Adolescence, great first impressions, the skip test, and ChatGPT CEO’s top productivity tips
Hey friends,
I finally got around to watching Adolescence on Netflix this week, thanks to the beautiful Easter break. And oh my gosh!! HOW GOOD!!!!
Spoiler warning ahead because I cannot move on without telling you how cool I think it is…
It’s a four episode series, each an hour long, and each one drops us into a 13-year-old boys world over the course of 13 months.
It’s not the way normal chronological stories work—but that’s not the most unique part. Each episode is one continuous take.
One camera. No cuts. Whatever they captured in that single shot is the episode.
What an impressive and engaging format to tell a story. The flow of the one shot means that don’t want to miss anything— you can’t half watch it whilst scrolling on your phone. It made you want to concentrate in the show... which is very fitting considering the show’s themes.
It’s about a murder motivated by the dark side of social media. It’s not a ‘who done it‘, but a why done it. How did the boy end up in that place?
Each episode zooms in on a different part of Jamie’s world: the arrest, the school, time with Jamie, and finally some time with his family. Four windows into his life, each helping you understand him a little more.
Episode three was my favourite: a one hour long scene putting us in the room with Jamie and a psychologist for their final session together before his trial. One single scene. One conversation. For an entire hour.
And although that could sound boring if you haven’t seen it, it was probably the best thing I’ve seen on TV. I was captivated the entire hour.
Owen Cooper, who plays Jamie (in his first ever acting job!!!), plays so much nuance - all at once vulnerable, callous, cruel, mischievous, sensitive, pitiful. The explosions of rage, but also the desire for connection and validation that ultimately led him to do something so horrendous. A boy with self esteem so low and who hurt so much he could somehow see vicious murder as perhaps valid.
Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty break down the therapy Episode here. And this behind the scenes video showcasing how incredible it is that they pulled off each episode in a single shot is great to watch here.
Have a great week,
Ben x
10 songs I’ve had on repeat this week
By the way… have you seen Benson Boone’s performances at Coachella this week?? Incredible.
How to make a great first impression
Sahil Bloom shared five simple rules to turn a chance encounter into a real connection in one of his newsletters. I’d love to paraphrase it for you here.
1. Preparation is an asymmetric investment. A small time investment can unlock big upside. Spend 10–15 minutes reviewing the attendee list if available. Jot down recent updates or shared interests related to people you admire. This kind of prep takes little effort but can create perfect entry points for a great conversation.
2. Simple beats impressive. Avoid the “let me tell you everything I’ve ever done” trap. Instead, use a clean 3-part intro: Name + What you do + What you're curious about. It’s clear, it’s real, and it invites follow-up questions.
3. Interesting questions make you interesting. Want to be memorable? Be curious. Ask questions that spark meaningful dialogue, inviting stories, not stock answers. If it feels awkward, preface with “Someone asked me this recently…”
4. Lean into what makes you different. The things that make you stand out are often the most memorable. People remember people, not job titles. Let your quirks show—they can be powerful connection points.
5. Follow up with intention.A great first impression fades without a follow-up. For example, reference a book, article, or podcast in your chat. Follow up a few days later with a short message or note: “Great chatting—here’s that podcast I mentioned. Thought it might resonate.” No ask. No pitch. Just thoughtful connection. Almost no one does this—so when you do, it stands out.
How much of your life would you skip?
Ali Abdaal shared this thoughtful question in one of his newsletters, and I’d love to share it with you!
Happiness isn’t just about how we feel overall. It’s also about how we experience our daily lives. It’s one thing to say life is good when reflecting on it as a whole, but what about the small, everyday moments that make up the majority of our time?
If we break life down into individual hours and activities, how many of those actually feel worth experiencing? If you could skip past parts of your day, what would those be?
If you find yourself wanting to skip too much of your day, it might be a sign that something needs to change.
You could make it fun, like working out with friends instead of alone, playing music or a podcast while doing mundane tasks, or turning everyday activities into a game—track progress, set mini-challenges.
You could avoid it altogether - if emails feel like a waste of time, delegate or automate responses. If you dread a commute, explore remote work options. If a relationship or job feels like something you’d always skip, it might be time for a bigger change.
You could shift your mindset. Maybe the deepest fix: reframe how you see "skippable" moments. Can that boring meeting be a chance to practice patience? Can that workout be something to appreciate instead of endure?
ChatGPT CEO’s top productivity tips
Here are some of my favourite bits from “Productivity” published seven years ago by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, makers of ChatGPT and more.
It doesn’t matter how fast you move if it’s in a worthless direction. Picking the right thing to work on is the most important element of productivity and usually almost ignored.
The most impressive people I know have strong beliefs about the world, which is rare in the general population. If you find yourself always agreeing with whomever you last spoke with, that’s bad. You will of course be wrong sometimes, but develop the confidence to stick with your convictions. It will let you be courageous when you’re right about something important that most people don’t see.
My prioritisation system has three key pillars: “Make sure to get the important shit done”, “Don’t waste time on stupid shit”, and “make a lot of lists”. I make lists of what I want to accomplish each year, each month, and each day. Lists are very focusing, and they help me with multitasking because I don’t have to keep as much in my head.
I try to prioritise in a way that generates momentum. The more I get done, the better I feel, and then the more I get done. I like to start and end each day with something I can really make progress on.
I find most meetings are best scheduled for 15-20 minutes, or 2 hours. The default of 1 hour is usually wrong, and leads to a lot of wasted time.
I very rarely eat breakfast, so I get about 15 hours of fasting most days (except an espresso when I wake up). I know this is contrary to most advice, and I suspect it’s not optimal for most people, but it definitely works well for me.
Like most people, I sometimes go through periods of a week or two where I just have no motivation to do anything (I suspect it may have something to do with nutrition). This sucks and always seems to happen at inconvenient times. I have not figured out what to do about it besides wait for the fog to lift, and to trust that eventually it always does.
In general, I think it’s good to overcommit a little bit. I find that I generally get done what I take on, and if I have a little bit too much to do it makes me more efficient at everything, which is a way to train to avoid distractions (a great habit to build!). However, overcommitting a lot is disastrous.