A big part of why I write this newsletter is because, quite candidly, I’m trying to emulate great writers who have influenced me. I enjoy learning via great storytelling and want to offer the same to my readers. The writers listed here are phenomenal storytellers and super smart.
Joel Spolsky
Sometimes I just can’t get anything done.
That line, which begins the post entitled Fire and Motion, is burned into my memory. Not only do the words themselves resonate with me—it’s true, some days are a total wash—but the whole post is a master class in narrative writing. My biggest takeaway from reading Joel’s writing is that it doesn’t matter what you have to say if you’re not telling a story that people want to read.
Joel doesn’t blog regularly anymore, but his writing still holds up decades later. Check out The Law of Leaky Abstractions and other posts on his site.
Matt Levine
Sign up for Money Stuff if you’re at all interested in staying on top of financial news while being thoroughly entertained and educated. You will not be disappointed. I sat in on a few finance classes while applying to business school, and I feel like Matt’s writing gave enabled me to instantly absorb what I was hearing in class, even though I was only showing up mid-semester.
If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter, you’ll notice I (shamelessly) borrow a lot of storytelling devices that Matt Levine uses in his newsletter. He does a fantastic job of setting up a story from first principles before driving a particular point home.
Patrick McKenzie
I mostly get insights from Patrick by following him on Twitter, but his website is a good place to start if you want to get to know him a bit. Patrick applies systems thinking to pretty much any problem, so if you’re looking to get interesting insights into things happening on the internet as it relates to engineering, business, and marketing, he’s one to follow.
Scott Galloway
I only came across NYU Professor Scott Galloway recently, but have thoroughly loved engaging with his thinking, which is mostly through his podcast, The Prof G Pod, and Pivot, which he co-hosts with Kara Swisher. He’s also got a weekly newsletter called No Mercy / No Malice. Very entertaining and educational about business topics.