Life On The Road

A short email this week while I'm traveling throughout India.

Here's a picture from a wedding I attended. The bridal party is waiting at the entrance of the venue to welcome the groom and his family.

Some Musings While Traveling

You Have To Embrace Challenges In Order To Thrive In The Digital Age

Technology advances at a rapid rate, forcing society wide changes. That means that settling into "comfortable" lifestyles can become a recipe for Future Shock. ie: the feeling of confusion and frustration that comes when technologies change the way we live, work, and form relationships. Breaking down conventional and "comfortable" ways of life.

Said another way, it's hard to know what choices to make and how to act when the world is constantly changing.

So, what can you do to prepare for a rapidly changing world?

You work to develop the creative muscles needed to overcome rapid changes and future shock. And you do that by intentionally embracing the challenges of life. Challenges are like workouts for your mind that increases your brain's ability to manifest creative output under stress. And your ability to navigate changing times is strengthened through this type of adversity.

Embracing new and immersive cultural experiences outside of your comfort zone is a great example. By experiencing the "deep end" of other cultures, you're stressing your mind and forcing it to adapt to different ways of life.

In other words, you can prepare for future shock by consistently doing things that are outside your comfort zone. Things that force you to adapt to new situations.

The Dangers Of Traveling With Crypto

I use a hardware wallet for my bitcoin holdings because I like the idea of holding stateless money. And while I don't use it much for transactions, I like the idea of having it available as an alternative form of money. But one challenge of using a hardware wallet is that the wallet must always be accessible in order to be useful.

What do you do when you need to travel for long periods of time and maintain access to your crypto? The short answer: don't ever put your hardware wallet in checked luggage because it creates a massive headache when your bag gets lost.

True story, this recently happened to me. Fortunately, I had no funds in the wallet that was lost (I brought it in case there were buying opportunities while I travelled) but it emphasizes the importance of maintaining personal possession of the wallet when in transit and having a good process for securing your recovery seed phrase in case something happens to the wallet.

Embracing Time Zone Dysphoria

Jet lag is the physical experience of being tired from a time zone change. But changing time zones also causes a type of mental dysphoria. A confusion & frustration from trying to adapt from one time zone to another. Usually, this change in time zones coincides with a change in culture, rules, norms, as well as engaging with different types of people. The temporary dysphoria creates a feeling of isolation as you straddle two worlds.

But isolation in this case isn't a bad thing if you recognize it for what it is. ie: it's a truly unique perspective and opportunity to evaluate two places and cultures from the outside looking in.

Time zone dysphoria is a "liminal space".

"What happens in liminal spaces? Doubt, discomfort, unfamiliarity, anxiety. But also growth, change, and discovery. Liminal spaces offer all of the ingredients for creativity."

Crypto's Value Prop Is Different Depending On Where You Look

Crypto's value proposition is different around the world. For example, instant 7 days per week transactions are already possible in India, so cryptos "always on" nature isn't necessarily a big selling point.

On the other hand, censorship resistance is a valuable feature in India. So are on and off ramps to other currencies with an ability to transact outside of government control. India is also a country that values the attributes of jewelry. ie: an ability to store value in small physical units that have minimal slippage when converted back to currencies. These jewelry characteristics when common in crypto are more compelling selling points to this demographic of people.

The point: what one group of people value about crypto another group of people might not. Understanding the differences and how to properly market those differences to their respective communities will be essential for the next wave of crypto adoption.

Rapid Fire

• Is the world ready for mass migration due to climate change? - BBC Future - Why might people use the tech-enabled exit? One reason is the impact of climate change.

• White Man.| by Arthur Hayes | Nov, 2022 | Medium - "The entire point of these essays is to alter your thinking for the future. When the next person comes along who says the “right” things, wears the “right” clothes, went to the “right” schools, speaks / looks the “right” way, hangs out with the “right” people, and is promoted by the “right” media outlets, I hope that you disregard all of that and focus on the truth that is self-evident in the maths and public statements presented."

• Berlin Airport Closed By Climate Activists Glued To Runway | ZeroHedge - In an age of social media and exponential reach, activists are doing crazy stunts to gain attention for their causes. These stunts are very successful in gaining attention and can be expected to increase in frequency as they continue to succeed.

• Chart: Small Retailers Support Millions of Jobs in the U.S. | Statista - "According to U.S. Census data, more than 10 million people in retail worked at establishments with less than 100 employees in 2020. Almost five million worked at places with less than 20 employees, indicating that buying locally and independent doesn’t just support a small business, but also the people who depend on that business for their livelihood." Contextually important for understanding that in the US, as small businesses suffer, that translates to many workers suffering.

• Countries with the Highest (and Lowest) Proportion of Immigrants (visualcapitalist.com) - "Although the United States is outside the top 20, it still has by far the most immigrants of any other country (50 million vs. 16 million in second-place Germany)."

• Globalized Supply Chain Brings More-Turbulent Food Prices - WSJ (archive.is) - "Imports of food and related ingredients have steadily risen in most economies, exposing consumers to supply disruptions that drive up prices" Global supply chains are vulnerable to disruptions. The major solution is to onshore as much as possible, but this ultimately drives up prices.

Extras

Something worth thinking about.