3 Reads to Stretch Your Tech Brain

I'm a big believer in interdisciplinary learning and problem-solving.

It's especially useful in startups where the thing itself requires an interplay between engineering, user psychology and behavior, creativity in aesthetic design, systems thinking at every level, macro and micro economics, and so on. It's a lot!

Over the holidays, I read 3 books that I'd recommend to founders and investors. They are timeless and delightful reads. They'll make you think and reconsider.

While I didn't intend for them to go together, somehow the combo of reading them within a short period of time turned out to be a GREAT way to stretch the brain.

Inspiration

"No matter what tools you use to create, the true instrument is you. And through you, the universe that surrounds us all comes into focus." – Rick Rubin

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin.

He is a genius. The lyrical and poetic way he writes and the simplicity and wisdom of the message is chef's kiss. It's one of those books you know you'll read again and take something different away each time. If your left brain is taking over or you are in a creative rut then read this one. It's already changed a few things for me.

Timeless Common Sense

I believe in the disciple of mastering the best that other people have ever figured out. I don't believe in just sitting down and trying to dream it all up yourself. Nobody's that smart. - Charlie Munger

Poor Charlie's Almanack by Stripe Press

I have to admit, I'm not some Berkshire fan girl that's been following Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger for decades. Maybe I should have been? All I know is when a great man passes, you take a moment to appreciate his contributions. This book really surprised me. I found it incredibly refreshing to read pages of common sense, simple yet powerful ideas and above all else, an active avoidance of hype, hyperbole and self-glorification that we are so accustomed to in tech / venture. Common sense may not be clarion call of disruptive startups but we can surely benefit as investors from emulating his self-awareness and taste in character.

Designing for AI

"What we want from technology is really defined by what we want from each other...the problem was technology was always adding things to everyday life. The way to create a truly different world wasn't to put more technology in it. Rather, you had to take all that stuff out."

User Friendly by Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant

Reflecting on the last 12 months of AI developments, it struck me how much of the conversation was either heavily engineering led or fear-factor journalist led. What I have been missing and is sorely needed is the vision and voice of designers who are thinking deeply about new systems with generative AI. How do we make AI humane? How do we train humans to interact with AI? What are the UX design principles that will guide us? It's a world beyond chatbots and it's TBD.

The book isn't about AI at all. It's about the evolution of user-centric design and some fascinating historical examples of how technology products evolved over the last 100 years with the help of design leaders. It's about the convergence of design, culture and commerce.

"The teleology of technology's march is that it should mirror us better – that it should travel an arc of increasing humanness." – Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant

The book leaves off where this new era of AI begins, so one wonders what the next few chapters would say?

Hope you enjoy these reads! Let me know what you think.