No. 336 | June 12, 2026
Welcome to Friday Five, a short dose of ideas for your weekend.
This week’s theme: big problems, great careers, and meaningful change all start the same way: one small step at a time.
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Music of the Week
Dave Brubeck and his quartet were one of the most influential jazz pianists and composers of the twentieth century.
Like many great musicians, Brubeck’s success looked effortless from a distance. Up close, it was the product of thousands of small improvements accumulated over decades.
Start with “Take Five,” “Blue Rondo à la Turk,” and “Strange Meadow Lark.”
Quotes of the Week
Most problems become less intimidating when they’re broken into smaller pieces. These quotes capture that idea:
“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.” — Henry Ford
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.” — Mark Twain
“Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is possible and necessary to resolve it.” — René Descartes
“If you look at a mountain and think of climbing it, it looks very hard. But if you just take one step at a time, you can do it.” — Momofuku Ando
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” — Vincent van Gogh
“Step by step. I can’t think of any other way of accomplishing anything.” — Michael Jordan
“He who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” — Confucius
Article of the Week
“Don’t be the best. Be the only.” — Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly distilled decades of experience into advice he wishes he’d known earlier.
Danny Meyer built a hospitality empire by putting employees first.
Bill Gurley discovered that the best careers often emerge from genuine curiosity.
Sam Zell built fortunes by spotting mismatches between supply and demand.
Stephen Schwarzman built a financial empire by repeatedly asking, “Why not?”
These builders worked in different arenas, but arrived at the same conclusion: the biggest opportunities come from seeing what others miss.
For more on how Kelly, Meyer, Gurley, Zell, and Schwarzman think, read:
📝 May Reading List: 5 Best Books I Read in May 2026
Book of the Week
“The score takes care of itself.” — Bill Walsh
Bill Walsh was one of the most influential coaches in NFL history.
He transformed a struggling San Francisco 49ers franchise into a dynasty. In the process, he changed the way football was played.
Walsh believed that the requirements for great leadership were the same whether one was coaching an NFL team, running a Fortune 500 company, or managing a local hardware store.
The Score Takes Care of Itself was Walsh’s final lesson on leadership.
The book explains how he motivated people, built a culture of excellence, and created a championship organization.
Lessons that stuck with me:
- Focus on the process, not the outcome
- Establish a high standard of performance that applies to every detail of the work
- Build your team through teaching, repetition, and clear instruction
- Treat everyone in the organization with respect
- Maintain poise under pressure
For more on Walsh, the 49ers, and how to win, read:
📚 The Score Takes Care of Itself
Podcast of the Week
“Toxic systems compromise good individuals with ease. They do so not by demanding we betray our values but by enlisting our values such that we betray each other. What is rational and even moral for us to do individually becomes destructive when done collectively.” — Ezra Klein
Ezra Klein is a journalist, author, podcaster, and New York Times columnist.
He recently joined Armchair Expert to discuss fatherhood, longevity, and why self-improvement has become unexpectedly political.
Klein and Dax Shepard also explore how attention became the most valuable currency in politics, why contempt drives people apart, and why striving to become a better person still matters.
For more on Klein, his books, and how he thinks about politics, listen:
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