234: How to Reset
When ambitious people crash — a failed product, a departed cofounder — they either scramble or freeze. Jason Shen borrows from gymnastics to explain how to rebuild momentum from the ground up.
Courage / Risk ⚡️
229: Lessons & Anti-Lessons from Gymnastics
After 16 years in competitive gymnastics including a national championship at Stanford, Jason Shen shares the positive lessons and maladaptive mindsets the sport instilled in him.
149: Wild Leadership (+ a Giveaway!)
Lessons on resilience drawn from wild animals raising their young in nature. Plus a readership survey with a giveaway!
148: Living Unbounded
A letter about the existential questions that arise from a layoff announcement and what it means to go from bounded to unbounded living.
140: Process > Outcome
Process over outcome means focusing on what you can control — your effort, preparation, and approach — rather than fixating on results that depend on external factors.
135: A Self-Paced Annual Review
I made a self-paced version of my annual review. Plus: learning to have conviction, bike bootcamps, mixing up your workouts, the human need for novelty.
130: Happiness at Work
My latest piece in The Muse and early faves from OpenAI's ChatGPT
127: 3 Times I F*cked Up
My latest piece in Every: "What Getting Sued, Scammed, and Arrested Taught Me About Resilience"
126: 🎬 Push-Up & Ponder
🎬 Why Being a Jack of All Trades Isn't Bad
🎬 Why You Shouldn't Fear Rejection
🎬 Why Founders Need Conviction
117: Resilience Archetypes
🤔 How do you approach change?
🧠 Saying No to Say Yes
🖼 Deadlines (Scotch & Bean)
👉 Serena’s Final Fight
109: Cut & Run
You gotta know when to hold 'em, and when to fold 'em. Here's a story from a mentee conversation.
108: Righting after a Reorg
I’ve been thinking a lot about reorgs, and how you can stay resilient through the abrupt changes they can bring.