Weekend Briefing No. 531
Eclipse -- Landmark Climate Ruling -- The Simple Path to Wealth
Welcome to the weekend.
Prime Numbers
20,000 — Botswana wants to send Germany 20,000 elephants.
80 — The dictator-controlled autonomous region of Chechnya banned any music that is slower than 80 beats per minute or more than 116 beats per minute, as well as music that does not “conform to the Chechen mentality and sense of rhythm.” The state, in its seemingly infinite wisdom, has given artists until June 1 to rewrite any nonconforming sound.
7 — One of the beautiful things about social media is that we get to see amazing natural phenomena from multiple perspectives around the world. Here’s a round up of seven stunning photos / videos of the eclipse.
Eclipse
Some of my family made the trip to see the eclipse in the path of totality. They raved about the experience. I stood on a rooftop in Brooklyn and saw a mildly interesting 80% eclipse. Apparently, the two experiences are as different as … well … night and day. My favorite first-hand account was from Tim Urban. He traveled to a rural field in Arkansas. A group of people and some cows gathered under a perfectly clear sky to witness a total solar eclipse. As the time of totality approached, the sun gradually became a thinner crescent, the lighting grew dimmer and sharper, and waves of light and dark rippled across the ground. Just before totality, a stunning diamond ring appeared, and then the Earth's dimmer switch suddenly went down, plunging the dim daylight into night. During totality, Tim experienced a surreal and eye-opening moment, seeing the solar system with his own eyes and realizing their place on a tiny rock in vast outer space. The scene was accompanied by a 360-degree sunset, chirping crickets and flying birds, while the cows remained confused. Wait But Why (7 minutes)
Landmark Climate Ruling
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that countries must reduce greenhouse gas emissions to protect people from the effects of climate change, setting a legal precedent for climate litigation within the Council of Europe's 46 member states. Senior Women for Climate Protection argued that their age and gender made them more vulnerable to the impacts of extreme heat, and Switzerland's failure to adequately regulate emissions violated their human rights. The ECHR found Switzerland's emission reduction efforts inadequate and identified significant regulatory gaps, requiring the Swiss government to decide how to fulfill its climate change obligations. The court rejected two similar cases brought by Portuguese youths and a former French mayor due to procedural issues and lack of territorial jurisdiction. The decisions come as new data revealed March was the 10th consecutive month to become the warmest on record. Associated Press (5 minutes)
The Hidden Waste Everywhere
How much hidden time and money is your organization wasting because of the misalignment trap? Traditional solutions like executive coaching and strategy consulting often fail to create sustained, system-wide improvements. They treat symptoms rather than the root cause — the misalignment between your people and your mission-critical goals.The cost is staggering: disengaged employees, missed targets, high turnover and unrealized potential. Talentism offers a contrarian approach. By redesigning how your company operates through your greatest asset — your people — it maximizes the probability of sustainable success. Don't let your people’s wasted potential continue to erode your organization's ability to thrive. Learn how Talentism’s Clarity Management can help you break free from the misalignment trap and unleash your company's full potential. Talentism (Sponsored)
The Simple Path to Wealth
Four timeless investing principles remain constant in the ever-changing world of finance: 1) Successful investing often requires patience and the ability to do nothing, resisting the urge to react to short-term market fluctuations and news headlines. 2) The best investment strategy is usually the simplest: focusing on a select group of well-understood companies or investing in low-cost index funds that align with one's character and investment style. 3) Investors should stick to low costs and fees, as even seemingly small fees can compound over time and significantly impact long-term returns. 4) The stock market is more emotional than logical in the short term, driven by fear and greed, but tends to reflect the intrinsic value of companies in the long run. Focusing on long-term fundamentals and keeping emotions out of investment decisions is crucial. While change is constant in the world, human nature generally remains the same, and those who stick to a sustainable long-term investing strategy are more likely to thrive. Despite various global events and challenges, the stock market has consistently trended upward over the past 30 years. Darius Foroux (6 minutes)
Luck v. Repeatable
Learning the right lessons from success and failure is crucial. After the dot-com crash, many investors concluded they should never invest in tech stocks, but the real lesson was to avoid speculating on overvalued assets. In business and investing, learn the big lessons about why things behave the way they do without assuming the past is a direct guide to the future. Distinguish between luck and repeatability when learning from others. Emulate repeatable skills; copying non-repeatable aspects of someone's success is like a 56-year-old dressing like a teenager and expecting to be cool. Focusing on what's repeatable gives ordinary people a chance to succeed. To get luckier, find what's repeatable. Colab Fund (5 minutes)
Tortured Artist
Many people think that artists need to suffer to create good art. David Lynch disagrees. It stands to reason: the more you suffer, the less you want to create. If you’re truly depressed, they say you can’t even get out of bed, let alone create. It occupies the whole brain, poisons the artist, poisons the environment; little room for creativity. YouTube (2 minutes)
Photos
World Press Photo has announced the regional winners of its prestigious annual photo competition, highlighting the best photojournalism and documentary photography of 2024. Check out these intriguing photos from around the world. World Press Photo (8 minutes)
Should We Work Together?
Hi! I’m Kyle. This newsletter is my passion project. When I’m not writing, I run a law firm that helps startups move fast without breaking things. Most founders want a trusted legal partner, but they hate surprise legal bills. At Westaway, we take care of your startup’s legal needs for a flat, monthly fee so you can control your costs and focus on scaling your business. If you’re interested, let’s jump on a call to see if you’re a good fit for the firm. Click here to schedule a one-on-one call with me.
Founder Fridays
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Weekend Wisdom
Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often. -Mark Twain