Living & Dying
+ Conviction, Culture, Improvement, Ben Sasse
“Envy no one. For whatever you see, a price was paid.” — Basma Almaza
Hey Coaches,
Here you go!
✍️ Articles
Sean McDermott’s life after Bills firing includes school drop-offs, a new growth mission: The Athletic profiles Sean McDermott and how he’s handling his year-off after being fired from the Buffalo Bills after last season.
“When you stop asking questions, that’s when you get yourself into trouble,” McDermott told The Athletic in a recent interview — his first since departing Buffalo. “People who are leaders, who think they have all the answers and aren’t asking questions, are the ones, I feel like, that run into trouble sooner or later, just in terms of not being the best versions of themselves. … So, I’m passionate about that; passionate about growing and evolving, and I think the NFL is so competitive, and you’ve got to be continually asking yourself, ‘What, why, how?’ If you want to continue to be successful, it’s in the margins.”
🎙️ Podcast
Interesting Times with Ross Douthat: How Ben Sasse Is Living Now That He Is Dying: Ben Sasse talks about facing death, civic collapse, and prioritizing family before time runs out. It’s one of the best and most humbling podcasts I’ve listened to. [4/9/26 — 69 minutes] Apple | Spotify | YouTube
“But even at three to four months left to live, you got to redeem the time, and there’s only so many bits of unsolicited advice I can give my children.”
“Dinner time is precious, man. Lock up your devices and keep them away from the table and prioritize that time.”
“There are so many times when we optimize around things that are not nearly as important as more family thickness.”
💭 Miscellaneous
BlackRock’s Rick Rieder on Culture (source):
“It’s funny—when I was first interviewing for jobs, I’ll never forget people saying, “Make sure you fit in with this culture or that culture.” At the time, I thought it was all garbage. I thought, “I’m a pretty gregarious person; I’ll find my place and my niche regardless.”
But then you realize there is a distinct culture—and, by the way, cultures within cultures. It is a real thing. It’s how you run your whole franchise; it’s integral.”
Two Types of Conviction (source):
How is it (conviction) formed? What is it like to have it? Why does it falter? In my experience there are two distinct kinds of conviction. Explicit conviction, as I call it, comes from having figured something out. It entails a useful prediction, like “our ETA is 5pm” or “majoring in economics will lead to better career prospects than majoring in philosophy.” There is an underlying logic to it, which can be explained and used to persuade. Implicit conviction, on the other hand, is exemplified by the trust one might have in a family member, a dear friend, a close colleague, to do the right thing, to get the job done, to come through. It is felt as opposed to believed. This kind of conviction doesn’t make predictions so much as align with what is good. It doesn’t theorize about goodness but rather knows it when it sees it.
…
It is fascinating that the two convictions often exist in tension.
…
The potential for tension lies in the fact that the approaches of each conviction are disparate. Explicit conviction tends to view the object of its understanding as inanimate, like a machine, made up of parts, having certain inner workings, performing specific functions. Explicit conviction essentially wants to predict and control. It is always at least a bit on edge, hungry to be proven right and for its objectives to be met. By contrast, implicit conviction tends to view the world as alive and therefore sees a company as analogous to a person, having unique characteristics and qualities, apprehended not via dissection but through observation and engagement. Implicit conviction essentially wants to relate and partner. It is patient and forbearing.
The notion of two kinds of conviction working in parallel rings true not only with my own experience as an investor but also with my reading of the greats. For example, in 1998 at a lecture at the University of Florida, Warren Buffett gave the following response to an audience question, which has always stuck with me:
“The question is whether I have ever bought a company when the numbers told me not to, and how much is qualitative and how much is quantitative. The best buys have been when the numbers almost tell you not to. Then you feel so strongly about the product, and not just the fact that you’re getting a used cigar butt cheap, that it’s compelling.”
There are the two convictions: one that focuses on the numbers and one that feels.