It is okay …
to wear old clothes
to not upgrade your phone
to buy second-hand items
to live in a simple home
to read older books
to enjoy home cooking
to travel to unknown locations
to earn a living doing what you love
to be an introvert
it is okay to live a simpler life.
The Netherlands has become the first country in the world to successfully eliminate stray dogs, ensuring that every dog has a home.
This remarkable achievement stems from a combination of strict animal welfare laws, large-scale spaying and neutering programs, and a strong culture of responsible pet ownership. The Dutch government has long supported widespread sterilization initiatives and enforces tough penalties for animal abuse and abandonment.
While an estimated 200 million stray dogs exist worldwide, the Netherlands stands out as a global leader. In Dutch cities, it is common to see dogs riding in bicycle baskets, relaxing under café tables, and even joining their owners on public transport, a reflection of how deeply integrated pets are into everyday life.
The country now serves as an inspiring model for animal welfare, demonstrating how coordinated policy, cultural awareness, and compassion can effectively solve a challenge that continues to affect many other nations.
When Allyson Felix became pregnant, Nike threatened to cut her sponsorship contract by almost 70% because of her pregnancy.
They told her:
“You should know your place… and just run.”
Amid all this, at seven months pregnant, Allyson had to undergo an emergency C-section due to a serious complication.
Her baby girl spent over a month in the neonatal intensive care unit.
But two years later, Allyson qualified for her fifth Olympic Games, with her daughter in the stands cheering her on.
Allyson left Nike.
And she founded her own shoe brand: Saysh One.
At the Tokyo Olympics, she ran wearing her own sneakers, carrying the motto:
“I know exactly where my place is.”
With 11 medals, she surpassed Carl Lewis and became the most decorated American track and field athlete in history.
And to all women, she gave this message:
“I raised my voice and built this company for you, so that you’ll never have to train at 4:30 in the morning, five months pregnant, just to hide it from your sponsor.” ❤️
Happy 100th Birthday to David Attenborough. Thank you for your lifelong service to the Earth. The world is better for having you in it. You remind us that one person truly can make a difference. Wishing you many warm blessings 🤍
“Speak to your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they will become.”
Installed in 1901 at a fire station in California, an “eternal” light bulb has remained lit for over 123 years.
Many people point to it as compelling evidence that modern products are deliberately designed with limited lifespans.
I don’t want a city on Mars. I don’t want AI in every app. I don’t want data centres in space. I don’t want humanoids or flying cars. I want clean water. I want a stable climate. I want bees to survive. And a habitable planet.
The web is 33 years old today (April 30, 1993).
In 1997, World Wide Web inventor @timberners_lee at @CERN, explained what sparked the inspiration for his revolutionary idea - this is a brilliant video of one of the most important inventions of all time.
What I told 2,000 future founders in Bengaluru today:
1/ We believe we are at the start of a second wave of Indian companies that will build world-class AI native products for the global market. Emergent and Giga are the model of the future.
2/ Just because a space seems crowded doesn't mean it's too late. Zepto, Emergent, Giga - none were first movers. Second mover advantage is real.
3/ In fact, a good formula for finding startup ideas is to look at ideas that are showing some promise and just execute them better. Execution is everything: if you're an exceptional engineer, and you can build and move faster than your competitors, you'll win.
4/ There is every reason to believe Indian teams can beat US teams building global products. The level of engineering talent here is on a whole different level, and that's the key input.
5/ In the AI era, the best founders are the ones building at the edge of what's technically possible. You need to be experimenting wth the latest models, the latest open source projects.
6/ Stay in the flow of information. Watch the right podcasts, follow the right people on X. With AI changing this fast, you need to know what the smartest builders are thinking.
7/ Most of the best startups don't come from someone explicitly trying to start a company. They start from someone building a project just for fun, or tinkering with a new technology because they are curious. India needs more of this "tinkering" culture - this is how you have novel ideas when technology is shifting quickly.
8/ Founders are getting younger. Aadit was 18 when he started Zepto. The Giga founders were 20 when they came to SF. Young people who can learn very fast have the advantage right now.
9/ The best founders are pushing AI coding to the max. You can now write 20K lines of code / day. One person can do the work that just a year ago would take a 100 person team. The best builders are taking advantage and building at Garry Tan speeds.
Knowledge is having the right answers.
Intelligence is asking the right questions.
Wisdom is knowing when to ask the right questions.
—Professor Richard Feynman
In 2003, a German film crew followed a nomadic family in Mongolia's Gobi Desert. The film, The Story of the Weeping Camel, was nominated for an Oscar.
A mother camel had rejected her newborn after a brutal two-day labour. Without her milk, the calf would die.
The family knew one option. They sent their two young sons on a journey across the desert to find a musician who could perform a ritual called Hoos, a chanting ceremony passed down for centuries specifically for this moment.
The musician came. The ritual was performed. The mother camel wept real tears and turned to her calf for the first time.
The film crew had gone to document a way of life. They had no idea they would capture that.
UNESCO added the Hoos ritual to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2015, alongside flamenco, the Mediterranean diet, and the art of Neapolitan pizza making.
This book made me so angry. Plastic is ruining our planet and Big Oil is getting away with it. An incisive look at this huge ugly industry that is hell bent on making us use more and more plastic.
Must read!