Week 41, 2023
✱ This week I spent 2 days working in person at the office. We are preparing a set of materials and information for an upcoming presentation to our VP and other board members, which is being laid out in a Obeya room, so all information we would normally exchange virtually needs to be placed on the walls of a room so it's presented, discussed and reviewed. I have experience with Obeya rooms but it had been sometime since I set up the last one, so it was very interesting and exciting to get my hands dirty with it again. Next week me and a couple of colleagues will be repeating work in person for at least two more days to get things finished.m — and as Obeyas require a continued updating routine, some governance will need to be established, as well.
✱ Speaking about work, I finished reading Plataforma: a revolução da estratégia, a very interesting book about the business of digital platforms, its strategies, governance and a lot of other interesting information. Unfortunately I had to postpone the reading many times and for many reasons in recent months, but this week I was finally able to finish it. It gave me a lot of good and helpful insights to be discussed with my colleagues. Lots of notes to reread, rewrite and review, too… 😅
✱ My son and I finished watching Only Murders in the Building season 3 in only 4 days. It was nice to see Mabel, Charles and Oliver investigating yet another murder, this one set in a Broadway show environment. After 3 seasons I can't say I'm tired of it, and thank God it has been renewed for season 4, a move only natural after Hulu said it had the most watched season finale in 2023. Personally, I consider the greatest quality of this mix of comedy and crime show the ability the writers have to keep us from finding out the real crime perp to the last minute, and misleading us all the time, making us come for more episode after episode.
✱ This week I've also left One Piece's Alabasta Arc behind. That's the fourth season, and first longer arc in the anime series, and my son had already warned me this is, in his opinion so far, the best arc ever (he's on episode 360 or something while I'm just passed 132). I have to agree with him. The plot, the characters that were introduced, specially Princess Vivi, are all very likable… I even wish she had become part of Luffy's crew! Although Nico Robin, who indeed joined his companions, is, again according to my son, the best One Piece character — although I have liked her so far, in that case, this has yet to be seen.
✱ I had a very grateful surprise this week, coming across Web of Weeknotes. As the name already gives out, it is a site where a group of dozens of people posts weekly, individual blogposts about their working week, only for the sake of sharing out in the open. Some of the weeknotes I've seen in the site, which is powered by Medium (IMHO a downside, but that's ok), have got me thinking about the way I myself post them — and maybe, just maybe for now, I could change something in my own notes' organization. Anyway, if you're into weeknotes, maybe you should check that out.
✱ Yesterday, while enjoying a break amid a national holiday here in Brazil, my son asked us to take him to a mall. The reason? He wanted to go shopping, what is, of course, ok. But one of his purchases totally suprised me. He got a wristwatch! And nothing smart or digital — it was an interesting, dark background analog model from the Orient brand, a classical watch manufacturer. Noel I have always used wristwatches myself… even nowadays, there's always one in my wrist. I've survived people's urge to replace it with the cellphone and resisted bravely for years now. But I'd never imagine he's wanting to buy one! When I asked him why, he simply said, “well, I find them nice”. I'm so happy! 😀
(Oh, I'm also trying out Blot.im, as I mentioned in another weeknote… so, this text is also there!)