Open Loops #125

👋 Welcome to the 125th issue of Open Loops, a newsletter to help you think, grow, and build momentum.

My name is Reza, and every other 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.

It's impossible to beat someone who's having fun.

When work feels like play, everything changes.

You experiment more boldly.

You notice details others miss.

You bounce back faster from failure.

The novelist who can't wait to get to her desk each morning will eventually outwrite the one just chasing a bestseller list.

The athlete who finds flow in practice will outperform the one who sees training as a burden.

The founder who's obsessed with their industry will outlast the one who's just chasing an exit.

Your enthusiasm creates a gap that strategy alone can't close.

Nobody can beat you at being you.

Next time you're choosing what to pursue, ask yourself: "What feels like play to me but work to everyone else?"

That's where your unfair advantage lives.

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

I've been thinking about what makes some people more enjoyable to be around than others.

The best answer I've come up with is that the most likable, charismatic, enjoyable people to be around are people who demand nothing of you.

The most charismatic people I know, who seem to have this radiant, magnetic quality to their presence, are actually those who actively invite you to things with your best interests in mind but are totally okay with you declining, and they really mean it.

Interacting with highly charismatic people gives you a high because of the intensity of being seen (and it's rare to encounter people who can really see you because most people have too much going on in their heads). The difference is in whether they encounter you as an equal or as a means to some other end, and this part never lies: see how they leave you feeling, especially over time.

Do they empower you, return you to yourself, ask you to do what makes you most comfortable but also encourage you to grow? Or do they use their persuasion and charisma to convince you they know better, but they have your best interests in mind so for "your" sake you should trust them, serve them, sacrifice for them or their cause?

Every product in the world, at the end of the day, is simply a reflection of how much the people who created it gave a shit… It is not possible to make great products if the people who work on it do not give a sht about the product.

People claim to want to do something that matters, yet they measure themselves against things that don’t, and track their progress not in years but in microseconds.

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.