I got diagnosed with a brain disorder.

Hello friend,

Here's what I'm thinking about…

People think business is math.

Numbers. Spreadsheets and P&Ls.

But that's only 10% of it. While the numbers are critical to get right, I think the other 90% is far more important.

To be great at business, you have to do two things:

1. Prevent your brain from tricking you into doing stupid things
2. Figure out how to read and motivate (and sometimes avoid) other people

In 1995, Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's longtime business partner, gave an incredible speech about why humans do stupid things.

In it, he breaks down all the key psychological effects that warp our thinking and cause bizarre behavior.

In 2014, I made it my mission to memorize this talk. I listened to it every single day on my drive to work and tattoo'd it into my brain.

It has been one of the most durable and important pieces of content I've ever consumed, and a few years ago, Chris and I decided to make it more accessible.

We took the original hour long scratchy audio recording and turned it into a shorter and more accessible animated video.

I'd encourage you to listen to the full version (over, and over, and over again), but I wanted to share our animated version as a little primer.

A few of my favorite quotes from the talk:

"Never, ever, think about something else when you should be thinking about the power of incentives."

"The human mind is a lot like the human egg. When one sperm gets in, it shuts down so the next one can't get in."

"It's not greed that drives the world, but envy."

"What a wise man does at the beginning, a fool does at the end."

Do you know someone like this:

• Rich
• Owns a business
• Burned Out AND/OR Getting older/wants to retire

Tiny wants to buy more businesses, and we need your help to find them.

We've found that the best opportunities often come from simply asking around.

So here I am, requesting your help. If you enjoy this newsletter even a little bit, I'd ask that you take the next 30 seconds to think about it.

Okay, did you do it?

I'll wait...

Ok, did you do it? Perfect, thank you. Let me know if you think of anyone we should talk to.

A few weeks ago, I went on My First Million, my favorite podcast, and talked about how I, for one, welcome our new AI overlords. I talked about a ton of stuff, including how I'm using AI agents, an interesting public company I invested in, and much more.

Fun episode. Listen here: YouTube / Spotify

I decided I'm going to brag more.

Not about myself. But about my friends.

Today I'm going to brag about my pal Allegra Poschmann.

You've probably never heard of her, but if you're a woman, I guarantee you know her work.

Glossier. Hill House. Reformation. The Honest Company.

In 2009, she was a broke designer. Today, her company, Pact is the secret sauce behind-the-scenes on some of the biggest success stories in retail. Like Metalab, but for ecommerce companies.

Usually, someone with such absurdly good taste comes at a cost. You hire the designer who makes the world's most beautiful website and brand but… it doesn't convert. They don't think about the business side.

Allegra is a rare talent who has the trifecta: astounding design skills, a deep understanding of what actually drives revenue, and the ability to sell and convince complex groups of people she is right.

Here's a few stories she recently told me over lunch:

• She just helped Rifle Paper Co. increase conversions by 150%
• Her strategy drove 1800% revenue growth for Hill House, launching their famous Nap Dress (men: apparently this is a big deal?)
• Her work with the piercing studio, Studs has helped take them from a handful of locations to 40+ studios nation-wide

Allegra is humble. She'd never say all this, but I feel compelled to brag on her behalf. More people should know her name.

Check out her work and, if you're selling things: software, t-shirts or your time, you should hire her.

"Your working memory is in the twentieth percentile," the neurologist told me, studying her charts from the battery of cognitive tests that my doctor had requested.

My palms started tingling. Was this how it started? Today, you're forgetting where you put your keys, tomorrow you're forgetting your own name and shuffling around in a hospital gown.

"You might want to get tested for ADHD," she suggested. "Poor working memory is often indicative of some form of ADHD."

I left feeling unsettled. There was no way I had ADHD—I'd always been productive and organized. But over the next afternoon, as I dug into the science, my skepticism started evaporating, and I began to feel like an asshole…

Read the full essay →

Do you have ADHD too? I'm keen to hear your thoughts and experiences. I'm only a few months into navigating this, so I have much to learn.

Here's a link to a Google Doc with a bunch of the resources I found helpful through this journey.

Men: no offense, but you dress like shit.

Seriously, most of you look like dopes.

I'm not any better.

For years, I'd wear the same uniform: hoodie, Patagonia jacket, and some dorky but comfortable shoes.

After getting divorced though, I knew I needed to get it together...

Read the full essay →

PS: I have a problem with the Vibe app: I don't know what to do with it. I don't know the first thing about scaling an app like this. I need someone to take it over and turn it into something. I'm down to give someone 50%+ of the equity and pass the baton. Know someone great? Send them my way.

Random Stuff:

I'm looking for a private covered or indoor pickleball court in Victoria, BC that I can rent/borrow/beg for during the winters. Does anyone have any leads? The only one I'm aware of is a 40 min drive away so I'm looking for something more central.

'Song In My Head' by Madison Cunningham is stuck on repeat in my brain. Very good.

I have a lot of small interior design projects that are small enough to not necessitate my favorite interior design firm (Studio Roslyn) but still require someone with great taste. For example: choosing a nice light fixture in a random secondary bathroom / Doing a simple kitchen reno in one of my rental properties.

I'm looking for a young, scrappy (read: affordable) person with incredible taste and experience with projects like this. I'm willing to take a bit of a chance on someone, but you can't be a complete amateur and you have to demonstrate that you have great taste and have done a few projects somehow. If you know someone like this, email me.

I'll be visiting Pheonix/Scottsdale for a few days in the next couple weeks and I'd love to meet interesting people. If anyone is based there, email me!

That's all for now…

-Andrew