Observatory
Book Notes·Jul 18, 2025·4 min read

Notes on Deep Work

A short set of notes from re-reading Cal Newport’s Deep Work in the middle of building a company.

Attention is the scarcest resource in a founder’s life. Deep Work is a manual for defending it.

The most useful reframe: schedule every hour. Not to control the day, but to notice what actually happened.

Rituals over willpower. Willpower runs out. Rituals compound.