Open Loops #122

👋 Welcome to the 122nd issue of Open Loops, a weekly newsletter to help you think, grow, and build momentum.

My name is Reza, and every week, I sift through over 100 pieces of content —newsletters, articles, podcasts, books, and (way too many) tweets—to pull out the most interesting, actionable ideas.

Limitations aren't the enemy of creativity. They're the fuel.

We think complete freedom leads to our best work. It's usually the opposite.

Think about it. Shakespeare didn't create masterpieces with unlimited options - he worked within the rigid structure of iambic pentameter.

Great jazz emerges not from musical chaos, but from improvisation within chord progressions.

Hemingway wrote a six-word story: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." The constraint of six words made it powerful.

I discovered this when my flight was delayed for six hours once. No laptop. Phone dying. Just a notebook and pen.

Those six analog hours produced more clarity about a problem I'd been stuck on for weeks than all my previous digital attempts combined.

Constraints create clarity. They force decisions. They eliminate distractions.

Deadlines are the ultimate inspiration not just because they motivate us, but because they narrow the field of possibilities.

Work expands to fill the time allotted to it. Without boundaries, we drift.

The next time you feel boxed in by limitations, don't fight them. Use them.

Some of your best thinking might be hiding on the other side of "not enough."

Now, let's dive into this week's ideas.

I came across Contra a while back, but it wasn’t until recently that I started using it to find top-tier creative talent—for myself and the companies I work with.

It’s been a game-changer, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Today, on their 4th anniversary, they’ve launched a new iteration of the platform. Check it out 👇

We should all remain humble to the power of our own mind.

One thing that feels obvious is that I need to prioritize my body way more in how I think about my creation and expression process. I need more space. More ease, relaxation, and effortless flow — times where my body can speak to me, and communicate what it needs and wants.

The body is a compass that needs to be listened to, aligned towards. Living well is not just about consulting the mind; the mind does not hold all wisdom.

But don’t misunderstand me. I don’t mean that we can’t BE firemen, bankers, or doctors— but that we must make the goal conform to the individual, rather than make the individual conform to the goal. In every man, heredity and environment have combined to produce a creature of certain abilities and desires— including a deeply ingrained need to function in such a way that his life will be MEANINGFUL. A man has to BE something; he has to matter.

This newsletter is my creative outlet. When I’m not writing it, or working out, I help founders and their early teams bring clarity and structure to the chaos of building early-stage brands. If you’re a founder navigating GTM, you can lean more here.