Good morning, friends!

Let’s talk about 2025.

For the last three years, I’ve been largely focused on spending time with my kids. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have been able to prioritize their earliest years and spend an inordinate amount of time with them.

But as a result, I’ve stopped taking as many risks in my professional life. You’ll see this change next year.

In 2025, you’ll see me trying new things — some of which may work and some of which won’t. I’ll be testing out a new Q&A series with founders, writing more original articles, creating new learning guides, and maybe even doing some video projects.

Complacency often goes hand-in-hand with success, and the antidote to complacency is experimentation and risk. As Pixar’s Ed Catmull once said, “We dare to attempt these stories, but we don’t get them right on the first pass. This is as it should be. Creativity has to start somewhere, and we are true believers in the power of bracing, candid feedback and the iterative process — reworking, reworking, and reworking again, until a flawed story finds its through line or a hollow character finds its soul."

I want to thank all of you for being on this journey with me and giving me the grace and freedom to experiment. And as always, my inbox is open for any feedback, suggestions, and ideas you have.

I can't wait to embark on this learning journey with you. Have a wonderful holiday season!

— Polina

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PROFILES.

— The crypto founders who report getting ‘debanked’ [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The CEOs attending psychedelic retreats
— The post-partum luxury resort
— The creators taking over the world
— The company that pulled off a transition of power

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The crypto founders who report getting ‘debanked:’ For years, cryptocurrency startups have struggled to find and keep bank accounts in the United States, leading entrepreneurs to cry foul. In angry social media posts, they have accused the government of orchestrating a campaign to squelch the crypto industry, calling the crackdown unconstitutional and un-American. They have sued banking regulators and raised the issue with members of Congress. Those concerns have reached a boiling point. (The New York Times; alternate link)

“It was like hell. We were getting progressively debanked.”

The CEOs attending psychedelic retreats: America’s CEOs are tripping. There’s been a growing cottage industry dedicated to the theory that mind-altering drugs can improve business leadership. Murray Rodgers, who used to be a hard-charging oil and gas executive, has founded a retreat called “The Psychedelic CEO.” At the retreat, participants take psilocybin, the main psychedelic substance found in hallucinogenic mushrooms, and wait to experience a hopefully ‘life-changing’ trip. What a story…. (The New York Times; alternate link)

“Of the Silicon Valley founders I know who went on some of the psychedelic self-discovery trips, almost 100% quit their jobs as CEO.”

The creators taking over the world: We don’t talk so much about podcasters, musicians, authors, or pundits anymore; they are simply creators, a catchall for people who are famous for making stuff across any number of platforms. What do creators create, exactly? Above all, they create digital content, and it doesn’t much matter where or which kind. The attention economy has dominated the Internet for more than a decade now, but never before have its protagonists felt so central to American life—or had such direct access to the levers of power. (The New Yorker; alternate link)

“The amount of fame in the world is exponentially increasing.”

COMPANIES TO WATCH.

The post-partum luxury resort: For $1,000 per night, the Boram postpartum retreat promises new mothers an influencer-level fantasy. “Postpartum is something you were never meant to do alone,” Boram’s website reads. “It takes a village. We’re here to be your village.” Boram is neither a medical nor child-care facility or even a hotel. It is a service that has rented a floor of Manhattan hotel rooms and turned two of them into a nursery and a mothers’ lounge. While its landlord must adhere to city regulations, Boram itself sets its own safety, hiring, and care standards and processes, with seemingly no one but the guests to report if anything goes awry. Does the care live up to the hype? (New York Magazine; alternate link)

The company that pulled off a transition of power: Since 2010, when she started the beauty website Into the Gloss, Emily Weiss has been in the public eye. But she grew to be one of the most recognizable female founders of the 2010s after she launched her beauty brand, Glossier. Weiss became a star in her relentless promotion of Glossier. With nearly 800,000 Instagram followers, she is more famous than most founders. But in the past year, the entrepreneur has redefined her role in the brand she built. It has taken a period of reflection and realignment for Glossier to restore its relevance in an increasingly crowded marketplace—and for Weiss to settle into a new role at her business. It’s an example of successful course-correction for other entrepreneurs. (Inc; alternate link)

“We tried to relaunch it with the humility and transparency of, ‘We made a mistake, and that’s OK.’ Brands are going to make mistakes.”

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MULTIMEDIA.

— Bernardo Huberman on how to live a meaningful life
— Ryan Holiday on how to win the war with yourself
— Marc Andreessen on America’s new chapter
— Laurie Santos on rewiring your brain for happiness

AUDIO TO HEAR.

Bernardo Huberman on how to live a meaningful life: In this episode, Andrew Huberman interviews Bernardo Huberman — his dad! — a research physicist, expert on quantum networks, and vice president of CableLabs’ Next-Gen Systems. They discuss Bernardo’s journey into science, beginning in South America, how a curiosity about physics led him to the United States, and how we can nurture a sense of meaning and joy into our lives.

Ryan Holiday on how to win the war with yourself: Author Ryan Holiday unpacks the subtle and not-so-subtle messages life sends us—and what happens when we ignore them. From mismatched tattoos and injured ankles, Holiday reflects on the lessons he’s learned about preparation, awareness, and humility.

VIDEOS TO SEE.

Marc Andreessen on America’s new chapter: America is entering a new chapter. With the recent election in the past, sweeping changes on the horizon, and a lot of uncertainty, just how optimistic should we be about the upheaval the world is about to face? In this conversation legendary investor Marc Andreessen talks about government efficiency, the future of the Democratic party, and more.

Laurie Santos on rewiring your brain for happiness: Laurie Santos created the most popular course in the 300-year history of Yale University and the most talked-about college course in America. It’s called PSYC 157: Psychology and the Good Life. In this talk, she goes over the things we can do to lead calmer and happier lives.

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