Hi nerds -

I salute you from Panama, the city that holds more than half of Latin America's tallest buildings and some of the nicest skylines in the world. Of course, I'm biased.

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3 intellectual goodies

Energy dragons > energy vampires: Avoid energy vampires at all cost. These are people who suck your energy with their boring claws every time you hang out. We've all met them, we've all called them friends.

But our tribe is the most valuable possession we have because it means our trust and attention. We're the combination of the 5 people closest to us, so choosing them wisely is one of the most important choices we make every day.

Instead, hang out with as many energy dragons as you can. These are humans who's voices fire value, insights, and constructive, honest feedback. Pick people with fire within them, those who spit positive, interesting vibes every time they open their mouth. Every hangout compounds and as we age, few things matter more than with whom we share our limited brain power.

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Detail vs speed: Paying attention to detail goes a long way when producing quality products. Especially when done early on, a perfectionist eye prevents tech debt, code fat, and bugs. It means you’re not rushing through features, but instead taking the time to deliberate on the micro decisions that make the product scalable and maintainable.

But too much analysis causes paralysis. Too much attention to detail and you may never even publish.

Knowing when to pick speed over quality means being able to adapt and produce value at a high speed. This is why Agile and Design Thinking have dominated the field.

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Women in STEM: The percentage of women in STEM was higher in the 1980s than it is today. In fact, technology is the only letter in STEM for which the number of women has decreased in the last 20 years.

But rather than seeing this as a problem, I like to think of it as an opportunity. It means there’s a field where women can shine easier simply because there’s less of us. It means there’s a space to disrupt merely by being present, providing different perspectives, and being assertive.

So, how do we get more women into STEM?

• Stop gifting Barbies and make-up to girls, they’re being taught to like that. Instead gift them cute robots or coding kits.

• When kids are good at solving problems creatively, encourage STEM courses rather than liberal arts ones. You’d be surprised by the amount of girls who simply go for liberal arts because they (often subconsciously) think “STEM is for men”.

• Encourage women to apply to jobs more senior than they may think they’re capable of. Studies show men do this all the time - impostor syndrome hits both women and men, but somehow men are better at faking it and bypassing the filters.

• Now, that may get you the job, but in order to keep it, it’s all about proving we’re knowledgeable and being assertive. Replacing non-confrontational phrases like “I think” and “I feel” with “it is this way” or “this is how it should be done” can go a long way when advancing professionally.

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2 brain farts

"Whatever you’re doing right now is the best use of your time, according to you."

~ Sahil Lavignia​

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"Be selectively ignorant.

Ignore topics that drain your attention. Unfollow people that drain your energy. Abandon projects that drain your time.

Do not keep up with it all. The more selectively ignorant you become, the more broadly knowledgeable you can be."

~ James Clear​

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1 funky audio

I heard rumors some of you were unable to listen to last week's "musique en française" playlist. I'm sharing it again here so you don't miss out.

For this week's audio though, I'm sharing a special meditation perfect for your morning commute or when you need a lil pick-me-up. This was brought to my attention by @sofihalphen and it's probably one of the most empowering listens I've heard in a while. Enjoy ✨

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Thank you for reading. As always, looking forward to your replies filled with juicy ideas. 💡

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Until next time,

Jules 🤸🏻‍♂️