A multiverse epic about fighting for the things you love.

Dark Matter

Brandon Sanderson does sci-fi? Yes please!

Skyward

A self-help book that I didn't need at the time.

The Mountain is You

Letters exchanged between a great poet and a young poet in the military.

Letters to a Young Poet

A butler's reflection on what it means to live a life well lived.

The Remains of the Day

The brilliance of xkcd on solving real-world problems.

How To


The Courage to Be Disliked is presented as a conversation between a young adult and a philosopher. The idea is that it's similar to Dialogues of Plato. While I found the format interesting, a lot of the conversation ended up feeling forced. I've read very few of Plato's dialogues but The Courage to Be Disliked often felt like no one would actually have these conversations.

It was a good introduction to the theories of [Alfred Adler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Adler), the founder of [individual psychology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual_psychology). There were some ideas I can get behind. Things like focusing on the present, on our actions instead of the actions of others, accepting yourself, and that happiness stems from providing value to others.

There's a quote by Lao Tzu that I've always enjoyed:

> If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.

This concept alone was probably one of my favourite things about the book. That being said, it was a very, very small piece of it.

So what didn't I like about the book? It might not be fair to judge the book for sharing Adler's ideas, but it's hard not to.

One thing I'm having trouble coming to terms with is the fact that they stated all trauma is fake. We invent trauma in order to protect us from outcomes we don't want. It seems like this idea could be pretty harmful for people working through trauma so it's hard to get behind.

I also wish the book was a little more tactical. I like the idea of being fully present. I would love if I could stop comparing myself to others and just focus on my own actions. I certainly want to accept myself for who I am. These things don't always come so easily to me though.

The definition of happiness in the book seems too reductionist as well. As long as you're providing value to others, you can be happy. I do think providing value is a great foundation for happiness, but I'm not sure I believe that's all there is to it.

I'll take the concepts I like from the book and leave the rest for now.

---

[Add the book on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43306206-the-courage-to-be-disliked)


An attempt to teach us how to liberate our selves and find lasting happiness.

The Courage to Be Disliked


As far as reading experiences go, A Little Life was the most challenging one I've ever had. If you know, you know.

I'm not ashamed to say this is the first book that made me cry. If you haven't cried while reading, Hanya's got you covered.

Emotions aside, A Little Life is extraordinary. It spans decades and tells the story of four college classmates through multiple perspectives. The characters feel so real. Ultimately that's what makes everything hit so hard.

Hanya gives us a window into a life. From start to finish. We're gifted with moments of pure joy and others that will disgust you more than you've felt in a long time (or ever?). It's a book that is heartbreaking. It's a book that's probably been experienced by more people than I'd like to admit.

I was constantly impressed by how Hanya could frame such terrible things (abuse, depression) with prose that is both vivid and beautiful. Both raw and poetic. One of my favourite things about books is that I get to experience lives and experiences I never would have otherwise. This is a book full of experiences I would prefer not to have directly. Still, the perspective was refreshing.

A Little Life is outside the realm of books I typically read. I'm drawn to science, sci-fi, and fantasy. I want to keep reaching for books on shelves outside of those categories. This is a book that will stick with me for a while. I'm particularly interested in finding more gems like this.

---

[Hanya Yanagihara](https://www.instagram.com/hanyayanagihara/)

[Add the book on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22822858-a-little-life)


An extremely moving book about love, loss, and life.

A Little Life


As much as I enjoy fantasy, a lot of the books I've read have had similar underlying themes or ideas in them. They aren't always cookie cutter. But when they are, at least I enjoy cookies.

The Fifth Season didn't feel like that to me. The book has equal parts post apocalypse as it does fantasy. I'm sure there are other post apocalyptic fantasy novels but this was a first for me.

The characters felt very unique. Their perspectives were not ones I've typically come to expect from a fantasy. On top of that, the "magic" felt original as well. Some folks are connected to the Earth, so much so that they can control it. That often ends up causing chaos in the world.

My favourite part of the book was how the three storylines converged in the end. By the time it happened, you may have been expecting it, but it was still entertaining for me. I'm becoming more interested in the way people move through phases of their lives. Jemisin did a great job weaving that into her story. It's always entertaining when different threads are weaved together to make one coherent storyline.

If you like fantasy or post apocalypse (leaning more on fantasy), I'd recommend The Fifth Season!

---

[Add the book on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19161852-the-fifth-season)

[Follow N. K. Jemisin on Twitter](https://twitter.com/nkjemisin)

A post apocalyptic fantasy novel with a fresh perspective.

The Fifth Season


I have never read the [Iliad](/second-brain/iliad). It's one of the timeless classics that has been on my list for a long time. Unfortunately, I just haven't made my way through many classics. Thanks to Madeline Miller, I got to enjoy the story of [Achilles](/second-brain/achilles) in a refreshing modern take.

If you aren't familiar with the [Iliad](/second-brain/iliad), it's a story about the ten-year siege of the city of Troy. The original story only covers a few weeks of the war, *The Song of Achilles* tells us about [Achilles](/second-brain/achilles) and his life leading up to the great war.

[Achilles](/second-brain/achilles) was the son of [Peleus](/second-brain/peleus), the king of [Phthia](/second-brain/phthia). He spent his childhood like most princes probably do. Training, lounging, and enjoying a carefree life. He spent plenty of time playing with the other boys of the household; [Peleus](/second-brain/peleus) was kind and took in boys that had no place to call home.

The narrator of this modern epic is [Patroclus](/second-brain/patroclus). He was cast away from his home when he stood up for himself, pushing another boy to the ground where a sharp rock was waiting. Thankfully for [Patroclus](/second-brain/patroclus), [Peleus](/second-brain/peleus) took him in.

Unlike [Achilles](/second-brain/achilles), there was nothing special about [Patroclus](/second-brain/patroclus). At least not on the surface. He was terribly normal. He spent a lot of his time admiring [Achilles](/second-brain/achilles) and the two eventually formed quite the bond. [Achilles](/second-brain/achilles) found [Patroclus](/second-brain/patroclus) refreshing. He wasn't begging for [Achilles](/second-brain/achilles)' attention at all hours of the day like the other boys.

The two boys quickly become inseparable. They mature together while developing an intense romance. *The Song of Achilles* has some of the steamiest sexual encounters I've read and the romance burns bright until the end.

Miller's writing is beautiful. It's poetic, powerful, and a joy to read. The words flow off the page and I could hardly consume them fast enough. I didn't really know what I was getting into before I read the book. I picked it based on the title and it's great rating on Good Reads. It *did not* disappoint.

There could've been a bit better balance in the content of the book. I would've preferred equal parts Trojan War and budding romance. The war lasted a decade, but it seemed rushed in the book. As someone that signed up for mythology, there was more romance than I would've liked. However, it felt genuine, thoughtful, and was well written so I still enjoyed the book as a whole.

There is beauty in [Patroclus](/second-brain/patroclus)' tragedy thanks to Miller's prose. Her command of the written word is one I wished existed in [Dune](/books/dune). I look forward to digging into the [Iliad](/second-brain/iliad) in 2021!

---

[Add the book on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11250317-the-song-of-achilles)

The Song of Achilles


I've been a fan of [Bruce Lee](/second-brain/bruce%20lee) for as long as I can remember. My father was a big fan of Green Hornet when I was growing up. The only thing I remember from that show is the character [Bruce Lee](/second-brain/bruce%20lee) played: Kato. I had no idea what [kung fu](/second-brain/kung%20fu) was. I had no idea who [Bruce Lee](/second-brain/bruce%20lee) was. But for me, he was the star of the show.

Last year I read [Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36415807-bruce-lee). It was an exceptional lens into the life of [Bruce Lee](/second-brain/bruce%20lee). A life that was rich, inspiring, and one that ended far too early. It's hard not to be inspired by the things [Bruce Lee](/second-brain/bruce%20lee) accomplished in his short time on [Earth](/second-brain/earth). He achieved incredible mastery over who he was, a "human, fully expressed."

I have to admit, my admiration for [Bruce Lee](/second-brain/bruce%20lee) probably adds an extra star onto this review. [Be Water, My Friend](/second-brain/be%20water,%20my%20friend) actually starts off quite strong. Shannon does a great job distilling written work from [Bruce Lee](/second-brain/bruce%20lee) and turning them into consumable chapters of [self-help](/second-brain/self-help) material. It's not all that surprising that the ideas aren't entirely original (what is these days?) as [Bruce Lee](/second-brain/bruce%20lee) talked strongly about taking ideas and turning them into your own. He appears to have been quite the master in that regard.

Shannon weaves many practical stories into the philosophical lessons throughout the book. Some come from [Bruce Lee](/second-brain/bruce%20lee)'s life and some come from here own. This is pretty common with [self-help](/second-brain/self-help) literature. I think it lends to the humanity behind the lessons and serves to drive the lessons home. The stories from [Bruce Lee](/second-brain/bruce%20lee)'s life certainly aren't as extensive as in [Matthew Polly's book](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36415807-bruce-lee) but that shouldn't be expected.

The book loses a bit of momentum in the closing chapters. That being said, it was a quick, enjoyable read. I'm happy I picked it up because, like I mentioned, I'm bound to enjoy work related to [Bruce Lee](/second-brain/bruce%20lee). It's been 47 years since he walked the [Earth](/second-brain/earth) and he continues to influence people around the world.

## Takeaways

- Practice [awareness](/second-brain/awareness)
  - You cannot control your reactions to life if you are living unconsciously
- Remain flexible
  - The only constant in life is change, so we should always be changing too
  - Always strive to be open to the experiences around us
- Create your purpose
  - We don't have a purpose given to us at birth, it is our responsibility to give ourselves one
- Focus on yourself
  - Forget what other people think of you
  - Keep yourself accountable
  - Always try to better yourself
  - Always try to better yourself

---

[Notes on Be Water, My Friend](/second-brain/be-water-my-friend)

[The Bruce Lee Company on Twitter (run by Shannon Lee)](https://twitter.com/brucelee)

[Add the book on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49247089-be-water-my-friend)

[//begin]: # "Autogenerated link references for markdown compatibility"
[awareness]: ../second-brain/awareness "Awareness"
[//end]: # "Autogenerated link references"

The teachings of Bruce Lee told through the lens of his daughter Shannon.

Be Water, My Friend


If you enjoy reading science fiction, you've no doubt heard of *Dune*. Written in the 1960s by [Frank Herbert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Herbert), *Dune* is a futuristic tale about the politics that drive society on an interstellar scale.

The world of *Dune* unravels when the Atreides family is assigned to rule of the planet Arrakis by the Emperor of the Known Universe. Arrakis is a dry, desolate world where water is scarce. The planet is the only source in the universe of spice, which influences the political interest of the planet and the way its inhabitants live their lives.

Moving to Arrakis is a trap. The Emperor is threatened by the Atreides family, and the head of the family, Duke Leto. Leto's son, Paul, and concubine, Lady Jessica, end up fighting for survival across the unwelcome planet.

Paul discovers himself in a unique way as he moves through the desert with his mother. He is capable of seeing the future. As a young boy, Paul fights through his visions to become a messiah to the natives of the Arrakis. The boy we meet at the beginning of the story becomes a man driven by stories of prophecy and power.

Jessica is one of the most interesting characters in the story. She's a member of the Bene Gesserit, a group of females that have great influence on politics and the way the world moves. Her children are gifted with the powers she has attained. She watches her son grow to become more than she could have ever imagined. While she does help him realize his potential, I wonder if she would've hoped for a simpler life for him.

There are [many, many more characters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dune_characters) that bring life to Arrakis and beyond. Some will piss you off while others will make you cheer. They all have struggles of their own to deal with as they weave through the story of Paul Atreides and the universe of *Dune* (Duniverse?).

I loved that the world is in a post-computer era. Unlike most science fiction, there is a fear of artificial intelligence that has prohibited the use of computers. There are no robots and computers have been replaced by [Mentats](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizations_of_the_Dune_universe#Mentats). It isn't how I imagine the far off future which makes it all the more interesting to me.

Some people might have issues with Herbert's borrowing from various languages, cultures, and religions, especially Arabic and Islam. I never found a problem with this because I imagined a world further evolved from where we are today. It doesn't seem unrealistic to me that these cultures and religions could've combined to make something new.

I found the book a little slow at the start. Perhaps it was because of a lot of terms that were new to me or the writing itself. By the end of it I was definitely a fan. The world feels immersive to me, the characters build slowly but surely. I closed the book wanting more, not because there wasn't enough, but because Herbert's world captivated me.

*Dune* is a story about the perils of heroism, the consequences of blind faith, political struggles, and humanity's potential future. It's a world packed with dynamic characters both terrible and great. It isn't perfect. No art is. But it is wonderful and well worth reading.

---

[Add the book on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44767458-dune)

A space epic about politics and prophecy.

Dune


After I finished [Name of the Wind](/books/name-of-the-wind), I knew I'd have to dig into this one pretty quickly. It was hard for me to put it down.

The first book felt like a bit of a slow burn for me. It's not like the most exciting things were happening in every chapter, but I still didn't want to put it down very often.

Wise Man's Fear left me feeling much the same. It picks up right where Name of the Wind left off. Kvothe is still telling his own story. This time we venture away from the University and get more of the outside world.

I loved reading about Kvothe's experience away from the University. It seems like his ego got a bit inflated from the relative safety of school (and his impressive performance). He still manages to slip out of fatal danger, but there are a few times when it felt like he was close to inevitable doom.

Again, I'm glad I came to the series late. This book was released in 2011 and the final book of the trilogy is no where to be found. Maybe it'll come out soon? If not, I guess I'll start the Wheel of Time series!

---

[Patrick Rothfuss' website](https://www.patrickrothfuss.com)

[Add the book on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186074.The_Name_of_the_Wind)

Wise Man's Fear


I've been wanting to get through more sci-fi. I've always enjoyed space, time travel, and futurism. For some reason I just haven't gotten around to reading too much sci-fi. After binging [Dark on Netflix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_(TV_series)), I decided I was ready to get into another time travel adventure.

Recursion is a really fresh take on time travel adventures. The book isn't even time travel; not exactly. We follow two characters through space and time. Two stories separate, but intertwined. Crouch weaves two emotional and human stories together through colourful storytelling.

There are some deep thoughts within Recursion as well. It's a thrilling sci-fi ride but it makes you think about your mistakes and the truth of your reality.

> Part of life is facing your failures, and sometimes those failures are people you once loved.

Have you ever sat back to think of what a memory really is? Crouch presents the idea, "a memory is nothing but a specific combination of neurons firing together". It's amazing the power our brains have. They construct an illusion for us, the present. Recursion plays with this idea in ways that made it hard to put down.

If you could change your past, or history itself, what would you change? As we've seen time and time again, meddling with the past usually brings unintended consequences. With Recursion, that's still the case. That's one thing making time travel stories so thrilling.

At the end of the day, Crouch suspects that being human is all about embracing the beauty and the pain in our lives. They lose meaning without each other. We fantasize about going to the past and "optimizing for the avoidance of pain" but in the end that takes away from who we are.

Crouch leaves us with a great quote:

> Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. <br> ~ Søren Kierkegaard

We cannot redo the past but we can learn from it. I think it's best we own our failures and the lessons they provide and make the best of the present while we can. Maybe time is illusion, but it's a pretty damn convincing one.

---

[Blake Crouch's website](http://www.blakecrouch.com)

[Add the book on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42046112-recursion)

Recursion


A young boy discovers magic; we follow him through his trials and tribulations as he develops his magical abilities while plodding through school. Does that sound familiar? Like Harry Potter? I've seen the book compared to Harry Potter but it didn't really feel like Harry Potter between the covers.

I devoured the book faster than I expected. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolds. It's told from the perspective of the main character Kvothe, as he reflects on his life. He's arguably the best "wizard" ever to have lived and he wants his story told _the right way_. Perhaps that means it's told with a bit of bias.

Sometimes he gets away with more than he should have, but overall I think Kvothe is a fun character to follow. In his years at the University, he's almost _too good_; too smart, too witty, too good on the lute. But I think things will take a turn later in the story (book three perhaps?).

I spent most of my youth stuck in the Drizzt series by R.A. Salvatore so it's been great reading other work in the genre. The world building that Rothfuss did in the first book worked for me. Everything feels real enough and leaves me wanting to explore more.

I'm glad I'm a late comer to the series... [maybe the third book will be out](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/patrick-rothfuss-editor-calls-him-out-on-facebook) by the time I'm ready for it!

---

[Patrick Rothfuss' website](https://www.patrickrothfuss.com)

[Add the book on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186074.The_Name_of_the_Wind)

The first book in a trilogy about a young wizard fumbling through University.

The Name of the Wind


There's a lot for me to process here. As a white male, I've been avoiding a lot of the tough conversations. I've always been in the "all lives matter" camp. 2020 has been a tough year for a lot of people. The [death of George Floyd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd) sparked international discussion and protest. There is a lot going on that we haven't been talking about or dealing with.

> Do you believe in justice and equality? Because if you believe in justice and equality you believe in it all of the time, for all people.

I grew up in rural Alberta. Everyone around me was white and privileged. When that's all you've ever known, your naïvety can get the best of you. It's clear to me that I have a lot of educating to do. Reading books isn't going to change the world, it's not the only thing I can do, but it is part of the work that I need to do. [Tatiana Mac](https://twitter.com/TatianaTMac) wrote [a great post with things to read, do, and think about](https://tatianamac.com/posts/white-guyde). I'll continue to use that as a guide moving forward.

As far as the book is concerned, it is packed full of great insights. It was a challenging read. On every page I was asked to acknowledge the biases that I carry around with me. Challenged to open my eyes and see the systems we have put in place. Our world was built on top of sexual and racial biases. Brick by brick we have built structural injustice up to be what it is today.

So how do we fix the monster we've created?

I'm not sure if we have an answer to that question. What we do know is that we can't dismantle systemic racism without acknowledging it. Without talking about it, marching in the streets, and looking at the deep history that brought us to where we are today. Oluo does a fantastic job at getting the conversation going but she also makes it clear that conversations are not enough. We need to _do the work_ every day.

I think this book should be read by everyone. It isn't going to be an easy but it is important.

I have a lot more reading to do. A lot more to uncover. But I'm grateful that I found this book and have started to do the work. I will never understand the pain and suffering that the system has created but I can do my part to help dismantle it. I do not deserve praise for this work, it simply needs to be done.

---

[Ijeoma Oluo's website](http://www.ijeomaoluo.com)

[Add the book on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35099718-so-you-want-to-talk-about-race)

A difficult but essential start to learning about systemic racism.

So You Want To Talk About Race


Although I've been interested in Stoicism for quite a while, most of the content I've consumed has come from blogs like [The Daily Stoic](https://dailystoic.com/). It's worked for me because the content is digestible. It's distilled into a language I understand without much effort. After making it half-way through [Meditations](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30659.Meditations), I decided to give [How To Think Like a Roman Emperor](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863499-how-to-think-like-a-roman-emperor) a shot.

One of the things I love about Stoicism is how practical the ideas are. It is [a philosophy you can use in your daily life](https://ryanholiday.net/stoicism-a-practical-philosophy-you-can-actually-use/). It's about reflecting on your values, the things you can control, and living your best life.

Donald weaves the story of Marcus Aurelius' life with the practical ideas of Stoicism. Ever since I read Sapiens, I've been wanting to read more history, so I enjoyed that perspective. It doesn't have the exact same affect as reading Marcus' own words, but it's definitely more accessible.

> Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be; be one. <br> ~ Marcus Aurelius

Marcus makes being a good person sound easy. Our human instincts make sure that isn't the case. But, we can apply the ideas of Stoicism on a daily basis. Stoicism is similar to meditation. It's a _practice_. It takes time to get complete control of ourselves.

We can start by observing the fact that thinking rationally is what makes us human. No other animal out there has quite the control (that we know of). Because of this, it is our most important attribute. We should focus a lot of effort on thinking rationally. We will still deal with plenty of emotions but rational thinking allows us to handle them with ease.

This book reiterates the fact that our judgements of the world around us is what causes us to suffer. It's a major theme and the cause of anger, sadness, and fear. In life, a lot of what we react to is neither good nor bad. Pain for example. It has a purpose but our judgement of it, the way we think about it, makes it hard to endure. We have to accept our involuntary emotional reactions as indifferent. This allows us to _respond to the feelings_, which is more important than _what_ we are feeling.

I like how Donald reframes some very common emotions. He talks about how fear is future-focused. When we aren't being present, we allow ourselves to fear. It's our imagination. This can be a good think to practice (_praemeditatio malorum_) but it also causes unnecessary suffering. Anger is a desire; often to harm someone because we feel wronged and want revenge.  It's temporary madness. Joy is a byproduct of pursuing an honest life but not something to be pursued directly.

A lot of things I aspire to in life tend to converge toward Stoicism. For example, they talk about living simply. Attachment to objects causes suffering in life. Everything changes and nothing lasts forever. This is an idea that found in Buddhism as well. I've been trying to stay minimal for a while. It pairs nicely with Stoicism. I want to continue to reflect on the things I have and check to see if I imagine being upset without them. If I do, I want to practice letting those things go.

The Stoics thought a lot about death as well. Just like our possessions, we too will expire. [This is something I enjoy thinking about](/life). People think it's morbid when I bring it up but it does have a lot of practicality to it. Death is among the most certain things in life so why should we fear it?

If we look at our lives through an objective lens, it becomes clear what we have control of. If we practice focusing on those things, we can reduce our suffering, fear, anger, and desires for things that don't provide value. Among the things we can control are our gratitude for what we have and the acceptance that everything (_yes, even you_) must come to an end.

There was a lot to unpack in this book. I'd definitely recommend it as an intro to Stoicism and the life of Marcus Aurelius.

If you have other great Stoic recommendations, [let me know](mailto:amorriscode@gmail.com)!

---

[Donald J. Robertson on Twitter](https://twitter.com/DonJRobertson)

[Add the book on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863499-how-to-think-like-a-roman-emperor)

A modern-day guide to Stoic wisdom from the perspective of Marcus Aurelius.

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor


I've been [building a little startup](https://getbard.com) for the past few months. Before writing any code we took a bit of time to "validate" our idea with customers. At that time a friend of mine recommended [The Mom Test](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18529000-the-mom-test). I didn't get around to reading it until well into the development process.

**I wish I would have read it earlier.**

The book is about customer conversations. They are hard. You'd think having a simple conversation wouldn't be too difficult. Well, you'd be wrong. There are many different factors that make them challenging. Rob does a great job going through those reasons. He gives plenty of actionable tips for making the conversations more successful.

So what does a bad conversation look like? We come out of them with junk data. We ask questions where we bias the person into telling us what we want to hear. Or giving compliments. They person on the receiving end of the questions does their best to protect our egos. These conversations are useless. Even worse, they convince us we are on the right path.

> The saddest thing that can happen to a startup is for nobody to care when it disappears.

It's our responsibility to find the truth from our customers. We do this by asking good questions. The types of questions that even your mother couldn't lie to you about (_see: The Mom Test_). Our questions should lead to facts about the customers' lives and world views.

## Three rules for better conversations

There are three rules we can follow to improve the conversations.

### 1. Talk about their life, not your idea

The easiest way to start improving is to _avoid talking about your product_. This is a _customer_ conversation after all. It's not about _you_. 

### 2. Ask about specifics in the past

We want to learn about real pain. Some problems aren't even worth solving. If a customer has never even tried to solve their problem, it might not be worth solving. Anything involving the future is an over-optimistic lie. Focus on the past.

### 3. Talk less, listen more

A lot of us think we are great listeners. Make sure when you're listening you aren't actually thinking about what to say next. Take notes and soak in the wisdom of the customer.

It's easy for us to get bad data and we want to avoid that. Bad data includes compliments, fluff, and ideas. Compliments are the fool's gold of customer conversations. Shiny, distracting. Worthless. Fluff includes things like generic statements, hypotheticals, or anything with a focus on the future.

_Ideas are cheap._ Entrepreneurs drown in ideas. I'll be writing about that more at a later date.

Aside from bad data, we want to make sure we are targeting a clear customer segment. Making a mediocre product for many people isn't quite the same as making an incredible product for one. The more we understand who we are building for, the better we build. And the more specific we are about those personas, the better we can understand them.

[The Mom Test](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18529000-the-mom-test) was a great read. It was quick and packed with wisdom. If you're interested in building a startup, I recommend you read it ASAP. Don't wait like I did. You won't regret it!

Now go forth and ~~build~~ talk to your customers!

---

[Rob Fitzpatrick on Twitter](https://twitter.com/robfitz)

[Add the book on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18529000-the-mom-test)

A quick read on the customer conversation and validating startup ideas.