The Profile: The Apple CEO going all in on VR & the trans kids transitioning back
The Profile: The Apple CEO going all in on VR & the trans kids transitioning backThis edition of The Profile features Tim Cook, Ben Armstrong, and others.Good morning, friends! When my friend Ana Lorena Fabrega (you may remember her from our interview) sent me a manuscript of her book, The Learning Game, I was so excited to dig in. It’s a book all about rethinking the current education model and offering strategies to help kids think for themselves. I learned so much from it, but there is one sentence that I haven’t forgotten since the day that I read it. In the acknowledgements section, Ana thanks her husband Fernando, and writes, “And, most of all, [thank you to] my husband Fernando, whose shining intellect and editing has elevated my work, and whose faith gives me hope that I might one day become the person he is convinced I have always been.” That line — ”I might one day become the person he is convinced I have always been” — stopped me in my tracks. When you actually think about it, it’s such a beautiful sentiment. Fernando sees her as the best version of herself, even if she doesn’t always see it the same way. Valentine’s Day is coming up, and I wanted to share this with you because it doesn’t just apply to romantic partnerships. It applies to any relationship. If you surround yourself with people who see you as the best, most complete version of yourself, you can then spend your time proving them right and living up to that aspirational self on a daily basis. If you spend your time with people who are constantly criticizing you and putting you down, then you get further and further away from that ideal self. And like Ana said, we don’t always believe we are that higher version. For instance, I don’t feel like “myself” on days where I am overwhelmed, haven’t had enough sleep, or didn’t make time to exercise. And that’s OK. But here’s the beautiful part: On the days when I feel subpar, my husband gently reminds me of who I really am (when I’ve had enough sleep), and he doesn’t judge me on my worst days. And by the way, it’s easy to start identifying with your dark side: the one who nitpicks, gets angry, acts irritated. But you need someone in your life who reminds you of who you really are and moves you toward that version instead. As one Profile reader told me, “Challenge each other to be better mentally, physically, and spiritually. If you are slacking in any of those areas, then your other half has a duty to tell you — and you shouldn't defensively shut it down.” If you’re in a supportive partnership, one of your main goals should be to help the other person grow into the best version of themselves. And they should aim to do the same for you. — Polina PROFILES.— The Apple CEO going all in on VR [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**] PEOPLE TO KNOW.The Apple CEO going all in on VR: Inside Apple Park, Apple CEO Tim Cook talks about the genesis of a “mind-blowing” new device that could change the way we live and work. “My experience was religious,” says legendary director James Cameron. But the question remains — Will your average iPhone user drop $3,500 on a headset? (Vanity Fair; if you can’t access the article, try this link.) “I’ve known for years we would get here. I didn’t know when, but I knew that we would arrive here.” The crypto influencer who lost it all: Ben Armstrong, better known as BitBoy, was once the most popular cryptocurrency YouTuber in the world. He filmed a livestream five days a week in which he lectured his hundreds of thousands of listeners on the virtues of experimental coins with names like Polkadot or XRP. Two years later,Armstrong, 41, has lost his production company and much of his wealth. His friends have turned on him, and his wife has filed for divorce. (The New York Times; if you can’t access this article, try this link.) “Ben lost track of the person he used to be.” The trans kids transitioning back: Transgender activists have pressed for a treatment orthodoxy that has faced increased scrutiny in recent years. Under that model of care, clinicians are expected to affirm a young person’s assertion of gender identity and even provide medical treatment before, or even without, exploring other possible sources of distress. Meet the de-transitioners. (The New York Times; if you can’t access this article, try this link.) “In front of my son, the therapist said, ‘Do you want a dead son or a live daughter?’” The ‘meme-lord’ who revealed his true identity: For several years, Hank Medina has been posting under the Instagram meme account “litquidity.” Medina is soft-spoken and polite — the opposite of his Patrick Bateman-meets-enthusiastic junior analyst alter-ego. Here’s how he grew his brand from biting memes on the internet into a profitable portfolio of businesses and investments. (The Financial Times; if you can’t access this article, try this link.) “I don’t think you’d ever know that it was him behind Litquidity, even if you met him or he told you point blank.” COMPANIES TO WATCH.The TV network cashing in on love: Since 2015 (when Hallmark started its own production arm), the Hallmark Channel has been filling a slot that used to hold date-night and slumber-party films like “The Bridges of Madison County” (1995), “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” (1998), “Bend It Like Beckham” (2002) and “The Notebook” (2004). Here’s how the Hallmark Channel “leaned into” Christmas and Valentine’s Day — and cashed in. (The New York Times; if you can’t access this article, try this link.) “When more people are watching the Hallmark Channel than CNN, you know we’ve reached a new level of interpersonal isolation.” The company that made a cup go viral: In the spring of 2020, Terence Reilly left his position as the chief marketing officer of Crocs, the footwear brand, and became the president of the beverage-container manufacturer Stanley. In his short tenure at Stanley, Reilly flipped an established brand into a digital-content machine that made a cup into a viral sensation. (The New Yorker; if you can’t access this article, try this link.) “We were the seventy-million-dollar sleepy little brand known for the hammertone green bottle.” ✨ The rest of this newsletter is only available for premium members of The Profile, whose support makes this work possible. If you’re not already a premium member, consider upgrading your subscription below for access to an additional section of weekly audio + video recommendations. ✨... Keep reading with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to The Profile to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives. A subscription gets you:
|
Older messages
The Profile: The man inventing the perfect college applicant & the L.A. Clippers owner building a $2B arena
Sunday, February 4, 2024
This edition of The Profile features Steve Ballmer, Emily Weiss, and others.
The Profile: The fading hip-hop mogul & the doctor who made the best short call of 2023
Sunday, January 28, 2024
This edition of The Profile features Sean “Diddy” Combs, Joanna Goddard, and more.
The Profile: The $18 billion AI unicorn & the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show performer
Sunday, January 21, 2024
This edition of The Profile features Taylor Tomlinson, Usher, Naomi Osaka, and more.
The Profile: The Chipotle founder reinventing lunch & the billionaire king of rolling papers
Sunday, January 14, 2024
Handwritten letters humanize in a way the words you're reading right now can't.
The Profile Dossier: Nick Saban, America's Most Successful Coach
Friday, January 12, 2024
"Don't look at the scoreboard; play the next play."
You Might Also Like
Low competition niches with high traffic potential
Friday, July 26, 2024
1.2 million visitors with a DA of 9!?
Mindsnack Ep. 6 - 4 Things That Have Helped Me
Friday, July 26, 2024
do these things.
SearchGPT Announced! (The End of Google?)
Friday, July 26, 2024
Yesterday, OpenAI announced SearchGPT, an AI-powered search engine that is a direct competitor to Google search. What does that mean for Google? What does it mean for publishers? This is the first
🎙️ Find That Pod #272
Friday, July 26, 2024
Let's discover some awesome podcasts together.
Temu may be a worthy Amazon competitor after all [Crew Review]
Friday, July 26, 2024
Q4 is approaching fast. Take advantage of the sales season and get more funding for your e-commerce business. We'll show you how on July 30, 2024 at 9:30 AM (PST). Hey Reader, It may not have the
Bitcoin 2024: All Eyes on Nashville
Friday, July 26, 2024
Marathon Digital Goes Full HODL with $100M Buy
Digiday Awards: One week left to submit your entry
Friday, July 26, 2024
Have your work viewed by judges from Google, Chipotle and more
You don’t need more capital, Reader. [Webinar]
Friday, July 26, 2024
Hey Reader, Most successful online entrepreneurs have taken risks, ie, loans, to scale their businesses to the next level. But how do you know when to borrow more money and when to hold off? This July
Influence Weekly #347: TikTok’s Secret Plan To Shake Up European E-commerce: What 40 New Hires Reveal
Friday, July 26, 2024
A Fashion Influencer Sues, Alleging a Creator Copied Her 'Aesthetic
Weekly Dose of Optimism #104
Friday, July 26, 2024
HIV Prevention, AI Tsunami, Statecraft, GLP-1 Again, Olympic Exoskeleton ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏