Rest of World -...
Conservative evangelicals use social media to sway Brazil election
The popularity of evangelical content, which often amplifies criticisms of the ruling party, could...
5 months ago
The popularity of evangelical content, which often amplifies criticisms of the ruling party, could play an important role during October’s municipal elections.
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 1 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Tech + Economics +...
How to quit capitalism.
Let's start with something controversial: Capitalism is not an economic
system. It is a...
11 months ago
Let's start with something controversial: Capitalism is not an economic
system. It is a philosophical and ideological force that shapes our lives,
environment, and perception of humanity.
It's a behemoth that thrives on relentless growth, often at a devastating
cost....
Rest of World -...
These women fell in love with an AI-voiced chatbot. Then it died
An AI-voiced virtual lover called users every morning. Its shutdown left them heartbroken.
a year ago
An AI-voiced virtual lover called users every morning. Its shutdown left them heartbroken.
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.
Raw Thought (from...
Fix the machine, not the person
over a year ago
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things to start your week (#38)
WW2 production; "Neopopulism"; fake science; desire modification; deregulation ideas
6 months ago
WW2 production; "Neopopulism"; fake science; desire modification; deregulation ideas
Tech + Economics +...
Curation is the last best hope of intelligent discourse.
We live in an exponential growth age in terms of information quantity and
generative capability....
11 months ago
We live in an exponential growth age in terms of information quantity and
generative capability. With tools like ChatGPT, anyone can conjure up
rewritten Wikipedia articles, essays, code, poetry, and more with just a
few prompts. This "democratisation" of content creation...
Rest of World -...
Argentines are recruiting friends, strangers into Worldcoin’s cash-for-eyeballs scheme
With inflation and unemployment gripping the nation, a burgeoning network of intermediaries is...
7 months ago
With inflation and unemployment gripping the nation, a burgeoning network of intermediaries is convincing people to have their irises scanned at Worldcoin Orb centers.
Business Brainstorms
The Algorithm, rebuilding GA3, a new drink for the productivity-chasing professional managerial...
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 “Huge startup opportunity to just literally rebuild...
Noahpinion
Putin is a rest stop on the road of post-Soviet collapse
The narrative of Russian revitalization is more hype than reality.
a year ago
The narrative of Russian revitalization is more hype than reality.
XO Capital - Field...
2023 sucked
2023 was a tough year for us. A pure grind.
What worked:
The business model
Our Team
Raising $ +...
11 months ago
2023 was a tough year for us. A pure grind.
What worked:
The business model
Our Team
Raising $ + deploying it
What didn't work:
Growth was tough
We got bit by platform risk
Too many small portfolio companies is death by a thousand cuts
We have two relatively passive
Business Brainstorms
Pets as Kids, Affiliate Fraud Prevention, Theory X vs. Theory Y, Conviction
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 “We may have reached peak “pets as kids”… Jolly Dog, an...
Nadia Asparouhova
The New American University
I had the pleasure of stumbling upon the work of Michael Crow, Arizona State University’s president,...
over a year ago
I had the pleasure of stumbling upon the work of Michael Crow, Arizona State University’s president, earlier this year, and I so enjoyed his thoughts on knowledge production that I immediately wondered how his philosophy would translate to ASU as an organization. Turns out,...
Rest of World -...
Why IBM employees in Brazil are suing to be classified as tech workers
Unions in two Brazilian states are suing IBM in an effort to be recognized as tech employees, giving...
8 months ago
Unions in two Brazilian states are suing IBM in an effort to be recognized as tech employees, giving them access to better wages, benefits, and profit participation.
SatPost by Trung...
OpenAI Saga: The Best Links and Memes
PLUS: Ridley Scott's directing secret sauce.
a year ago
PLUS: Ridley Scott's directing secret sauce.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Big timing
“Big timing” is a phrase I’ve heard a lot lately which refers to people who are “higher ranking”...
over a year ago
“Big timing” is a phrase I’ve heard a lot lately which refers to people who are “higher ranking” acting disrespectfully toward people who…
tomcritchlow.com
Digital Bricolage & Web Foraging
When I reflect on the various lines of inquiry that light me up, there’s one consistent theme:...
a year ago
When I reflect on the various lines of inquiry that light me up, there’s one consistent theme: digital bricolage. Bricolage is “the skill of using whatever is at hand and recombining them to create something new.”
tomcritchlow.com
Working With Founders Who Have Conviction and Taste
Consulting can be easy money. Fleecing clients for cheap tricks. Clients have problems, you have...
8 months ago
Consulting can be easy money. Fleecing clients for cheap tricks. Clients have problems, you have powerpoints. It’s easy to flip a few quick slides into a chunk of cash and cackle off into the mountains.
Aaron's Essays
Raise less money
Over the last few years, I’ve noticed that good companies are increasingly over-diluting themselves...
over a year ago
Over the last few years, I’ve noticed that good companies are increasingly over-diluting themselves in their seed and A rounds. Counterintuitively, dilution seems to rise along with price. One would expect the opposite correlation. Strong founders who command high prices should...
SatPost by Trung...
Travelogue: Central & Eastern Europe
17 thoughts from a trip to Munich, Prague, Budapest, Vienna and Dubrovnik
4 months ago
17 thoughts from a trip to Munich, Prague, Budapest, Vienna and Dubrovnik
Platformer
Can 'radioactive data' save the internet from AI's influence?
Artificial intelligence is about to create some serious propaganda problems, a new paper argues. One...
a year ago
Artificial intelligence is about to create some serious propaganda problems, a new paper argues. One solution: to nuke the web
Rest of World -...
Sierra Leone’s first lady hopes going viral on TikTok will secure Saturday’s elections
Amid economic turmoil, President Julius Maada Bio is seeking re-election in Sierra Leone. His wife,...
a year ago
Amid economic turmoil, President Julius Maada Bio is seeking re-election in Sierra Leone. His wife, Fatima, is dancing to a crowd of over 200,000 on TikTok to drum up votes.
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
Secret History – When Kodak Went to War with Polaroid
This part 2 of the Secret History of Polaroid and Edwin Land. Read part 1 for context. Kodak and...
7 months ago
This part 2 of the Secret History of Polaroid and Edwin Land. Read part 1 for context. Kodak and Polaroid, the two most famous camera companies of the 20th century, had a great partnership for 20+ years. Then in an inexplicable turnabout Kodak decided to destroy Polaroid’s...
Rest of World -...
This Hajj VR simulator helps Muslims prepare for the holy pilgrimage
The pilgrimage can be hard to navigate for first-timers, so Pakistan’s Labbaik VR offers a chance to...
2 months ago
The pilgrimage can be hard to navigate for first-timers, so Pakistan’s Labbaik VR offers a chance to virtually preview holy sites.
Tech + Economics +...
AI hardware is kind of cool.
PC Mag: The r1 AI Pocket Companion Will Take You Down the Rabbit Hole
LAM works "by first...
11 months ago
PC Mag: The r1 AI Pocket Companion Will Take You Down the Rabbit Hole
LAM works "by first understanding complex human intentions, then
spinning up on human-oriented interfaces across all mobile and desktop
environments on a customized cloud platform, and finally...
Noahpinion
Why some franchises go downhill while others stay great
A little break from our typical economics fare.
6 months ago
A little break from our typical economics fare.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
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…
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Silicon Valley's False Prophet
The tech industry has craved a messiah since the death of Steve Jobs, but in OpenAI CEO Sam Altman...
6 months ago
The tech industry has craved a messiah since the death of Steve Jobs, but in OpenAI CEO Sam Altman they’ve discovered more of a false prophet — a seedy grifter that uses his remarkable ability to impress and manipulate Silicon Valley’s elite to mask a total
Folklore.org:...
Round Rects Are Everywhere!
Steve inspires Bill by pointing out something about the real world
a year ago
Steve inspires Bill by pointing out something about the real world
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Twitter and third-party Twitter developers
I can’t remember the last time the tech world was so interesting. First, innovation is at an all...
over a year ago
I can’t remember the last time the tech world was so interesting. First, innovation is at an all time high. Apple, Google, Facebook…
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.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
How Does OpenAI Survive?
Throughout the last year I’ve written in detail about the rot in tech — the spuriousness of...
4 months ago
Throughout the last year I’ve written in detail about the rot in tech — the spuriousness of charlatans looking to accumulate money and power, the desperation of the most powerful executives to maintain control and rapacious growth, and the speciousness of the latest hype cycle —...
Noahpinion
The case of the angry history postdoc
Elite overproduction spotted in the wild.
6 months ago
Elite overproduction spotted in the wild.
Business Brainstorms
Helping dementia patients, Family Heirloom as a Service, Figma for architecture, asking for what you...
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 The CEO of Mercury Immad Akhund
Aaron's Essays
Bad Terms
Every startup fundraising process is influenced by the balance of power between the founder and the...
over a year ago
Every startup fundraising process is influenced by the balance of power between the founder and the investor. When the founder has a company that is doing incredibly well, and is being chased by lots of investors, the founder has more leverage. When the founder is inexperienced,...
Platformer
Why journalists can't quit Twitter
The media should be building alternatives. Instead, some are doubling down
a year ago
The media should be building alternatives. Instead, some are doubling down
Rest of World -...
Investors are unsettled as funding is drying up for Africa’s startup ecosystem
As funding to Africa’s once fast-growing startup ecosystem dries up, industry insiders are worried...
a year ago
As funding to Africa’s once fast-growing startup ecosystem dries up, industry insiders are worried that the ecosystem is unprepared.
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Question from a reader
I’ve gotten some emails recently from readers of this blog with questions about early stage...
over a year ago
I’ve gotten some emails recently from readers of this blog with questions about early stage startups. I’m sorry if I haven’t responded to…
Unpacked
StackOverflow's pivot: From disruption to opportunity
OverFlowAI takes the company’s core asset, exposes answers in a highly usable interface, and in turn...
a year ago
OverFlowAI takes the company’s core asset, exposes answers in a highly usable interface, and in turn creates a loop using gen AI to fire up the content engine.
Roberto Vitillo's...
How distributed systems fail
At scale, any failure that can happen will eventually happen. Hardware failures, software crashes,...
over a year ago
At scale, any failure that can happen will eventually happen. Hardware failures, software crashes, memory leaks - you name it. The more…
Platformer
Substack's new fundraising pitch
Venture capitalists wouldn't give the company the terms it wanted. Its writers might
a year ago
Venture capitalists wouldn't give the company the terms it wanted. Its writers might
Paul Graham: Essays
The Four Quadrants of Conformism
over a year ago
tomcritchlow.com
What would a map of your career look like?
I’ve been on a maps kick recently writing about blog maps and roadmaps! Let’s talk about career...
a year ago
I’ve been on a maps kick recently writing about blog maps and roadmaps! Let’s talk about career maps…
Noahpinion
Heterodox vs. mainstream macroeconomics
If you're skeptical of one, you should be skeptical of the other too.
a year ago
If you're skeptical of one, you should be skeptical of the other too.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Stickiness is bad for business
It is common to hear entrepreneurs and investors talk about the high level of engagement (what we...
over a year ago
It is common to hear entrepreneurs and investors talk about the high level of engagement (what we used to call “stickiness”) of their…
Rest of World -...
The Northeast Indian YouTubers challenging cultural stereotypes through mukbang
Tribes in Northeast India have long been isolated from the rest of the country. Creators are using...
5 months ago
Tribes in Northeast India have long been isolated from the rest of the country. Creators are using YouTube to challenge the cliches that isolate them.
Dustin Curtis
Apple TV, Apple TV, Apple TV, and Apple TV+
Apple TV is a hardware device.
Apple TV is an app on Apple TV that curates content you can buy...
over a year ago
Apple TV is a hardware device.
Apple TV is an app on Apple TV that curates content you can buy from Apple and also content you can stream through other installed apps (but not all apps, and there is no way to tell which ones).
Apple TV is an app on iOS/iPadOS devices that...
Tech + Economics +...
This is how you know I’m almost 35.
Woke up.
Feel like absolute hell.
Need coffee. This is me sober, how did I ever function in...
a year ago
Woke up.
Feel like absolute hell.
Need coffee. This is me sober, how did I ever function in the mornings
while I was drinking?
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.
Blog posts of...
How i make investment decisions 🏝
The goal of this article is to break down how i make investment decisions in the hope that it helps...
over a year ago
The goal of this article is to break down how i make investment decisions in the hope that it helps founders to see their fundraising effort from the “other side”.
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...
7 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...
Noahpinion
How we'll know if Trump is going to sell America out to China
Keep an eye on the export controls. They are the key.
a week ago
Keep an eye on the export controls. They are the key.
SatPost by Trung...
The Psychology of Disneyland
From Walt Disney's original vision to Imagineering to pricing strategy.
a year ago
From Walt Disney's original vision to Imagineering to pricing strategy.
Folklore.org:...
Revolution in the Valley
The story of how this site turned into a book
a year ago
The story of how this site turned into a book
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 2 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
42!
Embracing AI
I could only avoid AI in my startup for so long before I actually found a
use for it… How I used...
a year ago
I could only avoid AI in my startup for so long before I actually found a
use for it… How I used ChatGPT to make the life of my support team easier.
David Perell
The Jerry Seinfeld Guide to Writing
Writing and editing should be separate activities. When I’m in this creation mode, I shoot for a...
over a year ago
Writing and editing should be separate activities. When I’m in this creation mode, I shoot for a flow state. I keep my fingertips on the keyboard and measure progress by how many words I put on the page. My physical environment helps me be generative too. If I’m sitting down at...
Rest of World -...
Why Kenya has the potential to be Africa’s EV powerhouse
Jit Bhattacharya discusses the challenges and opportunities of building an EV company in Kenya.
5 months ago
Jit Bhattacharya discusses the challenges and opportunities of building an EV company in Kenya.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
🛰️ Starlink Plus
2 months ago
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…
Articles -...
How to raise money
In this article, I will walk you through my fundraising formula that has helped me raise over $1...
a year ago
In this article, I will walk you through my fundraising formula that has helped me raise over $1 billion of capital in my career. I’ll also walk you through building a predictable and repeatable fundraising machine.
The probability of success for a high growth company is...
Rest of World -...
The Ghanaian founder challenging Google
Paul Azunre welcomes Big Tech making AI tools in African languages: “It is good to have some...
9 months ago
Paul Azunre welcomes Big Tech making AI tools in African languages: “It is good to have some competition.”
Rest of World -...
Instagram helps Brazilians dodge a national sales ban on vapes
As Brazilian law clashes with Meta’s policies, illegal vapes flood social media and the streets.
2 months ago
As Brazilian law clashes with Meta’s policies, illegal vapes flood social media and the streets.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
If an alien film crew chose to feature our species in a nature documentary, they’d have plenty of…
If an alien film crew chose to feature our species in a nature documentary, they’d have plenty of...
over a year ago
If an alien film crew chose to feature our species in a nature documentary, they’d have plenty of spectacular superorganisms to choose from…
Platformer
Elon Musk's creep show
Caught in a series of lies about his willingness to fight Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire's...
a year ago
Caught in a series of lies about his willingness to fight Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire's disturbing spiral accelerates
Rest of World -...
To connect disparate tech scenes, Brazil, Mozambique, and Angola show language is a great unifier
As Africa and Latin America form closer links between their tech scenes, similar challenges,...
a year ago
As Africa and Latin America form closer links between their tech scenes, similar challenges, opportunities, and prejudices emerge.
Rest of World -...
A local ride-hailing service can’t beat Uber and Bolt, so its drivers are beating up their rivals
Shesha was launched as a fair-minded local competitor to Western companies in South Africa. It has...
2 months ago
Shesha was launched as a fair-minded local competitor to Western companies in South Africa. It has acquired an ugly reputation for intimidating drivers and passengers.
Working Theorys
Weekend Theorys No. 2
Crypto social games, work "trials," and meeting your creations in the wild.
10 months ago
Crypto social games, work "trials," and meeting your creations in the wild.
Rest of World -...
The rise and fall of Koo, India’s once-thriving Twitter alternative
The microblogging platform — India’s first in over 10 languages — went from booming international...
6 months ago
The microblogging platform — India’s first in over 10 languages — went from booming international expansion to near closure in just four years.
Essays - Benedict...
Leaving Twitter
I was on Twitter since 2007, and built a meaningful part of my career on
it, and I won’t be...
a year ago
I was on Twitter since 2007, and built a meaningful part of my career on
it, and I won’t be posting at all for the foreseeable future
Rest of World -...
South Indian temples are embracing digital donations with QR codes
Hindu temples are now accepting cashless payments for offerings, VIP tickets for festivals, and...
2 months ago
Hindu temples are now accepting cashless payments for offerings, VIP tickets for festivals, and special prayer ceremonies.
Tech + Economics +...
The internet is broken. Here’s how we fix it.
In 1971, Ray Tomlinson, an engineer working on the ARPANET project — the
predecessor to the...
a year ago
In 1971, Ray Tomlinson, an engineer working on the ARPANET project — the
predecessor to the Internet — sent the first email. The message was nothing
profound; it was a series of random characters that looked more like the
utterance of a toddler on a typewriter than a...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Inferring intent on mobile devices
[Google CEO Eric] Schmidt said that while the Google Instant predictive search technology helps...
over a year ago
[Google CEO Eric] Schmidt said that while the Google Instant predictive search technology helps shave an average of 2 seconds off users…
SatPost by Trung...
Gordon Ramsay's Apprenticeship
The iconic chef said a top-tier mentor (Marco Pierre-White) taught him the value of learning high...
8 months ago
The iconic chef said a top-tier mentor (Marco Pierre-White) taught him the value of learning high standards and how to take the reins.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
While Google fights on the edges, Amazon is attacking their core
Google is fighting battles on almost every front: social networking, mobile operating systems, web...
over a year ago
Google is fighting battles on almost every front: social networking, mobile operating systems, web browsers, office apps, and so on. Much…
Rest of World -...
The exclusive network behind India’s global tech success
How IIT school degrees became a fast track to tech royalty.
a year ago
How IIT school degrees became a fast track to tech royalty.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The Babe Ruth Effect in Venture Capital
"How to hit home runs: I swing as hard as I can, and I try to swing right through the ball... The...
over a year ago
"How to hit home runs: I swing as hard as I can, and I try to swing right through the ball... The harder you grip the bat, the more you can…
Rest of World -...
South Africans are using a power outage notification app to sell weed, find odd jobs
With blackouts devastating the country’s economy, EskomSePush’s AskMyStreet feature has become a...
a year ago
With blackouts devastating the country’s economy, EskomSePush’s AskMyStreet feature has become a rare bright spot for gig workers.
Data Boutique
How Data Boutique Works #3: Third Party Solutions
Working with data? List your solution on Data Boutique
8 months ago
Working with data? List your solution on Data Boutique
Paul Graham: Essays
Better Bayesian Filtering
over a year ago
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 2 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Paul Graham: Essays
The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius
over a year ago
Paul Graham: Essays
A Unified Theory of VC Suckage
over a year ago
Unpacked
Reddit's IPO Filing & India's AI Regulation | EP 7
Here are the highlights from the podcast episode. You can find a longer form analysis on both topics...
9 months ago
Here are the highlights from the podcast episode. You can find a longer form analysis on both topics in the podcast episode - Spotify | Apple Podcasts. The podcast follows the same core principles as the writing (primarily analysis driven with occasional opinions sprinkled in)....
Noahpinion
Why America fell behind in drones, and how to catch up agaon
A guest post by Cat Orman and Jason Lu
4 months ago
A guest post by Cat Orman and Jason Lu
Rest of World -...
The changing face of protest
Mass protests used to offer a degree of safety in numbers. Facial recognition technology changes the...
9 months ago
Mass protests used to offer a degree of safety in numbers. Facial recognition technology changes the equation.
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...
7 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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
What’s strategic for Google?
Google seems to be releasing or acquiring new products almost daily. It’s one thing for a couple of...
over a year ago
Google seems to be releasing or acquiring new products almost daily. It’s one thing for a couple of programmers to hack together a side…
Rest of World -...
Indonesia has more than 700 languages. Can AI save them?
Most LLMs such as GPT, Llama, and Gemini are trained largely in English, but several Southeast Asian...
7 months ago
Most LLMs such as GPT, Llama, and Gemini are trained largely in English, but several Southeast Asian firms are focusing on Bahasa Indonesia and other regional languages.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Thales the Milesian
Like a lot of things we think are obvious today, financial options were first invented by a...
over a year ago
Like a lot of things we think are obvious today, financial options were first invented by a philosopher: There is the anecdote of Thales the…
Aaron's Essays
Unbundled Capital
The way we talk about fundraising is wrong. Specifically, I don’t think that founders sell equity...
over a year ago
The way we talk about fundraising is wrong. Specifically, I don’t think that founders sell equity when they raise money. It’s the other way around - founders use their equity to buy capital from investors.[1]
Investors know this, which is why they spend so much time and money on...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The tragedy of the anticommons
Seems very relevant to today’s music industry, and potentially relevant to the internet/software...
over a year ago
Seems very relevant to today’s music industry, and potentially relevant to the internet/software industry in the near future as patent…
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
Sunsetting "What I Wish I Knew"
over a year ago
Rest of World -...
A Ponzi scheme targets desperate workers amid Zimbabwe’s employment crisis
E-Creator offered an opportunity to earn money by writing fake reviews for e-commerce websites.
a year ago
E-Creator offered an opportunity to earn money by writing fake reviews for e-commerce websites.
essay – snarfed.org
New job, hello climate tech
I have a new job! I’m doing climate tech at NCX (née SilviaTerra), using satellite imagery to...
over a year ago
I have a new job! I’m doing climate tech at NCX (née SilviaTerra), using satellite imagery to prevent deforestation and sequester more carbon in trees. A few years ago, I looked around for a side project on the climate crisis. Nothing big, maybe 5-10 hours a week, but I was ready...
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.
SatPost by Trung...
9 Best Things of 2023
My favourite book, film, podcast, meme, investment and more for the year.
11 months ago
My favourite book, film, podcast, meme, investment and more for the year.
Noahpinion
What just happened in San Francisco politics?
A guest post by Armand Domalewski
9 months ago
A guest post by Armand Domalewski
Working Theorys
24 Working Theorys for 2024
Twenty-four ideas across four major themes: startups & investing, social products, media & creators,...
11 months ago
Twenty-four ideas across four major themes: startups & investing, social products, media & creators, and lifestyle
Rest of World -...
Microsoft is building a data center in a tiny Indian village. Locals allege it’s dumping industrial...
“These big companies think they can enter small villages like ours, take our land, and destroy it.”
4 months ago
“These big companies think they can enter small villages like ours, take our land, and destroy it.”
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...
6 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.
essay – snarfed.org
Deep piano
Roberto Chignoli I started playing piano again recently, after a 20 year hiatus. Our 6 year old...
over a year ago
Roberto Chignoli I started playing piano again recently, after a 20 year hiatus. Our 6 year old Brooke started learning, and we suddenly had a keyboard in the house again, so I joined her. It’s been great! I’m playing scales and exercises, diving into Rachmaninoff and Debussy,...
Working Theorys
The Co-Sign That Changes Everything
Ascendancy in any domain is a game of two moves: self-made wins and high-status vouches. You...
3 months ago
Ascendancy in any domain is a game of two moves: self-made wins and high-status vouches. You alternate between the two, taking leaps from one step to the next, aiming for that mythical high point (before either crashing down or fading away under the same community’s judgment or,...
Platformer
How Facebook does (and doesn’t) shape our political views
Four long-awaited studies paint a muddy picture of social media’s impact on public opinion
a year ago
Four long-awaited studies paint a muddy picture of social media’s impact on public opinion
Noahpinion
How not to be fooled by viral charts
Part 1: How to spot misinformation, mistakes, and meaningless data
a year ago
Part 1: How to spot misinformation, mistakes, and meaningless data
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"
Steve Blank
Cram Down – A Test of Character for VCs and Founders
This article previously appeared in TechCrunch. Cram downs are back – and I’m keeping a list. At the...
over a year ago
This article previously appeared in TechCrunch. Cram downs are back – and I’m keeping a list. At the turn of the century after the dotcom crash, startup valuations plummeted, burn rates were unsustainable, and startups were quickly running out of cash. Most existing investors...
Noahpinion
Europe's fate is in Germany's hands now
That's a scary thought, but not for the reason it used to be.
5 months ago
That's a scary thought, but not for the reason it used to be.
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…
tomcritchlow.com
Writing, Riffs & Relationships
summary
And - specifically for anyone doing "content marketing" to drive sales - like indie...
a year ago
summary
And - specifically for anyone doing "content marketing" to drive sales - like indie consultants, business owners and founders - the riff is a great way to create connections and conversations around your work. In short it's a tasteful and more fun way of doing outreach...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Incumbents die due to irrelevance or ineptitude
Judging from the tech press, you’d think the biggest risk to successful companies is competition....
over a year ago
Judging from the tech press, you’d think the biggest risk to successful companies is competition. But when you examine the history of…
Platformer
How the Kids Online Safety Act puts us all at risk
Anti-speech laws are spreading from states to Congress, and the future of online speech could hang...
a year ago
Anti-speech laws are spreading from states to Congress, and the future of online speech could hang in the balance
Noahpinion
China's demographics will be fine through mid-century
There is no imminent crisis.
6 months ago
There is no imminent crisis.
Paul Graham: Essays
How to Be an Angel Investor
over a year ago
SatPost by Trung...
Why Are the Olympics So Expensive?
Olympic host cities take on enormous financial risks in hopes of economic and cultural rewards....
6 months ago
Olympic host cities take on enormous financial risks in hopes of economic and cultural rewards. Tokyo 1964 was the ultimate triumph, but Paris 2024 may find it harder to justify the expense.
Articles - Alex...
The errors of efficiency
We live in the era of efficiency. The advertising industry is infatuated
with it. Intoxicated by...
over a year ago
We live in the era of efficiency. The advertising industry is infatuated
with it. Intoxicated by it. Enamoured and enthralled by it. We want our
teams to be lean. Our processes to be agile. And our output to be
optimised. Instead of focussing on making our work bigger, we...
Paul Graham: Essays
How to Think for Yourself
over a year ago
Rest of World -...
Stifled at home, Tunisian tech finds success in the West
Acquisitions of InstaDeep and Expensya, which focused on international customers, are inspiring...
a year ago
Acquisitions of InstaDeep and Expensya, which focused on international customers, are inspiring Tunisian entrepreneurs to look outside the country.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Capitalism just like Adam Smith pictured it
From far away, things that are very different look alike. I grew up in a family of musicians and...
over a year ago
From far away, things that are very different look alike. I grew up in a family of musicians and English professors. To them, the entire…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The economic logic behind tech and talent acquisitions
There’s been a lot of speculation lately about why big companies spend millions of dollars acquiring...
over a year ago
There’s been a lot of speculation lately about why big companies spend millions of dollars acquiring startups for their technology or talent…
essay – snarfed.org
I’m not eating my own dog food
PetMD …or if you prefer, eating my own cooking, or scratching my own itch, or drinking my own...
a year ago
PetMD …or if you prefer, eating my own cooking, or scratching my own itch, or drinking my own champagne. Sure. These are all metaphors for the idea that if you build something, it turns out better if you use it yourself, especially if you want it yourself. However, when I think...
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.
Essays - Benedict...
Vision Pro
What has Apple built, what is it for, what does it mean for Meta, and why
does it cost $3,500?...
a year ago
What has Apple built, what is it for, what does it mean for Meta, and why
does it cost $3,500? Check back in 2025.
Platformer
It's time to change how we cover Elon Musk
After a weekend of whoppers about X and fighting Mark Zuckerberg, the press should take a more...
a year ago
After a weekend of whoppers about X and fighting Mark Zuckerberg, the press should take a more skeptical approach
AVC
Threads
Like tens of millions of others, I downloaded Threads onto my phone yesterday and signed up. The...
a year ago
Like tens of millions of others, I downloaded Threads onto my phone yesterday and signed up. The thing that Twitter has been missing since it killed off its ecosystem over a decade ago is competition. And as we all know, lack of competition is a very bad thing. In governments and...
Rest of World -...
Traditional multinationals are making their mark on Latin American tech
The region’s conservative corporations are finding different ways to get into technology.
a year ago
The region’s conservative corporations are finding different ways to get into technology.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Anatomy of a bad search result
In a post last week, Paul Kedrosky noted his frustration when looking for a new dishwasher using...
over a year ago
In a post last week, Paul Kedrosky noted his frustration when looking for a new dishwasher using Google. I thought it might be interesting…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"The business plans of the next 10,000 startups are easy to forecast: Take X and add AI."
Kevin Kelly thinks artificial intelligence is finally ready deliver on its promise: The AI on the...
over a year ago
Kevin Kelly thinks artificial intelligence is finally ready deliver on its promise: The AI on the horizon looks more like Amazon Web…
Rest of World -...
Political campaigns embrace AI to reach voters across language barriers
Advocacy groups like AAPI Victory Alliance are using ChatGPT and Claude to reach speakers of Hindi,...
3 months ago
Advocacy groups like AAPI Victory Alliance are using ChatGPT and Claude to reach speakers of Hindi, Tagalog, and more.
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...
a year ago
Since its acquisition by the Chinese giant, e-commerce site Daraz has been experimenting to reach new buyers amid an economic crisis.
tomcritchlow.com
Building a New Project in Public
Nate Kadlac runs Approachable Design an online course to teach the basics of visual aesthetic and...
a year ago
Nate Kadlac runs Approachable Design an online course to teach the basics of visual aesthetic and design.
Noahpinion
Why Can't the U.S. Build Ships?
A guest post by Brian Potter of Construction Physics.
3 months ago
A guest post by Brian Potter of Construction Physics.
Working Theorys
Two Shticks
Everyone needs two shticks.
4 days ago
Everyone needs two shticks.
Platformer
How the Brazil riots change Facebook's Trump equation
After a new string of riots against democracy, let's game out whether Meta should restore the former...
a year ago
After a new string of riots against democracy, let's game out whether Meta should restore the former president's account
essay – snarfed.org
Logs as end user UI
A long time ago, I decided to show Bridgy‘s end users its raw logs. Like, raw logs. HTTP requests,...
a year ago
A long time ago, I decided to show Bridgy‘s end users its raw logs. Like, raw logs. HTTP requests, database reads and writes, JSON objects, stack traces, etc. It’s an unusual UI feature, but it’s been an unqualified success, enough that when I built Bridgy Fed, I immediately...
Tom Blomfield
Home-Brew Customer Phone Support
This is the technical part of a longer piece on “Automating Customer Service at a Startup”
DIY...
over a year ago
This is the technical part of a longer piece on “Automating Customer Service at a Startup”
DIY Phone Support
We implemented a home-brew customer service phone line in a few hours with a basic Sinatra app on Heroku, using the Twilio-ruby gem to generate TwiML (saving us the pain...
Platformer
Four questions platforms should answer before launching AI features
PLUS: Musk gets his view count back up
a year ago
PLUS: Musk gets his view count back up
Noahpinion
Grading the economic schools of thought
Who got the 2020s inflation right?
a year ago
Who got the 2020s inflation right?
Essays - Benedict...
AI and the automation of work
ChatGPT and generative AI will change how we work, but how different is
this to all the other...
a year ago
ChatGPT and generative AI will change how we work, but how different is
this to all the other waves of automation of the last 200 years? What does
it mean for employment? Disruption? Coal consumption?
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things: The new conservative era (#53)
Conservative poll shift; Democratic machine politics; science and politics; some good news; better...
3 weeks ago
Conservative poll shift; Democratic machine politics; science and politics; some good news; better teachers; the AI slowdown; consumer confidence
David Perell
After Minimalism
It's time for us to move beyond minimalism. If we want a dynamic world, we should splash our...
over a year ago
It's time for us to move beyond minimalism. If we want a dynamic world, we should splash our buildings with enthusiastic colors, bold patterns, and visions of a better tomorrow.
The post After Minimalism appeared first on David Perell.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Managing Up
Over the last two newsletters (three, if you include my reply to Google’s “rebuttal” of the...
7 months ago
Over the last two newsletters (three, if you include my reply to Google’s “rebuttal” of the Prabhakar Raghavan newsletter), I’ve made the case that while rot economics are responsible for making technology products manifestly worse, this transformation was only possible thanks to...
Noahpinion
Western leftists have lost the plot
Gleeful support for the massacre of innocents is simply inhumane.
a year ago
Gleeful support for the massacre of innocents is simply inhumane.
Rest of World -...
Elon Musk said he’d eliminate bots from X. Instead, election influence campaigns are running wild
In a year of global elections, X is making it easy to meddle.
4 months ago
In a year of global elections, X is making it easy to meddle.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
SEO is no longer a viable marketing strategy for startups
Many of the today’s most successful informational sites such as Yelp, Wikipedia and TripAdvisor...
over a year ago
Many of the today’s most successful informational sites such as Yelp, Wikipedia and TripAdvisor relied heavily on SEO for their initial…
Rest of World -...
The workers at the frontlines of the AI revolution
The global labor force of outsourced and contract workers are early adopters of generative AI — and...
a year ago
The global labor force of outsourced and contract workers are early adopters of generative AI — and the most at risk.
Platformer
Taylor Lorenz on her extremely online history of the internet
Notes on selling books via Instagram stories, fighting with Elon, and which platform is best at...
a year ago
Notes on selling books via Instagram stories, fighting with Elon, and which platform is best at shielding users from harassment
Rest of World -...
How tiny, cheap smart speakers unlocked the rise of digital payments in India
Vegetable carts, flower shops, mom-and-pop stores: Small speakers that read out digital payment...
a year ago
Vegetable carts, flower shops, mom-and-pop stores: Small speakers that read out digital payment receipts are making fintech companies big money.
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.
Rest of World -...
How Shein and TikTok Shop are trying to shake the ‘Made in China’ reputation
Chinese platforms came for global customers. Now they want global sellers.
a year ago
Chinese platforms came for global customers. Now they want global sellers.
Rest of World -...
The U.S. shouldn’t make its semiconductor policy all about China
American chip policy doesn’t just hurt China. It hurts Taiwan, too.
a year ago
American chip policy doesn’t just hurt China. It hurts Taiwan, too.
Tom Blomfield
Growth
“When eating an elephant, take one bite at a time.”
- Creighton Abrams
I was chatting with an...
over a year ago
“When eating an elephant, take one bite at a time.”
- Creighton Abrams
I was chatting with an investor a year or two ago, shortly after our Series A, and the subject of revenue goals came up.
At the time, our revenue was pretty low - less than 10% of monthly costs. We estimated...
David Perell
Thoughts on Free Will
My friend Chris Sparks says: “When it comes to creating your environment, assume you have free will....
over a year ago
My friend Chris Sparks says: “When it comes to creating your environment, assume you have free will. When it comes to living in it, assume you have no free will.” Here’s an example: I lost my love of working out during the pandemic. Before it started, I worked out at a nice,...
Roberto's blog
From Gatsby to Hugo: a Markdown minimalist's journey
I have been using Gatsby for my blog and I have never been fond of it’s complexity considering that...
7 months ago
I have been using Gatsby for my blog and I have never been fond of it’s complexity considering that all I need is Markdown rendering. Trying to update Gatsby and its dependencies to the latest version was painful enough to motivate me to jump ship. After looking at what’s out...
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for your weekend (#36)
The silent majority and the Palestine protests; immigration is fine; batteries make solar work;...
7 months ago
The silent majority and the Palestine protests; immigration is fine; batteries make solar work; building warships in Japan; the decels of the Right
Stephen Diehl
Stablecoins Do Not Deserve Special Treatment
over a year ago
Aaron's Essays
Generative AI Might Just Save Venture Capital
Originally published in The Information on November 2.
For the past nine months, nearly every...
over a year ago
Originally published in The Information on November 2.
For the past nine months, nearly every investor with a Twitter account, blog or board seat has been beating a unified and constant refrain: The go-go days are done. Founders were being pushed to build 36 months of runway,...
Paul Graham: Essays
Let the Other 95% of Great Programmers In
over a year ago
Noahpinion
Price controls: Too early for a victory lap
Narrative-driven triumphalism does not make for sound policy.
a year ago
Narrative-driven triumphalism does not make for sound policy.
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…
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
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…
Articles - Alex...
Magpie marketing
We believe we work in turbulent times. A quick skim of the industry press
and you’ll learn that...
over a year ago
We believe we work in turbulent times. A quick skim of the industry press
and you’ll learn that ecommerce is upending retail. Social media is
uprooting advertising. Private labels are replacing brands. Advertising is
dying. And TV is dead. We believe change is the new...
Internal Tech Emails
Mark Zuckerberg: "VR / AR strategy"
We are vulnerable on mobile to Google and Apple because they make major mobile platforms. We would...
a year ago
We are vulnerable on mobile to Google and Apple because they make major mobile platforms. We would like a stronger strategic position in the next wave of computing.
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
Noahpinion
Repost: Interview with James Medlock
The future winner of Balaji's million-dollar bet talks about taxes, cash benefits, and other fun...
a year ago
The future winner of Balaji's million-dollar bet talks about taxes, cash benefits, and other fun stuff
Rest of World -...
The biggest data protection fight you’ve never heard of
Big tech is lobbying around another international trade deal.
11 months ago
Big tech is lobbying around another international trade deal.
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...
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
Rest of World -...
Scammers are cashing in on Worldcoin’s chaotic Kenya launch
Without a cash withdrawal option, Kenyans are turning to the country’s informal crypto economy — and...
a year ago
Without a cash withdrawal option, Kenyans are turning to the country’s informal crypto economy — and some are losing their coins in the process.
tomcritchlow.com
(Another) Quick Riff on Narrative Strategy
I’ve been ruminating on the idea of narrative strategy for a while now. The last time I wrote about...
10 months ago
I’ve been ruminating on the idea of narrative strategy for a while now. The last time I wrote about it was in 2020.
tomcritchlow.com
Narrative Aircover & Compound Narrative
“I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I’ve never been able...
11 months ago
“I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I’ve never been able to believe it. I don’t believe a rose WOULD be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
cdixon.org RSS Feed
What the smartest people do on the weekend is what everyone else will do during the week in ten...
Many breakthrough technologies were hatched by hobbyists in garages and dorm rooms. Prominent...
over a year ago
Many breakthrough technologies were hatched by hobbyists in garages and dorm rooms. Prominent examples include the PC, the web, blogs, and…
Nadia Asparouhova
Working notes for Summer of Protocols
I’m participating in the Summer of Protocols research program this summer as a Core Researcher. It’s...
a year ago
I’m participating in the Summer of Protocols research program this summer as a Core Researcher. It’s an 18-week program, funded by the Ethereum Foundation, that aims to catalyze a wider exploration of protocols and their social implications.
I plan to focus on protocols as...
Ed Zitron's Where's...
The Shareholder Supremacy
I promise you, everything that's happening makes sense. It all feels so chaotic, so utterly,...
5 months ago
I promise you, everything that's happening makes sense. It all feels so chaotic, so utterly, offensively stupid, so disconnected from reality that it's hard to understand how Meta can run a terrible company with decaying services that's also wildly profitable, or how Meta,...
Platformer
How OpenAI is building a path toward AI agents
Building a GPT-based copy editor showcases their promise — but the risks ahead are real
a year ago
Building a GPT-based copy editor showcases their promise — but the risks ahead are real
Rest of World -...
The regional flavors of labor-on-demand
A new report digs into the social dynamics of gig work.
8 months ago
A new report digs into the social dynamics of gig work.
Tom Blomfield
Don't write tests - The Hidden Cost of TDD
I’ve been following the TDD/testing debate with some interest; I work at an early-stage payments...
over a year ago
I’ve been following the TDD/testing debate with some interest; I work at an early-stage payments startup called GoCardless where we test religiously. We’re not dogmatic about whether the tests come first or not, but code doesn’t get deployed without full unit & acceptance tests....
Rest of World -...
The phrase that ruled the Indian internet in 2023
Looking like a wow.
a year ago
Rest of World -...
A changing tech landscape makes for weird birthdays online
As social media as we know it crumbles around us, birthday greetings have become the province of...
a year ago
As social media as we know it crumbles around us, birthday greetings have become the province of aunties and corporations.
Tech + Economics +...
Feels bad, man: how memes escape from their creators and fuel extremism.
Meme content is so contextually bound and temporally sensitive that
yesterday’s viral sensation is...
a year ago
Meme content is so contextually bound and temporally sensitive that
yesterday’s viral sensation is today’s digital fossil. Writing about memes,
then, is a delicate dance on a stage where every word and interpretation
risks obsolescence as the cultural tide swiftly changes....
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.
Internal Tech Emails
Microsoft execs on Apple's music store
We were smoked.
a year ago
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.
AVC
Empire AI
Last summer I sat down with Tom Secunda, who co-founded Bloomberg LP with Mike Bloomberg, to talk...
11 months ago
Last summer I sat down with Tom Secunda, who co-founded Bloomberg LP with Mike Bloomberg, to talk about areas of shared philanthropic interest. Tom told me that academic institutions do not have access to the kind of AI/ML infrastructure that the top tech companies have and he...
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....
9 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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Flow
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1996 on the concept of Flow: [Flow] is being completely involved in an...
over a year ago
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1996 on the concept of Flow: [Flow] is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls…
Stephen Diehl
The Complete Argument Against Crypto
over a year ago
AVC
How This Ends (Part Three)
The venture capital sector has been in a sustained downturn for almost eighteen months. How does...
a year ago
The venture capital sector has been in a sustained downturn for almost eighteen months. How does this downturn end? Well, it may have already ended, but let’s see about that. We will know for sure in a few quarters. The NASDAQ peaked at roughly 16,000 in November 2021. By June...
Noahpinion
How will you save small midwestern towns without mass immigration?
What really happens when a "flood of migrants" gets "dumped" on a small heartland town.
3 months ago
What really happens when a "flood of migrants" gets "dumped" on a small heartland town.
Rest of World -...
How we measured air quality for gig workers in South Asia
Rest of World gave pollution monitors to riders in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh so they could...
9 months ago
Rest of World gave pollution monitors to riders in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh so they could gather data on what they breathe.
Internal Tech Emails
Scott Forstall emails Steve Jobs | Elon Musk on tweeting
He mentions third party developers. I do think at some point we will want to enable third parties to...
over a year ago
He mentions third party developers. I do think at some point we will want to enable third parties to write apps for P2.
Noahpinion
Can unions and industrial policy coexist?
They had better learn how to, and quickly.
a year ago
They had better learn how to, and quickly.
Working Theorys
About Practice
Learning anything comes down to two things: practice and performance.
3 months ago
Learning anything comes down to two things: practice and performance.
Stephen Diehl
The Internet's Casino Boats
over a year ago
Business Brainstorms
Hard startups, importance of founder-led sales, Netflix for written content
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 wish I could pay per newspaper article, with only...
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
Articles - Alex...
The pitfalls of purpose
Purpose is polarising. There are those who promote it as a paragon of
positioning and a...
over a year ago
Purpose is polarising. There are those who promote it as a paragon of
positioning and a silver-bullet strategy for success. Then there are those
who refute purpose’s power and dispute its capacity to connect with
consumers. It is clearly a debate that divides. For every...
Rest of World -...
Africa fell in love with crypto. Now… it’s complicated
Trust is fading, startups are shutting down, and Web3 workers are reconsidering their career...
a year ago
Trust is fading, startups are shutting down, and Web3 workers are reconsidering their career choices.
Noahpinion
Turkey, you were doing so well! (repost)
An economic success story runs off the rails.
a year ago
An economic success story runs off the rails.
Rest of World -...
Worldcoin may not be legal in Colombia, but that’s not stopping it
Scan eyeballs first, ask questions later.
4 months ago
Scan eyeballs first, ask questions later.
Nadia Asparouhova
The creator economy
I’ve had some lingering thoughts over the past year about what it means to be a “creator,” further...
over a year ago
I’ve had some lingering thoughts over the past year about what it means to be a “creator,” further accelerated by a recent conversation with a friend, and I want to try to unpack those feelings here.
The “creator economy” popped into our vernacular with surprisingly little moral...
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.
4 months ago
Russia’s Whoosh launched in Brazil last year, and plans to expand across the country by 2026.
Paul Graham: Essays
The Other Half of "Artists Ship"
over a year ago
Paul Graham: Essays
How to Present to Investors
over a year ago
Inverted Passion
Notes on how Supercell is run
Supercell, the company behind the massively popular Clash of Clans game, has one of the highest...
a year ago
Supercell, the company behind the massively popular Clash of Clans game, has one of the highest valuation per employee figures out there: they’re valued at $32mn per employee. That’s insane! How do they do it? 1/ What struck me is the sheer number of games they kill each year?...
David Perell
The Perks of Niche Fame
There are two kinds of fame: Celebrity-Fame and Niche-Fame.
The post The Perks of Niche Fame...
over a year ago
There are two kinds of fame: Celebrity-Fame and Niche-Fame.
The post The Perks of Niche Fame appeared first on David Perell.
Rest of World -...
ElevenLabs’ first Indian partnership banks on AI voice clones to make audio stories faster and...
Pocket FM creators can convert scripts to audio in English and German with one click. The company...
4 months ago
Pocket FM creators can convert scripts to audio in English and German with one click. The company plans to add more languages as it expands across Europe and Latin America this year.
Stephen Diehl
Purely Narrative-driven Bubbles
over a year ago
Platformer
The Supreme Court reckoning over content moderation is arriving
Platforms might have a way around Texas's social media law — unless a separate case makes that...
a year ago
Platforms might have a way around Texas's social media law — unless a separate case makes that illegal, too
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?
The Thinking Cap
Generative AI Builds Bridges Between Creative Mediums
On architecting a new Internet paradigm for rapid content creation and sharing.
over a year ago
On architecting a new Internet paradigm for rapid content creation and sharing.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The importance of investor signaling in venture pricing
Suppose there is a pre-profitable company that is raising venture financing. Simple, classical...
over a year ago
Suppose there is a pre-profitable company that is raising venture financing. Simple, classical economic models would predict that although…
Stephen Diehl
Exotic Programming Ideas: Part 2 (Term Rewriting)
over a year ago
Blog posts of...
Managing Remote Teams - A Crash Course
Hey folks, I haven’t been blogging for quite some time, so everything is a bit rusty for me, but i...
over a year ago
Hey folks, I haven’t been blogging for quite some time, so everything is a bit rusty for me, but i thought this article might be u...
Noahpinion
Will there be a Millennial Big Chill?
Millennials are finally doing OK economically. Will their politics moderate?
a year ago
Millennials are finally doing OK economically. Will their politics moderate?
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Software patents should be abolished
The alleged societal benefit of patent law is that it creates a financial incentive to innovate....
over a year ago
The alleged societal benefit of patent law is that it creates a financial incentive to innovate. The societal drawback is that it reduces…
Noahpinion
We’re entering a golden age of engineering biology
A guest post by Joshua March and Kasia Gora
10 months ago
A guest post by Joshua March and Kasia Gora
Working Theorys
Define the Game | Theory No. 14
I grew up playing tennis with my sister at the public courts near home. For a long time, I just...
a year ago
I grew up playing tennis with my sister at the public courts near home. For a long time, I just cherished the joy of playing and watching the careers of the "big 3" unfold. But recently I’ve started to appreciate something more about tennis: the clarity of the meta-game around...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Revenue vs margin
Three years ago, Fred Wilson wrote a great blog post called When Talking About Business Models,...
over a year ago
Three years ago, Fred Wilson wrote a great blog post called When Talking About Business Models, Remember that Profits Equal Revenues Minus…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Web services should be both federated and extensible
One of the most important developments of the web 2.0 era is the proliferation of full featured,...
over a year ago
One of the most important developments of the web 2.0 era is the proliferation of full featured, bidirectional APIs. APIs provide a way to…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The real strategy behind tiered data plans
Over the past year, Comcast and other broadband providers have been forcing tiered data plans on...
over a year ago
Over the past year, Comcast and other broadband providers have been forcing tiered data plans on customers. The New York Times recently…
Rest of World -...
Latin Americans’ social feeds are being flooded with AI-generated ads
Brands and politicians are getting mixed results.
a year ago
Brands and politicians are getting mixed results.
Rest of World -...
Apple manufacturers moved from China to Vietnam. Now they’re desperate for workers
Recruiters are wooing new workers with bonuses and gifts.
2 months ago
Recruiters are wooing new workers with bonuses and gifts.
Rest of World -...
What India can tell us about Netflix’s future
Disney, Ambani, and the Netflix niche.
8 months ago
Disney, Ambani, and the Netflix niche.
Data Boutique
Tracking How Bad The Situation At Farfetch Really Is
A case study for web data
10 months ago
A case study for web data
Internal Tech Emails
Steve Jobs on iPod and DRM
Guys – We need to make sure that when Music Match launches their download music store they cannot...
a month ago
Guys – We need to make sure that when Music Match launches their download music store they cannot use iPod. Is this going to be an issue?
Steve Blank
Be Where Your Business Is
This post previously appeared on the readwrite blog. A CEO running a B-to-B startup in needs to...
a year ago
This post previously appeared on the readwrite blog. A CEO running a B-to-B startup in needs to live in the city where their business is – or else they’ll never scale. I was having breakfast with Erin, an ex-student, just off a red-eye flight from New York. She’s built a...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"A lot of the best tech startups are ideas that have been around for years"
A lot of the best tech startups are ideas that have been around for years but the time is finally...
over a year ago
A lot of the best tech startups are ideas that have been around for years but the time is finally right. * Some people get jaded. "We tried…
SatPost by Trung...
"The Economist" Cover Curse, Explained
PLUS: My Dune 2 review, TikTok Ban and Why Jalapeños are Less Spicy.
9 months ago
PLUS: My Dune 2 review, TikTok Ban and Why Jalapeños are Less Spicy.
SatPost by Trung...
Nike’s Marketing Blindspot
What can we learn from Nike losing Lionel Messi and Stephen Curry?
a year ago
What can we learn from Nike losing Lionel Messi and Stephen Curry?
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.
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.
5 months ago
Meet the Chilean artist who made it big using others’ voices.
Rest of World -...
An end of an era for Latin American tech
Foreign businesses are making strides in the region while local tech companies reshuffle.
a year ago
Foreign businesses are making strides in the region while local tech companies reshuffle.
tomcritchlow.com
Notes on my Remarkable Tablet
I love my Remarkable 2. I’ve been using it pretty heavily for almost a year now. It’s my every day...
10 months ago
I love my Remarkable 2. I’ve been using it pretty heavily for almost a year now. It’s my every day companion device. Here’s some notes and ideas.
Dustin Curtis
The 16-inch MacBook Pro: A Faster Horse
From Apple’s announcement of the 16-Inch MacBook Pro a couple of weeks ago:
“Our pro customers tell...
over a year ago
From Apple’s announcement of the 16-Inch MacBook Pro a couple of weeks ago:
“Our pro customers tell us they want their next MacBook Pro to have a larger display, blazing-fast performance, the biggest battery possible, the best notebook keyboard ever, awesome speakers and massive...
Noahpinion
The New 1970s
The U.S. is a confused, unsettled nation. But green shoots are quietly sprouting.
a year ago
The U.S. is a confused, unsettled nation. But green shoots are quietly sprouting.
Platformer
The secret list of Twitter VIPs getting boosted over everyone else
Congratulations to Ben Shapiro, AOC, and ... LeBron?
a year ago
Congratulations to Ben Shapiro, AOC, and ... LeBron?
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Technology predictions
For those of us in the prediction business, it’s sometimes useful to go back and read past...
over a year ago
For those of us in the prediction business, it’s sometimes useful to go back and read past predictions to try to discern patterns in what…
David Perell
Rob Henderson: An Internet Academic
Rob Henderson is one of my favorite up-and-coming writers. I like him because he’s one of those...
over a year ago
Rob Henderson is one of my favorite up-and-coming writers. I like him because he’s one of those people who doesn’t fit into a category. He’s a Ph.D. candidate in psychology, but I met him in a book club about technological stagnation. He’s spent years in the academy, first at...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
A massive misallocation of online advertising dollars
In an earlier blog post, I talked about how sites that generate purchasing intent (mainly “content”...
over a year ago
In an earlier blog post, I talked about how sites that generate purchasing intent (mainly “content” sites) are being under-allocated…
Rest of World -...
The politics of Africa’s TikTok bans
TikTok was recently banned in Senegal and Somalia, and there have been efforts to do the same in...
a year ago
TikTok was recently banned in Senegal and Somalia, and there have been efforts to do the same in Kenya, Uganda, and Egypt.
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
The Sam Bankman-Fried Files
In LA last weekend, I met with Michael Kives and his firm, K5. He is, probably, the most connected...
a year ago
In LA last weekend, I met with Michael Kives and his firm, K5. He is, probably, the most connected person I’ve ever met. In attendance at the dinner at his house were: 1) Hillary Clinton 2) Doug Emhoff 3) Katy Perry 4) Orlando Bloom 5) Kate Hudson
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...
Paul Graham: Essays
What You'll Wish You'd Known
over a year ago
Blog posts of...
Startup Mentoring Sessions: How to get the most out of it.
Everyone is doing pitch training. Almost no-one does training for the mentoring session, but this is...
over a year ago
Everyone is doing pitch training. Almost no-one does training for the mentoring session, but this is where most startups get the m...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
How bundling benefits sellers and buyers
There is a widespread belief in technology circles that bundling of cable TV, newspaper, magazine...
over a year ago
There is a widespread belief in technology circles that bundling of cable TV, newspaper, magazine and other information goods will go away…
Noahpinion
Interview: Chris Miller, historian and author of "Chip War"
In which I consult an expert on the battle to control the semiconductor industry.
a year ago
In which I consult an expert on the battle to control the semiconductor industry.
Blog posts of...
🇮🇳 India in 2024
In February I made my first business trip to India. Three weeks deep in the Indian tech ecosystem....
8 months ago
In February I made my first business trip to India. Three weeks deep in the Indian tech ecosystem. My summary is simple: I feel like the world needs an update how we view India
Noahpinion
How did the U.S. achieve a soft landing?
Four simple theories.
a year 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...
9 months ago
Bayo Adekanmbi explains why voice-based learning is the best way to increase AI adoption across Africa.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 Phil is the founder of my favorite email software and he’s 100% correct here. Google sucks for...
11 months ago
#1 💡 Phil is the founder of my favorite email software and he’s 100% correct here. Google sucks for recommendations. The algorithm has been gamed to death. Just in the past two days I’ve asked GPT for recommendations on 2 high ticket decisions (job board in specific region,...
Rest of World -...
This app makes sure dinner is halal
The Indonesian app Momasa features recipes, cooking lessons, and restaurants that meet the standards...
2 months ago
The Indonesian app Momasa features recipes, cooking lessons, and restaurants that meet the standards of Islamic law.
David Perell
Trevor Bauer: Playing Professional Baseball
My guest today is Trevor Bauer, who is arguably the very best pitcher in Major League Baseball. In...
over a year ago
My guest today is Trevor Bauer, who is arguably the very best pitcher in Major League Baseball. In 2020, he had the lowest Earned Run Average of any pitcher and won the National League Cy Young Award, which goes to the top pitcher in the game. I wanted to interview Trevor not...
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.
Paul Graham: Essays
The Pooled-Risk Company Management Company
over 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 -...
What languages dominate the internet?
The one you’re reading this in, for starters.
a year ago
The one you’re reading this in, for starters.
SatPost by Trung...
Alex Cooper: $0 to $160m in 6 years
Breaking down the contracts that sent the "Call Her Daddy" podcaster from unemployed ($0) to...
4 months ago
Breaking down the contracts that sent the "Call Her Daddy" podcaster from unemployed ($0) to Barstool Sports ($70k) to Spotify ($60m) and, now, SiriusXM ($100m) in 6 years.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Crypto token roundup
Roundup of lots of recent posts on crypto tokens: Balaji S. Srinivasan — Thoughts on Tokens Fred...
over a year ago
Roundup of lots of recent posts on crypto tokens: Balaji S. Srinivasan — Thoughts on Tokens Fred Wilson — ICOs and VCs here, Ethereum in 2…
Aaron's Essays
Abundant Capital
The venture capital industry was built on the premise that both capital and high quality companies...
over a year ago
The venture capital industry was built on the premise that both capital and high quality companies are scarce. For most of the history of the industry, this has been true. I remember sitting at demo day in 2011 and marveling at the fact that the combined capital of all the VCs in...
Rest of World -...
The new AI assistants may not speak your language
Mind the language gap.
a year ago
Noahpinion
Don't be a decel
Technological progress must be harnessed, not fought
a year ago
Technological progress must be harnessed, not fought
Aaron's Essays
Asymmetries in Fundraising
Too often, founders approach fundraising as if they are supplicants to the investors. They...
over a year ago
Too often, founders approach fundraising as if they are supplicants to the investors. They understand that fundraising features many asymmetries, but the founders mostly see the asymmetries that are tilted towards the investors. Here’s the thing - in today’s market, the...
Noahpinion
Five things to be optimistic about in America today
Enough doom and gloom, let's allow ourselves a moment of happiness.
8 months ago
Enough doom and gloom, let's allow ourselves a moment of happiness.
Rest of World -...
How 2024’s tech trends changed our lives
From AI-powered classrooms in Mali to EV taxis in Vietnam, people worldwide are seeing opportunities...
2 weeks ago
From AI-powered classrooms in Mali to EV taxis in Vietnam, people worldwide are seeing opportunities from this year’s biggest tech shifts.
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?
Rest of World -...
2023 Impact Report
The global reach and impact of our journalism in 2023
8 months ago
The global reach and impact of our journalism in 2023
Noahpinion
How do you deal with real, actual Nazis?
They come back every few decades, spreading the same old lies.
3 months ago
They come back every few decades, spreading the same old lies.
AVC
The Heist
On Saturday, September 9th, the Gotham Gal and I arrived at JFK airport after an eight-hour flight...
a year ago
On Saturday, September 9th, the Gotham Gal and I arrived at JFK airport after an eight-hour flight from Paris. While waiting for our luggage, I got pushed a notification in my web3 wallet that there was an NFT drop underway that I could participate in. So I clicked on the link,...
haseeb qureshi
Another decade
I recently turned 30. When the decade began in 2010, I was still 20, a professional poker player, a...
over a year ago
I recently turned 30. When the decade began in 2010, I was still 20, a professional poker player, a college dropout, and deeply unhappy. What did I believe I’d be doing a decade later? I don’t think I knew, only that I definitely wouldn’t be playing poker anymore. I’d be doing...
Rest of World -...
The man leading Kenyan content moderators’ battle against Meta
Nathan Nkunzimana claims Meta and Sama fired content moderators for protesting working conditions...
a year ago
Nathan Nkunzimana claims Meta and Sama fired content moderators for protesting working conditions and demanding the right to unionize.
essay – snarfed.org
Policing misinformation
Unpopular opinion: I have deep reservations about policing misinformation. I’m a big believer in the...
a year ago
Unpopular opinion: I have deep reservations about policing misinformation. I’m a big believer in the demarcation problem: in the general case, there’s no shortcut to determining objective truth. It’s similar to the halting problem in computer science: if we want to know whether a...
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