Friends of Dave #98: Old School
QUESTION: what do elections and keg parties have in common?
I don't know about all of you, Friends, but I think I am finally reaching my breaking point with all of the triggering that is going on from the daily political headlines and news. On all sides.
Everywhere you turn, there's yelling, shouting, arguing, trolling, grandstanding, tweeting, finger pointing, posting, messaging and resisting. I see very little discussing, learning, understanding, compromising, empathizing, collaborating, respecting, speaking, smiling, or helping. Everyone is demanding that they be heard and quick to broadcast their opinions, but no one is actually listening.
And while it seems as though we might have reached peak levels of dysfunction in this country, for a number of reasons that I will not cover here, there is room to believe it could escalate even further. I find it truly exhausting.
With these heated midterm elections as the backdrop, I went into problem solving mode. Maybe the recent trip back to my alma mater was still fresh in my mind, but the last time I could remember midterms being this stressful was back in college. In those days, people were all collectively on edge, losing sleep over papers, projects and exams. It didn't matter if you were an English major or Finance major or Humanities major -- everyone was seemingly dealing with their own version of "hell."
We all knew it, and for the most part we didn't judge or argue about who's hell was worse or more important. If a roommate was a little on edge for a few weeks because they had a paper due or a major test we suffered through it and dealt with it. We realized that it would be our turn to be stressed out at some point and we would hope they could be understanding friends when it happened to us. Then, like clockwork, when midterms were over there seemed to be just one logical thing to do to blow off steam: go to an old school keg party.
And there we would be, usually holding either a red Solo cup or a blue one that we paid a $2 cover charge to get, listening to tales of what had transpired in each other's worlds over the past few weeks while occasionally working our way to the tap to try to get a few swigs of cheap beer before the keg was kicked. Sometimes, if we were lucky, one of our friends got impaired enough to want to do something crazy like go streaking across the quad to the gymnasium. There would inevitably be laughs and agreement all around that it was the "best night ever"....until the next one of course...
So I have been thinking: perhaps what this country needs is to come together for a good, old fashioned keg party to help blow off some steam, and put midterms (and our differences) in the rear view. While we may be individually focused on issues that impact our lives the most, we really are all united in just wanting the best for our families and loved ones. And I'm sure we could convince some clown to do the streaking and make everyone laugh. If only it could be that simple, right?
Have a great weekend everyone. Some insightful selections this week that I am pretty sure you will like. And, remember to take some time this Monday to acknowledge a veteran for their service if you can.
XOXO
Dave
3 To Get You Thinking...
Acting like an extravert has benefits, but not for introverts
Fake it till you make it? Acting like an extravert for a week makes most people feel happier – unless you’re an introvert.
The Surprising Power of The Long Game
In everything we do, we play the long or the short game. The short game is easy, pleasurable, and offers visible and immediate benefits. But it almost never leads to success. Great advice on how to get yourself focused and disciplined in order to play the long game.
How your life’s data means a version of you could live forever Your family and friends will be able to interact with a digital “you” that doles out advice—even when you’re gone.
4 For Your Day Job...
Don’t get complacent if your new business gets off to a fast start
Great interview and insights from Friend of Dave Bill McCue on entrepreneurship, networking and the challenges that come with running your own business or side gig.
The Huge FinTech Opportunity in Africa
Many markets in Africa are maturing and large players are establishing dominant positions in the fast money segment. But investors seeking high potential startups should look beyond retail payments and nano-credit, to innovators building high-engagement or “slow money” products, such as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) credit, savings, investments, insurance, and pensions.
Friends, I have it many times here: get yourselves familiar with the emerging opportunities in Africa. We will soon be talking about Africa like we talked about India 20 years ago.
When the McRib is available, the S&P 500 has an average daily return about 7 basis points (0.07%) higher than on days when it is not available. To put that into perspective, when annualized, that difference would be 19% every year.
Interesting take on how we interpret correlation and causation -- not just in the financial markets, but in everything we do.
Why you should charge a premium price for your services
People tend to perceive companies with higher pricing as more prestigious and, as a result, more desirable. They also assume that a high price indicates that the product or service quality is high as well.
I have seen this time and time again -- firms under price their offering because their salespeople are unable or afraid to sell value. Here is some good justification why you should probably increase your price.
Your Weekly Quirk...
Companies are hiring freelancers to make the office look busy
Not surprised. There was a large bank that I once worked for that must have hired freelancers to take naps in the cafeteria....
The World's Largest Hot Sauce Collection Might Be in an Arizona Living Room
Shocking....And here I would have bet money that it was in New Canaan, CT....
Voting Booths Were Imported from Australia to Stop Election Fraud
In ballot related news, pretty sure my 14 year old son is going to be in a band called "Hanging Chad." He told me the name is "low key edgey".....
And The Last Word....
LEARNING: America Is Divided By Education — www.theatlantic.com
Decades of funding cuts by state governments have already hit [universities] hard. And these cuts, in turn, have driven an increase in tuition costs and more animosity toward higher education.
Given that the midterm elections are over, I'm sure everyone wants a break from hearing about politics for a while. But I thought I would pass this along as it is good food for thought about the very real role that education and the "diploma divide" is playing across the country. Keep this in mind as midterms get into the rear view and you prepare for "finals."