Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about authentic selling in a chaotic world.
This week’s essay is a throwback tour through some of my most enduring Snafu pieces—from boundaries and discipline to habits, hiring, and self-experiments.
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Throwbacks from a Chaotic Summer
I’ve been delinquent in writing Snafu this last week, because…
- I bought a house and moved in
- Responsive Conference is coming up in 32 days
- There have been some minor family emergencies
- I’ve had several Zander Media film shoots
- The state of the world? ♂️
Anyway, I thought I’d take this excuse to look back at some of my favorite essays of the last few years…
How to run an unconference – I wrote this a decade ago, but still send people to it when they ask how to get started running events. In fact, I’m going to be leading a workshop on this topic at my friend Jenny Sauer-Klein’s the Conference for Conference on September 16th, which is the preamble to Responsive Conference 2025!
The free pass system – I’ll be sharing this essay with new friends for the next decade. It’s such a simple reframing of boundaries and expectations in friendship, and has already improved mine.
Some reflections on turning 39 – I got more positive feedback on this article than most. I think the mix of practical reminders and authentic reflection worked.
Tilting at windmills – Choosing your battles is an essential skill, as is not arguing with reality. But the idea of going to battle against unrealistic odds when you choose to? It’s a little bit crazy, and I kind of love it.
AI inflection point – One of the unexpected benefits of my foray into housing was this AI inflection point. This technology is transformational, and anyone who isn’t addressing it in their daily lives is going to be left behind.
How to buy a used car – My girlfriend is buying a used car and I referenced this article to remind myself of what we should look out for. (I think that’s a goal for all great writing: write what you want to read and will reference in the future.)
How to run a self-experiment – I’ve been running self-experiments since discovering the term from my old professor Allen Neuringer. The idea is to test hypotheses in small ways and on yourself, but to do so as rigorously as possible.
How to fast – Another reference article and on the habit in my life that is the hardest thing I do. And also, likely, one of the healthiest.
Discipline isn’t hard – In a world that is convenient and comfortable, we need manageable discomfort in our lives. But it doesn’t have to come through force. Instead, I want a re-definition of “discipline” back to the original meaning of the word.
Habits for hiring – Hiring and managing people is hard work. And when you find great people, it makes a world of difference. These are some lessons about hiring and management I wish I’d learned a decade sooner.
How to change someone – This article got me started. It is about my father, published with his grudging permission, and I think about it regularly. You can’t change people, and anyway it is none of your business.