Noahpinion
Some thoughts on where the war in Ukraine is headed
And some perspective on what's happened already.
a year ago
And some perspective on what's happened already.
Rest of World -...
When disaster strikes, the world opens WhatsApp
Meta's messaging app has transformed communication in conflict and crisis areas.
a week ago
Meta's messaging app has transformed communication in conflict and crisis areas.
Platformer
Why note-taking apps don't make us smarter
They're designed for storage, not sparking insights. Can AI change that?
a year ago
They're designed for storage, not sparking insights. Can AI change that?
Rest of World -...
Beyond a Barbie ban, Vietnam sets its censors on Netflix
It’s not just the summer blockbuster that’s hit a nerve.
a year ago
It’s not just the summer blockbuster that’s hit a nerve.
Internal Tech Emails
Samsung vs. iPhone | Elon Musk's schedule
Steve Job's passing has led to a huge wave of press coverage of Apple's and iPhone's "superiority",...
over a year ago
Steve Job's passing has led to a huge wave of press coverage of Apple's and iPhone's "superiority", all created by the, "passionate, tireless, perfectionist..." The point here is that there is an unintended benefit for Apple, since the external messages by 3rd parties are all...
Essays - Benedict...
Netflix, Shein and MrBeast
What does Netflix have in common with Shein, and why is MrBeast more
interesting than Disney Plus?
a year ago
What does Netflix have in common with Shein, and why is MrBeast more
interesting than Disney Plus?
Tech + Economics +...
The elegance of endurance: what centuries-old enterprises can teach modern culture.
For 879 years, the oldest Sake brewery in Japan has thrived and survived
through massive social,...
a year ago
For 879 years, the oldest Sake brewery in Japan has thrived and survived
through massive social, technological and economic change. Most recently it
has weathered the threat of radioactive contamination from the Fukushima
Nuclear Power Plant, with its products remaining...
Rest of World -...
ShopeeFood underestimates delivery distances. Gig workers in Vietnam are paying the price
Rest of World reviewed nearly 50 orders on Vietnam’s second most popular food delivery app, and in...
9 months ago
Rest of World reviewed nearly 50 orders on Vietnam’s second most popular food delivery app, and in most cases, the distance was estimated lower than Google Maps’ estimate.
Noahpinion
Why some franchises go downhill while others stay great
A little break from our typical economics fare.
6 months ago
A little break from our typical economics fare.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"The Not So Global Internet"
Fred Wilson writes about how frustrating it is when companies break the internet: We are in the...
over a year ago
Fred Wilson writes about how frustrating it is when companies break the internet: We are in the caribbean this week celebrating the year end…
Noahpinion
Interview: Chris Miller, historian and author of "Chip War"
In which I consult an expert on the battle to control the semiconductor industry.
a year ago
In which I consult an expert on the battle to control the semiconductor industry.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Matt Stoller Explains Monopolies
The latest episode of my podcast Better Online is a conversation with Matt Stoller — America’s...
3 months ago
The latest episode of my podcast Better Online is a conversation with Matt Stoller — America’s leading voice on monopoly and antitrust matters, and a thoughtful and prolific writer. You can find Matt on Twitter here, and his newsletter here.
It was a timely conversation. At the
AVC
What Will Happen In 2023
I want to focus this post on the macro environment for tech, startups, web3, and climate because...
a year ago
I want to focus this post on the macro environment for tech, startups, web3, and climate because that is where my head is at right now. I believe that sometime in the first half of 2023, the central banks around the world will start backing off the tightening that they have been...
Rest of World -...
How Chinese e-commerce fuels counterfeit fashion in Nigeria
“Fake originals” make their way from sites like AliExpress and DHgate to a market in Lagos.
a year ago
“Fake originals” make their way from sites like AliExpress and DHgate to a market in Lagos.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Why the web economy will continue growing rapidly
Here’s the really good news for the web economy over the next decade. Consumers are spending more...
over a year ago
Here’s the really good news for the web economy over the next decade. Consumers are spending more and more time online, yet only about 1…
Unpacked
Generative AI and the Future of News - a tale of two worlds
Last week, the New York Times reported that Google is testing an AI tool that enables news...
a year ago
Last week, the New York Times reported that Google is testing an AI tool that enables news organizations to create content using AI. It is unclear what the exact capabilities of the product are but based on one comment from Google, it helps with tasks like headlines and modifying...
Data Boutique
How Data Boutique Works
Making Web Data Purchases Easy
a year ago
Making Web Data Purchases Easy
Essays - Benedict...
Building AI products
How do we build mass-market products that change the world around a
technology that gets things...
6 months ago
How do we build mass-market products that change the world around a
technology that gets things ‘wrong’? What does wrong mean, and how is that
useful?
Tom Blomfield
Taking Risk
I just spent a week talking with some exceptional students from three of the UK’s top universities;...
7 months ago
I just spent a week talking with some exceptional students from three of the UK’s top universities; Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial College. Along with UCL, these British universities represent 4 of the top 10 universities in the world. The US - a country with 5x more people and...
Articles - Alex...
The digital dark side
The advent of digital media promised so much. Savvy shoppers would no
longer be surreptitiously...
over a year ago
The advent of digital media promised so much. Savvy shoppers would no
longer be surreptitiously swayed by advertising alone. The internet would
enable them to research products. Social media would allow them to share
their experiences. And ecommence would provide the power...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The one number you should know about your equity grant
The one number you should know about your equity grant is the percent of the company you are being...
over a year ago
The one number you should know about your equity grant is the percent of the company you are being granted (in options, shares, whatever…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Pivoting into a new corporate structure
This hasn’t happened to me, but I keep hearing stories about situations like the following: 1)...
over a year ago
This hasn’t happened to me, but I keep hearing stories about situations like the following: 1) startup raises a seed financing round while…
Blog posts of...
A Primer on Startup Metrics – Which Analytics Tool to pick.
As a analytics consultant I am working with a lot of startups and help them in the topics of...
over a year ago
As a analytics consultant I am working with a lot of startups and help them in the topics of metrics, analytics, retention and gro...
Aaron's Essays
The Hindsight Game
There are all kinds of strategies for evaluating startup ideas - investors talk about having a...
a year ago
There are all kinds of strategies for evaluating startup ideas - investors talk about having a “prepared mind,” others build market maps, I like to think about toys, and we could go on. What everyone wants to do is predict the future. That’s honestly impossible. But we can...
Rest of World -...
The U.S. shouldn’t make its semiconductor policy all about China
American chip policy doesn’t just hurt China. It hurts Taiwan, too.
a year ago
American chip policy doesn’t just hurt China. It hurts Taiwan, too.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Subprime Intelligence
Please scroll to the bottom for news on my next big project, Better Offline, coming this...
10 months ago
Please scroll to the bottom for news on my next big project, Better Offline, coming this Wednesday!
Last week, Sam Altman debuted OpenAI's "Sora," a text-to-video AI model that turns strings of text into full-blown videos, much like how OpenAI's DALL-E turns text into
Steve Blank
Gordon Bell R.I.P.
Gordon Bell passed on this month. I was a latecomer in Gordon Bell’s life. But he made a lasting...
6 months ago
Gordon Bell passed on this month. I was a latecomer in Gordon Bell’s life. But he made a lasting impact on mine. The first time I laid eyes on Gordon Bell was in 1984 outside a restaurant in a Boston suburb when he pulled up in a Porsche. I was the head of Marketing for […]
Noahpinion
"I'm cute I'm punk rock"
A guest post by Pourteaux.
a year ago
A guest post by Pourteaux.
SatPost by Trung...
Best of SatPost (First Half of 2024)
PLUS: Solar Industry, LVMH Real Estate, Delta Airlines is Winning.
5 months ago
PLUS: Solar Industry, LVMH Real Estate, Delta Airlines is Winning.
Rest of World -...
Uber’s largest vehicle financing partner is an African startup with global ambitions
From India to the U.K., UAE, and Thailand, Nigeria-founded Moove is chasing profitability.
8 months ago
From India to the U.K., UAE, and Thailand, Nigeria-founded Moove is chasing profitability.
Rest of World -...
ElevenLabs’ first Indian partnership banks on AI voice clones to make audio stories faster and...
Pocket FM creators can convert scripts to audio in English and German with one click. The company...
4 months ago
Pocket FM creators can convert scripts to audio in English and German with one click. The company plans to add more languages as it expands across Europe and Latin America this year.
Noahpinion
Why Americans fear the AI future
Five decades of rising inequality and slow growth have made us a less optimistic country.
a year ago
Five decades of rising inequality and slow growth have made us a less optimistic country.
Noahpinion
Skilled immigration is a national security priority
A joint blog post by Noah and Minn Kim on America's need for a national skilled immigration...
5 months ago
A joint blog post by Noah and Minn Kim on America's need for a national skilled immigration strategy.
Noahpinion
Is immigration raising rents in America?
No, but in a few big cities it might be.
a year ago
No, but in a few big cities it might be.
Working Theorys
Writer-Builders
Theory #39 | The archetype of new kind of renaissance man
7 months ago
Theory #39 | The archetype of new kind of renaissance man
David Perell
The Book You Need to Read
There is an epidemic of people who bash Christianity but haven’t read the Bible.
No matter where you...
over a year ago
There is an epidemic of people who bash Christianity but haven’t read the Bible.
No matter where you stand on religion, if you don’t know what the Bible actually says, it’s time to change that.
The post The Book You Need to Read appeared first on David Perell.
Rest of World -...
The U.S. is racing to source chips from Vietnam — but engineers are scant
A deficit of 15,000 engineers is predicted in the next five years. Just 89 students are enrolled in...
a year ago
A deficit of 15,000 engineers is predicted in the next five years. Just 89 students are enrolled in the country’s only comprehensive chip engineering degree.
Internal Tech Emails
Inside Google's negotiations with Apple
I would let them try someone else for search if they don’t like our last offer.
a year ago
I would let them try someone else for search if they don’t like our last offer.
Platformer
Why Platformer is leaving Substack
We’ve seen this movie before — and we won’t stick around to watch it play out
11 months ago
We’ve seen this movie before — and we won’t stick around to watch it play out
David Perell
Where the Liberal Arts Went Wrong
We’ve lost touch with the ultimate purpose of education: to transform our being and improve our...
a year ago
We’ve lost touch with the ultimate purpose of education: to transform our being and improve our character. The liberal arts are the ends, not the means.
The post Where the Liberal Arts Went Wrong appeared first on David Perell.
Rest of World -...
This Indian state wants to be a tech hub. But the government keeps shutting down the internet
Manipur’s startup community is struggling to survive, with tech professionals moving to Bengaluru or...
a month ago
Manipur’s startup community is struggling to survive, with tech professionals moving to Bengaluru or Hyderabad.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Steve Jobs on problem solving
When you start looking at a problem and it seems really simple, you don’t really understand the...
over a year ago
When you start looking at a problem and it seems really simple, you don’t really understand the complexity of the problem. Then you get…
Noahpinion
Who's afraid of East Asian management culture?
TSMC's difficulties in Arizona aren't due to the mystical superiority of Confucian values.
7 months ago
TSMC's difficulties in Arizona aren't due to the mystical superiority of Confucian values.
Rest of World -...
Turn it up: Rest of World’s 2023 global party playlist
Impress your friends by queuing up these chart-topping pop songs from the countries we cover.
a year ago
Impress your friends by queuing up these chart-topping pop songs from the countries we cover.
SatPost by Trung...
11 types of cross-industry innovation
PLUS: AI spam, Disney vs. BuzzFeed.
a year ago
PLUS: AI spam, Disney vs. BuzzFeed.
Stephen Diehl
The Oncoming Ransomware Storm
over a year ago
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for your weekend (#32)
The bridge disaster, Daniel Kahneman, Biden and nuclear power, ebbing unrest, Bay Area...
8 months ago
The bridge disaster, Daniel Kahneman, Biden and nuclear power, ebbing unrest, Bay Area "progressives", and cancer detection
Tom Blomfield
Customer churn can kill your startup
Startups are about growth, and of all the different possible metrics, startups often focus on user...
over a year ago
Startups are about growth, and of all the different possible metrics, startups often focus on user growth - if people aren’t using your new product or service in greater and greater numbers, it’s a good sign that you’re not on the right track. And, as long as your business-model...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Accurate contrarian theories
When Google released its search engine in 1998, its search results were significantly better than...
over a year ago
When Google released its search engine in 1998, its search results were significantly better than its competitors’. Many people attribute…
Data Boutique
Scrape Or Buy? The Zalando Case Study
Cost of Web Data in a Real-Life Example
a year ago
Cost of Web Data in a Real-Life Example
David Perell
Against 3X Speed
Mike boastfully reads 100 books per year. He listens to audiobooks at 3x speed whenever he drives...
over a year ago
Mike boastfully reads 100 books per year. He listens to audiobooks at 3x speed whenever he drives and swears he can remember it all. His browser has a plugin that lets him speed up YouTube videos, and for a while, he listened to podcasts on a special app because of its unique...
Rest of World -...
This delivery app takes away health insurance when workers don’t meet quotas
Rest of World spoke with 40 riders for Swiggy in India. Many described losing coverage when they...
8 months ago
Rest of World spoke with 40 riders for Swiggy in India. Many described losing coverage when they needed help the most.
David Perell
Learning to Actually Listen
I’ve been listening the wrong way my entire life — with just my ears. True listening is a...
a year ago
I’ve been listening the wrong way my entire life — with just my ears. True listening is a totalizing, full-body experience.
The post Learning to Actually Listen appeared first on David Perell.
Rest of World -...
The rise and fall of Koo, India’s once-thriving Twitter alternative
The microblogging platform — India’s first in over 10 languages — went from booming international...
6 months ago
The microblogging platform — India’s first in over 10 languages — went from booming international expansion to near closure in just four years.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
We're Watching Facebook Die
In the first quarter of 2024, Meta made $36.45 billion dollars - $12.37 billion dollars of which was...
6 months ago
In the first quarter of 2024, Meta made $36.45 billion dollars - $12.37 billion dollars of which was pure profit. Though the company no longer reports daily active users, it now uses another metric: “family daily active people.” This number refers to “registered and logged-in
Rest of World -...
Why China still runs on Windows
And what it means for Microsoft.
6 months ago
And what it means for Microsoft.
Rest of World -...
Around the world with Rest of World
Put your geography knowledge to the test.
3 months ago
Put your geography knowledge to the test.
42!
Founders - Don't just build another job for yourself
I was having pre-Christmas lunch with Paul*, one of my best friends from middle school a couple of...
over a year ago
I was having pre-Christmas lunch with Paul*, one of my best friends from middle school a couple of weeks back. However, as soon as he sat down at our table and I asked him how he was, he surprisingly announced that he would be closing his business at the end of the year.
I was...
Noahpinion
A pivotal moment for Japan's national defense
A guest post by Jonathan Grady
6 months ago
A guest post by Jonathan Grady
Business Brainstorms
Designjoy of Canva, password manager for seniors, Future of SaaS in the wild world of AI, ...
Hey, this is Jakob Greenfeld, author of the Business Brainstorms newsletter - every week I write...
a year ago
Hey, this is Jakob Greenfeld, author of the Business Brainstorms newsletter - every week I write this email to share the most interesting trends, frameworks, opportunities, and ideas with you. Let's dive in! 💡 Opportunities “Business idea: “The Designjoy of Canva” - Lower priced...
Entrepreneur's Edge
Your Name is an Ad Creative that is Everywhere, All at Once
Learn how to leverage cognitive science to create an instant brand advantage.
a year ago
Learn how to leverage cognitive science to create an instant brand advantage.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"This business is like bird spotting"
One of my favorite quotes about startups/VC, from legendary VC Mike Moritz of Sequoia: I rarely...
over a year ago
One of my favorite quotes about startups/VC, from legendary VC Mike Moritz of Sequoia: I rarely think about big themes. This business is…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The importance of institutional redundancy
Every system built by a single institution has points of failure that can bring the entire system...
over a year ago
Every system built by a single institution has points of failure that can bring the entire system down. Even in organizations that have…
Blog posts of...
Why the future needs a brandname.
There is a disenchantment in our generation. We are still sitting on our lonely planet without space...
over a year ago
There is a disenchantment in our generation. We are still sitting on our lonely planet without space travel nor flying cars or at...
Rest of World -...
What’s trending on Spotify in Africa?
Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy talks about the most surprising user behavior on the music streaming app.
6 months ago
Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy talks about the most surprising user behavior on the music streaming app.
Noahpinion
Thus passes Robert Lucas
Farewell to the most influential macroeconomist of his generation.
a year ago
Farewell to the most influential macroeconomist of his generation.
AVC
What Happened In 2022
I like to bookend the New Year holiday with two posts, one looking back at the year that is ending...
a year ago
I like to bookend the New Year holiday with two posts, one looking back at the year that is ending and one looking forward to the year ahead. This is the first of these two posts. The second one will run tomorrow. What happened in 2022 is the bottom fell out of the capital...
David Perell
Li Jin: Creating the Creator Economy
My guest today is Li Jin, the founder and managing partner at an early-stage venture capital...
over a year ago
My guest today is Li Jin, the founder and managing partner at an early-stage venture capital firm called Atelier. Before recording this introduction, I didn’t know what an atelier was, so I looked it up and it’s right on brand for Li: it’s defined as a workshop or a studio,...
Noahpinion
How we'll know if Trump is going to sell America out to China
Keep an eye on the export controls. They are the key.
a week ago
Keep an eye on the export controls. They are the key.
Dustin Curtis
Block Carefully
A couple of years ago, I posted a slight criticism of Elon Musk that led prominent venture...
2 months ago
A couple of years ago, I posted a slight criticism of Elon Musk that led prominent venture capitalist Marc Andreessen to block me. Since then, I have been unable to view his posts1, which is a shame because I valued his thoughts and opinions.
Today, X engineering announced...
Aaron's Essays
Pro rata is a bad term
For a long time, I was a strong believer in investor pro ratas. As a founder, I understood the trade...
over a year ago
For a long time, I was a strong believer in investor pro ratas. As a founder, I understood the trade and was comfortable with it. As a partner at YC, I thought it made enough sense that I helped design an entire programmatic pro rata system that covered every investment YC made....
Blog posts of...
A model that’s mental
Maybe… This anxiety isn’t anxiety it’s just your raw excitement that you are misunderstanding. This...
over a year ago
Maybe… This anxiety isn’t anxiety it’s just your raw excitement that you are misunderstanding. This creeping imposter syndrome jus...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Four types of mobile apps
If you are a founder trying to create a new mobile app or an investor trying decide whether an app...
over a year ago
If you are a founder trying to create a new mobile app or an investor trying decide whether an app has enduring value, it is helpful to…
Noahpinion
Mike Bird and Noah Smith debate industrial policy
In which we hash out at least a few of our differences.
a year ago
In which we hash out at least a few of our differences.
Blog posts of...
#fyi: How founders can avoid drive-by-management
Suggestions by founders, managers, or anyone with authority in a startup, might often be...
over a year ago
Suggestions by founders, managers, or anyone with authority in a startup, might often be misunderstood as directions or decisions...
Rest of World -...
Jumia Food delivery workers’ final payments are still missing
Jumia says it paid its logistics partners. Logistics partners say they paid all the workers. The...
7 months ago
Jumia says it paid its logistics partners. Logistics partners say they paid all the workers. The workers say they haven’t been paid.
SatPost by Trung...
OpenAI Saga: The Best Links and Memes
PLUS: Ridley Scott's directing secret sauce.
a year ago
PLUS: Ridley Scott's directing secret sauce.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Why the integrated approach to mobile devices is winning
Until last week’s announcement of the new Surface tablet, Microsoft had taken the same approach to...
over a year ago
Until last week’s announcement of the new Surface tablet, Microsoft had taken the same approach to mobile devices that they had with PCs…
Paul Graham: Essays
What You'll Wish You'd Known
over a year ago
Unpacked
Instagram Threads: The Problem With The "Everything for Everyone" Approach
In recent times, Twitter has been through a roller coaster of events. What started with Elon Musk's...
a year ago
In recent times, Twitter has been through a roller coaster of events. What started with Elon Musk's turbulent acquisition has now been followed up by a series of controversial product decisions. To list a few: Twitter limited the number of daily tweets
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Managing Up
Over the last two newsletters (three, if you include my reply to Google’s “rebuttal” of the...
7 months ago
Over the last two newsletters (three, if you include my reply to Google’s “rebuttal” of the Prabhakar Raghavan newsletter), I’ve made the case that while rot economics are responsible for making technology products manifestly worse, this transformation was only possible thanks to...
Data Boutique
The Web Data Landscape Map: Visualizing The Ecosystem
Mapping actors and solutions
8 months ago
Mapping actors and solutions
Noahpinion
Liberalism is losing the information war
Because it's refusing to fight.
a year ago
Because it's refusing to fight.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The new economy
According to the Business Insider, Facebook is “‘Beating The S— Out Of Its Numbers’ Thanks To...
over a year ago
According to the Business Insider, Facebook is “‘Beating The S— Out Of Its Numbers’ Thanks To Zynga’s Virtual Goods.” I wanted to try to…
Rest of World -...
Latin American startups embrace OpenAI, but at what cost?
The region’s early-stage startups get less funding than their U.S. counterparts, making AI...
a year ago
The region’s early-stage startups get less funding than their U.S. counterparts, making AI tools-for-hire an onerous new expense.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Some tips for interacting with the press
Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years about the best ways for entrepreneurs to interact...
over a year ago
Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years about the best ways for entrepreneurs to interact with the press (by press I mean blogs as…
Noahpinion
Repost: Weebs!
Everything you didn't realize you wanted to know about the non-Japanese people who love Japanese pop...
a year ago
Everything you didn't realize you wanted to know about the non-Japanese people who love Japanese pop culture.
Working Theorys
Invisible Duels
You didn’t agree to this duel. Yet it’s happening.
2 weeks ago
You didn’t agree to this duel. Yet it’s happening.
Rest of World -...
How Spotify helped turn Afrobeats into a global phenomenon
The Swedish music giant is pushing to make Africa’s biggest sound the world’s favorite sound.
11 months ago
The Swedish music giant is pushing to make Africa’s biggest sound the world’s favorite sound.
SatPost by Trung...
The LEGO Star Wars Inception
LEGO and Star Wars created a $1B+ a year toy monster by combining two iconic brands that appeal to...
7 months ago
LEGO and Star Wars created a $1B+ a year toy monster by combining two iconic brands that appeal to both children and adults.
Noahpinion
How technology has changed the world since I was young
A bit of future shock.
a year ago
Rest of World -...
Latin Americans’ social feeds are being flooded with AI-generated ads
Brands and politicians are getting mixed results.
a year ago
Brands and politicians are getting mixed results.
Blog posts of...
How I think about Code Management
You might have the worst codebase in the world. It was written by people who had no standards or...
over a year ago
You might have the worst codebase in the world. It was written by people who had no standards or didn’t care about code quality. H...
Stephen Diehl
Functional Programming, Abstraction, and Names
over a year ago
Noahpinion
How Ireland got so rich
Once an underdog, the Emerald Isle is now on top.
a year ago
Once an underdog, the Emerald Isle is now on top.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
What jobs are users hiring your product to perform?
One of Clay Christensen’s favorite concepts is that instead of dividing your customers into segments...
over a year ago
One of Clay Christensen’s favorite concepts is that instead of dividing your customers into segments and asking which features each segment…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Incubators
It seems like every successful entrepreneur I know at one point or another kicks around the idea of...
over a year ago
It seems like every successful entrepreneur I know at one point or another kicks around the idea of creating an incubator. The appeal is the…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Facebook, Zynga, and buyer-supplier hold up
The brewing fight between Facebook and Zynga is what is known in economic strategy circles as...
over a year ago
The brewing fight between Facebook and Zynga is what is known in economic strategy circles as “buyer-supplier hold up.” The classic…
Rest of World -...
Forget Quibi. Chinese streamers are hooking Americans with werewolf love triangles
Billionaire werewolf love triangles, that is.
a year ago
Billionaire werewolf love triangles, that is.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
“Otherwise do something else”
I remember back when I started my first company, a friend said to me “get ready to have a knot in...
over a year ago
I remember back when I started my first company, a friend said to me “get ready to have a knot in your stomach and feel nauseous for years…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Some thoughts on incumbents
Reposted from Oct 7, 2010 from cdixon.posterous.com By “incumbents” I mean the big companies that...
over a year ago
Reposted from Oct 7, 2010 from cdixon.posterous.com By “incumbents” I mean the big companies that are loosely competitive to your startup…
Rest of World -...
Indonesia has more than 700 languages. Can AI save them?
Most LLMs such as GPT, Llama, and Gemini are trained largely in English, but several Southeast Asian...
7 months ago
Most LLMs such as GPT, Llama, and Gemini are trained largely in English, but several Southeast Asian firms are focusing on Bahasa Indonesia and other regional languages.
Tech + Economics +...
Bitcoin ETFs will make greater fools of us all.
Reuters: US SEC approves bitcoin ETFs in watershed for crypto market
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, Jan...
11 months ago
Reuters: US SEC approves bitcoin ETFs in watershed for crypto market
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. securities regulator
on Wednesday approved the first U.S.-listed exchange traded funds
(ETFs) to track bitcoin, its Chair Gary Gensler said, in a...
Noahpinion
A data-driven case for productivity optimism
A guest post by Brian Albrecht of Economic Forces.
4 months ago
A guest post by Brian Albrecht of Economic Forces.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Incumbents
Almost every startup has big companies (“incumbents”) that are at some point potential acquirers or...
over a year ago
Almost every startup has big companies (“incumbents”) that are at some point potential acquirers or competitors. For internet startups that…
Paul Graham: Essays
You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss
over a year ago
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 1 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Rest of World -...
Traditional sellers in Vietnam still aren’t sold on e-commerce
As online shopping booms, local merchants are struggling to adapt, despite government help.
a month ago
As online shopping booms, local merchants are struggling to adapt, despite government help.
Inverted Passion
Notes on how Supercell is run
Supercell, the company behind the massively popular Clash of Clans game, has one of the highest...
a year ago
Supercell, the company behind the massively popular Clash of Clans game, has one of the highest valuation per employee figures out there: they’re valued at $32mn per employee. That’s insane! How do they do it? 1/ What struck me is the sheer number of games they kill each year?...
XO Capital - Field...
Moving To A Paid Community
I've been debating / delaying this moment for 3 years. They say to build a business these days, one...
9 months ago
I've been debating / delaying this moment for 3 years. They say to build a business these days, one smart way to do it is build a community first.
We do have a community. It's on discord. It's been useless for all but the past
AVC
The Annual Computer Science Fair
Ten years ago, a small group of folks in the K12 Computer Science Education community in NYC decided...
a year ago
Ten years ago, a small group of folks in the K12 Computer Science Education community in NYC decided to put on a “mock job fair” for high school students who were taking computer science classes in the NYC public schools. That was the start of an annual day of engagement and...
Rest of World -...
Meet the “digital parents” giving millions in China a vision of family love they never had
Creators Jiang Xiuping and Pan Huqian, a viral Douyin duo, act as fictional parents, providing...
7 months ago
Creators Jiang Xiuping and Pan Huqian, a viral Douyin duo, act as fictional parents, providing solace to young adults and adolescents amidst economic inequalities and a scarcity of mental health support in China.
Data Boutique
How to Estimate Sales Using Inventory Web-Scraped Data
A powerful use case for web data
9 months ago
A powerful use case for web data
Noahpinion
Heterodox vs. mainstream macroeconomics
If you're skeptical of one, you should be skeptical of the other too.
a year ago
If you're skeptical of one, you should be skeptical of the other too.
Blog posts of...
Managing people 🤯
I believe almost all first-time founders burn out their first employees – maybe this article helps...
over a year ago
I believe almost all first-time founders burn out their first employees – maybe this article helps you avoiding this
Working Theorys
Crypto social games don’t need the crypto
Crypto social games, work "trials," and meeting your creations in the wild
10 months ago
Crypto social games, work "trials," and meeting your creations in the wild
cdixon.org RSS Feed
To make smarter systems, it’s all about the data
As this article by Alex Wright in the New York Times last week reminded me, when the mainstream...
over a year ago
As this article by Alex Wright in the New York Times last week reminded me, when the mainstream press talks about artificial intelligence…
Throwable
The Parable of the Three Managers
Once upon a time there was a small village with three managers. Each day, at sunset, they’d gather...
a year ago
Once upon a time there was a small village with three managers. Each day, at sunset, they’d gather and tell stories of their team’s accomplishments. Every one better than the last. Until one day a curse was cast upon them all, shrouding each manager’s team in a cloud. Within the...
Aaron's Essays
Bad Terms
Every startup fundraising process is influenced by the balance of power between the founder and the...
over a year ago
Every startup fundraising process is influenced by the balance of power between the founder and the investor. When the founder has a company that is doing incredibly well, and is being chased by lots of investors, the founder has more leverage. When the founder is inexperienced,...
Dustin Curtis
Tesla and Storytelling
Last week, Tesla unveiled two world-changing products: Robotaxi1, a fully self-driving taxi with no...
2 months ago
Last week, Tesla unveiled two world-changing products: Robotaxi1, a fully self-driving taxi with no steering wheel or pedals, and an autonomous humanoid robot, called Optimus2, that can walk and has fully functioning hands and feet. Both of these products have been depicted in...
Internal Tech Emails
Mark Zuckerberg: "Please Resign"
This was an act of betrayal.
a year ago
This was an act of betrayal.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 One of the most interesting learnings after doing lead gen for 100+ b2b companies: the more...
8 months ago
#1 💡 One of the most interesting learnings after doing lead gen for 100+ b2b companies: the more directly your offer is related to one the core b2b “desires”, the easier the sales process. Many offers are only indirectly related to them. A better design might increases...
Blog posts of...
Managing Remote Teams - A Crash Course
Hey folks, I haven’t been blogging for quite some time, so everything is a bit rusty for me, but i...
over a year ago
Hey folks, I haven’t been blogging for quite some time, so everything is a bit rusty for me, but i thought this article might be u...
Internal Tech Emails
Steve Jobs on iPhone design
This may be our answer - we could put the number pad around our clickwheel.
9 months ago
This may be our answer - we could put the number pad around our clickwheel.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
“It is the human friction that makes the sparks”
From Jonah Lehrer, Brainstorming Doesn’t Really Work (via Stowe Boyd): Building 20 [a scene of...
over a year ago
From Jonah Lehrer, Brainstorming Doesn’t Really Work (via Stowe Boyd): Building 20 [a scene of incredible innovation at MIT] and…
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things to start your week (#33)
TSMC Arizona back on track, drawing arrows on graphs, the downsides of inclusionary zoning, why...
8 months ago
TSMC Arizona back on track, drawing arrows on graphs, the downsides of inclusionary zoning, why people hate inflation, and interesting ideas about market power
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The risks of being a small investor in a private company
With the passage of the JOBS act, it seems that many more Americans will soon be able to buy equity...
over a year ago
With the passage of the JOBS act, it seems that many more Americans will soon be able to buy equity in private companies. I am no expert on…
Essays - Benedict...
Looking for AI use-cases
We’ve had ChatGPT for 18 months, but what’s it for? What are the use-cases?
Why isn’t it useful...
8 months ago
We’ve had ChatGPT for 18 months, but what’s it for? What are the use-cases?
Why isn’t it useful for everyone, right now? Do Large Language Models
become universal tools that can do ‘any’ task, or do we wrap them in
single-purpose apps, and build thousands of new companies...
SatPost by Trung...
Steve Jobs, Rick Rubin and "taste"
The Apple co-founder and the super-producer share similar ideas regarding taste and creativity.
a year ago
The Apple co-founder and the super-producer share similar ideas regarding taste and creativity.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Web services should be both federated and extensible
One of the most important developments of the web 2.0 era is the proliferation of full featured,...
over a year ago
One of the most important developments of the web 2.0 era is the proliferation of full featured, bidirectional APIs. APIs provide a way to…
David Perell
Thoughts on Free Will
My friend Chris Sparks says: “When it comes to creating your environment, assume you have free will....
over a year ago
My friend Chris Sparks says: “When it comes to creating your environment, assume you have free will. When it comes to living in it, assume you have no free will.” Here’s an example: I lost my love of working out during the pandemic. Before it started, I worked out at a nice,...
Data Boutique
Economics of Web Data: ROI
Customer's Value Standpoint
a year ago
Customer's Value Standpoint
Nadia Asparouhova
Does meditation experience improve success with the jhanas?
Jhanas – a series of altered mental states that are accessed via concentration – are often described...
5 months ago
Jhanas – a series of altered mental states that are accessed via concentration – are often described as an “advanced meditation practice,” a phrase that suggests that one must be a skilled meditator to access them: just as only a skilled outdoorsman would embark upon an...
Rest of World -...
MercadoLibre is a massive fish in a medium-sized pond
The Argentine e-commerce company is no doubt beating the likes of Amazon in Latin America, but how...
a year ago
The Argentine e-commerce company is no doubt beating the likes of Amazon in Latin America, but how comparable are the two?
Noahpinion
The positive case for Joe Biden
It's not just about being anti-Trump.
7 months ago
It's not just about being anti-Trump.
Nadia Asparouhova
Mapping out the tribes of climate
Climate is a gravity well for talent, but why don’t other, equally impactful topics attract talent...
over a year ago
Climate is a gravity well for talent, but why don’t other, equally impactful topics attract talent in the same way? Why isn’t everyone dropping everything to work on homelessness, or global poverty, or curing cancer? With many peers in tech now working on climate issues, I tried...
Noahpinion
Real estate is China's economic Achilles heel
It's the country's biggest engine of growth an employment, financial asset, and source of government...
a year ago
It's the country's biggest engine of growth an employment, financial asset, and source of government revenue.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"You actually have to remind yourself not to believe"
[Virtual Reality] is the last medium. We’re at the very beginning of it, but version 147 is The...
over a year ago
[Virtual Reality] is the last medium. We’re at the very beginning of it, but version 147 is The Matrix or Total Recall. Our brain is no…
Blog posts of...
About the “other” Startup Hubs.
There is an energetic discussion going on in the Web-Tech Startup World. Each city wants to know -...
over a year ago
There is an energetic discussion going on in the Web-Tech Startup World. Each city wants to know - “Can we become the next Silicon...
Paul Graham: Essays
Why Startups Condense in America
over a year ago
Noahpinion
Pakistan needs a plan
The country can't go on like this. It needs stability, privatization, education, foreign investment,...
10 months ago
The country can't go on like this. It needs stability, privatization, education, foreign investment, and peace.
Noahpinion
Manufacturing is a war now
And the democracies are losing.
2 weeks ago
And the democracies are losing.
Rest of World -...
Uber Eats drivers in South Africa are unionizing
Citing meager wages, no safety gear, and exploitative working conditions, the country’s drivers are...
a year ago
Citing meager wages, no safety gear, and exploitative working conditions, the country’s drivers are organizing to demand better.
Noahpinion
A few economists are starting to think seriously about industrial policy
But not enough researchers are paying attention, and we only know a little so far.
a year ago
But not enough researchers are paying attention, and we only know a little so far.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Sam Altman Is Full Of Shit
Note: In my last newsletter, I said that my next post would be the second part of my Facebook...
7 months ago
Note: In my last newsletter, I said that my next post would be the second part of my Facebook autopsy. Don’t worry, that’s still coming, but given the recent drama between Sam Altman, OpenAI, and Scarlett Johansson, I felt the need to write something. Don’
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
'The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.' Teilhard de Chardin...
6 months ago
'The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.' Teilhard de Chardin 💡Broken Hips This feels like one of these problems that most people have accepted as inevitable but that will be solved soon and we will look back and think how crazy we allowed this...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Comma.ai
I wrote a blog post last month highlighting some of the exciting trends in the computing industry....
over a year ago
I wrote a blog post last month highlighting some of the exciting trends in the computing industry. One trend I discussed is the rapid…
Noahpinion
The debt ceiling deal: What was the whole point?
A manufactured crisis leads to an ineffectual "solution"
a year ago
A manufactured crisis leads to an ineffectual "solution"
Rest of World -...
The #1 rideshare app in Japan isn’t Uber, it’s a taxi app
Go summons taxis and the company behind it is Japan's newest unicorn.
a year ago
Go summons taxis and the company behind it is Japan's newest unicorn.
Rest of World -...
A former fish farmer’s startup is flourishing during a tech downturn
Gibran Huzaifah’s eFishery made a case for tech companies solving rural issues.
a year ago
Gibran Huzaifah’s eFishery made a case for tech companies solving rural issues.
Platformer
Another Facebook content moderation company quits the business
Amid worker unrest and a lawsuit, Sama says it's done. Will others follow?
a year ago
Amid worker unrest and a lawsuit, Sama says it's done. Will others follow?
Dustin Curtis
Luxury for everyone: thoughts on Vision Pro and Apple's DNA
In 2009, Microsoft released an enormous 200lb coffee table with an embedded 30-inch touchscreen...
7 months ago
In 2009, Microsoft released an enormous 200lb coffee table with an embedded 30-inch touchscreen called Surface. Although the iPhone had been around for a little while, the larger screen made Surface feel absolutely futuristic: in the Photos app, you could toss around pictures...
Rest of World -...
The most popular payment app in the Philippines has a side bet: online gambling
The GCash app is ubiquitous in the Philippines, and is being blamed for rising gambling addiction in...
2 months ago
The GCash app is ubiquitous in the Philippines, and is being blamed for rising gambling addiction in the country, particularly among women.
Internal Tech Emails
Scott Forstall emails Steve Jobs | Elon Musk on tweeting
He mentions third party developers. I do think at some point we will want to enable third parties to...
over a year ago
He mentions third party developers. I do think at some point we will want to enable third parties to write apps for P2.
Essays - Benedict...
TV, merchant media and the unbundling of advertising
Amazon’s ad business is bigger than YouTube and more profitable than AWS.
Shein is the biggest...
over a year ago
Amazon’s ad business is bigger than YouTube and more profitable than AWS.
Shein is the biggest fast-fashion retailer in the US, with no stores. US
pay TV subscribers have fallen by a third. Where do ad budgets go, where
does rent go, and how many brands will there be?
Rest of World -...
Mexico City has an earthquake alarm system. Millions trust an app more
SkyAlert users turn their phones into personal quake monitors rather than rely on the government’s...
a year ago
SkyAlert users turn their phones into personal quake monitors rather than rely on the government’s loudspeakers.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Monopoly Money
Last week, in the midst of the slow, painful collapse of the generative AI hype cycle, something...
4 months ago
Last week, in the midst of the slow, painful collapse of the generative AI hype cycle, something incredible happened.
On Monday, a Federal Judge delivered a crushing ruling in the multi-year-long antitrust case filed against Google by the Department of Justice. In 300-pages of...
Unpacked
The EU's war on behavioral advertising
Meta recently conceded that in-app behavioral advertising in the EU can no longer be opt-in by...
a year ago
Meta recently conceded that in-app behavioral advertising in the EU can no longer be opt-in by default, marking the end of an era. The regulators won, at least for now.
SatPost by Trung...
Apple's M&A Strategy, Explained
PLUS: Chick-fil-A, Duolingo, Bitcoin rally.
a month ago
PLUS: Chick-fil-A, Duolingo, Bitcoin rally.
Rest of World -...
The Vietnamese military has a troll army and Facebook is its weapon
Force 47 abuses Facebook's safety tools to silence government critics at home and anywhere in the...
a year ago
Force 47 abuses Facebook's safety tools to silence government critics at home and anywhere in the world.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Are We Watching The Internet Die?
Sometime this month, Reddit will go public at a valuation of $6.5bn. Select Redditors were offered...
9 months ago
Sometime this month, Reddit will go public at a valuation of $6.5bn. Select Redditors were offered the chance to buy stock at the initial listing price, which it hasn’t announced yet but is expected to be in the range of $31-34 per share. Regardless of the actual
SatPost by Trung...
Taylor Swift, Johnny Cash and AI Art
Context matters more than content in the age of AI-generated audio, images and videos.
a year ago
Context matters more than content in the age of AI-generated audio, images and videos.
Platformer
How you want me to cover artificial intelligence
Seven principles for journalism in the age of AI
a year ago
Seven principles for journalism in the age of AI
SatPost by Trung...
The Dorito-fication of Media
How the evolution of media created ultra-processed junk food for our mind.
a month ago
How the evolution of media created ultra-processed junk food for our mind.
Platformer
Reddit doubles down
Delaying its API changes would benefit everyone — but users have other options, too
a year ago
Delaying its API changes would benefit everyone — but users have other options, too
Aaron's Essays
Investors and their incentives
It is incredibly important to understand the incentives of investors when you are raising money....
over a year ago
It is incredibly important to understand the incentives of investors when you are raising money. This used to be fairly easy - you raised money from Venture Capitalists who wanted to see a big return on their investment. The best of these investors were incredibly focused on...
Noahpinion
In which British writers scold America on trade
If you don't acknowledge the point of tariffs, how can you hope to criticize them?
7 months ago
If you don't acknowledge the point of tariffs, how can you hope to criticize them?
Noahpinion
Japan is not a xenophobic country
It has a substantial amount of immigration, as well as pro-immigration policies and attitudes.
7 months ago
It has a substantial amount of immigration, as well as pro-immigration policies and attitudes.
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things to start your week (#50)
Permitting reform; industrial policy progress; China stimulus/bailouts; men and politics; wokeness;...
2 months ago
Permitting reform; industrial policy progress; China stimulus/bailouts; men and politics; wokeness; tariffs; a bad union demand
Noahpinion
A bunch of handy charts about climate change
A couple dozen pictures are worth a couple thousand words.
10 months ago
A couple dozen pictures are worth a couple thousand words.
Roberto Vitillo's...
Resiliency patterns of distributed systems
I have released a new chapter of Understanding Distributed Systems : Resiliency Patterns. The...
over a year ago
I have released a new chapter of Understanding Distributed Systems : Resiliency Patterns. The chapter is all about failures and their…
Rest of World -...
Ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria are suffering after government triples fuel prices
Uber and Bolt drivers say the fuel subsidy removal has put them at risk of losing their livelihoods.
a year ago
Uber and Bolt drivers say the fuel subsidy removal has put them at risk of losing their livelihoods.
Rest of World -...
For South Africa’s female ride-hailing drivers, customers are the biggest hazards
Desperate to make ends meet, female Uber and Bolt drivers say abuse and attacks are a constant part...
a year ago
Desperate to make ends meet, female Uber and Bolt drivers say abuse and attacks are a constant part of the job.
SatPost by Trung...
"The Economist" Cover Curse, Explained
PLUS: My Dune 2 review, TikTok Ban and Why Jalapeños are Less Spicy.
9 months ago
PLUS: My Dune 2 review, TikTok Ban and Why Jalapeños are Less Spicy.
Dustin Curtis
Apple TV, Apple TV, Apple TV, and Apple TV+
Apple TV is a hardware device.
Apple TV is an app on Apple TV that curates content you can buy...
over a year ago
Apple TV is a hardware device.
Apple TV is an app on Apple TV that curates content you can buy from Apple and also content you can stream through other installed apps (but not all apps, and there is no way to tell which ones).
Apple TV is an app on iOS/iPadOS devices that...
Unpacked
Tech's Pledge To Fight AI Election Interference & Twillio’s woes with Segment | EP 6
Last week, 20 tech companies across Big Tech, social networks and AI providers signed a voluntary...
10 months ago
Last week, 20 tech companies across Big Tech, social networks and AI providers signed a voluntary pledge to fight election interference from AI-generated content going through 2024. We dive into the timing of the announcement (2024 is a big election year across the globe), some...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Three levels of enthusiasm for technology
Most businesses today believe that technology can dramatically improve the way they operate. But...
over a year ago
Most businesses today believe that technology can dramatically improve the way they operate. But they embrace technology with varying levels…
Rest of World -...
When EV startups shut down, will their cars still work?
As Chinese EV makers close, drivers of “smartphones on wheels” say software updates and maintenance...
3 months ago
As Chinese EV makers close, drivers of “smartphones on wheels” say software updates and maintenance are in jeopardy.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Rot Economics - An Interview With MIT's Daron Acemoglu
Want to listen to this interview instead? Download the latest episode of Better Offline! You can...
5 months ago
Want to listen to this interview instead? Download the latest episode of Better Offline! You can listen to it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you can insert an RSS feed.
Last week, I had the privilege of interviewing Daron Acemoglu — one of the world’s most
David Perell
The Microwave Economy
America has become a Microwave Economy. We’ve overwhelmingly used our wealth to make the world...
over a year ago
America has become a Microwave Economy. We’ve overwhelmingly used our wealth to make the world cheaper instead of more beautiful, more functional instead of more meaningful.
The post The Microwave Economy appeared first on David Perell.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Search and the social graph
Google has created a multibillion-dollar economy based on keywords. We use keywords to find things...
over a year ago
Google has created a multibillion-dollar economy based on keywords. We use keywords to find things and advertisers use keywords to find…
Rest of World -...
How Apple’s India gamble paid off
India’s growing middle class is fueling a billion-dollar sales surge.
5 months ago
India’s growing middle class is fueling a billion-dollar sales surge.
Noahpinion
America doesn't really have a working class
Why class politics is unlikely to succeed where identity politics failed.
a month ago
Why class politics is unlikely to succeed where identity politics failed.
Working Theorys
The Brunch Test | Theory No. 16
A framework for building products that balance familiarity with freshness.
a year ago
A framework for building products that balance familiarity with freshness.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Chris Sacca on the implied user contract
Chris Sacca nicely summarized today’s FB vs Google vs Twitter controversy: It comes down to what...
over a year ago
Chris Sacca nicely summarized today’s FB vs Google vs Twitter controversy: It comes down to what each company has promised its users…
Noahpinion
How homogeneous is Japan really? (repost)
It depends on what you mean by "homogeneity".
a year ago
It depends on what you mean by "homogeneity".
Roberto Vitillo's...
Spark best practices
Spark execution model Spark's simplicity makes it all too easy to ignore its execution model, and...
over a year ago
Spark execution model Spark's simplicity makes it all too easy to ignore its execution model, and still manage to write jobs that eventually…
Stephen Diehl
The Twilight of the Securities Act
over a year ago
Noahpinion
Why Can't the U.S. Build Ships?
A guest post by Brian Potter of Construction Physics.
3 months ago
A guest post by Brian Potter of Construction Physics.
David Perell
Nik Sharma: Building DTC Companies
My guest today is Nik Sharma, the founder of Sharma Brands and an advisor to companies like Judy and...
over a year ago
My guest today is Nik Sharma, the founder of Sharma Brands and an advisor to companies like Judy and Cha Cha Matcha. Nik is one of my very best friends and my go-to person for all things commerce. Since we first met, we’ve spent hours exploring the future of marketing and...
Platformer
Why TikTok's future has never been so cloudy
ByteDance thought it had a deal with the government in August. Then came the bans — and a spying...
a year ago
ByteDance thought it had a deal with the government in August. Then came the bans — and a spying scandal
Working Theorys
The Generational Business Trap | Theory No. 11
On the varied longevity of businesses & why we shouldn't idolize permanence.
a year ago
On the varied longevity of businesses & why we shouldn't idolize permanence.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
The Apple Vision Pro: A Review
I’ve spent a lot of time with the Vision Pro, turning my experience into both the newsletter you’re...
10 months ago
I’ve spent a lot of time with the Vision Pro, turning my experience into both the newsletter you’re reading and one of the first two episodes of my upcoming iHeartRadio podcast Better Offline. I wrote the majority of this newsletter on the Vision Pro itself, though
Steve Blank
Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition – 2023 Wrap Up
We just wrapped up the third year of our Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition class...
10 months ago
We just wrapped up the third year of our Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition class –part of Stanford’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. Joe Felter, Mike Brown and I teach the class to: Give our students an appreciation of the challenges and...
Noahpinion
The blue cities must be fixed
If you want to govern the nation, you should first be able to govern San Francisco, New York, and...
a month ago
If you want to govern the nation, you should first be able to govern San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.
David Perell
Chrisman Frank and Ana Lorena Fabrega: How Childhood Education Will Change
This week, I have two guests. Both are affiliated with Synthesis, a new kind of online school where...
over a year ago
This week, I have two guests. Both are affiliated with Synthesis, a new kind of online school where kids learn through games and simulations. One is Chrisman Frank, the CEO of Synthesis. The other is Ana Lorena Fabrega, who is their Chief Evangelist. Here’s the backstory: A few...
Rest of World -...
Why IBM employees in Brazil are suing to be classified as tech workers
Unions in two Brazilian states are suing IBM in an effort to be recognized as tech employees, giving...
8 months ago
Unions in two Brazilian states are suing IBM in an effort to be recognized as tech employees, giving them access to better wages, benefits, and profit participation.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
If an alien film crew chose to feature our species in a nature documentary, they’d have plenty of…
If an alien film crew chose to feature our species in a nature documentary, they’d have plenty of...
over a year ago
If an alien film crew chose to feature our species in a nature documentary, they’d have plenty of spectacular superorganisms to choose from…
Internal Tech Emails
Sam Altman emails Elon Musk
The mission would be to create the first general Al and use it for individual empowerment—ie, the...
9 months ago
The mission would be to create the first general Al and use it for individual empowerment—ie, the distributed version of the future that seems the safest.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Facebook’s response to Yahoo’s patent lawsuit
Like many in tech, I believe all software patents should be abolished. That said, I think Facebook...
over a year ago
Like many in tech, I believe all software patents should be abolished. That said, I think Facebook made the right move by filing a lawsuit…
tomcritchlow.com
(Another) Quick Riff on Narrative Strategy
I’ve been ruminating on the idea of narrative strategy for a while now. The last time I wrote about...
10 months ago
I’ve been ruminating on the idea of narrative strategy for a while now. The last time I wrote about it was in 2020.
Rest of World -...
Bangladesh has millions of e-rickshaws. They’re finally becoming legal
Bangladesh’s EV industry will likely grow now, and drivers no longer have to worry about being fined...
5 months ago
Bangladesh’s EV industry will likely grow now, and drivers no longer have to worry about being fined or having their vehicles impounded.
Stephen Diehl
Cooking Classes with Datatype Generic Programming
over a year ago
Blog posts of...
Quick tips for hiring remotely
You are most likely already experienced with hiring so think of this more as a quick FYI focusing on...
over a year ago
You are most likely already experienced with hiring so think of this more as a quick FYI focusing on hiring remotely… What issues...
Noahpinion
Three more books about the technology wars
"The Wires of War", "Four Battlegrounds", and "The Digital Silk Road"
a year ago
"The Wires of War", "Four Battlegrounds", and "The Digital Silk Road"
Platformer
The surgeon general's warning is a wake-up call for social networks
A growing body of evidence suggests that social products pose significant risks to teenagers
a year ago
A growing body of evidence suggests that social products pose significant risks to teenagers
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Pivoting
My Hunch cofounders and I frequently ask ourselves: “If we were to start over today, would we build...
over a year ago
My Hunch cofounders and I frequently ask ourselves: “If we were to start over today, would we build our product the same way we had so far…
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Introducing: Better Offline
Episodes 1 and 2 Out Now
Hello everybody! A short newsletter today to announce the launch of my new...
10 months ago
Episodes 1 and 2 Out Now
Hello everybody! A short newsletter today to announce the launch of my new podcast Better Offline - my new tech show from iHeartRadio and Cool Zone Media.
It's a weekly exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society -
AVC
The Newest Members of the USV Team
Last Thursday, three new blog posts hit USV.com announcing our three new analysts: This is our...
a year ago
Last Thursday, three new blog posts hit USV.com announcing our three new analysts: This is our tradition at USV. When someone starts at USV, we ask them to write a post on the USV blog introducing themselves. This helps founders who come to talk to us about their companies...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Does a VC’s brand matter?
Suppose you are in the enviable position of choosing between offers from multiple VC firms. How...
over a year ago
Suppose you are in the enviable position of choosing between offers from multiple VC firms. How much should you weigh the brand of the VCs…
Rest of World -...
The Chinese founder who is betting on the Western appetite for short soaps
Mega Matrix and FlexTV want to succeed where Quibi has failed by embracing the allure of “so bad...
7 months ago
Mega Matrix and FlexTV want to succeed where Quibi has failed by embracing the allure of “so bad it’s good” shows.
Nadia Asparouhova
Understanding science funding in tech, 2011-2021
For those who sit between science and tech, it’s hard not to notice the proliferation of new...
over a year ago
For those who sit between science and tech, it’s hard not to notice the proliferation of new initiatives launched in the last two years, aimed at making major improvements in the life sciences especially.
While I don’t have a science background, nor any personal relationship to...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Do you want to sell sugar water or do you want to change the world?
“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?” –...
over a year ago
“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?” – Steve Jobs I sometimes wish that instead…
SatPost by Trung...
Jensen Huang, Dario Amodei and Manufacturing Intelligence at Scale
PLUS: SpaceX's Starship miracle, Taco Bell's franchise model.
2 months ago
PLUS: SpaceX's Starship miracle, Taco Bell's franchise model.
SatPost by Trung...
Why Are the Olympics So Expensive?
Olympic host cities take on enormous financial risks in hopes of economic and cultural rewards....
6 months ago
Olympic host cities take on enormous financial risks in hopes of economic and cultural rewards. Tokyo 1964 was the ultimate triumph, but Paris 2024 may find it harder to justify the expense.
Platformer
OpenAI's alignment problem
The company's board failed the institution. But did it have a point?
a year ago
The company's board failed the institution. But did it have a point?
Paul Graham: Essays
Why to Move to a Startup Hub
over a year ago
Inverted Passion
Don’t sell your soul to the algorithm
The danger of pleasing the algorithm to go viral is that gradually you end up selling yourself to...
a year ago
The danger of pleasing the algorithm to go viral is that gradually you end up selling yourself to big tech companies. This is how it works: This loop has two sinister effects: All this to make the richest companies and their shareholders even richer. This is why we must refuse to...
Working Theorys
How to Do Business School Right | Theory No. 22
There’s an age-old debate about whether you should go to business school or not. It rarely comes up...
a year ago
There’s an age-old debate about whether you should go to business school or not. It rarely comes up these days but yes, I went to business school — arguably to the most business-school-y of business schools, Harvard Business School. Business school isn’t “popular” in modern...
Data Boutique
Case Study: MatchesFashion Inventory Outflows
Web data for market insights
9 months ago
Web data for market insights
Noahpinion
Economic losses for our allies are not wins for the U.S.
Stop comparing ourselves to countries who are on our side.
10 months ago
Stop comparing ourselves to countries who are on our side.
SatPost by Trung...
Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Art of Re-invention
The icon's biggest financial film success came from his riskiest bet: the comedy "Twins".
a year ago
The icon's biggest financial film success came from his riskiest bet: the comedy "Twins".
Platformer
Susan Wojcicki makes her exit
She had a legendary run. Will YouTube's end with it?
a year ago
She had a legendary run. Will YouTube's end with it?
Unpacked
YouTube, Ad Blockers & the Advertising "Tax"
Though it looks like big vs small tech at first glance, poking into how ad blocker companies operate...
a year ago
Though it looks like big vs small tech at first glance, poking into how ad blocker companies operate and their “whitelisting” programs will likely change your opinion
Platformer
Four questions platforms should answer before launching AI features
PLUS: Musk gets his view count back up
a year ago
PLUS: Musk gets his view count back up
David Perell
I Hate Writing (and So Will You)
When I hate writing, it’s because I love it so much. An experienced writer is somebody who knows...
a year ago
When I hate writing, it’s because I love it so much. An experienced writer is somebody who knows when the hatred is temporary.
The post I Hate Writing (and So Will You) appeared first on David Perell.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Six strategies for overcoming “chicken and egg” problems
Products with so-called networks effects get more valuable when more people use them. Famous...
over a year ago
Products with so-called networks effects get more valuable when more people use them. Famous examples are telephones and social networks…
Paul Graham: Essays
Holding a Program in One's Head
over a year ago
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Have We Reached Peak AI?
Last week, the Wall Street Journal published a 10-minute-long interview with OpenAI CTO Mira Murati,...
9 months ago
Last week, the Wall Street Journal published a 10-minute-long interview with OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, with journalist Joanna Stern asking a series of thoughtful yet straightforward questions that Murati failed to satisfactorily answer. When asked about what data was used to train...
Noahpinion
Thoughts on techno-optimism
What it means to me, and why I support it.
a year ago
What it means to me, and why I support it.
Tech + Economics +...
Nazis don’t deserve free speech.
Reality check: Nazism is not an intellectual hypothetical that bears good
faith discussion. It's...
a year ago
Reality check: Nazism is not an intellectual hypothetical that bears good
faith discussion. It's not a controversial thought experiment. It is a
historical movement designed to demonise and exterminate the Other. Born in
the tumultuous aftermath of World War I, Nazi...
Rest of World -...
Investors are unsettled as funding is drying up for Africa’s startup ecosystem
As funding to Africa’s once fast-growing startup ecosystem dries up, industry insiders are worried...
a year ago
As funding to Africa’s once fast-growing startup ecosystem dries up, industry insiders are worried that the ecosystem is unprepared.
Rest of World -...
Demand for Starlink in Zimbabwe is overwhelming capacity
Traditional internet in Zimbabwe is slow, unreliable, and expensive. Elon Musk’s satellite service...
a week ago
Traditional internet in Zimbabwe is slow, unreliable, and expensive. Elon Musk’s satellite service sold out within weeks of launching in the country.
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 1 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
An internet of people
Over the past few years, a bunch of web-based marketplaces have gotten popular – Etsy, Kickstarter,...
over a year ago
Over the past few years, a bunch of web-based marketplaces have gotten popular – Etsy, Kickstarter, AirBnb, to name a few. Many of these…
Rest of World -...
How China’s hottest social media app turned Düsseldorf into a foodie destination
The trendiest food city in Europe isn’t Paris or London. It’s Düsseldorf — thanks to Xiaohongshu.
a year ago
The trendiest food city in Europe isn’t Paris or London. It’s Düsseldorf — thanks to Xiaohongshu.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Options
The financial term “derivative“ refers to a security whose value is a function of another security...
over a year ago
The financial term “derivative“ refers to a security whose value is a function of another security such as a stock or bond. The most common…
SatPost by Trung...
Beware value capture
Tech apps influence our behaviour through metrics. Don't follow them blindly.
11 months ago
Tech apps influence our behaviour through metrics. Don't follow them blindly.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The idea maze for AI startups
An “idea maze” is a map of all the key decisions and tradeoffs that startups in a given space need...
over a year ago
An “idea maze” is a map of all the key decisions and tradeoffs that startups in a given space need to make: A good founder is capable of…
Paul Graham: Essays
Do Things that Don't Scale
over a year ago
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
🛳️ Cruise hustles
4 months ago
Nadia Asparouhova
Early stage funding markets for science - an analysis
In the summer of 2022, with support from Schmidt Futures, I took a closer look at several emerging...
a year ago
In the summer of 2022, with support from Schmidt Futures, I took a closer look at several emerging science funding mechanisms – rapid grants, scout programs, and focused research organizations (FROs) – to understand how they serve the needs of early stage science. I also...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Flow
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1996 on the concept of Flow: [Flow] is being completely involved in an...
over a year ago
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1996 on the concept of Flow: [Flow] is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"A man will be able to carry one in his vest pocket"
Nikola Tesla predicted the development internet-connected smartphones back in 1926: From the...
over a year ago
Nikola Tesla predicted the development internet-connected smartphones back in 1926: From the inception of the wireless system, I saw that…
Working Theorys
How to Be Like Derek Guy
If you spend any time on Twitter, you know the handle @dieworkwear by heart. And you know it’s the...
6 months ago
If you spend any time on Twitter, you know the handle @dieworkwear by heart. And you know it’s the handle of Derek Guy, menswear expert extraordinaire. (I’m still unsure if that’s his real name, but I haven’t bothered to look it up because at this point I trust him implicitly.) I...
Rest of World -...
What we learned in a year of reporting on labor and technology
Rest of World’s four Labor x Tech fellows reflect on their year reporting about the global tech...
7 months ago
Rest of World’s four Labor x Tech fellows reflect on their year reporting about the global tech industry’s impact on its workers.
Noahpinion
New technologies, new totalitarians
Thanks to smartphones, social media, and globalization, liberalism faces a new and terrifying kind...
9 months ago
Thanks to smartphones, social media, and globalization, liberalism faces a new and terrifying kind of opponent.
Entrepreneur's Edge
Why Leaders Should Start and End With a Map
Lessons I have learned from scaling an organization from an idea to hundreds of people.
a year ago
Lessons I have learned from scaling an organization from an idea to hundreds of people.
Rest of World -...
Can a church exist exclusively on the internet?
Inside the emerging virtual-preaching economy in internet-obsessed Kenya.
4 months ago
Inside the emerging virtual-preaching economy in internet-obsessed Kenya.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 This is an extremely interesting playbook: use an expensive model to generate high quality...
10 months ago
#1 💡 This is an extremely interesting playbook: use an expensive model to generate high quality training data. Then use this data to fine tune a much cheaper model you can run at scale. Also seems like there’s plenty of opportunity to build consulting/service businesses around...
SatPost by Trung...
From Beatlemania to Taylor-mania
How the meteoric rise of The Beatles helps to explain Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour, on pace to be the...
a year ago
How the meteoric rise of The Beatles helps to explain Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour, on pace to be the first tour ever to gross $1B.
Rest of World -...
India’s election wasn’t the deepfake doomsday many feared
So far, AI-generated content has been more about trolling than information warfare.
6 months ago
So far, AI-generated content has been more about trolling than information warfare.
tomcritchlow.com
Work is a Place
My buddy Luke recently started a band called Tattoo Mustache. While we were chatting, his eyes lit...
9 months ago
My buddy Luke recently started a band called Tattoo Mustache. While we were chatting, his eyes lit up talking about jamming in the studio with his bandmates - his arms were flailing and you could feel the energy coming off him like steam from a hot pan. These weekly jam sessions...
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 Lots of interesting discussions after Sam Altman got fired from OpenAI. One of the interesting...
a year ago
#1 💡 Lots of interesting discussions after Sam Altman got fired from OpenAI. One of the interesting themes: What does the guy actually do? Is he actually important for the company? Surely other people, the technicians, are responsible for the breakthroughs, right?
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Some thoughts on the iPhone contact list controversy and app security
1. I’ve heard rumors that lots of apps have been uploading user contact lists for years. One person...
over a year ago
1. I’ve heard rumors that lots of apps have been uploading user contact lists for years. One person who knows the iOS world well told me “if…
Rest of World -...
A horrific video sparks a national reckoning in India
The northeastern state of Manipur has plunged into violence since May as the two major ethnic groups...
a year ago
The northeastern state of Manipur has plunged into violence since May as the two major ethnic groups fight over identity, land, and influence.
Rest of World -...
Shein and MercadoLibre are fighting over vendors in Brazil’s largest garment market
After the pandemic pushed Brazilian manufacturers and store owners to digitize their businesses,...
8 months ago
After the pandemic pushed Brazilian manufacturers and store owners to digitize their businesses, e-commerce platforms began pulling out all the stops to lure vendors.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Outsource things you don’t care about
A fundamental principle of business is that you do things in house that you think can give you a...
over a year ago
A fundamental principle of business is that you do things in house that you think can give you a competitive advantage and outsource things…
Working Theorys
Unbundling Cash & Equity | Theory No. 15
a heretical take on "total compensation"
a year ago
a heretical take on "total compensation"
Rest of World -...
Using AI to build the “definitive” Spanish writing tool
Abraham López is the CEO of Correcto, an AI-powered grammar tool.
6 months ago
Abraham López is the CEO of Correcto, an AI-powered grammar tool.
Rest of World -...
Japan’s digital ID program is a complicated mess
The “My Number” card program, initially hopeful, is now making more headaches than headway.
a year ago
The “My Number” card program, initially hopeful, is now making more headaches than headway.
Tech + Economics +...
There is only one form of passive income worth celebrating. It’s a UBI.
The romanticised notion of passive income typically conjures up picturesque
images of digital...
a year ago
The romanticised notion of passive income typically conjures up picturesque
images of digital nomads lounging on immaculate beaches, their bank
accounts growing with the profits from their latest online course on
becoming a digital nomad.
Dividends from investments in...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
eBay vs Amazon: decentralized vs centralized e-commerce
Note: The company I cofounded, Hunch, was acquired by eBay in November 2011. I am now an eBay...
over a year ago
Note: The company I cofounded, Hunch, was acquired by eBay in November 2011. I am now an eBay employee. But all the opinions expressed below…
Rest of World -...
Conservative evangelicals use social media to sway Brazil election
The popularity of evangelical content, which often amplifies criticisms of the ruling party, could...
5 months ago
The popularity of evangelical content, which often amplifies criticisms of the ruling party, could play an important role during October’s municipal elections.
Blog posts of...
Why Lean Startup sucks for startups.
If you go to Lean Startup events you will find first time founders, consultants, accelerator...
over a year ago
If you go to Lean Startup events you will find first time founders, consultants, accelerator managers, r&d people, enterprise intr...
Noahpinion
The U.S. must not ignore Indonesia
We have the opportunity to befriend an Asian country with a huge population, a large and growing...
a year ago
We have the opportunity to befriend an Asian country with a huge population, a large and growing economy, and a strategic location.
Data Boutique
The Hard Economics of Selling Web Data
Market components to consider when selling pre-scraped datasets
a year ago
Market components to consider when selling pre-scraped datasets
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 2 of Ansi Common Lisp
over a year ago
XO Capital - Field...
Consolidating Our Portfolio
💡
We've finally rolled out a small community of folks interested in acquiring saas businesses. The...
9 months ago
💡
We've finally rolled out a small community of folks interested in acquiring saas businesses. The first few weeks of it have been a delight. It's the highlight of my week chatting with other people interested in this space. Join us! https://notes.xo.capital/community/
Rest of World -...
Why Meta still needs China
You can take Facebook out of China, but you can’t take China out of Facebook.
a year ago
You can take Facebook out of China, but you can’t take China out of Facebook.
Essays - Benedict...
Vision Pro
What has Apple built, what is it for, what does it mean for Meta, and why
does it cost $3,500?...
a year ago
What has Apple built, what is it for, what does it mean for Meta, and why
does it cost $3,500? Check back in 2025.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Regulatory hacks
A common way to think of business regulations is by analogy to sports: the rules are specified up...
over a year ago
A common way to think of business regulations is by analogy to sports: the rules are specified up front, and the players follow the rules…
Rest of World -...
Clickwork in Brazil: A mom balancing endless gigs with childcare
Through platforms like UHRS, Amazon Mechanical Turk and Appen, a clickworker takes on a job...
a year ago
Through platforms like UHRS, Amazon Mechanical Turk and Appen, a clickworker takes on a job consisting of hundreds of quick, repetitive tasks.
AVC
What Happened In 2023
I like to bookend the New Year holiday with two posts, one looking back at the year that is ending...
11 months ago
I like to bookend the New Year holiday with two posts, one looking back at the year that is ending (What Happened) and one looking forward to the year ahead (What Will Happen). This is the first of these two posts. The second one will run tomorrow. I ended my What Will Happen In...
Essays - Benedict...
Generative AI and intellectual property
If you put all the world’s knowledge into an AI model and use it to make
something new, who owns...
a year ago
If you put all the world’s knowledge into an AI model and use it to make
something new, who owns that and who gets paid? This is a completely new
problem that we’ve been arguing about for 500 years.
Tech + Economics +...
AI hardware is kind of cool.
PC Mag: The r1 AI Pocket Companion Will Take You Down the Rabbit Hole
LAM works "by first...
11 months ago
PC Mag: The r1 AI Pocket Companion Will Take You Down the Rabbit Hole
LAM works "by first understanding complex human intentions, then
spinning up on human-oriented interfaces across all mobile and desktop
environments on a customized cloud platform, and finally...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"The business plans of the next 10,000 startups are easy to forecast: Take X and add AI."
Kevin Kelly thinks artificial intelligence is finally ready deliver on its promise: The AI on the...
over a year ago
Kevin Kelly thinks artificial intelligence is finally ready deliver on its promise: The AI on the horizon looks more like Amazon Web…
Rest of World -...
Why Mexico is tweeting at its third- richest citizen to delete his tweets
On August 11, Mexico’s election authority made an unexpected announcement via its official account...
a year ago
On August 11, Mexico’s election authority made an unexpected announcement via its official account on X, formerly known as Twitter: It called for Ricardo Salinas Pliego, Mexico’s third-richest man, to...
Dustin Curtis
Bill Gates is Angry
Steven Levy interviewed Bill Gates for Wired, and it is quite an illuminating conversation. In past...
over a year ago
Steven Levy interviewed Bill Gates for Wired, and it is quite an illuminating conversation. In past public appearances, Gates – like most experts – has attempted to walk the line between antagonizing the Trump administration and promulgating real science. But now he appears to be...
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
🔀 The Law of Line Extension
3 months ago
🔀 The Law of Line Extension
AVC
The 83b Election
First and foremost, this is not tax advice. I am not a tax advisor and you should never take...
a year ago
First and foremost, this is not tax advice. I am not a tax advisor and you should never take anything you read here as tax advice. If you read something here that makes you think you should take some tax-related action, please always consult your tax advisor. With that disclosure...
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things to start your week (#18)
Recession illusions, China's military buildup, industrial policy and wages, rethinking corporate...
a year ago
Recession illusions, China's military buildup, industrial policy and wages, rethinking corporate tax, tightening export controls, and an interview with Darrell Owens
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