Startups, Resilience and Rebooting Tech Culture

Welcome to The Art of The Impossible, the weekly newsletter where I unearth five pieces of content which I hope will both inspire and embolden you.

When I was in the depths of working in startups, I always wished I could find some respite and inspiration on my weekends, and this newsletter is the thing I wish existed so I do hope you enjoy it.

But before we get started, here’s a quick note from this week’s sponsor…

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Now back to the newsletter…

PODCAST

“The play is the work and the work is the play.” Alex Zane Interviews Brian Eno

The great Brian Eno - musician, producer, visual artist and more welcomes Zane Lowe into his studio to discuss generative art and the importance of consciously recentering creative expression in our lives.

The conversation begins with a discussion on capitalism and how it has impacted what sits at the centre of our lives. From there, they move onto art as a form of discovery and generative art, why we must consciously remain creative despite living in a world where most of us are glued to our phones, before trying out Brian's generative Bloom Box.

Also, mentioned in the episode is Brian’s book - What Art Does: An Unfinished Theory and if you haven’t seen it, check out the amazing generative documentary Eno about Brian, which previous podcast guest Brendan Dawes worked on.

Watch the podcast episode here or listen to it here.

QUOTE

Take one simple thing—almost anything—but take it extremely seriously, as if it is the only thing in the world—or maybe the entire world is in it —and by taking it seriously, you’ll light up the sky.

Kevin Kelly ~ You can listen to my conversation with Kevin here.

INTERVIEW

Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff On The 3 Cognitive Scripts That Rule Over Your Life

"We try to stick to routines and we try to go through very long lists of tasks, often ignoring our mental health in the process. There is a lot more to think about on a daily basis, but our brains haven't evolved."

The great Anne-Laure on how to foster an experimental mindset, and how and why we should commit to curiosity.

Watch here.

BOOK

Rebooting Tech Culture: How to Ignite Innovation and Build Organizations Where Everyone Can Thrive by Telle Whitney

I was lucky enough to have Telle Whitney write a recommendation for my book Female Innovators at Work and, as such as trailblazer, I am so pleased to see she has written a new book herself which comes out in May.

Telle is the former CEO and President of the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology. A computer scientist by training, Telle co-founded the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing with Anita Borg in 1994 and joined the Anita Borg Institute in 2002.

Book blurb: Want to build a more innovative, inclusive culture that welcomes all talent? Then this is the book for you.

Many technology leaders believe in having more women and people of color in technical and leadership positions in their organizations while still exhibiting reverence for the lone genius, almost always male, that they believe is imperative to their innovative future. They hold these two ideals as separate.

Why? According to Telle Whitney, cofounder of the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, tech leaders want to talk about inclusivity, but few fundamentally change their culture to dismantle the unwelcoming environment, fearful that doing so will compromise innovation. Women and people of color pay the price, facing exclusive and even hostile workplaces. They're held back from professional growth and in many cases, choose to leave the industry altogether.

But there is a solution. In Rebooting Tech Culture, Whitney explains that the same values at the heart of a culture of innovation—creativity, courage, confidence, curiosity, communication, and community—can also foster a culture that is welcoming to all employees. Drawing on more than 50 interviews with tech executives and a survey of 1,000 people in tech, she shows how these "six Cs" can power real change in technology organizations, creating workplaces where anyone can be successful and where innovation thrives.

Today, every company is a tech company. By understanding how to apply these values and reinvigorate their cultures, leaders will learn how to eliminate the behaviours holding their teams back from true belonging, creative growth, and true innovation.

Pre-order the book here (out May 27th).

FILM

After suffering a catastrophic and almost fatal spinal cord injury, professional rugby player Ed Jackson's world changed forever. THE MOUNTAIN WITHIN ME follows Ed's journey on his recovery as he achieves the mental and physical heights of Snowdonia, the Alps and Himalayas to the life-altering challenges closer to home. A truly inspiring story of grit and resilience and the importance of optimism in the face of incredible adversity.

Ed is a former Rugby Union player who played at the highest level, but in April 2017, Ed broke his neck when he dived into the shallow end of a pool, resulting in a serious spinal cord injury. He died three times in the ambulance on the way to hospital and was left paralyzed from the neck down. Doctors told him he would never walk again.

But, when faced with life-changing injuries, Ed harnessed his resilience and determination to create a future for himself, his wife and his family that most thought impossible.

Watch the trailer here.

As always, thank you so much for reading this newsletter and for listening to the podcast. If you have a minute spare, I would so appreciate a review of the pod or a heart on this newsletter - both help others to find it and my goal is to inspire as many people as possible with the stories I share. It’s also my birthday on Monday so this would be an early birthday gift!

Thank you and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Danielle