Welcome to Edition Nº 05 of Max’s Musings.

Each week I share my learnings building a $100 billion company in public. I have many crazy conversations, see a lot, read a lot, and learn a lot — I want to share that with you (in <2 minutes).

Today’s word count: 394

Read time: 1 min 22s

Musings

To be fast you need at least one hour of extreme slow

I was reflecting on where my most valuable insights come from. Usually, it’s when ‘moving slow’. I still remember, in 2019, my iPhone wallpaper for the year was busy ≠ productive. It’s an important reminder.

Level of threat determines behavior

I’ve been trying to understand others by the level of threat they are feeling. I’ve realized that so many rash, emotional, closed-minded, aggressive behaviors come from feeling threatened.

Which fires are we choosing to let burn

In most companies, there’s a tendency to not let fires burn. The problem? This wastes time and energy on things that don’t matter.

At Superpower, we explicitly choose to let fires burn, because it’s a sign that we’re focused on the key things. Each week, we ask “which fires are we consciously letting burn”.

Health Protocol Update

I’ve started experimenting with NAD+ injections.

This is a shallow injection, similar to a GLP1.

I’ve been surprised by the results. Qualitatively, I’m far more energetic. Quantitatively, my HRV is up, a sign of improved recovery and overall health.

I’ve found that the liquid is more painful under the skin than other peptides. So, if you have any suggestions, let me know!

And as always, my full health protocol is at maxmarchione.com/protocol

Top Finds

Brand of the Week

I have a soft spot for consumer product brands that redefine the familiar. My friend’s company, Byble.co, took the best-selling book in existence, and turned it into a beautiful coffee table icon.

Space of the Week

I often say that a room should look beautiful before you put furniture in it. That means the finishes, ceiling and floor should be distinctive. This living room certainly fits the bill.

The warm light and quality of photography also goes a long way!

Article of the Week

A LEAKED internal memo from CEO of Shopify Tobi Lutke around AI.

Some key takeaways:

• Hire an AI before you hire a human.”

• AI agents are now treated like teammates, not tools.

• AI usage is now measured at Shopify. What gets measured gets managed.

Quote of the Week

I believe we can have just about anything we want, but not everything.

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Until next time,

Max Marchione

(P.S. Reply to let me know what you think! I read all replies.)