Weekly Learnings #8

Gm fam,

Here is what I learned and found fascinating this week:

(Click the image to view the original tweets and articles)

(1) Your Brain Has Tricked You Into Thinking Everything Is Worse

Most people believe we're experiencing a moral decline, thinking that humans today are less kind, honest, ethical, and moral than in the past. This sentiment is often reinforced by politicians promising a return to the 'golden age'.

Research found strong evidence that this isn’t true, and the negative perception is caused by the following two psychological biases:

1. Biased exposure: People tend to focus more on negative information, leading to the perception that bad news is everywhere.

2. Biased memory: Negative experiences fade from memory quicker than positive ones. As a result, past events seem more beautiful than the present.

The daily focus on negatives (biased exposure) combined with beautiful memories of the past (biased memory) creates the illusion that things have worsened. It’s fascinating how the human mind works… :)

(2) Nike .SWOOSH Secretly Onboards Millions Of Gamers Into Web3

Nike made a big move this week when they invited Fortnite players to link their accounts to the .SWOOSH platform. If players do this by June 27th, they become eligible to claim an Achievement and receive early access to the upcoming Air Max Collection drop.

Nike’s .SWOOSH platform runs on Polygon, a layer-2 solution for the Ethereum blockchain. While most users may not know this, every account and every digital collection is minted, making the proof publicly accessible on the blockchain.

A few weeks ago, Nike announced a partnership with EA Sports, the company behind games played by 650 million people. Similar to how Nike just integrated Fortnite with .SWOOSH, they will likely do the same with EA Sports titles. Your .SWOOSH account will then become a home for all your digital achievements and Nike skins across games from different studios, played by hundreds of millions of gamers every day. This creates a triple win for gamers, Web3 fans, and Nike.

1. Gamers benefit from better experience and cross-connectivity between games.

2. Web3 fans benefit from the interoperability and usage of a public blockchain.

3. Nike stands to profit from the digital skin market, which is projected to reach $26.8 billion by 2030.

In essence, Nike is making strategic moves, not just playing games.

(3) The New Spiderman: Spiderverse Movie Blew My Mind

I finally watched the new 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' and it was an absolute 10 out of 10 for me. The animators must have been from another planet, because some of the effects were just insane. It is currently ranked as the 11th best movie ever created, and I am not surprised. If you haven't watched it yet, I highly recommend hitting your nearest cinema. If you have, please write down in the comments whether you were also impressed.

(4) Why AI Is A Positive Force For Society?

Every so often, Marc Andreessen writes a banger essay that triggers conversation. Some of his notable pieces are "Why Software Is Eating the World" (2011) and "It’s Time to Build" (2020). I finally took the time to read his latest essay about AI, and it’s one of the best pieces I’ve read. What are the takeaways?

1. AI won’t kill us because it isn't alive and doesn't have intentions.

2. AI, like every new technological revolution, will create more jobs.

3. AI will enhance human intelligence, which will lead to a better quality of life.

4. AI will revolutionize education and work, providing nearly everyone with an AI assistant.

His point of view is very optimistic and suggests that AI will drive civilization forward.

(5) Winning Is Everywhere

I’ve been reading "Winning" by Tim Grover, and if you’re the type of person who’s chasing your dreams, it’s the perfect book for you. Grover is a former coach of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and some of the world’s best CEOs and business founders. I’m at the chapter where he talks about Doubt and Fear, and it’s fascinating.

Professional athletes and high performers often seem to have no fear. However, that’s not true at all. Everyone gets nervous before a big challenge. Everyone feels fear at some point. The difference is, high performers know they have to embrace it. They know they have to push through and jump into the unknown.

So when someone tells you they never feel nervous, or they have no fears, they’re either lying, or their challenges aren’t big enough. Everyone experiences fear. And it’s the single best indicator that the challenge is important to you and that you care.

That’s it for this week. Have a beautiful day!!

Beast.