Welcome to Tuesday Thursday Saturday! I share a snapshot of trending stories across business, tech, and culture three times a week. Subscribe for more! - KP

The Big Story: Why A Little Stress Goes a Long Way

Season 4 of The Bear opens with Carmy and Sydney standing in awkward silence in an empty and immaculate kitchen. They’re both reeling from the impact of a critical review in the Chicago Tribune. Sydney explains to Carmy that he would be more talented without the chaos and dysfunction inherent in his work style. He agrees, but she isn’t convinced. If you watch the show, it’s kind of just who he is.

The scene made me think about chaos versus peace and which environments are most conducive to productivity and results. As I’ve shared before — and is evidenced by the very existence of this newsletter — I have a hard time sitting still. More is more has always been my mantra. It tends to work for me, but it’s exhausting.

So, let’s explore the impact of stress on results. What’s the right balance of chaos and peace, and does this look the same for everyone?

For one, part of it is situational. I grew up in an environment where achievement was the baseline expectation, and this is more of a thing in certain cultures and households than others.

My first job was a little after the Great Recession. I was making $32,000 a year, living in half of someone’s living room separated by a curtain rod, and shelling out 45% of my paycheck to Sallie Mae every month. (Looking back – some of the most fun and rewarding years of my life.)

Interestingly, one of the first influencers to start to take off during my early professional years was Gary Vaynerchuk, the self-made “wine guy” who somehow “got” social media before the rest of us. At that time, Gary and other creators adopted a style that would later be called “hustle porn.” Outwork everyone. Just grind it out. Sleep when you’re dead!

This has become a commonly referenced comparison between Millennials and Gen Z. Millennials: Work as hard as you possibly can within the system to the point of self-detriment. Gen Z: F–k the system!

Over the years, conversations around work-life balance, mental health, and eventually, the existential awakening that was Covid, have called into question the 2010 Gary V playbook.

Still, it’s there. We love a productivity hack. Hitting “inbox zero.” Waking up before everyone else for the flex. Following gurus who claim that if you drink enough green juice and never touch a beer that you can live to be 150.

But that’s just not how things are. The guy currently leading the “don’t die” movement (cult?) is spending millions of dollars a year to do it. It not only sounds miserable, but it’s also not realistic for 99.9% of the population.

But there are some valid points to this particular approach to life optimization. For one, there’s the Yerkes-Dodson Law, which states that performance increases with stress … to a point. Think of it like a bell curve. A little bit of stress is fuel. Too much and you’re paralyzed.

There’s a lot of gray area here, of course, and it’s nuanced. Psychologists distinguish between eustress (the good kind of stress) and distress (the soul-crushing kind). Eustress feels like a high-stakes game you’re pumped to play. Distress feels like you’re trapped in the basement of that game with no exit and 47 browser tabs open.

And here’s what’s interesting: what turns one into the other isn’t just about workload, but rather perceived control. If you believe you can handle the chaos, it might actually enhance your performance. If you don’t, you’re stuck.

In that sense, handling stress is a bit of a muscle and also a personality assessment. I had a relationship end earlier in the year because I represented chaos, and this person wanted peace, and when I tell you that there is an entire Taylor Swift song about this, you will think I’m joking, but I am not. It took me a while to finally understand what happened, but it eventually made complete sense. People exist at their own wavelengths. Mine happens to be very wavy! Some people want a less bumpy ride. There’s no right or wrong answer. No good guys or bad guys.

For some, peace might just be the path to happiness and genius. And to some extent, it’s true. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s research on flow shows we do our best work when we’re deeply immersed, free from distraction, matching our skills to a meaningful challenge.

Me? I like a mess. Noise is inspiring and, ironically, clarifying. That’s why I am always working on 17 things at the same time. I like to make a collage and then I like to draw connections between the disparate ideas, concepts, and people.

The way we manifest traits like neuroticism, resilience, and cognitive flexibility explains why we respond to stress in wildly different ways. One person’s chaos might be another’s clarity. Someone on the other end of the spectrum may not make for a great match in the day-to-day, but they can teach us something about ourselves. 

Each of us is trying to find our own version of homeostasis, whatever that may be. For most of us, we could probably afford to come a little closer to the middle.

I’ve started to see my high-stress bursts not as flaws to fix, but waves to surf, so long as I’m not drowning or disrupting anyone else’s peace. I’ve also gotten better at identifying when I need calm: not just for my brain, but for my nervous system. On Thursday, I started my workout at 9 p.m.. Last night, I went to bed at 9 p.m. It’s all about balance.

At the end of this episode of The Bear, Sydney convinces Carmy to remove two components from his dishes, which are known for their well-orchestrated chaos and complexity. He agrees without putting up a fight, which surprises her. His character is developing! Carmy will always be chaotic, but after locking himself into a walk-in freezer at the end of last season, he’s starting to pick his battles.

New Interview with Quantum Computing CEO Dr. Alan Baratz

Here’s an interview I recently did with Dr. Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave Quantum. $QBTS ( ▲ 4.93% )  

Quantum computing usually lives somewhere between TED Talk and a sci-fi script. But D-Wave claims it’s already delivering results. Here’s what they’re saying and where those who say quantum computing is far from commercial viability may push back.

Annealing vs. Gate Models: D-Wave uses quantum annealing, which Baratz tells me is better for optimization problems (think delivery routes, not Schrödinger’s equation). Gate-model systems, the flashier cousin, are more general-purpose but further from primetime.

Commercialization-ish: D-Wave positions itself as the first commercial quantum company, with clients like Ford and NTT DoCoMo using their systems. But details are fuzzy since the company sells a mix of services and products. Sometimes these are consulting engagements designed to help companies navigate quantum. Although Baratz tells me they sold an entire quantum computer to another customer, with that revenue recognized last quarter.

Energy demands: Baratz says D-Wave’s superconducting chips supposedly use very little power during computation. Sounds promising, but again, those numbers come from inside the house. Quantum bulls claim that the technology will be critical for optimizing AI models and making training more energy-efficient.

Now Here’s a Chart

Earlier this week, Nvidia became the first company to surpass a $4 trillion market cap. The company is now more valuable than the entire nation of Germany. $NVDA ( ▲ 1.72% )  

Reading List

• Tech Google hires Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, others in $2.4 billion AI talent deal (CNBC) $GOOG ( ▲ 3.04% )  

• What To Expect From Tuesday's Report On Inflation (Investopedia)

• Jerome Powell ‘considering resigning’ as pressure grows over lavish $2.5B HQ: report (NY Post)

• Denim Demand: Levi’s Is Taming the Beast of Corporate Reinvention (WWD) $LEVI ( ▲ 2.7% )  

• Wyoming's first new coal mine in decades to extract rare earths (ABC News)

• Ferrero clinches deal to acquire WK Kellogg for $3.1B, bringing Nutella and Froot Loops under one roof (Yahoo! Finance) $KLG ( ▼ 0.09% )  

• Coinbase, Strategy, Other Bitcoin and Crypto Stocks Soar in Record-Setting Week (Decrypt) $COIN ( ▲ 6.52% )  $MSTR ( ▲ 6.09% )  $BTC.X ( ▼ 2.91% )  

• Musk’s latest Grok chatbot searches for billionaire mogul’s views before answering questions (AP News) Editor’s note: I have been thinking a lot about how the creators of these LLMs hold the power to psychologically manipulate at scale! Perhaps a newsletter for another day …

• Premier Lacrosse League hosts first-ever lacrosse match on a river along Chicago Riverwalk (WGN)

Now Playing: “Gale Song” - Lumineers

Tuesday Thursday Saturday is written by Katie Perry, owner of Ursa Major Media, which provides fractional marketing services and strategy in software, tech, consumer products, professional services, and other industries. She is also the co-host of Stocktwits’ Daily Rip Live show.

✔ Need senior marketing support? Work with Katie.

✔ Looking to reach a large audience of retail investors and young professionals? Advertise with the Daily Rip Live.

Disclaimer: The contents here reflect recaps and summaries of pre-reported or published data, news, and trends. I have cited sources and context for the information provided to the best of my ability. The purpose of the newsletter is to inform and educate on larger trends shaping business and culture — this is NOT investment advice. As an investor, you should always do your own research before making any decisions about your money or your portfolio.