cdixon.org RSS Feed
Designing products for single and multiplayer modes
The first million people who bought VCRs bought them before there were any movies available to watch...
over a year ago
The first million people who bought VCRs bought them before there were any movies available to watch on them. They just wanted to “time…
Rest of World -...
As EVs surge, so does nickel mining’s death toll
In the mineral-rich fringes of Indonesia, whose nickel will feed EV giants like Tesla, the deaths of...
a year ago
In the mineral-rich fringes of Indonesia, whose nickel will feed EV giants like Tesla, the deaths of miners continue to mount.
Tom Blomfield
Automating Customer Service at a Startup
Customer service can make or break a company; it has been one of the key differentiators as a new...
over a year ago
Customer service can make or break a company; it has been one of the key differentiators as a new generation of startups seeks to compete against incumbents. While people remember examples of awesome customer service, the opposite is also true.
At GoCardless, we decided early on...
Platformer
What we’re learning from the Reddit blackout
Five lessons, and one open question
a year ago
Five lessons, and one open question
SatPost by Trung...
Beware value capture
Tech apps influence our behaviour through metrics. Don't follow them blindly.
9 months ago
Tech apps influence our behaviour through metrics. Don't follow them blindly.
SatPost by Trung...
Psychology of Apple Packaging
Steve Jobs and Jony Ive prioritized packaging, which they said could be "theatre".
9 months ago
Steve Jobs and Jony Ive prioritized packaging, which they said could be "theatre".
Essays - Benedict...
Antitrust posturing
US politicians proposed five tech antitrust bills in June. They’re
aggressive and ambitious, and...
over a year ago
US politicians proposed five tech antitrust bills in June. They’re
aggressive and ambitious, and contain some important concerns and ideas.
Unfortunately, some of them are also pretty naive - case studies in not
doing the work.
Internal Tech Emails
Mark Zuckerberg: "Ship the app"
I think it's a really big deal that we ship this photos app quickly.
a month ago
I think it's a really big deal that we ship this photos app quickly.
Rest of World -...
The regional flavors of labor-on-demand
A new report digs into the social dynamics of gig work.
6 months ago
A new report digs into the social dynamics of gig work.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Notes on raising seed financing
Last night I taught a class via Skillshare (disclosure: Founder Collective is an investor) about how...
over a year ago
Last night I taught a class via Skillshare (disclosure: Founder Collective is an investor) about how to raise a seed round. After a long…
SatPost by Trung...
Second Winds
Why are so many famous YouTubers quitting? A legendary essay by Václav Havel — a Czech playwright...
8 months ago
Why are so many famous YouTubers quitting? A legendary essay by Václav Havel — a Czech playwright and former President — helps to explain this trend.
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…
Rest of World -...
Why Chinese EV battery manufacturers are flocking to Hungary
They are drawn to the country’s access to European automakers, government subsidies, and favorable...
a year ago
They are drawn to the country’s access to European automakers, government subsidies, and favorable relations with China.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
🛰️ Starlink Plus
a month ago
Rest of World -...
The tech executive who believes AI needs more voice-based learning systems
Bayo Adekanmbi explains why voice-based learning is the best way to increase AI adoption across...
7 months ago
Bayo Adekanmbi explains why voice-based learning is the best way to increase AI adoption across Africa.
Rest of World -...
The political power of an unlikely Tesla factory
How Elon Musk plays politicians from Monterrey to Buffalo.
a year ago
How Elon Musk plays politicians from Monterrey to Buffalo.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
It’s not East Coast vs West Coast, it’s about making more places like the Valley
I’ve written a few times about what seems to be an exploding tech scene in NYC. This is sometimes...
over a year ago
I’ve written a few times about what seems to be an exploding tech scene in NYC. This is sometimes interpreted as arguing that NYC is a…
Steve Blank
Is a $100 Million Enough?
Capitalism has been good to me. After serving in the military during Vietnam, I came home and had a...
8 months ago
Capitalism has been good to me. After serving in the military during Vietnam, I came home and had a career in eight startups. I got to retire when I was 45. Over the last quarter century, in my third career, I helped create the methods entrepreneurs use to build new startups,...
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 2 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
SatPost by Trung...
Jensen Huang, Dario Amodei and Manufacturing Intelligence at Scale
PLUS: SpaceX's Starship miracle, Taco Bell's franchise model.
a week ago
PLUS: SpaceX's Starship miracle, Taco Bell's franchise model.
Platformer
The unbearable slowness of Meta's Oversight Board
A 234-day wait to get a ruling in a case about incitement to violence suggests that something...
a year ago
A 234-day wait to get a ruling in a case about incitement to violence suggests that something important is broken
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…
Rest of World -...
The AI artist who used Bad Bunny’s voice — and shot to fame
Meet the Chilean artist who made it big using others’ voices.
3 months ago
Meet the Chilean artist who made it big using others’ voices.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The challenge of creating a new category
One of the hardest things to do as a startup is to create a new category. Bloggers and press have a...
over a year ago
One of the hardest things to do as a startup is to create a new category. Bloggers and press have a natural tendency to “pigeonhole” – to…
Noahpinion
California needs real math education, not gimmicks
A guest post by Armand Domalewski.
a year ago
A guest post by Armand Domalewski.
Public Experiments
Can We Build Scenius From Scratch?
On crafting tight-knit communities with potential for high future impact in the post-pandemic era.
over a year ago
On crafting tight-knit communities with potential for high future impact in the post-pandemic era.
Rest of World -...
The most important news from Apple isn’t about AI
Reuniting the world’s text messages — one app at a time.
4 months ago
Reuniting the world’s text messages — one app at a time.
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.
Rest of World -...
Free AI tools are killing South Africa’s web designer job market
Some web designers use ChatGPT to code and create basic designs, while salaries for web designers in...
a year ago
Some web designers use ChatGPT to code and create basic designs, while salaries for web designers in South Africa have dropped.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Yahoo should invest in products, not advertising
For 10 years, Yahoo was my default home page. Now I can barely stand using the site. I still use...
over a year ago
For 10 years, Yahoo was my default home page. Now I can barely stand using the site. I still use it for Finance and Flickr, but that’s it…
XO Capital - Field...
Acquisition #11 - Journey.io (aka Don't Stop Believing)
Spotify Amazon Apple
Lots of journey puns so sorry in advance.
A little over a year ago I tried to...
11 months ago
Spotify Amazon Apple
Lots of journey puns so sorry in advance.
A little over a year ago I tried to raise a discretionary capital fund by putting all our assets into 1 company and selling shares of that company ... nobody wanted in
Failure To Raise
At the beginning
Noahpinion
A pivotal moment for Japan's national defense
A guest post by Jonathan Grady
5 months ago
A guest post by Jonathan Grady
David Perell
Saving the Liberal Arts
We start with their history by returning to the origins of Western thought. We argue that splitting...
over a year ago
We start with their history by returning to the origins of Western thought. We argue that splitting education into two halves — Professional and Civilized — is the only way to think about education clearly. We then outline the evolution of the Liberal Arts, from the ancients to...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Builders and extractors
Tim O’Reilly poses a question every entrepreneur and investor should consider: are you creating more...
over a year ago
Tim O’Reilly poses a question every entrepreneur and investor should consider: are you creating more value for others than you capture for…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Collective knowledge systems
I think you could make a strong argument that the most important technologies developed over the...
over a year ago
I think you could make a strong argument that the most important technologies developed over the last decade are a set of systems that are…
Noahpinion
How China's "debt traps" actually work
Raiding the Global South like a piggy bank.
a year ago
Raiding the Global South like a piggy bank.
Rest of World -...
China’s EV giant BYD is picking up speed in Jordan
How Jordan became a battleground for Chinese EVs.
a year ago
How Jordan became a battleground for Chinese EVs.
Unpacked
Y Combinator W23 batch, AI value chain and startup trends
YCombinator (YC), the renowned Silicon Valley-based startup accelerator, recently announced their...
a year ago
YCombinator (YC), the renowned Silicon Valley-based startup accelerator, recently announced their Winter 2023 cohort and, unsurprisingly, ~31% of startups have a self-reported AI tag.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
🪄 Growth Magic
2 months ago
Steve Blank
Security Clearances at the Speed of Startups
Imagine you got a job offer from a company but weren’t allowed to start work – or get paid – for...
2 months ago
Imagine you got a job offer from a company but weren’t allowed to start work – or get paid – for almost a year. And if you can’t pass a security clearance your offer is rescinded. Or you get offered an internship but can’t work on the most interesting part of the project. Sounds...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The rise of enterprise marketing
Building an enterprise software company used to be largely about sales, because enterprise software...
over a year ago
Building an enterprise software company used to be largely about sales, because enterprise software was sourced and purchased by high-level…
Noahpinion
Energy Bell: The sketch of an idea
How can we get America back to the forefront of energy research?
3 months ago
How can we get America back to the forefront of energy research?
Rest of World -...
What is this thing? Guess Temu’s weirdest gadgets
Chinese e-commerce site Temu uses its most bizarre products in online ads. Rest of World tested them...
11 months ago
Chinese e-commerce site Temu uses its most bizarre products in online ads. Rest of World tested them so you don’t have to.
Rest of World -...
19 books to read in 2023
Rest of World's staff favorites, from around the globe to add to your must-read pile.
a year ago
Rest of World's staff favorites, from around the globe to add to your must-read pile.
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…
Noahpinion
The Roaring 20s are back on track
A healthy economy, strong productivity growth, and a continuing tech boom.
11 months ago
A healthy economy, strong productivity growth, and a continuing tech boom.
Paul Graham: Essays
Better Bayesian Filtering
over a year ago
Rest of World -...
How livestream realtors helped make Xishuangbanna a boom town
Real estate agents turn to Douyin and Kuaishou to show properties virtually through livestreaming,...
7 months ago
Real estate agents turn to Douyin and Kuaishou to show properties virtually through livestreaming, drawing the attention of out-of-town buyers.
Rest of World -...
Visa and Mastercard are pouring money into Africa
From a startup accelerator to funding startups and even investing in telecom companies, the two U.S....
7 months ago
From a startup accelerator to funding startups and even investing in telecom companies, the two U.S. giants are steadily increasing their presence on the continent.
XO Capital - Field...
Product Analytics
Watch:
https://youtu.be/j9QghkgSFlc
Listen:
Spotify Amazon Apple
but first ... an update on...
a year ago
Watch:
https://youtu.be/j9QghkgSFlc
Listen:
Spotify Amazon Apple
but first ... an update on our
Flip Fund
We're at $220k hard committed in about a week! Stoked! If you want in, take a look at our deck and hmu with any questions you can view it here:
Flip
Working Theorys
New Social App
Who am I? And other urgent existential questions.
6 months ago
Who am I? And other urgent existential questions.
Inverted Passion
How to be a messy thinker
I love thinking about thinking. Give me a research paper on rationality, cognitive biases or mental...
5 months ago
I love thinking about thinking. Give me a research paper on rationality, cognitive biases or mental models, and I’ll gobble it up. Given the amount of knowledge I’ve ingested on these topics, I had always assumed that I’m a clear thinker. Recently, though, it hit me like a...
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...
5 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.
Tom Blomfield
When to join a startup
Something has changed in the last few years which has made an increasing number of people want to...
over a year ago
Something has changed in the last few years which has made an increasing number of people want to join startups. It seemed to start around the time the Social Network movie came out - perhaps it’s just a coincidence, but part of me imagines a group of MBAs sitting around watching...
Roberto Vitillo's...
Scalability patterns of distributed systems
I have released a new chapter of Understanding Distributed Systems ! It explores the different...
over a year ago
I have released a new chapter of Understanding Distributed Systems ! It explores the different patterns at your disposal when designing…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The decline of the mobile web
People are spending more time on mobile vs desktop: And more of their mobile time using apps, not...
over a year ago
People are spending more time on mobile vs desktop: And more of their mobile time using apps, not the web: This is a worrisome trend for…
Steve Blank
What’s Plan B? – The Small, the Agile, and the Many
This post previously appeared in the Proceedings of the Naval Institute. One of the most audacious...
over a year ago
This post previously appeared in the Proceedings of the Naval Institute. One of the most audacious and bold manifestos for the future of Naval innovation has just been posted by the Rear Admiral who heads up the Office of Naval Research. It may be the hedge we need to deter China...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
“The typical path of how people respond to life-changing inventions
I’ve never heard of it. I’ve heard of it but don’t understand it. I understand it, but I don’t see...
over a year ago
I’ve never heard of it. I’ve heard of it but don’t understand it. I understand it, but I don’t see how it’s useful. I see how it could be…
Internal Tech Emails
Elon Musk's Twitter texts
I'm not joining the board. This is a waste of time.
over a year ago
I'm not joining the board. This is a waste of time.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Later-stage rounds and “setting the bar too high”
I recently had a number of conversations with CEOs of later-stage startups (generating significant...
over a year ago
I recently had a number of conversations with CEOs of later-stage startups (generating significant revenue) that went something like this…
Rest of World -...
The apps were designed for home security. They’re being used to watch and harass domestic workers
Tiger Global-backed MyGate and Google-backed NoBrokerHood are digitizing social biases.
a year ago
Tiger Global-backed MyGate and Google-backed NoBrokerHood are digitizing social biases.
SatPost by Trung...
"Now is the Most Important Time"
Jensen Huang, Cillian Murphy, Michael Jordan, Jerry Seinfeld and Oprah Winfrey on the power of being...
7 months ago
Jensen Huang, Cillian Murphy, Michael Jordan, Jerry Seinfeld and Oprah Winfrey on the power of being present.
Rest of World -...
What global investors need to know about funding Pakistani startups
Hasib Malik is the co-founder and CEO of Tiger Global-backed financial services startup CreditBook.
4 months ago
Hasib Malik is the co-founder and CEO of Tiger Global-backed financial services startup CreditBook.
Aaron's Essays
Things that aren't progress
A few months ago, I wrote about things that look like work, but aren't. As I paid more attention to...
over a year ago
A few months ago, I wrote about things that look like work, but aren't. As I paid more attention to founders doing these things, I started thinking about why they were happening. I realized that the behaviors were largely a function of bad goal setting.
When founders choose bad...
Platformer
How banning one Palestinian slogan roiled Etsy
The company secretly banned the phrase “from the river to the sea” on sellers’ wares. Some employees...
11 months ago
The company secretly banned the phrase “from the river to the sea” on sellers’ wares. Some employees aren’t happy
Steve Blank
The Quantum Technology Ecosystem – Explained
If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics Richard...
over a year ago
If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics Richard Feynman Tens of billions of public and private capital are being invested in Quantum technologies. Countries across the world have realized that quantum technologies can be a major...
Paul Graham: Essays
The 18 Mistakes That Kill Startups
over a year ago
Noahpinion
Why so many of us were wrong about missile defense
Writing about military spending is difficult.
6 months ago
Writing about military spending is difficult.
Rest of World -...
Nigerian businesses increasingly skip traditional banks and turn to Moniepoint
Moniepoint’s payment machines have become ubiquitous across Nigeria. But the company faces...
8 months ago
Moniepoint’s payment machines have become ubiquitous across Nigeria. But the company faces competition from Chinese-backed OPay.
XO Capital - Field...
Getting Smaller To Get Bigger
💡
We have another fresh round of capital to deploy into 1 business at up to $1.8M purchase price....
3 weeks ago
💡
We have another fresh round of capital to deploy into 1 business at up to $1.8M purchase price. Must be b2b SaaS, low customer concentration, 80%+ gross margins, 50k+ MRR. If you have a tip, pass it along!
We're underway with xo 2.0. That means,
Platformer
Biden seeks to rein in AI
An executive order gives AI companies the guardrails they asked for. Will the US go further?
a year ago
An executive order gives AI companies the guardrails they asked for. Will the US go further?
Rest of World -...
How Microsoft and the UAE got caught in the crossfire of the U.S.-China tech war
Geopolitical tensions have ensnared Microsoft’s deal for AI company G42.
3 months ago
Geopolitical tensions have ensnared Microsoft’s deal for AI company G42.
Noahpinion
"Luxury" construction causes high rents like umbrellas cause rain
The NIMBY mindset persists in the face of evidence.
a year ago
The NIMBY mindset persists in the face of evidence.
SatPost by Trung...
Francis Ford Coppola: The Entrepreneur
Exploring the legendary director's business career in 8 films, a studio and a winery.
a month ago
Exploring the legendary director's business career in 8 films, a studio and a winery.
Steve Blank
Playing With Fire – ChatGPT
The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of...
a year ago
The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. John F. Kennedy Humans have mastered lots of things that have transformed our lives, created our civilizations, and might ultimately...
Paul Graham: Essays
The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius
over a year ago
Data Boutique
Web Data in Emergency Situations: The MatchesFashion case
More case studies for web data
7 months ago
More case studies for web data
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
“There’s a way to do it better. Find it.” Thomas Edison 💡Human QA At least based on my experience...
4 months ago
“There’s a way to do it better. Find it.” Thomas Edison 💡Human QA At least based on my experience this seems like a service a ton of companies desperately need. Automated checks are awesome, but they can never spot all the weird edge cases that a human can.
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...
3 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
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"We leverage the billions of dollars spent on the consumer mobile phone business"
NYTimes has an excellent profile of Planet Labs, a startup that makes low-cost satellites: These...
over a year ago
NYTimes has an excellent profile of Planet Labs, a startup that makes low-cost satellites: These satellites are powered by batteries…
Noahpinion
How much can you really learn about a country from visiting it?
Not as much as people think.
5 months ago
Not as much as people think.
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.
Rest of World -...
Why Mexico’s delivery workers are ditching food for packages
As the popularity of Chinese e-commerce platforms grows, some gig workers are finding it more...
3 months ago
As the popularity of Chinese e-commerce platforms grows, some gig workers are finding it more appealing to deliver packages than food orders.
Rest of World -...
Why thousands of Chinese young people use a pink dinosaur as their alias
Users adopt the alias “momo” as a way to speak more freely, evade harassment and protect personal...
a year ago
Users adopt the alias “momo” as a way to speak more freely, evade harassment and protect personal privacy on Douban and Xiaohongshu.
Business Brainstorms
A/B QR, how to run a business, airport rides, high-growth Asia-Pacific companies, lessons from Keith...
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 “i want to go to a doctor that will run every single...
Rest of World -...
Venezuelan migrants helped build Colombia’s tech scene. Now the country is kicking them out
New rules make getting a visa more difficult, even as Colombia struggles to find enough tech...
a year ago
New rules make getting a visa more difficult, even as Colombia struggles to find enough tech workers.
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?
Noahpinion
Why some franchises go downhill while others stay great
A little break from our typical economics fare.
4 months ago
A little break from our typical economics fare.
Blog posts of...
🇪🇺 Dear Europe, please wake up – eu/acc
Europe is special to me as I consider myself a proud European, but damn we need to talk. Europe...
6 months ago
Europe is special to me as I consider myself a proud European, but damn we need to talk. Europe please wake up.
Rest of World -...
How an economic crisis shifted Sri Lanka’s e-commerce industry
Rakhil Fernando of Daraz talks about how the company had to shift its focus from lifestyle products...
a year ago
Rakhil Fernando of Daraz talks about how the company had to shift its focus from lifestyle products to essentials.
Rest of World -...
The augmented-reality app helping Muslims pray toward Mecca
Miqat uses 360-degree views and mapping software to help users determine the exact right direction...
a month ago
Miqat uses 360-degree views and mapping software to help users determine the exact right direction for their prayers.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Selling to enterprises
For some reason when you are selling information technology, big companies are referred to as...
over a year ago
For some reason when you are selling information technology, big companies are referred to as “enterprises.” I’m guessing the word was…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Recruiting programmers to your startup
Here are some things I’ve learned over the years about recruiting programmers* to startups. This is...
over a year ago
Here are some things I’ve learned over the years about recruiting programmers* to startups. This is a big topic: many of the points I make…
Ed Zitron's Where's...
The People Deliberately Killing Facebook
Over the last decade, few platforms have declined quite as rapidly and visibly as Facebook and...
5 months ago
Over the last decade, few platforms have declined quite as rapidly and visibly as Facebook and Instagram. What used to be apps for catching up with your friends and family are now algorithmic nightmares that constantly interrupt you with suggested content and advertisements that...
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...
7 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.
Rest of World -...
Portraits of gig workers in rare moments off the clock
Rest of World shadowed workers in São Paulo, Lagos, Dhaka, and Jakarta to get an intimate look at...
7 months ago
Rest of World shadowed workers in São Paulo, Lagos, Dhaka, and Jakarta to get an intimate look at how they spend their breaks between orders.
Noahpinion
Why not put TSMC and Samsung fabs in Canada?
A solution that's almost too perfect.
a year ago
A solution that's almost too perfect.
SatPost by Trung...
The Concorde Jet vs. Boeing 747
PLUS: The Matrix's 25th Anniversary.
7 months ago
PLUS: The Matrix's 25th Anniversary.
AVC
AI Art
There has been a lot of discussion about how AIs can make art and possibly replace artists, but I...
a year ago
There has been a lot of discussion about how AIs can make art and possibly replace artists, but I think the opposite is more likely to happen. Artists have been using AI to make art for a while now and the pace has picked up a lot in recent years. I have always loved the […]
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Four categories of Bitcoin-related projects
New Bitcoin-related software projects are launching every day. From what I can tell these projects...
over a year ago
New Bitcoin-related software projects are launching every day. From what I can tell these projects fall into four main categories: Bitcoin…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The “thin edge of the wedge” strategy
Establishing relationships with new users is the hardest part of growing a startup. For consumer...
over a year ago
Establishing relationships with new users is the hardest part of growing a startup. For consumer products establishing relationships can…
Platformer
Meta restores Trump
Three scenarios for what happens next
a year ago
Three scenarios for what happens next
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...
5 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.
42!
Wrestling with the scammers
Photo by Dan Nelson on Unsplash
I guess one of the downsides of the rising popularity and profile of...
over a year ago
Photo by Dan Nelson on Unsplash
I guess one of the downsides of the rising popularity and profile of our HR startup is that it attracts the lowest online lifeforms to try and see if they can make illicit profit from it.
We have been getting the occasional trial user signing up...
Rest of World -...
After dating app murders spike in Colombia, Match Group offers to help the police
Tinder’s parent company attended an unprecedented meeting with the U.S. Embassy and local...
8 months ago
Tinder’s parent company attended an unprecedented meeting with the U.S. Embassy and local authorities in Colombia to curb attacks against foreigners.
Rest of World -...
Argentina’s OnlyFans stars are becoming coaches for a new generation of performers
Lessons include tips to attract customers with provocative poses and seductive words, and how to...
4 months ago
Lessons include tips to attract customers with provocative poses and seductive words, and how to withdraw money from the platform.
Stephen Diehl
A Haskell Implementation Reading List
over a year ago
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Burst Damage
Soundtrack: Masters of Reality - High Noon Amsterdam
I have said almost everything in this piece in...
2 months ago
Soundtrack: Masters of Reality - High Noon Amsterdam
I have said almost everything in this piece in every one of these articles for months. I am not upset, but just stating an obvious truth. The current state of affairs effectively pushes against the boundaries of good sense,...
Internal Tech Emails
Microsoft execs on TikTok, Nintendo, Apple, and more
At some point, getting Nintendo would be a career moment and I honestly believe a good move for both...
a year ago
At some point, getting Nintendo would be a career moment and I honestly believe a good move for both companies.
42!
Optimising bank working hours
Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash
This is probably an out of date concept these days, however if...
over a year ago
Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash
This is probably an out of date concept these days, however if you ever ran a traditional business back in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s as I did, one of the most frustrating things ever was trying to get my banking done over the counter.
Almost...
Platformer
Meta unspools Threads
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri on the company's big new swing at Twitter
a year ago
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri on the company's big new swing at Twitter
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.
Essays - Benedict...
Stepping out of the firehose
What does a mailbox with 351 thousand unread emails say about Bauhaus, the
Arts and Crafts...
over a year ago
What does a mailbox with 351 thousand unread emails say about Bauhaus, the
Arts and Crafts movement, and the Metaverse?
essay – snarfed.org
Blockchain’s real world problem
A while back, early in the blockchain hype cycle, a startup called Verisart popped up and promised...
over a year ago
A while back, early in the blockchain hype cycle, a startup called Verisart popped up and promised to “fix” fine art. Not sure if that painting is real? Can’t find out who owns it, or where they got it? Worried that the gallery you’re emailing is a scammer? Worry no more!...
Data Boutique
How Data Boutique Works #3: Third Party Solutions
Working with data? List your solution on Data Boutique
7 months ago
Working with data? List your solution on Data Boutique
essay – snarfed.org
Content negotiation considered harmful
Matilda, 1996 Content negotiation is a feature of HTTP that lets clients ask for, and servers...
a year ago
Matilda, 1996 Content negotiation is a feature of HTTP that lets clients ask for, and servers return, different content types based on the request’s Accept header. Sounds great, right? Well, no. Content negotiation is the classic example of an idea that sounds good in theory, but...
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...
Rest of World -...
The startup offering free toilets and coffee for delivery workers — in exchange for their data
Argentine startup Nippy aggregates data from gig workers and sells it to companies like Mastercard...
6 months ago
Argentine startup Nippy aggregates data from gig workers and sells it to companies like Mastercard and Movistar, who in turn offer workers their services.
Nadia Asparouhova
Explaining tech’s notion of talent scarcity
TLDR: Most conversations about “top talent” assume Pareto distribution; however, a closer...
a year ago
TLDR: Most conversations about “top talent” assume Pareto distribution; however, a closer examination suggests that different corporate cultures benefit from different types of talent distribution (normal, Pareto, and a third option – bimodal) according to the problem they’re...
Tom Blomfield
Startup Series Part 4: Deadlines
The question of deadlines is one of the most divisive issues in software development today....
over a year ago
The question of deadlines is one of the most divisive issues in software development today. Business-people despair at developers’ inability to meet goals, while developers lament the latest unachievable deadline imposed by their pointy-haired boss.
In practice, there is often a...
Nadia Asparouhova
Idea machines
Tech as a system of values, and not just an industry, is heavily driven by its subcultures and their...
over a year ago
Tech as a system of values, and not just an industry, is heavily driven by its subcultures and their ideologies. Where do these ideologies come from, and how do they influence what’s accomplished?
One of the most visible ideologies in tech is effective altruism (or EA), a...
XO Capital - Field...
Two Weeks Into Journey.io
Happy Turkey Day! 🦃
Hope you all have taken some time off and gotten a bit of rest.
Journey is...
11 months ago
Happy Turkey Day! 🦃
Hope you all have taken some time off and gotten a bit of rest.
Journey is XO's 11th acquisition. Let's take a look at what has been accomplished so far in the past two weeks.
Acquisition #11 - Journey.io (aka Don&
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
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The ideal startup career path
For most people I know who join or start companies, the primary goal is not to get rich – it is to...
over a year ago
For most people I know who join or start companies, the primary goal is not to get rich – it is to work on something they love, with people…
Rest of World -...
The industry behind the industry behind AI
It’s outsourcing all the way down.
a year ago
It’s outsourcing all the way down.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
How to disrupt Wall Street
Sarah Lacy has a very interesting post on TechCrunch where she argues that the internet is finally...
over a year ago
Sarah Lacy has a very interesting post on TechCrunch where she argues that the internet is finally starting to disrupt Wall Street. I’d love…
Rest of World -...
Apple should tell Indians what it knows about politicians’ phones being hacked
The Silicon Valley giant’s muted public response after several Indian opposition leaders received a...
11 months ago
The Silicon Valley giant’s muted public response after several Indian opposition leaders received a message that their devices may be compromised is doing more harm.
Rest of World -...
The company teaching influencers how to get rich without going viral
Hotmart is quietly turning even micro-influencers into millionaires.
a year ago
Hotmart is quietly turning even micro-influencers into millionaires.
Blog posts of...
Sh*t! Twitter is exciting - again!
Every epoch in the history of humanity had a raw resource that became the key to commercial success...
over a year ago
Every epoch in the history of humanity had a raw resource that became the key to commercial success that time. Similar to companie...
Paul Graham: Essays
The Hardest Lessons for Startups to Learn
over a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Online privacy: what’s at stake
It is widely believed that a flourishing democracy requires an independent, diverse, and financially...
over a year ago
It is widely believed that a flourishing democracy requires an independent, diverse, and financially solvent press. With print newspapers…
Platformer
Can Snap snap back?
At its annual summit, the company gets bullish on AI — but feels haunted by the ghost of its past...
a year ago
At its annual summit, the company gets bullish on AI — but feels haunted by the ghost of its past ambitions
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"There's no way to tell where the border is between measurement and manipulation"
Jaron Lanier discussing whether machine learning systems like Netflix recommendations, Facebook's...
over a year ago
Jaron Lanier discussing whether machine learning systems like Netflix recommendations, Facebook's newsfeed, Google search etc are…
Noahpinion
Why small developers are getting squeezed out of the housing market
A guest post by Coby Lefkowitz
8 months ago
A guest post by Coby Lefkowitz
Rest of World -...
At home with Asia’s shopping influencers
In Vietnam, Pakistan, and Indonesia, three livestreamers build well-paid but precarious careers.
11 months ago
In Vietnam, Pakistan, and Indonesia, three livestreamers build well-paid but precarious careers.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
2 months ago
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
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…
Tech + Economics +...
The patriarchy is a modern invention, not the natural order.
The "patriarchy", a male-dominated social order with entrenched hierarchies
giving power and...
9 months ago
The "patriarchy", a male-dominated social order with entrenched hierarchies
giving power and authority to men over women, is pitched by masculinity
influencers and pop social scientists as humanity's natural state. They
argue patriarchy represents the primal hard-wiring of...
Rest of World -...
In the “Galapagos of Asia,” angry Philippine islanders fight the great nickel rush
“It’s very ironic that, in order to mitigate the impact of global warming, you have to cut down our...
a year ago
“It’s very ironic that, in order to mitigate the impact of global warming, you have to cut down our trees … just to support the initiatives of Elon Musk.”
XO Capital - Field...
493.5% ROI - Exiting Sheet.Best
💡
Side note. To build our community up a bit, we're putting a cohort together to help 5 people buy...
8 months ago
💡
Side note. To build our community up a bit, we're putting a cohort together to help 5 people buy their first saas company. If this one is successful and we can add some value, we'll do another one! Jump in our discord to stay informed!
Rest of World -...
India’s electric cab companies can’t find enough cars to put on the road
There are only a handful of electric taxi manufacturers in India today, slowing the country’s EV...
a week ago
There are only a handful of electric taxi manufacturers in India today, slowing the country’s EV revolution.
Rest of World -...
Sing your way to learning a new language
Unlike apps like Duolingo, Beelinguapp focuses on storytelling and song to engage its over 5 million...
a year ago
Unlike apps like Duolingo, Beelinguapp focuses on storytelling and song to engage its over 5 million users.
David Perell
Coolest Things I Learned in 2020
This is a collection of the most popular ideas I shared in 2020.
The post Coolest Things I Learned...
over a year ago
This is a collection of the most popular ideas I shared in 2020.
The post Coolest Things I Learned in 2020 appeared first on David Perell.
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.
Working Theorys
Accountability as a Service
Hey you, did you do the thing you said you would do?
5 months ago
Hey you, did you do the thing you said you would do?
Stephen Diehl
Cooking Classes with Datatype Generic Programming
over a year ago
Working Theorys
One-Round Wonder | Theory No. 23
Can a startup have the best of both bootstrapped and venture funded paths?
10 months ago
Can a startup have the best of both bootstrapped and venture funded paths?
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...
Rest of World -...
The SoftBank-backed fintech that helped Nigerians through a cash crisis is eyeing “innovative...
Olu Akanmu, co-CEO and president of OPay Nigeria, on the importance of cloud infrastructure and the...
a year ago
Olu Akanmu, co-CEO and president of OPay Nigeria, on the importance of cloud infrastructure and the company’s future plans.
Rest of World -...
Chinese internet trolls are adopting American racism to taunt Black users
Users are harassing Black creators with profile pictures of white police officers.
a year ago
Users are harassing Black creators with profile pictures of white police officers.
Unpacked
DOJ v. Google: Case outline & arguments analysis
The DOJ is going after specific anti-competitive mechanisms, and the specifics of Google's onerous...
a year ago
The DOJ is going after specific anti-competitive mechanisms, and the specifics of Google's onerous Android deals might be the smoking gun
Rest of World -...
Illegal wildlife trafficking thrives in Facebook groups for “animal lovers”
“It’s very easy to sell on Facebook, and very easy to earn money. Not to brag.”
a year ago
“It’s very easy to sell on Facebook, and very easy to earn money. Not to brag.”
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...
3 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.
Internal Tech Emails
Sergey Brin: "Irate call from Steve Jobs"
so i got a call from steve jobs today who was very agitated.
a year ago
so i got a call from steve jobs today who was very agitated.
Rest of World -...
Disturbed by tragic deaths, Indian students are raging against celebrity YouTube teachers
Students feel betrayed by the lack of support from these educators who enjoy near-cult popularity.
2 months ago
Students feel betrayed by the lack of support from these educators who enjoy near-cult popularity.
SatPost by Trung...
Coca-Cola: "A cure for all nervous affections"
How cocaine, the "patent medicine" industry and mass advertising created the world's most iconic...
a year ago
How cocaine, the "patent medicine" industry and mass advertising created the world's most iconic beverage.
Data Boutique
How Data Boutique Works
Making Web Data Purchases Easy
a year ago
Making Web Data Purchases Easy
Rest of World -...
Can a church exist exclusively on the internet?
Inside the emerging virtual-preaching economy in internet-obsessed Kenya.
3 months ago
Inside the emerging virtual-preaching economy in internet-obsessed Kenya.
Rest of World -...
“China’s K-pop moment”: Wukong’s global success sparks government embrace of video games as soft...
China is changing its long-critical stance thanks to the smash hit, according to Chinese game...
a month ago
China is changing its long-critical stance thanks to the smash hit, according to Chinese game developers and industry analysts.
Data Boutique
How to Estimate Sales Using Inventory Web-Scraped Data
A powerful use case for web data
8 months ago
A powerful use case for web data
Ed Zitron's Where's...
You Can't Make Friends With The Rockstars
You cannot make friends with the rock stars...if you're going to be a true journalist, you know, a...
2 weeks ago
You cannot make friends with the rock stars...if you're going to be a true journalist, you know, a rock journalist. First, you never get paid much, but you will get free records from the record company.
[There’s] fuckin’ nothin' about you that is
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Techies and normals
There are techies (if you are reading this blog you are almost certainly one of them) and there are...
over a year ago
There are techies (if you are reading this blog you are almost certainly one of them) and there are mainstream users – some people call them…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"The dawn of trustworthy computing"
Nick Szabo: On the Internet, instead of securely and reliably handing over cash and getting our...
over a year ago
Nick Szabo: On the Internet, instead of securely and reliably handing over cash and getting our goods or services, or at least a ticket, we…
Rest of World -...
Argentina’s far-right front-runner is not the crypto candidate fans think he is
Milei’s plans for the dollarization of Argentina’s economy might even depress crypto adoption.
a year ago
Milei’s plans for the dollarization of Argentina’s economy might even depress crypto adoption.
Rest of World -...
“Tornado beer” drinking stunts have made Pangzai a global king
The beloved rural Chinese influencer talks about finding fame, the health effects of all that beer,...
a year ago
The beloved rural Chinese influencer talks about finding fame, the health effects of all that beer, and what videos he wants to make next.
Noahpinion
How did the U.S. achieve a soft landing?
Four simple theories.
10 months ago
Rest of World -...
New data reveals exactly when the Chinese government blocked ChatGPT and other AI sites
Rest of World received exclusive access to a platform that tracks patterns and timing of Chinese...
a month ago
Rest of World received exclusive access to a platform that tracks patterns and timing of Chinese online censorship.
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...
10 months 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...
Internal Tech Emails
"I don't want to create a paper trail"
I would prefer that Omid do it verbally since I don't want to create a paper trail over which we can...
a year ago
I would prefer that Omid do it verbally since I don't want to create a paper trail over which we can be sued later? Not sure about this.. thanks Eric
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"
Noahpinion
Is it time for the Revenge of the Normies?
An optimistic take on technology and inequality.
a year ago
An optimistic take on technology and inequality.
Steve Blank
Why The Pentagon Can’t Count: It’s Time to Reinvent the Audit
This article previously appeared in War on the Rocks. In the past, headlines about the Pentagon...
a year ago
This article previously appeared in War on the Rocks. In the past, headlines about the Pentagon failing its financial audit again would never have caught my attention. But having been in the middle of this conversation when I served on one of the Defense Department’s advisory...
Noahpinion
The danger of another American civil war is low
Re-upping some arguments I've made before.
a year ago
Re-upping some arguments I've made before.
Rest of World -...
What Elon Musk’s new biography leaves out
Looking beyond the Tesla reality-distortion field.
a year ago
Looking beyond the Tesla reality-distortion field.
AVC
The Cleanse
I’ve never done a cleanse. But many of my friends and family members have done them. There are...
a year ago
I’ve never done a cleanse. But many of my friends and family members have done them. There are various flavors of cleanses but the basic idea is you cut back your consumption of food and drink and replace it with mostly liquid nutrition for anywhere from a day to a month. I...
Rest of World -...
Popular Chinese AI chatbots accused of unwanted sexual advances, misogyny
Glow, known for its immersive role-play experience, lacks clear moderation rules.
a year ago
Glow, known for its immersive role-play experience, lacks clear moderation rules.
Blog posts of...
Peter Thiel’s Startup Class Notes as PDF
@bgmasters created an awesome series of blog posts covering his notes of Peter Thiel’s startup class...
over a year ago
@bgmasters created an awesome series of blog posts covering his notes of Peter Thiel’s startup class CS183. Personally i try to re...
Noahpinion
The positive case for Joe Biden
It's not just about being anti-Trump.
6 months ago
It's not just about being anti-Trump.
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…
Entrepreneur's Edge
Revenue is easy, profit is harder
The fundamentals needed to run a business in the next economic cycle.
a year ago
The fundamentals needed to run a business in the next economic cycle.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Offline first, mobile enabled
One of the major trends in tech startups what Fred Wilson calls “Mobile first, web second.”...
over a year ago
One of the major trends in tech startups what Fred Wilson calls “Mobile first, web second.” Instagram is a great example of mobile first…
Noahpinion
At least five things to finish your week (#19)
Real wages, why North Korea is poor, China's stalled catch-up, the economics of social media, AI...
11 months ago
Real wages, why North Korea is poor, China's stalled catch-up, the economics of social media, AI takes some jobs, and a comic about rabbits
Noahpinion
The perverse incentives of euthanasia
Suggesting that people die is not a good way of saving taxpayer money.
7 months ago
Suggesting that people die is not a good way of saving taxpayer money.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Bedrock programming
“Bedrock programming” is a phrase used to describe a style of programming that favors building code...
over a year ago
“Bedrock programming” is a phrase used to describe a style of programming that favors building code from the ground up versus reusing…
Noahpinion
Will China squander its moment in the sun?
A great civilization could be a lot greater, if its leaders gave up their obsession with control.
9 months ago
A great civilization could be a lot greater, if its leaders gave up their obsession with control.
Aaron's Essays
Don't focus on the NASDAQ
While thinking about wiggles (Ignoring the Wiggles ), I looked at when the biggest tech cos in the...
over a year ago
While thinking about wiggles (Ignoring the Wiggles ), I looked at when the biggest tech cos in the world started relative to NASDAQ. At first, I thought I'd find no correlation between how well the index was doing and when successful companies were founded.
I love...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The enterprise: buyers versus users
Why does most enterprise technology feel like it is a decade behind consumer technology? For the...
over a year ago
Why does most enterprise technology feel like it is a decade behind consumer technology? For the same reason our health care system is…
Unpacked
OpenAI's web crawler and FTC missteps
OpenAI launches a default opt-in crawler, continuing to scrape the Internet, while the FTC focuses...
a year ago
OpenAI launches a default opt-in crawler, continuing to scrape the Internet, while the FTC focuses on an obscure consumer deception investigation into OpenAI.
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 2 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Maximizing capacity utilization as a startup premise
In stark contrast to other major airlines, Southwest has been profitable for 40 years. If Southwest...
over a year ago
In stark contrast to other major airlines, Southwest has been profitable for 40 years. If Southwest had one core “startup premise” it was…
Rest of World -...
Apple and Foxconn lobbied India to relax its labor laws. Unions are fighting back
The business-friendly change extends factory shifts from nine to 12 hours, and allows women to work...
a year ago
The business-friendly change extends factory shifts from nine to 12 hours, and allows women to work overnight.
Steve Blank
Apple Vision Pro – Tech in the Search of a Market
A version of this article previously appeared in Fortune. If you haven’t been paying attention Apple...
8 months ago
A version of this article previously appeared in Fortune. If you haven’t been paying attention Apple has started shipping its Apple Vision Pro, its take on a headset that combines Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). The product is an amazing technical tour de force....
tomcritchlow.com
3,573 Days On The Road
Every year on the 24th October I've written a reflection on the last year of my independent...
a month ago
Every year on the 24th October I've written a reflection on the last year of my independent consulting. This would have been my 10th issue, but is instead a special issue, for reasons that will become apparent.
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...
8 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
Rest of World -...
The fastest-growing shopping app in the world
Meesho is taking on Amazon and Walmart with its focuse on cheaper goods for small-town consumers.
a year ago
Meesho is taking on Amazon and Walmart with its focuse on cheaper goods for small-town consumers.
Tom Blomfield
Monzo growth
I’ve been asked a few times recently how we got customers to sign up to Monzo in the early years and...
over a year ago
I’ve been asked a few times recently how we got customers to sign up to Monzo in the early years and I haven’t been able to give a satisfactory answer in a sufficiently short space of time. I thought I’d write out my thoughts in a longer piece so I can feel less bad about giving...
XO Capital - Field...
Deal Structures
A couple of people have asked about deal structures so here are a few we commonly use for buying...
9 months ago
A couple of people have asked about deal structures so here are a few we commonly use for buying micro saas companies.
All Cash
Pretty straight forward. You do all cash. Usually it's 100% into escrow.com and release maybe 50% before asset transfer and 50% after asset
42!
The folly of trying to replace spreadsheets
Our very earliest marketing copy for our HR SaaS was “Replace your spreadsheet nightmare with a nice...
a year ago
Our very earliest marketing copy for our HR SaaS was “Replace your spreadsheet nightmare with a nice clean HR database…”
We thought it was a cute and quirky tagline, and that it would immediately relatable to our target audience of business and human resource managers. After all...
Blog posts of...
The Founder’s Lie About Comfort Zones
There is a lot of talk going on about the endurance and struggle that startup founders go through....
over a year ago
There is a lot of talk going on about the endurance and struggle that startup founders go through. How long the hours are, we all...
Rest of World -...
AI’s “tech tsunami” is coming for call center workers
The Philippines’ 1.6 million outsourced workers fear they may soon be automated out of a job.
a year ago
The Philippines’ 1.6 million outsourced workers fear they may soon be automated out of a job.
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...
6 months ago
Rest of World spoke with 40 riders for Swiggy in India. Many described losing coverage when they needed help the most.
Rest of World -...
How Bangladesh’s tech industry navigated an unprecedented political crisis
July’s internet blackout and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s sudden exit is estimated to have cost...
a month ago
July’s internet blackout and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s sudden exit is estimated to have cost the industry $300 million.
Unpacked
Epic Games, Google and App Store Monopolies
In a surprise win for the makers of Fortnite, a jury ruled that Google engaged in anti-competitive...
10 months ago
In a surprise win for the makers of Fortnite, a jury ruled that Google engaged in anti-competitive conduct by suppressing other app stores and banning alternate payments
Paul Graham: Essays
The Other Half of "Artists Ship"
over a year ago
Working Theorys
Taste is Eating Silicon Valley.
Just as software ate the world and dramatically transformed industries in the last era, taste is now...
a month ago
Just as software ate the world and dramatically transformed industries in the last era, taste is now eating software—and with it, Silicon Valley.
Articles - Alex...
The age of average (encore)
The shift to music streaming has led to songs getting shorter, music
getting less melodically...
7 months ago
The shift to music streaming has led to songs getting shorter, music
getting less melodically diverse and lyrics getting more repetitive. Or to
put it another way, just as our visual culture has become more homogeneous,
so too has the music that accompanies it. Let’s run...
Noahpinion
New technologies, new totalitarians
Thanks to smartphones, social media, and globalization, liberalism faces a new and terrifying kind...
8 months ago
Thanks to smartphones, social media, and globalization, liberalism faces a new and terrifying kind of opponent.
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...
4 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 -...
Scale AI’s Remotasks platform is dropping whole countries without explanation
Workers in Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan were booted off the AI-training service earlier this month.
7 months ago
Workers in Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan were booted off the AI-training service earlier this month.
Rest of World -...
Uber hates this app that tells drivers whether it’s worth picking you up
Brazil’s StopClub app shows drivers what every minute and mile of your ride is worth.
a year ago
Brazil’s StopClub app shows drivers what every minute and mile of your ride is worth.
Rest of World -...
Ethiopians are struggling to keep up with the new “EV or nothing” policy
Ethiopia became the first country in the world to ban the import of gas and diesel cars. But the...
3 months ago
Ethiopia became the first country in the world to ban the import of gas and diesel cars. But the country has only around 50 charging stations.
Paul Graham: Essays
The Four Quadrants of Conformism
over a year ago
Tech + Economics +...
Red state politics are too much of a headache for tech.
Is the Texas boom town of Austin losing its luster?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, investors...
10 months ago
Is the Texas boom town of Austin losing its luster?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, investors and startup founders alike
flocked to the Texas capital, attracted to the lower cost of living,
“hip” lifestyle and business-friendly environment (i.e. no state income
...
Rest of World -...
The company that thinks it can succeed where Lime failed
Russia’s Whoosh launched in Brazil last year, and plans to expand across the country by 2026.
2 months ago
Russia’s Whoosh launched in Brazil last year, and plans to expand across the country by 2026.
XO Capital - Field...
Flip Fund® Logs Pt 2
Spotify Amazon Apple
Listen:
Watch:
Having an audience is insanely powerful. We got nearly $500k...
a year ago
Spotify Amazon Apple
Listen:
Watch:
Having an audience is insanely powerful. We got nearly $500k of soft commits in <2 weeks.
I have:
~10k followers Twitter
~11k followers Linkedin
~800 on this email list.
The only one I trust though is this email list. Twitter ... god...
SatPost by Trung...
Blumhouse: The Hollywood Horror Hit Machine
How Jason Blum turned "constraints breed creativity" into a business model.
a year ago
How Jason Blum turned "constraints breed creativity" into a business model.
Rest of World -...
How China took over the world’s online shopping carts
Chinese e-commerce platforms like Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop are going global with big ambitions.
11 months ago
Chinese e-commerce platforms like Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop are going global with big ambitions.
Public Experiments
Natural Language Is an Unnatural Interface
How can we use familiar design patterns to constrain the unwieldy state space of large language...
a year ago
How can we use familiar design patterns to constrain the unwieldy state space of large language models?
Paul Graham: Essays
How to Convince Investors
over a year ago
Rest of World -...
Argentina’s Mercado Pago is like Venmo plus investing
Latin America’s answer to Venmo helps Argentines survive sky-high inflation.
a year ago
Latin America’s answer to Venmo helps Argentines survive sky-high inflation.
tomcritchlow.com
Building an Interactive Blog Map
I love a good diagram. So a while back I made a “blog map” for my website homepage that looked a bit...
a year ago
I love a good diagram. So a while back I made a “blog map” for my website homepage that looked a bit like this:
AVC
The VC’s Customer
I saw Dan Primack assert that the venture capitalist’s customer is their limited partners in this...
a year ago
I saw Dan Primack assert that the venture capitalist’s customer is their limited partners in this tweet about the Citizen app, the recap, and their VCs: I DM’d Dan to let him know that is not the right way to think about the venture capital business. Back in 2005, in the early...
Entrepreneur's Edge
Understanding the Importance of Operating Leverage in the Age of Efficiency
Amazon grew it's revenue per employee from $50K to $1M over its first fifteen years.
a year ago
Amazon grew it's revenue per employee from $50K to $1M over its first fifteen years.
Internal Tech Emails
Sundar's meeting with Tim
Tim’s overall message to Google was “I imagine us as being able to be deep deep partners; deeply...
12 months ago
Tim’s overall message to Google was “I imagine us as being able to be deep deep partners; deeply connected where our services end and yours begin and sees no natural impediment to us doing more together. Knows there is a past but doesn’t feel encumbered by it and wants to figure...
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.
Platformer
Inside Discord’s reform movement for banned users
Most platforms ban their trolls forever. Discord wants to rehabilitate them
a year ago
Most platforms ban their trolls forever. Discord wants to rehabilitate them
Rest of World -...
Fake news verification tools fail the test during elections in India
Rest of World tested 11 leading WhatsApp-based chatbots that promise to help Indian voters identify...
5 months ago
Rest of World tested 11 leading WhatsApp-based chatbots that promise to help Indian voters identify misinformation. There were long delays and inconsistencies in responses even for content that can easily be identified as AI-generated and fake.
Stephen Diehl
The Non-Innovation of Cryptocurrency
over a year ago
Inverted Passion
A primer on dopamine
1/ I recently made notes on the book “Hooked” but wasn’t satisfied by the depth of explanation in...
9 months ago
1/ I recently made notes on the book “Hooked” but wasn’t satisfied by the depth of explanation in it. 2/ I wanted to get down into neuroscience of habit-forming products and that inevitably lead me to the (in)famous neurotransmitter dopamine. 3/ Before we dive into what dopamine...
Data Boutique
Problems When Disclosing How Data Is Collected
Recent news highlights how in-house data collection might not be taken well by users.
a year ago
Recent news highlights how in-house data collection might not be taken well by users.
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.
haseeb qureshi
What explains the rise of AMMs?
Imagine a college friend reached out to you and said, “Hey, I have a business idea. I’m going to run...
over a year ago
Imagine a college friend reached out to you and said, “Hey, I have a business idea. I’m going to run a market making bot. I’ll always quote a price no matter who’s asking, and for my pricing algorithm I’ll use x * y = k. That’s pretty much it. Want to invest?”
You’d run...
Rest of World -...
How well do you know global food delivery?
Test your knowledge of the world’s favorite delivery apps and most-ordered dishes.
2 months ago
Test your knowledge of the world’s favorite delivery apps and most-ordered dishes.
Internal Tech Emails
Microsoft exec on the iPod: "Apple is just so far ahead"
I bought the high end creative labs portable player. It was the NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra. I have to...
over a year ago
I bought the high end creative labs portable player. It was the NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra. I have to tell you my experience with our software and this device is really terrible.
haseeb qureshi
The Life and Death of Plasma
By Haseeb Qureshi and Ashwin Ramachandran
It was August 2017. The price of Ether was near an all...
over a year ago
By Haseeb Qureshi and Ashwin Ramachandran
It was August 2017. The price of Ether was near an all time high, the Ethereum blockchain was exploding with usage, and the chain was buckling under the ever increasing demand. Researchers and developers were frantically searching for new...
Platformer
How a single engineer brought down Twitter on Monday
The high cost of cutting expenses
a year ago
The high cost of cutting expenses
Platformer
The Biden administration turns its attention toward AI
The Commerce Department asks for public comment. Here are three problems it should consider
a year ago
The Commerce Department asks for public comment. Here are three problems it should consider
Articles - Alex...
Adland is an island
We spend eight hours a day thinking about the brands we build. Many of us
more. We consider our...
over a year ago
We spend eight hours a day thinking about the brands we build. Many of us
more. We consider our clients’ companies and the categories in which they
compete. We visit the sites in which our products are produced and the
stores in which they are sold. We analyse their adverts...
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
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! #1 💡 It's cool that smartphones have become all-in-one devices. But at...
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 While alcohol is becoming less and less nicotine is having a comeback. Even Einstein...
7 months ago
#1 💡 While alcohol is becoming less and less nicotine is having a comeback. Even Einstein reportedly believed that Nicotine contributed to a calm and objective judgment. But while there are thousands of “premium” options when it comes to consuming alcohol, all Nicotine...
Nothing Human
Meditations on Machinic Desire
The philosopher and accelerationist Nick Land writes, in his 1994 essay Machinic Desire, three of...
a week ago
The philosopher and accelerationist Nick Land writes, in his 1994 essay Machinic Desire, three of the most insight-dense paragraphs I’ve ever encountered:
Devmoh
3 key tips for maximum impact, and the myth of the "lazy" Big Tech Engineer
On forums with startup-heavy presences, it’s a common occurrence to sing about the downfall of FAANG...
a year ago
On forums with startup-heavy presences, it’s a common occurrence to sing about the downfall of FAANG and the uselessness of Big Tech for an engineer’s career. This specific tweet went viral recently and I wanted to do a little deep dive on the underlying implications of it:
Rest of World -...
In Southeast Asia, Ramadan is an online shopping bonanza
An e-commerce battle brews between Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop with the continued rise of...
6 months ago
An e-commerce battle brews between Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop with the continued rise of livestream selling.
Nothing Human
The Tyranny of the Marginal User
why consumer software gets worse, not better, over time
a year ago
why consumer software gets worse, not better, over time
Steve Blank
The Secret History of Polaroid CEO Edwin Land – part 1
The connections between the world of national security and commercial companies still has surprises....
6 months ago
The connections between the world of national security and commercial companies still has surprises. December 1976 – Vandenberg Air Force Base, U.S. military space port on the coast of California As a Titan IIID rocket blasted off, it carried a spacecraft on top that would change...
Rest of World -...
The AI project pushing local languages to replace French in Mali’s schools
RobotsMali uses ChatGPT, Google Translate, and other AI tools in hopes of helping young students...
8 months ago
RobotsMali uses ChatGPT, Google Translate, and other AI tools in hopes of helping young students learn faster and stay in school.
Dustin Curtis
How to host a static website with HTTPS on AWS, using S3 and CloudFront
Amazon’s AWS is an inexpensive and limitlessly scalable platform that can be ideal for hosting fast,...
over a year ago
Amazon’s AWS is an inexpensive and limitlessly scalable platform that can be ideal for hosting fast, secure, and reliable static websites. I host several sites using the method described below, and it costs me pennies per month. The only problem is that getting things set...
Paul Graham: Essays
Is There Such a Thing as Good Taste?
over a year ago
Working Theorys
Ping Minimalism
OR: "Personal firewalls" or "Few may disturb"
4 months ago
OR: "Personal firewalls" or "Few may disturb"
Noahpinion
Why aren't we taking every Chinese refugee we can?
Let's be the City on a Hill again.
a year ago
Let's be the City on a Hill again.
Articles - Alex...
The ageism in advertising
The advertising industry is addicted to youth. We are obsessed and
possessed. We crave it in our...
over a year ago
The advertising industry is addicted to youth. We are obsessed and
possessed. We crave it in our agencies and we covet it in our audiences. We
believe younger staff are more creative and younger consumers are more
valuable. But this is nothing more than received wisdom....
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#35)
Chinese defense spending, activists vs. normies, corporate diversity, phones in schools,
6 months ago
Chinese defense spending, activists vs. normies, corporate diversity, phones in schools,
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...
Close your office. Now. How to operate your startup under lock-down.
What a week. The US declared the state of emergency. Many leading startups closed their office. And...
over a year ago
What a week. The US declared the state of emergency. Many leading startups closed their office. And I expect that all startups in...
Rest of World -...
A little-understood role in a global VC could also be one of the most influential
Ana Jiménez, 500 Global’s chief of staff for Latin America, on building a relationship of trust and...
a year ago
Ana Jiménez, 500 Global’s chief of staff for Latin America, on building a relationship of trust and strategic vision with her organization’s leader.
Working Theorys
What I Talk About When I Talk About Reading
Optimize your life for good conversations.
6 months ago
Optimize your life for good conversations.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Understanding your market
Some startups become huge sensations without requiring any active marketing – YouTube, Skype, and...
over a year ago
Some startups become huge sensations without requiring any active marketing – YouTube, Skype, and Twitter come to mind. However, the vast…
Rest of World -...
Cricket, influencers, layoffs: Alibaba’s risky bet in Pakistan
Since its acquisition by the Chinese giant, e-commerce site Daraz has been experimenting to reach...
11 months ago
Since its acquisition by the Chinese giant, e-commerce site Daraz has been experimenting to reach new buyers amid an economic crisis.
Essays - Benedict...
When big tech buys small tech
‘Big tech’ buys hundreds of startups, but what are they, what does that
mean for competition, and...
over a year ago
‘Big tech’ buys hundreds of startups, but what are they, what does that
mean for competition, and how does this fit into the broader market? How
many more Instagrams are there, and how many DAOs?
Rest of World -...
How to become an #Influencer in India
Many middle-class Indians aspire to be the next Kusha Kapila or Ranveer Allahbadia. But there’s a...
a year ago
Many middle-class Indians aspire to be the next Kusha Kapila or Ranveer Allahbadia. But there’s a real struggle to monetize from Instagram.
Rest of World -...
How to launch a Chinese smartphone in Mexico
Antonio Tercero is guiding Infinix’s Mexico expansion, facing off against Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo.
9 months ago
Antonio Tercero is guiding Infinix’s Mexico expansion, facing off against Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo.
Rest of World -...
Four predictions for 2024
It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
10 months ago
It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
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…
Steve Blank
Leaving Government for the Private Sector – Part 1
Laura Thomas is a former CIA operations officer. Reading how she moved in 2021 from CIA ops into a...
a year ago
Laura Thomas is a former CIA operations officer. Reading how she moved in 2021 from CIA ops into a quantum technology company offered insightful career transition advice for those leaving her agency. Most of her lessons were applicable to any government employee venturing out to...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The next twenty years are going to make this last twenty years just pale
If we were sent back with a time machine, even 20 years, and reported to people what we have right...
over a year ago
If we were sent back with a time machine, even 20 years, and reported to people what we have right now and describe what we were going to…
Noahpinion
Yes, of course crime is way down
The people telling you crime isn't falling are feeding you a line.
4 months ago
The people telling you crime isn't falling are feeding you a line.
Rest of World -...
China’s biggest AI model is challenging American dominance
Alibaba’s Qwen has been shining on benchmark tests, despite chip restrictions.
a month ago
Alibaba’s Qwen has been shining on benchmark tests, despite chip restrictions.
Rest of World -...
Lithium is only as dirty as we make it
We’re building a new supply chain for electric vehicles. Are we building the right one?
a year ago
We’re building a new supply chain for electric vehicles. Are we building the right one?
Throwable
AI is Coming for Software Engineers (I'm a Software Engineer)
There seems to be a lot of AI anxiety across professions and I'm here to tell you that no one should...
a year ago
There seems to be a lot of AI anxiety across professions and I'm here to tell you that no one should worry as much as software engineers.
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...
6 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...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Is it a tech bubble?
Every week a “we are in a tech bubble” article seems to come out in a major newspaper or blog....
over a year ago
Every week a “we are in a tech bubble” article seems to come out in a major newspaper or blog. People who argue we aren’t in a bubble are…
Rest of World -...
Exclusive: Microsoft Bing’s censorship in China is even “more extreme” than Chinese companies’
New Citizen Lab study comes as U.S. lawmakers scrutinize Microsoft’s willingness to comply with...
4 months ago
New Citizen Lab study comes as U.S. lawmakers scrutinize Microsoft’s willingness to comply with demands from Beijing.
Rest of World -...
Why African governments must prioritize affordable internet and smartphones
Lacina Koné of Smart Africa discusses the continent’s digital transformation and potential.
a year ago
Lacina Koné of Smart Africa discusses the continent’s digital transformation and potential.
Full Width 
Shortcuts 
About 
Sign Up 
Articles 
Blogs 
Reading List 