Oct 1, 2021The year you finally get it right.The recently departed Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’s quote, “Jews do not have a monopoly on wisdom.” reminds us that there are many sources beyond the Torah, that directly support Jew’s sacred responsibility, to Tikkun Olam, our work to repair the world. This week’s portion extends from the end of the Torah…Judaism3 min readJudaism3 min read
Feb 8, 2021Work/Life FlowFlow state (aka being “in the zone”) is when you feel completely immersed and focused on what you are doing. All sense of time and outside distractions melt away. Hours pass in what feels like minutes and the completed work magically appears in front of you. To achieve a flow…Productivity2 min readProductivity2 min read
Feb 4, 2021Who is Doing the “Real” Work?Some “Salesy” business people find an unmet market need. They have a vision that customers will pay big bucks to have a problem solved. The Business Founders focus on the business and bring on a “Coder” to build the solution to the problem in return for ramen, red bull, and token equity. The Coder dutifully creates the solution, like…Work3 min readWork3 min read
Oct 23, 2020How to End Interruptions and Distractions for Good?Blocking off scheduled time for your top priority work is game-changing. A friend recently asked me, “What do you do when your strategic priorities keep getting interrupted?” Asking the questions below help me grapple with this inevitable challenge: #1 Is it truly urgent? — If you have two projects of…Goal Setting2 min readGoal Setting2 min read
Jan 19, 2020Writing Your Own EulogyMy Beloit College Professor Jerry Gustafson first got me interested in startups and dramatically changed the trajectory of my life for the better. Knowing that we were more likely to achieve our life goals if we knew what they were, Professor Gustafson assigned our class the weighty task of writing…Death10 min readDeath10 min read
Jan 1, 2020What Is the Best and Worst Thing About Startups?When I was launching my first startup, I was curious about what life was like working at a “normal” company. I asked my friend employed by a Fortune 500, “What is the worst and best thing about working at a big corporation?” My friend told me, “The worst thing is…Startup2 min readStartup2 min read
Nov 10, 2019What Has Changed Since Kristallnacht?Today marks the anniversary of Kristallnacht, which means the night of broken glass. It was a violent riot against Jews carried out in Germany in 1938. …Judaism3 min readJudaism3 min read
Dec 16, 2018What Did 30 Days on the Keto Diet Do To Me?After 30 days on the ketogenic diet, here are my results and takeaways: RESULTS: In 30 days I dropped from 188 lbs 20% fat, 39% muscle (38 lbs fat, 72 lbs of muscle) down to 173 lbs 16% fat, 41% muscle (28 lbs fat, 72 lbs muscle). …Low Carb3 min readLow Carb3 min read
Apr 6, 2018The Steel City Startup Guide — Pittsburgh Startup DirectoryOur beloved city of Pittsburgh’s startup community is filled with so many incredible companies, job opportunities, and people that it can sometimes feel overwhelming to explore. So I made the Pittsburgh Startup Guide, the directory that I wished I had when I was starting. …Startup6 min readStartup6 min read
Dec 10, 2017“Roots of Steel” — Blast Furnace Accelerator Graduation Keynote Speech“Hi, I’m Barry Rabkin and I am an entrepreneur and technology marketing leader. I grew up in Pittsburgh, went to school here, fell in love here, got married here, my children were born here, and there is nowhere on earth I’d rather call home. …Technology5 min readTechnology5 min read
