a face off with God-like technologies, ChatGPT rolled back an update, and friendships are the best "biohack"
064 | #ANEWWITHHUE: A monthly Saturday listicle to spark joy.
This month’s theme is clear: how do we take better care of ourselves in the face of God-like technologies and a seemingly ever increasing pace of everything?
Are we living a life that’s truly aligned with our souls or are we simply ticking the boxes of expectations? What energizes me, aligns with my values, and brings joy? How will I nurture more passion and relationships?
This is the rhythm of questioning I’ve been in all month. Naturally, this edition follows similar themes of pondering. Enjoy!
Podcast. Work Life with Adam Grant. TED. In the era of personal brand, this conversation helped me reframe the pressures of self-promotion—and why cringe content can finally rest. Adam Grant and branding expert Debbie Millman argue that personal branding is performance about appearing a certain way rather than being a certain way. Research shows self-promotion makes people appear fake and insecure, while those with “strong personal brands” don’t actually perform better or earn more. Millman’s insight hits deep: “once you start to construct yoruself as a brand, you forfeit everything that is the best part of being human”—personality, depth, complexity. The key: build a reputation through your work, not your image. Your reputation should be a byproduct of character and contribution, not a curated marketing campaign.
Podcast. The Diary of A CEO. Simon Sinek says we’re missing the point—the real value isn’t just having a book with your ideas, but in the process of writing it yourself. As AI makes creating effortless, Sinek predicts what we’ll crave is human imperfection. Borrowing from the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi (finding beauty in flaws), he can see a future where human-made will come at a premium, like the affidavits artists are starting to sign. His advice: master irreplaceable human skills like friendship and empathy while learning difficult crafts through struggle—not for the output, but for growth. “AI will provide boats for everyone, but you still need to learn how to swim for when there’s a storm.” Friendship is “the ultimate biohack,” and humanity’s competitive advantage is our beautiful, imperfect humanness.
Podcast. Lenny Rachitsky. Lenny’s Podcast with Graham Weaver, Standford professor and private equity founder, of Alpine Investors, wants us to ditch “autopliot” and resist unconscious drift through busy, unintentional days. Coming from someone in one of the careers society deems the pinnacle of success, these lessons resonate differently. Weaver wants us to dig deeper instead of following our subconscious programming— informed by media, friends, parents, and expectations. His framework: if a genie guaranteed success in whatever you choose, what would you choose? This reveals what you’d do absent of the fear of failure—which is what you should be doing. Not for guaranteed success, but guaranteed fulfillment. I listened twice to write down answers to his questions. But the key: whether you’re working for someone else or for yourself, you might as well choose something worth suffering for that aligns with your energy and passion.
