22 years ago today, the developer community known as Mozilla, which produces free software, released V1 of Firefox, the world's most popular open-source web browser.
Issue #169: verschlimmmbesserung and the Clay Pot
by Harris Sockel
One of my favorite medium genres is what I call "what I have been introducing for years."
When searching for media on "my startup failed", you find lessons about funding the psychological toll and the dangers of using vanity metrics to measure progress. (You know they are vanity metrics because they have only gone up so far.)
Ashley Mayer, former VP of Comms at Glossier, wrote one of my favorite examples of this type of story in the Medium Archive. It is not just a lesson about failure; it is more retro across the entire stage of Mayer's career. Before Glossier, she worked as the head of Comms at Box and in VC marketing.
There are opportunities that others underestimate, Mayer writes. This is a lesson learned from being a "non-technical" person (basically a word person) in what Mayer experienced as "the strict hierarchy of Silicon Valley." (I am genuinely curious: if you work in tech and are reading this, do you think this hierarchy exists, or is it more nuanced?)
In any case, Mayer's lessons apply to every aspect of life and work.
It will always be easier to distinguish yourself in an undervalued field and make it more enjoyable. And I truly respect Mayer for sharing everything she learned in Silicon Valley PR, even when the people around her questioned its value. I mean, she coordinated the company's IPO and then shared the scars from her battles! One lesson I want to write on a Post-it and stick next to my laptop: "The survival of a famous IPO [ed. note: or company, or career] ultimately comes down to your story. It’s about how well you communicate the parts you can control, and perhaps more importantly, how well you anticipate and prepare for the parts you cannot."
🔥 A great, recent mid-level in one sentence or less.
- The German word "verschlimmmbesserung" means that something ubiquitous is difficult to express in English.
- Songwriter Ali Willis wrote the theme for friends (among many bangers): For the love of dance, "please don't let the lyrics interfere with the groove."
- Your sandwich may be missing an important ingredient: omelet.
🏺 A daily dose of practical wisdom: quantity and quality
Here’s a parable about creativity from the book The Art and Fear:
A pottery teacher divides her class into two groups. She judges one group on the quality of their work. The other is judged on quantity, that is, the number of containers they produce. Weeks later, something strange happens. The highest quality products were created by the group that was judged on quantity, not quality.
Why? The "quantity" group was busy making things and learning from their failures, while the "quality" group (making a few beautiful pots!) spent time drafting and theorizing, producing nothing. The lesson here is that quantity and quality are not mutually exclusive. Instead, making a lot of things leads to high-quality products over time (as long as you are trying to get better and monitor progress).
And the winner is...
Angela Zave correctly identified the zoom-in photo of Mia Lazarewicz's "comprehensive review that crushes both feet" in the Friday newsletter. Congratulations, Angela!
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Edited and produced by Scott Lamb
Questions, feedback, or story suggestions? Email: tips@medium.com