Three Interesting Reads from the Week of January 26

Posted 01.30.2015

As the week wraps up, I thought I’d share three articles that have caught my eye and made me think this week. Here’s the list:

Bitcoin and the Digital Currency Revolution:  A couple of weeks ago I was talking with a CEO who told me that Bitcoin puts a lot of companies in the same position that Kodak was in at the beginning of digital photography. This essay from the Wall Street Journal is the best article I’ve seen for an explanation of how Bitcoin works and why it could be a game changer.

10,000 Hours with Reid Hoffman: What I Learned:  Ben Casnocha is a bit of a prodigy who wrote his first book, My Start-Up Life, while he was in college and has co-authored two more books with Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn. For the past three years, Casnocha has been in the room (or on the private jet) pretty much constantly with Hoffman while serving as his chief of staff. In this long write-up on his personal blog, Casnocha shares in bite size chunks 16 things he’s learned from working with Hoffman. My favorite: Reason is the steering wheel, emotion is the gas pedal.

A Note to My Readers:  Fifteen years ago, Andrew Sullivan started writing The Daily Dish, his blog of political and cultural commentary.  He was in the blogging game early and had a huge influence on how the form developed. In “A Note to My Readers”, he’s announcing that he’s quitting the blog and explains why. It’s a beautifully written rumination on choice and opportunity cost.

What have you read this week that expanded your perspective?