Feldman's Faves: March 23, 2021

Team BL5,

I hope you had at least some opportunity to enjoy our spring-like weather this weekend when you weren’t busy watching March Madness. It was glorious and it is a total game-changer when we can actually be outside. I love this time of year.

This week’s recommendations have no connection to each other, other than being interesting to me.

Klara and the Sun by: Kazuo Ishiguro – This is Ishiguro’s first book since he took home the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2017, so this book has some buzz. If any of you have read Remains of the Day (and like me, would really like to have a butler in your life), you will appreciate Ishiguro’s classic light and nuanced touch to his writing. But, this is the only similarity to that Booker Prize winning classic. This story is told from the perspective of an “Artificial Friend” or “AF” who at the beginning of the story is waiting on a shop shelf for someone to purchase her (like Cabbage Patch Kids coming to life) whose purpose “in life” is to “to support, nurture and give unqualified friendship to her child owner”. The meaning of this purpose and how it is to be accomplished unfolds slowly but intensely. As one critic writes, “Ishiguro is brilliant at withholding information and providing tantalizing details which fully draw the reader into the story. Things are revealed at just the right moment so they blossom into a startling revelation.” He also says that in, “Klara and the Sun Ishiguro demonstrates his considerable ability for telling a riveting tale and creating characters you can't help but fall in love with by following their harrowing struggles. He does this while also engaging with larger issues about technology, the environment and social divisions.” I won’t spoil the plot for anyone who wants to read this unusual book but if you do read it I would be very pleased to discuss. It certainly, makes one question what it means to be “human”. Here is a very good review from the NYT -https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/books/review/klara-and-the-sun-kazuo-ishiguro.html

Masters of Scale Rapid Response: Airbnb's Brian Chesky: "We died and were reborn." Rapid Response is Bob Safian’s derivative PODCAST that came out of Masters of Scale (featured last week) to showcase how leaders in all aspects of life are managing through the Covid crisis. I REALLY LOVE and admire Brian Chesky. Apart from the fact that this one time student of design (with no MBA in sight) came up with the idea of and executed on creating Airbnb, what’s even more impressive is how he has famously handled himself during the Covid crisis. Covid almost killed his company but his response and his handling of the crisis with honesty, integrity, transparency and some real strategic thinking has positioned Airbnb to thrive in the very near future and for years to come. There are many great stories in this episode and a lot of shared wisdom. He also talks about doing his IPO road show in sweat pants (aka, living the “George Kastanza-like” dream). Two themes he focuses on are (i) culture is what you do in your darkest of days and (ii) in a crisis you can do what is expected, less than is expected or more than expected. Below is the official introduction: Headlines last April predicted death for Airbnb. How could it survive a pandemic that stopped their core business cold? As the business cratered (in 8 weeks, they lost 80% of revenue), CEO Brian Chesky realized: It was a moment to step back, rethink and do more than anyone expected. So after putting a planned IPO on hold, he and his team started planning Airbnb's "illogical rebound." In this special Rapid Response interview with Bob Safian, Brian shares candid, never-before-heard stories about the advice he got from Barack Obama, and about the eye-popping December 2020 IPO at a valuation that left even him speechless. He speaks truthfully about the uncertainty, the anxiety, and the loneliness entrepreneurs are feeling as they fight for the future of their teams, their companies, and their vision. https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/masters-of-scale-with-reid-hoffman/id1227971746?i=1000513216703

Thanks for your ongoing engagement particularly given how busy everyone is these days.

And remember to stay safe and to docket daily.

All the best,

Jon