Iterate Weekly - Issue 21
Are you a member of the "creator economy"? Do we need so much sleep? Peloton starts playing games, are sports logos backward? And a back-to-school book.
Welcome to issue 21 of the Iterate weekly newsletter!
Just a reminder that you can always reply to this email or leave a comment on the web version. I do read all of them and I appreciate the feedback, questions, and insights from all of you.
Let’s jump into this week’s stories.
Tech
50 Million consider themselves in the creator economy
I consider myself to be part of the so-called “Creator Economy” and apparently I’m not alone.
This Forbes article claims that 50 million people consider themselves part of this category as well. And this story falls into the tech category because of the ever-growing list of tech companies that are enabling people to become part of this phenomenon. Whether it’s YouTube, Etsy, Twitch, OnlyFans, Medium or Substack, (the platform you’re reading this on in case you weren’t aware) creators can create in more places than ever before.
When asked what they want to be when they grow up, 3 times more kids today are saying they’d rather be a YouTuber than an astronaut. And we thought that space was the final frontier! With all the talk of sending civilians into space lately, maybe astronauts will have a resurgence as a youth career option. But until then, long live the creator economy!
Learning
Don’t sleep in, take a nap instead
This could really fall into the learning or health categories but I was intrigued by this Fast Company article that questions how valuable that extra sleep at night actually is. I learned that you may be better off taking a nap in the afternoon rather than sleeping in or going to bed earlier.
I’m sure you’ve had nights where you go to sleep at a reasonable hour and wake up naturally without an alarm. You’d think that you’d be feeling great right? But that’s not always the case. If you’re a quantified-self nerd like I am, you may track your sleep data. When I look at the data from my Oura Ring, I’m often surprised that the data doesn’t necessarily match up to how I actually feel on a given morning.
The point that I want to emphasize is that we still know very little about how our sleep impacts our health. We know it’s important and more is (usually) better. But aside from that, we’re all still learning as much as we can using the technology that we have.
Any nappers out there who agree with this study?
Health
Turn your Peloton ride into a game
I bought my wife a Peloton Bike for Christmas last year (it was the only thing she wanted). The bike has been a welcome addition to our household. I’ll admit that I don’t actually ride it very often but I love the audio running and yoga classes that Peloton offers through their app.
I was excited to read about Peloton’s plans to release an app-style workout game that can enhance the riding experience. The initial version is called Lanebreak and looks pretty simple. You control a wheel that needs to stay in its lane and earn points for various goals that are achieved.
It may not win any game-design awards but it’s fascinating to see the company get into the gaming space. I’m not sure how many riders will prefer this over seeing the smiling face of their favorite instructor. But kudos to Peloton for being innovative here. They say that the beta for the game will open later this year and I’ll certainly report back once I try it for myself.
Grab Bag
Sports team logo direction
The great Paul Lukas of Uni-Watch fame is behind this week’s grab bag story. It’s only appropriate as his “Grab Bag” section of his daily Uni-Watch post was an inspiration for this part of the newsletter.
I highly encourage you to subscribe to his new Bulletin (a new Facebook competitor to Substack) if you’re at all interested in athletic aesthetics.
Recently he wrote a fascinating piece about the direction of sports logos. Why do some team logos face to the right and others to the left? It’s a great read even if you’re not into sports. I’ve always loved the way Paul’s writing can make even the most minor detail of minutiae in the design world come to life.
Quote of the Week
“Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.” - Michael Caine
Content Recommendation
Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over
This week’s content recommendation is a book I finished reading a few months ago but came to mind as we head into the traditional “back-to-school” season here in the U.S.
It’s called “Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over” by Nell Painter. It chronicles Nell’s personal story of becoming an art school student who is a solid 30 years older than her fellow classmates.
It’s funny, it’s honest, it’s vulnerable and informative. You’ll learn a bit about art and a lot about how both race and age are seen in the world of creative academia. It’s a perfect back-to-school read.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!