Disillusionment of an Entrepreneur

Prerna Gupta, who is CEO of Khush (now part of Smule), whose music apps, like Songify and LaDiDa, have been used to create over 200 million songs worldwide, reflects on her experience as a entrepreneur.

Read more in TechCrunch. (Thanks, Jamie)

Robert Caro’s Big Dig

Robert Caro in his Manhattan office. The later volumes of his L.B.J. biography have taken more years to write than it took the former president to live them. Read the NYT article. (Thanks, Lucy)

The TSA Just Won't Let Go

WSJ has two articles about reforming the TSA. One is by John Stossel arguing for privatization. The other is by the former head of TSA -- and giving his thoughts for reform. (Thanks, Tom and Julia)

Congrats Social Entrepreneur Corps!

At the World Economic Forum in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Greg Van Kirk was awarded Social Entrepreneur of the Year for Latin America by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. Read the press release to learn more.

Google Earth helps Indian man find his family

An Indian man who became separated from his family as a small child has found his mother using Google Earth. Read more in the Telegraph. (Thanks, Jules)

How recruiters look at your resume

Read the post in FlowingData.

‘We Came to Play!’: Kid’s Self-Built Cardboard Arcade Hits the Big Time

If this 11-minute documentary about a 9-year-old named Caine doesn’t restore (or strengthen) your faith in humanity, it’s going to be a long day.

Check out the TIME page. (Thanks, Chris)

Memes Do Come True: ‘Texts From Hillary’ Bros Meet With Hillary Clinton

A note from the creators:

It’s been an overwhelming—and hilarious—week for us here at Texts from Hillary (TFH). What started as a joke at the bar between two friends turned into a national conversation about Secretary Clinton and went as far as talks about 2016.

After a week that included 32 posts, 83,000 shares on Facebook, 8,400 Twitter followers, over 45K Tumblr followers, news stories around the world, Renee Montagne from Morning Edition saying “ROFL,” a Maureen Dowd column, and a tweet from ?uest Love, we think it’s time to stop while we are ahead.

Check out the TextFromHilary site and a little backstory. (Thanks, Kevin, Pam and all my friends that posted, tweeted, or emailed this)

If you see a large red mysterious button, always push it

(Thanks, Lucy)

Focus on a Problem, Not Your Passion

From HBR Management Tip of the Day:

When it comes to careers, we're told to follow our passions. But you might find greater satisfaction if you work on big problems. Whether it's an issue in education, health care, climate change, poverty, or technology; figure out how you can contribute to a solution. Choose a problem that you care about — even personally — and let this dilemma be your compass. Get out of the office, meet people who are affected by the problem, and connect with those working in this area. Doing so shifts your attention from yourself to others. By becoming less focused on yourself, you might become happier with your work.

Read the full article on HBR.

No pun intended

Reference: xkcd.

Correlation

Reference: xkcd.

Catching up on lost sleep a dangerous illusion

Read the USA Today article. (Thanks, Alessia)

Olare's Story

At 10AM on the 5th of August a young calf and its ailing mother was seen by a passing tourist who passed the report to the KWS vet Dr. Dominic Mijele, of our Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit.

By the time the Mobile Veterinary Unit located the elephant and its calf, the mother was in a pathetic and horrific state of collapse, able only to move her front legs and trunk, her baby clinging to her in a state of sheer terror and confusion. See the rest of the story on YouTube.

(Thanks, Claire)

Ashley Judd Slaps Media in the Face for Speculation Over Her ‘Puffy’ Appearance

Ashley Judd’s 'puffy' appearance sparked a viral media frenzy. But, the actress writes, the conversation is really a misogynistic assault on all women. Read the Daily Beast article. (Thanks, Claire)

Tamara Mellon puts the boot in to buyouts

Mellon spent a decade working for private equity, turning Jimmy Choo, the footwear company she founded in 1996, into a global lifestyle brand worth £500m when it was sold last year to Labelux, the private German luxury goods group. Read the FT post.

Are Women Better Leaders than Men?

We've all heard the claims, the theories, and the speculation about the ways leadership styles vary between women and men. HBR's latest survey data puts some hard numbers into the mix.

Jack Zenger is the CEO and Joseph Folkman is the president of Zenger/Folkman, a leadership development consultancy. They are co-authors of this HBR article.

The Phones Are Out, but the Robot Is In

In an interview with Phil Libin, chief executive of Evernote, a provider of note-taking and archiving technology, based in Mountain View, Calif., he talks about his unusual (but seemingly successful!) corporate culture.

Read more in the NYT. (Thanks, Jamie)

What’s your story?

You.

On the cover of a magazine.

Read Sarah Peck's post.

Sheryl Sandberg Leaves Work at 5:30 Every Day — And You Should Too

Do I believe it? Maybe... Read the Mashable post. (Thanks, Jamie)

How to Write Like a Scientist

Words cannot give it justice. This piece is hilarious -- and about how dry science writing has become. Read more in Science Magazine. (Thanks, Chris)

Choosing Between Making Money and Doing What You Love

"If you're really passionate about what you do, but it's not going to make you a lot of money, should you still do it?"

Read the HBR post. (Thanks, Neil)

Advice From the Corner Office: ‘Have Your Children Early in Your Career’

Read the WSJ Law Blog. (Thanks, Lucy)

Gender Debate Simmers With Virginia M. Rometty at Masters

Bubba Watson won his first green jacket in a thrilling overtime finish at the Masters tournament, but the question of whether the all-male Augusta National Golf Club would invite IBM's new CEO, Virginia M. Rometty, to become its first female member remained unsettled.

International Business Machines Corp. is one of three corporate sponsors of the Masters. Augusta National, which hosts the event in Augusta, Ga., has offered membership to the past four IBM CEOs. But because of the club's all-male policy, it is unclear whether an invitation has been extended to Ms. Rometty, who took over the CEO job at the beginning of the year. IBM and the club declined to say whether she had been invited to join.

That conflict set the stage for a drama over the past week in which an historic golf tournament and an iconic company became entangled in a heated debate about the status of women.

Read more in the WSJ. (Thanks, Lucy)

TED Talks: Steven Levitt on child carseats

13 Simple Steps To Get You Through A Rough Day

Step 1: Print this picture and hang it over your desk.


Step 2: Be uplifted by this inspiring corgi cross stitch.

Read the full Buzzfeed post. It is amazing. I cried laughing. (Thanks, Claire)

A Really Cool World Bank President

Jim Yong Kim, President Obama‘s nominee for World Bank president, is a man of many talents, including his ability to rap (at the two-minute mark):



Read the Freakonomics post. (Thanks, Tom)

KONY 2012

For those of you who haven't seen the viral video, check it out. 100+ mm views in a week?!

And a couple criticisms here, and here. (Thanks, Neil)

Hanging On to Dollars in Zimbabwe

Alex Vaviro runs his dirty U.S. dollars through a washing machine in Harare, Zimbabwe, in July 2010, in an effort to keep them fresh.

Read more in the WSJ. (Thanks, Sarah!)

How To Be Creative

The image of the 'creative type' is a myth. Jonah Lehrer on why anyone can innovate—and why a hot shower, a cold beer or a trip to your colleague's desk might be the key to your next big idea. Read the WSJ article.

A Quantum Theory of Mitt Romney

A Feynman diagram of an encounter between a Romney and an anti-Romney. The resulting collision annihilates both, leaving behind a single electron and a $20 bill.

Read the humor article in the NYT. (Thanks, Alessia)