Welcome to the weekend.

I know it’s late in the month. But here’s my March playlist. I think you’ll really enjoy. It’s a playlist of covers with a down beat / lounge vibe. I hope you enjoy.

Prime Numbers

125,000,000 — Sales at U.S. restaurants are projected to rise from an estimated $997 billion in 2023 all the way up to $1.1 trillion in 2024. That means that the restaurant industry in the United States will be bringing in $3 billion every day, to the tune of $125 million per hour.

200 — A 200-foot-tall AM radio tower belonging to the radio station WJLX 101.5 FM/1240 AM has gone missing and is believed to have been stolen. It's been there since the 1950s, and all that remains now is a pile of wires.

8 — Researchers concluded that a traveler’s health and well-being peaks on the eighth day of a holiday. 

Grassroots Revival

The town of Hazard in eastern Kentucky was devastated by the decline of coal mining and the opioid epidemic. But in recent years, it experienced another unexpected revival. Over 40 new businesses opened, creating hundreds of jobs. Many of these businesses are owned and staffed by people in recovery from addiction, who are eager to rebuild their lives and community. The new entrepreneurial spirit helped restore vacant storefronts and brought people back to the once-abandoned downtown. Progress remains uneven, as the drug crisis continues. But this generation that endured economic and social disaster seems inspired to rebuild from within. Their new ventures are as much about community as commerce, creating spaces where people can connect. Driven by a sense of purpose, they are the face of Appalachia's grassroots revival. The Free Press (12 minutes)

Smartphones and Relationships

Andrew Sofin, a couples therapist with 25 years experience, knows what’s breaking up couples — the smartphone. Smartphones have caused more relationship problems than anything by enabling constant intrusion and distracting spouses. We’ve normalized them being intrusive and taking precedence when people are lying in bed, playing Wordle or scrolling through TikTok rather than talking to each other. And we’ve become used to communication being instantaneous when a healthy relationship requires you to slow down and listen to each other. But our lives don’t really allow for that; especially if you have young children, it’s often go, go, go. The Walrus (5 minutes)

Our Biggest Fight

The internet is broken. Its awesome power has been co-opted and corrupted by Big Tech corporations that harvest our personal data, exploit us for profit and exclude us from the value we create. In his new book, OUR BIGGEST FIGHT: Reclaiming Liberty, Dignity and Humanity in the Digital Age, Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt outlines the threat that today’s internet – and, especially, dominant social media platforms – pose to our democracy, our civility, our children’s mental health and our future. In calling for revolutionary change, McCourt offers hopeful, viable solutions. McCourt says, “autocratic surveillance technology is stripping us of our personhood and causing devastating harms. It’s time to fight back. By drawing on lessons of the past and redesigning what tech optimizes for, we can chart a new course and build an internet that empowers people over platforms." OUR BIGGEST FIGHT is out March 12^th and available for pre-order. Project Liberty (Sponsored)

How Pubs Replaced Irish Banks

The 1970 Irish bank strike caused a disruption to banking services for nearly a year. With major banks closed, pubs filled the functional role of banks by cashing checks and enabling lending for local communities. Pub owners could reasonably judge creditworthiness of regular patrons requesting loans or cashing IOUs scribbled on anything from cigarette packs to napkins. An informal system of check cashing and lending kept Ireland afloat, with an estimated 10 million uncertified checks and IOUs totaling 3 billion Irish pounds circulating by the strike's end. Remarkably, only 750 fraud investigations resulted, as localized trust enabled pub owners to adequately manage risk. Thanks to the pubs, while supply of physical money shrank, day-to-day trade carried on relatively unscathed. Ultimately, the strong social bonds of neighborhoods allowed pubs to successfully fill the banking void. Vinepair (8 minutes)

Nature Photography

Check out the winners of the Nature Photography Contest. The overall winner is a cute sea lion, but all of the photos are stunning. Enjoy. Nature Photography Contest (4 minutes)

Three Questions

In the Critique of Pure Reason, Immanuel Kant outlined the foundational pillars of philosophy in the form of three questions. Now, Kant has his fair share of critics, but I think those three questions do a great job encapsulating the entirety of contemplative thought. 1) What can I know? Through reason, logic, math, science and inner contemplation, we seek to continually expand our knowledge and understanding of the external world and ourselves. 2) What should I do? We should question our conditioning to understand our true selves, allowing us to live ethically and create a better existence for all. 3) What may I hope? Our vision of a better future guides our actions in the present moment to improve whatever small part of the world we can touch. More to That (6 minutes)

Compounding Habits

Life-changing habits compound in our favor — they accelerate growth and help us become happy, healthy and wealthy. This article has 40 such habits. Here are a few of my favorites: 1) For every demand on your time, pause or delay your response and think about the first- and second-order consequences before saying “yes.” 2) Make walking a daily or weekly habit — it’s the easiest and healthiest form of exercise to improve mental clarity and self-awareness. 3) Finish your day on purpose by writing down priorities for tomorrow. It’s a better way to start the day without wasting cognitive energy planning. Postantly (6 minutes)

Should We Work Together?

Hi! I’m Kyle. This newsletter is my passion project. When I’m not writing, I run a law firm that helps startups move fast without breaking things. Most founders want a trusted legal partner, but they hate surprise legal bills. At Westaway, we take care of your startup’s legal needs for a flat, monthly fee so you can control your costs and focus on scaling your business. If you’re interested, let’s jump on a call to see if you’re a good fit for the firm. Click here to schedule a one-on-one call with me.

Founder Fridays

Check out my other email, Founder Fridays — a Friday morning briefing helping startup founders and operators scale smarter.

Weekend Wisdom

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. - Marcel Proust