cdixon.org RSS Feed
The risks of being a small investor in a private company
With the passage of the JOBS act, it seems that many more Americans will soon be able to buy equity...
over a year ago
With the passage of the JOBS act, it seems that many more Americans will soon be able to buy equity in private companies. I am no expert on…
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for your weekend (#46)
Morning in America; Trump's bad vibes; Japan's chip industry; Biden and abundance; native-born...
4 months ago
Morning in America; Trump's bad vibes; Japan's chip industry; Biden and abundance; native-born employment; redistribution; transit costs
cdixon.org RSS Feed
What’s Next in Computing?
The computing industry progresses in two mostly independent cycles: financial and product cycles....
over a year ago
The computing industry progresses in two mostly independent cycles: financial and product cycles. There has been a lot of handwringing…
Rest of World -...
Jumia Food delivery workers’ final payments are still missing
Jumia says it paid its logistics partners. Logistics partners say they paid all the workers. The...
7 months ago
Jumia says it paid its logistics partners. Logistics partners say they paid all the workers. The workers say they haven’t been paid.
Tech + Economics +...
A shared burden: rethinking cybersecurity post the 23andMe breach.
TechCrunch: 23andMe tells victims it’s their fault that their data was
breached
But in a...
11 months ago
TechCrunch: 23andMe tells victims it’s their fault that their data was
breached
But in a letter sent to a group of hundreds of 23andMe users who are
now suing the company, 23andMe said that “users negligently recycled
and failed to update their passwords...
Noahpinion
All the arguments against EVs are wrong
EVs are just going to win.
a year ago
EVs are just going to win.
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.
Platformer
Why Platformer is leaving Substack
We’ve seen this movie before — and we won’t stick around to watch it play out
11 months ago
We’ve seen this movie before — and we won’t stick around to watch it play out
Rest of World -...
The obscure social media app beloved by China’s tech scene
Jike might be the most important social network in Chinese tech.
a year ago
Jike might be the most important social network in Chinese tech.
Stephen Diehl
Congressional Letter Campaign
over a year ago
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for your weekend (#41)
Soviet America (or not); the energy revolution; Trump's tax cuts; the Build-Nothing Country; macro...
6 months ago
Soviet America (or not); the energy revolution; Trump's tax cuts; the Build-Nothing Country; macro data mysteries
SatPost by Trung...
Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Art of Re-invention
The icon's biggest financial film success came from his riskiest bet: the comedy "Twins".
a year ago
The icon's biggest financial film success came from his riskiest bet: the comedy "Twins".
Rest of World -...
The SoftBank-backed fintech that helped Nigerians through a cash crisis is eyeing “innovative...
Olu Akanmu, co-CEO and president of OPay Nigeria, on the importance of cloud infrastructure and the...
a year ago
Olu Akanmu, co-CEO and president of OPay Nigeria, on the importance of cloud infrastructure and the company’s future plans.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 This is an extremely interesting playbook: use an expensive model to generate high quality...
10 months ago
#1 💡 This is an extremely interesting playbook: use an expensive model to generate high quality training data. Then use this data to fine tune a much cheaper model you can run at scale. Also seems like there’s plenty of opportunity to build consulting/service businesses around...
Rest of World -...
Argentina’s far-right front-runner is not the crypto candidate fans think he is
Milei’s plans for the dollarization of Argentina’s economy might even depress crypto adoption.
a year ago
Milei’s plans for the dollarization of Argentina’s economy might even depress crypto adoption.
Entrepreneur's Edge
The Power of Beliefs
The significant role that our beliefs play in our outcomes.
a year ago
The significant role that our beliefs play in our outcomes.
Noahpinion
The student debt revolt failed, but Millennials will be fine
My generation will bear some minor economic scars into our prosperous middle age.
a year ago
My generation will bear some minor economic scars into our prosperous middle age.
Roberto Vitillo's...
How to review a data analysis
Writing good code is hard, writing a good analysis is harder. Peer-review is an essential tool to...
over a year ago
Writing good code is hard, writing a good analysis is harder. Peer-review is an essential tool to fight repetitive errors, omissions and…
Aaron's Essays
The hot round fallacy
I originally wrote this essay for The Information, where it was published on Feb 16.
Here's a fun...
over a year ago
I originally wrote this essay for The Information, where it was published on Feb 16.
Here's a fun little paradox in fundraising: Founders and the media love to talk about how quickly funding rounds happen these days—think about the big, rapid-fire raises...
Aaron's Essays
Fooled by experts
Experts are generally right until they're wrong. Unfortunately, it's very easy to get fooled into...
over a year ago
Experts are generally right until they're wrong. Unfortunately, it's very easy to get fooled into thinking that experts are always right. This is because they are...experts. They are authoritative and knowledgeable. This is especially true when it comes to trying new things in...
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things to start your week (#33)
TSMC Arizona back on track, drawing arrows on graphs, the downsides of inclusionary zoning, why...
8 months ago
TSMC Arizona back on track, drawing arrows on graphs, the downsides of inclusionary zoning, why people hate inflation, and interesting ideas about market power
Rest of World -...
Ride-hailing in Pakistan: A driver’s endless struggle for a clean car
This inDrive worker says he is tired of passengers treating his car like a donkey cart.
a year ago
This inDrive worker says he is tired of passengers treating his car like a donkey cart.
essay – snarfed.org
Sleep is so weird
Ian Dyball Our bodies are designed such that we need to lose consciousness, entirely, for a full...
10 months ago
Ian Dyball Our bodies are designed such that we need to lose consciousness, entirely, for a full third of every day. This is evidently necessary for some kind of regular brain maintenance, maybe forming long term memories, who knows what else. If we don’t sleep, we quickly become...
Blog posts of...
How I think about Code Management
You might have the worst codebase in the world. It was written by people who had no standards or...
over a year ago
You might have the worst codebase in the world. It was written by people who had no standards or didn’t care about code quality. H...
Rest of World -...
The Vietnamese military has a troll army and Facebook is its weapon
Force 47 abuses Facebook's safety tools to silence government critics at home and anywhere in the...
a year ago
Force 47 abuses Facebook's safety tools to silence government critics at home and anywhere in the world.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Which VC firm should I pitch?
A friend asked me the other day “Which VC firms should I pitch?” and I started to respond to him,...
over a year ago
A friend asked me the other day “Which VC firms should I pitch?” and I started to respond to him, but then realized that most of my…
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.
SatPost by Trung...
Jony Ive, Meta AR, Visa Monopoly and the Legend of Robert Caro
PLUS: An incredible tech roast by John Mulaney.
2 months ago
PLUS: An incredible tech roast by John Mulaney.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Some lessons learned
Note: Google was kind enough to invite me to give a short talk at their Zeitgeist conference earlier...
over a year ago
Note: Google was kind enough to invite me to give a short talk at their Zeitgeist conference earlier this week. It was a really interesting…
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.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Subprime Intelligence
Please scroll to the bottom for news on my next big project, Better Offline, coming this...
10 months ago
Please scroll to the bottom for news on my next big project, Better Offline, coming this Wednesday!
Last week, Sam Altman debuted OpenAI's "Sora," a text-to-video AI model that turns strings of text into full-blown videos, much like how OpenAI's DALL-E turns text into
Tech + Economics +...
Apple’s LLM gap is real. It might not last much longer.
Apple has carved out a prestigious position in the consumer tech market
through sleek designs,...
11 months ago
Apple has carved out a prestigious position in the consumer tech market
through sleek designs, user-friendly interfaces, and a robust ecosystem.
The data is clear - Apple is the market and perception leader in every
category that matters. But developments in Large Language...
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
To make smarter systems, it’s all about the data
As this article by Alex Wright in the New York Times last week reminded me, when the mainstream...
over a year ago
As this article by Alex Wright in the New York Times last week reminded me, when the mainstream press talks about artificial intelligence…
AVC
The Annual Computer Science Fair
Ten years ago, a small group of folks in the K12 Computer Science Education community in NYC decided...
a year ago
Ten years ago, a small group of folks in the K12 Computer Science Education community in NYC decided to put on a “mock job fair” for high school students who were taking computer science classes in the NYC public schools. That was the start of an annual day of engagement and...
Noahpinion
The Middle East is getting older
Why I'm optimistic about the waning of conflict in the region.
a year ago
Why I'm optimistic about the waning of conflict in the region.
Essays - Benedict...
Retail, search and Amazon’s $40bn ‘advertising’ business
Amazon sold close to $40bn of advertising last year - bigger than Prime,
bigger than the entire...
a year ago
Amazon sold close to $40bn of advertising last year - bigger than Prime,
bigger than the entire global newspaper industry and probably more
profitable than AWS. But is this really advertising, rent, or something
else? And what does that mean for Google?
David Perell
The Stupid Test
Whenever you're trying to solve a problem, ask yourself: "What answer am I missing because it seems...
over a year ago
Whenever you're trying to solve a problem, ask yourself: "What answer am I missing because it seems too stupid?"
The post The Stupid Test appeared first on David Perell.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Online advertising is all about purchasing intent
A while ago I dug up this quote from Business Week from 2000: But how will Google ever make money?...
over a year ago
A while ago I dug up this quote from Business Week from 2000: But how will Google ever make money? There’s the rub. The company’s adamant…
Platformer
Apple prepares for a platform shift
Will the Reality Pro be the metaverse’s iPhone moment?
a year ago
Will the Reality Pro be the metaverse’s iPhone moment?
AVC
The New York Tech Sector
The New York Times had a piece yesterday suggesting that tech will no longer be a growth engine for...
a year ago
The New York Times had a piece yesterday suggesting that tech will no longer be a growth engine for NYC and the surrounding metro area as it has been for the last twenty years. I am not going to link to the piece because it is behind a paywall but if you want to read […]
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
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".
Platformer
Inside Discord’s reform movement for banned users
Most platforms ban their trolls forever. Discord wants to rehabilitate them
a year ago
Most platforms ban their trolls forever. Discord wants to rehabilitate them
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The Internet Economy
We are living in an era of bundling. The big five consumer tech companies — Google, Apple, Facebook,...
over a year ago
We are living in an era of bundling. The big five consumer tech companies — Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft — have moved far…
Paul Graham: Essays
How to Make Pittsburgh a Startup Hub
over a year ago
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
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The product lens
There has been a lot of discussion lately about the markets for startup financing. Many of the...
over a year ago
There has been a lot of discussion lately about the markets for startup financing. Many of the discussions use words like “valuations…
Data Boutique
The Impact of ChatGPT on the Web Scraping Industry
Access to live web data is just the tip of the iceberg, advanced analytics and enterprise model push...
a year ago
Access to live web data is just the tip of the iceberg, advanced analytics and enterprise model push web data adoption
42!
The folly of trying to replace spreadsheets
Our very earliest marketing copy for our HR SaaS was “Replace your spreadsheet nightmare with a nice...
a year ago
Our very earliest marketing copy for our HR SaaS was “Replace your spreadsheet nightmare with a nice clean HR database…”
We thought it was a cute and quirky tagline, and that it would immediately relatable to our target audience of business and human resource managers. After all...
Rest of World -...
A preacher who moonlights as a cab driver is suing Uber and Bolt in Kenya
Zakaria Johana believes ride-hailing apps have been playing dirty, and is among a growing group...
a year ago
Zakaria Johana believes ride-hailing apps have been playing dirty, and is among a growing group taking them to court to prove it.
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.
Rest of World -...
Another week, another push to “Make in India”
The Indian government mandates companies to get a license if they want to import laptops, tablets,...
a year ago
The Indian government mandates companies to get a license if they want to import laptops, tablets, and PCs. Experts call it “protectionism.”
Stephen Diehl
The Underlying Technology Shibboleth
over a year ago
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…
Tom Blomfield
Startup Series Part 1: Interviewing Engineers
There’s been a huge volume of literature written on the subject of startup methodologies and...
over a year ago
There’s been a huge volume of literature written on the subject of startup methodologies and philosophies. This is a positive thing for the ecosystem - just as new software tools mean it’s simpler and cheaper to start a company, these methodologies allow first-time entrepreneurs...
Internal Tech Emails
"I'm on the edge of revolt"
I've been both a supporter and I believe friend to Google and its senior management through all...
a year ago
I've been both a supporter and I believe friend to Google and its senior management through all these years, but I must say I'm on the edge of revolt now that Google's actions are so punitive, not just for Expedia, but also for IAC and all the players that depend upon something...
Nadia Asparouhova
Cultivating agency
I didn’t always know that I wanted to have kids. I wasn’t against it, necessarily – for awhile,...
over a year ago
I didn’t always know that I wanted to have kids. I wasn’t against it, necessarily – for awhile, there were just more reasons in the “why not” column than the “why”: uncertainty about whether I’d be a good parent, fear of losing my identity, a lack of maternal instinct. Those...
Noahpinion
Come see me speak about Japan!
Plus: A bunch of fun posts I've written about Japanese urbanism and Japanese society.
4 months ago
Plus: A bunch of fun posts I've written about Japanese urbanism and Japanese society.
Articles - Alex...
Thinking rationally about emotion
In advertising, using emotion is entirely logical. Creative agencies have
made this case...
4 months ago
In advertising, using emotion is entirely logical. Creative agencies have
made this case consistently. But in 2013 Les Binet and Peter Field bought
some much-needed data to the discussion. In their seminal report, The Long
and The Short of It, the duo analysed 30 years of...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The credentials trap
I talk a lot to people who are deciding between startups and established companies. They’re usually...
over a year ago
I talk a lot to people who are deciding between startups and established companies. They’re usually early in their careers and have been…
Rest of World -...
Why African tech companies are ditching Google for a small Indian competitor
Zoho has positioned itself as a cheaper alternative to Google and Microsoft, attracting the...
8 months ago
Zoho has positioned itself as a cheaper alternative to Google and Microsoft, attracting the attention of African startup founders.
42!
Pitch competitions as a measure of success
In our early days of my startup, I would try to enter as many pitch competitions as was feasible,...
a year ago
In our early days of my startup, I would try to enter as many pitch competitions as was feasible, just to try and get our project in front of as many eyes as possible and get our names mentioned in the popular startup press.
I used to give everything in these competitions, and we...
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
Rest of World -...
How an African streaming service dethroned Netflix
Showmax sits at the top of the market with a vast library of local content, partnerships with...
10 months ago
Showmax sits at the top of the market with a vast library of local content, partnerships with Comcast and HBO, and exclusive access to the biggest soccer leagues in the world.
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!...
Internal Tech Emails
Google considers buying stake in Epic
investment was the only way people could realistically think of to sway them on Epic's approach to...
11 months ago
investment was the only way people could realistically think of to sway them on Epic's approach to Android
Aaron's Essays
Exceptionalism
Startups that do well often follow a set of common principles. These principles influence how they...
over a year ago
Startups that do well often follow a set of common principles. These principles influence how they develop products, build teams, raise money, and get customers. The most successful startups, though, are exceptional and often seem to go against these principles in various ways....
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Shutting down
I’ve seen a number of situations recently where entrepreneurs decided to shut their startups down...
over a year ago
I’ve seen a number of situations recently where entrepreneurs decided to shut their startups down while they still had cash in the bank…
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…
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
Rest of World -...
How this startup bounced back from a crisis
ThriveAgric fell into a crisis when the pandemic hit. Three years later, it has found its way back...
a year ago
ThriveAgric fell into a crisis when the pandemic hit. Three years later, it has found its way back up.
Essays - Benedict...
Stepping out of the firehose
What does a mailbox with 351 thousand unread emails say about Bauhaus, the
Arts and Crafts...
over a year ago
What does a mailbox with 351 thousand unread emails say about Bauhaus, the
Arts and Crafts movement, and the Metaverse?
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…
Paul Graham: Essays
How to Think for Yourself
over a year ago
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.
Tech + Economics +...
WeWork files for bankruptcy amid office market downturn.
On Monday, Mr Neumann issued a statement saying the impending
bankruptcy was “disappointing”....
a year ago
On Monday, Mr Neumann issued a statement saying the impending
bankruptcy was “disappointing”. “It has been challenging for me to
watch from the sidelines since 2019 as WeWork has failed to take
advantage of a product that is more relevant today than ever before,”
...
Blog posts of...
Peter Thiel’s Startup Class Notes as PDF
@bgmasters created an awesome series of blog posts covering his notes of Peter Thiel’s startup class...
over a year ago
@bgmasters created an awesome series of blog posts covering his notes of Peter Thiel’s startup class CS183. Personally i try to re...
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.
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?
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
Blog posts of...
🙏
Over the years i met several people that left quite an impact on me and in many cases helped me...
over a year ago
Over the years i met several people that left quite an impact on me and in many cases helped me along the way. I tried to summariz...
Working Theorys
Notes on 'Founder Mode'
Most founders are in “founder mode” — and most of them fail.
3 months ago
Most founders are in “founder mode” — and most of them fail.
Noahpinion
Economic development is doing OK
Poor countries aren't catching up as fast as we'd like, but they're catching up faster than before.
a year ago
Poor countries aren't catching up as fast as we'd like, but they're catching up faster than before.
Rest of World -...
The rise and fall of Argentina’s celebrity crypto pastor
Generación Zoe promised investors massive returns thanks to market-predicting “robots” and a...
a year ago
Generación Zoe promised investors massive returns thanks to market-predicting “robots” and a cryptocurrency backed by gold. It sounded too good to be true.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Collective knowledge systems
I think you could make a strong argument that the most important technologies developed over the...
over a year ago
I think you could make a strong argument that the most important technologies developed over the last decade are a set of systems that are…
Noahpinion
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
Noahpinion
Announcing the winners of our semiconductor policy contest!
Some good ideas in here.
2 months ago
Rest of World -...
Women in South Africa’s gig economy feel forced to work extra hours for free
Women who work as domestic cleaners with SweepSouth, an on-demand app, say clients frequently ask...
11 months ago
Women who work as domestic cleaners with SweepSouth, an on-demand app, say clients frequently ask them to do unpaid work, and the company hasn’t responded to their complaints.
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....
Working Theorys
What I Talk About When I Talk About Reading
Optimize your life for good conversations.
7 months ago
Optimize your life for good conversations.
SatPost by Trung...
Blumhouse: The Hollywood Horror Hit Machine
How Jason Blum turned "constraints breed creativity" into a business model.
a year ago
How Jason Blum turned "constraints breed creativity" into a business model.
Steve Blank
The Secret History of Minnesota Part 1: Engineering Research Associates
This post is the latest in the “Secret History Series.” They’ll make much more sense if you watch...
a year ago
This post is the latest in the “Secret History Series.” They’ll make much more sense if you watch the video or read some of the earlier posts for context. See the Secret History bibliography for sources and supplemental reading. Silicon Valley emerged from work in World War II...
SatPost by Trung...
The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of Pixar
Revisiting the studio’s early highs (one lunch led to $6B at the box office), creative struggles...
4 months ago
Revisiting the studio’s early highs (one lunch led to $6B at the box office), creative struggles (stale IP, original flops) and why "Inside Out 2" could trigger a renaissance.
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.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 So simple yet so easy to overlook: Is whatever you’re putting out there actually attracting...
11 months ago
#1 💡 So simple yet so easy to overlook: Is whatever you’re putting out there actually attracting the kind of people you want to attract? If you focus on metrics alone, you will quickly find yourself with pretty numbers but little value. For example, you can easily
Roberto Vitillo's...
Spark best practices
Spark execution model Spark's simplicity makes it all too easy to ignore its execution model, and...
over a year ago
Spark execution model Spark's simplicity makes it all too easy to ignore its execution model, and still manage to write jobs that eventually…
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.
Paul Graham: Essays
What Microsoft Is this the Altair Basic of?
over a year ago
Essays - Benedict...
Unbundling AI
ChatGPT and LLMs can do anything, so what can you do with them? How do you
know? Do we move to...
a year ago
ChatGPT and LLMs can do anything, so what can you do with them? How do you
know? Do we move to chat bots as a magical general-purpose interface, or do
we unbundle them back into single-purpose software?
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Incubators
It seems like every successful entrepreneur I know at one point or another kicks around the idea of...
over a year ago
It seems like every successful entrepreneur I know at one point or another kicks around the idea of creating an incubator. The appeal is the…
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.
Steve Blank
Lean LaunchPad @Stanford 2024 – 8 Teams In, 8 Companies Out
This post previously appeared in Poets and Quants. We just finished the 14th annual Lean LaunchPad...
5 months ago
This post previously appeared in Poets and Quants. We just finished the 14th annual Lean LaunchPad class at Stanford. The class had gotten so popular that in 2021 we started teaching it in both the winter and spring sessions. During the quarter the eight teams spoke to 919...
Rest of World -...
Scale AI is on a hiring spree for speakers of under-represented languages
But some languages pay a lot better than others.
a year ago
But some languages pay a lot better than others.
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.
Noahpinion
The new industrial policy, explained
We're starting to learn what replaces the old free-trade consensus.
a year ago
We're starting to learn what replaces the old free-trade consensus.
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.
Rest of World -...
Amazon launched a program for Indian handicrafts. Local artisans say it’s not working
Makers say Amazon Karigar has failed to distinguish their crafts from mass-produced items.
a month ago
Makers say Amazon Karigar has failed to distinguish their crafts from mass-produced items.
tomcritchlow.com
A Lil' Website Refresh
Welcome to tomcritchlow.com version…. 19? 25? Honestly there have been so many iterations over the...
9 months ago
Welcome to tomcritchlow.com version…. 19? 25? Honestly there have been so many iterations over the years who even knows. The point is there’s a new coat of paint.
Noahpinion
Americans are still not worried enough about the risk of world war
In which I try to be Gandalf instead of Cassandra.
8 months ago
In which I try to be Gandalf instead of Cassandra.
Entrepreneur's Edge
Organizational Design: Balancing Technology and Operations
Understanding the Three Essential Roles for Scale
a year ago
Understanding the Three Essential Roles for Scale
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…
Roberto Vitillo's...
The second chapter of Understanding Distributed Systems is out
In the second chapter of Understanding Distributed Systems , I explore the core building blocks at...
over a year ago
In the second chapter of Understanding Distributed Systems , I explore the core building blocks at the heart of many distributed systems…
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.
Platformer
Utah's war on social networks is a symptom of a larger problem
Congress failed to act — and now a patchwork of bad state laws is eroding our privacy
a year ago
Congress failed to act — and now a patchwork of bad state laws is eroding our privacy
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…
Rest of World -...
The role of trust in building fintech for Africa
Yanmo Omorogbe of Nigerian wealth management firm Bamboo talks about navigating government...
5 months ago
Yanmo Omorogbe of Nigerian wealth management firm Bamboo talks about navigating government regulations and the role of longevity.
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...
Working Theorys
Collective Experiences | Theory No. 8
On the value of creating shared context in the age of personalized, on-demand media.
a year ago
On the value of creating shared context in the age of personalized, on-demand media.
Blog posts of...
How to use Gmail more efficiently
I usually I blog about Angellist but I have shown this “lifehack” to so many people that I thought...
over a year ago
I usually I blog about Angellist but I have shown this “lifehack” to so many people that I thought it’s worth it’s own blogpost...
Rest of World -...
The AI job interviewer will see you now
AI interview services say they’re eliminating bias — but not everyone agrees.
5 months ago
AI interview services say they’re eliminating bias — but not everyone agrees.
Tech + Economics +...
The unchecked rise of theocracy will extinguish liberal democracy.
As a transgender woman, under any form of populist theocracy, my existence
would be illegal. This...
a year ago
As a transgender woman, under any form of populist theocracy, my existence
would be illegal. This is the reality of governance by faith-based
doctrine. And it's a reality that cannot be allowed to spread.
Religious freedom is a cornerstone of liberal democracy. Individuals...
SatPost by Trung...
The Tale of Two Phones
Notes on trying to break my smartphone addiction: by having a "Cocaine Phone" and a "Kale Phone".
a year ago
Notes on trying to break my smartphone addiction: by having a "Cocaine Phone" and a "Kale Phone".
SatPost by Trung...
Francis Ford Coppola: The Entrepreneur
Exploring the legendary director's business career in 8 films, a studio and a winery.
3 months ago
Exploring the legendary director's business career in 8 films, a studio and a winery.
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.
Paul Graham: Essays
Holding a Program in One's Head
over a year ago
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.
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…
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…
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...
Internal Tech Emails
The Tech Emails Library
The ultimate index of internal tech industry emails 🔍
a year ago
The ultimate index of internal tech industry emails 🔍
Rest of World -...
South Korean streamers struggle with Twitch’s sudden exit
The streaming giant attributed its departure to high network fees.
9 months ago
The streaming giant attributed its departure to high network fees.
SatPost by Trung...
Psychology of Apple Packaging
Steve Jobs and Jony Ive prioritized packaging, which they said could be "theatre".
11 months ago
Steve Jobs and Jony Ive prioritized packaging, which they said could be "theatre".
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.
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.
Platformer
Five reasons Threads could still go the distance
One week later, engagement is down — but the prize is still there for the taking
a year ago
One week later, engagement is down — but the prize is still there for the taking
Rest of World -...
New visa programs spark brain drain fears across Africa
German and Canadian visa policies could make it harder for African companies to retain talent.
a year ago
German and Canadian visa policies could make it harder for African companies to retain talent.
Noahpinion
Toward a shallower future
Adversity isn't worth the price of adversity.
11 months ago
Adversity isn't worth the price of adversity.
Rest of World -...
How we’re tracking AI incidents around global elections
Rest of World is collecting examples of AI being used for campaigning, misinformation, and memes in...
8 months ago
Rest of World is collecting examples of AI being used for campaigning, misinformation, and memes in a regularly updated tracker.
Raw Thought (from...
Look at yourself objectively
over a year ago
Aaron's Essays
The Hindsight Game
There are all kinds of strategies for evaluating startup ideas - investors talk about having a...
a year ago
There are all kinds of strategies for evaluating startup ideas - investors talk about having a “prepared mind,” others build market maps, I like to think about toys, and we could go on. What everyone wants to do is predict the future. That’s honestly impossible. But we can...
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 1 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
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.
Steve Blank
Quantum Computing – An Update
In March 2022 I wrote a description of the Quantum Technology Ecosystem. I thought this would be a...
2 months ago
In March 2022 I wrote a description of the Quantum Technology Ecosystem. I thought this would be a good time to check in on the progress of building a quantum computer and explain more of the basics. Just as a reminder, Quantum technologies are used in three very different and...
Aaron's Essays
Distributed Capital
In theory, the hard part about finding capital for unproven founders with unproven technologies in...
over a year ago
In theory, the hard part about finding capital for unproven founders with unproven technologies in unproven markets should be that no one wants the risk. There was a time when that was true, but it isn’t anymore.[1] For a founder, the issue is different: venture capital is...
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#35)
Chinese defense spending, activists vs. normies, corporate diversity, phones in schools,
7 months ago
Chinese defense spending, activists vs. normies, corporate diversity, phones in schools,
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
Rest of World -...
New data reveals exactly when the Chinese government blocked ChatGPT and other AI sites
Rest of World received exclusive access to a platform that tracks patterns and timing of Chinese...
3 months ago
Rest of World received exclusive access to a platform that tracks patterns and timing of Chinese online censorship.
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things to start your week (#50)
Permitting reform; industrial policy progress; China stimulus/bailouts; men and politics; wokeness;...
2 months ago
Permitting reform; industrial policy progress; China stimulus/bailouts; men and politics; wokeness; tariffs; a bad union demand
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 -...
Scale AI’s Remotasks platform is dropping whole countries without explanation
Workers in Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan were booted off the AI-training service earlier this month.
8 months ago
Workers in Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan were booted off the AI-training service earlier this month.
Noahpinion
Secrets of Japanese urbanism (part 2)
A review of "Emergent Tokyo", by Jorge Almazan and Studiolab
9 months ago
A review of "Emergent Tokyo", by Jorge Almazan and Studiolab
Noahpinion
Great news about American wealth
Regular Americans are getting richer.
a year ago
Regular Americans are getting richer.
Tech + Economics +...
I hate work.
The piercing sound of my alarm shatters the stillness of my room at the
ungodly hour of 5 AM, and...
a year ago
The piercing sound of my alarm shatters the stillness of my room at the
ungodly hour of 5 AM, and I reluctantly drag myself out of bed. It’s the
same daily grind, a routine I’ve been stuck in for years, first as a sound
engineer, then as a tech exec, and now as an indie...
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...
Noahpinion
Yes, of course crime is way down
The people telling you crime isn't falling are feeding you a line.
5 months ago
The people telling you crime isn't falling are feeding you a line.
David Perell
Thoughts on Montreal
I visited Montreal for the first time. Here are my general impressions of the city, based on walks...
over a year ago
I visited Montreal for the first time. Here are my general impressions of the city, based on walks around town and casual conversations with friends: Culture: My favorite thing about Montreal is its commitment to culture. French is the dominant language, which is partially why it...
Rest of World -...
Chinese EV upstarts to battle Japanese heavyweights for Thailand’s pickup truck market
Toyota and Isuzu have long dominated Thailand’s pickup truck market. As they prepare to launch EV...
5 months ago
Toyota and Isuzu have long dominated Thailand’s pickup truck market. As they prepare to launch EV trucks, they face competition from Chinese firms.
Paul Graham: Essays
How to Be an Expert in a Changing World
over a year ago
Rest of World -...
How well do you know global food delivery?
Test your knowledge of the world’s favorite delivery apps and most-ordered dishes.
4 months ago
Test your knowledge of the world’s favorite delivery apps and most-ordered dishes.
Noahpinion
Why on Earth does Trump want to cancel the CHIPS Act??
A second Trump presidency would truly be a gift to Xi Jinping.
a month ago
A second Trump presidency would truly be a gift to Xi Jinping.
Noahpinion
A DemTech Economic Agenda: Ten Steps Towards Collective Resilience
A guest post by by Liza Tobin, Warren Wilson, Brady Helwig, and Connor Martin of the Special...
a year ago
A guest post by by Liza Tobin, Warren Wilson, Brady Helwig, and Connor Martin of the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP)
The Thinking Cap
Why Open Source AI Will Win
You shouldn't bet against the bazaar or the GPU p̶o̶o̶r̶ hungry.
a year ago
You shouldn't bet against the bazaar or the GPU p̶o̶o̶r̶ hungry.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
We're Watching Facebook Die
In the first quarter of 2024, Meta made $36.45 billion dollars - $12.37 billion dollars of which was...
6 months ago
In the first quarter of 2024, Meta made $36.45 billion dollars - $12.37 billion dollars of which was pure profit. Though the company no longer reports daily active users, it now uses another metric: “family daily active people.” This number refers to “registered and logged-in
Roberto Vitillo's...
Counting at scale
How engaged are users for a certain segment of the population? How many users are actively using a...
over a year ago
How engaged are users for a certain segment of the population? How many users are actively using a new feature? One way to answer that…
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.
Rest of World -...
How Careem went from Pakistan’s ride-hailing leader to stuck on the sidelines
After falling from dominance, Careem is experimenting — from corporate rides to price bidding — to...
6 months ago
After falling from dominance, Careem is experimenting — from corporate rides to price bidding — to maintain its presence in Pakistan.
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
"The Future of Reading Depends on the Future of Learning Difficult to Learn Things"
Socrates’ complaints about writing included “Writing removes the need to remember”. He meant that a...
over a year ago
Socrates’ complaints about writing included “Writing removes the need to remember”. He meant that a prosthetic brace on a healthy limb will…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
There are two kinds of people in the world
You’ve either started a company or you haven’t. ”Started” doesn’t mean joining as an early...
over a year ago
You’ve either started a company or you haven’t. ”Started” doesn’t mean joining as an early employee, or investing or advising or helping…
Noahpinion
How we could return to the productivity growth of the 1990s
A guest post by Preston Mui.
9 months ago
A guest post by Preston Mui.
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.
Rest of World -...
Using automation to fight misinformation, starting with a menstrual health chatbot
Swapneel Mehta is the founder of the Simppl research collective, a group of students and...
6 months ago
Swapneel Mehta is the founder of the Simppl research collective, a group of students and professional programmers working on automated social media tools.
AVC
The Newest Members of the USV Team
Last Thursday, three new blog posts hit USV.com announcing our three new analysts: This is our...
a year ago
Last Thursday, three new blog posts hit USV.com announcing our three new analysts: This is our tradition at USV. When someone starts at USV, we ask them to write a post on the USV blog introducing themselves. This helps founders who come to talk to us about their companies...
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...
Roberto Vitillo's...
Don't trust default timeouts
Modern applications don't crash; they hang. One of the main reasons for it is the assumption that...
over a year ago
Modern applications don't crash; they hang. One of the main reasons for it is the assumption that the network is reliable. It isn't. When…
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...
Aaron's Essays
Asking questions
Small children are great at asking questions. Their questions are simple, direct, and utterly...
over a year ago
Small children are great at asking questions. Their questions are simple, direct, and utterly without ego. If you spend time with 2-5 year olds, you’ll find yourself answering a near infinite series of progressively more challenging questions. This is one of the main paths by...
Rest of World -...
Nigeria’s economic crisis is fueling a stunt philanthropy boom
A crop of content creators are building fame on MrBeast-style content.
4 months ago
A crop of content creators are building fame on MrBeast-style content.
Noahpinion
Why trying to "shape" AI innovation to protect workers is a bad idea
Instead, we should empower workers and create mechanisms for redistribution.
a year ago
Instead, we should empower workers and create mechanisms for redistribution.
Noahpinion
How tariffs on China could help the world
Looking for the silver lining in a messy policy.
4 months ago
Looking for the silver lining in a messy policy.
Aaron's Essays
There Are No (Absolute) Red Flags in Venture Capital
Let’s accept, for the purposes of this essay, that founders and venture capitalists are engaged in a...
a year ago
Let’s accept, for the purposes of this essay, that founders and venture capitalists are engaged in a simple trade. Founders sell business risk for the cash they need to take bigger risks; venture capitalists buy that risk hoping it will one day transmute into reward. Each side...
Noahpinion
Indiamerica
A new quasi-alliance is born, but there are still some challenges to overcome.
a year ago
A new quasi-alliance is born, but there are still some challenges to overcome.
essay – snarfed.org
COVID was bad for the climate
William Cho The standard narrative on COVID and the climate is: People worked from home, cancelled...
over a year ago
William Cho The standard narrative on COVID and the climate is: People worked from home, cancelled travel plans, cut down overall consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions fell drastically. It’s great for the environment! Let’s keep it up! With apologies to H. L. Mencken, I...
Dustin Curtis
Luxury for everyone: thoughts on Vision Pro and Apple's DNA
In 2009, Microsoft released an enormous 200lb coffee table with an embedded 30-inch touchscreen...
7 months ago
In 2009, Microsoft released an enormous 200lb coffee table with an embedded 30-inch touchscreen called Surface. Although the iPhone had been around for a little while, the larger screen made Surface feel absolutely futuristic: in the Photos app, you could toss around pictures...
Unpacked
NVIDIA Explained: Origins, GPUs and AI stock bump | EP8
NVIDIA has seen their valuation 5x over the last 5 years and is now worth more than $2 trillion. In...
8 months ago
NVIDIA has seen their valuation 5x over the last 5 years and is now worth more than $2 trillion. In the latest episode, we dive a few layers deep into the company. We start with the origin of the company and the launch of their first GPU in 1999 which unlocked several...
Noahpinion
A pivotal moment for Japan's national defense
A guest post by Jonathan Grady
7 months ago
A guest post by Jonathan Grady
Noahpinion
The danger of another American civil war is low
Re-upping some arguments I've made before.
a year ago
Re-upping some arguments I've made before.
Tech + Economics +...
Sam Bankman-Fried is a feature, not a bug.
Imagine a philosophy so focused on the ends that it becomes blind to the
means. This is the...
a year ago
Imagine a philosophy so focused on the ends that it becomes blind to the
means. This is the seductive trap of Effective Altruism (EA), a doctrine
born to the rationalist cradle, promising to solve the world's woes through
a calculator. Into this world stepped Sam...
Rest of World -...
Apple’s biggest gamble isn’t the Vision Pro — it’s India
Don’t be distracted by this week’s gadget hype cycle.
a year ago
Don’t be distracted by this week’s gadget hype cycle.
Noahpinion
Biden did stuff, and it looks like it's working so far
Only one President has taken actual concrete steps to address U.S. industrial weakness vis-a-vis...
3 months ago
Only one President has taken actual concrete steps to address U.S. industrial weakness vis-a-vis China.
Paul Graham: Essays
Better Bayesian Filtering
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.
Rest of World -...
Writers and publishers in Singapore reject a government plan to train AI on their work
Singapore's literary community is pushing back against an official effort to train LLMs using their...
7 months ago
Singapore's literary community is pushing back against an official effort to train LLMs using their published works, part of a growing global resistance.
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.
David Perell
Lifting Alone
Gyms were once communal places. Nobody wore headphones. People helped each other out and talked...
over a year ago
Gyms were once communal places. Nobody wore headphones. People helped each other out and talked between sets. Today, things have changed. Everybody is plugged into their own virtual reality world where they craft their desired mood and intensity level, which definitely gives...
Rest of World -...
When EV startups shut down, will their cars still work?
As Chinese EV makers close, drivers of “smartphones on wheels” say software updates and maintenance...
3 months ago
As Chinese EV makers close, drivers of “smartphones on wheels” say software updates and maintenance are in jeopardy.
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 -...
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.
Rest of World -...
MercadoLibre is a massive fish in a medium-sized pond
The Argentine e-commerce company is no doubt beating the likes of Amazon in Latin America, but how...
a year ago
The Argentine e-commerce company is no doubt beating the likes of Amazon in Latin America, but how comparable are the two?
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Good bizdev cannibalizes itself
A few successful websites were built almost entirely through viral growth. The vast majority,...
over a year ago
A few successful websites were built almost entirely through viral growth. The vast majority, however, started off by partnering with other…
Essays - Benedict...
The problem of AI ethics, and laws about AI
Should you try to write laws, or lay down ethical principles, about a
technology that will be used...
9 months ago
Should you try to write laws, or lay down ethical principles, about a
technology that will be used in entirely different ways, for different
purposes, in different industries? How about if it’s changing entirely
every 18 months?
Rest of World -...
Pakistani YouTubers are exposing the dangers of illegal migration to Europe
Political instability, economic crisis, natural disasters, and the promise of a better life abroad...
a year ago
Political instability, economic crisis, natural disasters, and the promise of a better life abroad compel Pakistanis to risk everything.
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…
Paul Graham: Essays
The Two Kinds of Moderate
over a year ago
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.
AVC
Voice Input
Smartphones have had voice input for over a decade now and yet I don’t know that many people who use...
a year ago
Smartphones have had voice input for over a decade now and yet I don’t know that many people who use voice input regularly. I would guess that maybe 10 to 20% of smartphone users are using voice input regularly. That’s a guess based on absolutely no data other than observing...
Rest of World -...
Venezuelan migrants helped build Colombia’s tech scene. Now the country is kicking them out
New rules make getting a visa more difficult, even as Colombia struggles to find enough tech...
a year ago
New rules make getting a visa more difficult, even as Colombia struggles to find enough tech workers.
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.
Rest of World -...
Investors are unsettled as funding is drying up for Africa’s startup ecosystem
As funding to Africa’s once fast-growing startup ecosystem dries up, industry insiders are worried...
a year ago
As funding to Africa’s once fast-growing startup ecosystem dries up, industry insiders are worried that the ecosystem is unprepared.
Rest of World -...
Around the world with Rest of World
Put your geography knowledge to the test.
3 months ago
Put your geography knowledge to the test.
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
SatPost by Trung...
The Reading Unlock
Entrepreneurs influenced by a single read include Joe Coulombe, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Morris Chang,...
a year ago
Entrepreneurs influenced by a single read include Joe Coulombe, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Morris Chang, Sarah Blakely, Chip Wilson and Phil Knight.
Rest of World -...
Crime victims, ignored by Venezuela’s broken justice system, turn to influencers
To get the authorities’ attention, victims get help from influencers specialized in niches like...
a year ago
To get the authorities’ attention, victims get help from influencers specialized in niches like corruption and pet justice.
Rest of World -...
AI image generators have a moderation problem
Tests carried out by Logically confirm these platforms accept 85% of prompts tailored for election...
a year ago
Tests carried out by Logically confirm these platforms accept 85% of prompts tailored for election manipulation.
Rest of World -...
Can someone please make an iPhone-theft thriller already?
Forget the Apple store heist in Seattle; South Asia has a pretty riveting script on cross-border...
a year ago
Forget the Apple store heist in Seattle; South Asia has a pretty riveting script on cross-border smartphone theft waiting to be written.
AVC
The AI Assist
I wrote last week that I have started coding again. And I have been amazed at how much easier it is...
a year ago
I wrote last week that I have started coding again. And I have been amazed at how much easier it is now that I can code and deploy in the cloud without having to spin up anything myself. But the other massive improvement in programming is the “AI assist.” I am working in a...
Rest of World -...
Running a food-delivery service in Nigeria is hard; Chowdeck makes it look easy
Bolt, Glovo, and Jumia struggle with long delivery times, but this Y Combinator-backed startup has...
a year ago
Bolt, Glovo, and Jumia struggle with long delivery times, but this Y Combinator-backed startup has impressive tech and rider incentives on its side.
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.
Platformer
Why I'm having trouble covering AI
If you believe that the most serious risks from AI are real, should you write about anything else?
a year ago
If you believe that the most serious risks from AI are real, should you write about anything else?
Stephen Diehl
The Internet's Casino Boats
over a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Top 10 websites
Top 10 websites in the US according to Quantcast: A few observations: As Josh Kopelman points out,...
over a year ago
Top 10 websites in the US according to Quantcast: A few observations: As Josh Kopelman points out, 4 of the top 10 sites (YouTube, Facebook…
Rest of World -...
Uber drivers are melting amid Nigeria’s historic heat wave and record fuel prices
As temperatures soar and fuel prices triple, drivers are having to choose between their health and...
9 months ago
As temperatures soar and fuel prices triple, drivers are having to choose between their health and livelihood.
Internal Tech Emails
Steve Jobs on iPhone design
This may be our answer - we could put the number pad around our clickwheel.
10 months ago
This may be our answer - we could put the number pad around our clickwheel.
Tom Blomfield
Startup Series Part 2: Attracting great engineers
This is the second in a series of articles on the operational side of running startup - once you’ve...
over a year ago
This is the second in a series of articles on the operational side of running startup - once you’ve found product-market fit and raised VC cash, how do you go about building a business?
The first post in this series, on the hiring process, assumes you have a sufficient number of...
Rest of World -...
How this mental health care app is using ChatGPT to improve its chatbot
Andrea Campos is the founder and CEO of Yana, a mental health care app and chatbot for Spanish and...
6 months ago
Andrea Campos is the founder and CEO of Yana, a mental health care app and chatbot for Spanish and English speakers.
Aaron's Essays
Fundraising isn't predictable
I recently had a conversation with a founder who'd just finished a number of unsatisfying...
over a year ago
I recently had a conversation with a founder who'd just finished a number of unsatisfying conversations with investors. The founder's company was growing well, had crossed $1mm ARR, but still couldn't raise money. According to conventional wisdom, that should have been enough to...
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.
Noahpinion
Why China's economy ran off the rails
A short, simplistic, but fairly reasonable story.
a year ago
A short, simplistic, but fairly reasonable story.
Rest of World -...
Tears of a get-rich-quick guru
Influencers like Sunny Ali promote the Amazon seller dream, but not everyone buys the hustlepreneur...
a year ago
Influencers like Sunny Ali promote the Amazon seller dream, but not everyone buys the hustlepreneur fantasy.
Working Theorys
The Granny Hobby Protocol
And the hands-on, thumbs-off economy
8 months ago
And the hands-on, thumbs-off economy
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Full stack startups
Many of today's most exciting startups were tried before in a different form. Suppose you develop a...
over a year ago
Many of today's most exciting startups were tried before in a different form. Suppose you develop a new technology that is valuable to some…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Software eats software development
Software is eating the world, and doing so using smaller and smaller teams. WhatsApp was able to...
over a year ago
Software is eating the world, and doing so using smaller and smaller teams. WhatsApp was able to disrupt the global SMS industry with only a…
Rest of World -...
Mexico is using an AI-powered app to prevent suicides
MeMind has connected 10,000 at-risk people with mental health treatment, contributing to a 9% drop...
a week ago
MeMind has connected 10,000 at-risk people with mental health treatment, contributing to a 9% drop in suicides.
Rest of World -...
The startup founder bootstrapping his creator economy business
Douglas Kendyson, a former engineer at Flutterwave and Paystack, has built a profitable bootstrapped...
10 months ago
Douglas Kendyson, a former engineer at Flutterwave and Paystack, has built a profitable bootstrapped African startup.
Blog posts of...
Why Lean Startup sucks for startups.
If you go to Lean Startup events you will find first time founders, consultants, accelerator...
over a year ago
If you go to Lean Startup events you will find first time founders, consultants, accelerator managers, r&d people, enterprise intr...
Entrepreneur's Edge
OKRs will never be enough
Nuanced goal-setting frameworks to help manage the complexity in a growing company.
a year ago
Nuanced goal-setting frameworks to help manage the complexity in a growing company.
Blog posts of...
Mindshare 🧠
The hard part now, is to get mindshare with customers.
9 months ago
The hard part now, is to get mindshare with customers.
Inverted Passion
Wealth is not money, it’s the things we use money for
As an entrepreneur, money is obviously a massive motivation for why you’re doing what you’re doing....
a year ago
As an entrepreneur, money is obviously a massive motivation for why you’re doing what you’re doing. However, it’s essential to understand that money is not wealth. Wealth is stuff we want and by that logic, people can be wealthy even if they don’t have a lot of money. In fact,...
42!
Wrestling with the scammers
Photo by Dan Nelson on Unsplash
I guess one of the downsides of the rising popularity and profile of...
over a year ago
Photo by Dan Nelson on Unsplash
I guess one of the downsides of the rising popularity and profile of our HR startup is that it attracts the lowest online lifeforms to try and see if they can make illicit profit from it.
We have been getting the occasional trial user signing up...
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.
Rest of World -...
Illegal gold mining influencers are tearing up the Amazon
Creators share tips on YouTube and TikTok to bring new miners into the fold and turn criminal...
a year ago
Creators share tips on YouTube and TikTok to bring new miners into the fold and turn criminal behavior into money-making content.
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.
SatPost by Trung...
Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos Enter a Room
In December 2000, the founders of Apple and Amazon were invited to critique a demo of the Segway. It...
3 months ago
In December 2000, the founders of Apple and Amazon were invited to critique a demo of the Segway. It was a wild two-hour session filled with gem quotes and business insights.
Rest of World -...
Filipinos are embracing electric three-wheelers faster than officials can regulate them
Unregistered three-wheelers big enough for whole families are a popular antidote to the country's...
3 months ago
Unregistered three-wheelers big enough for whole families are a popular antidote to the country's terrible gridlock.
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.
AVC
A Conversation With Mike Zamansky
Mike Zamansky is the person who got me interested in K12 Computer Science Education in NYC, a cause...
a year ago
Mike Zamansky is the person who got me interested in K12 Computer Science Education in NYC, a cause I have now contributed almost fifteen years of my life to. Our family’s public charity, Gotham Gives, has been funding the work we do in K12 Computer Science Education in NYC for...
essay – snarfed.org
Breakfast tour
Like all of you, I got a little stir crazy over the last year. I made it outside plenty, but I still...
over a year ago
Like all of you, I got a little stir crazy over the last year. I made it outside plenty, but I still felt cooped up now and then, and I dearly missed going new places and seeing new things. On another note, I really, really like breakfast. Like, a lot. So naturally, I put these...
Paul Graham: Essays
Could VC be a Casualty of the Recession?
over a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The NYC tech scene is exploding
The pace of innovation in the New York area is very impressive right now. Some of the top...
over a year ago
The pace of innovation in the New York area is very impressive right now. Some of the top entrepenuers in the country are building and…
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...
Tom Blomfield
Advice
Starting a company is a challenging process - you’re thrown into the deep-end with nothing but your...
over a year ago
Starting a company is a challenging process - you’re thrown into the deep-end with nothing but your wits to help you. Often, though, advice will be forthcoming. This post is about that advice, and how to spot the difference between good and bad.
Some advice is expert - your...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Options on early stage companies
I believe that what I’m about to say is accepted by venture capitalists as fact, even trivially...
over a year ago
I believe that what I’m about to say is accepted by venture capitalists as fact, even trivially obvious fact, yet very few entrepreneurs I…
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.
AVC
The Cleanse
I’ve never done a cleanse. But many of my friends and family members have done them. There are...
a year ago
I’ve never done a cleanse. But many of my friends and family members have done them. There are various flavors of cleanses but the basic idea is you cut back your consumption of food and drink and replace it with mostly liquid nutrition for anywhere from a day to a month. I...
Noahpinion
Don’t Rock the Vote
Democrats are the party that benefits from low voter turnout. They just don’t know it yet. (Guest...
5 months ago
Democrats are the party that benefits from low voter turnout. They just don’t know it yet. (Guest post by Wally Nowinski)
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…
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.
Noahpinion
Six reasons chipmakers should put their fabs in Japan
It has every resource the semiconductor industry needs.
a year ago
It has every resource the semiconductor industry needs.
Tech + Economics +...
The curse of the Sisyphean read-later list
Let's talk about our digital 'save for later' pile. You know what I'm
talking about - that growing...
a year ago
Let's talk about our digital 'save for later' pile. You know what I'm
talking about - that growing list of articles, videos, and podcasts we
swear we'll get to eventually. It's like we're building our own little
museum of cool stuff we'll explore 'one day.'
When are you...
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.
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#11)
"Bullshit jobs", racial depolarization, the YIMBY-union alliance, China's last boosters, Biden's...
a year ago
"Bullshit jobs", racial depolarization, the YIMBY-union alliance, China's last boosters, Biden's foreign policy, low-carbon steel, and Javier Milei
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The next big thing will start out looking like a toy
One of the amazing things about the internet economy is how different the list of top internet...
over a year ago
One of the amazing things about the internet economy is how different the list of top internet properties today looks from the list ten…
Aaron's Essays
Goodbye YC
I sent this email to the whole team at YC yesterday:
When I joined YC 7.5 years ago, there weren’t...
over a year ago
I sent this email to the whole team at YC yesterday:
When I joined YC 7.5 years ago, there weren’t many people around. PG and Jessica were still running things. We had offices in Mountain View, Palo Alto, and on Kearny street, but they were nearly always empty. The only meeting...
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.
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