Summer In the City
Announcing The Prolix Podcast, Some Summer Recommendations, Personal Updates, and Another Podcast
Happy summer everybody,
I hope you are finding ways to beat the heat!
I am foregoing the usual thought piece in order to make a few announcements and recommendations. Don’t worry — we will return to the usual programming very soon! I have a couple of half-baked newsletters that I’m looking forward to finishing.
I heard a lot of great feedback after publishing Lightspeed In A Hamster Wheel. I’m grateful to know it struck a chord, but also just grateful. I’m blown away that anyone would take the time to read my writing. Your attention is so valuable to me — thank you.
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General Updates
🎙️ Prolix Podcast
Prolix is now on audio! Not only will I be uploading recorded versions of these newsletters, but I am going to be inviting some of my friends, peers, and mentors to chat about some Prolix-related topics. Audio versions of this year’s newsletters are already up if you want to take a listen. I’m venturing into audio because I want to play with a different medium. Admittedly, I am a little unsatisfied with the current form; so while these are good, I hope to make them a lot more fun in the future. Click here if you’re a Spotify person and over here if you’re an Apple Podcasts person!
🕸 Upcoming Webinar On Playfulness (7/16)
A colleague who read my recent newsletter on Work and Play has invited me to participate in a webinar to discuss the topic. This is a part of a series of sessions hosted by The World Management Agility Forum in lead-up to their conference. The webinar is completely free and you’re now officially invited. Please take the time to attend if you are able! It’s on July 16th at 10am Eastern Time.
💾 Personal Website
“Website” is a strong word, since it’s really just a homemade Notion page that I made public. As you know, I am a big advocate for “showing the seams,” so I created a place where I could dump my resources, databases, and notes for people interested in the same things as me. This will definitely grow (and maybe get a legitimate domain name) in the near future, so please check it out when you can.
🚪Before You Go
Speaking about doing things for the fun of it — Cynthia and I started a podcast together. (Yep — TWO audio projects!) The first few episodes are up for you to peruse. These are unstructured conversations where we chat up a little mischief and light-heartedly discuss anything from the high-brow to the low-brow. Marriage with her is one of my greatest joys and I expect that joy to rub off on whoever decides to listen. Here is the Spotify version and the Apple Podcast version!
This Week’s Roundup:
📊 A Business Article You Should Read
Gallup has finally released their annual State of the Workplace study for 2024. The bad news is that 62% of employees are either not engaged or actively disengaged from their work. The good news is that engaged managers seem to be the primary (although not exclusive) positive influence against disengagement. Good management really does lead to a better quality of life!
🌉 A Study I Can’t Stop Thinking About
This has been out a few years, but I recently came across this study which found that opening new bridges accelerates the number of startups being founded in a local geographic community. The next time I’m in conversation about methods to catalyze entrepreneurship and innovation, I can’t wait to ask if they’ve considered building a bridge. The reading pairs nicely with this sensational video about the construction of New York’s most iconic bridges.
🎮 A Product I Am Keeping An Eye On
Analogue Pocket released a handheld for old-school Nintendo Gameboy games. My brothers and I survived countless car trips by playing games like Advanced Wars, Zelda: Minish Cap, and Kirby: Dreamland. Although I’m not going to purchase one, I delight in seeing these retro titles revived and given their flowers.
🎬 A Movie For You To Watch This Summer
Godzilla Minus One hit Netflix recently. I watched this film at the end of 2023, only a few days after it debuted in the States. I expected an entertaining and cheesy action flick, but was met with one of the most existentially affirming, thoughtful, and soulful films I have seen in a long time. I 10/10 recommend for anyone, whether you’re a kaiju fanatic or monster skeptic. Knowing that the film cost just the fraction of the budget of most Oscar-winning films makes it even more enjoyable.
“I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's. I will not reason and compare: my business is to create.” — William Blake
My “New” Favorite Tech
Cynthia got me a reusable film camera for my birthday and it’s quickly become one of my most prized possessions. Not only does it allow me to ditch my phone without fear of being camera-less, but it has stirred up a whole new kind of attentiveness to the world. I’ve pretty much taken it everywhere the last couple of weeks and since it’s such a cost effective technology ($30), I’m never stressed about breaking or losing it. I’m a few decades late to the party, but I aim to begin developing my own film soon as well.
Here are a few pictures from this month:
Conclusion
That’s all for this week. Long-form thoughts will be coming soon. I would love to hear from you, so please reach out via email, Linkedin, or Substack DM’s. I deeply appreciate every one of you.
Stay curious,
Bradley