January 2017 Must-Haves

Each month I provide a list of resources (podcasts, talks, blog posts, books, music etc.) that I consider to be must-haves. There’s no doubt that you’ll see recurring themes or resources throughout these posts. I publish my Must-Haves on the closest Tuesday or Friday to the 15th of every month.

Without further ado, here’s January 2017’s Must-Haves:

  • 12-Factor App – I heard this mentioned at Amazon re:Invent last November and dug in. Suffice to say that this framework is crucial to understand if you’re leading a dev team, building an app, or have any part in decision-making around the process. Read, internalize, do.
  • How I Built This – Great founder stories from some of the most iconic brands in the world.
  • The Crown – If you’re a fan of all things British aristocracy, this show needs to get on your Netflix queue asap. Everyone in the show is sensational, but John Lithgow as Winston Churchill is Emmy-worthy
  • Tea Source – I’m a bit of a herbal tea nut, and when I figured out who my favorite local tea shop bought from, I went direct. My favorite tea right now is Evening in Missoula. The smell alone is worth the price. I also really like African Skies. My regular everyday tea is Tazo Passion Fruit.
  • Sony Bluetooth Noise-Cancelling Headphones – This is as close as I could find to what I actually bought, which is the Sony MDR-7X780DC model. They were about $90 at Costco and they’re really great. I’ve owned Sony headphones for about 10 years now. I find them to be a reasonably priced alternative to Bose and Beats. Are they as good? Maybe not. Did I spend $300? Definitely not. Can you really tell a difference riding on a noisy plane? My guess is no.
  • Scott’s Cheap Flights – I’ve been a subscriber to Travelzoo for a long time, but Scott’s Cheap Flights (for airlines anyway) blows them away. Regular updates in your inbox with the best deals on global travel, and for $40 a year you get access to still more deals and more custom results.
  • Tim Ferriss Interview with Naval Ravikant – One of the best interviews with one of my favorite people to learn from on the planet. You should also follow Naval on Twitter.

There you have it. Hope you get something out of this month’s list!