Hello, I’m Michael Sliwinski, founder of Nozbe - to-do app for business owners and their teams. I write essays, books, work on projects and I podcast for you using #iPadOnly in #NoOffice as I believe that work is not a place you go to, it’s a thing you do.
Most of my posts about life are very positive. However, sometimes I write when I feel that something is wrong. It’s not about complaining but critisizing an issue in a constructive way.
After many months of thinking, deliberating and soul-searching, I’ve decided to finally stop posting on my @MSliwinski account on X (formerly Twitter). If you want to follow me, feel free to do so on Mastodon or LinkedIn. Alternatively sign up for my Newsletter, which I’m sending every 2 weeks. If you’re curious how and why it came to this decision, here goes:
Today is Monday, November 11, it’s Independence Day in my home country of Poland yet I’m still thinking about the US elections last week and I’m trying to process what happened. Billionaires called it and despite smart people warning against it, America knew how awful Trump was, yet re-elected him. I think Jon Stewart said it best:
How is it possible, that two wealthiest people on the planet, with all the billions that they have, are not free to do whatever they want? Elon Musk not only destroyed the value of my beloved social media platform, Twitter (now X), but was jumping at a Trump rally. Jeff Bezos who owns Washington Post, blocked their endorsement for Kamala Harris. Billionaires, unlike us, are not free, because they have too much to lose.
Today I was in a bar with friends watching a FIFA World Cup football game of my home country of Poland against Mexico. We tied as Robert Lewandowski screwed up a penalty. Anyway, watching this event is a bitter-sweet experience as I read that the small, authoritarian country of Qatar got it only through bribes and manipulation of high-profile Fifa officials. And it goes downhill from there:
Before the Elon Musk took over Twitter I held him in pretty high esteem. After all he’s the guy who re-invented car with Tesla and made all the carmakers change the way they operate and forced them to go electric! He’s also the guy who, with SpaceX, made rockets 🚀 go to space and back, and then again! However, now his true colors are shining through as I can see how in less than a month he destroyed a social media company I really like - Twitter - and now I don’t look up to Elon anymore. What he’s doing is really bad! Below are my thoughts (and below that a video by my buddy Rene Ritchie):
The day has come. Twitter is now being owned by it’s most prominent shitposter - Elon Musk. He sealed the deal yesterday and as per reports, he fired Twittter’s top executives. OK, I get it, he wants to make changes. However, what’s with all this escorting executives by security stunt? Why do that? For show? To humiliate someone? Aren’t we supposed to treat people we work with as adults? It’s not like these people were criminals. Up until yesterday they were running the thing!
I’m a big fan of Golden State Warriors and over the last few years seeing their success and their selfless play I got an image of that team as true “brothers in arms”. Last year they won NBA championship again with great contributions by their new young players, especially Jordan Poole. My whole image of them all came crushing as I heard that a few weeks back one of the leaders of their team, Draymond Green, punched and knocked down Jordan Poole while they were having a team practice. I’m extremely disappointed and sad. And I believe such behavior is unforgivable.
This page are my regular updates on the state of the Russia’s terrorist attack on Ukraine - Putin’s act of War which has been going on for more than 7 months now. Remember, Ukraine 🇺🇦 is not just fighting for its freedom, but for freedom of all the European Union 🇪🇺 and the world! ✌️ Fuck Putin! FCKPTN! 🖕
When the war in Ukraine hit I was shocked and sad. As Russian attacks continued I took a stand personally and as Nozbe and stopped all our business with Russia. I couldn’t with clear conscience continue doing “business as usual” when Russian/Putin regime is killing my Ukrainian sisters and brothers. Yale University is actively updating a comprehensive list of businesses that left Russia where we are also featured. However, this list also shows businesses that seem to not care that they’re supporting a terrorist regime of Putin. Here are the ones that stand out for me personally:
After so many weeks I’m still affected by the War in Ukraine. Spending some of my time in the western society I can see how people west of Poland still don’t get the gravity of the situation. I recently read an article: ‘We told you so!’ How the West didn’t listen to the countries that know Russia best - and it struck a cord:
