9/20/2024

Life

I've been feeling overwhelmed lately, and I think a lot of it comes from my productivity stack. I'm big on the GTD methodology, but definitely have a habit of checking email and my Todoist inbox multiple times a day, which I realize now makes me feel like I'm spinning tires, and not actually getting anything done. I'm trying out a couple online working services (Caveday, Flow Club, FLOWN) to see if that can help me get back into a deep work routine. Or just planning better, and trying to eat the frog every morning.

Work

I've been thinking a lot about what I want Curve to be, and a big part of that was reading Company of One. It's a fantastic read, and really the crux of it is asking if growth is the right option; in other words, you can add staff, but that means you need HR, managers, etc. Granted, Curve is years from that, but it makes me think of the power of being small, and being able to build relationships and be a partner in a way that bigger firms can't.

Rabbit Hole

Alongside Company of One, I've been reading At Home for my lighter evening read. One of the stories the book shares is about Joseph Paxton: Besides designing the Crystal Palace for the 1851 Great Exhibition (one of the first large buildings to use glass and iron) he was also a gardening expert. At Chatsworth House, he built huge greenhouses, including one just to grow giant water lilies. He was into urban planning, helped design London parks, and even got into politics as a Member of Parliament. Oh, and on the side, he started a magazine about gardening, invented a fancy kind of hose, and once floated the idea of building a giant glass dome over parts of London.

Reading

Company of One: One big takeaway for me is thinking about how sharing your expertise online usually helps you; yes, other companies can copypasta your work, but they can't copy your personality, how you show up for your clients, and the thought process you bring into it- all things a small (ie microagency) can focus on as their unique selling point.

Favorite Quote