Videos

Originally shared in our November 2025 Top of Mind Newsletter. Most of us are taught a specific formula for success: “If I work hard, I’ll be successful, and then I’ll be happy.” But what if that formula is scientifically broken? In his rapid-fire TED Talk, positive psychologist Shawn Achor argues that our brains actually work in reverse. When we cultivate a positive mindset—fueled by gratitude—our brains flood with dopamine, making us 31% more productive and…

Originally posted in our April 2025 Top of Mind Newsletter. In this engaging conversation with  The Bullet Journal’s Ryder Carroll, author Anne-Laure Le Cunff explores key ideas from her book  Tiny Experiments, offering a compelling case for why small, low-risk experiments can lead to breakthrough insights and long-term success. Her approach closely mirrors ELI’s entrepreneurial discovery learning process, which emphasizes starting small to test assumptions, reduce risk, and uncover meaningful solutions. By framing uncertainty as an opportunity for…

Originally posted in our November 2024 Top of Mind Newsletter. In “The Mom Test,” Rob Fitz shares three dynamic tips for validating business ideas through customer conversations. He urges entrepreneurs to avoid hypotheticals and instead dig into past behaviors for real insights. By emphasizing specifics over generalities, Fitz reveals how to gather actionable feedback. His third tip focuses on understanding customers’ lives and problems rather than seeking validation of your idea. For those setting out on…

Originally posted in our January 2024 Top of Mind Newsletter. For fans of Sir Ken Robinson’s “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” TedTalk, may we introduce Richard Williams’ (Prince EA) spoken word piece, “What is School For?” A poignant reflection on what school is for the typical student, this piece goes through the ups and downs of learning in modern schooling. But what’s more, he does it while citing studies about school start times, referencing the difference between…

Originally posted in our December 2022 Top of Mind Newsletter. Glass is fragile, and plastic is resilient, but some systems and functions require stress testing to get stronger. From our muscles and bones to our immune systems, many human systems fit into the “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” paradigm. Nassim Taleb coined the term “antifragility” to define this tendency in humans. It goes beyond persistence or even resiliency and, in many ways, interconnects with…