My wife and I made the decision to renovate our backyard in California. Being my first major project in this state, I was understandably apprehensive. I communicated my requirements to the contractor, bracing myself for the quotation. To my relief, the estimate appeared fair and balanced – not overly expensive or suspiciously cheap. It struck a harmonious balance, meeting my needs while ensuring the contractor’s team would be duly compensated.

I heard trying to do any construction in California was impossible. It was too expensive not to mention too much bureaucracy with HOA and permits. This was not my experience. I will admit I didn’t ask any regulatory bodies permission anyway :-). I guess there is a workable economy in California after all. At least in my little pocket in Carlsbad. Below is this weeks reads and listens.

Reads:

• Full recap: Here are Fed Chair Powell’s market-moving comments as stocks rally on new rate outlook– CNBC
• Revisiting The Death of a Venture Fund– Kyle Harrison
• Personal Annual Review – Sahil Bloom
• The Story of 2U, McKinsey SaaS Multiples, vSaaS vs hSaaS Defining Characteristics– Luke Sophinos

Listens:

Logan Bartlett Show: Behind the Scenes- Every Podcast Mistake we Ever Made in 85 Episodes.

Books:

The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves – Matt Ridley