc.) I’ve decided to create a single feed called “The Kevin Rose Show” to hold all of my interviews. If you’ve subscribed to The Journal podcast in the past, then you’re good to go, as that’s the primary feed. If not, you can subscribe here.
This month I have two new episodes for you to check out:
Bill Maris, Founder, Google Ventures
Bill hired me into Google Ventures where I reported to him for several years during my tenure as General Partner. He was the Founder and first CEO of Google Ventures. With $3.0 billion under management and investments in Uber and Nest, GV was described as one of the hottest venture funds in Silicon Valley under his leadership. Maris oversaw the growth of the team from 1 to 70+, across 7 offices, 2 continents, and 400 investments. (Kevin Rose Show — Bill Maris — Audio: 48:33)
Sean Ellis, author of “Hacking Growth”
If you have an idea or product, then growing your business and users is always on your mind. In this interview, I sit down with Sean Ellis, author of “Hacking Growth: How Today’s Fastest-Growing Companies Drive Breakout Success.” Sean was instrumental in creating growth plans for companies like Dropbox, Eventbrite, Lookout, and more. (Kevin Rose Show — Sean Ellis — Audio: 51:33)
Video: I love these Japanese Sumo wrestling robots
Remember Robot Wars? A fun show but super slow at times. This is insanely fast paced and very to the point. I might build one…
Japanese Sumo Robots (Video: 5:54)
Podcast: What is Bitcoin & Ethereum?
I’ve been experimenting and buying cryptocurrency since 2011. A lot has changed since then. The platforms are now fairly mature and we’re seeing a new breed of extensions built on top of these technologies, such as smart contracts and decentralized apps (dApps).
All this can seem very foreign and confusing to most people that don’t track this space closely. Tim Ferriss has put together what I consider to be a great primer for those looking to understand where this is all headed. Definitely worth a listen if you’d like to deepen your understanding.
Tim Ferriss Show: The Quiet Master of Cryptocurrency (Audio: 2hr 34min)
How Duolingo invented a new way to teach one of the most difficult languages to learn — Japanese
Five years ago I was standing backstage at a tech conference with the founder of Duolingo:
“When are you launching Japanese?” I asked.
“Everyone asks that. Not anytime soon. It’s not easy to do it right,” he said.
Last week that all changed with the launch of Duolingo Japanese. Read their blog post here for all the geeky details. If you’d like to learn Japanese, or take another shot at it (like me) this could be just the way.
Duolingo Japanese ($FREE + In-App Purchases)
Creating dry-aged beef at home
I apologize if you’re a vegetarian, this post isn’t for you. Well, I guess you could age vegetables in here, but that’s better done in a fermenting crock.
Wikipedia: “Dry-aged beef is beef that has been hung or placed on a rack to dry for several weeks. This process involves considerable expense, as the beef must be stored near freezing temperatures. Moreover, only the higher grades of meat can be dry aged, as the process requires meat with a large, evenly distributed fat content. Because of this, dry-aged beef is seldom available outside of steak restaurants and upscale butcher shops or groceries. The key effect of dry aging is the concentration and saturation of the natural flavor, as well as the tenderization of the meat texture. The process changes beef by two means. Firstly, moisture is evaporated from the muscle. The resulting process of desiccation creates a greater concentration of beef flavour and taste. Secondly, the beef’s natural enzymes break down the connective tissue in the muscle, which leads to more tender beef.”
I put a lot of effort into eating a well-balanced diet including lots of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. However, I do consume grass-fed (sometimes corn finished) meat. And I really love the flavor of dry-aged beef. As mentioned above, it really concentrates the flavors.
Dry-aged beef at the butcher is expensive, a few dollars more per pound. In theory, you’d return your investment after a couple of years, depending on your rate of beef consumption.
Dry Ager Fridge — ($3,000+)
Your smartphone is making you stupid
Oh man, I had a feeling this was coming…
“A study from the University of Chicago suggests after discovering having your smartphone in close proximity not only distracts you from the task at hand, but reduces your ability to handle more complex cognitive actions like remembering and processing data. For those who depend on their smartphone for most things (so, everyone) the effects on their cognitive capacity may be most severe.”
As someone who suffers from attention issues, I’ve certainly noticed push notifications (desktop, iPhone, Apple Watch) do take a little of my brains CPU. This complete resonates with me…
My action plan:
- Turning off all push notifications to my Apple Watch. Phone calls only.
- Turn off desktop Twitter and iMessage notifications.
- Use my light phone, leaving my iPhone at home during the weekends.
Any other ideas on how to thoughtfully reduce technology? Respond to this email and I’ll include them in a future issue!
Your smartphone is making you stupid (Lifehacker: 3 minute read)
Last Japanese story, I promise. Samurai Armor for Cats and Dogs
Yes yes, this is the third Japanese story in this issue, but this was too amazing to not include.
Samurai Armor for your pets ($125-$146)
Science spotlight
The month’s best health and science links worth reading:
Contemplation
“Your potential, the absolute best you’re capable of — that’s the metric to measure yourself against. Your standards are. Winning is not enough. People can get lucky and win. People can be assholes and win. Anyone can win. But not everyone is the best possible version of themselves.”
~Ryan Holiday
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