what’s good ya’ll? excuse the bit of absence. i was trying to post twice a month, but honestly i got caught up with the drafts of my last essay. i forget that this newsletter is about getting into the habit of being consistent. what i'm going to do is continue working on that essay, and once i think it's ready i will post it.
i read Jihad's recent essay, "Recalibrating Our Attention." he talks about building something you want to see in the world versus what others want to see. it reminds me of what Jay-Z said to an artist once, "when people go to a Chinese restaurant, they expect Chinese food."
you make good money when you build for what people expect, but there's a tradeoff. you spend your days making what other people want, how do you know what you want?
and even when you make what you want, how do you know those voices came from you versus the outside world?
because there isn't always a fairytale ending to building what you do want. you could make something and a bunch of comments could be to the tune of:
"we not making it out the hood with this one 🔥🔥🔥"
Islamic scholars of the past say that a sign of "sincerity" is when a person can do something repeatedly. that's also the tell that it's a thing you want to see in the world. when its your baby, your idea, you'll stand 10 toes down for it. you'll show up even when it fuckin' sucks. because it's about the principle. you'll have a "why," a reason for why you're crazy enough to choose a thing over and over again. even though there are easier options.
well that essay got me thinking. what i want to see more of in the world are people who feel empowered in bringing others together. civil infrastructure has failed us and is failing us in the United States and abroad. there's a loneliness epidemic for a reason.
chai and vibes is my most visible conduit for manifesting my vision. every year we get better at honing our craft of bringing people together. but we're starting to do two things at once: work on our own craft and also cultivate the ecosystem. we all benefit by working with, sharing knowledge, and learning from other collectives.
and i know i'm not alone in that vision. when i saw the Socratica toolkit, i genuinely thought it was the coolest thing in the world. there needs to be a layer of social infrastructure that supersedes physical space. this is now achievable for us because the prevalence of digital life. this is what i mean when i'm talking about the "fourth space."
what we want is for "connectors" to bring people together without being held back by the costs. these costs could be the cost of transportation, renting or leasing a physical space. you get the picture.
one way that i'm working on this idea is by creating an event ticketing or rsvp'ing site. yes, partiful is already working on it and so is eventbrite. matter of fact, there's DICE FM, Handstamp, RA Co, and Posh VIP. there's also "Scene Infrastructure Company," and they have a genius name if they're in the same lane. (yes, this is MY control verse).
but beyond building the nth SaaS product, i do believe there's something here. brands of all flavors are now taking up metaphorical arms to cultivate connection. not everyone is well equipped across the board. some need help with socials, other's with media, and many with tech. there's a lot of room to build here if one looks beyond the pit of consumer social companies that have tried and died.
to the least, i know that's what i need to build for at least myself at chai and vibes. in a few months we'll have a platform that will at least allow me to set up events, collect RSVP's, sell tickets, and connect with my audience. eventually, chaibers (this is what we call our members) will be able to host their own events.
if others see a need for what i build, so be it. but this what i think i need to build for the world i want to live in.
emotional runway by James Alexander
in this essay, James Alexander (idk who he is) talks about the idea of “emotional runway” which is a fun term to think about. it’s pretty much a proxy for grit, and here below James attempts to quantify it. i think this is a “realistic” way to look at grit if you had draw up some numbers. but my chief issue with this way of thinking is that most of the factors in this formula primarily deal with this idea of “do i have time yes or no” and “how tolerant are the people in my life for me working on a project?” which i suppose are good, practical questions to think about when thinking of starting a serious venture.
my only issue with it is that when you reach the tolerance threshold of your partner or you run out of time while working on the idea, is that the end of the runway? i think most people would be surprised with how much they can tolerate uncertainty when pressed against the ropes of it. this topic is something i’m keen to write about in future issues.
Vince Staples Show
Vince Staples got a new show on netflix, it’s 5 episodes and you should watch it because it’s funny. the show’s layered references, color grading, and — at times —surrealist plot is reminiscent of a particular Afro-Surrealist genre ushered in by Atlanta and Donald Glover. the show has a punching wit that revolves around finding happiness in the day to day. you should give it a shot.
don’t know Vince Staples? watch this for context.
Isaiah Rashad’s “The Sun Tirade” was a legendary 2016 album. shit i think that’s the year (i could be wrong on this) when TDE launched like 10 killer projects. prolific. i still tune into a 4r Da Squaw anytime i hit a low because it just sets priorities right for me also reminds me how far i’ve come. someone commented “This song is becoming one of those nostalgic songs that make me feel a little bit of sadness and happiness at the same time […] this song will forever remind me of my early twenties.” there’s just stories that you get to tell and live when you’re on the come up that can’t otherwise be experienced.
Thanks for reading this edition. Share this with your friends, your grandma, or your neighbor. And if you made it to the end of this essay and you didn’t just scroll, dm me the word “taco bell” on either twitter or instagram. or leave a comment! As always,
Sincerely,
Haroon
P.S. Check out my previous newsletter if you’re curious: Cool Stuff I Found #31