1. Solar Growth vs. Forecasts
    • Reality is running far ahead of expectation: in 2022, 252 GW of solar was added; 2023 jumped to ~392 GW; 2024 smashed through at 599 GW.
    • Forecasts by the International Energy Agency (IEA) had projected a much slower, flatter trajectory - highlighting the habitual underestimation of clean tech adoption.
    • Exponential curves are tricky: what looks “optimistic” often turns out to be conservative once deployment costs plummet and adoption cascades.
    • The gap between “forecast” and “reality” matters, not just statistically but politically - undue pessimism can shape investment, infrastructure planning, and public policy. Image
    • X Thread

The Power of Laconic Phrases

  • Originating in Sparta, laconic phrases were terse, witty retorts designed to be both economical with words and devastating in impact.
  • Examples endure: when warned that Persian arrows would “block out the sun,” Spartans replied, “Then we shall fight in the shade.”
  • Laconism is different to brevity, it’s clarity sharpened by confidence, making every word carry maximum weight.
  • In an age of information overload, laconic phrasing finds new relevance: Twitter posts, slogans, and soundbites thrive on this ancient rhetorical skill.
  • Laconic phrase – Wikipedia
  1. Seven Principles of Shipping (37signals)
    • For 37signals (makers of Basecamp, HEY, and others), “shipping” is the heartbeat of sustainable software development.
    • Principle 1: Ship only good work - no half-baked releases; 8/10 or better is the baseline.
    • Principle 2: Ship when confident - calibrate diligence to the criticality of the change, not just the checklist.
    • ⏳ Principle 3: Ship when finished - don’t let projects languish behind flags; momentum is a quality of its own.
    • Principle 4: Own the issues after shipping - clean up your mess, balance fixes vs. feedback, keep moving.
    • Principles 5–7: pause if it isn’t right, ship collective best effort, and ship to your “appetite” (time-boxing trade-offs).
    • Taken together, they form a philosophy: pragmatic constraints, shared accountability, and respect for long-term code health.
    • Seven Shipping Principles – 37signals