Iterate Weekly - Issue 103
This week we're talking about ChatGPT's cousin Claude, is your boss stressing you out?, Upway sells quality used e-bikes, The Breakfast Club newsletter, and "How to Save a Planet"!
Welcome to issue 103 of Iterate Weekly!
I want to start by thanking everyone who participated in my recent reader survey. There was a lot of great feedback, some that I had anticipated but other things that really (pleasantly) surprised me.
As promised, I randomly selected one lucky respondent to win an Amazon gift card. The winner is Wil from Montana! Wil, be sure to check your email for a note from me on how to claim your prize.
If you still want to leave your feedback and don’t care all that much about the Amazon gift card, feel free to click below and share your thoughts. All feedback is greatly appreciated!
Let’s jump into this week’s stories.
🤖 Tech
Meet ChatGPT’s AI rival…Claude
We’re all oversaturated with ChatGPT content these days right? Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was a new AI assistant that could help us with all of our needs (writing papers for us, making silly art, etc.) AND it had an actual name that didn’t end in an acronym?
Behold, ChatGPT’s rival is here. And it goes by the totally normal name of Claude.
Now Claude sounds like the kinda AI we could actually be friends with right? I’m sure he/it/they has a much more human personality that that stuffy old ChatGPT.
Claude was created by a company called Anthropic whose co-founding team left ChatGPT’s parent company OpenAI to start their own new company. So you might call Claude ChatGPT’s cousin or step-sibling?
It can do many of the same things ChatGPT can do, but it has a name that sounds far less silly. And Claude’s creators claim that it its a little safer than it’s sibling as well:
Claude is “much less likely to produce harmful outputs,” “easier to converse with” and “more steerable.”
That all sounds good. No one likes harmful outputs.
Clause isn’t quite available for public consumption just yet. There are some companies who are testing it out and there have been no announcements regarding its price.
Competition in the AI wars is a good thing! And quite frankly, I’m sick of typing, hearing, and saying ChatGPT. Long live Claude!
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
Is your boss ruining your mental health?
I’ve always thought that things like stress about money or relationships (or maybe even social media) were the biggest impact on our mental health.
New research shows that it could just be your boss that is the most important factor in your mental well-being.
It’s true, the study finds that for “almost 70% of people, their manager has more impact on their mental health than their therapist or their doctor—and it’s equal to the impact of their partner”.
That’s a lot of power that our managers yield! And for those of you that are managers, are you aware of the mental toll you may be placing on your employees?
There are no magic bullets to alleviate work stress or better connect with your employees. It’s all the classic remedies we’ve been hearing for a while. It helps when there is purpose behind your work. Obviously, managers should always show their employees respect and take a genuine interest in their lives where applicable.
This sense of purpose can be even harder to achieve when employees are working in remote or hybrid situations. Whether you’re working right next to your boss or on the other side of the planet, it’s good to be on the same page regarding your stress triggers and preferred working environment.
How much of your stress is caused by your boss?
♻️ Health & Environment
Upway sells legit used e-bikes
Electric bike stories are getting a lot of play on these pages lately. Yes, I’m pretty high on people getting around on two electrified wheels but it’s true that e-bike prices can be pretty shocking.
That’s why I was pleased to see second-hand e-bike retailer Upway launch their business in the US recently.
Upway is based in France and has been selling refurbished electric bikes in Europe for several years. But the move to the US could really help get more people on the road atop much safer electric bikes.
Sure, you can still find a decent selection of e-bikes on Craigslist, eBay, and even local Facebook groups. But how much can you trust these purchases? Upway certifies all of their bikes after being inspected and repaired by their team of licensed mechanics. There are no worries about exploding batteries or faulty breaks. All of their bikes even arrive fully assembled! This is a big perk for those who are less “mechanically inclined” and don’t want to assemble their own bikes as is required with many discount direct-to-consumer brands.
Of course, we are talking about e-bikes here so you won’t see a whole lot of options below $1,000 USD. But if you’re looking for reputable brands that come with valid warranties at a discount (I’ve seen between 13-50% off MSRP) Upway is now a legitimate option for American cyclists. Note that you still will pay a $200 standard shipping fee for most bikes, but that is on par with other retailers.
If you’re looking for an (almost) new e-bike, Upway could be the spot!
🛍 Grab Bag
Breakfast Club
I always love giving shout outs to other writers whom I respect and enjoy. It’s an additional bonus if they’re also publishing on Substack.
This week, I want to highlight the work of Sam Robinson and his wonderful Breakfast Club newsletter.
If you’re also a runner in the Bay Area you may have joined one of Sam’s early morning runs around Lake Temescal in Oakland. But even if you’re not a runner, you’ll appreciate his opinions and experiences across a wide range of subjects.
As Sam puts it, it’s “A newsletter about life in motion.” He’s been writing in this format for nearly a decade and his posts have the polish and depth to prove it. You’ll find short- and medium-form essays that (in Sam’s words) “blend my love of endurance sport with my humanities background and interest in pop culture, ideas, and society.”
Well said. And I share a lot of the same interests and motivation behind my writing. If you’re a fan of my work, I think you’ll love Breakfast Club.
💬 Quote of the Week
"Everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player."
-Bill Gates
🎧 Content Recommendation
How to Save a Planet Podcast
It’s been a while since I’ve recommended a podcast!
This week I’m suggesting you give a listen to “How to Save a Planet” from Gimlet Media. It’s filled with stories about people doing their part to help the environment. But it also gives clear action steps at the end of each episode that you can put into practice right away.
Here are a few more notes:
It comes from the amazing mind of Alex Blumberg. If you’re not familiar with the name, he is the former host of NPR’s fantastic Planet Money. I also had the pleasure of working with Alex to produce his CreativeLive course, “Power Your Podcast with Storytelling” where he shared many stories of leaving NPR and starting Gimlet Media.
Sadly, they aren’t making new episodes of the podcast right now. The back catalog of episodes are very evergreen and there are lots of tips on things we can all do to save our planet from climate-related issues. Hopefully, new episodes are resumed at some point in the future.
Feel free to jump in on any episode that sparks your attention. I particularly enjoyed the story about making biking cool again.
POLL
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
Hey! Could you use some help establishing healthy habits? Do you have a big project or new business that you want to get off the ground but could use some advice? Maybe you could benefit from hiring me as your coach. If you’re interested, read more about my coaching services here, or go ahead and book some time on my calendar to discuss further.
Iterate is free today. But if you enjoyed this post, you should let me know that this writing is valuable by pledging a future subscription. You won't be charged unless I enable payments at some point in the future. Think of it like an IOU in a tip jar.
That's incredibly kind, Chris. Thanks so much for your thoughts and recommendation!