Recommendations
Stuff I Love
Everything I actually use, buy again, and force on my friends. Pulled from two years of newsletters.
Products· 49
Mateina
· raved about in 10 issues“I’ve been drinking the stuff daily for over a year now and it is by far the best caffeine delivery system around (120mg of caffeine without the jitters + mild appetite suppression).”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
“AeroPress Steel. Our long-awaited all-metal AeroPress. Stainless steel, bigger than the original, looks incredible, indestructible. For those of us who avoid plastic, this is it. It sold out in hours. I love both — they have made my recent travels much more enjoyable. You should buy them.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
Berkshire Nerds
· raved about in 3 issues“Buy a bronze bust of Charlie Munger or Warren Buffett”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
“AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder. This thing is absolutely gorgeous — all metal, Italian burrs, and it slides right into the top of an AeroPress for packing. It even comes with a drill adapter, so if you happen to have a drill it transforms into an electric grinder.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
“I know the last thing you think you need is a mattress cooling system, but I’m telling you, DO IT. It turns out that women’s hormonal cycles cause wild temperature fluctuations during sleep, and Eight Sleep tunes your side of the bed based on your age and gender.”
“Despite what To Catch a Predator would have you believe, it’s almost statistically impossible your child will be abducted. But just for peace of mind, you can get a Garmin Bounce.”
“A few months ago, I was listening to The Random Show with Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose, and they mentioned KreAlkalyn Creatine, a different formulation that is PH buffered and causes less stomach distress. Miraculously, it doesn’t affect my stomach at all, and I can take loads of the stuff. For my fellow creatine sensitive, it’s a great option.”
Laifen P3 Pro
Laifen· raved about in 2 issues“Apple-level design for a razor. Makes my old one feel like a joke.”
“Then he sent me one of his $5,000 keyboards. Yes, you read that correctly. A fucking $5,000 keyboard. It felt like unboxing a Rolex, with a certificate of authenticity and everything, and it’s made of titanium. After a few months with it, I’m a convert. It’s one of the most absurd luxuries that I’ve enjoyed lately, but it has made typing (including these very words) an absolute pleasure.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
“I’m writing this newsletter on a keyboard that costs more than a MacBook Pro and an iPad Pro combined. It was meticulously built in California by an artisan workshop, Norbauer & Co. The Seneca stands as a masterpiece of engineering—682 custom parts built entirely by hand, with every component custom-made. Priced starting at $3,600, it’s not for everyone, but for writers, coders, and thinkers who spend their days at a keyboard, it’s the ultimate escape.”
“I recently bought their podcasting microphone, the CM-15, and it’s a thing of beauty. Most podcast mics look straight out of Howard Stern’s 90’s radio studio. This thing looks like it was designed by Dieter Rams.”
“I am one of his many converts. It’s one of those things that you might not think you want or need until you experience it—for most people, during a visit to Japan, where they are ubiquitous (even in public bathrooms in shopping malls). I never thought I needed a heated toilet seat with automated washing and drying until I tried it. Now I’d never go back. It’s a silly luxury—an Eight Sleep for your rear end—but I highly recommend getting yourself a Toto Washlet.”
TRMNL
· raved about in 2 issues“I got one of these little e-ink displays for our kitchen and I love it. It’s called TRMNL and I have it show countdowns to birthdays, holidays, and vacations, plus our family calendar. It’s really well crafted and totally extensible. If you can code (or use ChatGPT) you can basically have it display anything you can dream up). The battery lasts forever and it’s super thin and light. Very cool product.”
“I’m a big fan of Ugmonk. They make insanely beautiful desktop organizer systems for anal retentive nerds.”
“I ran my 23andMe genetic data through an analyzer and found that I was an SSRI ‘slow metabolizer’. If you have 23andMe, check this part of the test to find out if you’re a slow metabolizer.”
Anker Power Bank
Anker“I have a very annoying problem: I primarily work from cafes, and many cafe owners do their best to foil people like me and have removed power plugs. I am happy to report that I’ve outsmarted them thanks to my Anker Power Bank. It’s basically a portable battery that I keep in my backpack and it gives me an extra 2 hours or so of battery life.”
Apple Vision Pro
Apple“I highly recommend you go check it out (you need the latest version 1.1 OS and to redo your Persona)... It felt so much more personal than a Zoom call... I think this could actually be a bit of a breakthrough—it just feels so much less lonely than texting and so much more intimate than a Zoom.”
Apple Watch
Apple“I’ve worn an Apple Watch for years and mostly been underwhelmed... But the latest WatchOS update has finally made my data useful with its Vitals features. It’s elegantly simple: track your sleep patterns and workout intensity, then display clear visual gauges when you’re falling below your baselines. Now when I see them dipping, it’s a nudge: time to grab my tennis racket or get to bed earlier. A simple, but insanely useful little feature that I love.”
AutoBrush Pro Kids
AutoBrush“I recently got my boys Autobrush toothbrushes. They are basically bristled U-shaped electric toothbrushes that clean their entire mouth in 30 seconds. They also flash bright lights and play a little song which the boys are big fans of. I’m a big fan, as are the boys.”
“Install Awair sensors in the rooms my family spends the most time in (especially children’s bedrooms and playrooms).”
“Another backpack upgrade: my friend Matt Mullenweg told me about these amazing Baseus Retractable USB-C cables. My backpack used to be a rats nest of charging cables, but now I just have a few of these little circular USB pucks. When you’re done, you just give them a tug and they automatically retract. Very slick!”
“As for those moments where I need to watch a movie with my girlfriend, I don these insanely fashionable blue light blocking glasses. So, if you want to embrace your inner Dracula and sleep like the dead... slap on a pair of blue light blocking glasses, and let yourself drift off.”
“Enter, the Bug-A-Salt. I found this thing on YouTube and it’s amazing. It’s an air-powered shotgun that shoots table salt. Pour in a teaspoon of table salt. Cock it. Aim at the bug. And boom, dead bug.”
Coway Airmega
Coway“An excellent cheaper option is the CoWay Airmega.”
“My girlfriend got me a Cuzen Matcha machine for Christmas and I’ve been absolutely loving it. It automatically grids the tea leaves and whisks the matcha using a little magnetic stirring cup. It seemed like a gimmick when I got it, but I use it daily.”
Dailies Total1 Contact Lenses
Alcon“One day, my friend Rajiv told me about a specific brand of contacts: Daily Total One. They have what they call a silicone hydrogel core, which in non-nerd speak, means that they let oxygen through to your cornea. I tried them and was blown away. No dry eyes. No sand.”
deltaG Tactical Ketones
deltaG Ketones“I’ve been really enjoying Delta-G Tactical Ketones. I take them maybe once a week, but they are a great way to quickly get into the zone.”
DUER Jeans
DUER“I’ve settled on Duer jeans. They look like normal jeans, but they feel like sweatpants. Insanely comfortable, stretchy, and cozy, without looking like a schmoe.”
Dyson Big+Quiet BP04
Dyson“I am a huge fan of the Dyson Big + Quiet BP04, which tracks Co2 and filters formaldehyde, while looking like a beautiful robot from the future.”
Dyson Solarcycle Morph
Dyson“It automatically turns on and off when you sit down next to it, and it automatically sets the light to warmer as the day goes on (for cozy warm light in the evening, and bright sharp white light in the mornings). Like all things Dyson, it’s beautifully designed and looks incredible in my den.”
ecologyst Premium Organic Cotton Tee
ecologyst“I found a t-shirt that I love. It’s made by Ecolygist, a brand based here in Victoria, and it’s nice and thick, and fits perfectly. I just bought a whole bunch of them.”
Haven Backpack
Haven / Outway“My pal Rob at Outway teamed up with Haven bags and cracked it. It looks like a simple backpack, but it’s secretly HUGE and insanely well-organized. Highly recommend it. I’ve been traveling all week and loving it.”
Helight Red Light Pucks
Helight“The one type of light that doesn’t affect your sleep, however, is red light, and I recently found these great little Helight red light pucks. If you want to embrace your inner Dracula and sleep like the dead, go grab a few red light pucks.”
Hyperice Normatec 3
Hyperice“My friend Rob recently recommended these really dumb looking inflatable pants, the Hyperice Normatec 3. Basically, you put these silly things on your legs, connect them to this little pump unit, and then it inflates them. They’re SUPER tight and they basically massage your legs for an hour. It feels amazing and is very relaxing.”
“We were recently reading one of his books, and found a fun little hack: pulse ox sensors. When we’re doing fight recovery, we now both don these little finger-worn sensors and set an alarm so they beep if either of our heart rates go over 100 bpm — what Gottman defines as a strong signal for flooding.”
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Fluid Tinted Sunscreen
La Roche-Posay“Oddly, on the days I wore it, I kept getting compliments. My girlfriend would tell me I looked extra handsome. My friends would ask if I was doing anything different. I’d look in the mirror and think I looked better than usual... It turns out that I had accidentally bought tinted sunscreen. Sunscreen that had a bit of color in it and evens out skin tone. Kind of like a foundation. I started wearing makeup without even realizing it. And I loved it.”
“That’s why I’m so excited about Limitless. It’s a little AI pin that records all your conversations and transcribes and analyzes them in an encrypted vault. It does all this automatically.”
Logitech Casa Pop-up Desk
Logitech“It’s really cool. It looks like a little laptop case, and inside it has a bluetooth keyboard, a trackpad, and a laptop stand. In short: a desktop-like experience from anywhere you happen to be. I love mine and it’s become part of my day-to-day kit that I carry everywhere.”
Lululemon Cityverse Sneakers
Lululemon“Well, now they’ve done the same thing for men’s shoes. I recently got a pair of the Men’s Cityverse Sneakers and within weeks they became my default shoe. They look sharp, feel like walking on a pillow, and are rugged and well built. I’m a fan.”
Lululemon Pool Short
Lululemon“For example: I’ve always hated men’s bathing suits. The liner rides up. They’re always slightly too short... A few years ago, Lululemon released the perfect men’s bathing suit. It looks great, and has none of these issues.”
Matic
Matic Robots“I recently bought one that I absolutely love. It’s called the Matic and it was built by two Google engineers. It’s basically a mini self-driving car, with full machine vision, and can avoid any objects left on the ground.”
Nala Care Deodorant
Nala Care“I randomly discovered Nala Care deodorant and I love it. No affiliation — a friend just texted it to me. But I love how it smells, and the aesthetics are dialled.”
Ninja CREAMi
Ninja“He sold me on the Ninja Creami. It’s basically an at-home ice cream maker that lets you make healthy (or unhealthy) ice cream, sorbet, and smoothie bowls. I tried it a few days ago and I’m hooked.”
Opal C1
Opal Camera“Last year, I got this incredible little camera called the Opal C1 which seriously upped my game. It looks almost as good as a DSLR camera and has a wonderful bokeh (that beautiful blur around the object in focus) as well as a great built-in microphone.”
Reigning Champ
Reigning Champ (Aritzia)“A few years ago, they bought Reigning Champ, and I have to say, they’ve really got it dialed. I would say that at least 70% of my new clothing is RC, and they have once again nailed the trifecta, but this time for men.”
Systane Ultra
Alcon“Here’s my recipe: Daily Total One + 1 drop of Systane Ultra in each eye before insertion + 2 drops of Systane Ultra onto the actual contact lens before it goes onto your eye.”
“she found that getting people to switch to a few thin woven cotton blankets—layered so you can adjust based on temperature had the greatest impact on improving their sleep. I decided to try it for myself and found that I fall asleep much faster. In fact, it works so well that I (embarrassingly) pack one of these blankets to bring with me when I travel.”
Wild Roman
“He sent me a big box of products from his new men’s skincare line, Wild Roman. I’ve mostly been using the body wash, but MY GOD does it ever smell good. This is a sad admission, but I actually look forward to the smell that it emits: eucalyptus and bergamot.”
Zafferano Poldina Pro
Zafferano“Battery powered lights for indoor/outdoor dining, parties, or anywhere you need to create low-light ambiance. Instant cozy—perfect for dinner parties.”
Services· 68
“Metalab even ended up building TED Connect, TED’s own app for conference attendees. Not by selling or schmoozing. Just by making friends.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
Athena
· raved about in 6 issues“My best experience has been with Athena. TLDR: They hire virtual assistants, train them to be world-class, manage them, and you get an expert assistant who will not only help with your work, but teach you how to improve your workflow and delegate more effectively... I’ve been using an Athena assistant for about 6 months now and she’s absolutely incredible. Highly recommended.”
“I still have moments with ChatGPT where I gasp in awe—like when it effortlessly analyzes 10 years of a company’s financial statements in seconds, or crafts a flawless paragraph that puts my own to shame.”
“Letterboxd now has 29 million users — up 175% since we acquired it. Time even named it one of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2026.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
“My friend David Perell, whose writing I’ve admired for years, has created a course called Write of Passage that will level up your writing skills in a 5 week bootcamp. I can’t think of a better way to do so.”
InsideTracker
· raved about in 4 issues“I’ve been using InsideTracker since 2016. It’s simple. They turn your body’s data into actionable insights. Blood, DNA, Apple Watch, Oura Ring—it takes it all and creates a personalized health roadmap. No fluff, just clear recommendations.”
“Three years ago, I decided to build the event I wish I could have attended all those years ago. I invited 150 of the most interesting people I know to my hometown, Victoria, BC, and put on a very different sort of event. I called it Interesting People.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
Lindy
· raved about in 4 issues“Of all the AI tools I’ve been experimenting with, Lindy has blown me away with its ability to create agents that can handle traditionally human tasks. For example, I just fixed this problem for myself by making an AI agent that calls restaurants to make reservations for me.”
PressurePros
· raved about in 4 issues“One month later, we launched PressurePros. One of the places we promoted was on this very newsletter, and I wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you who promptly hired us to wash your driveways and patios (don’t forget to leave a 5-star review on Google!).”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
“And today, I’m excited to launch Deep Personality. I think it’s one of the most comprehensive mental-health screening tools on the internet. It’s not a replacement for professional help, but a roadmap to it.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
“Find a designer on Dribbble”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
Freedom
· raved about in 3 issues“About six months ago, I used an app called Freedom to block all news and social media on my phone. Now, when I try to click on news or open Instagram, Reddit, or X, my screen goes gray. I just can’t use any of it. Period.”
Ramp
· raved about in 3 issues“Ramp is incredible and now it’s in Canada. If you’re a business owner running corporate credit cards on anything else, you’re a fool.”
Studio Roslyn
· raved about in 3 issues“PS: Studio Roslyn, the firm that designed the apartment, is absolutely incredible and I’ve worked on a ton of projects with them. Highly recommend you go check them out.”
“Last week, I found out I was wrong when I got to ride around San Francisco in a Waymo... The driving was flawless. If I hadn’t looked into the front seat, I would have thought there was a human driver there. Even my girlfriend, who is never impressed by technology, was blown away.”
YearCompass
· raved about in 3 issues“I set aside a few hours and fill out a Year Compass, and also review what I wrote the year before. It’s a free PDF that helps you reflect on the last year and plan the next one. My annual life audit. I’ve found it really impactful, and it has helped me make some major changes over the years.”
“Messages are ruining my life. Hundreds a day and they’re split across iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal, and Slack and having to jump between all those apps to keep the notifications at bay stresses the hell out of me. But not anymore, thanks to Beeper. It’s like Superhuman for texts and combines all of these services into one insanely fast, keyboard-driven interface. So good.”
Canine Car Care
· raved about in 2 issues“I love Canine Car Care’s mobile detailing service. Not only do they come to you, but they don’t use all the brain cell destroying nasty toxic chemicals all the other detailing services use.”
Raycast
· raved about in 2 issues“I’m a huge fan of Raycast. It’s a Mac utility that replaces Spotlight and lets you do a ton of neat stuff using keyboard commands, replacing the need to use the mouse or open apps.”
“I freaking love this business. It’s such a no brainer for any founder that spends a lot of money on infrastructure and software. You literally just send them a breakdown of all your expenses and they get to work.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
“Texts has been a game changer. It’s basically Superhuman for text messaging. Insanely fast and keyboard driven, it lets you pound through your text messages in a flash. It also supports all the major platforms (iMessage, Signal, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc) so it’s a unified inbox for all your messages.”
“We’re launching The Culture Fund. We’re offering loans between $1,000–$50,000 to help people put on incredible events that make Victoria better.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
The DTC Index
KnoCommerce· raved about in 2 issues“One of our companies, KnoCommerce, just launched The DTC Index. It’s kind of like the S&P 500, but for direct-to-consumer e-commerce companies. It ranks them monthly based on a variety of metrics including estimated revenue and MoM growth.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
“TLDR: it’s called Vibe and here’s how it works: 1. Take photos of all your key wardrobe items 2. Tell it what kind of outfits you need 3. It generates beautifully layered and coloured coordinated outfits. It’s really cool. We have a beta live on the iOS App Store.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
“I’ve been using WisprFlow to dictate all my text messages and it’s unbelievably good. You just tap a little mic icon on your keyboard and talk instead of tapping out texts. Highly recommend.”
“Jason Fried is my freaking hero. He’s built a massive company where he does exactly what he wants and runs it in a totally unconventional way. I’ve been a fan of his for decades and his company 37signals was a huge inspiration for how we built many of our own companies.”
Acorn
Acorn Capital Partners“Our old CFO, Ampere Chan, started a new advisory firm called Acorn. Ampere is insanely high integrity, a clear communicator, and a wonderful guy. If you need help sourcing, diligencing, or executing M&A deals, you should get in touch.”
“Matt Hollingsworth from Align for SMB CEO/VP/Exec hires.”
“I downloaded an awesome app called AllTrails. Basically, it’s a crowdsourced map of all of the best hiking/walking paths and parks in your area. Through it I’ve found dozens of parks I didn’t even know about, and we’ve been trying new ones every day.”
“Alpha School does the same academics in about 1,500 hours using AI tutors, then fills the rest of the day with entrepreneurship, public speaking, and life skills. Their students are hitting 99th percentile test scores. I’m not sure if the data fully holds up yet, but I’m curious enough to find out.”
Atoms
Andrew Wilkinson & James Clear“Last year, we teamed up with my friend James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, to make the ultimate habits app. It’s called Atoms, and it launched yesterday. Debuted in the top 10 of the US App Store!”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
Camp Dad
Andrew Wilkinson“Last year, I started Camp Dad with a half dozen pals to help ensure me and my boys build some core summer memories. This year, we’re doing it August 24-28th at Sunriver Resort in Oregon, and it’s going to be awesome.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
Claude Code
Anthropic“So I asked Claude Code to build a simple app that combined them. I’d done some vibe coding last year with tools like Replit and Lovable, but nothing prepared me for how good Claude Code has become. Within a few hours, I had a beautiful web app that combined all of these tests into one.”
“That’s why I LOVE this startup I just found called CostCutter. You upload your bills, and they negotiate them automatically (I believe an AI voice agent calls and negotiates on your behalf). The future is terrifying, but this is one innovation I’m excited about: RoboNegotiators.”
“I’ve discovered an app that I absolutely love. It’s called Endel and it creates the perfect soundscape for whatever you’re doing. Ranging from work (deep work, afternoon energy drift, colored noise), to reading, to walking, it dynamically creates the perfect soundtrack to your day (even going so far as to use your heart rate from your Apple Watch to switch it up — super cool). There’re a million apps like this, but Endel is by far the best designed and executed.”
Entax
Entax (Tiny)“A few years ago, we bought a SRED consultancy called Entax who can help you. You should hire them, they are amazing. Tell them I sent you.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO)
Entrepreneurs' Organization“Fifteen years ago, I joined the Entrepreneur’s Organization. As part of joining it, you are inducted into a ‘Forum’. Every month, you spend 3-4 hours in a conference room with six entrepreneurs.”
EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)
EOS Worldwide“Last year, we implemented a system called EOS (Entrepreneur’s Operating System) in one of my companies. I was skeptical—another management fad promising to fix everything. But to my surprise, it worked. In fact, it’s made me happier at work than I’ve been in decades.”
Float
Float Financial“There are finally some amazing options that you should switch your companies to: Float. We use all three across various businesses and they are all great (with slightly different feature sets).”
Forzaa
“I recently needed an annoying trailer hitch put on my car and was going to have to leave my car there all afternoon. Instead, I found this awesome mobile mechanic called Forzaa who comes right to your driveway. Super convenient.”
Gemini Text-to-Speech API
Google“I built an automation that ingests every email newsletter that comes into my inbox each morning, uses AI to write a full script for a short 10-15 min briefing, then runs it through Gemini’s text-to-speech API, and produces a custom podcast of the most interesting stories.”
Healthspan
“It’s amazing: a phlebotomist shows up at your house, draws your blood in 10 minutes, and a few days later you see all of your biomarkers in a beautiful online dashboard. If you like, they’ll also work with you to optimize your health.”
“We’re running almost everything through Jobber—from tracking leads to quoting, invoicing, billing, scheduling, and even dispatching the team. It’s incredible software, and I’m seriously impressed with how seamless it makes operations.”
Jon Ronkai — Wealth Management (Arbutus Group CPA)
Arbutus Group CPA“My friend Jon Ronkai runs an accounting firm, and for almost 20 years he’s been investing his own money. He’s a dyed-in-the-wool value investor. Recently, he decided to start a wealth management division to service the clients of his accounting firm. Finally, I have someone I can confidently refer people to—someone I genuinely believe is both smart and ethical. So, if you need a guy, I recommend you speak to Jon Ronkai. I’d trust him with my life.”
Kiyoko
“While working full-time at an insurance company, she bootstrapped an online Korean beauty business called Kiyoko that hit over $10,000,000 in revenue. If you like having beautiful skin, you should visit Kiyoko and stock up.”
“We recently switched to Kubera. Kubera basically does the same thing and costs about $12/mo. It’s kind of insane... It’s a dashboard that shows you the current value (day-to-day) of all of your assets... It’s really great and has saved us a ton of time and money”
Lightwork
“Recently, he told me about his new company, Lightwork. They’re working on something that nobody is thinking enough about—yet. Lightwork goes a level deeper. They test for mold, VOCs, radon, lighting quality, and EMF.”
“Around that time, I met a local entrepreneur named Andrew Hall who started a company called No Story Lost. Think of it as the white glove version of Storyworth. They hire a writer to interview your family members and then write a book about their life... Check out No Story Lost, it’s such a great service.”
noburp.org
Andrew Wilkinson“To help more folks navigate this bizarre and rare disorder, I created a simple website walking through it: www.noburp.org”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
NotebookLM
Google“I dump it into NotebookLM (PDF, YouTube Link, or you can even just paste in raw text). Hit ‘Generate Audio Overview’ - 10 minutes later I have a custom 30-60 minute two-host podcast on exactly the thing I wanted to know.”
Once
37signals“Jason and David from Basecamp are fighting this trend with Once.com. TLDR: They’re building simple apps to replace all the basics companies rely on, starting with Slack (Campfire). You just pay $300, once, then you run it on your own server. Genius.”
Psychology Today Therapist Database
Psychology Today“You can find therapist who practices DBT in your area on the Psychology Today database here.”
Readwise Reader
Readwise“I’ve converted over to Readwise Reader and it’s UNBELIEVABLY good. A few features I love: perfectly imports PDFs with flawless OCR and highlighting / it has flawless text-to-speech / insanely fast keyboard driven interface.”
“use a custom AI prompt to form it into a well-written coherent journal entry in Reflect (or the journaling app of your choice)”
Resilient Health
Resilient Health Inc“I got diagnosed at Resilient Health in Victoria and was impressed by how thorough they were. The assessment wasn’t some quick DSM checklist. It was a comprehensive process involving interviews with me, as well as Zoe and my family, coupled with extensive attention and memory tests.”
“I did it at SabiMind here in Victoria and had a great experience.”
“You should hire her agency. They’re awesome and do great work (Shopify, Webflow, and branding in particular).”
“Tighe Burke from SRCH Partners for large CEO/VP hires.”
“Last year, I gave my parents Storyworth for Christmas. It’s a really cool service run by my friend Nick Baum. Each week, it sent them a prompt like ‘What is your first memory?’ or ‘What was your father like?’”
“a voice recognition large language model that runs natively and does incredibly accurate dictation with perfect grammar and um/ah removal”
Tamaribuchi
Mark (agency consultancy)“he’s decided to share some of his prophetic wisdom with agency owners through his consultancy, Tamaribuchi. If you’re struggling to take your agency to the next level, call Mark—he’ll set you straight.”
“When my business was barely scraping by, I spent almost $20,000 to attend the TED conference. This sounds insanely irresponsible, but it was one of my best investments of all time... I just got back from a week at my 15th TED event (since 2009).”
“Chris and I got frustrated. We met Louis, a young investment banker who was…shockingly normal and nice. The three of us partnered up to start our own investment bank. It’s called Tenzing and it’s built by founders, for founders.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
“If you haven’t checked out Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology yet, you should. It’s absolutely incredible. You don’t even need to hold the wheel anymore. As long as you’re paying attention and looking out the front windshield, it does everything. I frequently go 30-minutes or more without any intervention.”
UniFi Protect
Ubiquiti“After years of terrible security cameras (Hikvision, Logitech, Eufy — tried them all), I installed UniFi Protect and I’m obsessed. Records 24/7, zero monthly fees, footage stays on your hardware instead of Amazon’s servers. It recognizes my family’s faces and alerts me when a stranger shows up. Reads license plates.”
UnTrap for YouTube
UnTrap“I’ve found it’s really helped me cut down on YouTube time. Highly recommended.”
“The Canadian banks have woken up and now lend to tech companies, but I’m always jealous of all the incredible tools my American friends get... These tools are finally rolling out in Canada, and my current favorite is a Toronto-based startup called Vault. I’ve moved all of my companies over to it. I’m a huge fan. It’s so nice to see fintech innovation like this finally coming to Canada.”
Venn
“There are finally some amazing options that you should switch your companies to: Venn. We use all three across various businesses and they are all great (with slightly different feature sets).”
Listening & Watching· 16
“Anytime Bill Gurley talks, I listen. Well, now he’s talking a lot. He and Brad Gerstner (another super smart VC) just started a new podcast called BG2. This one offers some of the sharpest commentary I’ve heard on AI, self-driving cars, and chips. I highly recommend checking it out.”
“My pal David Senra just did a great episode on this book on his (incredible) Founders podcast. If you haven’t listened to Founders yet, you are missing out. Each week, he summarizes a great book and ties its lessons to other great books and leaders.”
AI For Humans
Kevin Pereira & Gavin Purcell“My new favorite podcast makes it easy. It’s called AI For Humans and aside from providing a deep dive into the latest AI news, it’s absolutely freaking hilarious. I laugh my head off every single episode, the hosts, Kevin Pereira and Gavin Purcell could easily pass for professional comedians. Highly recommend.”
Alan Watts — Living Life Like Playing Music (clip)
Alan Watts“I watched a video that has been playing over and over in my head. I absolutely loved this 3-minute Alan Watts clip about living life the same way you’d play music.”
Connor O'Malley — Slugs
Connor O'Malley“Connor O’Malley never fails to make me cackle. His latest video, presented without comment: Slugs.”
Dan Mangan — New Album
Dan Mangan“Dan Mangan making me cry like a baby (and delivering one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen - check out his new album, it’s beautiful)”
David Perell's Writing Content
David Perell“I recommend following David Perell on Twitter (X). He has a lot of great content on this topic.”
Diary of a CEO — Geoffrey Hinton Interview
Steven Bartlett“I was left feeling unsettled by this Diary of a CEO interview with Geoffrey Hinton, who is largely credited for many of the academic breakthroughs in AI.”
Huberman Lab — Dr. John Kruse Episode
Andrew Huberman“I also highly recommend this HubermanLab episode with Dr. John Kruse. It’s by far the best deep dive on treating ADHD and it inspired me to investigate Guanfacine.”
Jon Glaser's Comedy Album
Jon Glaser“the book he wrote about it is hilarious and his new comedy album almost made me crash my car from laughing so hard”
MoneyWise
Sam Parr“I’ve been loving Sam Parr’s new podcast, MoneyWise. In it, he goes deep (often anonymously) with wealthy people about their lives. It’s really unique and something you so rarely hear people talk about.”
“My friend David Senra introduced me to this awesome 4-part documentary about Hill and his impact on the Pacific Northwest. The documentary is great, very Ken Burns-y, but oddly only available on Vimeo. You can check it out here”
The Knowledge Project — Brent Beshore Interview
Shane Parrish“My friend Brent Beshore did a really wonderful interview on The Knowledge Project and I found myself nodding along. I really loved the interview.”
The School of Life
Alain de Botton“Alain de Botton is one of my favorite authors (he is also the brains behind the wonderful School of Life video and book series).”
“I just watched This Is The Tom Green Documentary, which, as you would guess by the name, is a documentary about Tom Green’s rise from small-town Canadian cable access fame, to Hollywood, and back. I found it insanely nostalgic and laughed a lot.”
Tim Ferriss Show — Ketamine Episode with Dr. John Krystal
Tim Ferriss“If you want to deep dive on ketamine in general, I’d recommend listening to Tim Ferriss’s four-hour episode on ketamine with Dr. John Krystal from Yale, who’s one of the leading researchers in ketamine’s clinical applications.”
Victoria· 15
My hometown. These are the spots.
Liv Cafe & Bistro
· raved about in 2 issues“Liv Cafe and Bistro in Oak Bay is incredible. I’ve written about it before, but I’m blown away by the quality of the food at this place. My new favorite lunch and brunch spot.”
Aerth
“I’m obsessed with a new sauna place called Aerth in James Bay. My favorite feature: they have two saunas: the social sauna and the quiet sauna. Go in the social sauna, and you’re opting in to talking to strangers, which is one of my favorite pastimes.”
Big Way Hot Pot
“There’s a new hot pot place called Big Way Hot Pot that just opened near UVIC. It’s a neat concept: you get to fill your pot from a huge wall filled with meats, tofu, noodles, and veggies, then they cook it for you and deliver it to your table. It’s very casual, but very tasty.”
“If you live in Victoria, Cafe Malabar, my favorite Indian restaurant, just opened a new location. It’s mind bogglingly good and you should go eat there.”
“At 11 AM every Sunday in a big events space, a DJ does a 90-minute set and 70-100 people dance their heads off. It’s called Dance Temple. It started in Vancouver, and now there are groups all over the place.”
InErG
“This smoothie place rocks. InErG.”
Lumache
“There’s a really great new pasta place called Lumache on Douglas. We went with some friends and were really impressed.”
Mutsuki-An
“For years, my favorite sushi spot has been a hidden gem: Mutsuki-An. I grew up going there back when it was next to Oak Bay High, and have loyally followed it to Cadboro Bay. It’s astounding to me that it isn’t busier given how great their food is and how comfortable the space is. If you haven’t been, you should. My current obsessions are the yuzu scallop carpaccio and the kushiyaki chicken.”
Niloo
“If you like Persian food and live in Victoria, Niloo is very tasty.”
OkDope
“I had completely written off standup comedy in Victoria, but got dragged to an OkDope comedy show. Alex and Nash are hilarious, great people, and doing the best standup in town.”
Original Pho
“If you like Vietnamese food, I’m hooked on Original Pho. There’s two locations, one in Langford and one on Fort Street—both are great.”
Part & Parcel
Andrew Wilkinson (co-owner)“I’m biased, because I’m a co-owner, but the team at Part & Parcel is on fire lately. The tasting menu is mind-bogglingly tasty. I highly recommend you go check it out.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
Perro Negro
Four Top“Four Top, the restaurant group I co-own, just re-launched Perro Negro. I’m biased, but the food is incredible. My friend (and incredible chef) Sergio Hernandez redid the entire menu.”
(full disclosure: I own this one)
Restore Human
“My friend Pax just opened a personal training gym in Oak Bay called Restore Human. It looks awesome and you should workout there.”
“one of my favorite local shops. It sells ornate letterpress cards, beautiful wrapping paper, and Japanese fountain pens that cost a small fortune.”
Travel· 16
Further afield.
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay
1 Hotels“I stayed at 1Hotel Hanalei. Great rooms and service, but I’d go elsewhere for food. Easily the nicest view I’ve ever experienced from a hotel.”
“Bar Acuda for dinner (try the lamb chops)”
E-foiling Lessons (Kauai)
eFoil Kauai“E-foiling lessons (sans Zuck sunscreen face mask) - yes, I went full Tech Bro™”
“Felix — Unreal pasta/Italian”
“Gjelina + Gjusta — Restaurant / Deli (same owners). Both amazing.”
“Gjelina + Gjusta — Restaurant / Deli (same owners). Both amazing.”
“Goop Kitchen — I was skeptical, but god damn this is good takeout. (In general, the takeout in LA was next level.)”
“Great White — Insanely tasty. Try the salmon curry.”
“Java Kai for coffee and breakfast”
Koloa Zip-lining
“Zip-lining at Koloa”
“Nourish for lunch (great acai bowls)”
“Going to his bathhouse, Othership, feels like a religious experience. A mix between a holy ritual and a healthy night club. The OG Othership is in Toronto, but he just opened new locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan.”
“RVR — Japanese listening bar with great food”
Sensei Porcupine Creek
Sensei“BUT, it has one of the most incredible hotels I’ve ever been to. So if you’re just chasing sun and relaxation, and you don’t want to leave the resort, then I highly recommend checking out Sensei Porcupine Creek. We were absolutely blown away by this place and I highly recommend it. I think it would be perfect for a corporate retreat or group hang with friends.”
“I was recently in Toronto and was absolutely blown away by Sweat and Tonic, a beautiful gym that had everything a healthy person could want: a cafe and smoothie bar to work in, saunas and cold plunges, and every type of exercise class and gym equipment money could buy.”
“The Lighthouse — One of the most beautiful co-working spaces I’ve ever seen.”
The Medicine Cabinet· 9
Obviously I’m not your doctor. Talk to yours before taking anything I rave about here.
“I found a new drug that was metabolized on a different pathway called Vortioxetine. It’s the newest class of anti-anxiety/depression medications and works differently from medications like Prozac and Escitalopram. Taking Vortioxetine has had a profoundly positive effect on my life. I’m a far happier person now and enjoy my days so much more.”
Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)
Takeda· raved about in 3 issues“Within a matter of weeks, I had booked a formal diagnosis, and a month later, my neurologist’s suspicions were confirmed: I had inattentive ADHD. They recommended a stimulant, and one day I buckled up and took Vyvanse. It was transformative in a way I never expected.”
Guanfacine XR (Intuniv)
· raved about in 2 issues“For the past six months or so, I’ve added Guanfacine XR (brand name Intuiniv) at night and my anxiety is almost non-existent (day or night). It has given me this crazy, persistent zen-like calm that I’ve never felt.”
Propranolol
· raved about in 2 issues“Propranolol is the one I used. I still use it occasionally when I notice I’m having a fear reaction to something.”
“This year, I started doing Dialectical Behavior Therapy and it has really resonated for this exact reason. It’s like therapy for business nerds: everything is just a flow chart.”
Dr. Jack Skeen — Psychological Roadmap
Jack Skeen“It sounded kind of interesting, so I hired this guy, Dr. Jack Skeen. He spoke with my closest friends, my wife, my co-workers, and we spent hours on the phone together... You name it, this psychological ’Roadmap’ I did with Jack Skeen rocked my world. It’s been a few years now, but it’s still one of the most impactful things I’ve ever done. It felt like 10 years of therapy in one month.”
“And if you’re curious about brain health in general—something almost nobody seems to assess outside of my extreme health nerd friends—the neurologist who identified this for me was Dr. Kellyann Niotis. She’s amazing, and I highly recommend checking her out, ADHD or not.”
Dr. Robert Bastian — Botox Procedure for RCPD
Dr. Robert Bastian“After a Reddit user suffering from this disorder contacted him, he decided to try an experimental procedure: injecting Botox into the patient’s throat using an endoscope. Within a few days, this patient, miraculously, could burp, and Dr. Bastian began performing this procedure on hundreds of others, with most gaining the ability to burp.”
Zofran (Ondansetron)
GSK“this week I got hit with a nasty stomach flu and would have been decimated if not for a miracle drug called Zofran (Ondansetron). It made it 10x less terrible than it could have been and basically eliminated my nausea.”
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