Writing Desk
Picks from the archive while new writing is in progress.
- The Best Books I've Read in 2019April 26, 2020
- My 3 Words for 2020April 26, 2020
- The Writing ToolkitMay 22, 2019
- 2018 Annual ReviewMay 1, 2019
Books. Systems. Community.
Read everything. Build what matters. Share what works.
I'm Juvoni Beckford — a software engineer in New York who has read 450+ books, shipped code at Google, and built a 100-person Burning Man camp from scratch. This site is my working notebook on books, software, and community systems you can apply this week.
What I'm Working On
A quick snapshot of current writing, active reads, and the themes I keep coming back to.
Last updated April 26, 2020
Reading Queue
Books currently on my desk.
Topic Map
Themes I'm turning into longer guides.
ProductivityPersonal FinancePersonal DevelopmentWorkflows
Recent Books
Start with what I'm reading now.
Tool Stack for February 2026
Tools behind my weekly build and reading workflow.
- 01
Claude Code
Anthropic's terminal-based agentic coding tool that reads, edits, and runs code autonomously
macOSWebdocs.anthropic.com - 02
Peak Strength
Athlete oriented training app that has well programed workouts across sport & strength goals
iOSpeakstrength.app - 03
Warp
Modern GPU-accelerated terminal with AI command suggestions, blocks, and collaborative features
macOSwarp.dev - 04
Obsidian
CLI tool for interacting with Obsidian vaults from the terminal, enabling markdown file management and knowledge base operations
CLIgithub.com - 05
Open Claw
Open-source agentic CLI tool for autonomous coding workflows and automation
CLIopenclaw.ai - 06
Lazy Git
Terminal UI for Git that makes staging, committing, branching, and rebasing fast and visual
CLIgithub.com
Core Pillars
The ideas I keep coming back to.
These four themes run through everything on this site — from how I write code to how I pick my next book to how I run a camp in the desert.
Pillar 01
Servant Leadership
I build environments where people can make real decisions and grow under pressure -- whether that's an engineering team or a 100-person camp in the desert. The best leaders design themselves out of the bottleneck.
Pillar 02
Systems Thinking
I look for the small changes that compound over time -- in code, in habits, in how a team makes decisions. Most people optimize for the next sprint. I optimize for the next five years.
Pillar 03
Generalized Specialist
I studied design, switched to business, then taught myself to code. That path wasn't scattered -- it was training for the work I actually do: connecting ideas across domains and shipping things that hold together.
Pillar 04
Continuous Learner
Every project is practice. I run experiments, watch what happens, and fold the lessons into the next attempt. 450 books in, the cycle keeps accelerating.
Who I Learn From
Writers, thinkers, and makers whose ideas keep showing up in my work.
Eckhart Tolle
Primary lens this month
“Helped me reawaken a more intuitive and embodied form of mindfulness.”Explore source
02
Naval Ravikant
Clarified my perspective on building meaningful wealth and happiness through intentionality and leveraging personal agency.
03
Charlie Munger
Key inspiration for my multidisciplinary thinking and using mental models as foundational tools for improved judgment and decision-making.
Mini About
Discipline, curiosity, and the long game.
I grew up in the Bronx, raised by a single mother who taught me that resourcefulness matters more than resources. In high school I ran an underground candy business to pay tuition. In college I studied design and business, then taught myself to code on the side. Each jump taught me the same thing: learn fast, build with what you have, iterate.
Today I build software, help run a personal development community of 2,000+ in NYC, and read about 80 books a year. The about page has the full arc — including the turning points I almost missed.
