Table of Contents

Sorry, I was too lazy to complete this blog during January. I was enjoying my last free days without doing anything and than the work kicked in.

Much has happened this December! TLDR:

Decided to accept offer in Mews as Engineering Manager!
Had 1.5 Month off so I could rest and do all the fun stuff I don’t have time for
We decided to borrow car via carsharing and have a trip once a month - cheaper than owning a car
Tons of time mainly spent on reading and educating myself

Quote

“If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.” ― Seth Godin
“You can’t grow muscle without pain. You can’t find wisdom without failure. You can’t build confidence without looking foolish and embarrassing yourself. All growth has an inherent sacrifice to it.” ― Mark Manson

New Job: Mews

I talked with more than 20 companies and interviewed with over 10 of them. I was deciding between two companies, and one of them was Mews. The whole interview process was awesome. All the people throughout the interview were really engaged with me. The company is remote-first, has a high focus on growing people, speaks English, and has high potential for growth.

Most of the recruiters are still reeeeally bad. Mews was amazing from HR to the interviewers. But then there are companies like Semrush:

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Sabatical

I could rest a lot to the point I had problem sleeping since i was not tired from the lower cognitive load. I enjoyed not doing anything and to rest for a while.

Spending doing bunch of stuff:

Plans for December

Clean out the wardrobe - finished
Read tons of books
Go running, preparing for half-marathon - ton’s of running
Change the silicone in the bathroom - No motivation to do this :D
Play PS5 games
Plan trips for next year
Replant plants and get new ones - finished in January :D
Learn how to make omurice - haven’t started, no appetite for eggs
Bought sous vide
Visited a shooting range
Fix the lamp and broken plug

CEO shoting

America went wild when smbd decided to shoot the CEO.

Twitter

It’s ~impossible to explain how we in Finland feel about Russia to someone who didn’t grow up here. A couple of years ago, my new PhD student was worried about the war, and I tried to reassure her by telling how it is. Half-way, I realized it’s going to be inexplicably complex:
— Mikael Niku (@MikaelNiku) December 28, 2024

BlackRock Quant Interview Question

How you answer reveals how you think, and how you think determines how you trade

Interested to see some of your answers👇 pic.twitter.com/TYLsGNYHXZ
— Ben Calusinski (@BCalusinski) December 27, 2024

Articles

The Science of Remote Work Loneliness
An exploration of how remote work affects our social connections, illustrated with data-driven charts.
How to Combat Loneliness While Working Remotely
Practical tips for reducing isolation in remote work environments.
The Single Greatest Habit You Can Build - Walking
Insights into how building one key habit can transform your life.
Netflix’s Parental Leave Policy Rollback: What It Means
The controversial change to Netflix’s parental leave policy and its implications for workplace culture.
Ukrainian Forces Target North Korean Troops
A report on Ukraine’s military targeting North Korean troops in ongoing conflicts.
Clever Comeback to a Strange Request
A hilarious and sharp response to an odd situation shared in a Reddit thread.
New Law in Slovakia Aims to Address Doctor Shortage
A look at Slovakia’s new law designed to tackle the issue of unhappy doctors and medical staffing shortages.
The Strange Story Behind an Unbelievable ‘UFO’ Report
A quirky Reddit thread exploring the oddities of UFO sightings.
An Unexpected Prank Goes Wrong: Fake Money Printing
A Reddit user shares their attempt at printing fake money for a Christmas prank, with hilarious results.
The Great Code Challenge Scam
An exposé on a growing scam in the tech industry involving fake coding challenges.
Product Discovery Should Speed Up, Not Slow Down
An article arguing for faster product discovery processes to accelerate delivery in tech companies.
Biden’s Age and Its Effect on the White House’s Function
An analysis of President Biden’s age and how it affects the functioning of the White House.
Infiltration: The Long-Term Impact of a Bad CEO
A deep dive into how an ineffective CEO can harm a company over time, even without overt actions.
Fake Money for Christmas: A Holiday Prank
A holiday prank gone wrong with hilarious results involving counterfeit money.
Epigenetics: The Science of How Environment Affects Genetics
A detailed Wikipedia article explaining epigenetics and how environmental factors can influence our genes.
Product Discovery and Delivery in the Tech World
Another take on product discovery processes and the importance of speeding up delivery times.
Biden’s Presidency: The Challenges of Age and Function
A deeper exploration into how age impacts President Biden’s leadership.
Reddit’s Clever Comeback Challenge
Reddit users share their best comebacks in response to unexpected situations.
How to Make Remote Work Less Lonely: Tips and Insights
An exploration of how to mitigate loneliness in the increasingly remote workforce.

Podcasts

Reading

✅ Effective Remote Work
✅ Become a Great Engineering Leader
✅ leading snowflakes
✅ The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
✅ Product book
✅ Continuous Discovery Habits: Discover Products that Create Customer Value and Business Value
✅ Psilocybin connection