Dru's Notes

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237 episodes · showing the newest 200

The Most Underrated Conflict Skill and How I Used It. | Daily Essay

Nov 14, 2026 1 min

The psychologist Carl Rogers proposed a rule for arguments: restate the other side's point before you answer. I used it on a friend, and their version showed me most of my point never arrived. A pediatrician found the same gap with a nine-year-old patient. Featuring: Kelly Fradin, Carl Rogers Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Carl Rogers' rule for arguments (00:11) Plan mode, from AI agents to a friend (00:44) Kelly Fradin and the girl who blamed herself (01:15) Restate their point first Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

How to Choose a Problem You'll Actually Get Paid to Solve | Daily Essay

Nov 13, 2026 4 min

Eleven founders, eleven questions about a problem worth solving: how often it comes up, how much it's worth, how long it stays around, how many people have it and who pays. I'm changing what Trends Pro sells, so I made this list before picking the new offer. Featuring: Eric Remeis, Adam Markowitz, Ira Bodnar, Rashid Ali, Michael McAllister, Denis Iurchak, Cheryl Krueger, Deanna Jump, Farzad Rashidi, Ric Cabot, Ricardo Ghekiere, Andy Rachleff Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Changing what Trends Pro sells (00:22) How often it comes up and what it's worth: Yard Solutions and Drata (01:05) How long it stays around: Ryze and Claude (01:35) How many people have it and whether they must solve it: Chomps and The CE Shop (02:24) How well it's solved and who pays: Yadaphone and Cheryl's Cookies (03:07) Reaching buyers and doing the work for them: TeachersPayTeachers and Respona (03:56) How likely and how fast the result comes: Darn Tough and BetterPic Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The Story in Your Head Is Lying to You | Daily Essay

Nov 12, 2026 1 min

Owen Fitzpatrick says the dark thoughts of his depression felt like reality. He calls it inner propaganda. A written list of your wins is the counter to it. Featuring: Owen Fitzpatrick, Tim Ferriss Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Owen Fitzpatrick's inner propaganda (00:17) North Korea, Afghanistan and Rwanda (00:27) Tim Ferriss's jar of awesome (00:41) Personal positive propaganda (00:54) The wins on the list Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Root Cause Analysis for My Life | Daily Essay

Nov 11, 2026 2 min

Expedia got about 20 million calls a year from people asking for a copy of their itinerary. The cause was a confusing email. A pediatrician traced kids referred for ADHD to life at home. I traced a snooze back to 7:30 the night before. Featuring: Taiichi Ohno, Ryan O'Neill, Nadine Burke Harris Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) The snooze and three whys (00:28) Expedia's 20 million itinerary calls (01:11) Nadine Burke Harris and the Bayview clinic (02:00) Where the fix sits Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The 1 Question You Should Ask Each Night | Daily Essay

Nov 10, 2026 1 min

Each night I ask one question in my daily review: what surprised me? Norbert Wiener's anti-aircraft predictor shows how logging each surprise makes you a better predictor. Featuring: Norbert Wiener, Julian Bigelow, Flo Conway, Jim Siegelman Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) The question in my daily review (00:09) Norbert Wiener's anti-aircraft predictor (00:43) A surprise is the gap (00:55) One question a night Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Know When Your Business Is Hurting: The 2 Signals | Daily Essay

Nov 9, 2026 2 min

For days my HeadsUp landing page was broken, and the board I read each day kept counting visitors. GitLab's backups warned the team each day, mice without dopamine starved beside their food, and Frank Meeks read the Pentagon's pizza orders before three invasions. Featuring: Richard Palmiter, Frank Meeks Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) A landing page broken for days (00:10) GitLab's five backup systems (00:49) Mice that couldn't make dopamine (01:35) Frank Meeks and the Pentagon's pizza orders (02:13) Your business's nervous system Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The Dark Side of Discipline | Daily Essay

Nov 8, 2026 1 min

For years I believed the bigger my habits were, the bigger my anti-habits needed to be. A 6-hour eating window, a 4pm finish, a century of fire suppression in Yellowstone and Marc Randolph's Tuesday nights show where a rule starts working against the goal it guards. Featuring: Marc Randolph, Aldo Leopold Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Bigger habits, bigger anti-habits (00:18) The 6-hour eating window (00:29) The 4pm finish (00:41) Yellowstone's century of putting out fires (01:04) Marc Randolph's Tuesday nights (01:23) When an anti-habit works against its goal Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The Most Powerful Problem-Solving Model - Inversion | Daily Essay

Nov 7, 2026 2 min

Noise canceling headphones flip a sound wave upside down so the 2 waves cancel out. The same move put out a burning gas well, ended the panic of 1825, saved Wag Dodge at Mann Gulch and turned one computer worm against another. Featuring: Wag Dodge, Norman Maclean, Jeremiah Harman Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) How noise canceling headphones work (00:29) Wag Dodge at Mann Gulch (01:04) The burning gas well in Uzbekistan (01:25) The panic of 1825 (01:57) The Welchia worm (02:33) The same thing pointed the other way Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Stop Fearing Volatility. Start Hunting It. | Daily Essay

Nov 6, 2026 5 min

A farming habit repeats the same action for a return you can count on. A hunting habit keeps time open for whatever opportunity shows up, and the stories of Jesse Livermore, Ronald Wayne, Andre Geim and Sara Blakely show what each one costs and buys. Featuring: Jesse Livermore, Stu Ungar, Carl Fisher, Ronald Wayne, Kenny Chow, Alvah Roebuck, Andre Geim, Steve Wozniak, Sara Blakely Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Farming habits and hunting habits (00:20) Jesse Livermore and Stu Ungar (01:11) Carl Fisher (01:45) Ronald Wayne and Kenny Chow (02:43) Alvah Roebuck (03:25) Andre Geim (04:00) Steve Wozniak and Sara Blakely Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

AI Agents: The Most Valuable Customer You Can Sell To | Daily Essay

Nov 5, 2026 3 min

I've spent 6 years studying businesses for Trends.vc. Lately a new kind of customer shows up in the companies I study: the AI agent. Featuring: Paul English, Nick Gray, Benjamin Houy, Nikita Shamgunov, Ivan Burazin, Will Bryk, Guillermo Rauch, Zeno Rocha Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Grading business models by who pays (00:24) Why businesses beat consumers (01:16) Agents work in the background (01:45) Neon and Daytona (02:26) Exa and charging by use (03:01) Agents pick Vercel and Resend (03:43) A new kind of customer Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

I’m 15 Years In. These Are the 2 Habits You Need to Go Deeper | Daily Essay

Nov 4, 2026 2 min

Each day I sit for insight meditation. When I write morning pages first, the meditation goes much deeper, and George Carlin, Sonny Rollins and the surgeon Butch Rosser each had a pair like it. Featuring: George Carlin, Sonny Rollins, James Rosser, Aidan Levy Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Morning pages before insight meditation (00:24) George Carlin's notes and files (01:06) Sonny Rollins on yoga and improvising (01:41) A surgeon warms up on Super Monkey Ball (02:16) Why two habits can pay more together Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The 1 Habit That Changed How I Think | Daily Essay

Nov 3, 2026 2 min

Each day I do a few things that scare me. Before I start one, I give it a score out of 100 for how hard I expect it to be. Featuring: Annie Duke, Ray Dalio, Colin Bryar, Bill Carr Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Scoring each courage challenge out of 100 (00:25) Amazon's press release before the Kindle (00:59) Annie Duke's "wanna bet?" (01:21) Ray Dalio's written trade reasons (02:00) Small acts that force better thinking Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Volume Is The Cheat Code To Becoming Good At Anything | Daily Essay

Nov 2, 2026 3 min

I've written a daily essay for almost 300 days. Most days what I publish falls short of what I imagined. Ira Glass explains why and what closes the gap. Featuring: Ira Glass Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Almost 300 Days of Daily Essays (00:07) Ira Glass Starts at NPR (00:29) Ira Glass on the Gap (01:35) Nine Essays That Matched My Taste (03:08) Volume Closes the Gap Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

1 Year of Life Lessons in Just 1 Hour | Daily Essay

Nov 1, 2026 1 min

A year of life gets reviewed in about an hour when each night's notes roll into the week, the month, the quarter and the year. Surgeon Ernest Codman read his own records back, found 123 mistakes and published them all. Featuring: Ernest Codman, William Mallon Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) A year reviewed in an hour (00:25) Ernest Codman's 123 mistakes (01:11) The call center writing study Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Make Two Threats With One Move | Daily Essay

Oct 31, 2026 3 min

Sleepy drivers who drank coffee and then took a nap of under 15 minutes cut driving incidents by 91%. Caffeine alone cut them by about two-thirds. Some pieces unlock an ability none of them has alone, on the chessboard and in habits, money and teams. Featuring: Louise Reyner, Jim Horne, Katy Milkman, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Lorenz Hart Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) A chess opening that makes two threats (00:24) The coffee nap (00:56) Audiobooks you can only hear at the gym (01:19) The barbell (01:37) Costco's membership (01:57) Stockton and Malone's pick-and-roll (02:28) Rodgers and Hammerstein flip the order Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The Real Reason Your #1 Problem Keeps Waiting | Daily Essay

Oct 30, 2026 1 min

Travis Kalanick believes a company has to solve problems at least as fast as it creates them. Each problem you solve creates new problems, so the problem you work on decides which new ones you get. Featuring: Travis Kalanick, Mike Isaac, Peter Senge Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Travis Kalanick's rule for problems (00:11) Taking Uber into China (00:24) Losing $1 billion a year in China (00:38) Working in priority order Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

If I Started Trends.vc Over, This Is Exactly What I’d Ask | Daily Essay

Oct 29, 2026 1 min

Three years of mobile apps and SaaS ideas ended with one question: what could I see myself working on the longest? That became Trends.vc, and Rovio's 52nd game shows why the question works. Featuring: Niklas Hed, Jarno Väkeväinen, Kim Dikert Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Three years looking for a business idea (00:08) The question that changed the search (00:29) A blank key in a door (00:42) Rovio's 51 games before Angry Birds (00:58) Ask what you could work on the longest Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The Art of Planning Less and Doing More | Daily Essay

Oct 28, 2026 1 min

I've lost more chess games to the clock than to bad moves. Last week I spent a two-and-a-half-hour deep work block ranking my to-do list and never started the top item. Featuring: Sam Hinkie, Joel Embiid, Bryan Colangelo, Yaron Weitzman Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Losing chess games to the clock (00:16) Two and a half hours of ranking (00:33) Why the top item matters (00:43) Sharpening the axe (00:53) Sam Hinkie's rebuild of the 76ers (01:39) A short planning session before deep work Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Why I've Stopped Judging My Business by 1 Day | Daily Essay

Oct 27, 2026 1 min

Each day I open a board with my business numbers and ask one question of each: am I above or below my 30-day median? John Walker's bathroom scale shows why one day is the wrong unit. Featuring: John Walker Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) The 30-day median question (00:11) Why business numbers swing (00:21) John Walker and the bathroom scale (00:47) The moving average (00:58) A good day can hide a bad month Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

1 Writing Tip I Learned from Carnegie, Harari, Seinfeld and More | Daily Essay

Oct 26, 2026 1 min

Ten minutes of a podcast teaches me more than an hour with most books. Dale Carnegie, Yuval Noah Harari and Jerry Seinfeld all worked their material out in front of people before it reached a page. Featuring: Dale Carnegie, Yuval Noah Harari, Jerry Seinfeld Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Podcasts versus books (00:10) Dale Carnegie's night classes (00:46) Harari's Sapiens lectures (00:51) Seinfeld rebuilds his act (01:13) Writing alone versus talking to a listener Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Why Are Some Jobs Paid More Than Others? | Daily Essay

Oct 25, 2026 2 min

New York's sanitation workers broke a state law to strike in 1968, and with every driver out at once they won their raise. An anesthesiologist earns more than $350,000 while a nursing assistant earns about $42,000, and ASML keeps 29 cents of each dollar while Kroger keeps under 2. What becomes valuable as AI does more of our work? Featuring: John DeLury, Vincent J. Cannato Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) What becomes valuable as AI does more of our work (00:08) The 1968 New York garbage strike (00:46) The 2024 dockworkers strike (00:59) Nursing assistants and anesthesiologists (01:29) ASML and Kroger (01:49) Work many people want done and few can do Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Selling 10 Million Albums and Ending Up With Nothing | Daily Essay

Oct 24, 2026 2 min

TLC's CrazySexyCool sold over 10 million copies, and a year later all three women filed for bankruptcy. Alexey Pajitnov built Tetris and earned nothing from it for about 12 years. Featuring: Tionne Watkins, Lisa Lopes, Rozonda Thomas, Perri Reid, Alexey Pajitnov, Dan Ackerman, Warren Buffett Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Warren Buffett's Leaking Boat (00:10) Position, Luck and Hard Work (00:17) TLC and CrazySexyCool (00:46) TLC's 1% and the Bankruptcy (01:17) Alexey Pajitnov and Tetris (01:53) Hard Work From a Weak Position Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Motivation Wears Off. Here's What I Do Each Morning. | Daily Essay

Oct 23, 2026 1 min

My first rule is focus on what you control. Roughly 80% of my anxiety comes from losing sight of it. Hermann Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve shows why a rule you know still slips and why I reread mine each morning and most nights. Featuring: Hermann Ebbinghaus, Zig Ziglar Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Motivation doesn't last (00:06) My first rule and my anxiety (00:20) Ebbinghaus and the forgetting curve (00:44) Rereading my rules each morning (00:56) A rule lasts about as long as a shower Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

New Habits Feel Worse Before They Feel Better And Here Is Why | Daily Essay

Oct 22, 2026 1 min

Antidepressant side effects start within days and the benefits take two to four weeks, so some patients stop before the drug ever works. The mathematician Tanya Khovanova kept wearing a sleep apnea mask that gave her headaches, and the author Debra Parmley quit sugar through a headache until carrots and strawberries tasted sweet again. Featuring: Alok Kanojia, Tanya Khovanova, Debra Parmley, Jean-Jacques Rousseau Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Rousseau on patience (00:06) Dr. K on why antidepressants feel worse first (00:19) Tanya Khovanova's sleep apnea mask (00:43) Debra Parmley quits sugar (01:06) Why the start of anything good feels like a mistake Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Stop Playing Chess. Start Playing Poker. | Daily Essay

Oct 21, 2026 1 min

Matt Affleck went all in with two aces at the 2010 World Series of Poker as a 77% favorite and lost on the last card. With FedEx down to $5,000, Fred Smith played blackjack in Las Vegas against odds that favor the casino and won $27,000. Annie Duke calls judging a decision by how it turned out "resulting." Featuring: Matt Affleck, Fred Smith, Annie Duke, Zhuge Liang Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Zhuge Liang on planning and Heaven (00:06) Companies that lose money to win a market (00:14) Matt Affleck's aces at the 2010 World Series of Poker (00:39) Fred Smith's blackjack bet to keep FedEx alive (01:08) Annie Duke on resulting (01:24) Chess, poker and the odds of success Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Murakami vs Rosberg: Minimum Effective Dose vs Maximum Tolerable Dose | Daily Essay

Oct 20, 2026 1 min

Five days after he won the 2016 Formula 1 world title, Nico Rosberg retired. To beat Lewis Hamilton he had pushed like crazy in every area, while Haruki Murakami writes ten pages a day and stops at ten even on days he wants more. Featuring: Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Haruki Murakami, Naval Ravikant Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Escape competition through authenticity (00:04) Rosberg's 2016 title and retirement (00:21) What beating Hamilton cost (00:57) Murakami's ten pages a day (01:30) A rival's race and your own lane Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The Economics of Losing Money on Purpose | Daily Essay

Oct 19, 2026 2 min

Uber lost over $1 billion a year in China and sold out to its rival. In the US, the same bet won. When the winner takes most of a market, losing money now can raise your odds of winning it. Featuring: Jack Ma, Chris Dixon Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Going past the point of negative returns (00:17) Uber's $1 billion a year in China (00:46) Uber's price war with Lyft in the US (01:14) Taobao's free listings against eBay (02:00) How platforms take more once they lead Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Remove Choices to Save Your Willpower | Daily Essay

Oct 18, 2026 1 min

Each use of your willpower draws from the same depletable reservoir. Ray Bradbury, Ed Viesturs and Andie MacDowell show three ways to save it: change your environment, automate decisions and delete decisions. Featuring: Ray Bradbury, Ed Viesturs, Andie MacDowell, Jean-Jacques Rousseau Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Willpower as a battery (00:19) Ray Bradbury's bag of dimes (00:49) Ed Viesturs turns back on Everest (01:18) Andie MacDowell keeps the gray Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

I Launched a Product a Day for 17 Days (Then Burned Out) | Daily Essay

Oct 17, 2026 2 min

I launched a product a day and burned out 17 days in, because the habit counted launches and rewarded nothing else. An Output Habit counts what you finish and an Input Habit counts the time you put in. Bill Atkinson, Jonathan Coulton and Ed Whitlock show what each one rewards, and three questions pick the type for your own habits. Featuring: Bill Atkinson, Jonathan Coulton, Ed Whitlock, Upton Sinclair, Andy Hertzfeld Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Launching a product a day (00:16) Output Habits and Input Habits (00:52) Bill Atkinson's -2000 week at Apple (01:20) Jonathan Coulton's song a week (01:41) Timed runs and Ed Whitlock (02:11) Three questions to pick the type Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The Psychology of Getting Comedy From Failure | Trevor Noah | Daily Essay

Oct 16, 2026 1 min

Comedians get better after a bad night because whatever happens to them becomes stories for the next set. Trevor Noah tries new things knowing they'll either work or give him comedy. Massimo Bottura turned a dropped lemon tart into one of his signature desserts. Featuring: Trevor Noah, Esther Perel, Massimo Bottura, Takahiko Kondo, Carrie Fisher Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Why a bad night makes a comedian better (00:18) Trevor Noah and Esther Perel's question cards (00:32) Takahiko Kondo drops a lemon tart (00:47) Oops! I Dropped the Lemon Tart Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The Viral Trap: How Social Media Keeps What You Make | Daily Essay

Oct 15, 2026 2 min

Reddit priced the Apollo app out of business, Kayla Newman was never paid for "on fleek," and Nipsey Hussle bought the strip mall he once sold CDs in front of. Why I post every essay on a site I own first, then share it on X. Featuring: Christian Selig, Kayla Newman, Nipsey Hussle Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) How the X feed treats a viral post (00:36) Reddit prices out the Apollo app (00:55) Kayla Newman and "on fleek" (01:19) Nipsey Hussle buys the strip mall (01:48) The hub and the spokes Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The 4 Habit Levels Where Results Get Insane | Daily Essay

Oct 14, 2026 2 min

Bryson DeChambeau's first year of bulking bought him about 20 yards. His second bought him less than two. Anatoly Karpov led Garry Kasparov 5-0 in the 1984 world chess title match, then lost about 22 pounds and watched his lead shrink to 5-3. Featuring: Bryson DeChambeau, Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov, Kabir Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Six years of 80-hour and 10-hour weeks (00:22) Bryson DeChambeau's 40 pounds (00:49) Karpov's 5-0 lead in 1984 (01:28) The four zones of a habit's returns (01:50) Check what your last increase bought you Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

When You're Winning... And Lose Everything | Daily Essay

Oct 13, 2026 1 min

A man from Poland and I each had five minutes to checkmate the other. He took one of my pawns. He was still up on points when he lost. Featuring: Lindsey Jacobellis, Tanja Frieden, Harry G. Summers Jr. Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) A Colonel's Answer About Vietnam (00:15) A Five-Minute Chess Game (00:31) Checkmated While Up on Points (00:40) Lindsey Jacobellis at the 2006 Olympics (00:59) When Being Ahead Gets You Wiped Out Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The Chinese Mastermind Group Behind Volvo | Daily Essay

Oct 12, 2026 2 min

Before Li Shufu spent $1.8 billion on Volvo, he asked 20 other Chinese founders in his club to argue about it. Paul Jarvis, Nathan Barry and Warren Buffett each had a few people who met with them regularly. Featuring: Li Shufu, Liu Chuanzhi, Paul Jarvis, Justin Jackson, Jarrod Drysdale, Nathan Barry, Barrett Brooks, Caleb Wojcik, James Clear, Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Napoleon Hill Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Napoleon Hill on the Third Mind (00:11) Li Shufu's $1.8 Billion Volvo Deal (00:37) Paul Jarvis and His Weekly Call (00:59) My Mastermind and the First $100 (01:39) Nathan Barry, James Clear and ConvertKit (02:12) Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

You've Read Enough. It's Time to Start Using It. | Daily Essay

Oct 11, 2026 1 min

Calcium makes bones stronger only once they carry weight, and what you learn builds a skill only once you try to use it. Jim Koch had three Harvard degrees and had never sold anything until twenty bars a day taught him how to sell. Featuring: Jim Koch, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Goethe on knowing versus doing (00:09) Calcium and a bone that carries weight (00:20) Carbs, protein and books (00:33) Jim Koch and the Boston distributors (01:01) What you learn builds a skill Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

I Learned This the Hard Way: Write Down Your Rules | Daily Essay

Oct 10, 2026 1 min

One of the rules I read each morning could have saved me three years: don't force it. In 1846 Peter Panum found the old people of the Faroe Islands stayed healthy through a measles outbreak, because their bodies kept a record of the last one. Your rules for living work the same way, but only when you remember them. Featuring: Peter Panum, George Santayana Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Santayana on repeating the past (00:06) Don't force it, the three-year rule (00:25) Peter Panum and the Faroe Islands measles outbreak (00:46) Rules for living as records (00:56) Focus on what you control (01:09) Collect your rules and reread them Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The Compounding Trap: Why Selling a Winner Costs You | Daily Essay

Oct 9, 2026 1 min

Grace Groner bought three shares of Abbott Laboratories for $180 in 1935. When she died at 100 they were worth more than $7 million. A business, a skill, a friendship and a habit compound the same way if you keep showing up for years. Featuring: Grace Groner, Jeff Bezos Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Selling a property and going back (00:16) What compounds besides money (00:22) Quitting daily writing in my 20s (00:31) Grace Groner's three Abbott shares (00:50) Before you sell or quit Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

I Read 1,000s of Founder Stories. Most Won by Copying… | Daily Essay

Oct 8, 2026 1 min

The first founder to build in a market tends to prove demand, then watches someone who came in later take it. Pebble, Snapchat and Ahrefs show how it plays out, and why marketplaces and networks are the exception. Featuring: Eric Migicovsky, Dmitry Gerasimenko, Sam Walton Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Sam Walton on copying (00:15) Pebble proves the smartwatch, Apple sells it (00:37) Snapchat's Stories and Instagram's copy (01:00) Ahrefs builds another backlink tool (01:19) Fragmented markets and winner-take-most markets (01:45) Building in a proven market Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

How to Do 2.5 Hours of Deep Work (It's Easier Than You Think) | Daily Essay

Oct 7, 2026 1 min

I just heard someone explain the biggest misconception about Transcendental Meditation: that you're supposed to stop thinking. In TM you silently repeat a word called a mantra, your mind wanders and you come back to it. Featuring: Thomas Keating, Simone Weil, Swami Vivekananda Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Vivekananda on concentration (00:07) The biggest Transcendental Meditation misconception (00:26) My two-and-a-half-hour morning work block (00:43) Thomas Keating and the nun's ten thousand thoughts (01:08) Simone Weil on attention as prayer (01:15) Coming back each time Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Which Business Model Suits Your Personality? | Daily Essay

Oct 6, 2026 8 min

Pieter Levels runs two apps alone on one server. April Dunford's fees stop the week she does. WeWork raised round after round until it filed for Chapter 11. Eleven plants map to eleven kinds of business. Pick the one your temperament will keep alive. Featuring: Washington Irving, Pieter Levels, Markus Frind, Patrick McKenzie, April Dunford, Jim Buckmaster, Shaun Hill, Andy Yen, Thomas Frank, Dan Ni, Kenneth Lin, Sam Altman, Stéphane Bancel, Sridhar Vembu, Jim Goodnight, Nick Huber Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Why I bought a cactus (00:57) Cactus and moss (02:07) Bonsai, understory plant and vine (04:14) Carnivorous plant, bamboo and oak (05:57) Perennial, farm crop and greenhouse plant Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Same Habits, Different Days: My Daily Experiments | Daily Essay

Oct 5, 2026 1 min

To prove my friend wrong about habits, I sent him a photo of Thai chilies. His meme said discipline makes each day look the same, and one of my habits is to run experiments each day. Featuring: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ferran Adrià Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Emerson on Experiments (00:06) The Thai Chili Photo (00:38) Ferran Adrià's Changing Menu (01:04) Habits That Run Experiments Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Remind Yourself Who The F*ck You Are. | Daily Essay

Oct 4, 2026 1 min

Tim Ferriss kept a jar of awesome, slips of good moments he read when he felt down. I keep a highlight reel, a list of my wins, and read it each morning. Olympic diver Laura Wilkinson watched a video of her best dives before each meet and won gold months after breaking her foot. Featuring: Tim Ferriss, Laura Wilkinson Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Tim Ferriss's jar of awesome (00:25) The highlight reel in my journal (00:35) The wins on my list (00:54) Laura Wilkinson's video of her best dives (01:02) Gold on a sore foot in Sydney Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Every Type of Courage Explained | Which One Do You Have? | Daily Essay

Oct 3, 2026 2 min

You can run a marathon and still dodge a hard talk with your wife. Courage comes in three kinds: mental, social and physical. Bravery in one kind stays in that kind. Featuring: Alex Hormozi, Jia Jiang Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) A marathon vs a hard talk with your wife (00:27) The three kinds of courage (00:52) The financial statement I kept avoiding (01:12) Jia Jiang's 100 days of rejection (01:47) The run I couldn't finish Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The Power of Focus: What Early AI Models Taught Me | Daily Essay

Oct 2, 2026 1 min

In 2012 I gave a side project two hours of deep work each morning before my day job. It failed and I dropped the habit with it. METR grades AI models by the longest task they can finish, and a person with chopped-up attention is stuck where GPT-2 was. Featuring: Ken Thompson, Llion Jones Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Attention is all you need (00:04) Building Shommi before work in 2012 (00:23) Dropping the deep work habit (00:37) How METR grades AI models (01:04) Chopped-up attention (01:09) Ken Thompson's four weeks and Unix (01:35) Two and a half hours each morning Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

The 1 Rule That Stops Me Raising My Goals Too Soon | Daily Essay

Oct 1, 2026 1 min

A week of easy runs had me ready to make an hour my new floor. Then I remembered the run my rule asks for first. Seán Quinn's 35 years of wins ended in a €3 billion loss on one Irish bank. Featuring: Seán Quinn, Carl Sagan Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) A good week of easy runs (00:12) The rule before raising a floor (00:26) How buyers in a bubble reason (00:37) Seán Quinn's 35 years of wins (01:16) The 2008 crash and €3 billion Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

What a Depression Drug Taught Me About Rich People's Habits | Daily Essay

Sep 30, 2026 1 min

I looked up dozens of people who got rich before 50 and what they did each day. When I went looking for people with the same habits who never got rich, I could barely find any. Featuring: Ben Goldacre, Warren Buffett, John D. Rockefeller, Galeazzo Ciano Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) The winners who got biographies (00:21) Ben Goldacre and reboxetine (00:51) Checking a winner's habit Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

If It Fits, It Sticks | Daily Essay

Sep 29, 2026 1 min

I love to bike, but I run instead, because on foot I feel safer. After cars killed more than 3,000 people in the Netherlands in 1971, the Dutch kept biking and changed their environment instead. Featuring: Vic Langenhoff Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Why I run instead of bike (00:16) Cars take over Dutch roads (00:25) Vic Langenhoff and Stop de Kindermoord (00:46) Making the roads safe to bike on (01:10) Habit harmony Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

I Quit The ONE Thing Three Times Before I Got It Right | Daily Essay

Sep 28, 2026 2 min

Scored on the finish, my one thing shrank until it took a few minutes. The work I cared about barely moved, until I heard Gary Keller say he blocks four hours a day for his. Featuring: Gary Keller, Raymond Chandler, Alex Hormozi, Cal Newport, Charles Darwin, Haruki Murakami Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Cal Newport on hours of concentration (00:11) Three tries at Gary Keller's The ONE Thing (00:38) Shrinking the one thing to fit a day (01:02) Keller's four-hour block (01:19) Raymond Chandler's four-hour rule (01:37) How Hormozi, Newport, Murakami and Darwin block their time Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

A Day on the Moon. A Decade of Depression. | Daily Essay

Sep 27, 2026 2 min

Buzz Aldrin spent 21 hours on the moon and the next decade fighting depression and alcoholism. Some goals give you a high and fade. Others make each ordinary day better after you reach them. Featuring: Buzz Aldrin, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Pete Adeney Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Goals that fade after the high (00:23) Buzz Aldrin after the moon (00:48) The hedonic treadmill (00:57) Vanity Goals and Sanity Goals (01:29) Financial independence and Mr. Money Mustache (01:48) Two lists of goals Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.

Why “Systems Not Goals” Is a Trap | Daily Essay

Sep 26, 2026 1 min

A goal needs a system to reach it. A system needs a goal to give it direction. Featuring: Maurice Ashley, Bill Walsh, Seneca Watch on YouTube Read the full post What kind of founder are you? Take the free quiz Brought to you by: Trends.vc: Discover new markets and opportunities. HeadsUp: Know when your competitors move. Before your customers do. Chapters: (00:00) Seneca's port (00:06) Maurice Ashley works backward to grandmaster (00:25) Goals and systems need each other (00:38) Bill Walsh's system served the score (01:25) Work backward to your habits Where to find Dru: I write an essay daily. Get them free Follow me on X Watch my video essays on YouTube Follow Dru's Notes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Subscribe to Dru's Notes for a new episode every day. Click here to view the episode transcript.