Russell Pollari
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AI and machine learning algorithms are becoming increasingly relevant in the technology we use and it’s important for everyone to understand the implications. There is a key difference in how machine learning algorithms are programmed compared to traditional algorithms. Instead of being logic-based, they are data-based. We’re going from software that is explicitly programmed (if…
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Keeping a daily journal is probably the most useful habit I’ve developed. It has increased awareness of how I spend my time and been a catalyst for other productive habits. It took me almost a year of experimenting with habit strategies to develop one that stuck. Here’s what I learned. Where to journal? It should…
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One lesson I find myself learning over and over again is how important implementation intentions are for forming habits. It’s a simple premise. If you schedule a time and place for a habit, you’re more likely actually do it. The general formula is: At [time/place] I will [behaviour] I first came across this concept in…
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I’m currently trying to build a writing habit. My framework for doing so looks like this: Writing at least one sentence a day (this is my minimum viable habit). Scheduling explicit time each day for writing (see: implementation intentions). Quitting while I’m ahead. Publishing often. My goal is not to write for a living. There…
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My Kindle highlights from The Moral Landscape by Sam Harris. Human well-being entirely depends on events in the world and on states of the human brain. Consequently, there must be scientific truths to be known about it. The fact that we may not be able to resolve specific moral dilemmas does not suggest that all…
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Something we think a lot about at SharpestMinds is how to create an incentive structure that aligns our business goals with the goals of our users. This has led us to embrace income share agreements as a central part of our business model. The ethical implications of AI is something I also think a a…
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Changing your habits is hard. Most people know this at some level (see all of your New Year’s resolutions). The mistake we all tend to make is expecting too much from ourselves. When something inspires us to change our behavior for the better (like a motivational speaker or a new beginning), we have a surge…
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I’ve been sleeping in since kindergarten. If there was somewhere to be in the morning, I was either slightly late or really late. Getting to school on time was a rarity and I was the worst paperboy my neighborhood had ever seen. As a grad student, my text history with my advisor was a long…
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My Kindle highlights from Deep Work by Cal Newport Deep Work: Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate. A 2012 McKinsey study found that the average knowledge worker now spends more than…
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