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2) One of the weirdest, hardest, and most interesting jobs of 2021: building out the brand and marketing for Corona. The beer company, that is.

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3) Like, seriously, what do you do? Do you ignore the global pandemic with the same name as your beverage? Do you lean into it?

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4) Well, it's a good thing I wasn't in charge of their brand. I wouldn't have had any real ideas for them. But they had ideas. And I think they aced it.

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5) If you watch American sports, you've probably seen this spot air a few times: youtube.com/watch?v=xBKfMR

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6) Why do I like it so much? Because it's kind of catchy, and because of Snoop Dogg's brief dance at the end. And the shell phone. Gotta love the shell phone. But more seriously, it's 2021 and the theme of the last few years--because of the other Corona--has been isolation.

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7) And so here comes *this* Corona, and it hits on something a lot of people really miss right now. Friends.

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8) Friends. How many of us have them? Friends. Ones we can depend on.

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9) There's something magical about being around friends; something Facebook can't replicate (though who knows, maybe Meta will :P). It's all the little things that get lost online: the facial expressions; the chuckles; the silliness and excitement and trust.

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6:20 AM · Dec 31, 2021Twitter Web App

10) (Which, relatedly, is why--even during the pandemic--we've done what we can to keep people working together. The collection of small signals and feedback can't be replicated well in remote work.)

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11) And one of the great things about being in The Bahamas is that people can visit easily. That we can see our friends from afar, up close. It's hard for me to overstate the value of this.

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12) And so we've been really excited to host our colleagues and counterparties here; to extend an open invitation. We've had other friends visit, too. And this week, a number of the people I respect most in the world are here, visiting; people I'd be honored to call friends.

13) They're working on some of the most pressing challenges facing the world: global poverty, and welfare, and pandemic preparedness, and emerging technologies, and the future of the world. I'm incredibly grateful for their work, and excited to support what we can.

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14) And this week has given us a chance to debrief and plan and synch up. I'm extremely excited for what we can hopefully do to make the world better. And, it's given us a chance to reconnect.

15) Far away from the fear and isolation and bickering that dominate most of our pandemic era discourse, we can work on what matters. And, sometimes, we can even relax. Together.

16) As I type this, my brother is playing Blank Space on our piano, and a crowd has gathered around, belting out the best tswift they can muster. A group of my colleagues; of people working tirelessly for foundations; and of counterparties in the industry. A group of friends.

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17) And, nearby, Adam is typing on his laptop, sharding our volume calculations so that fee tiers can update quicker (sorry about that!). Working, but still a part of the same group that's singing.

18) (A part of the Corona ad that I identified with, BTW, was Snoop Dogg wandering around, passing out the drinks. I, too, am futzing about, cooking and hosting and chatting. Not diving into the karaoke, but on the edge of the room, typing and bobbing my head with the music.)

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19) Anyway: these last few years have been tough on a lot of people, and a lot of groups, and a lot of systems. Make sure, in the shuffle and chaos, not to lose track of your friends--the ones you can depend on.

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20) And make sure not to forget the amazing things we can accomplish. Together. youtube.com/watch?v=xBKfMR

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