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The Two Types of Data Analysis Broadly speaking, there are two approaches to data analysis in business. The two approaches have...
3rd Nov 2023
112

The Two Types of Data Analysis

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Nov 2023
Broadly speaking, there are two approaches to data analysis in business. The two approaches have different worldviews, and express different tradeoffs. Here's why that matters.
Warren Buffett’s Final Brushstrokes Warren Buffett is retiring as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway but he may still make a few final...
5th May 2025
1

Warren Buffett’s Final Brushstrokes

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th May 2025
Warren Buffett is retiring as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway but he may still make a few final brushstrokes on his canvas as Chairman.
The Bitcoin ETF is the spiritual reversal of Executive Order 6102 Back in 1935, they seized the gold. But now, digital gold is back.
11th Jan 2024
128

The Bitcoin ETF is the spiritual reversal of Executive Order 6102

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th Jan 2024
Back in 1935, they seized the gold. But now, digital gold is back.
Twitter vs. Instagram Threads: The Battle for the Short-Form Social Media Crown Twitter and Instagram are two of the most popular social media platforms in the world. They both...
8th Jul 2023
42
8th Jul 2023
Twitter and Instagram are two of the most popular social media platforms in the world. They both offer users a way to share short-form content, but they have different approaches to how that content is displayed and consumed. Twitter is a more public platform, where anyone can...
Warren Buffett on Berkshire’s Valuation Warren Buffett has typically avoided commenting on Berkshire's stock price, but he has provided some...
3rd Mar 2025
1

Warren Buffett on Berkshire’s Valuation

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Mar 2025
Warren Buffett has typically avoided commenting on Berkshire's stock price, but he has provided some clues that are worth considering.
Too Fake to Tell US government stats aren't reliable. More importantly, neither are US government bonds.
5th Jun 2023
41

Too Fake to Tell

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th Jun 2023
US government stats aren't reliable. More importantly, neither are US government bonds.
Issue 87 – SO ORDERED Trump’s crypto empire attracts more foreign millions, the FHFA pushes crypto on mortgage lenders,...
1st Jul 2025
47

Issue 87 – SO ORDERED

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st Jul 2025
Trump’s crypto empire attracts more foreign millions, the FHFA pushes crypto on mortgage lenders, and Mamdani’s mayoral primary win makes billionaires sweat
My exits – a post mortem Readers will know that I dabble with active investing – I pick stocks. Lord, make me passive, but...
4th Feb 2025
75

My exits – a post mortem

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

4th Feb 2025
Readers will know that I dabble with active investing – I pick stocks. Lord, make me passive, but not yet Rather like The Investor at Monevator, I firmly believe in the merits of low cost index tracking as an investment strategy, but I also enjoy the thrills / intellectual...
Interesting Reading – November 7, 2016 In this series, we suggest worthwhile reading material on a variety of topics, not all of which are...
19th Jun 2026
1

Interesting Reading – November 7, 2016

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

19th Jun 2026
In this series, we suggest worthwhile reading material on a variety of topics, not all of which are directly related to investing.
Issue 53 – Choose rich Euphoria has risen along with crypto prices, but nothing has changed from the last bubble.
13th Mar 2024
121

Issue 53 – Choose rich

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

13th Mar 2024
Euphoria has risen along with crypto prices, but nothing has changed from the last bubble.
A Quarter Century of Investing Lessons learned from twenty-five years of enterprising investing
6th Jan 2025
1

A Quarter Century of Investing

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

6th Jan 2025
Lessons learned from twenty-five years of enterprising investing
The Amazon Weekly Business Review Everything you need to know about the Amazon Weekly Business Review: how it works, why it works, and...
2nd Jul 2024
176

The Amazon Weekly Business Review

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Jul 2024
Everything you need to know about the Amazon Weekly Business Review: how it works, why it works, and how it helps Amazon win.
The Winner’s Edge A lot of otherwise talented people are too pessimistic to actually do anything. They are paralyzed...
19th Apr 2023
183

The Winner’s Edge

from Farnam Street [alt+shift+b] in finance

19th Apr 2023
A lot of otherwise talented people are too pessimistic to actually do anything. They are paralyzed by risks that don’t exist and greatly exaggerate them where they do, preventing them from being one of the best. Consider this lightly edited excerpt from a conversation between...
Understanding the Stock Market Cycle The stock market cycle is a crucial concept for investors aiming to navigate the financial markets...
7th Jun 2024
144

Understanding the Stock Market Cycle

from Mazdak [alt+shift+b] in finance

7th Jun 2024
The stock market cycle is a crucial concept for investors aiming to navigate the financial markets effectively. It represents the period from a market low to a peak and back again. Understanding the dynamics behind these cycles can help investors maintain their strategies during...
Claude vs. ChatGPT: A Comprehensive Comparison In today’s rapidly evolving AI landscape, two names stand out in the realm of conversational...
4th Mar 2025
59

Claude vs. ChatGPT: A Comprehensive Comparison

from Mazdak [alt+shift+b] in finance

4th Mar 2025
In today’s rapidly evolving AI landscape, two names stand out in the realm of conversational assistants—Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Although both are built on large language models, they diverge sharply in design philosophy, technical implementation, safety...
What I’ve Been Reading Thoughts on the books I read in the second quarter of 2025
11th Jul 2025
1

What I’ve Been Reading

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th Jul 2025
Thoughts on the books I read in the second quarter of 2025
Apr ’23: Wind and windfalls April saw the season of long weekends begin here in the UK. Easter saw me inspired by the Ermine to...
6th May 2023
113

Apr ’23: Wind and windfalls

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

6th May 2023
April saw the season of long weekends begin here in the UK. Easter saw me inspired by the Ermine to check out Dorset’s Chesil beach. We struck lucky with the weather and had a fine, distinctly non-London, time, over a very blustery Easter weekend. My walking shoes seem to have...
The Seven Samurai: How Big Tech Rescued the Market in 2023! I was planning to finish my last two data updates for 2024, but decided to take a break and look at...
9th Feb 2024
29

The Seven Samurai: How Big Tech Rescued the Market in 2023!

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

9th Feb 2024
I was planning to finish my last two data updates for 2024, but decided to take a break and look at the seven stocks (Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla) which carried the market in 2023. While I will use the "Magnificent Seven" moniker attached by these...
July ’24: New UK government July has been quite a busy month. I’ve been getting about a bit. Some South Coast action, some...
5th Aug 2024
125

July ’24: New UK government

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th Aug 2024
July has been quite a busy month. I’ve been getting about a bit. Some South Coast action, some Mediterranean fun, a trip up to Oxford, a visit to one of England’s great Cathedrals, and more. And July saw some fine times in London. Both outdoors and inside. And of course we had...
Credit card debt collection Credit card debt is the waste stream of consumer finance. The debt collection industry ends up being...
11th Aug 2023
43

Credit card debt collection

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th Aug 2023
Credit card debt is the waste stream of consumer finance. The debt collection industry ends up being sordid, for complex structural and microeconomic reasons.
Data Update 1 for 2025: The Draw (and Danger) of Data For the last four decades, I have spent the first week of each year collecting and analyzing data on...
10th Jan 2025
31

Data Update 1 for 2025: The Draw (and Danger) of Data

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

10th Jan 2025
For the last four decades, I have spent the first week of each year collecting and analyzing data on publicly traded companies and sharing what I find with anyone who is interested. It is the end of the first full week in 2025, and my data update for the year is now up and...
The War That I don't have an analysis or insight to offer doesn't mean I don't care. It simply means there...
1st Mar 2026
6

The War

from oftwominds-Charles Hugh Smith [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st Mar 2026
That I don't have an analysis or insight to offer doesn't mean I don't care. It simply means there are limits on what we know, and what we do know suggests circumspection. War seems to demand some response--opinion, analysis, insight--lest it seem that we're uncaring or...
Controlling the Narrative Is Not the Same As Controlling the World This is Essay #9 in the series Truth Be Told. The core dynamic of this era is the notion that...
a week ago
1

Controlling the Narrative Is Not the Same As Controlling the World

from oftwominds-Charles Hugh Smith [alt+shift+b] in finance

a week ago
This is Essay #9 in the series Truth Be Told. The core dynamic of this era is the notion that controlling the narrative controls the world, as persuading the populace to believe something is true controls their convictions which then control their behaviors. Centralized...
"I didn't launder the cash, your honor. The robot did." Crypto enthusiasts protest the trial of Alexey Pertsev As the multiple Tornado Cash legal cases...
11th Jun 2024
23

"I didn't launder the cash, your honor. The robot did."

from Moneyness [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th Jun 2024
Crypto enthusiasts protest the trial of Alexey Pertsev As the multiple Tornado Cash legal cases wend their way through courts in the Netherlands and the U.S., we continue to learn how society's money laundering laws will be applied to some of the more unique financial...
Popups are the new startups Now you can materialize your cloud community into the real world.
12th Oct 2025
30

Popups are the new startups

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

12th Oct 2025
Now you can materialize your cloud community into the real world.
Crypto Twitter Found SBF's Fraud The establishment did nothing until the internet revealed everything.
6th Nov 2023
59

Crypto Twitter Found SBF's Fraud

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

6th Nov 2023
The establishment did nothing until the internet revealed everything.
The Joys and Tragedies of Naivete Our naivete is being exploited so ruthlessly and with such abandon that the golden age of the Big...
5th Aug 2026
2

The Joys and Tragedies of Naivete

from oftwominds-Charles Hugh Smith [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th Aug 2026
Our naivete is being exploited so ruthlessly and with such abandon that the golden age of the Big Con is consuming itself. Naivete is interesting because it's so easily confused with confidence, native optimism, youthful enthusiasm, and a host of delusions, including...
Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Second Order Thinking A core component of making great decisions is understanding the rationale behind previous decisions....
5th Sep 2022
99

Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Second Order Thinking

from Farnam Street [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th Sep 2022
A core component of making great decisions is understanding the rationale behind previous decisions. If we don’t understand how we got “here,” we run the risk of making things much worse. *** When we seek to intervene in any system created by someone, it’s not enough to view...
A Quarter Century of Investing Lessons learned from twenty-five years of enterprising investing
6th Jan 2025
1

A Quarter Century of Investing

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

6th Jan 2025
Lessons learned from twenty-five years of enterprising investing
The Long Shadow of Checks A lot of more modern financial infrastructure follows the paths blazed by checks, at least in the...
13th Dec 2023
127

The Long Shadow of Checks

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

13th Dec 2023
A lot of more modern financial infrastructure follows the paths blazed by checks, at least in the U.S.
Begging Bowl '25: I'm Looking for Two Readers Willing to Help Me Buy a New Thrift-Store Shirt The goal is to move incrementally toward a kind of happiness that actually makes us happy. That's...
2nd Feb 2025
32

Begging Bowl '25: I'm Looking for Two Readers Willing to Help Me Buy a New Thrift-Store Shirt

from oftwominds-Charles Hugh Smith [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Feb 2025
The goal is to move incrementally toward a kind of happiness that actually makes us happy. That's the goal of my work. I admire unvarnished honesty, which is scarce. And like everything else that's increasingly scarce, it behooves us to hoard our stash. In the unvarnished...
Elon Musk and the right’s war on Wikipedia The world's richest man has joined a growing chorus of right-wing voices attacking Wikipedia as part...
2nd Jan 2025
73

Elon Musk and the right’s war on Wikipedia

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Jan 2025
The world's richest man has joined a growing chorus of right-wing voices attacking Wikipedia as part of an intensifying campaign against free and open access information.
Jan ’26 January media seemed dominated by Greenland and Davos. As part of my efforts to avoid amplifying...
8th Feb 2026
1

Jan ’26

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

8th Feb 2026
January media seemed dominated by Greenland and Davos. As part of my efforts to avoid amplifying unstable narcissistic media-whore leaders, I haven’t got much to comment about. London has been pretty wet and miserable, as is January’s reputation. Meanwhile, markets were up quite...
Modeling Life: Linear Algebra This is the 4th post in my series summarizing the key takeaways from reading the book Modeling Life....
2nd May 2024
140

Modeling Life: Linear Algebra

from Seeking Wisdom [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd May 2024
This is the 4th post in my series summarizing the key takeaways from reading the book Modeling Life. I recommend reading my previous posts first to gain a solid understanding on how to model dynamic systems. This post focuses on how linear algebra is employed in modeling dynamic...
For the fun of it: An Open House for my Spring 2025 Classes I am a teacher at heart, and every year, for more than two decades, I have invited people to join me...
11th Dec 2024
24

For the fun of it: An Open House for my Spring 2025 Classes

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th Dec 2024
I am a teacher at heart, and every year, for more than two decades, I have invited people to join me in the classes that I teach at the Stern School of Business at New York University. Since I teach these classes only in the spring, and the first sessions for each of the classes...
Mar ’25: Anticipating tariffs What’s in the news? Talking about the news in March, give nwhat’s been happing on the tariff front...
11th Apr 2025
58

Mar ’25: Anticipating tariffs

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th Apr 2025
What’s in the news? Talking about the news in March, give nwhat’s been happing on the tariff front over the last few weeks, seems a bit pointless. We entered March with a lot of drama about Ukraine, and some notable ‘ceasefire’ activity on the diplomatic front. We finished March...
The Ultimate Small Business Hiring Guide How to Find the Right Fit for Your Team
9th Oct 2024
105

The Ultimate Small Business Hiring Guide

from Mazdak [alt+shift+b] in finance

9th Oct 2024
How to Find the Right Fit for Your Team
Nov ’24: 3x London life I’ve been keeping busy as winter in London sets in. The Christmas lights are all out and...
7th Dec 2024
110

Nov ’24: 3x

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

7th Dec 2024
London life I’ve been keeping busy as winter in London sets in. The Christmas lights are all out and looking resplendent, and both the West End and the City are feeling pretty buzzy. For all the general ‘UK stuck in the weeds’ economic commentary, we feel a long way from any talk...
Revisiting the SpaceX Valuation: A Post-Prospectus Update! A few weeks ago, I assessed the value of SpaceX ahead of its initial public offering, with the...
4th Jun 2026
1

Revisiting the SpaceX Valuation: A Post-Prospectus Update!

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

4th Jun 2026
A few weeks ago, I assessed the value of SpaceX ahead of its initial public offering, with the admission that I was making my estimates with drabs of data, some of it coming from unofficial sources. I also promised to revisit my valuation, when the prospectus came out, and now...
Data Update 4 for 2026: The Global Perspective! If you have read my first three data updates in 2026, I won’t blame you if you skip this one,...
2nd Feb 2026
1

Data Update 4 for 2026: The Global Perspective!

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Feb 2026
If you have read my first three data updates in 2026, I won’t blame you if you skip this one, because you found them long and boring. I won't take issue with you either if you viewed them as too US-focused, because I did spend my second data update, looking at US equities, and my...
Greg Abel’s 2026 Letter to Shareholders Greg Abel's first letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders emphasized the need to keep the...
2nd Mar 2026
1

Greg Abel’s 2026 Letter to Shareholders

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Mar 2026
Greg Abel's first letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders emphasized the need to keep the company's unique culture.
Bond Villain When Powell devalued bonds, he destroyed the economy.
4th Jul 2023
46

Bond Villain

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

4th Jul 2023
When Powell devalued bonds, he destroyed the economy.
Should Congress be Allowed to Trade? Plus! Norms Trading; Point-of-Sale; Trade Trench Warfare; AI and Ads; Bluffing Your Way to Better...
1st May 2025
19

Should Congress be Allowed to Trade?

from The Diff [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st May 2025
Plus! Norms Trading; Point-of-Sale; Trade Trench Warfare; AI and Ads; Bluffing Your Way to Better Management
The Situational Awareness Blow-up: The Collateral Damage from Investing Conviction! Earlier this year, I was asked what I thought about Leopold Aschenbrenner and I admitted that I knew...
11th Aug 2026
1
11th Aug 2026
Earlier this year, I was asked what I thought about Leopold Aschenbrenner and I admitted that I knew little about him other than what I had read about him, more in social media, than in the press - that he was a 25-year-old wunderkind who had started at OpenAI but had left to...
In the Future, Every AI Lab is a Neocloud for Fifteen Minutes Plus! FDE Crunch; Fable!; Egg Futures?; Becoming IBM; Surtaxes
2nd Jul 2026
1

In the Future, Every AI Lab is a Neocloud for Fifteen Minutes

from The Diff [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Jul 2026
Plus! FDE Crunch; Fable!; Egg Futures?; Becoming IBM; Surtaxes
A review of Number Go Up, on crypto shenanigans A review of Zeke Faux's Number Go Up, with some bonus commentary on financial journalism and Tether...
29th Sep 2023
54

A review of Number Go Up, on crypto shenanigans

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

29th Sep 2023
A review of Zeke Faux's Number Go Up, with some bonus commentary on financial journalism and Tether specifically.
Hello LLMs! When you are having trouble getting your thinking straight, consider an extreme or simple case. This...
4th Oct 2023
101

Hello LLMs!

from Seeking Wisdom [alt+shift+b] in finance

4th Oct 2023
When you are having trouble getting your thinking straight, consider an extreme or simple case. This will often give you the insight needed to move forward. I nodded in agreement when I read the above lines from the book Maxims for Thinking Analytically. ChatGPT took the world by...
A glass half-full take on Caucasus sanctions evasion Ed Conway of Sky News recently published a very good investigation on sanctions evasion being...
2nd Oct 2024
25

A glass half-full take on Caucasus sanctions evasion

from Moneyness [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Oct 2024
Ed Conway of Sky News recently published a very good investigation on sanctions evasion being carried out through the Caucasus. He visits the Lars border crossing between Georgia and Russia to document how smugglers are openly moving British and German luxury cars into Russia, in...
Seeing like a Bank The structural reasons why banks sometimes behave bizarrely in interactions with customers, like...
7th Nov 2023
125

Seeing like a Bank

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

7th Nov 2023
The structural reasons why banks sometimes behave bizarrely in interactions with customers, like forgetting things which customers tell them.
Issue 94 – Backdoor deals Trump is still corrupt, a core developer warns bitcoin won’t survive an upcoming code change, and...
8th Oct 2025
34

Issue 94 – Backdoor deals

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

8th Oct 2025
Trump is still corrupt, a core developer warns bitcoin won’t survive an upcoming code change, and crypto lenders are ratcheting up leverage like it’s 2022.
When Labor is Scarce, Equity is the Mezzanine Tranche Plus! What Goes Up; Refinancing; Investor Relations; Scaling; Infrastructure
2nd Apr 2026
1

When Labor is Scarce, Equity is the Mezzanine Tranche

from The Diff [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Apr 2026
Plus! What Goes Up; Refinancing; Investor Relations; Scaling; Infrastructure
How Experts Sensemake Two decades ago, the US military funded some research into how humans sensemake. This piece is about...
7th Apr 2026
1

How Experts Sensemake

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

7th Apr 2026
Two decades ago, the US military funded some research into how humans sensemake. This piece is about that theory — the best theory of sensemaking that we have — why it matters for expertise, and how you can apply it to make sense of AI.
Mental Strength in Judo; Mental Strength in Life Results of a four month accelerated expertise experiment in Judo. Or: "I expected to learn about...
3rd May 2023
178

Mental Strength in Judo; Mental Strength in Life

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd May 2023
Results of a four month accelerated expertise experiment in Judo. Or: "I expected to learn about deliberate practice but instead learnt a ton about my mental shortcomings."
The Network State Conference Come to Singapore on September 22, 2024 to build technodemocracy.
15th Oct 2023
4

The Network State Conference

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

15th Oct 2023
Come to Singapore on September 22, 2024 to build technodemocracy.
Lessons on Leadership: Michael Abrashoff on Turning the Worst Ship in the Navy into the Best Michael Abrashoff was in his mid-thirties when he took command of the USS Benfold, a guided missile...
23rd Oct 2022
118
23rd Oct 2022
Michael Abrashoff was in his mid-thirties when he took command of the USS Benfold, a guided missile destroyer and one of the worst-performing ships in the navy. Despite her potency, the “dysfunctional ship had a sullen crew that resented being there and could not wait to get out...
Nov ’25: Coastal Folly loan repaid Trump dominated the headlines again. This time partly due to some very biased editing by the BBC of...
14th Dec 2025
2

Nov ’25: Coastal Folly loan repaid

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

14th Dec 2025
Trump dominated the headlines again. This time partly due to some very biased editing by the BBC of a Panorama show about Trump before the US election. There was also the omnipresent UK Budget. Which has had more than enough coverage. I did a ‘damage assessment‘ at the time and...
OpenAI Launches GPT‑4.1: What You Need to Know About the New Family of AI Models OpenAI has officially released the GPT‑4.1 family — and it’s more than just a minor upgrade.
14th Apr 2025
65
14th Apr 2025
OpenAI has officially released the GPT‑4.1 family — and it’s more than just a minor upgrade.
Requiem for a bank loan A brief retrospective on an attractive product First Republic used to offer, and a wider discourse...
16th Jun 2023
64

Requiem for a bank loan

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

16th Jun 2023
A brief retrospective on an attractive product First Republic used to offer, and a wider discourse on the banking crisis.
Just do it! Brand Name Lessons from Nike'sTroubles! I have spent the last week reading "Shoe Dog", Phil Knight's memoir of how  a runner on the Oregon...
1st Oct 2024
26

Just do it! Brand Name Lessons from Nike'sTroubles!

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st Oct 2024
I have spent the last week reading "Shoe Dog", Phil Knight's memoir of how  a runner on the Oregon University track team built one of the great shoe companies in the world, in Nike. In addition to its entertainment value, and it is a fun book to read, I read it for two...
Operational Excellence is the Pursuit of ‘Knowledge’ It turns out that operational excellence results from the pursuit of a certain form of knowledge....
16th Mar 2023
141

Operational Excellence is the Pursuit of ‘Knowledge’

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

16th Mar 2023
It turns out that operational excellence results from the pursuit of a certain form of knowledge. This is Part 3 of the Becoming Data Driven series, and the result of a deep dive into the field of statistical process control.
A Sketch of Meta as an Enterprise AI Company Plus! IP; Gemini; Interfaces; The End Customer; Humans
1st Oct 2026
1

A Sketch of Meta as an Enterprise AI Company

from The Diff [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st Oct 2026
Plus! IP; Gemini; Interfaces; The End Customer; Humans
Using the Quartz Crisis to Make Sense of Technological Disruption Also: the quartz crisis isn’t really about quartz at all. A sensemaking exercise for those who want...
3rd Jul 2026
1

Using the Quartz Crisis to Make Sense of Technological Disruption

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Jul 2026
Also: the quartz crisis isn’t really about quartz at all. A sensemaking exercise for those who want to get better at making sense of possible AI disruption.
Activist Investing in Asian Conglomerates How do Asian conglomerates play in capital markets, given pliable governments and weak regulators?...
3rd Mar 2025
58

Activist Investing in Asian Conglomerates

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Mar 2025
How do Asian conglomerates play in capital markets, given pliable governments and weak regulators? We examine the career of one activist investor, to see what that tells us about the Asian tycoons we’ve been studying.
What’s an Operational Definition Anyway? Two principles on collecting data, from the field of Statistical Process Control. As with most...
3rd Oct 2023
88

What’s an Operational Definition Anyway?

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Oct 2023
Two principles on collecting data, from the field of Statistical Process Control. As with most principles in SPC, this is both simpler and more important than you might think.
Amazon’s Pricing Policies Promote Inflation The state of California has sued Amazon in what may be the biggest antitrust case for 25 years, when...
30th Apr 2023
25

Amazon’s Pricing Policies Promote Inflation

from Molson Hart's Blog - Molson Hart [alt+shift+b] in finance

30th Apr 2023
The state of California has sued Amazon in what may be the biggest antitrust case for 25 years, when 20 states joined the US Department of Justice to sue Microsoft. These cases revolve around whether consumers are harmed by the company’s actions. The case against Amazon focuses...
Older Articles I’ve Written In reverse chronological order: Starting a Physical Product Company? You’re Gonna Need a Lawyer...
13th Dec 2020
25

Older Articles I’ve Written

from Molson Hart's Blog - Molson Hart [alt+shift+b] in finance

13th Dec 2020
In reverse chronological order: Starting a Physical Product Company? You’re Gonna Need a Lawyer (October 18, 2020) The Right to a Nonconsensus Opinion (June 9, 2020) Never Invest in Anything Made of Metal (May 2, 2020) Simple 3 Step Strategy to Stop the Coronavirus in the...
Demystifying financial leverage Leverage is actually reasonably easy to understand, both in the math and in the implications for...
11th Nov 2022
38

Demystifying financial leverage

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th Nov 2022
Leverage is actually reasonably easy to understand, both in the math and in the implications for financial firms.
The Best Age to Start Taking Social Security: It's Not What You Think When you reach full retirement age (FRA), you can start taking Social Security benefits. But you may...
18th Sep 2023
42
18th Sep 2023
When you reach full retirement age (FRA), you can start taking Social Security benefits. But you may want to consider taking them sooner, even if it means a smaller monthly check. Here's why: Your benefits will grow by 8% per year for each year you delay taking them, up to age...
Tornado Cash un-OFAC'ed The next chapter in the Tornado Cash saga just dropped. Last week a court ruled last that Tornado...
5th Dec 2024
27

Tornado Cash un-OFAC'ed

from Moneyness [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th Dec 2024
The next chapter in the Tornado Cash saga just dropped. Last week a court ruled last that Tornado Cash, a bot that can be used for obfuscating crypto, is safe from being sanctioned. I first wrote about Tornado Cash in 2021, before its legal troubles began, warning of the risks...
You’re Always Selling to a Situation, Not an ICP One simple idea that falls out of the Heart of Innovation book — that you can use immediately — is...
19th Jun 2025
50

You’re Always Selling to a Situation, Not an ICP

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

19th Jun 2025
One simple idea that falls out of the Heart of Innovation book — that you can use immediately — is this idea of selling into situations, not selling to ideal customer profiles. It’s what the pros do anyway.
Focus on the process, not the outcome Woorkeri Raman, a former Indian cricketer and former coach of the India women’s national cricket...
12th Aug 2024
149

Focus on the process, not the outcome

from Seeking Wisdom [alt+shift+b] in finance

12th Aug 2024
Woorkeri Raman, a former Indian cricketer and former coach of the India women’s national cricket team, has two non-negotiables. As an offspinner, you must never get cut, and you must never get driven through the covers. Even when Ravichandran Ashwin takes five wickets, Raman will...
It’s Time to Build… Assets? One of the main reasons for the decline in goods and services in the United States, and to a lesser...
28th Mar 2026
1

It’s Time to Build… Assets?

from Molson Hart's Blog - Molson Hart [alt+shift+b] in finance

28th Mar 2026
One of the main reasons for the decline in goods and services in the United States, and to a lesser extent, the world, is the financialization of our economies by excessive money printing. Let's break that down into simpler language. The quality of the things and services you buy...
Business Reality Without Frameworks A paradox: why it’s important to think about business without abstractions, even as we from what’s...
21st Oct 2024
102

Business Reality Without Frameworks

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

21st Oct 2024
A paradox: why it’s important to think about business without abstractions, even as we from what’s come before.
How should money laundering laws apply to DeFi? Everyone agrees that money laundering laws apply to DeFi. The question is: how to apply them? DeFi,...
14th Sep 2024
25

How should money laundering laws apply to DeFi?

from Moneyness [alt+shift+b] in finance

14th Sep 2024
Everyone agrees that money laundering laws apply to DeFi. The question is: how to apply them? DeFi, or decentralized finance, is an emerging segment of the broader financial industry that delivers traditional financial services, say like trading or lending, using a novel type of...
What happens if the US loses reserve currency status? A reserve currency is the currency that people all over the world prefer to store their savings...
29th Apr 2024
23

What happens if the US loses reserve currency status?

from Molson Hart's Blog - Molson Hart [alt+shift+b] in finance

29th Apr 2024
A reserve currency is the currency that people all over the world prefer to store their savings in. Today that currency is the US dollar. From the Middle East, to Asia, to South America — Whether it's a family that needs to keep some money around just in case or a country, most...
Move Your Business Abroad: A Step-by-Step Guide for Entrepreneurs Expanding your business abroad can be a great way to reach new markets, increase revenue, and...
6th Nov 2023
93
6th Nov 2023
Expanding your business abroad can be a great way to reach new markets, increase revenue, and diversify your portfolio. However, it's important to do your research and take the necessary steps to ensure a successful transition. Here are some practical tips for entrepreneurs...
When People Outperform Data People who succeed via analysis of numbers and facts need to learn that understanding of people can...
23rd Nov 2024
38

When People Outperform Data

from Molson Hart's Blog - Molson Hart [alt+shift+b] in finance

23rd Nov 2024
People who succeed via analysis of numbers and facts need to learn that understanding of people can make that analysis unnecessary and can even outperform it. Examples: 1. Amazon did not make money between its 1994 founding through 2002. There was no financial or business...
The Trial: How I lost $1 million dollars and 7 years in a lawsuit over Brain Flakes I thought I was good. Until I met Sol. Solomon Rosengarten is a lawyer from Brooklyn. He has an AOL...
25th Nov 2025
2

The Trial: How I lost $1 million dollars and 7 years in a lawsuit over Brain Flakes

from Molson Hart's Blog - Molson Hart [alt+shift+b] in finance

25th Nov 2025
I thought I was good. Until I met Sol. Solomon Rosengarten is a lawyer from Brooklyn. He has an AOL email address. He is not great with the mute button on his phone. He sometimes comes across as incompetent. But, he is the best damned lawyer I have ever known. Sol is a killer....
Embeddings – Part 2 This is the 9th post in my series on building a toy GPT. For better understanding, I recommend...
3rd Dec 2023
125

Embeddings – Part 2

from Seeking Wisdom [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Dec 2023
This is the 9th post in my series on building a toy GPT. For better understanding, I recommend reading my earlier posts first. Word embeddings convert words into fixed-length numerical arrays. Each number in these arrays corresponds to a specific characteristic of the word, such...
Credit cards as a legacy system Credit cards have been in use for almost 75 years. Some long-ago decisions still cause consequences...
2nd Dec 2022
38

Credit cards as a legacy system

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Dec 2022
Credit cards have been in use for almost 75 years. Some long-ago decisions still cause consequences in the present day. But change is possible.
The Scaling and Profitability Trade off: Venture Capital's Weakest Link! It is undeniable technology companies have found their most hospitable setting in the United States...
2nd Sep 2026
1

The Scaling and Profitability Trade off: Venture Capital's Weakest Link!

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Sep 2026
It is undeniable technology companies have found their most hospitable setting in the United States and while there are many reasons for the US dominance of technology, easier access to capital for young businesses has been a key ingredient. Venture capital in the US, in its...
Dec ’24 – 2024 in review And we’re off, into 2025. Before we get too far, it’s time to take stock (pardon the pun) of 2024....
7th Jan 2025
93

Dec ’24 – 2024 in review

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

7th Jan 2025
And we’re off, into 2025. Before we get too far, it’s time to take stock (pardon the pun) of 2024. I’ll follow the 7 point approach I’ve used for the last few years, starting with the wider market context. Q1 How did markets do? December saw falls across most asset classes –...
THE SLOW, EXCRUCIATING, DISASTEROUS DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA Austin is a more pleasant place to live than Dallas because people are smarter on average. This does...
24th Sep 2023
26

THE SLOW, EXCRUCIATING, DISASTEROUS DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA

from Molson Hart's Blog - Molson Hart [alt+shift+b] in finance

24th Sep 2023
Austin is a more pleasant place to live than Dallas because people are smarter on average. This does not mean there are not smart people in Dallas. There are. What it does mean is the typical Austinite is just a little sharper. This makes for more pleasant conversations. It’s...
Greg Abel’s Unique Challenge Greg Abel takes over as Chief Executive Officer of Berkshire Hathaway on January 1, 2026, a job that...
31st Dec 2025
1

Greg Abel’s Unique Challenge

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

31st Dec 2025
Greg Abel takes over as Chief Executive Officer of Berkshire Hathaway on January 1, 2026, a job that will involve at least three major challenges.
The Network State Book A new book on starting new countries. Available on Kindle and for free at thenetworkstate.com.
19th Mar 2022
34

The Network State Book

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

19th Mar 2022
A new book on starting new countries. Available on Kindle and for free at thenetworkstate.com.
Capital Gains Tax Hike: Sell Now or Hold On? A Canadian Investor's Guide Canada's recent federal budget has sent ripples through the investment and real estate communities....
24th May 2024
149
24th May 2024
Canada's recent federal budget has sent ripples through the investment and real estate communities. A key change: a looming increase in capital gains tax on sizeable transactions. This has many wondering – should I sell assets before June 25th, 2024, to avoid the taxman's bite?...
Oct ’24: Budgets & broad shoulders I haven’t seen much of London in October. I’ve been away every weekend in October, partly in the UK...
2nd Nov 2024
106

Oct ’24: Budgets & broad shoulders

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Nov 2024
I haven’t seen much of London in October. I’ve been away every weekend in October, partly in the UK and partly visiting friends overseas. And now we’re in November, the clocks have gone back, but temperatures haven’t plummeted yet. London feels busy – pubs still have crowds...
Dec ’23 – 2023 in review It’s the start of a calendar year. Let’s take a look at what 2023 did to me financially. I’m...
2nd Jan 2024
128

Dec ’23 – 2023 in review

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Jan 2024
It’s the start of a calendar year. Let’s take a look at what 2023 did to me financially. I’m following the same structure I’ve used for the last few years (2022, 2021, and 2020). Overall, 2023 was a good year on almost all measures – thanks in particular to Q4 which saw the US...
Trump Jr.-advised prediction markets invite bets on president’s demise President Trump’s deregulatory agenda emboldened prediction markets to push boundaries around...
2nd Sep 2025
60

Trump Jr.-advised prediction markets invite bets on president’s demise

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Sep 2025
President Trump’s deregulatory agenda emboldened prediction markets to push boundaries around permitted event contracts. Now sites advised by his son are allowing bets on his death.
The business of wallets How digital wallets work, and how payment costs drive a lot of product decisions inside and around...
30th Apr 2024
124

The business of wallets

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

30th Apr 2024
How digital wallets work, and how payment costs drive a lot of product decisions inside and around them.
We can have a different web Many yearn for the “good old days” of the web. We could have those good old days back — or something...
1st May 2024
135

We can have a different web

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st May 2024
Many yearn for the “good old days” of the web. We could have those good old days back — or something even better — and if anything, it would be easier now than it ever was.
The One-Big-Side-Bet Model of Wealth Creation Plus! Diff Jobs; Building Japan's Financial Ecosystem; The New Balance of Trade; Where Return on...
2nd Dec 2024
51

The One-Big-Side-Bet Model of Wealth Creation

from The Diff [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Dec 2024
Plus! Diff Jobs; Building Japan's Financial Ecosystem; The New Balance of Trade; Where Return on Investment Goes; Broken ETFs; Swipe Fees and Accounting
Apr ’26: A record month, house purchase underway It’s been a beautiful month. I’ve been about a bit, taking in Lincoln, the New Forest, and Oxford as...
4th May 2026
2

Apr ’26: A record month, house purchase underway

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

4th May 2026
It’s been a beautiful month. I’ve been about a bit, taking in Lincoln, the New Forest, and Oxford as well as enjoying London town itself. The Iran conflict rumbles on, with the USA and Israel having effectively finished the military engagement. Markets have had a very strong...
Oil, War and the Global Economy: The Market's Narrative in March 2026 Markets play an expectations game, and in March 2026, we saw the process play out, with all of its...
1st Apr 2026
1

Oil, War and the Global Economy: The Market's Narrative in March 2026

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st Apr 2026
Markets play an expectations game, and in March 2026, we saw the process play out, with all of its upsides and downsides. The month started with a war in the Middle East, which quickly percolated into soaring oil prices and dropping stock prices, but the overwhelming factor was...
Issue 45 – I'm the director now Rising bitcoin prices bring echoes of the crypto mania from years past, and an ambitious hacker...
5th Dec 2023
88

Issue 45 – I'm the director now

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th Dec 2023
Rising bitcoin prices bring echoes of the crypto mania from years past, and an ambitious hacker decides to manifest a new job for themselves.
Evaluating Information: Find the Signal in the Noise We are drowning in information. Most of that information is irrelevant. If only we could sort what...
3rd Aug 2022
78

Evaluating Information: Find the Signal in the Noise

from Farnam Street [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Aug 2022
We are drowning in information. Most of that information is irrelevant. If only we could sort what matters from what doesn’t. The good news is that you can train your brain to evaluate the quality of information. Not only can you quickly determine if someone knows what they are...
There Is No Truth in Business, Only Knowledge 'Knowledge' here is defined as 'theories or models that help you predict better'. How an idea from...
4th Apr 2023
108

There Is No Truth in Business, Only Knowledge

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

4th Apr 2023
'Knowledge' here is defined as 'theories or models that help you predict better'. How an idea from W. Edwards Deming may well be a working philosophy of business.
Aug ’23: … A belated write-up of the month of August. Thinking back a month, two stories pop out for me. One...
18th Sep 2023
86

Aug ’23: …

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

18th Sep 2023
A belated write-up of the month of August. Thinking back a month, two stories pop out for me. One was the death of Russian mutineer Yevgeny Prigozhin – a larger-than-life modern day warlord, responsible for the ‘little green men’ at the start of the Russian/Ukraine war in 2014,...
Trump-proofing Canada means ditching MasterCard and Visa We're all busy doing our best to boycott U.S. products. I can't buy Special K cereal anymore,...
14th Mar 2025
80

Trump-proofing Canada means ditching MasterCard and Visa

from Moneyness [alt+shift+b] in finance

14th Mar 2025
We're all busy doing our best to boycott U.S. products. I can't buy Special K cereal anymore, because it's made in the U.S. by Kellogg's. But I'm still buying Shreddies, which is made in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Even that's a grey area, since Shreddies is owned by Post, a big...
Introducing Xmrit Some free software to create, modify, experiment with and share XmR charts. Unlock the ability to...
10th Apr 2024
144

Introducing Xmrit

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

10th Apr 2024
Some free software to create, modify, experiment with and share XmR charts. Unlock the ability to become more data driven today.
AI is polytheistic, not monotheistic And ten more thoughts on AI.
3rd Aug 2025
61

AI is polytheistic, not monotheistic

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Aug 2025
And ten more thoughts on AI.
Stablecoins are non-fungible, bank deposits are fungible On Twitter/X, I recently suggested that the network effects of the stablecoin market are massive....
14th Jan 2025
32

Stablecoins are non-fungible, bank deposits are fungible

from Moneyness [alt+shift+b] in finance

14th Jan 2025
On Twitter/X, I recently suggested that the network effects of the stablecoin market are massive. Tether, which has four times more wallets than all other stablecoins, is locked-in as the stablecoin lingua franca, just like English has been locked-in as the global language of...
Open Banking and payments competition Why the banks really hate fintechs that allow businesses to learn your account number easily.
13th Aug 2025
38

Open Banking and payments competition

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

13th Aug 2025
Why the banks really hate fintechs that allow businesses to learn your account number easily.
What I’ve Been Reading Thoughts on the books I read in Q1 2025
3rd Apr 2025
1

What I’ve Been Reading

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Apr 2025
Thoughts on the books I read in Q1 2025
Bits about Money yearly recap and plans What we covered in 2024, what are plans are in 2025, and a solicitation for supporting memberships.
15th Jan 2025
91

Bits about Money yearly recap and plans

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

15th Jan 2025
What we covered in 2024, what are plans are in 2025, and a solicitation for supporting memberships.
Can Tactical Decision Games Accelerate ... Maths? What if we could take Tactical Decision Games — a kind of accelerated expertise training method —...
6 days ago
1

Can Tactical Decision Games Accelerate ... Maths?

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

6 days ago
What if we could take Tactical Decision Games — a kind of accelerated expertise training method — and apply it to subjects like maths?
Canada's Housing Crisis: Is There a Way Out? Canada's housing market has become a national concern. Soaring prices have pushed homeownership out...
2nd Apr 2024
126

Canada's Housing Crisis: Is There a Way Out?

from Mazdak [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Apr 2024
Canada's housing market has become a national concern. Soaring prices have pushed homeownership out of reach for many, and even renters struggle to find affordable options. The pandemic exacerbated this pre-existing crisis, highlighting the urgent need for solutions. This article...
The Edge Thinking with Machines was such a joyful read that I finished it in a single sitting during a...
8th Feb 2026
1

The Edge

from Seeking Wisdom [alt+shift+b] in finance

8th Feb 2026
Thinking with Machines was such a joyful read that I finished it in a single sitting during a seven-hour flight. Do read it if you want to understand how AI will change the way we live and work. Vasant has lived through every major shift in AI, from expert systems to today’s push...
Stablecoins – a digital version of Swiss bearer savings books Before anti-money laundering laws arrived in Switzerland, anyone could walk into a Swiss bank and...
9th Aug 2024
27

Stablecoins – a digital version of Swiss bearer savings books

from Moneyness [alt+shift+b] in finance

9th Aug 2024
Before anti-money laundering laws arrived in Switzerland, anyone could walk into a Swiss bank and open an account without showing any ID. The bank would then issue you something called a bearer savings book, otherwise known as inhabersparheften or livrets d'épargne au porteur....
OpenAI is not becoming a for-profit company after all. In a significant reversal, OpenAI announced on May 5, 2025, that it will remain under the control of...
5th May 2025
45

OpenAI is not becoming a for-profit company after all.

from Mazdak [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th May 2025
In a significant reversal, OpenAI announced on May 5, 2025, that it will remain under the control of its nonprofit entity, abandoning earlier plans to restructure as a for-profit company.
August ’24: From triumph to tragedy Looking back on the month, it was more eventful than Augusts are reputed to be. In the UK we are...
7th Sep 2024
127

August ’24: From triumph to tragedy

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

7th Sep 2024
Looking back on the month, it was more eventful than Augusts are reputed to be. In the UK we are getting used to our new government. And, in some cases, violently testing its boundaries with some summer rioting. We’ve seen some dreadful street behaviour, frequently of a racist /...
Deposit franchises as natural hedges Many observe that banks seem to be blowing up due to predictable consequences of rising interest...
5th May 2023
45

Deposit franchises as natural hedges

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th May 2023
Many observe that banks seem to be blowing up due to predictable consequences of rising interest rates. How did we get here?
The Digest #226 Warren Buffett donates $1.15 billion to his family foundations
26th Nov 2024
1

The Digest #226

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

26th Nov 2024
Warren Buffett donates $1.15 billion to his family foundations
What do LLMs Want? Plus! Governance; Implementation Risk; Jailbreaking; In-Kind Deals; Revalued Inputs
1st Dec 2025
1

What do LLMs Want?

from The Diff [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st Dec 2025
Plus! Governance; Implementation Risk; Jailbreaking; In-Kind Deals; Revalued Inputs
All Property Becomes Cryptography For 99%+ of what's valuable, for every financial asset and capital asset, we will secure it onchain.
28th Jul 2025
52

All Property Becomes Cryptography

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

28th Jul 2025
For 99%+ of what's valuable, for every financial asset and capital asset, we will secure it onchain.
2nd Look at Local Housing Markets in November Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: 2nd Look at Local Housing Markets in...
11th Dec 2024
43

2nd Look at Local Housing Markets in November

from Calculated Risk [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th Dec 2024
Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: 2nd Look at Local Housing Markets in November A brief excerpt: NOTE: The tables for active listings, new listings and closed sales all include a comparison to November 2019 for each local market (some 2019 data is not...
Mar ’24: A towering influence I’ve enjoyed March. I managed to enjoy a few days’ skiing, despite less snow than any of us would...
1st Apr 2024
146

Mar ’24: A towering influence

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st Apr 2024
I’ve enjoyed March. I managed to enjoy a few days’ skiing, despite less snow than any of us would like, in the Austrian alps. Back at home, the sun has been getting stronger, and the evenings have been getting lighter – and now with Summer Time we will enjoy lovely late evenings...
Renovatio monetae This silver pfennig from the Archbishopric of Magdeburg (1152-1192) was subject to a policy of...
8th May 2024
27

Renovatio monetae

from Moneyness [alt+shift+b] in finance

8th May 2024
This silver pfennig from the Archbishopric of Magdeburg (1152-1192) was subject to a policy of renovatio monetae. Twice a year whoever held it had to bring it in to be changed for new coins at a rate of four old coins to three new coins. That suggests an annualized tax rate on...
Stay the course I spend a couple of weeks every February keeping up with my investments, timing it to coincide with...
5th Mar 2024
154

Stay the course

from Seeking Wisdom [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th Mar 2024
I spend a couple of weeks every February keeping up with my investments, timing it to coincide with the release of Buffett’s annual letter to shareholders. I found something interesting while performing this ritual this time. I came across Aswath Damodaran’s website, where he has...
Trillions Flow into AI: The New Infrastructure Arms Race 🌐 Big Tech Bets Trillions on AI Infrastructure
26th Jun 2025
66

Trillions Flow into AI: The New Infrastructure Arms Race

from Mazdak [alt+shift+b] in finance

26th Jun 2025
🌐 Big Tech Bets Trillions on AI Infrastructure
Goodhart's Law Isn't as Useful as You Might Think Goodhart's Law is useless. It tells you about a phenomenon, but it doesn't tell you how to solve it....
11th Jan 2023
120

Goodhart's Law Isn't as Useful as You Might Think

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th Jan 2023
Goodhart's Law is useless. It tells you about a phenomenon, but it doesn't tell you how to solve it. We look at how organisations actually prevent Goodhart's Law, and illustrate this with Amazon's Weekly Business Review as an example.
The Best Summary of Atlas Shrugged A brief, no-fluff, summary of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. If you want to learn how capitalist...
9th Jul 2026
3

The Best Summary of Atlas Shrugged

from Farnam Street [alt+shift+b] in finance

9th Jul 2026
A brief, no-fluff, summary of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. If you want to learn how capitalist countries become socialist, this book will help you. Let’s dive in. Atlas Shrugged: The Simple Version The world depends on a relatively small number of people who build, invent, and...
The DECIDE Algorithm — A Simple Step-by-Step Method for Converting Idle Time into Productive Action DECIDE D - Determine the Bottleneck E - Engage with the subject matter C - Clear distractions I -...
16th Mar 2025
52

The DECIDE Algorithm — A Simple Step-by-Step Method for Converting Idle Time into Productive Action

from Molson Hart's Blog - Molson Hart [alt+shift+b] in finance

16th Mar 2025
DECIDE D - Determine the Bottleneck E - Engage with the subject matter C - Clear distractions I - Implement mental models D - Decide how to proceed E - Execute next steps When you’re traveling or waiting for something to happen, instead of listening to a podcast or scrolling on...
Sep 23: Antisocial markets For some reason shoplifting is in the news. There’s evidently an epidemic of it. Not just in the UK,...
8th Oct 2023
116

Sep 23: Antisocial markets

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

8th Oct 2023
For some reason shoplifting is in the news. There’s evidently an epidemic of it. Not just in the UK, but wider afield too – hence major brands pulling out of cities like San Francisco. From what I hear there is a general increase in antisocial behaviour, dating from the covid-19...
Why the CrowdStrike bug hit banks hard Regulation-induced monocultures meet unfortunate but explicable engineering decisions.
31st Jul 2024
135

Why the CrowdStrike bug hit banks hard

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

31st Jul 2024
Regulation-induced monocultures meet unfortunate but explicable engineering decisions.
Reflections on the Software Dark Factory Q&A Some thoughts from watching a demo of a Software Dark Factory.
3rd Jun 2026
1

Reflections on the Software Dark Factory Q&A

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Jun 2026
Some thoughts from watching a demo of a Software Dark Factory.
Feb ’24: Envyidia I’ve had quite a lot of culture to enjoy in February. Aside from some travel for the Six Nations...
3rd Mar 2024
142

Feb ’24: Envyidia

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Mar 2024
I’ve had quite a lot of culture to enjoy in February. Aside from some travel for the Six Nations rugby, I’ve been to two shows – one in London’s Royal Opera House and one on the south coast. Both events were either full or practically full. Covid feels fully behind us now. But...
Few thoughts on life, psychology, and mindset I’ve been writing my thoughts on life, psychology, and mindset for some time. I’ve considered...
2nd Sep 2023
130

Few thoughts on life, psychology, and mindset

from Seeking Wisdom [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Sep 2023
I’ve been writing my thoughts on life, psychology, and mindset for some time. I’ve considered transferring some of these writings from Notion into this post. In physics, three laws can explain 99% of observations. However, in life, psychology, and mindset, 99 laws can barely...
May ’26: Angelic timing May was an enjoyable month. I kept reasonably busy, as well as doing a bit of travel around the UK....
17th Jun 2026
1

May ’26: Angelic timing

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

17th Jun 2026
May was an enjoyable month. I kept reasonably busy, as well as doing a bit of travel around the UK. I visited King Charles’ Poundbury for the first time, as well as the south coast and the Cotswolds for a weekend. Meanwhile, the news has been dominated by Trump’s Iran war, and in...
Data Update 1 for 2026: The Push and Pull of Data! In my musings on valuation, I have long described myself as more of a number cruncher than a...
9th Jan 2026
1

Data Update 1 for 2026: The Push and Pull of Data!

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

9th Jan 2026
In my musings on valuation, I have long described myself as more of a number cruncher than a storyteller, but it is because I love numbers for their own sake, rather than a fondness for abstract mathematics. It is that love for numbers that has led me at the beginning of each...
Truth Be Told The ultimate truth is revealing the truth of the situation and our feelings about it are a relief,...
15th Oct 2026
1

Truth Be Told

from oftwominds-Charles Hugh Smith [alt+shift+b] in finance

15th Oct 2026
The ultimate truth is revealing the truth of the situation and our feelings about it are a relief, and the starting point to moving forward in a positive direction. This is the first in a series of posts around the theme of Truth Be Told, a theme that demands some...
Under The Hood How do you shape employee culture? How do you win employee commitment? Under The Hood has a coherent...
12th Nov 2024
85

Under The Hood

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

12th Nov 2024
How do you shape employee culture? How do you win employee commitment? Under The Hood has a coherent model for building this skill.
Dell's Capital Expertise We trace Michael Dell's skill at the art of capital in business, and use it to examine how skill at...
1st Jul 2023
128

Dell's Capital Expertise

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st Jul 2023
We trace Michael Dell's skill at the art of capital in business, and use it to examine how skill at capital allows you to make moves that aren't available to a novice business operator.
Trump claims US banks can't open in Canada—US banks disagree In what seems to be an effort to extort Canada for additional benefits, Donald Trump complained...
4th Feb 2025
42

Trump claims US banks can't open in Canada—US banks disagree

from Moneyness [alt+shift+b] in finance

4th Feb 2025
In what seems to be an effort to extort Canada for additional benefits, Donald Trump complained yesterday on social media that CANADA DOESN'T EVEN ALLOW U.S. BANKS TO OPEN OR DO BUSINESS THERE. And so according to Trump, Canada doubly deserves to be disciplined with...
Country Risk: My 2024 Data Update After the 2008 market crisis, I resolved that I would be far more organized in my assessments and...
24th Jul 2024
27

Country Risk: My 2024 Data Update

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

24th Jul 2024
After the 2008 market crisis, I resolved that I would be far more organized in my assessments and updating of equity risk premiums, in the United States and abroad, as I looked at the damage that can be inflicted on intrinsic value by significant shifts in risk premiums, i.e., my...
How to Become Data Driven The answer, like most things from Statistical Process Control, is more surprising and more obvious...
6th Feb 2023
106

How to Become Data Driven

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

6th Feb 2023
The answer, like most things from Statistical Process Control, is more surprising and more obvious than you might think.
Feb ’23: taking profits February was cold, but mercifully dry. The days are becoming a welcome bit longer. London is filling...
14th Mar 2023
70

Feb ’23: taking profits

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

14th Mar 2023
February was cold, but mercifully dry. The days are becoming a welcome bit longer. London is filling up again, post covid, though Mondays and Fridays remain subdued to put it mildly. Market movements in February In the markets, February started strongly, but then something...
We Still Have No Idea Whether Passive Investing is a Meaningful Risk Plus! Complements and Strategy; Privacy, Competition, and Scale; Platforms and Ownership; KYC;...
26th Nov 2024
44
26th Nov 2024
Plus! Complements and Strategy; Privacy, Competition, and Scale; Platforms and Ownership; KYC; Tariff Man
To Bitcoin or not to Bitcoin? A Corporate Cash Question! In this post, I will bring together two disparate and very different topics that I have written...
18th Jul 2025
50

To Bitcoin or not to Bitcoin? A Corporate Cash Question!

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

18th Jul 2025
In this post, I will bring together two disparate and very different topics that I have written about in the past. The first is the role that cash holdings play in a business, an extension of the dividend policy question, with an examination of why businesses often should not pay...
The Network School Fellowship Anyone from anywhere can apply for $100k in funding at ns.com.
18th Apr 2025
67

The Network School Fellowship

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

18th Apr 2025
Anyone from anywhere can apply for $100k in funding at ns.com.
Notes on a non-profit indicted for bank fraud Well-regarded non-profit runs domestic intelligence agency; distributes intelligence product;...
1st May 2026
1

Notes on a non-profit indicted for bank fraud

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st May 2026
Well-regarded non-profit runs domestic intelligence agency; distributes intelligence product; achieves adoption in financial infrastructure; recruits agents and allies; intervenes against U.S. political fundraising.
The infrastructure behind ATMs ATMs are connected to banks by networks which operate little-understood payment rails.
2nd Jan 2023
47

The infrastructure behind ATMs

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Jan 2023
ATMs are connected to banks by networks which operate little-understood payment rails.
What Kills Cartels? Plus! Diff Jobs; Strategic Investments; Media Form Factors; Fees; Critical Minerals; Brand Names
2nd Feb 2026
0

What Kills Cartels?

from The Diff [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Feb 2026
Plus! Diff Jobs; Strategic Investments; Media Form Factors; Fees; Critical Minerals; Brand Names
Heureka A “heureka” is a surprisingly powerful yet simple solution to a complex optimization problem, which...
20th Sep 2025
1

Heureka

from Molson Hart's Blog - Molson Hart [alt+shift+b] in finance

20th Sep 2025
A “heureka” is a surprisingly powerful yet simple solution to a complex optimization problem, which is theoretically inferior to more complicated solutions, but is, in practice, optimal. Example: “I’m a 22 year old Phi Beta Kappa alumnus of University of Iowa and I have this idea...
Google’s New AI Summaries in Discover: The Next Blow to Publishers? If you work in media or publishing, brace yourself — another platform update from Google is quietly...
15th Jul 2025
47
15th Jul 2025
If you work in media or publishing, brace yourself — another platform update from Google is quietly shifting the ground beneath us.
September ’26: Income rush Last month saw “La rentree” – the return to the real world, after an enjoyable summer. Very much so...
12th Oct 2026
1

September ’26: Income rush

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

12th Oct 2026
Last month saw “La rentree” – the return to the real world, after an enjoyable summer. Very much so for me, as it happens – but with plenty of enjoyment still to be found. I’ve taken in Frida Kahlo at the Tate Modern, a spot of luxury in the south of France, a City ritual…...
Buffett Completes Succession Plan Warren Buffett has completed Berkshire's succession plan as he steps down as Chairman.
18th Sep 2026
-3

Buffett Completes Succession Plan

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

18th Sep 2026
Warren Buffett has completed Berkshire's succession plan as he steps down as Chairman.
Setting Up For The Second Half of 2024 A new set of cases for two concept sequences, and the end of the Data Driven Series.
19th May 2024
178

Setting Up For The Second Half of 2024

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

19th May 2024
A new set of cases for two concept sequences, and the end of the Data Driven Series.
Debanking (and Debunking?) Crypto advocates kicked off a recent, somewhat politicized, discussion of debanking. Strap in for...
9th Dec 2024
117

Debanking (and Debunking?)

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

9th Dec 2024
Crypto advocates kicked off a recent, somewhat politicized, discussion of debanking. Strap in for scintillating banking compliance trivia.
Issue 63 – RobConf 2024 Coinbase responds to campaign finance violation allegations, Trump panders to bitcoiners, and I chat...
7th Aug 2024
118

Issue 63 – RobConf 2024

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

7th Aug 2024
Coinbase responds to campaign finance violation allegations, Trump panders to bitcoiners, and I chat with Lyn Alden about sexism in bitcoin.
Google: Monopolized? Is Google too big? For years, the tech giant has dominated the search market, facing little...
1st Dec 2024
65

Google: Monopolized?

from Mazdak [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st Dec 2024
Is Google too big? For years, the tech giant has dominated the search market, facing little competition.
How to Improve at Sensemaking AI? What we can learn from the disorienting changes hitting the software industry, and how we can use...
3rd May 2026
1

How to Improve at Sensemaking AI?

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd May 2026
What we can learn from the disorienting changes hitting the software industry, and how we can use that to improve at sensemaking this uncertain new technology.
Warren Buffett on Berkshire’s Valuation Warren Buffett has typically avoided commenting on Berkshire's stock price, but he has provided some...
3rd Mar 2025
1

Warren Buffett on Berkshire’s Valuation

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Mar 2025
Warren Buffett has typically avoided commenting on Berkshire's stock price, but he has provided some clues that are worth considering.
Longreads + Open Thread Funds, Slop, Schools, Lookism, Automation, Bots, Efficiency, Magnitogorsk
1st Aug 2026
2

Longreads + Open Thread

from The Diff [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st Aug 2026
Funds, Slop, Schools, Lookism, Automation, Bots, Efficiency, Magnitogorsk
Buffett Completes Succession Plan Warren Buffett has completed Berkshire's succession plan as he steps down as Chairman.
18th Sep 2026
1

Buffett Completes Succession Plan

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

18th Sep 2026
Warren Buffett has completed Berkshire's succession plan as he steps down as Chairman.
Warren Buffett’s Thanksgiving Letter Warren Buffett's Thanksgiving Letter sheds more light on why he decided to retire.
11th Nov 2025
1

Warren Buffett’s Thanksgiving Letter

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th Nov 2025
Warren Buffett's Thanksgiving Letter sheds more light on why he decided to retire.
2024 Tax Strategies for Optimization and Savings The new year dawns, not just with fresh resolutions, but also the opportunity to reassess and...
3rd Jan 2024
126

2024 Tax Strategies for Optimization and Savings

from Mazdak [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Jan 2024
The new year dawns, not just with fresh resolutions, but also the opportunity to reassess and optimize your tax strategy. While taxes may not be the most exhilarating topic, savvy planning can significantly reduce your liability and boost your financial well-being. So, grab your...
Global Crypto Regulation: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? Global crypto regulation is confusing. So I surveyed the information available and created a...
25th May 2022
49

Global Crypto Regulation: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not?

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

25th May 2022
Global crypto regulation is confusing. So I surveyed the information available and created a heatmap.
Issue 54 – Cases continue Crypto-related litigation is in full swing, as the Terra civil fraud trial has kicked off and two...
2nd Apr 2024
143

Issue 54 – Cases continue

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Apr 2024
Crypto-related litigation is in full swing, as the Terra civil fraud trial has kicked off and two other cases against crypto companies have survived motions to dismiss.
Decentralizing Education with Synthesis I'm co-leading a round in Synthesis, a startup scaling the custom school built for Elon Musk’s kids.
21st Apr 2022
37

Decentralizing Education with Synthesis

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

21st Apr 2022
I'm co-leading a round in Synthesis, a startup scaling the custom school built for Elon Musk’s kids.
Who Decides What AI Can Do? Plus! Diff Jobs; Fun Trades; Insiders; M&A; Two-Tier Rounds; Switching Costs
2nd Mar 2026
1

Who Decides What AI Can Do?

from The Diff [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Mar 2026
Plus! Diff Jobs; Fun Trades; Insiders; M&A; Two-Tier Rounds; Switching Costs
Issue 76 – Tripartisan legislation Crypto exchanges face legal troubles, and Trump’s crypto empire grows as regulations are slashed and...
6th Feb 2025
53

Issue 76 – Tripartisan legislation

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

6th Feb 2025
Crypto exchanges face legal troubles, and Trump’s crypto empire grows as regulations are slashed and enforcement is sidelined.
Brainwashing for Confidence My mom brainwashed me to be confident. She told me over and over that I was great and destined for...
15th Apr 2026
1

Brainwashing for Confidence

from Molson Hart's Blog - Molson Hart [alt+shift+b] in finance

15th Apr 2026
My mom brainwashed me to be confident. She told me over and over that I was great and destined for great things. And it worked. To this day, when I lose or make a mistake, I get mad, but I always wind up where my mother left me: “You’re great. All you need is more practice.” And...
Why did Stu Woo of the Wall Street Journal Follow Me to Singapore? Thirty five million people change countries every year. I'm one of them, and so is Stu Woo.
28th Jul 2026
1

Why did Stu Woo of the Wall Street Journal Follow Me to Singapore?

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

28th Jul 2026
Thirty five million people change countries every year. I'm one of them, and so is Stu Woo.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie: A Summary and Key Takeaways Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the most popular and influential...
13th Oct 2023
117
13th Oct 2023
Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the most popular and influential self-help books ever written. First published in 1936, it has sold over 50 million copies and been translated into over 30 languages. The book is a practical guide to improving...
May ’23: Magic megatech May has been election month. In the UK, some (but not all – and not London) local councils had...
4th Jun 2023
91

May ’23: Magic megatech

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

4th Jun 2023
May has been election month. In the UK, some (but not all – and not London) local councils had elections. The Tories took a drubbing, as expected. And overseas the notable election seemed to be Turkey, where autocratic Erdogan won (however fairly) another five year term – taking...
Jan ’24: A giant tax bill lands One of several highlights for me in January was visiting Salisbury cathedral, which I did on an...
10th Feb 2024
141

Jan ’24: A giant tax bill lands

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

10th Feb 2024
One of several highlights for me in January was visiting Salisbury cathedral, which I did on an impulse while travelling back from the Coastal Folly. My main frame of reference to the cathedral being those notorious Russian nerve agent assassins citing it as their reason for...
Citation Needed has a new home Citation Needed is no longer hosted on Substack. Welcome to my antifascist bar.
5th Jan 2024
101

Citation Needed has a new home

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th Jan 2024
Citation Needed is no longer hosted on Substack. Welcome to my antifascist bar.
The Imitation Game: Defending against AI's Dark Side! A few weeks ago, I started receiving a stream of message about an Instagram post that I was...
5th Aug 2025
50

The Imitation Game: Defending against AI's Dark Side!

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th Aug 2025
A few weeks ago, I started receiving a stream of message about an Instagram post that I was allegedly starring in, where after offering my views on Palantir's valuation, I was soliciting investors to invest with me (or with an investment entity that had ties to me). I was not...
The Capital Cycle What a famous investing framework — part of the modern canon of value investing — tells us about the...
20th Sep 2023
125

The Capital Cycle

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

20th Sep 2023
What a famous investing framework — part of the modern canon of value investing — tells us about the expertise of capital in business.
April ’24: Juggling cash as new UK tax year begins The temperature in the Middle East got even hotter in April, with Israel and Iran trading attacks on...
11th May 2024
184

April ’24: Juggling cash as new UK tax year begins

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th May 2024
The temperature in the Middle East got even hotter in April, with Israel and Iran trading attacks on each other’s sovereign buildings/territory. Somehow World War III has never really seemed in danger of breaking out but it is a reminder that only change is constant. Over in New...
Data Update 5 for 2025: It's a small world, after all! If the title of this post sounds familiar, it is because is one of Disney’s most iconic rides, one...
6th Feb 2025
37

Data Update 5 for 2025: It's a small world, after all!

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

6th Feb 2025
If the title of this post sounds familiar, it is because is one of Disney’s most iconic rides, one that I have taken hundreds of times, first with my own children and more recently, with my grandchildren. It is a mainstay of every Disney theme park, from the original Disneyland...
Setelinleikkaus: When Finns snipped their cash in half to curb inflation On the last day of 1945, with World War II finally behind it, Finland's government announced a new...
8th Nov 2024
29
8th Nov 2024
On the last day of 1945, with World War II finally behind it, Finland's government announced a new and very strange policy. All Finns were required to take out a pair of scissors and snip their banknotes in half. This was known in Finland as setelinleikkaus, or banknote cutting....
Why We're Helpless When Things Break Down Only then do we realize that by optimizing profit and efficiency, we've also optimized systemic...
1st May 2026
1

Why We're Helpless When Things Break Down

from oftwominds-Charles Hugh Smith [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st May 2026
Only then do we realize that by optimizing profit and efficiency, we've also optimized systemic failure. In my essay AI, Money, Human Nature and the Problem with Problems, I refer to boundary conditions but didn't offer a thorough explanation of the role this concept plays...
A Golden Year (2025): Gold's Price Surge - The Signal in the Noise! I grew up in India in a time where if you had wealth, your investment options were limited. A stock...
6th Nov 2025
18

A Golden Year (2025): Gold's Price Surge - The Signal in the Noise!

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

6th Nov 2025
I grew up in India in a time where if you had wealth, your investment options were limited. A stock market with sparse listings, accompanied by a lack of trust in financial assets, led investors to put their wealth into tangible assets. Real estate was the most common choice but...
All the Demand Ideas from The Heart of Innovation, Simply Stated All the ideas of the Heart of Innovation, compressed into one piece.
3rd Mar 2026
1

All the Demand Ideas from The Heart of Innovation, Simply Stated

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Mar 2026
All the ideas of the Heart of Innovation, compressed into one piece.
May 2nd COVID Update: COVID Deaths Continue to Decline Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios. For deaths, I'm...
2nd May 2025
18

May 2nd COVID Update: COVID Deaths Continue to Decline

from Calculated Risk [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd May 2025
Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios. For deaths, I'm currently using 4 weeks ago for "now", since the most recent three weeks will be revised significantly. Note: "Effective May 1, 2024, hospitals are no longer required to report...
August ’25: Warm memories While the global soap opera of the Gaza crisis, Trump/Putin PR, Ukraine misery etc continued, I have...
11th Sep 2025
48

August ’25: Warm memories

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th Sep 2025
While the global soap opera of the Gaza crisis, Trump/Putin PR, Ukraine misery etc continued, I have created some warm memories in August. I spent a bit of time in the New Forest, at both ends, and the middle. Which included a trip to Mudeford, site of the UK’s most expensive...
More Creators Can Now Make Money on YouTube YouTube Lowers Monetization Requirements for Creators. New Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino Sets Out...
13th Jun 2023
42

More Creators Can Now Make Money on YouTube

from Mazdak [alt+shift+b] in finance

13th Jun 2023
YouTube Lowers Monetization Requirements for Creators. New Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino Sets Out Vision for the Platform. YouTube Makes It Easier for Small Creators to Earn Money YouTube is lowering the eligibility requirements for creators to make money from their channels....
Is This a Moat: Mailchimp and PayPal’s Algorithmic Advantage Two case studies of real world competitive advantage, followed by a question: was this a moat or...
12th Dec 2022
104

Is This a Moat: Mailchimp and PayPal’s Algorithmic Advantage

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

12th Dec 2022
Two case studies of real world competitive advantage, followed by a question: was this a moat or not?
Issue 71 – (Crypto) banks are not your friends Celsius’ Alex Mashinsky pleads guilty to fraud, some Tornado Cash sanctions are overturned, and tech...
5th Dec 2024
83

Issue 71 – (Crypto) banks are not your friends

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th Dec 2024
Celsius’ Alex Mashinsky pleads guilty to fraud, some Tornado Cash sanctions are overturned, and tech billionaires complain about “debanking”.
Financial systems take a holiday Ever wondered about what happens when banks are closed or why some apps have operating hours? It's...
29th Feb 2024
143

Financial systems take a holiday

from Bits about Money [alt+shift+b] in finance

29th Feb 2024
Ever wondered about what happens when banks are closed or why some apps have operating hours? It's fascinating.
The Wisdom and Madness of Crowds: Market Prices as Political Predictors! In this, the first full week in November 2024, the big news stories of this week are political, as...
7th Nov 2024
31

The Wisdom and Madness of Crowds: Market Prices as Political Predictors!

from Musings on Markets [alt+shift+b] in finance

7th Nov 2024
In this, the first full week in November 2024, the big news stories of this week are political, as the US presidential election reached its climactic moment on Tuesday, but I don't write about politics, not because I do not have political views, but because I reserve those views...
Issue 78 – President on brink of bailout for bitcoin Trump tries to breathe life back into the crypto markets’ “Trump pump” while federal regulatory...
3rd Mar 2025
47

Issue 78 – President on brink of bailout for bitcoin

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Mar 2025
Trump tries to breathe life back into the crypto markets’ “Trump pump” while federal regulatory agencies wash their hands of any crypto industry oversight
What Expenses Can You Write Off Against Your Business Income? Taxes are an inevitable part of running a business, but that doesn't mean you have to pay more than...
6th Feb 2024
122

What Expenses Can You Write Off Against Your Business Income?

from Mazdak [alt+shift+b] in finance

6th Feb 2024
Taxes are an inevitable part of running a business, but that doesn't mean you have to pay more than your fair share. Fortunately, the law allows you to deduct certain expenses from your business income, lowering your taxable amount and saving you money. But navigating the world...
The 2024 Commoncog Recap Everything that we covered in 2024, and what to expect in the coming year.
8th Jan 2025
86

The 2024 Commoncog Recap

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

8th Jan 2025
Everything that we covered in 2024, and what to expect in the coming year.
Pretense, Staging, Expediency: the "Solutions" That Implode the Whole Shebang Slapdash quick fixes and policies share one characteristic: they eventually implode the whole...
1st Jan 2026
2

Pretense, Staging, Expediency: the "Solutions" That Implode the Whole Shebang

from oftwominds-Charles Hugh Smith [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st Jan 2026
Slapdash quick fixes and policies share one characteristic: they eventually implode the whole shebang. We all know how this works: the business is failing and the divorce papers have been filed, but the optics are ugly, so the couple waltzes in, all smiles and lovey-dovey,...
Why We Shouldn’t “Buy the Dip” “Buying the dip” is buy stocks whenever there is a short-term decline in stock prices, under the...
29th May 2023
22

Why We Shouldn’t “Buy the Dip”

from Molson Hart's Blog - Molson Hart [alt+shift+b] in finance

29th May 2023
“Buying the dip” is buy stocks whenever there is a short-term decline in stock prices, under the assumption that asset prices will quickly revert, enabling you to make money. This article explains why a government-driven culture of “buying the dip” can be damaging to you and...
Feb ’25: The top comes off What’s in the news? The Trump, is in the news. He gets more than enough coverage without me adding...
15th Mar 2025
61

Feb ’25: The top comes off

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

15th Mar 2025
What’s in the news? The Trump, is in the news. He gets more than enough coverage without me adding to it. From the point of view of what affects portfolios like mine, a few things happened What’s going on with me? My personal life was quite busy in February. I visited the UK city...
The Market for Contrarian Talent Doesn't Clear Plus! Bootstrapping a Consumer-Facing Negawatt Market; Real Estate; Aggregators; Training Data;...
1st May 2026
1

The Market for Contrarian Talent Doesn't Clear

from The Diff [alt+shift+b] in finance

1st May 2026
Plus! Bootstrapping a Consumer-Facing Negawatt Market; Real Estate; Aggregators; Training Data; Supply Chains
America's $175 Trillion Problem The true state of the global financial system, in ten charts.
25th Jul 2024
132

America's $175 Trillion Problem

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

25th Jul 2024
The true state of the global financial system, in ten charts.
California Is Not A Democracy It's a one-party state. They hold elections, but the Party always wins.
10th Jun 2024
147

California Is Not A Democracy

from balajis.com [alt+shift+b] in finance

10th Jun 2024
It's a one-party state. They hold elections, but the Party always wins.
July ’23: Markets up, Coutts down It’s been a dismally wet July here in London. About 50% more rainfall than normal (which, before ye...
2nd Aug 2023
86

July ’23: Markets up, Coutts down

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Aug 2023
It’s been a dismally wet July here in London. About 50% more rainfall than normal (which, before ye scoff, isn’t that much – London is a fairly dry city – drier than Rome and much drier than Sydney). It has been long trousers weather, for the first time in several years. But at...
Mar ’26: Iran clobbers markets In March the rain stopped. We started March with North London already having seen 2x its usual...
12th Apr 2026
1

Mar ’26: Iran clobbers markets

from FIRE v London [alt+shift+b] in finance

12th Apr 2026
In March the rain stopped. We started March with North London already having seen 2x its usual rainfall for this point in the year. And thankfully in the middle of March, it stopped. As I write this I have actually needed to start watering the garden, something that felt a very...
Sam Bankman-Fried: guilty on all charges Jurors spent less than five hours deliberating before returning the verdict.
3rd Nov 2023
59

Sam Bankman-Fried: guilty on all charges

from Citation Needed [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Nov 2023
Jurors spent less than five hours deliberating before returning the verdict.
The Joy of Small Markets If you want to get rich, the irony is that small markets are often better than large ones.
2nd Sep 2025
45

The Joy of Small Markets

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

2nd Sep 2025
If you want to get rich, the irony is that small markets are often better than large ones.
Primary Sources Consulting primary sources represents table stakes for intelligent investors and responsible...
11th Feb 2025
1

Primary Sources

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

11th Feb 2025
Consulting primary sources represents table stakes for intelligent investors and responsible citizens.
Warren Buffett’s Final Brushstrokes Warren Buffett is retiring as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway but he may still make a few final...
5th May 2025
1

Warren Buffett’s Final Brushstrokes

from The Rational Walk [alt+shift+b] in finance

5th May 2025
Warren Buffett is retiring as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway but he may still make a few final brushstrokes on his canvas as Chairman.
Focus Is Saying No To Good Ideas Several stories about one of the hardest maxims to put to practice in business.
18th Oct 2022
111

Focus Is Saying No To Good Ideas

from Commoncog [alt+shift+b] in finance

18th Oct 2022
Several stories about one of the hardest maxims to put to practice in business.
If We Set Aside Ideology, Is There Anything We Can Agree On? Just the experiment of setting aside ideological certainties for a moment would be instructive. ...
3rd Mar 2025
47

If We Set Aside Ideology, Is There Anything We Can Agree On?

from oftwominds-Charles Hugh Smith [alt+shift+b] in finance

3rd Mar 2025
Just the experiment of setting aside ideological certainties for a moment would be instructive. Humans are hard-wired to prefer simplicity over complexity, and this is the foundation of ideology, which like mythology takes a complex world and radically simplifies it to an...
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