- Slightly Smarter
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- ⏪ April-May 2026
⏪ April-May 2026
A month’s worth of wisdom
A QUICK UPDATE
After two years of sending Slightly Smarter without missing an issue, Andrew and I took a month off to reflect.
We decided that moving forward, we’ll send these emails once a week, as opposed to 3x per week (or daily, like when we started).
This aligns with the results of the poll many of you responded to last month:
16% voted for a Daily frequency
37% voted for a 3x / Week frequency
47% voted for a Weekly frequency
Want to receive Slightly Smarter more frequently than once a week?
Click here to let us know 👇
If we get enough responses, we’ll consider sending it 3x per week or daily again.
Thanks for being a part of our community.
— Scott
P.S. Keep reading for our April-May 2026 recap.
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Eric Ries’ first book, The Lean Startup, was the playbook that built Big Tech.
But he misjudged what would happen next. (Read more from Fortune)
His new book, INCORRUPTIBLE, is the antidote. Eric argues that the hyper-growth toolkit of the Lean era leaves companies vulnerable, and that Incorruptible governance is the solution to protect an organization's core mission.
He also makes the case that trustworthiness is the most underrated asset in all of business today.
Why? “We’ve entered an age of temporary operators, managing temporary organizations for temporary owners.”
“Whether you’re starting a company, choosing where to work, or simply deciding which organizations deserve your trust and money, the goal of this book is to offer a clear, concrete alternative to today’s ‘best practices’ so that you will have a choice when the time comes.” —Eric Ries

SMARTER WELLNESS
We teamed up with Brian Dye, the founder Applied Wellness, to create a limited series exploring the various aspects of wellness.
Topics covered in April:
Social Wellness 👉 Why social connection is a survival need, not a lifestyle preference — and what the research says actually protects you.
Want more? Read Brian’s full companion articles that dive deeper into the evidence to help you know what works and why.

SMARTER GROWTH
Are you working—or Just Responding?
When everything is urgent, focus disappears.

SMARTER LIVING
Why do some people die at 80 and feel like they’ve lived 30 years?
Time speeds up as you age (and what to do about it)
Seriously, read it. We received a ton of comments (and praise) on this essay.
It’s by far the most highly engaged essay / book we’ve put a spotlight on in the last 2 years. Thank you for all of your comments!
Know someone who might like this? Forward the email to spread the knowledge.


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Daily news for curious minds.
Be the smartest person in the room. 1440 navigates 100+ sources to deliver a comprehensive, unbiased news roundup — politics, business, culture, and more — in a quick, 5-minute read. Completely free, completely factual.
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