Rest of World -...
Casualties of the Chip War
The biggest threat to Nvidia isn’t coming from China
a year ago
The biggest threat to Nvidia isn’t coming from China
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.
Tech + Economics +...
Bootstrapped to death: why America’s favourite saying is strangling mobility
The old saying goes that anyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps
- if they work hard...
11 months ago
The old saying goes that anyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps
- if they work hard enough. There's this pervasive and poisonous idea that
success or failure rests solely on the individual and their effort. And if
you don't make it, if you don't lift yourself out...
AVC
Flooding
I spent a good part of my childhood at West Point, the US Military Academy. I got an email yesterday...
a year ago
I spent a good part of my childhood at West Point, the US Military Academy. I got an email yesterday with photos of the flooding at West Point. My dad and brother used to work in that grey stone building called Mahan Hall. And the same storms that did this to West Point did worse...
Noahpinion
Decoupling isn't phoney
The global trading system is starting to rearrange itself, and it's mostly not Biden's doing.
a year ago
The global trading system is starting to rearrange itself, and it's mostly not Biden's doing.
Paul Graham: Essays
An Alternative Theory of Unions
over a year ago
Articles - Alex...
The ageism in advertising
The advertising industry is addicted to youth. We are obsessed and
possessed. We crave it in our...
over a year ago
The advertising industry is addicted to youth. We are obsessed and
possessed. We crave it in our agencies and we covet it in our audiences. We
believe younger staff are more creative and younger consumers are more
valuable. But this is nothing more than received wisdom....
Data Boutique
Should Websites Open Access to Data?
Looking at web data from the website perspective
a year ago
Looking at web data from the website perspective
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...
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
🤠 Democratize Luxury
3 months ago
Noahpinion
Liberalism is losing the information war
Because it's refusing to fight.
a year ago
Because it's refusing to fight.
Noahpinion
Why has U.S. manufacturing productivity stagnated for over a decade?
A few hypotheses about a very disturbing trend.
5 months ago
A few hypotheses about a very disturbing trend.
Noahpinion
Strategies to secure America's supply chains
A guest post by Yann Calvó López and Ben Golub.
2 months ago
A guest post by Yann Calvó López and Ben Golub.
Inverted Passion
How to increase wealth for everyone
I’ve started reading The Capitalist Manifesto, a book full of data on how free markets generate...
a year ago
I’ve started reading The Capitalist Manifesto, a book full of data on how free markets generate prosperity. The author is nuanced and uses data and logic to show how we should be rooting for capitalism (instead of bringing it down). Income and wealth inequality created as a...
Aaron's Essays
20 Years Later
Twenty years later, I can’t remember what I saw and what I think I saw. I remember listening to the...
over a year ago
Twenty years later, I can’t remember what I saw and what I think I saw. I remember listening to the news with my mom, Judah, and Mimi as the anchors casually mentioned that a small plane seemed to have hit a tower. We were on I-95 - or maybe the Garden State - headed south to...
Noahpinion
The George Floyd protests were not a civil war (repost)
And the less we collectively remember them as one, the better.
a year ago
And the less we collectively remember them as one, the better.
Working Theorys
Great Products Have Great Premises
The most powerful thing a product can do is give its user a premise.
10 months ago
The most powerful thing a product can do is give its user a premise.
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.
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.
Rest of World -...
The AI project pushing local languages to replace French in Mali’s schools
RobotsMali uses ChatGPT, Google Translate, and other AI tools in hopes of helping young students...
9 months ago
RobotsMali uses ChatGPT, Google Translate, and other AI tools in hopes of helping young students learn faster and stay in school.
Working Theorys
caring about newness
we don't create with the intent to recycle
9 months ago
we don't create with the intent to recycle
Steve Blank
Why Large Organizations Struggle With Disruption, and What to Do About It
Seemingly overnight, disruption has allowed challengers to threaten the dominance of companies and...
4 months ago
Seemingly overnight, disruption has allowed challengers to threaten the dominance of companies and government agencies as many of their existing systems have now been leapfrogged. How an organization reacts to this type of disruption determines whether they adapt or die. I’ve...
Devmoh
Protobufs Explained, and why Google, Apple, and LinkedIn use it over JSON
Faster than JSON, clearer than XML, cross-language, type-safe, and backwards compatible.
a year ago
Faster than JSON, clearer than XML, cross-language, type-safe, and backwards compatible.
Noahpinion
What's up with those revised job numbers?
Government data revisions can be scary, but they actually aren't that hard to understand.
4 months ago
Government data revisions can be scary, but they actually aren't that hard to understand.
Unpacked
Apple Watch pulls blood oxygen feature, and how big a deal is the GPT Store really?
Listen now | In the second episode of this year, we peel a few layers beneath Apple's decision to...
11 months ago
Listen now | In the second episode of this year, we peel a few layers beneath Apple's decision to pull the blood oxygen feature after losing a patent battle against Massimo. We then pivot to understanding the GPT Store and our analyses / hot takes on how big a deal this really...
Stephen Diehl
In Praise of 'Line Goes Up'
over a year ago
Working Theorys
The Taste Discount
Everything is easier when tastes align.
8 months ago
Everything is easier when tastes align.
Internal Tech Emails
Apple exec on App Store complaints
In the end it all really comes down to whether we will ever open up the iPhone for developers to...
a year ago
In the end it all really comes down to whether we will ever open up the iPhone for developers to distribute apps on their own, bypassing our store.
Noahpinion
What just happened in San Francisco politics?
A guest post by Armand Domalewski
9 months ago
A guest post by Armand Domalewski
Rest of World -...
Desperate taxi drivers in Argentina are finally joining Uber
Amid the country’s economic turmoil, thousands of cabbies turn to the Uber Taxi function to make...
a year ago
Amid the country’s economic turmoil, thousands of cabbies turn to the Uber Taxi function to make ends meet.
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.
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”.
Steve Blank
The Three Pillars of World-class Corporate Innovation
My good friend Alexander Osterwalder, the inventor of the business model canvas (one of foundations...
over a year ago
My good friend Alexander Osterwalder, the inventor of the business model canvas (one of foundations of the Lean Methodology) has written a playbook (along with his associate partner Tendayi Viki,) From Innovation Theater to Growth Engine to explain how to build and implement...
Tech + Economics +...
A requiem for Tumblr.
Automattic's recent announcement that Tumblr is being put into maintenance
mode feels like the end...
a year ago
Automattic's recent announcement that Tumblr is being put into maintenance
mode feels like the end of a personal era. Tumblr wasn't just another
social network; it was a cultural phenomenon, a haven for the eclectic and
the expressive, where the internet's fringes found a...
AVC
Etsy Lens
I am the Chair of the Etsy Board and have been an investor and board member at Etsy since the...
a year ago
I am the Chair of the Etsy Board and have been an investor and board member at Etsy since the mid-2000s. It is a company that I love and get great joy from being part of. Last year Etsy quietly launched a feature that has completely changed the way I use Etsy. It is called […]
Rest of World -...
India’s persistent, gendered digital divide
As the government moves towards gender parity, India’s glaring digital gap is an extension of all...
a year ago
As the government moves towards gender parity, India’s glaring digital gap is an extension of all the biases women contend with.
Noahpinion
A pivotal moment for Japan's national defense
A guest post by Jonathan Grady
7 months ago
A guest post by Jonathan Grady
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Who will control the software that powers the Internet?
Originally published by Wired. As the internet has evolved over its 35-year lifespan, control over...
over a year ago
Originally published by Wired. As the internet has evolved over its 35-year lifespan, control over its most important services has gradually…
Paul Graham: Essays
Why Arc Isn't Especially Object-Oriented
over a year ago
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.
Tech + Economics +...
The patriarchy is a modern invention, not the natural order.
The "patriarchy", a male-dominated social order with entrenched hierarchies
giving power and...
11 months ago
The "patriarchy", a male-dominated social order with entrenched hierarchies
giving power and authority to men over women, is pitched by masculinity
influencers and pop social scientists as humanity's natural state. They
argue patriarchy represents the primal hard-wiring of...
Articles - Alex...
What’s the big idea?
To make a big impact, we need a big idea. In brand communications, coveting
the ‘big idea’ is...
over a year ago
To make a big impact, we need a big idea. In brand communications, coveting
the ‘big idea’ is commonplace. We look for them. Long for them. Laud them
and lionise them. And yet, despite its ubiquitous use, the ‘big idea’
remains incredibly ill-defined. This article is an...
Noahpinion
The perverse incentives of euthanasia
Suggesting that people die is not a good way of saving taxpayer money.
8 months ago
Suggesting that people die is not a good way of saving taxpayer money.
Aaron's Essays
Avoiding Errors in Demo Day Fundraising
I’ll be addressing the topic below along with Alfred Lin from Sequoia and Ilya Sukhar from Matrix on...
a year ago
I’ll be addressing the topic below along with Alfred Lin from Sequoia and Ilya Sukhar from Matrix on 3/24: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qgghYDq4QxCiW9REOOrbmw
It would be challenging to name all the fundraising mistakes that founders make during the many demo days...
Stephen Diehl
Exotic Programming Ideas: Part 1 (Module Systems)
over a year ago
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Rabbit Holed
Thank you to Emily Shepherd for her hard work reporting parts of this story, as well as her...
7 months ago
Thank you to Emily Shepherd for her hard work reporting parts of this story, as well as her assistance clarifying details related to GAMA and finding company documents related to Rabbit and Cyber Manufacture.
In November 2021, a company called Cyber Manufacture Co raised $6...
42!
Optimising bank working hours
Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash
This is probably an out of date concept these days, however if...
over a year ago
Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash
This is probably an out of date concept these days, however if you ever ran a traditional business back in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s as I did, one of the most frustrating things ever was trying to get my banking done over the counter.
Almost...
Internal Tech Emails
Bill Gates: "The quality is giving us a bad name"
I don’t know how unique I am but my experience in clicking on streaming media stuff and seeing if it...
8 months ago
I don’t know how unique I am but my experience in clicking on streaming media stuff and seeing if it works is still less than 50%.
Unpacked
Y Combinator W23 batch, AI value chain and startup trends
YCombinator (YC), the renowned Silicon Valley-based startup accelerator, recently announced their...
a year ago
YCombinator (YC), the renowned Silicon Valley-based startup accelerator, recently announced their Winter 2023 cohort and, unsurprisingly, ~31% of startups have a self-reported AI tag.
Noahpinion
Is immigration raising rents in America?
No, but in a few big cities it might be.
a year ago
No, but in a few big cities it might be.
Working Theorys
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.
Business Brainstorms
API for simple manual online tasks, pickleball for surfing, freelancer laptop stickers, ...
Hey, this is Jakob Greenfeld, author of the Business Brainstorms newsletter - every week I write...
a year ago
Hey, this is Jakob Greenfeld, author of the Business Brainstorms newsletter - every week I write this email to share the most interesting trends, frameworks, opportunities, and ideas with you. Let's dive in! 💡 Opportunities “I want an AI companion that I can share my goals with...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Proprietary services vs open protocols
over a year ago
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
Noahpinion
Four years of Noahpinion
What happened to the world in 2024, and what I wrote about it
4 weeks ago
What happened to the world in 2024, and what I wrote about it
Rest of World -...
Domestic work in Vietnam: The 5-star butler who naps on the steps
She cooks, cleans, and has a key. But she also naps in stairwells and eats in hallways.
a year ago
She cooks, cleans, and has a key. But she also naps in stairwells and eats in hallways.
David Perell
Saving the Liberal Arts
We start with their history by returning to the origins of Western thought. We argue that splitting...
over a year ago
We start with their history by returning to the origins of Western thought. We argue that splitting education into two halves — Professional and Civilized — is the only way to think about education clearly. We then outline the evolution of the Liberal Arts, from the ancients to...
tomcritchlow.com
Notes on Search and AI
What to say about the future of AI and search?
10 months ago
What to say about the future of AI and search?
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...
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.
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.
Noahpinion
The Big Tariffs are here
Biden just slapped a 100% tax on Chinese car imports. Here's what that will and won't accomplish.
7 months ago
Biden just slapped a 100% tax on Chinese car imports. Here's what that will and won't accomplish.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Ideal first round funding terms
My last 2 posts were about things to avoid, so I thought it might be helpful to follow up with...
over a year ago
My last 2 posts were about things to avoid, so I thought it might be helpful to follow up with something more positive. Having been part of…
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…
Platformer
The regulators come for OpenAI
From data privacy to defamation, officials have questions
a year ago
From data privacy to defamation, officials have questions
David Perell
Learning to Actually Listen
I’ve been listening the wrong way my entire life — with just my ears. True listening is a...
a year ago
I’ve been listening the wrong way my entire life — with just my ears. True listening is a totalizing, full-body experience.
The post Learning to Actually Listen appeared first on David Perell.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 Andrej Karpathy announced that he’s building an AI + education company.
5 months ago
#1 💡 Andrej Karpathy announced that he’s building an AI + education company.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Come for the tool, stay for the network
A popular strategy for bootstrapping networks is what I like to call “come for the tool, stay for...
over a year ago
A popular strategy for bootstrapping networks is what I like to call “come for the tool, stay for the network.” The idea is to initially…
Stephen Diehl
Building a Better Custom Haskell Prelude
over a year ago
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 1 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Rest of World -...
Clickworkers are turning against each other
Brazil’s online gig workers, who power features like social media moderation and AI training, are...
a year ago
Brazil’s online gig workers, who power features like social media moderation and AI training, are increasingly wary of newcomers.
Noahpinion
Pakistan needs a plan
The country can't go on like this. It needs stability, privatization, education, foreign investment,...
10 months ago
The country can't go on like this. It needs stability, privatization, education, foreign investment, and peace.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
CrowdStruck
Soundtrack: EL-P - Tasmanian Pain Coaster (feat. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Cedric Bixler-Zavala)
When I...
5 months ago
Soundtrack: EL-P - Tasmanian Pain Coaster (feat. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Cedric Bixler-Zavala)
When I first began writing this newsletter, I didn't really have a goal, or a "theme," or anything that could neatly characterize what I was going to write about other than that I was
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 -...
Mexico’s $100-billion auto parts industry is reinventing itself for the EV era
Behind the excitement around electrification, Mexican manufacturers are figuring out what their own...
a year ago
Behind the excitement around electrification, Mexican manufacturers are figuring out what their own transition will look like.
Rest of World -...
Chinese immigrants in the U.S. are running Temu shipping centers out of their homes
To speed up delivery and dodge a crackdown on shipments from China, e-commerce companies are turning...
a month ago
To speed up delivery and dodge a crackdown on shipments from China, e-commerce companies are turning to so-called “family warehouses.”
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Some problems are so hard they need to be solved piece by piece
Andrew Parker had a great post a few years ago where he sketched out all the startups going after...
over a year ago
Andrew Parker had a great post a few years ago where he sketched out all the startups going after pieces of Craigslist: Startups that have…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Showing up
Mark Twain famously quipped that “80 percent of life is showing up.” Running a startup, I’d say it’s...
over a year ago
Mark Twain famously quipped that “80 percent of life is showing up.” Running a startup, I’d say it’s more like 90 percent. For example, I…
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
New York City needs a tech startup blog
At first it seemed like Silicon Alley Insider would be this, but they seem to have moved away from...
over a year ago
At first it seemed like Silicon Alley Insider would be this, but they seem to have moved away from covering NYC startups. The New York Times…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Owning equity in your company should be as common as owning equity in your home
What belongs in common to the most people is accorded the least care: they take thought for their...
over a year ago
What belongs in common to the most people is accorded the least care: they take thought for their own things above all, and less about…
Noahpinion
No, you are not on Indigenous land
Pieces of territory belong to institutions, not to racial groups.
3 weeks ago
Pieces of territory belong to institutions, not to racial groups.
Rest of World -...
The apps were designed for home security. They’re being used to watch and harass domestic workers
Tiger Global-backed MyGate and Google-backed NoBrokerHood are digitizing social biases.
a year ago
Tiger Global-backed MyGate and Google-backed NoBrokerHood are digitizing social biases.
tomcritchlow.com
What are Executive Off-Sites Good For?
A blessed Q4 be upon you. And you as well.
over a year ago
A blessed Q4 be upon you. And you as well.
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
Roberto Vitillo's...
How to conduct a system design interview
The system design interview is a great way to assess the seniority of a candidate in an interview....
over a year ago
The system design interview is a great way to assess the seniority of a candidate in an interview. You can find a lot on the Internet on how…
SatPost by Trung...
Steve Jobs, Rick Rubin and "taste"
The Apple co-founder and the super-producer share similar ideas regarding taste and creativity.
a year ago
The Apple co-founder and the super-producer share similar ideas regarding taste and creativity.
Paul Graham: Essays
Could VC be a Casualty of the Recession?
over a year ago
SatPost by Trung...
The Dorito-fication of Media
How the evolution of media created ultra-processed junk food for our mind.
a month ago
How the evolution of media created ultra-processed junk food for our mind.
Rest of World -...
Five globally successful Chinese companies you’ve never heard of
TikTok and Shein are household names, but ShareIt and Yalla aren't far behind.
a year ago
TikTok and Shein are household names, but ShareIt and Yalla aren't far behind.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
In Response To Google
Google has chosen to send a response to my article to Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable....
8 months ago
Google has chosen to send a response to my article to Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable. Here is my response.
(1) On the March 2019 core update claim in the piece: This is baseless speculation. The March 2019 core update was designed to improve the quality of our search
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 1 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
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…
Noahpinion
Why aren't we taking every Chinese refugee we can?
Let's be the City on a Hill again.
a year ago
Let's be the City on a Hill again.
Rest of World -...
Latin American startups embrace OpenAI, but at what cost?
The region’s early-stage startups get less funding than their U.S. counterparts, making AI...
a year ago
The region’s early-stage startups get less funding than their U.S. counterparts, making AI tools-for-hire an onerous new expense.
Working Theorys
3 Hours or Nothing
Musing #14 | The merits of being binary with your time
8 months ago
Musing #14 | The merits of being binary with your time
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Information is the (other) currency of venture capital
Many seasoned entrepreneurs have had the following experience. A VC eagerly wants to meet with you....
over a year ago
Many seasoned entrepreneurs have had the following experience. A VC eagerly wants to meet with you. You have what seems like a very good…
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Rot Economics - An Interview With MIT's Daron Acemoglu
Want to listen to this interview instead? Download the latest episode of Better Offline! You can...
5 months ago
Want to listen to this interview instead? Download the latest episode of Better Offline! You can listen to it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you can insert an RSS feed.
Last week, I had the privilege of interviewing Daron Acemoglu — one of the world’s most
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"The Not So Global Internet"
Fred Wilson writes about how frustrating it is when companies break the internet: We are in the...
over a year ago
Fred Wilson writes about how frustrating it is when companies break the internet: We are in the caribbean this week celebrating the year end…
Internal Tech Emails
Tim Cook's notes | Steve Jobs emails himself
We made a fundamental error with the launch. Normal fan base focused on iPhone XS/XS Max. Momentum...
over a year ago
We made a fundamental error with the launch. Normal fan base focused on iPhone XS/XS Max. Momentum from event wasn’t sustained. Didn’t need to be last year but in retrospect we should have done more to keep the buzz going.
Essays - Benedict...
Netflix, Shein and MrBeast
What does Netflix have in common with Shein, and why is MrBeast more
interesting than Disney Plus?
a year ago
What does Netflix have in common with Shein, and why is MrBeast more
interesting than Disney Plus?
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The “thin edge of the wedge” strategy
Establishing relationships with new users is the hardest part of growing a startup. For consumer...
over a year ago
Establishing relationships with new users is the hardest part of growing a startup. For consumer products establishing relationships can…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Recruiting programmers to your startup
Here are some things I’ve learned over the years about recruiting programmers* to startups. This is...
over a year ago
Here are some things I’ve learned over the years about recruiting programmers* to startups. This is a big topic: many of the points I make…
Rest of World -...
A coupon-crazy Brazilian app figured out how to beat Uber Eats
Out-discounting competitors: iFood’s bid to become Latin America's last-mile delivery king.
a year ago
Out-discounting competitors: iFood’s bid to become Latin America's last-mile delivery king.
Noahpinion
Let's evaluate Kamala Harris' entire economic policy program!
Fun!!
2 months ago
Rest of World -...
How InstaDeep became Africa’s biggest AI startup success
Karim Beguir is the co-founder and CEO of InstaDeep, a Tunisian startup that was acquired for $682...
3 months ago
Karim Beguir is the co-founder and CEO of InstaDeep, a Tunisian startup that was acquired for $682 million by BioNTech.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
“If you asked people in 1989 what they needed to make their life better, it was unlikely that they…
“If you asked people in 1989 what they needed to make their life better, it was unlikely that they...
over a year ago
“If you asked people in 1989 what they needed to make their life better, it was unlikely that they would have said a decentralized network…
Rest of World -...
Fake Russian influencers are going viral on Chinese social media
They are bolstered by growing pro-Russia, nationalist sentiment on the Chinese internet.
a year ago
They are bolstered by growing pro-Russia, nationalist sentiment on the Chinese internet.
SatPost by Trung...
Best of SatPost (First Half of 2024)
PLUS: Solar Industry, LVMH Real Estate, Delta Airlines is Winning.
5 months ago
PLUS: Solar Industry, LVMH Real Estate, Delta Airlines is Winning.
Platformer
Yes, Elon Musk created a special system for showing you all his tweets first
After his Super Bowl tweet did worse numbers than President Biden’s, Twitter’s CEO ordered major...
a year ago
After his Super Bowl tweet did worse numbers than President Biden’s, Twitter’s CEO ordered major changes to the algorithm
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.
Internal Tech Emails
Travis Kalanick on self-driving | SBF and the Bahamas
Basically got to keep bezos, cook, musk, zuck, page on our minds
over a year ago
Basically got to keep bezos, cook, musk, zuck, page on our minds
Aaron's Essays
When to Shut Down Your Company
I originally wrote this essay four years ago and published it over at YC's blog at the time. A...
over a year ago
I originally wrote this essay four years ago and published it over at YC's blog at the time. A number of recent conversations I've had with founders made me realize that the framework below remains useful. As the market continues through its downswing, more founders will face...
Unpacked
The EU's war on behavioral advertising
Meta recently conceded that in-app behavioral advertising in the EU can no longer be opt-in by...
a year ago
Meta recently conceded that in-app behavioral advertising in the EU can no longer be opt-in by default, marking the end of an era. The regulators won, at least for now.
Platformer
Why you can't trust Twitter's encrypted DMs
A promised audit hasn't actually happened, sources say. PLUS: Twitter's Turkey problem, and a new...
a year ago
A promised audit hasn't actually happened, sources say. PLUS: Twitter's Turkey problem, and a new CEO
Noahpinion
Is it time for the Revenge of the Normies?
An optimistic take on technology and inequality.
a year ago
An optimistic take on technology and inequality.
Nothing Human
Against Positive-Sum Thinking
why conflict is necessary
a year ago
why conflict is necessary
Rest of World -...
Rebel or sellout? How Nigeria’s startup darling became tech minister
Bosun Tijani was a rock star in the Nigerian startup scene, but his transition to government has...
11 months ago
Bosun Tijani was a rock star in the Nigerian startup scene, but his transition to government has been controversial.
Rest of World -...
Building an app that uses AI to interpret dreams
Pandemic isolation inspired Coco Chen to work on the spiritual health platform Dreamore.
a year ago
Pandemic isolation inspired Coco Chen to work on the spiritual health platform Dreamore.
Steve Blank
Security Clearances at the Speed of Startups
Imagine you got a job offer from a company but weren’t allowed to start work – or get paid – for...
4 months ago
Imagine you got a job offer from a company but weren’t allowed to start work – or get paid – for almost a year. And if you can’t pass a security clearance your offer is rescinded. Or you get offered an internship but can’t work on the most interesting part of the project. Sounds...
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...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
If you asked people in 1989...
"If you asked people in 1989 what they needed to make their life better, it was unlikely that they...
over a year ago
"If you asked people in 1989 what they needed to make their life better, it was unlikely that they would have said that a decentralized…
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...
Rest of World -...
TikTokers are documenting — and monetizing — anti-government protests in Kenya
At least 23 people have reportedly been killed as crowds oppose proposed tax increases.
a year ago
At least 23 people have reportedly been killed as crowds oppose proposed tax increases.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 “When I've worked for organizations without QA teams, I introduce the concept of "sniff...
a year ago
#1 💡 “When I've worked for organizations without QA teams, I introduce the concept of "sniff tests". This is a short (typically 1 hour) test session where anybody in the company / department is encouraged to come and bash on the new feature. The feature is supposed to be...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Dividing equity between founders
A friend asked me recently if I knew of any good guidelines for dividing up equity between founders,...
over a year ago
A friend asked me recently if I knew of any good guidelines for dividing up equity between founders, and specifically what to do in the case…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The new economy
According to the Business Insider, Facebook is “‘Beating The S— Out Of Its Numbers’ Thanks To...
over a year ago
According to the Business Insider, Facebook is “‘Beating The S— Out Of Its Numbers’ Thanks To Zynga’s Virtual Goods.” I wanted to try to…
Noahpinion
No, NEPA really is a problem for clean energy
A guest post by Aidan Mackenzie and Santi Ruiz
a year ago
A guest post by Aidan Mackenzie and Santi Ruiz
Rest of World -...
Apple and Foxconn lobbied India to relax its labor laws. Unions are fighting back
The business-friendly change extends factory shifts from nine to 12 hours, and allows women to work...
a year ago
The business-friendly change extends factory shifts from nine to 12 hours, and allows women to work overnight.
Noahpinion
Great news about American wealth
Regular Americans are getting richer.
a year ago
Regular Americans are getting richer.
Tom Blomfield
What is “founder mode”?
We held a YC event a couple of months ago where Brian Chesky from Airbnb gave a passionate talk...
2 months ago
We held a YC event a couple of months ago where Brian Chesky from Airbnb gave a passionate talk about his experience running Airbnb over the last 17 years. He believed that as Airbnb hired more professional managers, he lost a close connection with the details of the end product...
Tom Blomfield
Startup Series Part 3: You make what you measure
Merely measuring something has an uncanny tendency to improve it. If you want to make your user...
over a year ago
Merely measuring something has an uncanny tendency to improve it. If you want to make your user numbers go up, put a big piece of paper on your wall and every day plot the number of users. You’ll be delighted when it goes up and disappointed when it goes down. Pretty soon you’ll...
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.
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.
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#39)
Modi's third term; Biden and the border; good news on climate; nonprofits being bad; interest rates...
6 months ago
Modi's third term; Biden and the border; good news on climate; nonprofits being bad; interest rates and austerity
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The only college major that matters
If you want to work in venture capital focusing on internet/software companies, or start one of...
over a year ago
If you want to work in venture capital focusing on internet/software companies, or start one of those companies, or work as an employee in…
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.
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...
tomcritchlow.com
How do You Cultivate Customer-Centric Executives?
summary
The answer is that the most successful companies have a key executive who is...
9 months ago
summary
The answer is that the most successful companies have a key executive who is customer-centric - someone who has a rich mental model for what customers want and is able to step into the customer's shoes.
I theorize that beyond a culture of being customer-centric it's the...
AVC
Coding Again
It has been many years since I’ve written code. I’ve hacked around in HTML and CSS a bit on this...
a year ago
It has been many years since I’ve written code. I’ve hacked around in HTML and CSS a bit on this blog and a few other places. But I have not actually written an application in a very long time. I think it might be thirty years since I’ve done any real programming. Over the...
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 -...
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.
Rest of World -...
Nigeria’s currency devaluation is a disaster for startups
“So many businesses will die. It’s not a matter of if but when.”
a year ago
“So many businesses will die. It’s not a matter of if but when.”
Blog posts of...
The Founder’s Lie About Comfort Zones
There is a lot of talk going on about the endurance and struggle that startup founders go through....
over a year ago
There is a lot of talk going on about the endurance and struggle that startup founders go through. How long the hours are, we all...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The next twenty years are going to make this last twenty years just pale
If we were sent back with a time machine, even 20 years, and reported to people what we have right...
over a year ago
If we were sent back with a time machine, even 20 years, and reported to people what we have right now and describe what we were going to…
Noahpinion
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.
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 -...
YouTube is the final place to watch unbiased news in India. Can it last?
As Modi’s government clamps down on the free press, top journalists are forging their own channels...
a year ago
As Modi’s government clamps down on the free press, top journalists are forging their own channels to report unbiased news — for now.
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.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
Hey, this is Jakob Greenfeld, author of the Business Brainstorms newsletter - every week I write...
a year ago
Hey, this is Jakob Greenfeld, author of the Business Brainstorms newsletter - every week I write this email to share the most interesting trends, frameworks, opportunities, and ideas with you. Let's dive in! #1 💡 It's cool that smartphones have become all-in-one devices. But at...
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…
Rest of World -...
After Mexico’s top streamer — the president — left office, YouTube creators hustle for views
A slew of content creators built small social media empires off Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose...
3 days ago
A slew of content creators built small social media empires off Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose term ended in October.
Internal Tech Emails
Steve Jobs: The more dependent Google is on Apple, the better
Actually, the more energy they devote to iPhone, the better. And the more dependent they are on our...
over a year ago
Actually, the more energy they devote to iPhone, the better. And the more dependent they are on our choices, the better.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
What jobs are users hiring your product to perform?
One of Clay Christensen’s favorite concepts is that instead of dividing your customers into segments...
over a year ago
One of Clay Christensen’s favorite concepts is that instead of dividing your customers into segments and asking which features each segment…
Rest of World -...
Bolt’s drive-to-win insurance scheme is putting drivers’ lives at risk
Many drivers who attempted to win health care said they’ve become ill while doing so — and still...
6 months ago
Many drivers who attempted to win health care said they’ve become ill while doing so — and still can’t afford treatment.
Noahpinion
Trump just rug-pulled the China hawks on TikTok
The CCP and its allies have bought themselves a new champion.
9 months ago
The CCP and its allies have bought themselves a new champion.
Folklore.org:...
What Hath Woz Wrought
The first product I developed for Apple
a year ago
The first product I developed for Apple
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Security through diversity
Someone asked me the other day whether I thought the United States was vulnerable to a large scale...
over a year ago
Someone asked me the other day whether I thought the United States was vulnerable to a large scale “cyber” attack. While I have no doubt…
Noahpinion
The reverse OPEC maneuver
Pricing power in the oil industry is shifting, and will shift more.
a year ago
Pricing power in the oil industry is shifting, and will shift more.
AVC
Art On The Wall
I’ve written about this topic a bunch over the years. It is something I’ve been interested in for...
a year ago
I’ve written about this topic a bunch over the years. It is something I’ve been interested in for quite a while. Our homes are filled with big hunks of plastic hanging on the wall that are off most of the time. They look like this: Now that’s a lovely scene. Some nice plants. A...
Internal Tech Emails
"Nokia, our platform is burning"
The first iPhone shipped in 2007, and we still don't have a product that is close to their...
4 months ago
The first iPhone shipped in 2007, and we still don't have a product that is close to their experience.
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.
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...
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#44)
Poland vs. China; smartphones; basic income; the soft landing; wages and automation; software and...
5 months ago
Poland vs. China; smartphones; basic income; the soft landing; wages and automation; software and inequality; immigrant doctors
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Founder Stories
Erick Schonfeld from TechCrunch asked me a few months ago if I’d be on a TechCrunch video show where...
over a year ago
Erick Schonfeld from TechCrunch asked me a few months ago if I’d be on a TechCrunch video show where we interviewed startup founders. I love…
Paul Graham: Essays
How to Make Pittsburgh a Startup Hub
over a year ago
Platformer
Another whistleblower comes for Twitter
Is the real threat the company's "God Mode" — or its trust and safety team?
a year ago
Is the real threat the company's "God Mode" — or its trust and safety team?
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Joining a startup is far less risky than most people think
Joining a startup is far less risky than most people seem to think. In fact, I don’t know if anyone...
over a year ago
Joining a startup is far less risky than most people seem to think. In fact, I don’t know if anyone has ever studied this systematically…
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
XO Capital - Field...
v2
XO V1 concluded with 10 acquisitions and 1 "fund".
The V1 "conclusion" is really a line in the sand...
8 months ago
XO V1 concluded with 10 acquisitions and 1 "fund".
The V1 "conclusion" is really a line in the sand but it feels right as we continue to offload assets to focus on larger deals using outside capital. This will transition us into v2 which we'
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…
Essays - Benedict...
Who cares about tech regulation?
Tech regulation gets a lot of headlines, and seems like a big deal, but
most people in tech don’t...
9 months ago
Tech regulation gets a lot of headlines, and seems like a big deal, but
most people in tech don’t seem to care much. It’s boring, and years away,
but more fundamentally, it really doesn’t affect what people spend their
time working on.
SatPost by Trung...
Las Vegas, F1 and the sport's long history in America
PLUS: An unexpected Netflix hit and the world's most popular artist.
a year ago
PLUS: An unexpected Netflix hit and the world's most popular artist.
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.
David Perell
The TWA Hotel
The core concepts are simple. The implementation is borderline excessive.
The post The TWA Hotel...
over a year ago
The core concepts are simple. The implementation is borderline excessive.
The post The TWA Hotel appeared first on David Perell.
Folklore.org:...
The Father Of The Macintosh
Who is the father of the Macintosh?
a year ago
Who is the father of the Macintosh?
Dustin Curtis
Apple Card disabled my iCloud, App Store, and Apple ID accounts
About ten days ago, when I went to update a few apps in the App Store on my Mac, I was met with a...
over a year ago
About ten days ago, when I went to update a few apps in the App Store on my Mac, I was met with a curious error.
The internet is filled with stories from people whose Google accounts were locked for unexplained reasons, causing them to lose all of their data, including years of...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"There's no way to tell where the border is between measurement and manipulation"
Jaron Lanier discussing whether machine learning systems like Netflix recommendations, Facebook's...
over a year ago
Jaron Lanier discussing whether machine learning systems like Netflix recommendations, Facebook's newsfeed, Google search etc are…
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 —...
Roberto Vitillo's...
The costs of microservices
An application typically starts its life as a monolith. Take a modern backend of a single-page...
over a year ago
An application typically starts its life as a monolith. Take a modern backend of a single-page Javascript application, for example - it…
Business Brainstorms
Cubicles, boring first ideas, luck surface math, and spirituality has to go somewhere
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 “Is there anything a corp can do to break out of a...
Rest of World -...
Why China still runs on Windows
And what it means for Microsoft.
6 months ago
And what it means for Microsoft.
Steve Blank
Startups that Have Employees In Offices Grow 3½ Times Faster
This article previously appeared in EIX – Entreprenuers and Innovators Exchange. Data shows that...
a year ago
This article previously appeared in EIX – Entreprenuers and Innovators Exchange. Data shows that pre-seed and seed startups with employees showing up in a physical office have 3½ times higher revenue growth than those that are solely remote. Let the discussion begin. During the...
Noahpinion
My sci-fi novel recommendations
A repost with some updates, just in time for the holidays.
12 months ago
A repost with some updates, just in time for the holidays.
Unpacked
DOJ v. Google: Case outline & arguments analysis
The DOJ is going after specific anti-competitive mechanisms, and the specifics of Google's onerous...
a year ago
The DOJ is going after specific anti-competitive mechanisms, and the specifics of Google's onerous Android deals might be the smoking gun
Noahpinion
EVs are just going to win
Because they're a superior technology, and superior technologies win.
2 months ago
Because they're a superior technology, and superior technologies win.
Rest of World -...
You messaged your doctor on WhatsApp. Should that be billed?
Medical practitioners in Latin America say WhatsApp can be a lifesaving tool — and a costly time...
a year ago
Medical practitioners in Latin America say WhatsApp can be a lifesaving tool — and a costly time sink.
Working Theorys
Word Association Fame
The new attention playbooks will be full of old plays.
9 months ago
The new attention playbooks will be full of old plays.
Rest of World -...
China’s AI boom depends on an army of exploited student interns
As part of China’s digital underclass, vocational school students work as data annotators – for low...
a year ago
As part of China’s digital underclass, vocational school students work as data annotators – for low pay and little future prospects.
Paul Graham: Essays
How to Be an Expert in a Changing World
over a year ago
Paul Graham: Essays
How to Present to Investors
over a year ago
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…
Steve Blank
The Secret History of Polaroid CEO Edwin Land – part 1
The connections between the world of national security and commercial companies still has surprises....
7 months ago
The connections between the world of national security and commercial companies still has surprises. December 1976 – Vandenberg Air Force Base, U.S. military space port on the coast of California As a Titan IIID rocket blasted off, it carried a spacecraft on top that would change...
SatPost by Trung...
Gathering seeds
My most popular posts and tweets for 1H 2023.
a year ago
My most popular posts and tweets for 1H 2023.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 It’s an easy trap to start making excuses when sales velocity is slow. It’s almost always a...
8 months ago
#1 💡 It’s an easy trap to start making excuses when sales velocity is slow. It’s almost always a symptom of a fundamental issue, not an unchangeable feature of the system. The one things missing from the growth model described here is prompts. In Brian Fogg’s model: B = MAP,...
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
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The idea maze
The pop culture view of startups is that they’re all about coming up with a great product idea....
over a year ago
The pop culture view of startups is that they’re all about coming up with a great product idea. After the eureka moment, the outcome is…
Noahpinion
Why it's so hard to fix the information ecosystem
Misinformation is a job; correcting misinformation is a hobby.
a year ago
Misinformation is a job; correcting misinformation is a hobby.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Two eras of the internet: pull and push
The evolution of the internet is an extremely complex topic. Sometimes it is helpful to find broad...
over a year ago
The evolution of the internet is an extremely complex topic. Sometimes it is helpful to find broad patterns that make it easier to…
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.
Stephen Diehl
Haskell for Web Developers
over a year ago
Tom Blomfield
Automating Customer Service at a Startup
Customer service can make or break a company; it has been one of the key differentiators as a new...
over a year ago
Customer service can make or break a company; it has been one of the key differentiators as a new generation of startups seeks to compete against incumbents. While people remember examples of awesome customer service, the opposite is also true.
At GoCardless, we decided early on...
Steve Blank
Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition – Wrap Up
This article first appeared in West Point’s Modern War Institute. We just had our final session of...
over a year ago
This article first appeared in West Point’s Modern War Institute. We just had our final session of our Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition class. Joe Felter, Raj Shah and I designed the class to give our students insights on how commercial technology (AI, machine...
AVC
What Does “Native” Mean
When a new technology comes to market, we often look for “native” applications of that technology....
a year ago
When a new technology comes to market, we often look for “native” applications of that technology. What is a “native” AI application? What is a “native” Web3 application? I have not seen a better articulation of “native” than my partner Albert’s post from 2009 on native mobile...
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 2 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Rest of World -...
Philippine chipmakers are embracing automation — and leaving low-skilled workers behind
Hundreds of workers at the Philippine unit of Nexperia threatened to go on strike over layoff fears,...
2 months ago
Hundreds of workers at the Philippine unit of Nexperia threatened to go on strike over layoff fears, a sign of growing discontent over automation in the industry.
AVC
What Will Happen In 2024
As we enter 2024, the capital markets have found their footing and are moving higher. The Fed has...
11 months ago
As we enter 2024, the capital markets have found their footing and are moving higher. The Fed has taken interest rates as far as they want at this time and inflation has come down. It seems that a “soft landing” is likely. That is good news for the innovation economy because...
Rest of World -...
The TikTok ban is bigger than just ByteDance
The U.S. clampdown on Chinese-owned companies won't end here.
8 months ago
The U.S. clampdown on Chinese-owned companies won't end here.
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.
Business Brainstorms
Never launch, AI as an anti-signal, slow news, zero shame in pulling the plug.
Hey, this is Jakob Greenfeld, author of the Business Brainstorms newsletter - every week I write...
a year ago
Hey, this is Jakob Greenfeld, author of the Business Brainstorms newsletter - every week I write this email to share the most interesting trends, frameworks, opportunities, and ideas with you. Let's dive in! 💡 Opportunities “Billing for software is broken. Stripe is REALLY good...
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".
Noahpinion
Asia is much more important to U.S. interests than the Middle East
We need to prioritize, and our priorities should be clear.
a year ago
We need to prioritize, and our priorities should be clear.
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
“It is the human friction that makes the sparks”
From Jonah Lehrer, Brainstorming Doesn’t Really Work (via Stowe Boyd): Building 20 [a scene of...
over a year ago
From Jonah Lehrer, Brainstorming Doesn’t Really Work (via Stowe Boyd): Building 20 [a scene of incredible innovation at MIT] and…
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?
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The experience economy
Before World War 2, the middle-class in the developed world struggled to afford basic needs. In the...
over a year ago
Before World War 2, the middle-class in the developed world struggled to afford basic needs. In the post-war boom, standards of living rose…
Rest of World -...
Ultra-cheap meals from China’s delivery giant are hugely popular. Drivers are bearing the costs
Meituan’s group order program boomed amid China’s post-Covid-19 thrift economy, but delivery drivers...
6 months ago
Meituan’s group order program boomed amid China’s post-Covid-19 thrift economy, but delivery drivers say they’re working longer for less pay.
Tom Blomfield
Customer churn can kill your startup
Startups are about growth, and of all the different possible metrics, startups often focus on user...
over a year ago
Startups are about growth, and of all the different possible metrics, startups often focus on user growth - if people aren’t using your new product or service in greater and greater numbers, it’s a good sign that you’re not on the right track. And, as long as your business-model...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Stack Exchange
Today we are announcing that A16z is leading a $40M investment in Stack Exchange, along with earlier...
over a year ago
Today we are announcing that A16z is leading a $40M investment in Stack Exchange, along with earlier investors USV, Bezos Expeditions, Spark…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
New York City is poised for a tech revival
One thing that was puzzling about the “web 2.0 boom” from 2003-2008 was how irrelevant the East...
over a year ago
One thing that was puzzling about the “web 2.0 boom” from 2003-2008 was how irrelevant the East Coast, and particular New York City, was…
Working Theorys
Thoughts For Sale
Mass-market intellectualism is an oxymoron, right? Ask Substack.
a month ago
Mass-market intellectualism is an oxymoron, right? Ask Substack.
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…
Data Boutique
Web Data in Emergency Situations: The MatchesFashion case
More case studies for web data
9 months ago
More case studies for web data
Rest of World -...
A horrific video sparks a national reckoning in India
The northeastern state of Manipur has plunged into violence since May as the two major ethnic groups...
a year ago
The northeastern state of Manipur has plunged into violence since May as the two major ethnic groups fight over identity, land, and influence.
Platformer
How a single engineer brought down Twitter on Monday
The high cost of cutting expenses
a year ago
The high cost of cutting expenses
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 2 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Rest of World -...
Ethiopians are struggling to keep up with the new “EV or nothing” policy
Ethiopia became the first country in the world to ban the import of gas and diesel cars. But the...
5 months ago
Ethiopia became the first country in the world to ban the import of gas and diesel cars. But the country has only around 50 charging stations.
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…
David Perell
Beer Mode and Coffee Mode
Creatives have two ways of working: beer mode and coffee mode. Beer mode is a state of unfocused...
over a year ago
Creatives have two ways of working: beer mode and coffee mode. Beer mode is a state of unfocused play where you discover new ideas. In contrast, coffee mode is a state of focus where you work towards a specific outcome. The problem with traditional productivity advice is that...
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,”
...
Rest of World -...
Mexico City has an earthquake alarm system. Millions trust an app more
SkyAlert users turn their phones into personal quake monitors rather than rely on the government’s...
a year ago
SkyAlert users turn their phones into personal quake monitors rather than rely on the government’s loudspeakers.
Devmoh
Programming transforms your brain. Here's how.
Knowing how to program has a multitude of positive effects on the brain.
a year ago
Knowing how to program has a multitude of positive effects on the brain.
The Thinking Cap
Don't Major in Computer Science
Or put less provocatively: college students should probably explore more than they currently do
a year ago
Or put less provocatively: college students should probably explore more than they currently do
Rest of World -...
19 books to read in 2023
Rest of World's staff favorites, from around the globe to add to your must-read pile.
a year ago
Rest of World's staff favorites, from around the globe to add to your must-read pile.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Inside-out vs. outside-in: the adoption of new technologies
There are broadly two adoption paths for new computing technologies: inside-out and outside-in....
over a year ago
There are broadly two adoption paths for new computing technologies: inside-out and outside-in. Inside-out technologies are pioneered by…
Steve Blank
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning– Explained
Artificial Intelligence is a once-in-a lifetime commercial and defense game changer (download a PDF...
over a year ago
Artificial Intelligence is a once-in-a lifetime commercial and defense game changer (download a PDF of this article here) Hundreds of billions in public and private capital is being invested in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning companies. The number of patents...
Noahpinion
Four reasons not to vote for Trump, and four reasons to vote for Harris
Summing up my thoughts on the 2024 election.
a month ago
Summing up my thoughts on the 2024 election.
Data Boutique
Web Scraping Legal Context
As the need for data grows, so does the need for clearer regulation
a year ago
As the need for data grows, so does the need for clearer regulation
Platformer
How TikTok failed to make the case for itself
After a rocky appearance before Congress, the company has reason to reflect
a year ago
After a rocky appearance before Congress, the company has reason to reflect
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Why seed investors don’t like convertible notes
A popular option in seed round financing is a convertible note instead of setting a valuation in an...
over a year ago
A popular option in seed round financing is a convertible note instead of setting a valuation in an equity financing. A convertible note is…
Rest of World -...
Turn it up: Rest of World’s 2023 global party playlist
Impress your friends by queuing up these chart-topping pop songs from the countries we cover.
a year ago
Impress your friends by queuing up these chart-topping pop songs from the countries we cover.
Internal Tech Emails
Bill Gates tries to install Movie Maker
I am quite disappointed at how Windows Usability has been going backwards and the program management...
a year ago
I am quite disappointed at how Windows Usability has been going backwards and the program management groups don't drive usability issues.
Tech + Economics +...
Samsung Galaxy S24 Unpacked Event Set for Jan. 17
PCMag.com:
The company says it will show off "the newest additions to the Galaxy
mobile...
11 months ago
PCMag.com:
The company says it will show off "the newest additions to the Galaxy
mobile device portfolio." In its teaser video, the company goes a step
further and explicitly states that "Galaxy AI is coming," so get ready
for some form of on-device,...
Noahpinion
Industrial policy doesn't have to succeed right away
Progressive approaches need to fail before they can change.
a year ago
Progressive approaches need to fail before they can change.
David Perell
How Should You Write?
There are two ways to write: The Printer Method and the Pixel Method. With the Printer Method, you...
over a year ago
There are two ways to write: The Printer Method and the Pixel Method. With the Printer Method, you write and rewrite every sentence until it’s perfect. Nail the first sentence, then the second, and so on. Perfection is the name of the game so you don’t advance to a new sentence...
Rest of World -...
Shein and MercadoLibre are fighting over vendors in Brazil’s largest garment market
After the pandemic pushed Brazilian manufacturers and store owners to digitize their businesses,...
8 months ago
After the pandemic pushed Brazilian manufacturers and store owners to digitize their businesses, e-commerce platforms began pulling out all the stops to lure vendors.
Inverted Passion
Notes from the book “Magic Words”
Just finished reading Magic Words by Jonah Berger and my notes follow. 1/ Most of us spend a...
a year ago
Just finished reading Magic Words by Jonah Berger and my notes follow. 1/ Most of us spend a significant amount of time in assembling the thoughts we want to convey, but assume the words to convey them as a given. 2/ This book – written by a professor of business – takes the view...
Rest of World -...
Uber Eats drivers in South Africa are unionizing
Citing meager wages, no safety gear, and exploitative working conditions, the country’s drivers are...
a year ago
Citing meager wages, no safety gear, and exploitative working conditions, the country’s drivers are organizing to demand better.
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
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)
Internal Tech Emails
"I just need to decide if we're going to buy Instagram"
We have this big issue right now because gaming is shifting from us to mobile platforms.
a year ago
We have this big issue right now because gaming is shifting from us to mobile platforms.
Paul Graham: Essays
What I've Learned from Hacker News
over a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
I wrote a book: Read Write Own
I wrote a book: Read Write Own I believe blockchains and the software movement around them –...
a year ago
I wrote a book: Read Write Own I believe blockchains and the software movement around them – typically called crypto or web3 – provide the…
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…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Some thoughts on startup crowdfunding
Like a lot of people, I’m excited about crowdfunding, and specifically the crowdfunding of startups...
over a year ago
Like a lot of people, I’m excited about crowdfunding, and specifically the crowdfunding of startups now that’s it’s legal in the US. Based…
Rest of World -...
Nigeria’s Ogun State wants to lead the country’s EV revolution
But experts fear long-term success may not follow as Nigeria lags other African countries when it...
a month ago
But experts fear long-term success may not follow as Nigeria lags other African countries when it comes to EV adoption.
Tech + Economics +...
Breaking up with Slack and Discord: why it's time to bring back forums.
When I first found my people online, forums were the main way people
gathered to discuss shared...
11 months ago
When I first found my people online, forums were the main way people
gathered to discuss shared interests. Web-based bulletin boards allowed
members to have ongoing, asynchronous conversations over days or weeks as
participants logged in to read and respond on their own...
Paul Graham: Essays
Where to See Silicon Valley
over a year ago
Tech + Economics +...
Dear Blackbird. Women in tech are not “corporate girlies.”
Capital Brief: Blackbird-backed Kiki outlined plan to target 'corporate
girlies' in December...
11 months ago
Capital Brief: Blackbird-backed Kiki outlined plan to target 'corporate
girlies' in December investor memo
Blackbird-backed subletting startup Kiki wrote to investors on
Christmas Eve to tell them that it was struggling and would pivot to
target the “super...
Noahpinion
How Paul Krugman changed the public face of economics
He's a great economist, but he also changed how we talk about the subject.
a week ago
He's a great economist, but he also changed how we talk about the subject.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
What’s the right amount of seed money to raise?
Short answer: enough to get your startup to an accretive milestone plus some fudge factor....
over a year ago
Short answer: enough to get your startup to an accretive milestone plus some fudge factor. “Accretive milestone” is a fancy way of saying…
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?
Nothing Human
Prayer over a new smartphone
Hello, phone. For many years, starting today, you will be my most loyal companion and my most...
a year ago
Hello, phone. For many years, starting today, you will be my most loyal companion and my most treasured possession. I will feel your weight in my pocket every moment of every day, a presence as constant as my breath. The muscles and bones of my hand, arm, and shoulder will deform...
Internal Tech Emails
Google and AI | Elon Musk on Tesla comp
Such a deep ML system could well be developed outside of Google-- at Microsoft, Baidu, Yandex,...
10 months ago
Such a deep ML system could well be developed outside of Google-- at Microsoft, Baidu, Yandex, Amazon, Apple, or even a startup.
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,...
Inverted Passion
Notes from the book “Decoding the Why”
Finished (well, skimmed) the book “Decoding the Why: How Behavioral Science is Driving the Next...
a year ago
Finished (well, skimmed) the book “Decoding the Why: How Behavioral Science is Driving the Next Generation of Product Design”. It’s a decent introductory book if you have not delved into behavioral science before, but if you have, most of the ideas in the book won’t come across...
Rest of World -...
Online extremism linked to rise in school shootings in Brazil, researchers find
After a rise in shootings, an all-woman group is advising the new Brazilian government on how to...
a year ago
After a rise in shootings, an all-woman group is advising the new Brazilian government on how to deal with radicalization online.
Rest of World -...
Xiaohongshu has revolutionized Chinese tourism in Southeast Asia
The lifestyle and social media platform, often compared to Instagram, is turning obscure sites into...
2 months ago
The lifestyle and social media platform, often compared to Instagram, is turning obscure sites into must-see attractions.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Requiem for Raghavan
Last week, Prabhakar Raghavan was relieved of duty as Senior Vice President of Search, becoming...
2 months ago
Last week, Prabhakar Raghavan was relieved of duty as Senior Vice President of Search, becoming Google's "Chief Technologist."
An important rule to follow with somebody's title in Silicon Valley is that if you can't tell what it means, it probably doesn&
Rest of World -...
The end of anonymity on Chinese social media
Forced to use real names on platforms like Weibo, Chinese influencers quit social media instead.
a year ago
Forced to use real names on platforms like Weibo, Chinese influencers quit social media instead.
Noahpinion
The elemental foe
Lifting humanity out of poverty is Job #1.
5 months ago
Lifting humanity out of poverty is Job #1.
Rest of World -...
What we learned from reporting on global tech this year
Rest of World contributors from Dhaka to Buenos Aires share their highlights, low points, and key...
2 weeks ago
Rest of World contributors from Dhaka to Buenos Aires share their highlights, low points, and key takeaways from covering technology in 2024.
Noahpinion
People's Park and the Great American Infill
After the 1970s, we agreed to all let each other have our space. That's over.
11 months ago
After the 1970s, we agreed to all let each other have our space. That's over.
Paul Graham: Essays
Disconnecting Distraction
over a year ago
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.
Rest of World -...
Pakistan’s mass transit is failing. BusCaro thinks it has the solution
After the failure of Airlift and Swvl, this startup is stepping in to provide an alternative to...
6 days ago
After the failure of Airlift and Swvl, this startup is stepping in to provide an alternative to Pakistan’s unreliable public transport system.
Business Brainstorms
Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 The more competitive a market the more buying decisions boil down to vibes. For example, I...
10 months ago
#1 💡 The more competitive a market the more buying decisions boil down to vibes. For example, I recently started looking for an AI meeting note taking software we can use in our sales and clients calls. Fireflies, Fathom, MeetGeek, tl;dv… there are just so many of them and they...
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...