Good morning, friends!
To me, there’s no better feeling than reading a well-reported profile that captures a person’s character and leaves the reader with a sense of understanding and empathy. As the saying goes, “One of art’s purest challenges is to translate a human being into words.” And that’s been The Profile’s mission for the last three years.
I’ve never properly explained why I love profiles so much, how I decide which stories make it into the newsletter, and what goes into putting together The Profile every week. Until now.
Dan Shipper recently interviewed me for his popular newsletter Superorganizers and asked all sorts of thought-provoking questions about my process and how I organize my newsletter (and life). Below is an excerpt, but you can read the full piece here.
Why I like profiles
I’ve thought about this a lot. When I first moved to the U.S, I didn’t speak English. So in elementary school, I had to try really hard to understand what people meant from just their expressions and their body language.
I learned to pay attention to these little things a long time ago. So I think I’m fairly good with first impressions. When I meet somebody, I can pretty quickly understand what type of person they are based on the small cues that they give away.
I’m also just fascinated by why people do what they do, how they make decisions, and how those decisions made them end up in the situation they are in now. I'm attracted to really complicated characters who have a lot going on in their lives.
I think all of us are like that to some degree. In college, I had to do a profile of someone for a class assignment, and it was really tough because the person was so boring. I went to my professor and I said, “Oh my god, I can’t get anything. This is the most boring person in the world.”
And the professor said, “No one is inherently boring. They’re only boring because you haven’t asked the right questions.”
I want to learn from the most interesting people on earth, and I want to understand their experiences. So I think above all, writing and reading profiles is a great way to learn.
I think the best way to learn is through other people. If you hear about an experience someone else went through, you’re able to relate to it in a different way than you would if it was just an abstract idea.
But also, the best profiles humanize people. I don’t want to read an Elon Musk profile that just talks about how much of a genius he is. I want to learn about the fact that he lost a child, and how after that, he became maniacal about work and poured all of his energy into it. I want to learn about the hard things he’s been through, how he learned from them, and how they helped him become the person he is today.
What makes a good profile
When I’m reading an article I can usually tell pretty quickly whether or not it’s going to be a good profile. A good profile immediately grabs you at the first sentence. For example, this is a profile I really like of Greta Thunberg, the climate activist.
The first sentence is: “There is persona and there is reality in Greta Thunberg.” It’s great. I immediately want to know more.
But the writer also explores in detail the contradictory sides to Greta. On the one hand, she’s a climate activist who’s trying to get the world to pay attention, and on the other hand, you know, she’s a teenager.
A good profile captures the little things that make us different. It really helps when the writer has spent time with the subject and can capture their little quirks or their eccentric habits.
One of my favorite profiles ever is on Justin Bieber. And the reason I like it is because the writer was able to capture these little bits about him that make him come alive and seem human. For example, the interviewer describes how as you’re talking to him, he doesn’t backchannel.
Backchanneling refers to those cues like nodding your head that let someone know that you’re listening and following along. Instead, he just stares at you. And so you don’t know what he’s thinking.
And I love that stuff. It’s those details that make the subject of the piece come alive. As a writer, you have to actually figure out ways to show the reader who someone is versus just telling them.
A bad profile reads like a press release. It’s just generic stuff that doesn’t go into any of the challenges, nuances, or contradictions of the subject. It’s just general and high-level — you forget it as soon as you read it.
… If you want more: In this podcast episode, I talk about why staying curious about the world is so important. Listen here.
THE PROFILE DOSSIER: On Wednesday, paying members received The Profile Dossier, a comprehensive deep-dive on a prominent individual. It featured Malcolm Gladwell, the thinker selling good ideas. Become a Profile member to read Malcolm’s feature, and receive all future dossiers here.
*A WORD FROM OUR PARTNER*: Business Casual is the business podcast by Morning Brew that aims to make you smarter while making you laugh. Host Kinsey Grant interviews the biggest names in business about everything from how technology is changing the fitness industry to the economics of influencer marketing. Check it out here.
PROFILES.
— The hacker who saved the internet [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— Wonder Woman’s penchant for normalcy
— The king of quarantine
— The man who saw the future
— The billionaire’s magician
— The voice of God
— The startup fast-tracking Ford’s self-driving cars
— The drug company on the frontlines
— The retailer that could be the last to re-open
👉 If you enjoy reading The Profile, feel free to share it with friends!
PEOPLE TO KNOW.
The hacker who saved the internet:After 23-year-old Marcus Hutchins stopped one of the most dangerous cyber attacks in the world, it turned him into a global celebrity. Edward Snowden congratulated him, the New York Daily News put him on the cover, and strangers accosted him for selfies. And then, the FBI arrested him. This is the untold story of how he went from an international hero to a convict looking at 10 years in prison. (WIRED)
“I just want to be someone who can help make things better.”
Wonder Woman’s penchant for normalcy: Gal Gadot was a natural fit for the role of Wonder Woman because she’s fearless in reinventing herself. She won the Miss Israel beauty pageant in 2004. She completed two years of service in the Israeli Defense Forces. She went to law school. Now, she’s an actress living the Hollywood life. “We’re always evolving and changing, and life takes us in different directions,” she says. “Yes, I am an actress, but at the same time, I have this appetite to do more—bigger, deeper, more interesting.” (Vogue)
“I definitely make sure to be prepared, to do the work, to come in 100 percent and go for it.”
The king of quarantine: So ... Robert Pattinson is set to be the next Batman. But quarantine has sort of derailed his training schedule and eating habits. “I think if you’re working out all the time, you’re part of the problem,” he says. He’s microwaving pasta, eating oatmeal with vanilla protein powder, and putting “Tabasco inside a tuna can and just eat[ing] it out of the can.” America, meet your newest Batman. (GQ)
“I spend so much time by myself, ’cause you’re just kind of always forced to, that I can’t really remember what it was like not really having that kind of lifestyle.”
The man who saw the future: The U.S. has fared worse than other countries in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic not because it lacked information or funding but because it failed to learn the lessons of the last outbreaks. Ali S. Khan, who is the former director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response at the CDC, explains why the virus caught us flat-footed. (The New Yorker)
“A disease anywhere is a disease everywhere.”
The billionaire’s magician: In the course of his 20-year career as a professional magician, Daniel Chan has performed thousands of shows for technology giants like Google, Twitter, and Apple. He’s stumped top engineers with iPhone tricks, juggled fire in the backyards of palatial mansions, and dazzled billionaires with his sleight-of-hand illusions. Here’s how technology is changing the nature of his show. (The Hustle)
“Someone, somewhere, is going to become the next David Blaine on Zoom.”
The voice of God: You may not recognize Edoardo Ballerini’s face, but you’ve likely heard his voice. Ballerini is one of the best audiobook narrators, and he’s the go-to voice for intelligent, subtle but gripping narrations of books. When asked what it takes to record hours on end, Ballerini said, “The best comparison I can think of is to long-distance running. It’s easy to say you just put one foot in front of the other for a long time. You actually do it, it’s difficult.” (The New York Times)
“I love the idea that the house of a silent actor is now occupied by one who uses only voice on projects.”
COMPANIES TO WATCH.
The startup fast-tracking Ford’s self-driving cars: While companies like Waymo, Uber, and Cruise intend to operate their own robotic ride-hail services, Argo AI is focused on making the car drive itself. In 2017, Ford announced that it would invest $1 billion over the next five years in Argo. Meet the team of relentless engineers who are trying to crack the code of safe autonomous driving. (WIRED)
“We need a ride that’s comfortable, confident, and intelligent. I don’t mean rocket science. I need common sense.”
The drug company on the frontlines: There haven’t been a lot of stories of foresight and preparedness in this pandemic. The story of Gilead’s drug remdesivir is one. As the most successful maker of antiviral drugs in history, Gilead fast-tracked remdesivir into mass production in the fight against coronavirus. Here’s why the company was prepared when no one else was. (Bloomberg)
“We had to move quick, because the one thing you can’t buy is time.”
The retailer that could be the last to re-open: Patagonia was one of the first retailers to temporarily shut its doors as the coronavirus spread. Even though it has lost half of its sales in North America, it doesn’t anticipate opening any locations for in-store shopping until June at the earliest and it’s prepared to wait until the fall or even early winter. Here’s how Patagonia is balancing the future of its business with the health and financial well-being of its employees. (The New York Times)
“Even though we are kind of a beacon in the retail world, we’re not immune and we’re not invincible and this has hit us incredibly hard.”
This installment of The Profile is free for everyone. If you would like to get full access to all of the recommendations, including today’s audio and video sections, sign up below.
AUDIO TO HEAR.
Ariana Huffington’s playbook for leading in crisis: Arianna Huffington knows a thing or two about crisis leadership. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many leaders’ management styles under the microscope. Huffington explains how CEOs and executives can “lead from the eye of the hurricane.” You need a mindset shift, she says, to see that taking time to re-charge can be the best thing you do for yourself and your employees. (Link available to paying subscribers.)
James Clear’s secrets to building better habits: Habit formation is one of the most fascinating aspects of human behavior. James Clear has spent years studying how we can create good habits while breaking bad ones. The secret is that it’s all about having effective, practical systems, not lofty goals. “We do not rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems,” he says. This is a great one. (Link available to paying subscribers.)
Brent Beshore on building the next Berkshire Hathaway: Brent Beshore’s Permanent Equity is a private equity firm that acquires family-owned businesses. In this conversation, Beshore explains what he looks for in a company during the diligence process, why he believes in focusing on a ‘size specific’ circle of competence, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected small businesses. (Link available to paying subscribers.)
Cheryl Strayed on finding your voice: Cheryl Strayed wrote the New York Times bestselling memoir Wild. The book documents her 1,000-mile trek on the Pacific Crest Trail after she suffered two major life events — her mother’s sudden death and the end of her marriage. In this conversation, she talks about the importance of finding your voice, giving advice, and trusting the serendipity of life. (Link available to paying subscribers.)
VIDEOS TO SEE.
The secretive double life of the Burt’s Bees founder: If you’ve ever bought chapstick, face wash, or any Burt’s Bees product, you’re familiar with the infamous face on the label. That’s the face of Burt Shavitz, the eccentric, reclusive beekeeper who accidentally stumbled upon and helped build a billion-dollar business. Highly recommend this documentary. (Link available to paying subscribers.)
Paul Tudor Jones on making the right bets: This documentary features legendary hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones and his firm Tudor Investments. It follows him and his team as they navigate a volatile stock market and capture attractive financial returns. Fun fact: Paul Tudor Jones hated the documentary so much that he went and bought up all the copies of the film as soon as he could. Some speculate it’s because he felt it revealed his trading secrets. (Link available to paying subscribers.)
Steve Schwarzman’s roadmap for success: Steve Schwarzman is the CEO and co-founder of Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms with more than $530 billion dollars of assets under management. In this conversation, he reveals some of the biggest lessons he’s learned from his 50-year career in business. (Link available to paying subscribers.)
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