January 13, 2026

No one remembers Mike

Ask most people to name the crew on the Apollo 11, the first moon landing, they’ll likely say Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, but not Michael Collins.

Ask most people to name the Three Italian Tenors and most people will say Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, but probably not Jose Carerras.

But, in both cases (and in many others), the success of those whose names we remember are only remembered because of the work of everyone in the group. Without Michael Collins there may not have been a moon landing at all and Neil and Buzz might just be two other names we no longer remember. Without Jose Carerras, the Three Italian Tenors are just the Two Italian Tenors, which is no longer the supergroup we remember.

It’s easy to believe that the single name on the cover of a book or the signature at the bottom of a masterpiece painting is the work of that person and that person alone. The likely reality is that the transcendant achievements of humanity, either in science or the arts, are not the result of individual genius or intense adversarial competition but rather a consistent collective collaboration, co-operation, mutual support and trust in one another.

Other observations
June 2, 2026

The Usual

Is there value in being consistent & predictable? Is there value in the opposite?

May 19, 2026

It came outta nowhere

Could thinking of ourselves as a characters in an unwritten movie help us process good and bad surprises and make the movie more interesting?

May 12, 2026

Lists work

How do I organise, prioritise and complete the life shrapnel that gets in the way of making more significant work? Can an empty square help?

May 5, 2026

Quentin Dupieux makes films

Why bother making a weird idea that’s really difficult to make if it won’t make you money, find an audience?

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