Leading Thoughts for August 20, 2026

The useful part

I DEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Creator of the iPod, iPhone, Tony Fadell on building a company: "I needed to learn. The best way to do that was to surround myself with people who knew exactly how hard it was to make something great—who had the scars to prove it.

How it works

• If it turned out to be the wrong move, well, making a mistake is the best way to not make that mistake again.
• Then every step you take toward that goal, even if it's a stumble, moves you forward.
• You can't skip a step—you can't just have the answers handed to you and detour around the hard stuff.
• Humans learn through productive struggle, by trying it themselves and screwing up and doing it differently next time." Source:
• Maynard Webb on finding inspiration: "Inspiration often starts with frustration.

What to take from it

It begins with what seems like intractable problems—and then an unwillingness to accept that there are not any answers. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. "Even if you do not have the answers you need right now, I promise you that your solutions are all out there.

Details worth keeping

To strive for something big and hard and important to you. An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making II.