Recommendations for you
Welcome to This for That’s monthly collection of curated recommendations for you to read, listen to, watch and buy plus job openings and more. Please send me your feedback or ideas for upcoming posts. And if you enjoy This for That, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.
To read …
How To Negotiate with Ransomware Hackers (New Yorker) - how do you negotiate with a hacker demanding ransom? This piece highlights the growth of ransomware through the lens of a ransomware negotiator. The piece highlights how negotiations is a calling that some fall into by chance and the inherent conflicts of building a business model negotiating ransoms.
An unexpected partnership - maybe Mideast peace is not on your priority reading list this week. Probably not. But if you are intrigued by opponents uniting over a common foe, then you need to take a look at what is happening in Israel, where a partnership of political opponents has joined forced to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This partnership is nothing short of remarkable. You can read about it here: Washington Post summary; Tom Friedman column; NYTimes Daily podcast.
The Anatomy of a Story by John Truby (book) - a valuable read for anyone that needs to tell a story (e.g. everyone). Not only will this book help shape your own storytelling but it alters the way you understand movies, books, etc.
To listen to ...
For entertaining business analysis - Not Boring (podcast) - Packy McCormick’s business analysis goes down easy thanks to his clever writing and pop culture references. Learn about everything from Martha Stewart’s brilliance (Martha Stewart’s Reign of Relevancy) to Etherium (Own the Internet) to the endurance brilliance of Excel (Excel Never Dies). Also a newsletter.
For a fresh take on negotiating tactics - Never Split the Difference (audiobook) - Chris Voss writes a clever negotiations book based on his experience as an FBI negotiator and contrasts his approach against the academics who have written most negotiations books on the market. I recommend Chapter 2 (Be the Mirror) which addresses in detail the importance of listening and making others feel heard. Voss outlines three different tones of voice to use.
To watch ...
I love Twitter for threads like this one where Tim Alberta asked “What is a beautiful, well-written, thought-provoking film that you’ve watched repeatedly but sense most others have never seen (or even heard of)?” So many items to add to my watch list.
To buy …
for an old school way to set your daily priorities - Analog. With so many productivity tools to choose from you can waste hours evaluating them. Analog is a clever, old school pen and paper solution for writing down your daily goals and seeing them throughout your day at your desk. If you prefer to build your own version, you can turn to Etsy for this simple business card holder and use it for displaying your daily to-do list.
For a prediction …
remote work will lead to a new breed of two-job holders. Engineer by Day, Venture Capitalist by Night. For decades, many Americans have held down two or three jobs to make ends meet. With the new work-from-home era we have entered, I predict more high-income earners will join the world of holding down two jobs. This interesting write-up from a Google engineer who works at a VC firm on the side is a window into a world where employees operate even more as free agents.
For strange news …
Drone footage of sharks & surfers - you won’t look at the surf again after seeing this footage.
Library return 48 years later - this San Francisco retiree found a Bob Dylan record he borrowed from his local library 48 years ago.
For parents …
Good Inside with Dr. Becky - her Instagram posts are a wealth of valuable tactical tips on how to parent better. She recently launched a podcast which covers topics like sibling rivalry and talking about private parts. She offers workshops. She’s the parenting coach parents need with practical, tactical tips. And her message is that we are all … good inside. What is not to love about Dr. Becky?
Job opportunities
Early Stage
Head of BD & Strategic Partnerships, The Players Trunk - an early stage marketplace for college sports fanatics seeking to help former college athletes monetize their gear.
Director of Partnerships, Arrive - based in LA, Arrive rents gear to those looking for a weekend in the woods but don’t own the gear (tents, sleeping bags, stove, etc). Rental and shipping economics seem tough here but helping people spend more time outdoors sounds like a fun problem to work on.
Senior Manager, Business Development, The Mom Project - There are so many talented moms who took time away from the workforce to care for their children. The Mom Project is a talent marketplace that helps moms find their way to the companies who need them.
Senior Director, Channel Partnerships, Murson - VR will take many years to reach mainstream adoption but is already having a big impact on enterprise learning and healthcare. Murson is helping bring VR to a hospitals, schools and corporate training centers.
Mid-stage
Platform Partnerships Manager, Figma - a rocketship that provides a collaborative design SaaS solution and likely needs a leader to execute many platform partnership integrations.
VP of Business Development, Thrive Global - with a mission to “end the stress and burnout epidemic” Thrive is striving to build a SaaS business that makes life healthier for its users.
VP of Business Development, CrossFit - CrossFit is competing with everyone from Peloton to Nike to your local gym for mindshare over your exercise routine.
Head of Creator Partnerships, Patreon - Get paid to be at the forefront of the creator economy and getting more great creators paid.
BigCo
Leader, New Product Partnerships, Stripe - this is a great role at a great company doing big things. That said, the good folks at Stripe will not appreciate that I placed them in this category.
If you’ve made it this far but haven’t yet subscribed to This for That, you can now:
