Don't measure
A data nerd's case against data.
I easily get obsessed with numbers, charts, and trends. What a bloody surprise for a nerd who does data analysis for a living and in his spare time, right?
I refresh Fibery’s $MRR dashboard waaay too often and overanalyze my progress (or the lack thereof 🥲) in Strava.
I have a spreadsheet for every sport I’ve taken (somewhat) seriously:
I tell myself my data obsession helps me stay grounded in objective reality, but it often borders on OCD and ends up feeding my anxiety.
Mo Data Mo Problems
Knowing that about myself, I’m cautious about what I measure in the first place.
I don’t own a smart watch. I don’t track my sleep (it’s good) or my heart rate (it’s there).
I used to maintain a spreadsheet with all the money I own across all banks and currencies to see monthly trends. I stopped when I noticed $$$ are on my mind too often. My financials are healthy, and that’s enough for me to know.
When I run, the audio cues (“your pace is five minutes thirty-three seconds per kilometer 🐌”) are now off by default. I only enable them for interval training or when trying to set a personal best.
I’ve chosen to track (almost) nothing for this newsletter. I wish I didn’t know how many subscribers I have after the first hundred.
Sometimes, peace of mind is more important than knowledge.
Favourites
Things I’ve been fascinated by lately:
🎬 (31 min) A great blend of research and personal story about how gracefully our athleticism declines with age: I Tried to Peak Athletically in 30 Days. I’m a big fan of self-experiments, so it's no wonder I liked it. Also, I didn’t realize you can be a world champion sprinter and still run your personal best at age 40 🤯.
✍️ (2 min) “Companies break promises all the time. A self-guaranteeing promise is verifiable and non-reversible.” I admire the foundations on which Obsidian is built, and this essay is a strong philosophical argument in favour of picking it over, say, Notion.
Ask me anything
This essay concludes the cycle of eight weekly issues that I initially committed to when I started the newsletter.
Next week, I’ll give myself a break from the traditional format and reflect on the newsletter's future. Thanks to everyone who’s shared their feedback in the last week.
To keep it interesting, I’ll also answer your questions! Ask me anything by replying to this email or, if you prefer to stay anonymous and miss Formspring, by using the form.
Don’t be shy about getting too personal: I reserve the option to skip some questions or answer them privately.
This was issue #8, find more at antoniokov.com.