Life Since the Baby Boom

Life Since the Baby Boom is a Substack by a Baby Boomer with a background in high tech, offering a blend of personal musings, insights into the software and music industries, reflections on pop culture, and career advice. The author frequently explores the intersection of technology, art, and society through various lenses, including their own experiences.

Publishing and Writing Software and Patents Music and Movies Artificial Intelligence Career and Workplace Culture Leadership and Management Social Media and Technology Impact Politics and Elections

The hottest Substack posts of Life Since the Baby Boom

And their main takeaways

This New Internet Thing, Chapter 25

461 implied HN points • 31 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Internet Computers Television Startups Finance
  1. Len is looking for ways to get hired in the tech world. He knows he has the skills, but he wonders how to get noticed by the big players in Silicon Valley.
  2. The team at Palm is excited about a new handheld product called Touchdown. They are focusing on what customers really need and ignoring unnecessary features to make it great.
  3. Len and Dan go on a TV show to talk about their work with the Internet and crime. They manage to discuss their mutual fund and share how technology helps with their investigations.

Notes on Chapter 28

230 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Venture Capital Startups Investment
  1. Len lands a new job as a Venture Capitalist Assistant, where he will help a company get more funding. He feels excited and valued in this role, especially after his TV appearance as an 'Internet investing wizard.'
  2. The company Len is working with, NetsForAll, is fictional, but it reflects the early days of Internet Service Providers. This shows how innovative ideas were emerging before the Internet became widely known.
  3. Len gets to meet important people in the Internet business and share stories from his past experiences, like solving a big embezzlement case. This mix of new opportunities and past accomplishments makes him feel fulfilled.

Notes on Chapter 25

230 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Computers Software Internet Innovation Media
  1. Meeting discussions often become unproductive when everyone tries to push their own favorite features instead of focusing on what's best for the product. Clear decision-making is essential to avoid mediocrity.
  2. Successful product development requires someone in charge who can confidently say 'no' to less important ideas, making it easier to prioritize essential features.
  3. Media strategy can be very effective when interviews are used to direct the conversation toward key topics, allowing for a more focused and engaging presentation.

Bring Back Private Offices

245 HN points • 04 Mar 24
💼 Business Cost efficiency
  1. Employees are resisting the return to open offices after the pandemic, showing preferences for private workspaces.
  2. Historically, office designs like cubicles and open spaces were not as effective as private offices for productivity and creativity.
  3. The push for open offices may be influenced by extroverted leadership preferences, despite introverted employees often thriving in private work settings.

New Material Coming

230 implied HN points • 22 Sep 23
🎶 Music Gardening Music history
  1. The author is working on a new post about gardening.
  2. Thinking of writing about what happened to Creedence Clearwater Revival.
  3. Colleague EZ Prine promised a post about Joe Cocker but hasn't done it yet.
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Standing in the Shadows of Motown

230 implied HN points • 11 May 23
🎶 Music
  1. The movie Standing in the Shadows of Motown highlights the importance of the original musicians behind famous hits like the ones from Motown.
  2. The Funk Brothers, the jazz musicians in Detroit, played on many Motown hits and showcased timeless music that even younger generations can enjoy.
  3. The movie contrasts the treatment of the original musicians in the music industry with a heartbreaking story about James Jamerson's lack of recognition despite his genius.

Music Movies for This Weekend

230 implied HN points • 11 May 23
🎶 Music
  1. The channel reviews music documentaries and recommends which ones are worth watching.
  2. The focus is on American pop music genres like jazz, blues, rock 'n' roll, and folk.
  3. The writer provides links to free movies, suggests which to skip, and includes a YouTube playlist for the songs featured.

Google Busts a Coffee Myth

5 HN points • 28 Nov 23
🍲 Food & Drink Coffee Brewing Myths
  1. Google tested if people can taste the difference between fresh and old coffee beans. The results were surprising.
  2. Blind taste tests are important to determine if people can actually taste a difference in food or drinks.
  3. Individual experiences can differ from general population perceptions. Try different things to find what works best for you.

Who Wouldn't Enjoy Torturing Lawyers?

3 HN points • 05 Feb 24
💼 Business Technology Law Interviewing Patents Decision-making
  1. Google had a unique approach to interviewing potential employees, focusing on problem-solving and thinking on one's feet.
  2. The author shares their experience of transitioning from an engineer to a technical advisor in patent litigation, emphasizing the importance of creative thinking in legal roles.
  3. Interview questions for patent lawyers and patent acquisition specialists were tailored to test their ability to analyze, think critically, and make decisions under pressure.

Management Lessons from Alice Cooper

6 HN points • 14 Jul 23
🎶 Music Music Industry Musicians
  1. Hired guns in music industry often face uncertainty and challenges in getting recognition for their work.
  2. Surround yourself with top talent to succeed, like Alice Cooper who always hired A-list musicians.
  3. Leaders like Alice Cooper prioritize serving the song and artist, emphasizing teamwork over individual showmanship.

Baseball, Without a Chauffeur

2 HN points • 18 Mar 24
🎾 Sports Baseball Variations Outdoor activities
  1. Kids can enjoy playing baseball without the formalities of organized leagues and structured teams like Little League
  2. Simple games like catch, running bases, and strikeout can offer fun and memorable experiences for kids
  3. Old-school baseball variations like stickball and 16-inch softball bring unique regional flavors to the sport

Enforcing a Social App Ban for Kids

1 HN point • 19 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Social media Online safety Regulation Market Analysis Tech Ethics
  1. Social media apps can negatively impact kids' mental health, so the proposal suggests banning them for children under 18 to protect them.
  2. The proposal focuses on creating an Adult Social App Reporter (ASAR) to detect Adult Social Apps on kids' phones without compromising privacy or requiring physical access.
  3. The strategy is geared towards reducing the attractiveness of social media apps to kids by enforcing rules for Adult Social Apps and involving parents and schools in monitoring and compliance.

Here's My Pitch

1 HN point • 01 Feb 24
📚 Literature Fiction
  1. Pitching literary agents for fiction work is challenging, with low acceptance rates.
  2. Receiving rejections in the publishing industry is common, even with limited feedback.
  3. Personal stories and experiences can influence career choices and life decisions.