NYTimes: “Setting goals in off hours — what some call “leisure crafting” — looks a bit like another example of letting work-brain logic worm its way into personal lives. But done right, it can help you feel a sense of purpose, confidence and accomplishment that’s unrelated to work, said Alex Hamrick, a management professor at the University of Richmond who has written about the topic…The idea of leisure crafting is not to radically shift your approach to free time — or even pick new pursuits — as much as it is to incorporate a few goals, Dr. Hamrick said. Like to run? Train for a race. Enjoy reading? Aim to read a certain number of books by the end of the year.”
SaaStr: “A Vibe-able app [is one where] you communicate your intent in plain English, and the application morphs itself to match your vision. Can you do some of this with Zapier, some elbow grease etc? Some. And tools like Zapier are amazing. But it’s time to go further. It’s time for us to be able to prompt our core apps (ERP, CRM, data, etc.) to just have them function as we want them and need them to function. Not just as some designer designed it — and limited it.”
Kevin Kelly: “In my professional life, I’ve had several bestselling books published by New York publishers, as well as many other titles that sold modestly. I have also self-published a bunch of books, including one bestseller on Amazon and two massive hit Kickstarter-funded books. I have had lots of foreign edition books released by other publishers around the world, including bestsellers in those countries. Every year I also publish a few private books to give away. I’ve contracted books to be printed in the US and overseas. I’ve sold big coffee-table masterpieces and tiny text booklets. Together with partners, I run some notable newsletters, a very popular website, and a podcast with 420 episodes. I accumulated followers on various platforms. I’m often asked for advice about how to go about publishing today, with all its options, so here is everything I have learned about publishing and self-publishing so far.”
Bloomberg on India’s quick commerce market: “The market is expected to balloon to $100 billion in sales by 2035, from $6 billion now, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. That would make it nearly a fifth of the country’s overall e-commerce sales, up from just 5% today. Barely five years old, the sector has already seen explosive growth. Blinkit, snapped up by Eternal Ltd. (then known as Zomato) for about $570 million just three years ago, is now worth at least $15 billion, according to some analysts. Zepto, valued at $6 billion, is eyeing a public listing next year. Swiggy Ltd., whose Instamart is another industry heavyweight, is valued at $12 billion, with its quick-commerce arm estimated to account for roughly 40% of that. But BI and other analysts warn the euphoria is outpacing fundamentals. Valuations are inflating fast, margins are razor-thin, and the space is teeming with near-identical competitors — all chasing the same impatient customer. For now, companies are spending heavily to offer incentives, operating at a breakneck pace to outlast rivals — with investors underwriting the losses. If consumer discounts are pulled, the model could quickly unravel.”
