Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about authentic influence in a chaotic world. I recently sold a palm tree from my front yard on Craigslist. Since then, I've become obsessed with selling stuff online. Here's how to sell used stuff from around your house on Marketplace and Craigslist, and why you should. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. How to Sell Stuff on Marketplace In the last few months I’ve made $3000 selling...
5 days ago • 5 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about authentic influence in a chaotic world. Over three years of writing Snafu, I’ve documented a lot of self-experiments. Last November, I gathered the best of those pieces into This Might Work: A Collection of How-Tos. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. The Best of My Self-Experiments One of my favorite courses in college was a course on self-experiments with behaviorist Allen...
26 days ago • 2 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about authentic influence in a chaotic world. SpaceX went public on Friday. I know people whose lives will be changed by the Anthropic and OpenAI IPOs later this year. This week, fresh off my 40th birthday, I've been thinking about the races worth running. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. Run Your Race SpaceX went public on Friday. I personally know a couple of people whose lives...
about 1 month ago • 7 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about authentic influence in a chaotic world. Tomorrow is my 40th birthday. Instead of 40 lessons in 40 years, I wrote advice I wish I'd had at 8 — the age when much of what still matters to me today was already taking shape. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. Advice to My 8 Year Old Self For the last few years, I’ve used my birthday to write down what I’ve learned: 37 lessons at 37...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about authentic influence in a chaotic world. A couple of years ago I discovered a little known Zoom hack – and get more praise for this on a weekly basis than practically anything else I do. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. Upgrade Your Zoom Waiting Room A couple of years ago I discovered a little Zoom hack – and it gets more unsolicited praise than almost anything else I do. It...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about authentic influence in a chaotic world. You've told your story dozens, even hundreds, of times. A few years ago, helping companies find that story took me 40 hours. That process now takes 40 minutes. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. Use AI to Discover Your Story I started Zander Media because I wish I had done more storytelling in my previous businesses. We quickly realized...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about authentic influence in a chaotic world. For the past decade, Responsive Conference has explored what happens when the world changes faster than our organizations can adapt. In 2026, that conversation isn't theoretical. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. Howdy folks - For the past decade, Responsive Conference has explored what happens when the world changes faster than our...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about authentic influence in a chaotic world. A client included my crew in their lunch order last week — a small gesture that stuck with me. Today, I'm thinking about the power of surprise and delight, and why the personal touch is more important than ever. Plus, my recent podcast episode with Eric Ries. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. Surprise and Delight I missed last weekend's...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about authentic influence in a chaotic world. I recently sat down with Bloomberg journalist Ellen Huet about her book Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult, which chronicles the rise and fall of OneTaste — a San Francisco company that promised healing, empowerment, and enlightenment through orgasm, and became a case study in how belonging can used to manipulate and control. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if...
3 months ago • 9 min read