ptr = (taco*) malloc(n * sizeof(burrito)) <segmentation fault>

Zip

It’s been a fun and extremely busy last two weeks at Zip :).

It’s just been a lot of: ship feature or improvement, get new analytics on the improvement, get new user surveys, repeat.

For example, last week we launched interactive quizzes where teachers could pop a quiz on the kid’s screen and the kid can select an answer. We had no idea if teachers would like it, if kids would like it, or if parents would like it.

David built the MVP of the feature in like 2 days, shipped it, and we tested it with one teacher the day after shipped it. We liked the results! Kids actually used it, the teacher felt it was an exciting/interactive addition, and parents loved it because it proved to them their kid was actually learning something.

We’re really trying to get to the point where the users that are using Zip every week right now really like us and figuring out why a user doesn’t really like us.

We also finally shipped a new onboarding flow. Before, you had to email me directly to subscribe to Zip and I had to add your details in manually via Stripe Dashboard. Now, anyone can subscribe to Zip right from the landing page.

Ask: Please check out the onboarding and give me your feedback. Again, it’s v1 so we’re tryna make it better :).

Personal

Usually, I’m super disciplined in everything. When I wake up, how I work, what I eat, etc. I’m literally a robot when it comes to routine.

Even as a kid I’d wake up at 5:30AM, play a game of BF3, go to school, come home, watch 30m of Pawn Stars, reply to customer emails (I had a clothing company), pack packages, bike to the post office, drop off packages, do homework, repeat. I had a calendar that laid it all out.

But - this pandemic has truly destroyed my discipline. Like, I spent the last decade building it up only for it to get destroyed in a year lol.

I’m doing shit that I never do. I never randomly go on YouTube, I never skip out on evening workouts, I never wait longer than two days to reply to an email.

I’m getting distracted left and right.

I asked some of my other friends whom I also would consider “super disciplined” and turns out, they’re having the same problems.

I think so much of my life pre-pandemic was based around going places. An office, a coffee shop, a gym, a friend’s co-working space, whatever.

Looking back, a lot of my discipline was based around movement.

I was able to very clearly bucket tasks based on location. Office is work, gym is sweat, coffee shop is plan the day, etc. But, when you’re at home that’s all gone :). It’s all one mush. Result? I end up not having clear boundaries on tasks and end up getting sidetracked a lot because all my tasks happen in the same place.

What I’m going to attempt to do this week is pretend to move around.

I have a Figma now with a satellite view of the neighborhood I grew up in - Pembroke Pines, FL.

I also have a little picture of me (that purple box) that I move around as I pretend to go places. So, if am start work for the day, I move my image to a local office space I used to work at. If I am going to the gym, I move my face to the YMCA I went to as a kid. If I’m reading / planning / reflecting I move my face to the Starbucks next to my house. If I’m eating, I move my face to my fav restaurant - McDonalds.

I can simply look at the map and know exactly where I am and what task is associated with that place.

My discipline can once again be linked to location. Just - virtually.

A little weird! But, worth a try :).

See yah next week!

Song of the Week

Suite-Pee by System of a Down