Iterate Weekly - Issue 23
An ode to TiVo, optimizing your calendar for deep work, a PSA for foam rolling, Thatch helps travel creators, and I watch Nine Perfect Strangers
Welcome to issue 23 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
An ode to TiVo
Anyone out there still watching TV with an actual TiVo branded DVR?
Believe it or not, I still have a TiVo connected in my living room. No, it’s definitely not the cutting-edge piece of technology that it once was. But the quirky logo, the sound effects, and the reliably efficient way to watch television still resonate with me.
I’m no dummy, I’ve seen this before. Another beloved tech company is easing its way into the early stages of obsolescence. TiVo won’t be around much longer. We don’t need physical DVRs with hard drives. The entertainment of our present and future lives on livestreams and in a cloud.
This is why I wrote my Ode to TiVo. In case you missed it on my “How to Use Technology” Medium publication, please take a moment to appreciate the fine run that TiVo had. If you keep your eyes peeled, you may see some ads for TiVo’s “last chance for summer savings!” as they try to sell off their remaining devices. We all know the end is near.
R.I.P. old friend.
Learning
Optimize your calendar with Clockwise
I’m always looking for helpful apps that will save me time or just make my workflow smoother.
Something that I’ve been testing out lately is an app called Clockwise. Clockwise analyzes your calendar to see trends in how you work. It will attempt to consolidate meetings where it can in order to open up longer chunks of time for deep work projects.
I understand that not everyone has a flexible work schedule. There may just be days when you’re in back-to-back meetings all day and that’s fine. But if you’re trying to find time to really lose yourself in your work, you may find Clockwise to be a useful solution.
Health
PSA for Foam Rolling
Consider this a public service announcement for foam rollers.
In all seriousness, when was the last time you used a foam roller to stretch out a finicky muscle that was causing you pain? I’ve been getting a lot of use out of my trusty RumbleRoller lately. I’ve had it for years but it was only pulled out on the sorest of occasions.
Lately, I’ve been getting more consistent with rolling before I go to bed and first thing in the morning. It has done wonders for my mild lower back pain caused by running, carrying a 2-year old, and prolonged sessions at the standing desk.
It got me doing some research on what’s actually happening when you use the roller. Most of the studies in this space have been small, yet promising. Rolling can be a great way to limber up muscles before a long run or bike ride. It may also help minimize the dreaded delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) that accompanies intense workouts.
This week I even took a foam rolling class on the Peloton app. It was fantastic and made me feel even more justified that this type of workout is more than just a fad. If foam rolling isn’t a part of your workout regiment, now is the time to add it.
Grab Bag
Thatch - The app for travel creators
This week’s grab bag is a shoutout to a San Francisco-based app called Thatch that I’ve been closely following for several years.
Back in 2018, I met one of the co-founders and discussed doing some freelance work for them in their previous iteration known as Nat. The premise was similar to a service I loved called FlightFox that acted as sort of a modern digital travel agent. You’d give some information about the trip you were looking to plan, and Nat would help you plan the vacation of your dreams.
Fast forward to 2021 and the company has rebranded as Thatch and just received a $3 Million seed II round of funding to grow the business. Thatch now acts as a portal for content creators in the travel space. They’re allowing them to get paid for the amazing content that they put out to make vacations more enjoyable for all of us.
Kudos to Thatch for helping this niche of the creator economy, and I hope to see more big things from them in the future.
Quote of the Week
“Starve your distractions, feed your focus” - Daniel Goleman
Content Recommendation
Nine Perfect Strangers
For the past few weeks, my wife and I have been watching “Nine Perfect Strangers”.
The show takes place at a fictitious resort led by a wellness guru portrayed by Nicole Kidman. The ensemble cast is filled with familiar faces and it has elements of comedy but it’s a very smart, mysterious drama.
Each of the guests at the resort has their own emotional issues that get stirred up by the exercises and pseudo-medication that are personally prescribed to each of them. I’d say it’s one of the smarter shows on television right now and I’m eager to see how the series concludes.
I highly recommend you check it out.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!