New Bon Iver

Each Bon Iver album has seemed to arrive at very distinct moments in my life. The sound always found a way to meet me where I was.

That's probably the case with all art, but for me, Bon Iver has been a profoundly meaningful backdrop to so much of my life, through many changes. We've seen him 3 times in concert. Steph walked down the aisle to Beach Baby. Sonny was listening to Beth/Rest while he was still in the womb.

All that to say, we are long-time Bon Iver fans. So I've been very excited for the new album.

First listen through, and I think there are some reeeeeeeaaaalllly good songs – some that take you back to the early Bon Iver (reminding everyone how and why he became so insanely famous). Songs like SPEYSIDE – VERY GOOD. Sounds like For Emma Forever Ago era Bon Iver – super minimal, acoustic, with hauntingly sad lyrics (what a waste of wood). 

But there is one track that really stands out. AWARDS SEASON. This song, for me, is maybe the most touching song he's ever written. Feels like a letter from God or a prayer I said to myself in some past season of life.

‘I can handle. Way more than I can handle. So I keep reaching for the handle. To flood my heart.…

Oh how everything can change. In such a small timeframe. You can be remade. You can live again.

What was pain now is gain. A new path gets laid.

And you know what is great.

And nothing stays the same.’

🎶 Listen to AWARDS SEASON

Build a Pirate Ship

A bunch of random thoughts on startups and marketing:

1. Don't let the process get in the way

Great ideas don’t come from processes – they come from people. Most marketing orgs are built to manage – not to imagine. Too much process and management can get in the way of creative thinking. Efficiency is great. But in my experience, I would rather focus on originality and creativity than optimization.

2. The best people require autonomy 

Creative people are allergic to control. They don't want to be told what to do or how to do it. And this is the challenge when it comes to business... because business is all about control, growth, and predictability. Organizations like organization. Creative people like chaos. Business wants conformity. But conformity and tightly controlled environments REPEL the people you need most. The most talented people want freedom. And so it's super important when you are building a team to figure out how to balance all of this. This is why hiring the right people and creating the right culture may be the most challenging parts of building a startup.

3. "It's better to be a pirate than to join the Navy." 
—Steve Jobs, 1982

Big companies are boring and slow. Successful startups require people who can move fast. You need to create a pirate culture that celebrates dissent against bureaucracy/process and unconventional thinking. Most importantly, avoid hierarchies at all cost! Small teams that move fast are the way you win. Speed over structure! Creativity over control!