Tech + Economics +...
The responsibility of AI titans in a post-work society.
Advocates of AI (and yes, before the pedants chime in, I'm aware that LLMs
are not technically AI,...
a year ago
Advocates of AI (and yes, before the pedants chime in, I'm aware that LLMs
are not technically AI, but for the purposes of popular debate and
perception – we'll go with it) will tell you that automation will create
new jobs and generate broad societal value such that it...
Business Brainstorms
Daily briefing AI, Hello Fresh but better, building in a cave, postcard lead gen, controllable input...
Hey, In this issue: idea for an AI-powered Gmail extension to streamline your digital life, private...
a year ago
Hey, In this issue: idea for an AI-powered Gmail extension to streamline your digital life, private prep cooks as a service, startup concepts inspired by Y Combinator data, prompt for SEO optimized articles. Plus, founder insights on the power of focus and advertising channels....
Rest of World -...
Movie stars, matchmakers, and aunties: How WhatsApp became an unstoppable cultural force
The world’s most popular messaging platform is synonymous with the internet for millions of people.
a week ago
The world’s most popular messaging platform is synonymous with the internet for millions of people.
Rest of World -...
Global gig worker slang, explained
Shapar and amagundane are two types of platform workers their peers can’t stand.
a year ago
Shapar and amagundane are two types of platform workers their peers can’t stand.
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...
8 months ago
An e-commerce battle brews between Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop with the continued rise of livestream selling.
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...
10 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....
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...
5 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.
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...
Rest of World -...
Chinese immigrants in the U.S. are running Temu shipping centers out of their homes
To speed up delivery and dodge a crackdown on shipments from China, e-commerce companies are turning...
a month ago
To speed up delivery and dodge a crackdown on shipments from China, e-commerce companies are turning to so-called “family warehouses.”
Noahpinion
Let us pause to appreciate the remarkable U.S. economy
It really doesn't get much better than this, folks.
2 months ago
It really doesn't get much better than this, folks.
Noahpinion
Insurance companies aren't the main villain of the U.S. health system
It's mostly the providers overcharging you, not the middlemen.
a week ago
It's mostly the providers overcharging you, not the middlemen.
Working Theorys
Product vs. Production | Theory No. 9
HQ Trivia, TikTok Trivia, & the not-so-subtle art of creating compelling live media.
a year ago
HQ Trivia, TikTok Trivia, & the not-so-subtle art of creating compelling live media.
Aaron's Essays
Conflicted Capital
I’ve spent a long time wrestling with how to advise founders about investors and the conflicts of...
over a year ago
I’ve spent a long time wrestling with how to advise founders about investors and the conflicts of interest generated by opposing incentives.[1] These considerations are especially important when a founder thinks about fundraising. The founder needs to figure out how to treat...
Paul Graham: Essays
Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule
over a year ago
Dustin Curtis
Contribution and abundance
Ben Horowitz gave this remarkable response to a question about joy and happiness on Time Well Spent:...
over a year ago
Ben Horowitz gave this remarkable response to a question about joy and happiness on Time Well Spent:
In my experience there are really two things that lead to happiness and everything else is mostly noise. The two things are contribution and abundance.
Contribution is basically...
Business Brainstorms
Never launch, AI as an anti-signal, slow news, zero shame in pulling the plug.
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 “Billing for software is broken. Stripe is REALLY good...
Noahpinion
Americans hate inflation more than they hate unemployment
Lesson #2 from Trump's victory.
a month ago
Lesson #2 from Trump's victory.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
NFTs and A Thousand True Fans
In his classic 2008 essay “1000 True Fans,” Kevin Kelly predicted that the internet would transform...
over a year ago
In his classic 2008 essay “1000 True Fans,” Kevin Kelly predicted that the internet would transform the economics of creative activities: To…
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!...
Ed Zitron's Where's...
One Month of Better Offline
Hello!
I have been deliberately not dropping every episode of my new show iHeartRadio/Cool Zone...
9 months ago
Hello!
I have been deliberately not dropping every episode of my new show iHeartRadio/Cool Zone Media show Better Offline onto the newsletter feed, as I don't want to start sending you two emails a week, or make you feel like you're being spammed. I am
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.
Blog posts of...
Everyone is doing 1on1s wrong. I think.
Our calendars are packed with meetings. We communicate mostly in 1on1on1on1 trains. Nobody is happy....
a year ago
Our calendars are packed with meetings. We communicate mostly in 1on1on1on1 trains. Nobody is happy. Nothing gets done. Can we fix this?
Rest of World -...
Meta’s long-standing problem with “shaheed”
An overdue ruling from the Oversight Board.
8 months ago
An overdue ruling from the Oversight Board.
SatPost by Trung...
MicroStrategy's $37B+ Bitcoin Bet
How Michael Saylor turned a B2B software company into one of the world's largest owners of Bitcoin.
3 weeks ago
How Michael Saylor turned a B2B software company into one of the world's largest owners of Bitcoin.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Converts versus equity deals
There has been a debate going on the past few days over whether seed deals should be funded using...
over a year ago
There has been a debate going on the past few days over whether seed deals should be funded using equity or convertible notes (converts…
Essays - Benedict...
A month of the Vision Pro
The Vision Pro is amazing, but like the rest of VR and AR, Apple seems
years away from the mass...
9 months ago
The Vision Pro is amazing, but like the rest of VR and AR, Apple seems
years away from the mass market. And if it gets there, how much will it
matter?
Essays - Benedict...
There’s no such thing as data
Data is the new oil, we are told. Every country needs a data strategy, and
all of us should own...
over a year ago
Data is the new oil, we are told. Every country needs a data strategy, and
all of us should own our data, and be paid for it. But really, there is no
such thing as data, it’s not yours, and it’s not worth anything.
Steve Blank
The Three Pillars of World-class Corporate Innovation
My good friend Alexander Osterwalder, the inventor of the business model canvas (one of foundations...
over a year ago
My good friend Alexander Osterwalder, the inventor of the business model canvas (one of foundations of the Lean Methodology) has written a playbook (along with his associate partner Tendayi Viki,) From Innovation Theater to Growth Engine to explain how to build and implement...
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.
Noahpinion
Three holes in the U.S.' economic strategy against China
Legacy chips, drones, and coordination with allies.
6 months ago
Legacy chips, drones, and coordination with allies.
haseeb qureshi
How DeFi cannibalizes PoS security
On-chain lending has become the most popular decentralized finance (DeFi) application today,...
over a year ago
On-chain lending has become the most popular decentralized finance (DeFi) application today, with over $600M in loans originated this year across MakerDAO, Compound, and dYdX. On-chain lending has the potential to disrupt traditional secured lending. But it seems it may do more...
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…
haseeb qureshi
Flash Loans: Why Flash Attacks will be the New Normal
Flash loans have been the center of attention lately. Recently two hackers used flash loans to...
over a year ago
Flash loans have been the center of attention lately. Recently two hackers used flash loans to attack the margin trading protocol bZx, first in a $350K attack and later in a $600K copycat attack.
These attacks were, in a word, magnificent. In each attack, a penniless attacker...
Noahpinion
Uphold territorial integrity
An organizing principle for U.S. power in the 21st century.
a year ago
An organizing principle for U.S. power in the 21st century.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Plans are nothing, but planning is indispensable
It is widely believed that writing a business plan is a waste of time, because: 1) very few people...
over a year ago
It is widely believed that writing a business plan is a waste of time, because: 1) very few people will read it, and 2) you’ll end up…
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...
over 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...
Ed Zitron's Where's...
CrowdStruck
Soundtrack: EL-P - Tasmanian Pain Coaster (feat. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Cedric Bixler-Zavala)
When I...
5 months ago
Soundtrack: EL-P - Tasmanian Pain Coaster (feat. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Cedric Bixler-Zavala)
When I first began writing this newsletter, I didn't really have a goal, or a "theme," or anything that could neatly characterize what I was going to write about other than that I was
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.
Paul Graham: Essays
The Power of the Marginal
over a year ago
SatPost by Trung...
Second Winds
Why are so many famous YouTubers quitting? A legendary essay by Václav Havel — a Czech playwright...
10 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.
Blog posts of...
ADHD 🧠
I want to preface this by saying that I have only a mild case of ADHD, eg I don’t take any...
over a year ago
I want to preface this by saying that I have only a mild case of ADHD, eg I don’t take any medication. I get regularly asked about...
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 2 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Dustin Curtis
One of the dumbest things I've ever published
While I was reading through some of my older essays the other day, I came across a piece called...
over a year ago
While I was reading through some of my older essays the other day, I came across a piece called Privacy vs. User Experience, published in 2014. In the article, I argued that Apple’s then-nascent philosophical stance on the supremacy of user privacy was going to slow down its...
Unpacked
Instagram limits political content, and Google's consumer play with Gemini
Last week, Meta announced that they will not proactively recommend political content across their...
10 months ago
Last week, Meta announced that they will not proactively recommend political content across their recommendation surfaces including Reels and Threads. We dive into criticism Meta has gotten in the past, what led Meta to this decision, the increasingly dispersed media landscape...
Noahpinion
Maximum Canada is happening
Canada has a nation-building population strategy. Does America?
a year ago
Canada has a nation-building population strategy. Does America?
Noahpinion
Japan isn't quite "back", but it has a fighting chance
Here are some ideas for what it can do to be truly "back".
10 months ago
Here are some ideas for what it can do to be truly "back".
Internal Tech Emails
Mark Zuckerberg: "speed and strategy"
One way to make sure we can move quickly is for everyone to understand our strategy behind the major...
a year ago
One way to make sure we can move quickly is for everyone to understand our strategy behind the major product areas we're working on. I've tried to summarize some of the key ones here.
Noahpinion
Nobody knows how many jobs will "be automated"
Whatever that even means.
a year ago
Whatever that even means.
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.
Roberto Vitillo's...
Monoids for analytics
This is a short post on the elegance of using abstract algebra for analytics in Scala. A monoid is...
over a year ago
This is a short post on the elegance of using abstract algebra for analytics in Scala. A monoid is a set that is closed under an…
Unpacked
Apple's (reluctant) App Store changes, and Semafor tries AI news
This week, we dive into two meaty topics. First, we dig into Apple’s recent App Store changes to...
10 months ago
This week, we dive into two meaty topics. First, we dig into Apple’s recent App Store changes to support third party payments in the US (sort of), and additionally support side-loading of apps (i.e. supporting non-Apple app stores) in the EU. Spoiler: Apple is pushing the limits...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
New York City is poised for a tech revival
One thing that was puzzling about the “web 2.0 boom” from 2003-2008 was how irrelevant the East...
over a year ago
One thing that was puzzling about the “web 2.0 boom” from 2003-2008 was how irrelevant the East Coast, and particular New York City, was…
Rest of World -...
Why are Apple and Tesla losing ground in China?
The Chinese market isn’t quite as untapped as U.S. companies thought.
9 months ago
The Chinese market isn’t quite as untapped as U.S. companies thought.
Steve Blank
Hacking for Defense @ Stanford 2024 – Lessons Learned Presentations
We just finished our 9th annual Hacking for Defense class at Stanford. What a year. Hacking for...
6 months ago
We just finished our 9th annual Hacking for Defense class at Stanford. What a year. Hacking for Defense, now in 60 universities, has teams of students working to understand and help solve national security problems. At Stanford this quarter the 8 teams of 40 students collectively...
Paul Graham: Essays
Holding a Program in One's Head
over a year ago
Rest of World -...
Rest of World’s 2024 global playlist
What's that sound? It's your perfect soundtrack to just about everything.
6 months ago
What's that sound? It's your perfect soundtrack to just about everything.
Essays - Benedict...
Notes on newsletters
Email newsletters unlocked a new way to pay for content, but is this a tool
or a network? You can...
over a year ago
Email newsletters unlocked a new way to pay for content, but is this a tool
or a network? You can write all you like, but how do you get readers? And
is the take rate 10% or 90%?
Working Theorys
Why Are All the Public Intellectuals Men? | Theory No. 18
The most identifiable people in this arena aren’t "traditional" scholars. They’re usually not...
a year ago
The most identifiable people in this arena aren’t "traditional" scholars. They’re usually not researchers, scientists, or writers by education or trade. Instead, they seem to have just put themselves forth as vessels — to study the world, share their observations, and sprinkle in...
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
The George Floyd protests were not a civil war (repost)
And the less we collectively remember them as one, the better.
a year ago
And the less we collectively remember them as one, the better.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Twitter killed RSS (and that’s a bad thing)
I’ve used Google Reader religiously since it launched. I’m a few days away from quitting it...
over a year ago
I’ve used Google Reader religiously since it launched. I’m a few days away from quitting it forever. Pretty much every blog I read tweets…
Articles - Alex...
Big questions for big data
Big data is big news. Search for it and Google will return 75 million
results. That’s a different...
over a year ago
Big data is big news. Search for it and Google will return 75 million
results. That’s a different article for every 100 people on earth. There
are also 18 million videos on the topic. At 5 minutes each, it would take
170 years to watch them all. Then there’s the one million...
Rest of World -...
Pakistan’s China-style firewall is rattling its tech industry
Internet speeds in the country have dropped by up to 40% due to the government's efforts to monitor...
3 months ago
Internet speeds in the country have dropped by up to 40% due to the government's efforts to monitor internet traffic, said service providers.
Noahpinion
Strategies to secure America's supply chains
A guest post by Yann Calvó López and Ben Golub.
2 months ago
A guest post by Yann Calvó López and Ben Golub.
Noahpinion
Bad and good arguments for industrial policy
Has China invented a better way to run an advanced economy?
5 months ago
Has China invented a better way to run an advanced economy?
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#39)
Modi's third term; Biden and the border; good news on climate; nonprofits being bad; interest rates...
6 months ago
Modi's third term; Biden and the border; good news on climate; nonprofits being bad; interest rates and austerity
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
Europe is not ready to be a "third superpower"
For that, it would need to act as a unified entity, defend itself against Russia, and embrace new...
a year ago
For that, it would need to act as a unified entity, defend itself against Russia, and embrace new technology.
42!
I got booted from one of my own company’s Slack channels...
So, last week I got removed from one of my company’s Slack channels… and it was probably the best...
a year ago
So, last week I got removed from one of my company’s Slack channels… and it was probably the best thing that could have happened for me, and my company.
You see, like most companies, we have ‘global’ chat channels that everyone participates in, plus each team has distinct...
Rest of World -...
How Presto became Libya’s most successful tech startup
The delivery app now plans to expand to neighboring countries.
2 months ago
The delivery app now plans to expand to neighboring countries.
Noahpinion
If this is a bad economy, please tell me what a good economy would look like
We should acknowledge that things are going well, even as we continue to look for problems to solve.
a year ago
We should acknowledge that things are going well, even as we continue to look for problems to solve.
Working Theorys
The "High Potential" Handicap | Theory No. 20
"Smart" kids are always praised for their high potential. They’re deemed inherently capable of so...
a year ago
"Smart" kids are always praised for their high potential. They’re deemed inherently capable of so much, largely because of their natural talents. They can do anything they want, if they just try.
Paul Graham: Essays
Is There Such a Thing as Good Taste?
over a year ago
Stephen Diehl
Dive into GHC: Intermediate Forms
over a year ago
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.
Blog posts of...
How global media communication changes in a transparent world
These are crowdaggregated pictures from Syria (across basically all social media channels). No media...
over a year ago
These are crowdaggregated pictures from Syria (across basically all social media channels). No media publisher inbetween. Authenti...
Steve Blank
The Department of Defense Is Getting Its Innovation Act Together – But More Can Be Done
This post previously appeared in Defense News and C4SIR. Despite the clear and present danger of...
11 months ago
This post previously appeared in Defense News and C4SIR. Despite the clear and present danger of threats from China and elsewhere, there’s no agreement on what types of adversaries we’ll face; how we’ll fight, organize, and train; and what weapons or systems we’ll need for...
Noahpinion
The American socialist worldview is just totally broken (repost)
Plus a new update showing how right I was.
a year ago
Plus a new update showing how right I was.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 Andrej Karpathy announced that he’s building an AI + education company.
5 months ago
#1 💡 Andrej Karpathy announced that he’s building an AI + education company.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Don’t shop your term sheet
There are all sorts of protocols in the VC world. Most of them make sense upon further examination,...
over a year ago
There are all sorts of protocols in the VC world. Most of them make sense upon further examination, but if you’re a first time entrepreneur…
SatPost by Trung...
The $650m+ Spirit Halloween business
Spirit Halloween has over 1,450 pop-up shops and makes all its money in only 2 months (September,...
a year ago
Spirit Halloween has over 1,450 pop-up shops and makes all its money in only 2 months (September, October)
Rest of World -...
Las compañías de autos eléctricos quieren el litio de Argentina. Poco queda para sus ciudadanos.
A los habitantes de la Isla Paulino se les prometió baterías de litio para reducir el uso de...
8 months ago
A los habitantes de la Isla Paulino se les prometió baterías de litio para reducir el uso de generadores. El proyecto se frenó. Mientras tanto, las exportaciones de litio crecen.
Folklore.org:...
Folon
Early Mac art from Jean-Michel Folon
a year ago
Early Mac art from Jean-Michel Folon
Business Brainstorms
No agenda cold emails, dealership visits as a service, prompt money, the doing game.
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 Prompt Base has a list of the
Steve Blank
What Does Product Market Fit Sound Like? This.
I got a call from an ex-student asking me “how do you know when you found product market fit?”...
2 months ago
I got a call from an ex-student asking me “how do you know when you found product market fit?” There’s been lots of words written about it, but no actual recordings of the moment. I remembered I had saved this 90 second, 26 year-old audio file because this is when I knew we had...
Internal Tech Emails
Microsoft's gaming strategy
we are exactly like Polaroid. We are core gaming which isn't growing its TAM (analogous to film...
a year ago
we are exactly like Polaroid. We are core gaming which isn't growing its TAM (analogous to film photographers) while mobile gaming MAU is growing WW at a significant rate (like digital photography was growing).
Noahpinion
EVs are just going to win
Because they're a superior technology, and superior technologies win.
2 months ago
Because they're a superior technology, and superior technologies win.
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…
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 2 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Rest of World -...
Brazil is the first stop in the Latin American electric motorcycle market
Vammo, an electric mobility company for delivery workers, chose to launch in the country because 85%...
a year ago
Vammo, an electric mobility company for delivery workers, chose to launch in the country because 85% of its electric grid runs on renewable energy.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Software Has Eaten The Media
As I wrote a year ago in The Rot Economy (and as I argued on the first episode of my podcast Better...
9 months ago
As I wrote a year ago in The Rot Economy (and as I argued on the first episode of my podcast Better Offline), I believe that both public and private markets have become decoupled from the concept of "good business," ruled instead by a hunger for the eternal
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.
Working Theorys
3 Hours or Nothing
Musing #14 | The merits of being binary with your time
8 months ago
Musing #14 | The merits of being binary with your time
Tom Blomfield
Startup Series Part 3: You make what you measure
Merely measuring something has an uncanny tendency to improve it. If you want to make your user...
over a year ago
Merely measuring something has an uncanny tendency to improve it. If you want to make your user numbers go up, put a big piece of paper on your wall and every day plot the number of users. You’ll be delighted when it goes up and disappointed when it goes down. Pretty soon you’ll...
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...
Blog posts of...
The things first time founders do…
Last week @robfitz asked me on short notice to join a panel at #foundersexchange about what first...
over a year ago
Last week @robfitz asked me on short notice to join a panel at #foundersexchange about what first time founders shouldn’t do. I qu...
Noahpinion
Do poor countries need a new development strategy?
Bangladesh and Southeast Asia are defying the economists who say industrialization is dead.
10 months ago
Bangladesh and Southeast Asia are defying the economists who say industrialization is dead.
Working Theorys
The Rise of the Software Creator
In the age of AI, software creators, like content creators, will emerge as the industry’s...
6 months ago
In the age of AI, software creators, like content creators, will emerge as the industry’s non-professional creative class.
haseeb qureshi
Why Decentralization Isn’t as Important as You Think
If you’ve spent any time at all on crypto Twitter, you’re familiar with the web3 narrative. It goes...
over a year ago
If you’ve spent any time at all on crypto Twitter, you’re familiar with the web3 narrative. It goes like this: in the beginning, the web was “truly decentralized.” Against all odds, the World Wide Web won against the corporatist designs of companies like Microsoft, and cyberspace...
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.
Stephen Diehl
The Twilight of the Securities Act
over a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The tradeoff between open and closed
When having the “open vs closed” debate regarding a technology platform, a number of distinctions...
over a year ago
When having the “open vs closed” debate regarding a technology platform, a number of distinctions need to be made. First, what exactly is…
Rest of World -...
Instagram account hacked? “Ethical hackers” will get it back
Meta’s account recovery process is so complicated that people are paying experts to do it for them.
a year ago
Meta’s account recovery process is so complicated that people are paying experts to do it for them.
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.
Steve Blank
You’re Invited: Hacking for Defense and Lean LaunchPad Final Presentations
Join us for the final presentations of our two Stanford classes this Tuesday June 4th and Wednesday...
6 months ago
Join us for the final presentations of our two Stanford classes this Tuesday June 4th and Wednesday June 5th. Tuesday = Hacking for Defense Wednesday = Lean Launchpad The presentations just get better every year. Attend in person or via Zoom. This year AI seems to be part of...
Noahpinion
The U.S. needs to pay more attention to electronic warfare
A guest post by Steven Glinert.
3 months ago
A guest post by Steven Glinert.
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
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#12)
The college shakeout, China vs. its developing neighbors, Chinese zombie companies, more fun YIMBY...
a year ago
The college shakeout, China vs. its developing neighbors, Chinese zombie companies, more fun YIMBY stuff, and the victory of the Melting Pot
Noahpinion
Mass deportation would accomplish nothing
Trump's signature policy would frighten Americans without improving the immigration situation.
4 months ago
Trump's signature policy would frighten Americans without improving the immigration situation.
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for your weekend (#24)
Economists had a good 2023, degrowthers promising growth, the troubles in the humanities, U.S....
11 months ago
Economists had a good 2023, degrowthers promising growth, the troubles in the humanities, U.S. redistribution, and defense production
Platformer
The states sue Meta over child safety
Everyone agrees there's a teen mental health crisis. Is this how you fix it?
a year ago
Everyone agrees there's a teen mental health crisis. Is this how you fix it?
Steve Blank
Finding and Growing the Islands of Innovation inside a large company – Action Plan for A New CTO
This post previously appeared in Fast Company. How does a newly hired Chief Technology Officer (CTO)...
over a year ago
This post previously appeared in Fast Company. How does a newly hired Chief Technology Officer (CTO) find and grow the islands of innovation inside a large company? How not to waste your first six months as a new CTO thinking you’re making progress when the status quo is working...
Rest of World -...
WhatsApp voice notes are revolutionizing farming in Senegal
For farmers in Senegal who struggle to read or write, sending voice notes has unlocked a new world...
a year ago
For farmers in Senegal who struggle to read or write, sending voice notes has unlocked a new world of collaboration across the industry.
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things: Will of the Masses edition (#55)
Abandoning X; Drone world; Asian voters' rightward shift; China and the Global South; Polycrisis;...
6 days ago
Abandoning X; Drone world; Asian voters' rightward shift; China and the Global South; Polycrisis; Illegal immigration's fiscal impact; Iranian power
cdixon.org RSS Feed
If you asked people in 1989...
"If you asked people in 1989 what they needed to make their life better, it was unlikely that they...
over a year ago
"If you asked people in 1989 what they needed to make their life better, it was unlikely that they would have said that a decentralized…
Rest of World -...
There is no American Ambani
A tale of two tech industries.
9 months ago
A tale of two tech industries.
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
David Perell
Annual Review 2021
I’ll start this Annual Review by reflecting on 2021. I’ll share highlights and reflect on the goals...
over a year ago
I’ll start this Annual Review by reflecting on 2021. I’ll share highlights and reflect on the goals I set at the beginning of the year. Later, I’ll outline how I plan to improve my life and set a new vision for 2022.
The post Annual Review 2021 appeared first on David Perell.
Noahpinion
Who's "weird"?
A campaign insult offers a window into American society in the 2020s.
4 months ago
A campaign insult offers a window into American society in the 2020s.
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…
Unpacked
2024 Predictions: AI, Media, Advertising & more
They say predictions is a bad business - You get it right, people say "duh". You get it wrong, you...
11 months ago
They say predictions is a bad business - You get it right, people say "duh". You get it wrong, you are terribly wrong. So, of course we are kicking off with 2024 tech predictions. Listen in for hot takes across AI, Media, Advertising & more.
Rest of World -...
The church of Roblox: How young Filipino Catholics are building more inclusive spaces
Though not officially sanctioned, the role-playing clergy encourage young people to go deeper into...
6 months ago
Though not officially sanctioned, the role-playing clergy encourage young people to go deeper into their faith while providing a safe space for queer Catholics.
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Forces that affect whether a large company will buy your product (according to Marc Andreessen)
From Marc Andreessen’s “Moby Dick Theory of Big Companies“: You can count on there being a whole...
over a year ago
From Marc Andreessen’s “Moby Dick Theory of Big Companies“: You can count on there being a whole host of impinging forces that will affect…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
function my_exit_payout(…)
/* aggregateoptionsstrike_price = your options strike price per share * number of shares you own...
over a year ago
/* aggregateoptionsstrike_price = your options strike price per share * number of shares you own company sale price is 1) if private…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Don’t be creative about the wrong things
When founding a tech startup, there are certain areas where you should spend time trying to be...
over a year ago
When founding a tech startup, there are certain areas where you should spend time trying to be creative/innovative. Generally these should…
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…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Graphs
It has become customary to use “graph” to refer to the underlying data structures at social networks...
over a year ago
It has become customary to use “graph” to refer to the underlying data structures at social networks like Facebook. (Computer scientists…
Rest of World -...
Worldcoin has a problem
India already has a Worldcoin competitor, and other countries are taking note.
a year ago
India already has a Worldcoin competitor, and other countries are taking note.
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...
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.
SatPost by Trung...
Steve Ballmer, Larry Ellison and That Sweet Sweet Tech Equity
The backstories for how the single biggest shareholders in Microsoft and Oracle built their stakes.
3 months ago
The backstories for how the single biggest shareholders in Microsoft and Oracle built their stakes.
Tom Blomfield
What is “founder mode”?
We held a YC event a couple of months ago where Brian Chesky from Airbnb gave a passionate talk...
2 months ago
We held a YC event a couple of months ago where Brian Chesky from Airbnb gave a passionate talk about his experience running Airbnb over the last 17 years. He believed that as Airbnb hired more professional managers, he lost a close connection with the details of the end product...
SatPost by Trung...
Roger Ebert, MKBHD and the Job of a Critic
The best critics (or reviewers) educate, entertain and help us spend our time better.
8 months ago
The best critics (or reviewers) educate, entertain and help us spend our time better.
The Thinking Cap
Please Build More Silly Things
Hacking on fun things with curious co-conspirators is a superpower
a year ago
Hacking on fun things with curious co-conspirators is a superpower
Data Boutique
Expensive Data and Cannibalism
Or.. Why some data products are priced so high
a year ago
Or.. Why some data products are priced so high
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...
Essays - Benedict...
Rocket ships and tractors
For some companies, revenue is a feature.
over a year ago
For some companies, revenue is a feature.
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.
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Shoehorning startups into the VC model
Tech startups go in an out of fashion. When they’re in fashion, as they are now, entrepreneurs and...
over a year ago
Tech startups go in an out of fashion. When they’re in fashion, as they are now, entrepreneurs and VCs get lots of attention. Most of this…
Rest of World -...
China is six months behind the U.S. on AI, the US has to move faster: Div Turakhia
The India-born tech investor, entrepreneur and billionaire businessman spoke to Rest of World about...
2 months ago
The India-born tech investor, entrepreneur and billionaire businessman spoke to Rest of World about the promise of AI technology, why the U.S. needs to move faster to compete with China, and the advantage the UAE has in building AI.
AVC
Bi-Directional EV Charging
EV sales in the US are on the rise, reaching 7% of all car sales in Q1 2023, up from 4.6% a year...
a year ago
EV sales in the US are on the rise, reaching 7% of all car sales in Q1 2023, up from 4.6% a year earlier. If that rate of growth continues, EVs will be 10% of the US car market by next year. Most people who own an EV charge it at home, using an EV […]
Rest of World -...
The Philippine army is recruiting young tech civilians to fight cyber attacks
The country is among the most vulnerable to online threats, many of them from China. To fight back,...
a month ago
The country is among the most vulnerable to online threats, many of them from China. To fight back, the army is recruiting IT professionals.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Gadgets and Computers
From Benedict Evans’ Cars as Feature Phones: This is a common theme in many classes of device: you...
over a year ago
From Benedict Evans’ Cars as Feature Phones: This is a common theme in many classes of device: you start with a product that has a few…
Paul Graham: Essays
The 18 Mistakes That Kill Startups
over a year ago
Entrepreneur's Edge
Scale 10X with Court Lorenzini (Founder/CEO Docusign)
A conversation around building your startup, making the right bets, and achieving operational...
a year ago
A conversation around building your startup, making the right bets, and achieving operational leverage as an organization.
Throwable
How To Estimate An Engineering Project (Or Really Any Project)
There is apparently a cabal of engineers who want you to know that estimating is impossible. Don't...
a year ago
There is apparently a cabal of engineers who want you to know that estimating is impossible. Don't believe 'em.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The problem with online “local” businesses
One of the most popular areas for startups today is “local.” I probably see a couple of business...
over a year ago
One of the most popular areas for startups today is “local.” I probably see a couple of business plans a week that involve local search…
Folklore.org:...
He's Only in Field Service
The SCC gets designed into the Mac
a year ago
The SCC gets designed into the Mac
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.
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...
Rest of World -...
Traffic laws can’t keep up with Mexico City’s electric mopeds
Chinese-made mopeds have become popular in the traffic-clogged city, but users and manufacturers...
4 months ago
Chinese-made mopeds have become popular in the traffic-clogged city, but users and manufacturers aren’t sure which laws apply to them.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
It’s hard to believe today, but 10 years ago Wikipedia was widely considered a doomed experiment…
Today, Wikipedia is widely considered an invaluable resource. There are occasional errors and...
over a year ago
Today, Wikipedia is widely considered an invaluable resource. There are occasional errors and controversies, but for the most part it…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Once you take money, the clock starts ticking
One of the interesting things about having been investing in startups for a number of years is that...
over a year ago
One of the interesting things about having been investing in startups for a number of years is that at any moment you get an inside peek at…
Noahpinion
A three-state solution is the only viable future for Israel and the Palestinians
Ethnic cleansing is off the table, and non-contiguous states just don't work.
a year ago
Ethnic cleansing is off the table, and non-contiguous states just don't work.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
The Man Who Killed Google Search
Wanna listen to this story instead? Check out this week's Better Offline podcast, "The Man That...
8 months ago
Wanna listen to this story instead? Check out this week's Better Offline podcast, "The Man That Destroyed Google Search," available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you get your podcasts.
This is the story of how Google Search died, and the people responsible for...
Platformer
The TikTok bans are accelerating
With a key vote scheduled for tonight, the company's options are growing limited
a year ago
With a key vote scheduled for tonight, the company's options are growing limited
Noahpinion
Democrats fixed many of the problems of the early 2020s
It's nice to have leaders who hear what people care about and deliver results.
a month ago
It's nice to have leaders who hear what people care about and deliver results.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
VC’s care about the upside case, not the mean
The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make when pitching VCs is to argue that their startup is likely to...
over a year ago
The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make when pitching VCs is to argue that their startup is likely to succeed. Instead, they should argue…
Noahpinion
Our climate change debates are out of date
Solar and batteries are going to win, and our thinking needs to adjust accordingly.
a year ago
Solar and batteries are going to win, and our thinking needs to adjust accordingly.
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…
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
haseeb qureshi
Launching the Introduction to Cryptocurrency
Today I’m launching Introduction to Cryptocurrency, an online course teaching the basics of...
over a year ago
Today I’m launching Introduction to Cryptocurrency, an online course teaching the basics of programming cryptocurrencies. The first two modules are already released, and the remainder of the course will be coming out over the next few months.
Introduction to Cryptocurrency is a...
The Thinking Cap
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?
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.
David Perell
How Learning Happens
From music, we learn what humanity has always known but schools have forgotten: learning begins with...
over a year ago
From music, we learn what humanity has always known but schools have forgotten: learning begins with inspiration.
The post How Learning Happens appeared first on David Perell.
Aaron's Essays
VCs are Scared When They Should be Greedy
I originally wrote this essay for The Information, where it was published on July 6, 2022.
I've...
over a year ago
I originally wrote this essay for The Information, where it was published on July 6, 2022.
I've read a lot of the advice that venture capitalists have given founders on the current state of the markets. Most of that advice focuses on how founders need to adjust to survive the...
Noahpinion
"I'm cute I'm punk rock"
A guest post by Pourteaux.
a year ago
A guest post by Pourteaux.
Paul Graham: Essays
Why to Not Not Start a Startup
over a year ago
Data Boutique
Network Effects: When Value Comes from Others Joining in
... and Data Boutique Partnership Program launch
a year ago
... and Data Boutique Partnership Program launch
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...
David Perell
What’s Up with Austin?
Austin is a mediocre city, but a great place to live.
The post What’s Up with Austin? appeared...
over a year ago
Austin is a mediocre city, but a great place to live.
The post What’s Up with Austin? appeared first on David Perell.
Business Brainstorms
Operational Minimalism, Zero shame in pulling the plug, OpenAI blog posts, ...
Welcome to another edition of Business Brainstorms - your weekly dose of invaluable insights, trends...
a year ago
Welcome to another edition of Business Brainstorms - your weekly dose of invaluable insights, trends and opportunities served up fresh from the cerebral kitchen of Jakob Greenfeld. Time to brainstorm! 💡 Opportunities “Whoever can find out how to crack the operational hurdles of...
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
Rest of World -...
Vietnam’s “TikTok monk” gives wisdom on life and love to millions of followers
Gen Z slang and social media trends help Giac Minh Luat connect with Vietnam’s lonely generation.
2 months ago
Gen Z slang and social media trends help Giac Minh Luat connect with Vietnam’s lonely generation.
Tech + Economics +...
Internet access is a human right.
Fast, reliable and independent internet access is no longer a luxury or a
convenience. It has...
12 months ago
Fast, reliable and independent internet access is no longer a luxury or a
convenience. It has become a necessity and a function of modern society.
The digital divide, the gap between those with and without internet access,
has profound implications for an individual's...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Two eras of the internet: pull and push
The evolution of the internet is an extremely complex topic. Sometimes it is helpful to find broad...
over a year ago
The evolution of the internet is an extremely complex topic. Sometimes it is helpful to find broad patterns that make it easier to…
Rest of World -...
How AI shook the world in 2023
With commercial tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney becoming widely available, AI was used for all...
11 months ago
With commercial tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney becoming widely available, AI was used for all things wonderful … and worrying.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Owning equity in your company should be as common as owning equity in your home
What belongs in common to the most people is accorded the least care: they take thought for their...
over a year ago
What belongs in common to the most people is accorded the least care: they take thought for their own things above all, and less about…
Steve Blank
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning– Explained
Artificial Intelligence is a once-in-a lifetime commercial and defense game changer (download a PDF...
over a year ago
Artificial Intelligence is a once-in-a lifetime commercial and defense game changer (download a PDF of this article here) Hundreds of billions in public and private capital is being invested in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning companies. The number of patents...
Noahpinion
Does the notion of a "Global South" still make any sense?
There are really four Global Souths.
a year ago
There are really four Global Souths.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Dow 10,000 and economic reflexivity
People who criticize Obama’s economic policies forget that, around the beginning of this year, a lot...
over a year ago
People who criticize Obama’s economic policies forget that, around the beginning of this year, a lot of serious people thought we were…
Paul Graham: Essays
What Kate Saw in Silicon Valley
over a year ago
Stephen Diehl
Bitcoin: The Postmodern Ponzi
over a year ago
Ed Zitron's Where's...
They're Looting The Internet
Last week, Meta revealed (in a motion trying to dismiss an FTC anti-monopoly lawsuit) that Instagram...
8 months ago
Last week, Meta revealed (in a motion trying to dismiss an FTC anti-monopoly lawsuit) that Instagram made an astonishing $32.4 billion in advertising revenue in 2021. That figure becomes even more shocking when you consider Google's YouTube made $28.8 billion in the same period....
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...
a year 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
...
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 1 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
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
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.
Noahpinion
Yes, it's OK to be mad about crime in San Francisco
Let's not make excuses for Chaos City.
a year ago
Let's not make excuses for Chaos City.
Rest of World -...
A U.S. outsourcing company brought lofty promises to Nepal. Then came the layoffs
Former employees say the company killed the dream it once sold them.
a year ago
Former employees say the company killed the dream it once sold them.
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...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The interoperability of social networks
Google recently added a caustic warning message when users attempt to export their Google Contacts...
over a year ago
Google recently added a caustic warning message when users attempt to export their Google Contacts to Facebook: Hold on a second. Are you…
Working Theorys
Some Thoughts on Airchat
For people in a tiny slice of the world and internet, there’s no greater canon event than the...
8 months ago
For people in a tiny slice of the world and internet, there’s no greater canon event than the prospect of a new social app taking off. Sometimes there are multi-year droughts. In a plentiful year, there are one or two prospects that excite us. (And I wrote a stream of...
Rest of World -...
ByteDance shuts down its WhatsApp clone in Africa
TikTok’s owner launched LetsChat in 2021, aimed at young Africans and boosted by heavy marketing,...
9 months ago
TikTok’s owner launched LetsChat in 2021, aimed at young Africans and boosted by heavy marketing, but it couldn’t crack WhatsApp’s dominance.
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…
Noahpinion
Is U.S. industrial policy learning from its mistakes?
I hope so, because mistakes are being made.
11 months ago
I hope so, because mistakes are being made.
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:
Paul Graham: Essays
The Future of Startup Funding
over a year ago
Essays - Benedict...
Tech questions for 2022
Sometimes the centre of gravity in tech is very clear, but as we enter 2022
there are lots of...
over a year ago
Sometimes the centre of gravity in tech is very clear, but as we enter 2022
there are lots of areas where trillion dollar questions are wide open.
These are the questions I wonder about today, from crypto to cars to fast
fashion - there are others.
Data Boutique
Should Websites Open Access to Data?
Looking at web data from the website perspective
a year ago
Looking at web data from the website perspective
Rest of World -...
Breaking down the world’s tariffs against China’s tech industry
President-elect Donald Trump pledges to escalate the trade war, but non-Western nations have...
3 weeks ago
President-elect Donald Trump pledges to escalate the trade war, but non-Western nations have targeted China with tariffs, too.
Steve Blank
Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition – Wrap Up
This article first appeared in West Point’s Modern War Institute. We just had our final session of...
over a year ago
This article first appeared in West Point’s Modern War Institute. We just had our final session of our Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition class. Joe Felter, Raj Shah and I designed the class to give our students insights on how commercial technology (AI, machine...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The myth of the Eureka moment
I’ve been involved in the development of a number startups over the years, including three I...
over a year ago
I’ve been involved in the development of a number startups over the years, including three I co-founded. I have also observed the idea…
tomcritchlow.com
How do You Cultivate Customer-Centric Executives?
summary
The answer is that the most successful companies have a key executive who is...
9 months ago
summary
The answer is that the most successful companies have a key executive who is customer-centric - someone who has a rich mental model for what customers want and is able to step into the customer's shoes.
I theorize that beyond a culture of being customer-centric it's the...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Different types of risk
The idea that founders take on “risk” is a misleading generalization. It is far more informative to...
over a year ago
The idea that founders take on “risk” is a misleading generalization. It is far more informative to separate the specific types of risks…
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…
Ed Zitron's Where's...
How Tech Outstayed Its Welcome
Last week, Apple opened pre-orders for the Vision Pro, a $3500 “spatial computer” that is its first...
10 months ago
Last week, Apple opened pre-orders for the Vision Pro, a $3500 “spatial computer” that is its first real “new” thing since the Apple Watch, and arguably its most notable release since the iPad or iPhone. Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the few truly reliable Apple analysts, estimates
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Entrepreneurs need to learn some law
I recently wrote a post where I said entrepreneurs need to understand term sheets on their own,...
over a year ago
I recently wrote a post where I said entrepreneurs need to understand term sheets on their own, without the assistance of lawyers. I got…
Noahpinion
People's Park and the Great American Infill
After the 1970s, we agreed to all let each other have our space. That's over.
11 months ago
After the 1970s, we agreed to all let each other have our space. That's over.
Steve Blank
Leaving Government for the Private Sector – Part 2
Laura Thomas is a former CIA operations officer. Reading how she moved in 2021 from CIA ops to a...
a year ago
Laura Thomas is a former CIA operations officer. Reading how she moved in 2021 from CIA ops to 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 importance of asking people questions
Andy Weissman’s blog has the tagline “Maximizing the serendipity around you.” It’s a good...
over a year ago
Andy Weissman’s blog has the tagline “Maximizing the serendipity around you.” It’s a good philosophy. I think one of the simplest ways to…
essay – snarfed.org
Moderate people, not code
Dixit / Marie Cardouat The scope of the fediverse has been hotly debated recently. Are we a big...
11 months ago
Dixit / Marie Cardouat The scope of the fediverse has been hotly debated recently. Are we a big fedi? Or a small fedi? Are instances just nodes? Or networked communities? Which Camp of Mastodon are we in? How far should our replies travel? How about our blog posts and Bluesky...
Steve Blank
The Semiconductor Ecosystem – Explained
The last year has seen a ton written about the semiconductor industry: chip shortages, the CHIPS...
over a year ago
The last year has seen a ton written about the semiconductor industry: chip shortages, the CHIPS Act, our dependence on Taiwan and TSMC, China, etc. But despite all this talk about chips and semiconductors, few understand how the industry is structured. I’ve found the best way to...
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
Notes on the acquisition process
Ten years ago, startup financing was an insider’s game. Since then, the topic has been widely...
over a year ago
Ten years ago, startup financing was an insider’s game. Since then, the topic has been widely discussed on blogs, to the great benefit of…
Rest of World -...
Nigeria will become a net exporter of tech talent: Nigerian Minister Dr. Bosun Tijani
The tech entrepreneur-turned-bureaucrat spoke to Rest of World about his year in government, his...
2 months ago
The tech entrepreneur-turned-bureaucrat spoke to Rest of World about his year in government, his administration’s priorities for advancing AI in Nigeria, and the difficult task of choosing between allies.
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.
Rest of World -...
What comes after big data?
A new push to carve data collection out of the humanitarian tech stack.
10 months ago
A new push to carve data collection out of the humanitarian tech stack.
Steve Blank
Startups that Have Employees In Offices Grow 3½ Times Faster
This article previously appeared in EIX – Entreprenuers and Innovators Exchange. Data shows that...
a year ago
This article previously appeared in EIX – Entreprenuers and Innovators Exchange. Data shows that pre-seed and seed startups with employees showing up in a physical office have 3½ times higher revenue growth than those that are solely remote. Let the discussion begin. During the...
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.
Essays - Benedict...
Back to the trend line?
The Covid Rotation turns, and ecommerce penetration is back to the trend
line. But which trend...
over a year ago
The Covid Rotation turns, and ecommerce penetration is back to the trend
line. But which trend line, and which penetration?
Tech + Economics +...
The Hyperloop was always a scam
Paris Marx:
The tech industry’s move into transportation was not only a failure; it
was...
12 months ago
Paris Marx:
The tech industry’s move into transportation was not only a failure; it
was an active campaign to deny the public access to better transit and
trains because the billionaires of Silicon Valley don’t personally want
to get around that way. The...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Underhyping your startup
I recently tweeted: New early-stage start up trend: get big quietly, so you don’t tip off potential...
over a year ago
I recently tweeted: New early-stage start up trend: get big quietly, so you don’t tip off potential competitors. Chris Sacca agreed: @cdixon…
Rest of World -...
Influencers are getting young Nigerians hooked on online gambling
While sports betting is legal in Nigeria, experts say the government should have more oversight on...
a year ago
While sports betting is legal in Nigeria, experts say the government should have more oversight on the influencer culture.
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...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Trusting platforms
In response to my post yesterday about how an internet of people has enabled a new wave of web-based...
over a year ago
In response to my post yesterday about how an internet of people has enabled a new wave of web-based marketplaces, Nick Mango commented…
Paul Graham: Essays
The Hacker's Guide to Investors
over a year ago
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...
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...
3 months ago
July’s internet blackout and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s sudden exit is estimated to have cost the industry $300 million.
Rest of World -...
Muzz, the world’s largest Muslim dating app, is struggling in India
India is home to 172 million Muslims, and the world’s second-largest market for dating apps. But...
a year ago
India is home to 172 million Muslims, and the world’s second-largest market for dating apps. But Indian women say Muzz is a bad match.
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.
Internal Tech Emails
Mark Zuckerberg: Could Facebook move faster?
In China there is this strong culture of cloning things quickly and building lots of different...
over a year ago
In China there is this strong culture of cloning things quickly and building lots of different products instead of just focusing on one thing at a time. This allows them to plant lots of seeds, and although it yields lower quality products in the short term as they're cloning and...
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for your weekend (#49)
Degrowth, real and imagined; 90s taxes; China's banks; CHIPS Act bureaucrats; YIMBY education; the...
3 months ago
Degrowth, real and imagined; 90s taxes; China's banks; CHIPS Act bureaucrats; YIMBY education; the slacker era
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.
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 -...
India’s plan to export its wildly successful digital payments system
After starting cross-border payments with Singapore, India is now setting up more international...
a year ago
After starting cross-border payments with Singapore, India is now setting up more international partnerships.
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...
Noahpinion
What if Xi Jinping isn't that competent? (repost)
Plus a new update showing how right I was.
a year ago
Plus a new update showing how right I was.
SatPost by Trung...
Write For Yourself
Not your audience.
6 months ago
Working Theorys
Thoughts For Sale
Mass-market intellectualism is an oxymoron, right? Ask Substack.
a month ago
Mass-market intellectualism is an oxymoron, right? Ask Substack.
Stephen Diehl
Congressional Letter Campaign
over a year ago
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…
Noahpinion
Singapore urbanism
Thoughts from a visit to the solarpunk city.
a year ago
Thoughts from a visit to the solarpunk city.
Working Theorys
Agency in the Age of AI | Theory No. 10
In the age of AI, where do I fit in? It’s a conversation permeating dinners, group chats, and honest...
a year ago
In the age of AI, where do I fit in? It’s a conversation permeating dinners, group chats, and honest online discourse.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Some thoughts on startup crowdfunding
Like a lot of people, I’m excited about crowdfunding, and specifically the crowdfunding of startups...
over a year ago
Like a lot of people, I’m excited about crowdfunding, and specifically the crowdfunding of startups now that’s it’s legal in the US. Based…
Internal Tech Emails
Mark Zuckerberg: "Ship the app"
I think it's a really big deal that we ship this photos app quickly.
2 months ago
I think it's a really big deal that we ship this photos app quickly.
Internal Tech Emails
Facebook and Google "at Defcon 2"
From: Sheryl Sandberg We really want a deep relationship – or at this point any relationship – with...
6 months ago
From: Sheryl Sandberg We really want a deep relationship – or at this point any relationship – with Google
Devmoh
Apple's AI Strategy Explained
What is Tim Cook cooking?
a year ago
What is Tim Cook cooking?
Rest of World -...
WhatsApp vigilantes in India are converting Christians by force
How far-right Hindu nationalists use WhatsApp to target Christian families when they’re most...
2 months ago
How far-right Hindu nationalists use WhatsApp to target Christian families when they’re most vulnerable — by preventing them from burying their dead.
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...
a year 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.
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Some thoughts on SEO
“SEO” (==”Search Engine Optimization”) is a term widely used to mean “getting users to your site via...
over a year ago
“SEO” (==”Search Engine Optimization”) is a term widely used to mean “getting users to your site via organic search traffic.” I don’t like…
Rest of World -...
Why African startups must invest in tech policy conversations
Oswald Osaretin Guobadia discusses the biggest challenge startups face when dealing with government...
a year ago
Oswald Osaretin Guobadia discusses the biggest challenge startups face when dealing with government policies and regulators.
Articles - Alex...
The age of average
In the early 1990s, two Russian artists named Vitaly Komar and Alexander
Melamid hired a market...
a year ago
In the early 1990s, two Russian artists named Vitaly Komar and Alexander
Melamid hired a market research firm to survey the public on what they
wanted in a work of art. Across 11 countries they then set about painting a
piece that reflected the results. Each piece was...
Rest of World -...
Shein’s hottest item in Latin America is its plastic bags
The reusable packaging often ends up outliving the garments it once transported.
a year ago
The reusable packaging often ends up outliving the garments it once transported.
Paul Graham: Essays
How to Lose Time and Money
over a year ago
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#40)
Europe's Greens; jobs and the Great Replacement; tariffs and development; rent control; service...
6 months ago
Europe's Greens; jobs and the Great Replacement; tariffs and development; rent control; service costs
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things to start your week (#42)
The end of Chevron deference; export controls; jerky American profs; basic income; economics of AI;...
5 months ago
The end of Chevron deference; export controls; jerky American profs; basic income; economics of AI; solar power uses; Global South tariffs; Gen Z wages; Stiglitz
Rest of World -...
The AI startup outperforming Google Translate in Ethiopian languages
"Chatbots like ChatGPT are utterly broken or useless for these languages."
a year ago
"Chatbots like ChatGPT are utterly broken or useless for these languages."
Rest of World -...
China’s favorite resale app is a youth subculture hotspot
You can sell anything on it, and millions do, but it's also become a forum for fandoms and birthed a...
a year ago
You can sell anything on it, and millions do, but it's also become a forum for fandoms and birthed a unique style of confessional item listings.
SatPost by Trung...
Costco's $9B clothes business, explained
The retailer has that incredible Kirkland drip and sells more clothes than Lululemon, Ralph Lauren...
a year ago
The retailer has that incredible Kirkland drip and sells more clothes than Lululemon, Ralph Lauren or Levi Strauss.
Platformer
How the attacks in Israel are changing Threads
Three months into its existence, the app’s purpose may be coming into focus — if Meta will embrace...
a year ago
Three months into its existence, the app’s purpose may be coming into focus — if Meta will embrace it
Rest of World -...
Chinese factory owners are becoming TikTok comedians to find new business partners
Factory influencers are producing actually funny videos on TikTok, Instagram, and WeChat to increase...
5 months ago
Factory influencers are producing actually funny videos on TikTok, Instagram, and WeChat to increase B2B sales
Paul Graham: Essays
The Other Half of "Artists Ship"
over a year ago
Paul Graham: Essays
A Unified Theory of VC Suckage
over a year ago
Unpacked
Twitter Pays Creators: The Momentum Towards Revenue Sharing
Amidst fierce platform competition, creators stand to gain a lot from the emergence of...
a year ago
Amidst fierce platform competition, creators stand to gain a lot from the emergence of revenue-sharing programs
Rest of World -...
Mexico botched the end of daylight savings
Banal change combined with everyday tech can upend everything in unexpected ways.
a year ago
Banal change combined with everyday tech can upend everything in unexpected ways.
Data Boutique
Web Scraping Legal Context
As the need for data grows, so does the need for clearer regulation
a year ago
As the need for data grows, so does the need for clearer regulation
David Perell
The Counterfactual Theory of Value
The Labor Theory of Value argues that the value of a product or a service is determined by the...
over a year ago
The Labor Theory of Value argues that the value of a product or a service is determined by the amount of labor required to produce it. If so, something that takes 100 hours to produce is worth 10x more than something that takes 10 hours. One issue with the Labor Theory is it...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Agency problems
“Agency problems” are what economists call situations where a person’s interests diverge from his or...
over a year ago
“Agency problems” are what economists call situations where a person’s interests diverge from his or her firm’s interests. Large companies…
Full Width 
Shortcuts 
Sign Up 
Log In 
Articles 
Reading List 