August 2023 - Life Update

• We released an update to Nearly, allowing users to share threads with others and improved performance of the app as a whole. A lot of work at the moment behind the scenes is improving app reliability and our growth strategy.
• I've become a cyclist! Thanks to a government scheme, I save 40% on the cost of the bike and pay monthly. The amount I save from not taking the Tube for one week covers the monthly cost 🤯
• After training with my PT for a month, I've reached 240kg on the leg press. I'm pretty confident that by the end of the month, I'll be able to at least get 300kg for one rep.

• Men and Rubber, Harvey Firestone - This book is ~100 years old, but is still relevant today. It's about how Harvey grew Firestone Tires to being on the largest tire makers globally. Harvey prioritised deep-thinking and did not have time for those who came to quick and ill-judged decisions.

"Quick decisions that have not behind them a long train of thought are exceedingly dangerous. Personally, I do not want to have around me the kind of man who can give me an instant decision on anything I may bring up, for, if he has not had the opportunity to give the question serious thought, then he is only guessing. And I can do my own guessing!"

• This month, the development work on Nearly focuses on reliability. I'm re-architecting the push notification system to make it more scalable and reworking the views and view models for testability.
• The football season starts up again this month. Today, I go to a friendly match and then on Sunday to Wembley for inaugural game of the season. When the season stops, it feels like there's a large gap in my life!