Think Week #45

9-5? Build something new? Both?

Jul 06, 2025

Community Spotlight

Here’s what you missed this past week:

what's the best path forward? 9-5 or building something new or both?

I never had the full energy to do anything interesting in my FT job - some do, but I just didn’t have "side gig energy"

—
Paul Millerd

How I got a job with Ali Abdaal

Joan Westenberg deleted their Second Brain

I was skeptical about the quality of work on Indie Thinkers. But it literally took me 2 seconds to find a gem! (joanwestenberg.com/p/i-…) I look forward to discovering more through your site.
—
Nat Lee

Inside The Browser Company: Why They Killed Arc to Build Dia

Engineered Addictions

"waking up with the side effects." This is just what I feel.

—
Johnathan Dodson

Book Review of Nadia's book Antimemetics

An Obituary for Reading the Internet

What if you had a whole week to think?

In the 1980s, Bill Gates started his Think Week tradition.

For seven days, Gates read through a curated collection of essays, white papers, and books. The goal for Gates during these trips is not to sit and stare at the water all day. It’s a disciplined, routine-driven, and focused exploration of interests, ideas, and complex problems.

It’s deep work, not a vacation.

On May 26th, 1995, his 7-day escape to a secluded lakefront cabin gave birth to The Internet Tidal Wave, an internal memo that changed the course of Microsoft history.

In the memo, Gates emphasized that the company needed to commit more resources to internet development and laid out a plan for how Microsoft would approach internet technologies. This led to an increased focus on Internet Explorer, which would become the dominant browser in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

If you want a deeper dive into Think Weeks, check out the Netflix documentary Inside Bill’s Brain, where Gates shares an intimate view.

Having an entire week, uninterrupted by the many distractions life throws our way, is a luxury and a privilege. Unfortunately, many of us do not have it.

Finding clarity is a message Kieran Drew preaches almost daily.

But to discover it, you need time. You need space.

If you had the opportunity to take a Think Week, what would you read? What would you write? Where would you escape to?

Join the conversation.

Why did you start Indie Thinkers?

Should you focus on one essay at a time?

Becky Isjwara

encourages us to think like a journalist.

Always have a longer-term, more in-depth piece (like an investigative article) cooking on the back burner, alongside shorter pieces that "feed the beast" and populate the homepage of your publication. This approach helps you sustain momentum while still investing in more significant deep dives.