Author: Alex

Web Developer. I also love board games, Dungeons and Dragons, and drum corps.

Even More Recent Reading

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

I got so much out of this book, I read it twice in two days. I made some immediate changes to my business and schedule right afterwards. I wish I’d read this a year ago.

An interview with Greg McKeown that gives an enticing introduction as to why the idea of Essentialism has merit.

The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin

I wish I’d read this ten years ago. I heard about it when it first came out, and I always feel some kind of connection to Josh Waitzkin because of my childhood in scholastic chess scene. Part memoir, part self-help, Josh is a great educator and it he brings a lot of clarity to learning difficult skills at the highest levels.

If anyone knows of a “Josh Waitzkin, but a programmer,” I’d really want to learn about them. Matt Mullenweg is the closest person that comes to mind for me?

More Recent Reading

You Need a Budget by Jesse Mecham

The creator of the You Need a Budget (YNAB) software, which I began using recently, wrote this book to publish his philosophy of modern budgeting. Both the software and this book do a good job of not making assumptions about what the user/reader want to do with their money, something very different from other personal finance systems. You could even stay in debt and get value from the YNAB way of things.

Playing with FIRE by Scott Rieckens

Read this in one evening. A passionate report on high-earning family starting their financial independence journey. Companion to a new a documentary that’s currently in limited theaters. I loved the book, and while I’m not sure it’ll be my go-to thing to get someone intrigued with FIRE (MMM’s blog is still that for me) it’s definitely good enough for anyone interested to read it. I bet the documentary is great:

Locke & Key, Vol. 2: Head Games by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

The world-building and art in Locke & Key are exemplary. I think I preferred Vol 1’s story, but their both so enjoyable it’s not even worth ranking. Looking forward to finding a copy of Vol. 3.

62

168 hours a week.

Sleep for 56 and you still have 112 remaining.

Work 40, commute 10, and you still have 62 hours under your command.

You Need a Mustache

Our household recently switched to You Need a Budget (YNAB) after many years of using Mint.

YNAB is missing a report I’d find useful: Savings Rate. That metric is the most important consideration in Mr. Money Mustache’s “Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement”. YNAB has a well-documented API so I was thinking of making a tool, You Need a Mustache (YNAM), where one can oAuth into their YNAB account and get that calculation from all that transaction data.

Another YNABer started a project similar to this called Budget Reports, so I know I’m not the first person to get this joke. But there seems room here for other 3rd party reporting tools.

If you’re also a Mustachian and YNABer, leave a comment if you’d find any use in a tool like this or if there’s anything else you think is missing from YNAB.

Recent Reading

Mike Monteiro’s new book, Ruined by Design, is an eye-opening take on ethical dilemmas facing/caused by designers. And by his definition even a typist like me is a designer. I was fortunate enough to get my copy signed when Mike was in town last month but it reads just as well unsigned.

I re-read Deep Work by Cal Newport and found it even more useful this time than I did in 2017.

Both are recommended reading.