Solar PV adoption in Pakistan, a sodium-ion battery startup closing up shop, Figure’s humanoid robot progress, an AI-based artillery targeting system, and more.

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Masters of Uncertainty: The Navy SEAL Way to Turn Stress into Success for You and Your Team By Rich Diviney  Amplify Publishing, 2025 We’re dealing with unprecedented levels of uncertainty. But that shouldn’t disempower us. Diviney, a former Navy SEAL, provides insights for becoming a “Master of Uncertainty” — i.e., adept at acting skillfully even in trying circumstances. The book is divided into three parts. The first explains how our bodies react to uncertain, fast-changing circumstances (e.g., with stress) and offers practical means for making the most of such conditions. For example, we can reframe our contexts (or “horizons”) to include only that which is in our immediate awareness and control and focus on small, near-term wins. We can also ask ourselves better questions and apply physical techniques (e.g., breathing patterns) to modulate stress. Reframing is an important component of the strategic design toolbox, so this section resonated with me. The second part of the book explores how our internal narratives — what we believe about ourselves and our goals — shape our behavior under uncertainty. Our attributes set natural constraints: for example, my physiology simply doesn’t allow me to be a pro basketball player. Self-identity is also powerful; it’s easier to quit smoking if you see yourself as a nonsmoker. And of course, having clear objectives is essential: you need to know what direction to move towards. Diviney echoes an idea we saw in On Grand Strategy: that you must keep the general direction in mind while paying attention to local conditions; if you encounter a swamp while traveling south, you may need to walk east for a while. Part three explains how to use these skills to develop teams that handle uncertainty effectively. Diviney proposes a leadership approach called dynamic subordination: Team members remain present and move in unison, working seamlessly to enhance one another’s strengths and buttress weaknesses. When one team member’s specific skills or attributes are needed, they step up and lead. The others then automatically move to support them fully. This requires deep trust and alignment, which is why there’s a chapter devoted to each. (The one on alignment focuses on developing a particular culture for your team.) Dynamic subordination offers a promising model for combining top-down direction with bottom-up adaptation to real-world conditions. Parts one and two echo Stoic ideas — especially around focus and self-regulation. Dynamic subordination was new to me. It sounds like a genuinely useful approach, albeit one that calls for 1) a very particular org culture and 2) a carefully vetted team. The SEALs meet both conditions; business teams less so. In our podcast, Harry said Masters of Uncertainty is in the running for his 2025 book of the year. I can see why: it’s a practical, short, and well-grounded guide for anyone designing teams or systems meant to thrive in fast-changing, unpredictable environments. (Aren’t they all?) Masters of Uncertainty by Rich Diviney

Another day, another little app on Quick Stuff: Markdown Converter. This one also solves a personal need I have, which is that I write the show notes for my podcast in Markdown, but I need to put them in my podcast host as HTML and my co-host Chris needs them