TLDR: Here launches Kingpin the newsletter. Get unstuck, and crush it. Double period.

This sh^& is bananas 🍌

…B-A-N-A-N-A-S

Gwen Stefani had it right.

Or as Cracker said:

Who thought 20, 10, or even 2 years ago that everyone wanted MORE useless emails?

You can’t even call it spam.

Cause we asked for it.

Some of you early subscribers to this newsletter didn’t exactly do that. I ported you over from the proto-newsletter that I had been sending via the abomination that is MailChimp. 🙈

You remember, the email series where half of you sent me 1-liner emails in the mid Twenty-Teens that said,

 “Dude, are you okay?” 🤪

A few wise folks and workaholics quietly unsubscribed. 🍸

The rest of you remain, so….

Hey, I like to write.

And those of you who keep brushing up against me on DC mass transit apparently like it.

In all seriousness — and in the voice of that guy who interrupts the best part of every meeting…

…i.e. the banter:

I’ve obsessed about improvement of the self and of business for my entire career.

I will share tools that can raise your impact — in a relatable way.

That’s what this is, this newsletter called Kingpin. 👑

Almost Name-ous

For those who like naming things, Kingpin was almost called:

1. Soundtrack for Life

2. Back to the Future

3. Head Games

4. Send Nutes
   (okay, this was a hydroponic farming newsletter focused on nutrients)

5. New Level

6. Loser

7. Big and LIDL

8. Heavy Lies the Crown

9. Art of Intelligence 🥴

10. Focus Pocus

Rock Bottom Brewery

In the song “Hard Times” by Paramore, there’s a robotic voice that sounds like Daft, or Punk, or both of them.

My near teenage daughter looked it up again for her dear old da’.

It says, "I CAN’T BE- LIEVE THAT I’M STILL ALIVE.”

Over. And over. And over.

Yet it works.

So does getting in touch with your lowest point if you want to change.

As Paramore front-lady Hayley Williams pleads, “I gotta get to rock bottom.”

The topic of emotions and mindfulness will come up a lot in Kingpin.

Step 1: Become aware of emotions through mindfulness. You can easily get started with the app Headspace or the free podcast from Tara Brach.

Or for now, take deep breaths if you need to.

It worked for Buddha. 🧘‍♀️

Little Bites

The new buzzword about to catch fire (seriously)

When Lenny Rachitsky interviews me one day, this will be the money line 💰:

Lenny: “Sri, what advice would you give founders and product people?”

Sri: “Leonard… Can I call you Leonard?”

Lenny: “No.”

Sri: “I’ve heard it both ways… Now what you really gotta do is pay attention to your ‘fusstomers.’ They’re the ones who tell you all the things that are wrong with your company.”

Lenny: 💀

All the way wet

(aka the footnotes)

Re the BANANAS, I love it when songs spell stuff out. It pisses me off and jazzes me up at the same time, like a pep rally. 📣 🏈

🎵 Anyone want a mashup of a Gwen song and Smells Like Teen Spirit ???

Bill Murray’s Ernie McCracken could easily be saying, “That’s the way you do it! That’s the way you debate!”

Cheers

Find me at thewarriorpoet.com or on LinkedIn.