Good morning friends.

Writing to you from Memphis. This is the Baer Necessities, where I share what I'm learning, exploring, and the sometimes bumpy road along the way.

My apologies for a later email this week as it's been a crazy few days in the Baer Household. I wasn't sure whether to talk about the following in my newsletter, as it's more personal, but I decided it was important to discuss.

On Tuesday, my family had to put our 17-year-old Labrador Retriever, Denny, down to rest 💛

Losing your childhood dog, or anybody for that matter, is like losing a small piece of you. I learned this the hard way when we lost my other childhood dog, Rosie, a few years ago, but it still hurts just as much. It helps knowing there in a better place now.

Denny was with me through it all: starting in 4th grade and the awkward middle school years all the way to high school and college. He was family.

For those of you who ever met Denny over these last 17 years, you knew he was the sweetest, quirkiest, and most fun-loving dog. He never met another human he didn't like (but other dogs are a different story...).

I'm so thankful for all of the memories we had together and that I was able to spend so much time with him during this past year living at home.

For a dog, especially a 70-pound Lab, living that long of a life is truly unheard of and nothing short of a miracle.

So this week's email is dedicated to Denny Baer.

You were truly my brother. Wherever you are, I hope you’re able to dig deep holes, steal Rosie’s toys (#IYKYK), catch squirrels, and eat as much junk food as you want. Enjoy life over the rainbow bridge.

Thanks for always being there for me DenBen. You will be missed.

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The Necessities

Let's dive into the Necessities, where I share a few links on what I'm exploring and learning every week.

📝 Short Article I'm Reading ––

Why newsletters work: I've been following along with Dave Nemetz, the co-founder of Bleacher Report, and his weekly newsletter that explores his journey in the creator economy post-BR. This week, he shared a short article on why newsletters work for readers, writers, and, ultimately, as a business model. The short answer for why newsletters work: they're personal, predictable, and scarce. If you like this essay, I also recommend checking out his essay "Get on the bus!" about the lessons we can learn from Grateful Dead.

📄 Long Article I'm Reading ––

Stoicism is Not Enough: I write a lot about Stoic ideas in this newsletter and in my writing, but I always felt like Stoicism couldn't be applied to all areas of life. Life would be too emotionless if you only practiced Stoicism. That's why I'm so glad I discovered this essay. Simon Sarris writes about the inherent problems with Stoicism in this piece and offers a different outlook. This passage drives his points home:

"The stoics have serious advice to offer: Life can become terrible at any moment, you should equip yourself to be prepared for difficult situations. Almost everyone could use more personal responsibility and personal strength. And nobody disagrees that a certain level of emotional continence is desirable. But stoicism is not a sufficient philosophy for a good life, only a survivable one. We must remember what that responsibility, strength, and character are ultimately for..."

🐦 Lesson on Starting Unsexy Businesses [THREAD] ––

How to turn $100 into a lot more: If you're interested in starting a business, you don't need to start the next Facebook or billion-dollar company. Sometimes boring is better. In this thread, Nick Huber details how he would start a pressure washing business with only $100 (though you could replace pressure washing for almost any service). Thanks to my friend Noah for sharing this with me.

📰 News Story I'm Following ––

Jackson, Tennessee to adopt Bitcoin operations: You read that right: the mayor of Jackson, Tennessee, is looking at to add Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to their balance sheet, as well as paying employees in crypto. I never had Jackson on my radar as a city that might follow Miami's lead in adopting crypto, but I think this is pretty cool., especially as someone from Tennessee. Watch out for more and more young, tech-minded mayors to adopt crypto for their cities over the coming months, years, and decades.

🎧 Podcast I'm Listening to ––

My First Million: Sam Parr (founder of the Hustle) and Shaan Puri (entrepreneur) jam on startup ideas for an hour or more with a host of other guests every week like Codie Sanchez, Michael Saylor, and Jake Paul. They also love to talk about unsexy businesses. There's SO many good episodes but I personally loved this recent episode: How to Generate Millions from Paid Events (yes, in-person events are making a comeback and now might be the time to pounce).

🎧 Tim Ferriss Show Episode I'm Listening to ––

Vitalik Buterin - Creator of Ethereum Ft. Naval Ravikant: When Vitalik talks, I like to listen - even if I don't understand half of what he says. Vitalik is the founder of Ethereum, one of the smartest men alive, and gives incredible explanations for the second-largest cryptocurrency in this episode. Give the first 30 minutes a listen if you want a better understanding of Ethereum today, how it started, and where it's going from here.

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That's it for today. Let me know which link you liked the most, what you didn't like, or if you have any other interesting things to share with me!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read.

Much love,

Jonah

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