Why Matias?
Matias is a good friend from graduate school, where he was one of the top students in the class. Like most of my friends I met in school from Latin America (Matias is from Argentina) he is a master behind the grill. When he is not setting up an asado, Matias is a likely studying up on the latest technology trends.
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via his substack, Sobremesa.Self-Description
A walking coherent contradiction, history buff making a living out of trying to understand the future. Irreversibly Argentine.
Matiasās Recommendations
Written in his own wordsā¦
Content
Iām signed up to more newsletters than I can possibly (or should) read on a weekly basis. I realize I enjoy the ones that either go deep on a random topic or properly hash out their opinion on certain matters. Put differently, Iām not a big fan of the news snippets or articles that should have been a tweet and have less shelf life than a Greek yogurt. Iāll share one for each of the two buckets I mentioned:
Digital Native: my friend Rex Woodbury does a terrific job combining a great writing style with timely topics on tech and a clear āso whatā on each of them
Reading Roundup: monthly roundup of random (can't stress this enough) readings; anything from exposing cemetery frauds to the history of the blast furnace. The more obscure the better for Dylan Adelman, one of our portfolio founders, who compiles at least 10 very solid articles per month
Digital Products
Despite working in tech, I use very few apps on my phone or digital tools at work. I know, living by the āThe cobblerās children have no shoesā motto. That said, I tend to become obsessed with the things that work for me. In no particular order, here are 3 digital products / tech gadgets that I love:
Remarkable: Iām the annoying type of person that talks about nostalgia in paper books and likes to jot down notes on everything they read. Iām also the type of lunatic who would write down thoughts on a piece of paper they will never ever read again. One of my Norwegian co-workers (thanks Arne!) recommended I try a āpaper tabletā by a Norwegian startup called Remarkable. Maybe he was just shamelessly plugging a product from his motherland, but itās truly remarkable (couldnāt resist) and I use it every day! You can read documents just like in any other tablet, without the internet distractions, while keeping a surprisingly real writing-on-paper feel
Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM): a CGM is a gadget that you stick to your arm and measures glucose levels in real-time. This is where I clarify that Iām not a diabetic. A CGM for a non-diabetic? Feels redundant but itās quite something. It lets you see, moment to moment, how your blood sugar levels respond to whatever youāre eating. You probably donāt need to be a detective or use a CGM to guess your sugar levels will skyrocket after eating a bag of Haribo but the interesting thing here is understanding which seemingly healthy foods might spike your levels more than desired. More nuanced, you can identify which combinations of foods could smoothen the curve (you want to avoid spikes and crashes) when eaten together vs separately. There are several commercial options available like Levels or Nutrisense, and while they can get pricey, I think using it for just a couple of months might be enough to get the hang of it
Superhuman: I rolled my eyes when I read people raving about āthe worldās fastest emailā a few years ago; last year my company switched to Superhuman and now itāll be your turn to roll your eyes when I say I donāt think I could ever go back. Itās become my email, to-do list, reminder log, and basically a constantly improving all-in-one productivity tool that has allowed me to reach the coveted inbox-zero. Might not be worth it for individuals or early-stage startups on a budget but would definitely consider it if the email flow, especially from external sources, feels unmanageable (you can also try working harder)
Watch
Currently watching: Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. The title is self-explanatory, an entertaining comedy drama that also works as fictionalized documentary detailing the incredible story behind one of the greatest basketball teams of all time
A must see: Dopesick. With a great performance by Michael Keaton, the mini-series explores the opioid crisis in the US
+ Bonus track read the book Empire of Pain in parallel or right after. Not directly related to the TV show, this non-fiction book details the history of the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, producer of OxyContin
Personal Plug from Matias
Subscribe to Sobremesa! I try to keep the cadence light: I post every couple of weeks to actually give people time to consume the content. You can find exclusive interviews and writings on all things tech, VC, and culture
Want to get in touch with Matias? Email him at matiasantoniobarbero@gmail.com
Thank You, Matias!
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ā Do you have a recommendation for an āeverydayā watch? I am not looking for a fitness tracker nor a luxury watch. Please let me know!