Quick Update

Back to the regular programming

Phew, that quarterly report took a lot to prepare! I spent a few weeks reading Warren Buffett’s letters to better understand his writing style and how to weave it with my own best. What an experience, and what a guy, and what a company.

With the start of Q4, I have some big goals and this expedition is halfway over!! Below is a quick update on the more traditional things.

1. Ground Covered

• The entire eastern seaboard of the continental US (I drove)

2. What I’m Reading

I read a lot since the last newsletter, including Warren’s letters over the last 50 years! So, I’m only writing one bullet per book with reflections.

List of Completed Books (visit my Goodreads profile for the links, etc):

• Thinking in Bets - too similar to How to Decide

• Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close - Cute(ish) but rather fluffy

• Shoe Dog: Memoir by the creator of Nike - F***ing love this book

• An Athlete’s Guide to Winning in Sports and Life - Practical and watered down version of ‘The Inner Game of Tennis’

• Berkshire Hathaway Letters to Shareholders: 1965-2012 - Epic

• The Skincare Hoax - chapters 8, 9, and 10 are where it’s at

• The Science of Beauty - looks nice and covers more than skincare; not sure I like it

Current Bookshelf:

• The Culture Map (thanks for the suggestion Marcele!)

• Laws of Human Nature

• What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

• A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients

• You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters

3. Experiences

Driving the Eastern Seaboard

• September was full of life admin stuff, which involved packing up more furniture in Florida and driving up to Pennsylvania

  • Shoutout to all my Florida friends and hoping you are safe and recover from the storms soon. I know a few people in Tampa and St. Pete who were seriously impacted, and my heart goes out to them and others.

  • If you’re reading this and need a place to stay or looking for support, please reach out!

  • If you’re reading this and looking for ways to help, the Red Cross always makes a big impact, and here is their website on the efforts

Befriending Pizza Maker of the Year

• I think the most noteworthy part of Q3 was meeting 2024’s Pizza Maker of the Year, Giorgia Caporuscio

  • Giorgia owns Don Antionio’s near Times Square and is one of the few female pizza makers in the industry. I had wanted to get an apprenticeship at Giorgia’s restaurant, but the timing didn’t work out. However, we’ll reconnect in 2025 when I’m back from travels.

  • It’s pretty amazing how small the pizza world is. Giorgia is from Naples, Italy, and has known my pizza instructor Enzo Coccia SINCE SHE WAS 8 YEARS OLD!!!! WHAT IS THIS WORLD?!?!

    

  • Giorgia and I had the chance to chat 1:1 for an hour and her guidance and encouragement were a much-needed breath of fresh air.

    • She is the first person to tell me my 2,000 slice goal is doable AND she gave me pizza recommendations for Asia - noting they have good pizza and her dad (also a famous pizzaiolo) just came back from there

  • A few days after we chatted, Giorgia gave a talk at Harvard on the science of pizza, which my sister attended

  • Needless to say, I think I’m deep in the world of pizza

Minnie My Doggie

• Minnie is my 2-year-old doggie, who is super sweet and nearly perfect in every way (I’m biased)

• Minnie’s name comes from her small size, not the Disney character

• One of the hardest parts of this expedition is being away from her, but thanks to my loving parents I know she is in good hands

• Here are a few pictures

  

  

  My Minnie Girl

4. Learnings

• The less stuff I have in my life, the fuller it feels

  • Interpretation: I’m purposely homeless, have access to minimal clothing, and all my belongings are in storage. Yet my life feels fuller than ever.

• When you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail

• Feedback is just information; you need to process it like a computer and remove your emotion

• McDonald’s menu prices fluctuate throughout America, reflecting local differences in labor costs, taxes, and competition. There was over a $3 spread in the meal I ordered while road-tripping up the East Coast (n=4)

• “Life is more like poker not chess, because chess has a set of possible outcomes while life is uncertain and outcomes are influenced by luck.” - Annie Duke

5. Questions I’m Contemplating

• In general and in the US, why do women say “sorry”, when men say “excuse me” when navigating crowded spaces?

• Why are the beds at silent meditation “camps” slabs of concrete?

• Is Mira Murati reading this newsletter?

• Is Chairman a gender-neutral term, or should it be Chair of the Board? When does it matter? Is it wrong that I’m using Chairman instead of the other variations?

6. What’s Next?

• South Korea, I’m leaving tomorrow and humming this song

7. Feedback?

• Thanks to those who shared feedback on the Q3 letter, if you haven’t shared feedback yet please let me know what you think about it, Warren Buffett, and other shareholder letters you’ve enjoyed.

• What other thoughts do you have?