Weekend Briefing No. 565
Algorithmic Denial -- The Success Paradox -- A Farmer and a Miner
Welcome to the weekend.
Prime Numbers
31,300,000 — The 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade achieved record viewership with 31.3 million viewers, marking a 10% increase from the previous year's record and notable success in attracting 7.24 million viewers in the key 18–49 demographic.
71% — Analytics has dramatically shifted NFL fourth-down strategy, with teams now going for it 71% of the time on fourth-and-one and showing increased aggressiveness on longer fourth downs when teams have historically punted.
1,000,000,000 — The United States has invested some $1 billion into the Vera Rubin, a telescope in the Chilean high desert that will begin its work next year. It’s an exciting project — it can scan a much larger section of the sky than NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and, after 30 seconds, can deliver an image that goes 13 billion years back in time.
Algorithmic Denial
A major lawsuit alleges UnitedHealth Group illegally used an algorithm to deny rehabilitation care to Medicare Advantage patients despite knowing its 90% error rate. Through internal directives, the company pressured staff to align patient-care decisions within 1% of the algorithm's predictions, leading to premature discharges and forcing families like Gene Lokken's to pay $150,000 out-of-pocket for essential care. This case exposes how artificial intelligence (AI)-driven health care decisions, coupled with low appeal rates of just 0.2%, can systematically override doctor recommendations and burden vulnerable patients, raising serious questions about the intersection of automated systems and medical care. The case illustrates how algorithmic decision-making in health care can prioritize cost savings over medical expertise and patient well-being, creating a dangerous precedent where AI overrides human medical judgment in life-critical situations. Stat News (8 minutes)
The Success Paradox
Counterintuitively, becoming excellent at making money can trap you in a cycle that prevents building real wealth, as demonstrated by high-earning professionals who find themselves too "expensive" to invest time in wealth-building systems. This modern paradox manifests in three stages: skill acceleration where income grows consistently, golden handcuffs where lifestyle inflation matches higher earnings and finally system paralysis where the opportunity cost of building automated income becomes prohibitively high. The solution lies in developing wealth-generating systems early in your career before expertise makes your time too valuable, essentially building the elevator while still on the ground floor rather than climbing an increasingly expensive ladder. Scott D. Clary (7 minutes)
Nonprofits Under Fire
A new bill, dubbed the “Kill Nonprofits Bill” (HR 9495), could impose massive pressures on nonprofits. The legislation would grant the Treasury Department unilateral authority to revoke tax-exempt status, making it even harder for nonprofits to sustain their work. For many, it’s a wake-up call: the sector must adapt to survive. Tools like Fast Forward’s playbooks can help. From automating operations to scaling impact, the free playbooks are nonprofit guides to using tech and AI to sustain and scale. In uncertain times, nonprofits need every advantage to stay resilient. Fast Forward (Sponsored)
A Farmer and a Miner
In a remarkable fusion of agriculture and cryptocurrency, a Dutch tulip farmer found an ingenious solution to Europe's energy crisis by using heat generated from Bitcoin mining servers to warm her greenhouse. The solar-powered mining operation produces a 20-degree Celsius temperature differential that offsets expensive gas heating costs while generating cryptocurrency revenue, creating a mutually beneficial partnership between the farmer and mining company. The innovative approach demonstrates how creative problem-solving can turn energy-intensive crypto mining into an environmentally positive venture, potentially offering a blueprint for sustainable farming practices during energy shortages. The 15,000 euro mining servers, maintained monthly and split between farmer and mining firm, showcase how traditional agriculture can adapt to modern technology while reducing both costs and environmental impact. Euronews (5 minutes)
Stoic Gratitude
The most profound form of gratitude emerges from life's challenges, not its comforts — as exemplified by Epictetus, who found appreciation despite enduring slavery and exile. True gratitude requires the mental discipline to view obstacles as opportunities, whether they manifest as troublesome clients that force us to build better boundaries or traffic jams that create space for meaningful conversations. By practicing gratitude for hardships as deliberately as we do for blessings, we unlock the transformative power to see every situation as having two handles: one of resentment and another of appreciation, ultimately shaping how we grow through adversity rather than despite it. Through regular practice — particularly through journaling — this deeper form of gratitude becomes not just an annual ritual but a daily strength that transforms our relationship with life's inevitable challenges. Ryan Holiday (8 minutes)
How to Live, According to Carl Jung
Jung's profound insight that true enlightenment comes through embracing our shadows rather than seeking pure light challenges conventional wisdom about personal growth and happiness. His analysis reveals that meaning emerges from consciously integrating both our light and dark aspects, rather than suppressing what makes us uncomfortable or focusing solely on positive experiences. Becoming "whole" requires us to interpret life's experiences — both positive and negative — as opportunities for growth, while developing a deeper relationship with our unconscious mind that shapes so much of our behavior and reactions. The path to authentic living lies not in avoiding pain or seeking constant happiness, but in the courageous work of making our unconscious patterns conscious, allowing us to actively shape our fate rather than being unknowingly directed by it. Postantly (8 minutes)
What We Learn From Fire
The ancient practice of fire-building holds profound wisdom for modern success, revealing timeless principles through flame and smoke such as: 1) The most important factors in success are often invisible — just as oxygen is crucial but unseen in fire, focusing only on visible elements while ignoring underlying forces can prevent breakthroughs. 2) Building effective systems matters more than individual components — a successful fire depends on creating proper airflow patterns that persist rather than perfectly arranging temporary logs. 3) Momentum and favorable conditions trump perfect preparation — a pre-heated log will catch fire easily even with mediocre setup, just as leveraging existing advantages often matters more than flawless planning. Anil Dash (6 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
Check out my other email Founder Fridays — a Friday morning briefing helping startup founders and operators scale smarter.
Weekend Wisdom
Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate. - Carl Jung