Christopher Sopher

Cofounder & CEO @tryletterhead, helping teams build community with email. Founder @wherebyus @newtropicmiami. Previously @knightfdn, Obama ‘08

[Armand Domalewski @ArmandDoma]

I need every Democratic elected official in America to read this paragraph by @ezraklein

[Blake Burge @blakeaburge]

I'm convinced that there is one skill that separates truly intelligent people from those that aren't:

Listening.

This concept of "being a recorder" by Rick Rubin explains it perfectly.

In less than a minute, Rubin provides 4 simple steps that, if followed, will change how you think about your interactions with others.

Step 1: "It starts with coming in blank. Not having any preconceived ideas, being open, and really listening. Not thinking about what you're going to say next or what your opinion is."

Step 2: "Basically being a recorder. Just hearing what comes in. Processing that information and trying to do our best to do that without any of the beliefs we might have to impact what that is."

Step 3: "I don't want to have any reaction happening when you're speaking and want to be as neutral as possible. My goal is not to form an opinion, it's to understand."

Step 4: "If you say something that somehow triggers me, I wouldn't challenge you. I would ask how did you find that? How did you get to that place? I want to understand who the person is, and through questioning, we can usually get there."

My thoughts:

So often we enter conversations with a predetermined idea of how it will go, what the other person will say, and how we will respond.

The goal, as Rubin says, should be to "understand, not form an opinion."

When someone says something you disagree with, rather than being triggered, frustrated, or defensive, why not dig deeper into how they came to that opinion?

While different than your own, that doesn't inherently mean they're wrong.

It seems as though at some level we've lost the ability to have civil discourse. To disagree and still coexist.

It doesn't make sense to me and I think––with a little effort––we can change (and just might learn something from each other along the way.)

Thanks for reading.

If you enjoyed this, follow me @blakeaburge for more.

[Christopher Sopher @cksopher]

Congrats @louisnicholls_ !

[Nathan Barry @nathanbarry]

I’m excited to announce we just acquired @SparkLoopHQ which is going to allow creators to make a living in a totally new way.

Here’s why this acquisition is a game changer for the creator economy:

[Christopher Sopher @cksopher]

@TexasVC That's awesome!! This season made me so happy. You lived the TNG fan's ultimate dream.

[Christopher Sopher @cksopher]

@eramshaw I love that he is most memorable to you as Texas Mr Basketball 2002 😂

[Armand Domalewski @ArmandDoma]

people are getting very confused about this whole Silicon Valley Bank / FDIC issue, so here's a thread:

-Majority of accounts over $250k are BUSINESSES, not individuals
-While FDIC is only required to pay out up to $250k, in practice, they tend to arrange a sale...

🧵 (1/?)

[Christopher Sopher @cksopher]

If you're a newsletter publisher, you're leaving money on the table by not using these easy-to-use ad formats. Learn about them in our latest postMaximize Your Newsletter's Revenue: Advertising Formats You Need to Know https://t.co/tC82ztrWVd

[Christopher Sopher @cksopher]

Don't neglect your newsletter! With a few basic improvements and the right tools, it can become a keystone of your content distribution and revenue strategy. Ask us how we can help you level up your operation #newsletter #engagement #revenue

[Christopher Sopher @cksopher]

Don't leave value on the table with your email lists – use these strategies to increase your newsletter revenue! #publishingtips #emailadvertising

[Christopher Sopher @cksopher]

Welcome emails and recurring newsletters just got easier with our new Automations feature. Streamline your operations and engage with your audience like never before! #publishing #email #newsletters
Introducing: Automations https://t.co/1MJ1n0QBzZ

[Christopher Sopher @cksopher]

See this is why @mitrakalita is one of the best people in media

[Jacob Donnelly @JayCoDon]

Want to know why I think newsletters are so great?

A billionaire can't shut it down. You own your list; if someone doesn't like what you are saying, oh well. Your list is always your list.

Stop building audiences on rented land. Own your platform.

[Christopher Sopher @cksopher]

@Jason @LAUNCH LI7!

[Christopher Sopher @cksopher]

The nationwide revolt against HBO’s color grading has reached my household

[Christopher Sopher @cksopher]

Whoever wrote the talking points for this presser deserves a raise

[Emma Court @emmarcourt]

NYC is limiting the hours when trash is taken out because of issues with rats, and it's genuinely hard to pick a favorite quote from today's presser

Pick your fighter:

[Christopher Sopher @cksopher]

@brianbreslin giant mosquito swatting racquets for south florida homeowners

[Dave Rekuc @DaveRekuc]

BeReal but it's connected to QuickBooks and it posts your latest p&l

[Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. @ChrisNowinski1]

If Tua takes the field tonight, it's a massive step back for #concussion care in the NFL.

If he has a 2nd concussion that destroys his season or career, everyone involved will be sued & should lose their jobs, coaches included. We all saw it, even they must know this isn't right

[Kate Winkle @KateEWinkle]

Got some good insight into newsletters from @tryletterhead’s @rsm & @cksopher and @WhoSponsorsHQ’s @ryansager & @jwatkins520 at #ONA22. My main takeaway: I gotta go talk to our sales team when I get home

[Letterhead @tryletterhead]

Loved being together at @ONA !!

@rsm @magicandrew @mitrakalita @chrisadamo_ @cksopher @TMPowell