Y K C : Springish
Welcome to YKC. I recently heard a new term which blew my mind. Xennials; “(also known as the Oregon Trail Generation and Generation Catalano) is a neologistic term used to describe people born during the Generation X/Millennial cusp years, typically from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.”
No, this is not like the Nolita of identity, a forced and imaginary construct, this term actually signifies the real age group between digital natives (millennials) and those who came of age during the early Internet years (Gen X); basically, anyone who knows what it’s like to crush Snake on a Nokia 3310.
This generation, Xennials, is now coming into their own in the professional world, not just in age but inheriting the reins of power in all industry, these young princes and princesses who feel that “it is better to act and repent, than not to act and regret.” It is not just the generational 30 trillion dollar transfer of wealth transfer that is going to occur (Baby Boomers > Millennials/Xennials), but Xennials occupying positions of influence (millennials have a few years) today.
Included is last week’s Medium article, a curation of Facebook posts during my summer 2016 journey in Israel (around the topic of innovation): Y K C : Innovation I (10,000 Hours of Coffee Meetings).
If you enjoyed reading this article please subscribe to my newsletter for curated opportunities and upcoming events here.
“Boos don’t block dunks.”
-Kobe Bryant
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline vs. Eyes Wide Open by Issac Lidsky: It is fitting that I saw Ready Player One on a big screen and I listened to Lidsky’s book on Audible. Both mediums reflect respectively two ideas that I am holding in my mind at the same time:
1.) We are entering very rapidly a world where AR (augmented reality) is going to start to chip away at our perception of reality, and which VR which is finally coming into its own will be a place where we escape like the OASIS reality in Ready Player One.
2.) We are already there. We are already living in VR, in an imagined world. This is not a new concept, that reality is just a construct of our mind, that we actually shape our reality thru our minds. Before Elon and Tech Billionaires Want to Destroy the Universe spread the idea of Simulation Theory and thought to fund research to break us out of the Matrix ancient Hindu Sanskrit mentioned the idea of Maya, our reality, as an illusion thousands of years ago. Yuval Noah Harari (you probably saw that coming) spent much of Sapiens waxing on the idea that civilization was built on shared myths (he was less polite, and called them lies). So in a way are already taking part in one big fictional reality.
The Edge of Reality
Eyes Wide Open is the autobiography by Issac Lidsky, a corporate lawyer turned entrepreneur who slowly loses his sight, and in the book overcomes a number of obstacles but lucidly imagines how best to execute his way out of the many messes (he sometimes creates). The first part of the book is what is more interesting, as Lidsky goes thru the science how our eyes actually perceive our reality but don’t actually create that reality. That it is all in our minds. We feel like we have a very good grasp of our reality, that it feels so real, but so much of it is in our minds despite this ‘realness’,
AR and MR (mixed reality) might become more mainstream than VR; it’s already happening, we just don’t really have a name for it. I believe we’re entering a period where our perception of reality will start to chip away on the edges. The widespread adoption of meditation practice, which is about understanding the illusion (thoughts, and seeing the world for what it is, not what we feel it is) is probably driving some of this phenomenon (Facebook should acquire Headspace to accelerate this process, but they probably won’t.) You don’t need to look further than social media and the filters on Snap and Instra. Or Twitter; it’s not a coincidence that our president was a reality show star. Hollywood has been at the apex in crafting alternative realities, and reality television was one a major mainstream adaptation of this. (I could go down the rabbit hole of fake news and subjective truth but’s for another post.)
Ready Player One is set in a universe beset by energy shortages, I think at this point ecological disaster and AI making mans’ work irrelevant is more concerning in the near future. Living in a world where one major tech company controls our perception of reality is not too far-fetched an idea (Father of virtual reality: Facebook and Google are dangerous ‘behavior-modification empires’ resulting from a tragic mistake) people are already using social media as a way to escape reality (as well as craft their own curated alternative reality of peak experiences), Facebook is putting augmented reality experiences on Ready Player One posters…
Key Takeaways:
⚪️Halliday = Zuck: While personality wise James Halliday, Ready Player One’s eccentric billionaire founder of the OASIS seems much tamer than Zuck, one could imagine a timeline like this: Zuck reads Ready Player One > Facebook buys Oculus > VR finally becomes mainstream (nerds rejoice) > AI takes most of our jobs (and people enter an Oculus created world to escape) > Facebook takes over the world (Zuck is pronounced emperor in VR world, and in real life, but it doesn’t matter as Facebook had all our personal info anyway).
⚪️Millennials are going to break out of the Matrix: The novel Ready Player One become a cult hit (and a throwback to the 80’s) for the tech set, but the Matrix in the late 90’s changed us Xennials’ worldview. Just the term “break out of the Matrix” invokes taking that red pill and breaking free of society’s constraints. And experts weight in: Is the VR Universe in Ready Player One Possible?
⚪️Reality is malleable: I feel like this is the billionaires’ open secret. That once we understand how much of our reality is malleable we can bend reality to suit our goals. Sadly, many of use will escape into the OASIS instead of confronting that idea and breaking out of the Matrix.
⚪️Yet Another (ex-)VC Blog: Literally 9 out of 10 people who reach out to me asking how to break into tech want to know how to land a job at a VC. While I don’t know if I can be helpful with that particular request, this blog by John Gannon would prove much more useful.
⚪️Alley: They are looking for a Technical Recruiter with full-cycle recruiting experience, from talent sourcing and attracting candidates to interviewing and hiring great employees. APPLY →.
⚪️Flippable: Help them find fantastic candidates for their open job positions — they’re looking to hire a Data Fellow and Operations Associate, and will have additional opportunities coming up soon.
Gary Vaynerchuk: I was not a fan of GaryVee for a long time, but after reading Crushing It! and listening to a number of podcast interviews with him two things became very clear. Despite the shameless self-promotion, this guy is self-aware at a meta level. It really is as Socrates stated “know thyself”; aside from his boundless energy how else could he accomplish so much. Second, he has a superior understanding of all social platforms, as well as a vision where things are headed. I seriously reconsidered my social media strategy to engage with this community (and sometimes lack of one) after reading his work.
Takeaway: Learn to develop an Alexa Skill; I’m still at the early stages of understanding this (and we’re at the early stages of voice), but I have to agree that voice will be one of the next big things. It’s a matter of convenience and (sadly) filling up transition periods in our day. Ex, I could create a one-minute synopsis of the content of this newsletter on the Alexa platform. Alexa. Play Yoni’s newsletter recap…
Thinkitate: This is actually what most of us do (I know I am the worst perpetrator of this) when we attempt to settle the mind and meditate. Let’s be real, it’s like 99% chasing our thoughts, and maybe that 1% of clarity which comes to us like an epiphany at the end of a session. Thinkitating is when you’re thinking in a slight meditative haze.
I’ve found this technique useful after meditating when my mind is clear to think about a problem I need to solve. It’s like we tap into the subconscious part of our mind, that which developed before we created language to frame our experiences and the world around us. For a brief moment, we have direct access to that part of the mind, that which we feel with our emotions and through our body.
Yoni’s Kitchen Cabinet
April 17 · Issue #27 · View online
Sharing meaningful experiences, impactful ideas I’m exploring, and career + event opportunities to build community and better my friends’ lives
Dress British, execute Yiddish.
Welcome to YKC. I recently heard a new term which blew my mind. Xennials; “(also known as the Oregon Trail Generation and Generation Catalano) is a neologistic term used to describe people born during the Generation X/Millennial cusp years, typically from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.”
No, this is not like the Nolita of identity, a forced and imaginary construct, this term actually signifies the real age group between digital natives (millennials) and those who came of age during the early Internet years (Gen X); basically, anyone who knows what it’s like to crush Snake on a Nokia 3310.
This generation, Xennials, is now coming into their own in the professional world, not just in age but inheriting the reins of power in all industry, these young princes and princesses who feel that “it is better to act and repent, than not to act and regret.” It is not just the generational 30 trillion dollar transfer of wealth transfer that is going to occur (Baby Boomers > Millennials/Xennials), but Xennials occupying positions of influence (millennials have a few years) today.
Last week’s Medium article, a curation of Facebook posts during my summer 2016 journey in Israel (around the topic of innovation): Y K C : Innovation I (10,000 Hours of Coffee Meetings) and this edition on Medium here.
“Boos don’t block dunks.”
-Kobe Bryant
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline vs. Eyes Wide Open by Issac Lidsky: It is fitting that I saw Ready Player One on a big screen and I listened to Lidsky’s book on Audible. Both mediums reflect respectively two ideas which I am holding in my mind at the same time:
1.) We are very rapidly entering a world where AR (augmented reality) is going to start to chip away at our perception of reality, and which VR (which is finally coming into its own) will be a place where we escape to like the OASIS alternative reality in Ready Player One.
2.) We are already there. We are already living in VR, in an imagined world. This is not a new concept, that reality is just a construct of our minds, that we actually shape our reality thru our thinking. Before Elon and the Tech Billionaires Who Want to Destroy the Universe spread the idea of Simulation Theory and thought to fund research to break us out of the Matrix, ancient Hindu Sanskrit mentioned the idea of Maya (what we experience as reality, as an illusion) thousands of years ago. Yuval Noah Harari spent much of Sapiens addressing the idea that civilization was built on shared myths (he was less polite, and called them lies); that one of the only things which separate us from other species is our ability to create imaginary shared ideas on a society-wide scale in order to cooperate. So in a way are already taking part in one big fictional reality.
The Edge of Reality
Eyes Wide Open is the autobiography by Issac Lidsky, a corporate lawyer turned entrepreneur who slowly loses his sight, and in the book overcomes a number of obstacles but lucidly imagines how best to execute his way out of the many messes (he sometimes creates). The first part of the book is what is more interesting, as Lidsky goes thru the science of how our eyes actually perceive only a part of what we see but don’t actually create that reality. That it is all in our minds. We feel like we have a very good grasp of our reality, that it feels so real, but so much of it is in our minds despite this ‘realness’,
AR and MR (mixed reality) might become more mainstream than VR; it’s already happening, we just don’t really have a name for it. I believe we’re entering a period where our perception of reality will start to chip away on the edges. The widespread adoption of meditation practice, which is about understanding the illusion (thoughts, and seeing the world for what it is, not what we feel it is) is probably driving some of this phenomenon (Facebook should acquire Headspace to accelerate this process, but they probably won’t.) You don’t need to look further than social media and the filters on Snap and Instra. Or Twitter; it’s not a coincidence that our president was a reality show star. Hollywood has been at the apex in crafting alternative realities, and reality television was a major mainstream adaptation of this. (I could go down the rabbit hole of fake news and subjective truth but that is for another post.)
Ready Player One is set in a future beset by energy shortages, I think at this point ecological disaster and AI making mans’ work irrelevant is more concerning in the near future. Living in a world where one major tech company controls our perception of reality is not too far-fetched an idea (Father of virtual reality: Facebook and Google are dangerous ‘behavior-modification empires’ resulting from a tragic mistake) people are already using social media as a way to escape reality (as well as craft their own curated alternative reality of peak experiences), Facebook is putting augmented reality experiences on Ready Player One posters…
Key Takeaways:
⚪️Halliday = Zuck: While personality wise James Halliday, Ready Player One’s eccentric billionaire founder of the OASIS seems much tamer than Zuck, one could imagine a timeline like this: Zuck reads Ready Player One > Facebook buys Oculus > VR finally becomes mainstream (nerds rejoice) > AI takes most of our jobs (and people enter an Oculus created world to escape) > Facebook takes over the world (Zuck is pronounced emperor in VR world, and in real life, but it doesn’t matter as Facebook had all our personal info anyway).
⚪️Millennials are going to break out of the Matrix: The novel Ready Player One became a cult hit (and a throwback to the 80’s) for the tech set, but the Matrix in the late 90’s changed how Xennials view the world. Just the term “break out of the Matrix” invoked taking that red pill and breaking free of society’s constraints. As for today, experts weigh in: Is the VR Universe in Ready Player One Possible?
⚪️Reality is malleable: I feel like this is billionaires and elite performers’ open secret. That once we understand how much of our reality is malleable we can bend reality to suit our goals. Sadly, many of us will escape into the OASIS instead of confronting that idea, seeing the world for what it really is, and break out of the Matrix.
Wade Watts aka Parzival: Could be Zuck’s grandson
⚪️Yet Another (ex-)VC Blog: Literally 9 out of 10 people who reach out to me asking how to break into tech want to know how to land a job at a VC. While I don’t know if I can be helpful with that particular request, this blog by John Gannon would prove much more useful.
⚪️Alley: They are looking for a Technical Recruiter with full-cycle recruiting experience, from talent sourcing and attracting candidates to interviewing and hiring great employees. APPLY →.
⚪️Flippable: Help them find fantastic candidates for their open job positions — they’re looking to hire a Data Fellow and Operations Associate, and will have additional opportunities coming up soon.
Gary Vaynerchuk: I was not a fan of GaryVee for a long time, but after reading Crushing It! and listening to a number of podcast interviews with him two things became very clear. Despite the shameless self-promotion, this guy is self-aware at a meta level. It really is as Socrates stated “know thyself”; aside from his boundless energy how else could he accomplish so much. Second, he has a superior understanding of all social platforms, as well as a vision where things are headed. I seriously reconsidered my social media strategy to engage with this community (and sometimes lack of one) after reading his work.
Takeaway: Learn to develop an Alexa Skill; I’m still at the early stages of understanding this (and we’re at the early stages of voice), but I have to agree that voice will be one of the next big things. It’s a matter of convenience and (sadly) filling up transition periods in our day. Ex, I could create a one-minute synopsis of the content of this newsletter on the Alexa platform. Alexa. Play Yoni’s newsletter recap…
Thinkitate: This is actually what most of us do (I know I am the worst perpetrator of this) when we attempt to settle the mind and meditate. Let’s be real, it’s like 99% chasing our thoughts, and maybe that 1% of clarity which comes to us like an epiphany at the end of a session. Thinkitating is when you’re thinking in a slight meditative haze.
I’ve found this technique useful after meditating when my mind is clear to think about a problem I need to solve. It’s like we tap into the subconscious part of our mind, that which developed before we created language to frame our experiences and the world around us. For a brief moment, we have direct access to that part of the mind, that which we feel with our emotions and through our body.
Viewo: Viewo is a video sharing network that operates on a blockchain-based rewards system. Rewards come in the form of VEO Tokens, a blockchain-based utility token that has value in both the Viewo network and outside the Viewo network. Viewo is the only incentivized video sharing network that has the support and backing of a significant number of contemporary influencers.
(As I’ve been quite vocal) I’m generally bearish on the ICO space in the short term but when I see interesting companies utilizing the blockchain, founded by talented serial entrepreneurs who I know and trust, I want to ensure the world sees what they’re creating. You can read their white paper here and join their Telegram group here. For more info email co-founder Rani directly at rani@viewo.com
⚪️Trybal Gatherings: Join Trybal Gatherings and Tribe for a deli-cious happy hour where they’ll pair Jewish nosh with Jewish beer, led by Ben’s Deli and Shmaltz Brewery. Tue, April 17th. 7:00 PM. WeWork NoMad. 79 Madison Ave, 8th Floor. Tickets here.
⚪️Effect Of Mixed Reality On New Media: A event to dovetail with the Learning piece above… As more tools & applications continue to be built in media leveraging VR/AR technologies, it’s important for corporations & startups to understand those advancements. Join a group of corporate experts, academics, & startup professionals to discuss the current state of media in NY, & how mixed reality (AR/VR) technology is shaping their company’s strategy & how they see mixed reality growing in use & adoption. Wed, April 18, 06:00 PM. Samsung NEXT, 30 W 26th St, 7th Fl.Tickets here.
⚪️Breakfast with an Investor: SOS is hosting Ben Parr, erstwhile Silicon Valley-based investor who recently moved to NY with his new venture. Given all that’s now being revealed about the inner workings of Silicon Valley — the good, the bad, and “The Ugly,” and since Ben did spend much of his career as a reporter, they thought you’d like to hear a bit about it from a first-hand source, as both an investor and reporter. Thu, April 19th, 8:30 AM. KettleSpace TriBeCa @Distilled NY. 211 West Broadway. Register here.
⚪️FED: Shabbat Dinner 4/20 with Jewish Veg: You’re cordially invited for Shabbat Dinner with Jewish Veg. Jeffrey Cohan, Executive Director, will give the FED talk on the mission of Jewish Veg, which is to encourage the transition to plant-based diets on the basis of Jewish values. Join FED for a fantastic, four-course vegan dinner! Friday, April 20 at 6:30 pm. RSVP here.
⚪️Authors @GCT: John Doerr: John is the Chair of venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, which he joined in 1980. He has invested in some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and companies, including Amazon, Google, Intuit, Netscape, and Twitter. He’ll be joining GCT to discuss his brand new book (on launch day), Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKR. TUES- 4/24. 12:00@GCT, 4th floor. 335 Madison Ave. RSVP here.
⚪️Blockchain: Integration, Scalability, and interoperability: For the past couple of years, there has been extraordinary hype around the potential of blockchain to transform the financial services industry. This technology has given us the opportunity to re-architect the financial industry but many challenges remain. Join B-Hive, IntellectEU, and Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) for a panel discussion addressing these issues, some nice Belgian beers and a chance to network in the Blockchain NYC community. 6:00 Doors open. Venue: Flanders Investment & Trade, 620 8th Ave #44. Please sign in via Eventbrite to confirm your attendance.
⚪️Authors @GCT: Daniel Pink: Join GCT to hear from NYTimes & Wall St Journal best-seller Daniel Pink. Daniel is the author of Drive, To Sell Is Human, and most recently When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. Come learn about timing and get a few tips to help you flourish at home, work and school. WED-5/02. 6:00@GCT, 4th floor. 335 Madison Ave. RSVP here.
⚪️AT&T Create-a-thon — New York: Do you love film? Do you have a story to tell? If so, AT&T wants to see you in action. The AT&T Mobility & Entertainment is inviting you to join them and make a short film. They’re looking for creative thinkers and doers like you to join them at this special film-making event in New York City. All skill levels are welcome! They need a wide variety of skills and ideas to create the best films possible. Fri, May 4, 2018, 6:00 PM — Sun, May 6, 2018, 9:00 PM. FFIAF Manhattan, 22 East 60th St. Register here.
⚪️Women in Green: Join them this August in Los Angeles at the 9th annual Women In Green Forum. The Forum has grown to be the largest international event highlighting women in the environmental industry. Each year, it convenes sustainability trailblazers who share insights about the newest and most cutting-edge environmental innovations. The 2018 program will propel attendees into the future during sessions around the theme “The Future//Reimagined.” Speakers will focus on the future of tech and its environmental potential through sessions on topics ranging from blockchain to satellite imaging to automated workforces to augmented reality.
Register today as this event will sell out. YKC readers get a 10% discount using this link. I’m not just a big believer in what the team at Women in Green are working to accomplish, I, in full transparency (one of my core principles) have an affiliate relationship with this conference.
