3 ms·

For me, it's definitely Ribbonfarm:http://www.ribbonfarm.com/ http://www.ribbonfarm.com/ I stumbled into Venkat's blog about two and half years ago and I'm sti

For me, it's definitely Ribbonfarm:http://www.ribbonfarm.com/ http://www.ribbonfarm.com/ I stumbled into Venkat's blog about two and half years ago and I'm still trying to find my way out. The rabbit hole gets even deeper when you look at his list of recommended reading. The material on John Boyd and OODA loops in particular has been bouncing around my head for about a year. Ribbonfarm quickly turns into a choose-your-own-adventure type of experience as it's very easy to bounce between articles and start looking everything that you don't know. If you're interested in getting below the surface level of how organizations, teams, and business cultures work Ribbonfarm is the best place I know of that really digs into the details. If you're expecting the typical "be a leader, not a manager" platitudes, then you'll be disappointed.

peller 10y ago
That recommended reading list is so good I'm going to save some people the trouble of finding the link: http://www.ribbonfarm.com/now-reading/ http://www.ribbonfarm.com/now-reading/
- analogwzrd 10y ago
  I never would have imagined myself reading a book about teaching improvisational theater and enjoying it, much less finding it applicable to my career in engineering.
  - callmeal 10y ago
    If you liked that book, take a peek at "Don't Shoot The Dog"
threepipeproblm 10y ago
I discovered ribbonfarm after being pointed to Rao's outstanding series about office politics, through the lens of the Office which is here: http://www.ribbonfarm.com/the-gervais-principle/ http://www.ribbonfarm.com/the-gervais-principle/ Then I decided to read much more material from the blog, but for the most part I have been disappointed. I feel like the authors there love intellectualism to the point that they create fancy constructs even when there isn't much return. Basically I feel like it's trying too hard to be clever. I have found a few gems there, however. Not trying to pick a fight with anyone, just wanted to share my own experience here.
- JonnieCache 10y ago
  It's good in general to be careful of the "this is what I think people are like" genre of blogging. Especially when it's presented with such certainty. See also: slate star codex, TLP. At least those two are working psychiatrists. Venkat Rao is just a guy with some opinions that he has retrospectively derived from his own career progress, as far as I can tell. It smacks of rationalisation.
  - cambel 10y ago
    Yes, true. But I also think Rao is incredibly self-aware of this. Interact with him. Very strong opinions, gingerly held.
    - sixo 10y ago
      His writing doesn't seem to convey that to me. On the contrary: there's a kind of pretentious of style that I find uniquely intolerable. Which is too bad, because I'd otherwise probably be pretty interested in some of what he has to say, but I'm too much of a dick to get past it.
  - sambe 10y ago
    Did TLP just completely stop after being outed or is there something still happening with a book?
    - JonnieCache 10y ago
      In my imagination he went completely insane trying to write the porn book. If you want a good continuation, check out Jordan Peterson, who has a much wider framework into which TLP's somewhat narrow worldview can be fitted. He is also a practicing clinical psychologist, as well as a professor. This video summarises a lot of his ideas, but they are fully explained and justified in his university courses, which are all on the channel. "Personality" is a first year course, and "Maps of Meaning" is I think taken by third or fourth year psychology students. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCOw0eJ84d8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCOw0eJ84d8 (You're probably best off ignoring the culture war drama he's currently embroiled in. Unfortunately the youtube algorithm has now placed him firmly in the alt-right nexus because of this, so his videos might shit up your reccommendations. This is not a reflection of his ideas, far from it.)
rsync 10y ago
Agreed. ribbonfarm is terrific. I support his work by paying monthly for the kindle version of the website publications.

peller 10y ago

That recommended reading list is so good I'm going to save some people the trouble of finding the link: http://www.ribbonfarm.com/now-reading/ http://www.ribbonfarm.com/now-reading/

analogwzrd 10y ago
I never would have imagined myself reading a book about teaching improvisational theater and enjoying it, much less finding it applicable to my career in engineering.
- callmeal 10y ago
  If you liked that book, take a peek at "Don't Shoot The Dog"

threepipeproblm 10y ago

I discovered ribbonfarm after being pointed to Rao's outstanding series about office politics, through the lens of the Office which is here: http://www.ribbonfarm.com/the-gervais-principle/ http://www.ribbonfarm.com/the-gervais-principle/ Then I decided to read much more material from the blog, but for the most part I have been disappointed. I feel like the authors there love intellectualism to the point that they create fancy constructs even when there isn't much return. Basically I feel like it's trying too hard to be clever. I have found a few gems there, however. Not trying to pick a fight with anyone, just wanted to share my own experience here.

JonnieCache 10y ago
It's good in general to be careful of the "this is what I think people are like" genre of blogging. Especially when it's presented with such certainty. See also: slate star codex, TLP. At least those two are working psychiatrists. Venkat Rao is just a guy with some opinions that he has retrospectively derived from his own career progress, as far as I can tell. It smacks of rationalisation.
- cambel 10y ago
  Yes, true. But I also think Rao is incredibly self-aware of this. Interact with him. Very strong opinions, gingerly held.
  - sixo 10y ago
    His writing doesn't seem to convey that to me. On the contrary: there's a kind of pretentious of style that I find uniquely intolerable. Which is too bad, because I'd otherwise probably be pretty interested in some of what he has to say, but I'm too much of a dick to get past it.
- sambe 10y ago
  Did TLP just completely stop after being outed or is there something still happening with a book?
  - JonnieCache 10y ago
    In my imagination he went completely insane trying to write the porn book. If you want a good continuation, check out Jordan Peterson, who has a much wider framework into which TLP's somewhat narrow worldview can be fitted. He is also a practicing clinical psychologist, as well as a professor. This video summarises a lot of his ideas, but they are fully explained and justified in his university courses, which are all on the channel. "Personality" is a first year course, and "Maps of Meaning" is I think taken by third or fourth year psychology students. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCOw0eJ84d8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCOw0eJ84d8 (You're probably best off ignoring the culture war drama he's currently embroiled in. Unfortunately the youtube algorithm has now placed him firmly in the alt-right nexus because of this, so his videos might shit up your reccommendations. This is not a reflection of his ideas, far from it.)

rsync 10y ago

Agreed. ribbonfarm is terrific. I support his work by paying monthly for the kindle version of the website publications.