"There's a starman waiting in the sky, he'd like to come and meet us, but he thinks he'd blow our minds." - Bowie Elon Musk has been grabbing more headlines than usual lately: for announcing a passenger trip to the moon, for the Model 3 becoming the best selling car in the US, for poking … Continue reading Demma’s Notes: Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
"You're already a cyborg." Elon MuskIn 2012 I noticed how addicted I was becoming to screens, mostly my phone. I wrote this article about it. To clarify, I was then, and remain now, a technology optimist. I am not the guy who wants to go off the grid and live in a tiny house in … Continue reading 4 Ways to Win Back Time From Your Phone
What follows is a somewhat disjointed collection of updates from the past month. I probably should have made this three separate posts, but I'm short on time and I wanted to memorialize some thoughts while they're fresh. Sad News About Our Move About a week after we arrived in Virginia we learned that the tractor … Continue reading Sad News, New Territory, 2 Great Books: 3 short posts in 1
Hello Everyone, I have some personal updates for all of our friends and colleagues out there. First, Kelly and I are excited to announce that we have welcomed our fourth baby into the family. Baby George was born on 5/16/2018 at 12:11 PM. He's a big healthy boy, born at 9 lbs 10 oz. My wife … Continue reading Demma Family Update
1984 is a book about power, life, government, freedom (or lack thereof) of speech, human nature, love, strength, and weakness. It's gripping, suspenseful, horrific, and at times, maddening. This post contains a summary of the book, some of my favorite (or most terrifying) quotes, and some applications for business people.
The primary job of a manager is to provide leadership for their team. To be a leader. But what is leadership? This post is about my definition of leadership.
Has it ever occurred to you that not only are you not doing a good job at work, but maybe you are actually making things worse? I think it’s a really good question to ask yourself, especially if you’re a manager. The answer might not be so obvious.
I have made some mistakes during my on-boarding, mostly centered around my ambition to start contributing quickly and my obsession with getting things done.
After nearly 12 years with Sleepy's/Mattress Firm, our family has decided to take on a new challenge.
I decided about two months ago to give a stand up desk a try. A stand up desk is just like it sounds - it's a higher desk that lets you stand up while working instead of sitting.
The golden age of radio was not the 1920s (or whenever) when families would huddle around giant wooden transistors listening to fake stores about aliens. The golden age of radio is happening today in your pocket. Stop missing out on podcasts. If you're not listening to podcasts you are missing some of the most profound, … Continue reading This is the Golden Age of Radio – How podcasts can change your commutes
So you didn't turn out to be a doctor or a lawyer. Your parents must be so disappointed. Just tell them to chill out. There's still hope for a long, progressive, and lucrative career that doesn't require any specialized schooling or hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loan debt. This USA today article listed … Continue reading How to Become A Manager
The first and biggest challenge for any new manager is finding the right balance between being a good people manager and an effective task manager.
I saw the Peter Thiel profile on 60 Minutes a couple of weeks ago and read this New Yorker profile on him last night. Thiel is an eccentric Silicone Valley billionaire who is know for founding PayPal and investing early in Facebook. But he is now becoming known most for his futuristic big thinking - … Continue reading Peter Thiel and My Underachievement
My boss likes to say that a huge part my job is to be the champion of my people. In other words, he reminds me how my employees need a leader who cares about them, who listens to them, and who will be their voice in the corporate congress. Employees need someone who is on … Continue reading The People’s Champ
