Get Out of the House & Walk Outside
Use Your Mind and Your Resources
Welcome to the 5 new Growers who have joined us since my last post on 1/15! Join 80 ambitious and self-motivated Growers by subscribing here:
Hi Growers🌱,
For Q1 of this year, I am going to publish every Sunday. This will create a sense of when you can expect some growth insights in your inbox.
This will also provide me a natural rhythm to my writing and a way to hold myself accountable.
I selected Sunday because I think this is when the best personal growth can happen. It’s a time to prepare for the week ahead, think deeply, work on your hobby or side project, and generally do things that you might not have had time for during the week.
I hope by reading this on Sunday, you gain clarity and inspiration to do things that help you grow.
Best,
Aidan
Mix It Up
We have all heard it before, that it’s easy to get stuck in routine and normalcy.
In fact, we are actually hardwired to find ways for our mind to go on autopilot. Being on autopilot conserves energy, which our ancestors needed to do.
But in today’s age, auto-pilot is a disease that we must fight ferociously.
We all go through periods of autopilot (you might even be going through the motions right now)….
Jeff Bezos said in his final shareholder letter:
“The body tends to revert to a state of equilibrium with its environment.
In what ways does the world pull at you in an attempt to make you normal? How much work does it take to maintain your distinctiveness? To keep alive the thing or things that make you special?”
Even after arriving back from Egypt and Turkey, where my consciousness and daily routine was completely mixed up, I found myself quickly reverting back to habits before I left.
Working from home has its benefits, but it can also become incredibly monotonous and mundane.
I have felt my creativity lacking and inability to be inspired. I knew I needed to fight this staleness that was creeping into my everyday life.
To counter act this, I simply went to a local coffee shop to work. While this might not seem like much, I instantly felt revitalized. Being around new people, sitting with a great coffee, listening to music in the background, and the new environment as a whole, was like rocket fuel for my brain. This was by far the most productive I had been in days.
If you’re feeling stuck, don’t let too many days go by. Mix up your work environment, and get your energy and creativity back.
Implementing No Phone Walks
We are incredibly used to having our phones with us at all times. When we don’t have our phones, it’s typically because we are doing a workout or some activity when we might not be able to check our phone.
My girlfriend and I recently went on some walks where we left our phones in the apartment so we could not only be more present with each other, but more present with ourselves and the world.
The walks felt incredibly therapeutic. My thoughts were clear without distraction, and I got more grounded with where I’m at in this moment of life.
Y-Combinator Resources
One thing that makes me incredibly bullish on the future is that it’s never been easier to start a company. With more capital floating around then ever before along with thousands of startup programs to support founders, building companies has become a fairly industrialized process in America these days.
If you are into startups, then you without a doubt have heard of Y-Combinator. Y-Combinator is a startup incubator that is harder to get into than MIT or Stanford, and they really pioneered the model of providing capital, mentorship and education for founders in exchange for equity. Y-Combinator has produced companies like AirBnB, Coinbase and DoorDash.
But many people aren’t aware, that nearly all of their resources are available for you online, for free, without needing to get into their competitive in-person program. You can take courses for being an aspiring founder and use their platform to find a co-founder. They also have all sorts of standard legal documents you can tweak for when you want to raise money.
The resources can be found here.
News I’m Paying Attention To
World’s First Pig to Human Heart Transplant
I work at eGenesis, a biotech company aiming to solve the organ shortage, where I support on the investor relations and communications side of things. We are developing a new supply of human compatible organs and cells by genetically modifying pigs so that their organs can be transplanted safely and efficaciously into humans that are in need. Over 110K people are on the transplant waitlist, and 20 people die everyday because they are unable to receive a transplant.
Another company in the small field of xenotransplantation, United Therapeutics, performed a pig to human heart transplant in an emergency use authorization granted by the FDA. The patient continues to do well. This has created great momentum for the field!
HyperCharts Gets Bought by Public
In my free time, I partner with Gali on HyperGuap. Gali also runs the HyperChange YouTube channel and HyperCharts, a financial visualization tool.
HyperCharts was recently acquired by a HyperGuap portfolio company Public.
My friend Jeff Burke wrote an excellent piece about AMP Robotics, a company using AI visualization and robotic technology to process recycling faster, better and at scale. Recycling can be complicated and AMP Robotics helps automate it.
Go Your Own Way
Sometimes we resist being different. It’s hard to know what to do, and how to feel, when you don’t follow any conventional path.
But the quicker you realize that you’re on your own unique journey, and lean into that, you’ll be happier and accomplish more.
Grow with Aidan Becomes a Top 15 Philosophy Publication on Substack
I was recently informed that Grow with Aidan is now a Top 15 publication for philosophy on Substack.
This means, you’re in the right spot. It’s going to be a big year, and you’re early.
Follow me on Twitter for more updates.
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