“Combining a deep specialized knowledge in a domain with a broader understanding of the rules that govern the physical world is a rare combination that saves you time, money, and problems.” ~ “The Great Mental Models Volume 2: Physics, Chemistry and Biology”1 by Shane Parrish. Thoughts It was greatly fulfilling to read this book.

“Optimism in a leader, especially in challenging times, is so vital. Pessimism leads to paranoia, which leads to defensiveness, which leads to risk aversion. Optimism sets a different machine in motion.” ~ From The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company.

“Daring leadership is ultimately about serving other people, not ourselves. That’s why we choose courage.” ~ From Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.1 by Brené Brown Thoughts It feels super inspirational to have finished this book. The book was excellent and it felt good to know that all the people who spoke highly of Brené Brown were justified in doing so.

The Next Adventure “I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.” ~ Mark Twain Is death the next adventure or the end of the only adventure that a person’s consciousness has ever known?

Reflecting on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing away. RBG - Steadfast Commitment “The arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” but only “if there is a steadfast commitment to see the task through to completion.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg RBG was a revolutionary, someone who made a dent in the world while she was living, someone who is affecting the lives of so many after her passing away.

“The deepest lessons come out of the deepest waters and the hottest fires.” ~ Elisabeth Elliot CA wildfire, Orange skies in SF Bay area, and Dune trailer It seemed like a weird coincidence that Dune1 trailer2 got released on the same day that the skies in San Francisco turned orange3.

“Man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chains.” ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1 The movie - C U Soon Saw this amazing movie named C U Soon2 on Amazon Prime. The movie format was unique. Most of it was shown through video conferencing and chat. One gets to know the characters and their lives through chat messages and dialogues that happen through video apps.

Happened to watch the first 3 episodes of Raised by Wolves1. I was expecting just an episode to get launched in the typical HBO fashion. But getting 3 episodes was a bonus. Though I would have preferred to just have one. It would have given enough time to think about the episode and read articles about it till the next one came.

“Money is the root of all evil” took a different meaning in my mind when I read this portion (quote below) from Thinking, Fast and Slow. Set me thinking about different interactions with people in the past and different kinds of projects and people’s attitudes. What came to mind were transformations in people when the goal was changed from ‘doing something to benefit someone’ to ‘doing something to meet a financial target’.

A couple of folks asked me recently my opinion on how to do well in an Engineering Manager interview or what should they do to be more successful. I provided some inputs based on my experience of interviewing and hiring eng managers. Also thought I’d write down notes as a way to help others who might find it useful.