January in Review - Big Ideas and Key Lessons
A quick monthly recap of the best insights, lessons, and ideas from January—so you don't miss a thing
Hey friend,
This is coming a little late, but I had this idea of doing monthly recaps in case you can’t find time to read all the articles. I’ll start doing these consistently every month.
If you’re a regular reader, consider this a quick go-to reference for all other articles from a month. Thanks for reading and supporting my newsletter/blog.
If you’re new here, consider subscribing. One article every week will land in your inbox free of charge, containing some ideas I’ve explored or something really cool I’ve read about. If you’re into product, design, business or tech as a whole, you won’t regret it.
Okay, here’s the best of January—
10x Your Product Team's Output with Basecamp's Shape Up Method
➔ Most teams aren’t slow because of execution, but because of unclear priorities. Shape Up eliminates the chaos of backlogs, shifting teams from reactive planning to deliberate bets on high-impact work
➔ Fixed time, variable scope > Fixed scope, variable time. Instead of dragging projects out to meet unrealistic requirements, Shape Up forces teams to commit to a strict six-week cycle—what gets done, ships. What doesn’t, gets cut
➔ Ditch the backlog. Bet on what matters. Backlogs turn into graveyards of forgotten ideas. Shape Up replaces them with a betting system—only work that’s valuable and realistic gets funded for a cycle
➔ Small teams, full ownership, no handovers. Work moves faster when the same people shape, build, and ship. Traditional handoffs dilute accountability, but Shape Up’s model keeps builders in control from start to finish
➔ Scope creep isn’t a project killer if you plan for it. Instead of fighting last-minute ideas, Shape Up embraces flexibility—teams shape projects with built-in ‘rabbit holes’ so that when something unexpected comes up, they already know what to cut
Win Back 10 Hours a Week With This Simple Mindset Shift
➔ Most people lose hours every week by saying yes too often. Time isn’t taken from you—it’s given away. Protect it like your most valuable asset
➔ Meetings aren’t evil, but most of them are useless. If the agenda isn’t clear, if it could be a Slack message, if you’re not adding value—decline. Your time is better spent elsewhere
➔ Quick syncs are rarely quick. “Let’s catch up for 5 minutes” almost always turns into 30. If something isn’t urgent or high-impact, async tools like Loom and Notion work better
➔ Your calendar is a reflection of your priorities. If it’s filled with back-to-back meetings, scattered deep work, and little time for yourself, rethink what you’re allowing into your day
➔ Saying no isn’t selfish, it’s necessary. Every yes is a no to something else—your actual work, your focus, your energy. Be ruthless about what deserves your time
Founder's Playbook #01 - Paul Graham on Why Persistence Wins
➔ Persistence and obstinacy aren’t the same. One keeps you adapting and moving forward, the other keeps you stuck in place. Knowing the difference is everything
➔ Most people quit too early because progress isn’t visible. Success looks like slow, painful plateaus before the breakthrough. Those who stick around long enough are the ones who win
➔ Effort alone isn’t enough—you need to adjust. Being relentless is good, but only if you’re learning and evolving. If the strategy isn’t working, change the approach, not the goal
➔ The most successful founders outlast the hard parts. Airbnb was rejected by investors. Nvidia bet on GPUs when no one cared. The difference wasn’t luck—it was staying in the game longer than others
➔ Quitting isn’t always failure. Stubbornly pushing the wrong idea is just as bad as giving up too soon. The key is knowing when to pivot and when to push through
Three Steps to Finally Start (and Stick to) a Reading Habit
➔ Not reading isn’t a time problem, it’s a priority problem. If you treat reading like a hobby, it’ll always come second. If you treat it like eating or exercising, you’ll always make time for it
➔ Start small—just 10 minutes a day. No pressure, no speed goals, just a simple routine. Attach it to something you already do, like morning coffee or winding down before bed
➔ Pick books you actually enjoy, not ones you think you should read. Eat That Frog is great for non-fiction. The Count of Monte Cristo is a brilliant fiction starter. A boring book will kill the habit before it begins
➔ Keep your book where you can see it. The closer it is, the easier it is to reach for instead of your phone. Nightstand, desk, bag—make it effortless
➔ Reading isn’t about finishing books, it’s about making it part of your life. A few pages a day will add up faster than you think. Stay consistent, and it’ll become second nature
For February, I have some interesting topics prepared. As always, you’ll keep getting them every week right in your inbox.
I keep updating everything on LinkedIn and Twitter if you’d like to follow.
If you found something useful, share it with your friends. If you have any ideas for articles or topics you’d like to read more about, write them down in the comments. I will definitely try and write more of what you like :)