AVC
Funding Friday: Crowdfunding Restaurants Via Blackbird
It has been a long time since I did a Funding Friday here at AVC. I used to do them every Friday. We...
a year ago
It has been a long time since I did a Funding Friday here at AVC. I used to do them every Friday. We have funded a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and bakeries here over the years. Here are a few examples. L’Appartement 4F Land To Sea There is a new wrinkle in...
Ed Zitron's Where's...
The Cult of Microsoft
At the core of Microsoft, a three-trillion-dollar hardware and software company, lies a kind of...
a month ago
At the core of Microsoft, a three-trillion-dollar hardware and software company, lies a kind of social poison — an ill-defined, cult-like pseudo-scientific concept called 'The Growth Mindset" that drives company decision-making in everything from how products are sold, to how...
Rest of World -...
Malaysia’s new data centers create thousands of jobs — and worries about power and water shortages
Data centers for companies like Google, Amazon, and Nvidia are transforming Johor state, with locals...
a month ago
Data centers for companies like Google, Amazon, and Nvidia are transforming Johor state, with locals bracing for higher real estate costs and resource shortages.
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
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…
Working Theorys
Companionship Content is King | Theory No. 29
Why short-form video has a ceiling & how companionship content escapes it.
10 months ago
Why short-form video has a ceiling & how companionship content escapes it.
Rest of World -...
How to become an #Influencer in India
Many middle-class Indians aspire to be the next Kusha Kapila or Ranveer Allahbadia. But there’s a...
a year ago
Many middle-class Indians aspire to be the next Kusha Kapila or Ranveer Allahbadia. But there’s a real struggle to monetize from Instagram.
42!
Founders - Don't just build another job for yourself
I was having pre-Christmas lunch with Paul*, one of my best friends from middle school a couple of...
over a year ago
I was having pre-Christmas lunch with Paul*, one of my best friends from middle school a couple of weeks back. However, as soon as he sat down at our table and I asked him how he was, he surprisingly announced that he would be closing his business at the end of the year.
I was...
Rest of World -...
AI translation is jeopardizing Afghan asylum claims
Cost-cutting translations are introducing errors and putting refugees at risk.
a year ago
Cost-cutting translations are introducing errors and putting refugees at risk.
Business Brainstorms
Operational Minimalism, Zero shame in pulling the plug, OpenAI blog posts, ...
Welcome to another edition of Business Brainstorms - your weekly dose of invaluable insights, trends...
a year ago
Welcome to another edition of Business Brainstorms - your weekly dose of invaluable insights, trends and opportunities served up fresh from the cerebral kitchen of Jakob Greenfeld. Time to brainstorm! 💡 Opportunities “Whoever can find out how to crack the operational hurdles of...
Rest of World -...
Argentines are recruiting friends, strangers into Worldcoin’s cash-for-eyeballs scheme
With inflation and unemployment gripping the nation, a burgeoning network of intermediaries is...
7 months ago
With inflation and unemployment gripping the nation, a burgeoning network of intermediaries is convincing people to have their irises scanned at Worldcoin Orb centers.
Rest of World -...
A Ponzi scheme targets desperate workers amid Zimbabwe’s employment crisis
E-Creator offered an opportunity to earn money by writing fake reviews for e-commerce websites.
a year ago
E-Creator offered an opportunity to earn money by writing fake reviews for e-commerce websites.
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…
Working Theorys
The Prestige-Prosperity Gap
We expect prestige and wealth to grow in tandem. When status goes up, wealth goes up...
5 months ago
We expect prestige and wealth to grow in tandem. When status goes up, wealth goes up proportionately, and vice versa. But the modern world is a lot messier. There can be bizarre mismatches between prestige and prosperity. Some people have social or professional status far...
Paul Graham: Essays
Lisp for Web-Based Applications
over a year ago
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…
Stephen Diehl
Functional Programming, Abstraction, and Names
over a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
As [Edwin] Land ultimately recognized, the adoption of his [polarized headlight] system was fatally…
As Edwin Land ultimately recognized, the adoption of his polarized headlight system was fatally...
over a year ago
As Edwin Land ultimately recognized, the adoption of his polarized headlight system was fatally hampered by the fact that there was no…
Tech + Economics +...
Red state politics are too much of a headache for tech.
Is the Texas boom town of Austin losing its luster?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, investors...
a year ago
Is the Texas boom town of Austin losing its luster?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, investors and startup founders alike
flocked to the Texas capital, attracted to the lower cost of living,
“hip” lifestyle and business-friendly environment (i.e. no state income
...
Paul Graham: Essays
The Power of the Marginal
over a year ago
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
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Thales the Milesian
Like a lot of things we think are obvious today, financial options were first invented by a...
over a year ago
Like a lot of things we think are obvious today, financial options were first invented by a philosopher: There is the anecdote of Thales the…
Blog posts of...
Close your office. Now. How to operate your startup under lock-down.
What a week. The US declared the state of emergency. Many leading startups closed their office. And...
over a year ago
What a week. The US declared the state of emergency. Many leading startups closed their office. And I expect that all startups in...
David Perell
Surrendering to Your Nature
A mark of maturity is surrendering to the person you actually are instead of the one you wish you...
a year ago
A mark of maturity is surrendering to the person you actually are instead of the one you wish you were.
The post Surrendering to Your Nature appeared first on David Perell.
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”.
Dustin Curtis
Block Carefully
A couple of years ago, I posted a slight criticism of Elon Musk that led prominent venture...
2 months ago
A couple of years ago, I posted a slight criticism of Elon Musk that led prominent venture capitalist Marc Andreessen to block me. Since then, I have been unable to view his posts1, which is a shame because I valued his thoughts and opinions.
Today, X engineering announced...
Steve Blank
Be Where Your Business Is
This post previously appeared on the readwrite blog. A CEO running a B-to-B startup in needs to...
a year ago
This post previously appeared on the readwrite blog. A CEO running a B-to-B startup in needs to live in the city where their business is – or else they’ll never scale. I was having breakfast with Erin, an ex-student, just off a red-eye flight from New York. She’s built a...
Rest of World -...
Illegal wildlife trafficking thrives in Facebook groups for “animal lovers”
“It’s very easy to sell on Facebook, and very easy to earn money. Not to brag.”
a year ago
“It’s very easy to sell on Facebook, and very easy to earn money. Not to brag.”
Tech + Economics +...
TikTok is revolutionizing news consumption - by eroding context.
The metamorphosis of news consumption is undeniable. TikTok, rising from
the ashes of Vine and the...
a year ago
The metamorphosis of news consumption is undeniable. TikTok, rising from
the ashes of Vine and the gradual decline of Instagram, captivated a new
generation, becoming a primary news source for many. This seismic shift
towards snackable, viral news content brings a host of...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The downside of accelerated investment decisions
There has been a lot of talk about how early-stage valuations have risen dramatically over the past...
over a year ago
There has been a lot of talk about how early-stage valuations have risen dramatically over the past few years. Financially, this is probably…
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Godot Isn't Making it
Before we get going — please enjoy my speech from Web Summit, Why Are All Tech Products Now Shit? I...
2 weeks ago
Before we get going — please enjoy my speech from Web Summit, Why Are All Tech Products Now Shit? I didn’t write the title.
What if what we're seeing today isn't a glimpse of the future, but the new terms of the present? What
Noahpinion
Turkey, you were doing so well! (repost)
An economic success story runs off the rails.
a year ago
An economic success story runs off the rails.
Rest of World -...
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.
Inverted Passion
Why you will skim this article
Most likely, you’re going to read this sentence and hit the back button. Still here? Good, then...
a year ago
Most likely, you’re going to read this sentence and hit the back button. Still here? Good, then you’re likely to scan through a few paragraphs in this article and then give up. (Unless, you’re a long-time reader and trust that my writing is worthy of your time. More on this...
David Perell
A Divine Intuition
Under a secular mindset, intuition is all about you — your wants, needs, passions, and desires. A...
a year ago
Under a secular mindset, intuition is all about you — your wants, needs, passions, and desires. A heavenly, God-inspired intuition is different.
The post A Divine Intuition appeared first on David Perell.
Paul Graham: Essays
The Hacker's Guide to Investors
over a year ago
42!
Finding and fixing slow queries
Photo by Caspar Camille Rubin on Unsplash
I love dashboards, and I run several on my system to...
over a year ago
Photo by Caspar Camille Rubin on Unsplash
I love dashboards, and I run several on my system to monitor my HR startup in real time. I love collecting data points around subscriptions, user activity, and most importantly, server uptime and performance. Especially now that we are...
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…
Essays - Benedict...
AI and problems of scale
Generative AI means things that were always possible at a small scale now
become practical to...
7 months ago
Generative AI means things that were always possible at a small scale now
become practical to automate at a massive scale. Sometimes a change in
scale is a change in principle.
tomcritchlow.com
Working With Founders Who Have Conviction and Taste
Consulting can be easy money. Fleecing clients for cheap tricks. Clients have problems, you have...
8 months ago
Consulting can be easy money. Fleecing clients for cheap tricks. Clients have problems, you have powerpoints. It’s easy to flip a few quick slides into a chunk of cash and cackle off into the mountains.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Why does it matter that Twitter is supplanting RSS?
The other day I claimed that Twitter is supplanting RSS, and that long term that’s a bad thing....
over a year ago
The other day I claimed that Twitter is supplanting RSS, and that long term that’s a bad thing. Andrew Weissman had a very reasonable…
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 #2 💡 Tons of companies are looking to hire someone like this but no one knows how to do it...
9 months ago
#1 💡 #2 💡 Tons of companies are looking to hire someone like this but no one knows how to do it reliably. There are also tons of people who would like to work in such a role but they are hard to find as there is no generally accepted job title. Seems like a huge opportunity if...
Data Boutique
Using Historical Data: Basic Knowledge
Elements to consider when using historical data from web scraping
5 months ago
Elements to consider when using historical data from web scraping
Paul Graham: Essays
A Fundraising Survival Guide
over a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
An internet of people
Over the past few years, a bunch of web-based marketplaces have gotten popular – Etsy, Kickstarter,...
over a year ago
Over the past few years, a bunch of web-based marketplaces have gotten popular – Etsy, Kickstarter, AirBnb, to name a few. Many of these…
Rest of World -...
How a bored NYU graduate captured the absurdity of Chinese diaspora life
Meet the creator behind @dongbeicantbefuckedwith — a private meme stash turned viral Instagram...
a year ago
Meet the creator behind @dongbeicantbefuckedwith — a private meme stash turned viral Instagram account.
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.
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things: The new conservative era (#53)
Conservative poll shift; Democratic machine politics; science and politics; some good news; better...
3 weeks ago
Conservative poll shift; Democratic machine politics; science and politics; some good news; better teachers; the AI slowdown; consumer confidence
Rest of World -...
Mexican TikTokers have code words to report on narco-violence without getting banned
Creators use euphemisms and emojis to get around what they say are arbitrary moderation...
a month ago
Creators use euphemisms and emojis to get around what they say are arbitrary moderation restrictions.
Articles - Alex...
Big questions for big data
Big data is big news. Search for it and Google will return 75 million
results. That’s a different...
over a year ago
Big data is big news. Search for it and Google will return 75 million
results. That’s a different article for every 100 people on earth. There
are also 18 million videos on the topic. At 5 minutes each, it would take
170 years to watch them all. Then there’s the one million...
Rest of World -...
It’s not (just) Ticketmaster’s fault
A Mexican superstar’s concert tour proves no ticketing company’s tech is a match for fans and fraud.
a year ago
A Mexican superstar’s concert tour proves no ticketing company’s tech is a match for fans and fraud.
Tech + Economics +...
How to quit capitalism.
Let's start with something controversial: Capitalism is not an economic
system. It is a...
11 months ago
Let's start with something controversial: Capitalism is not an economic
system. It is a philosophical and ideological force that shapes our lives,
environment, and perception of humanity.
It's a behemoth that thrives on relentless growth, often at a devastating
cost....
Working Theorys
Accountability as a Service
Hey you, did you do the thing you said you would do?
7 months ago
Hey you, did you do the thing you said you would do?
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Eleven Reasons To Be Excited About The Future of Technology
“The strongest force propelling human progress has been the swift advance and wide diffusion of...
over a year ago
“The strongest force propelling human progress has been the swift advance and wide diffusion of technology.” — The Economist In the year…
Ed Zitron's Where's...
Silicon Valley's False Prophet
The tech industry has craved a messiah since the death of Steve Jobs, but in OpenAI CEO Sam Altman...
6 months ago
The tech industry has craved a messiah since the death of Steve Jobs, but in OpenAI CEO Sam Altman they’ve discovered more of a false prophet — a seedy grifter that uses his remarkable ability to impress and manipulate Silicon Valley’s elite to mask a total
Platformer
Ten strategies for replacing Twitter from people who used to work there
Announcing 'Extremely Hardcore,' Zoë Schiffer’s book on Musk’s Twitter takeover
a year ago
Announcing 'Extremely Hardcore,' Zoë Schiffer’s book on Musk’s Twitter takeover
SatPost by Trung...
LinkedIn's Social Pivot
How the 1B+ user professional network went from a cringe-inducing activity feed to a useful and less...
3 months ago
How the 1B+ user professional network went from a cringe-inducing activity feed to a useful and less cringey social feed.
Essays - Benedict...
Competing in search
A quarter century after ‘don't be evil’ a judge has found that Google is
abusing its monopoly in...
4 months ago
A quarter century after ‘don't be evil’ a judge has found that Google is
abusing its monopoly in search. But no-one knows what happens next, and
whether this ruling will change anything. Will Apple build a search engine?
Will ChatGPT change search? Does it matter?
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.
42!
Trusting third parties with our information
Photo by Sergiu Nista on Unsplash
We’ve noticed a disturbing trend here at our startup in the past...
a year ago
Photo by Sergiu Nista on Unsplash
We’ve noticed a disturbing trend here at our startup in the past 12 months or so. We’ve been growing and adding new team members, and almost without fail, almost all our new starters are getting hit with a scam email within a few days of...
Rest of World -...
Brazil’s flood disaster set off a torrent of AI misinformation
Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are failing an early test of misinformation safeguards.
7 months ago
Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are failing an early test of misinformation safeguards.
Rest of World -...
Chinese internet trolls are adopting American racism to taunt Black users
Users are harassing Black creators with profile pictures of white police officers.
a year ago
Users are harassing Black creators with profile pictures of white police officers.
Noahpinion
The elemental foe
Lifting humanity out of poverty is Job #1.
5 months ago
Lifting humanity out of poverty is Job #1.
Dustin Curtis
Blocked
A couple of years ago, I posted a slight criticism of Elon Musk that led prominent venture...
2 months ago
A couple of years ago, I posted a slight criticism of Elon Musk that led prominent venture capitalist Marc Andreessen to block me. Since then, I have been unable to view his posts1, which is a shame because I valued his thoughts and opinions.
Today, X engineering announced...
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…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Climbing the wrong hill
I know a brilliant young kid who graduated from college a year ago and now works at a large...
over a year ago
I know a brilliant young kid who graduated from college a year ago and now works at a large investment bank. He has decided he hates Wall…
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 -...
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
Six Principles for Making New Things
over a year ago
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.
Rest of World -...
Why Southeast Asia became a spyware hotspot
A new Amnesty International report raises difficult questions.
7 months ago
A new Amnesty International report raises difficult questions.
Internal Tech Emails
Sundar's meeting with Tim
Tim’s overall message to Google was “I imagine us as being able to be deep deep partners; deeply...
a year ago
Tim’s overall message to Google was “I imagine us as being able to be deep deep partners; deeply connected where our services end and yours begin and sees no natural impediment to us doing more together. Knows there is a past but doesn’t feel encumbered by it and wants to figure...
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...
Nothing Human
Searching for the Root of the Tree of Evil
The world is full of problems: Pain, poverty, illness, war, pollution, to pick a few among...
6 months ago
The world is full of problems: Pain, poverty, illness, war, pollution, to pick a few among thousands. Many of us feel like we need to Do Something about these problems. There’s just one problem (sorry):
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 -...
Chinese startups supported by Microsoft and Google incubator programs worked with police
Documents reviewed by Rest of World show several companies backed by U.S. tech giants provided...
a month ago
Documents reviewed by Rest of World show several companies backed by U.S. tech giants provided policing or censorship tools to Chinese law enforcement.
Noahpinion
Harris needs to be Pennsylvania fracking's biggest champion
Biden already boosted fracking. Harris needs to promise more of the same.
3 months ago
Biden already boosted fracking. Harris needs to promise more of the same.
SatPost by Trung...
How Olympic Air Pistols Took Over The Timeline
PLUS: WTF happened to Nike?
4 months ago
PLUS: WTF happened to Nike?
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...
Stephen Diehl
The Oncoming Ransomware Storm
over a year ago
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.
XO Capital - Field...
Deal Structures
A couple of people have asked about deal structures so here are a few we commonly use for buying...
10 months ago
A couple of people have asked about deal structures so here are a few we commonly use for buying micro saas companies.
All Cash
Pretty straight forward. You do all cash. Usually it's 100% into escrow.com and release maybe 50% before asset transfer and 50% after asset
Data Boutique
How to Price Web Scraped Data
5 Factors that Drive Data Pricing
a year ago
5 Factors that Drive Data Pricing
Platformer
Why note-taking apps don't make us smarter
They're designed for storage, not sparking insights. Can AI change that?
a year ago
They're designed for storage, not sparking insights. Can AI change that?
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
3 months ago
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Techies and normals
There are techies (if you are reading this blog you are almost certainly one of them) and there are...
over a year ago
There are techies (if you are reading this blog you are almost certainly one of them) and there are mainstream users – some people call them…
essay – snarfed.org
Policing misinformation
Unpopular opinion: I have deep reservations about policing misinformation. I’m a big believer in the...
a year ago
Unpopular opinion: I have deep reservations about policing misinformation. I’m a big believer in the demarcation problem: in the general case, there’s no shortcut to determining objective truth. It’s similar to the halting problem in computer science: if we want to know whether a...
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...
Rest of World -...
The fastest-growing countries for software development, according to GitHub
New data shows a rising tide of coders in Bangladesh and Nigeria.
10 months ago
New data shows a rising tide of coders in Bangladesh and Nigeria.
Ed Zitron's Where's...
The Apple Vision Pro: A Review
I’ve spent a lot of time with the Vision Pro, turning my experience into both the newsletter you’re...
10 months ago
I’ve spent a lot of time with the Vision Pro, turning my experience into both the newsletter you’re reading and one of the first two episodes of my upcoming iHeartRadio podcast Better Offline. I wrote the majority of this newsletter on the Vision Pro itself, though
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.
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…
Internal Tech Emails
Microsoft execs on Apple's music store
We were smoked.
a year ago
Rest of World -...
In the “Galapagos of Asia,” angry Philippine islanders fight the great nickel rush
“It’s very ironic that, in order to mitigate the impact of global warming, you have to cut down our...
a year ago
“It’s very ironic that, in order to mitigate the impact of global warming, you have to cut down our trees … just to support the initiatives of Elon Musk.”
Noahpinion
Why small developers are getting squeezed out of the housing market
A guest post by Coby Lefkowitz
9 months ago
A guest post by Coby Lefkowitz
Stephen Diehl
FPTs: Pure Fungibility on the Blockchain
over a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Selling to enterprises
For some reason when you are selling information technology, big companies are referred to as...
over a year ago
For some reason when you are selling information technology, big companies are referred to as “enterprises.” I’m guessing the word was…
Rest of World -...
“Gig reviewers” are endorsing fake products for quick cash in Brazil
For a few dollars, paid reviewers will record a video vouching for anything. Scammers love them.
a year ago
For a few dollars, paid reviewers will record a video vouching for anything. Scammers love them.
Inverted Passion
Games are problems people pay to solve
Good definitions are powerful. Lately, while reading The Art of Game Design, it became clear to me...
a year ago
Good definitions are powerful. Lately, while reading The Art of Game Design, it became clear to me that the author’s definition of games makes a lot of sense. He defines games as problems that people pay to solve with either their time or money. Unlike movies or books, games are...
Rest of World -...
The slow decline of Meta’s Trusted Partner program
Who trusts the trusted partners?
a year ago
Who trusts the trusted partners?
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 -...
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.
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…
Rest of World -...
Unleash the bololô: Masses of delivery workers set off horns and fireworks at bad customers’ homes
In Brazil, workers protest nasty customers with bikes, horns and fireworks.
a year ago
In Brazil, workers protest nasty customers with bikes, horns and fireworks.
Stephen Diehl
Gamestop, Bitcoin and the Commoditization of Populist Rage
over a year ago
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 -...
The regional flavors of labor-on-demand
A new report digs into the social dynamics of gig work.
8 months ago
A new report digs into the social dynamics of gig work.
Noahpinion
Macroeconomics: The predator of foolish regimes
One thing no ruler can control.
3 days ago
One thing no ruler can control.
Internal Tech Emails
Mark Zuckerberg: "Ship the app"
I think it's a really big deal that we ship this photos app quickly.
2 months ago
I think it's a really big deal that we ship this photos app quickly.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
What’s strategic for Google?
Google seems to be releasing or acquiring new products almost daily. It’s one thing for a couple of...
over a year ago
Google seems to be releasing or acquiring new products almost daily. It’s one thing for a couple of programmers to hack together a side…
Rest of World -...
Using AI to build the “definitive” Spanish writing tool
Abraham López is the CEO of Correcto, an AI-powered grammar tool.
6 months ago
Abraham López is the CEO of Correcto, an AI-powered grammar tool.
Rest of World -...
The slow transformation of Facebook in India
As the general election approaches, there are few spaces where the opposition can be safe online
a year ago
As the general election approaches, there are few spaces where the opposition can be safe online
Rest of World -...
23 Rest of World stories that defined 2023
This year, Rest of World published around 500 articles from more than 50 countries. Here are our...
12 months ago
This year, Rest of World published around 500 articles from more than 50 countries. Here are our favorites.
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…
Rest of World -...
In Nigeria, government and local VCs are helping startups weather the tech downturn
Sensing an existential threat to the country's tech scene, the government and local VCs are filling...
a year ago
Sensing an existential threat to the country's tech scene, the government and local VCs are filling the expanding funding gap.
Paul Graham: Essays
A Unified Theory of VC Suckage
over a year ago
AVC
Empire AI
Last summer I sat down with Tom Secunda, who co-founded Bloomberg LP with Mike Bloomberg, to talk...
11 months ago
Last summer I sat down with Tom Secunda, who co-founded Bloomberg LP with Mike Bloomberg, to talk about areas of shared philanthropic interest. Tom told me that academic institutions do not have access to the kind of AI/ML infrastructure that the top tech companies have and he...
SatPost by Trung...
9 Best Things of 2023
My favourite book, film, podcast, meme, investment and more for the year.
11 months ago
My favourite book, film, podcast, meme, investment and more for the year.
Rest of World -...
Ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria are suffering after government triples fuel prices
Uber and Bolt drivers say the fuel subsidy removal has put them at risk of losing their livelihoods.
a year ago
Uber and Bolt drivers say the fuel subsidy removal has put them at risk of losing their livelihoods.
Tech + Economics +...
AI hardware is kind of cool.
PC Mag: The r1 AI Pocket Companion Will Take You Down the Rabbit Hole
LAM works "by first...
11 months ago
PC Mag: The r1 AI Pocket Companion Will Take You Down the Rabbit Hole
LAM works "by first understanding complex human intentions, then
spinning up on human-oriented interfaces across all mobile and desktop
environments on a customized cloud platform, and finally...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Outsource things you don’t care about
A fundamental principle of business is that you do things in house that you think can give you a...
over a year ago
A fundamental principle of business is that you do things in house that you think can give you a competitive advantage and outsource things…
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 -...
The Chinese app where women socialize over their menstrual cycles
On Meet You, women track, discuss, and pray for their periods.
a year ago
On Meet You, women track, discuss, and pray for their periods.
Steve Blank
Apple Vision Pro – Tech in the Search of a Market
A version of this article previously appeared in Fortune. If you haven’t been paying attention Apple...
10 months ago
A version of this article previously appeared in Fortune. If you haven’t been paying attention Apple has started shipping its Apple Vision Pro, its take on a headset that combines Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). The product is an amazing technical tour de force....
Rest of World -...
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.
Rest of World -...
Muzz, the world’s largest Muslim dating app, is struggling in India
India is home to 172 million Muslims, and the world’s second-largest market for dating apps. But...
a year ago
India is home to 172 million Muslims, and the world’s second-largest market for dating apps. But Indian women say Muzz is a bad match.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"It's pretty difficult to solve big problems in four years"
Larry Page: When I talk to most companies, I do think their leaders are pretty short-term focused....
over a year ago
Larry Page: When I talk to most companies, I do think their leaders are pretty short-term focused. Imagine you're running Exxon, what do you…
SatPost by Trung...
Nike’s Marketing Blindspot
What can we learn from Nike losing Lionel Messi and Stephen Curry?
a year ago
What can we learn from Nike losing Lionel Messi and Stephen Curry?
Working Theorys
Second Encounters
Firsts are overrated
9 months ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Why you shouldn’t keep your startup idea secret
A frequent question entrepreneurs have when they are just starting their company is: how secretive...
over a year ago
A frequent question entrepreneurs have when they are just starting their company is: how secretive should I be about my idea? My answer…
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.
Tom Blomfield
Making something people want - The GoCardless story
I’m a co-founder of GoCardless, a direct debit payments company in London. This is the story of our...
over a year ago
I’m a co-founder of GoCardless, a direct debit payments company in London. This is the story of our first two years and the people we’ve met along the way.
Making something no-one wants
One startup I know very well in San Francisco was started by 3 ex-financiers. Their idea...
Folklore.org:...
Eulogy for Brian
Eulogy for Brian Howard, Macintosh hero, 1944-2010
a year ago
Eulogy for Brian Howard, Macintosh hero, 1944-2010
XO Capital - Field...
Distribution
As part of UCLA's MBA program, I've had the opportunity to sit in on some VC pitches. It's been a...
8 months ago
As part of UCLA's MBA program, I've had the opportunity to sit in on some VC pitches. It's been a while since I've stepped back and looked at the broader startup ecosystem. My head has been in the micro saas space for
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Instrumenting the offline world
In the last decade there have been major advances in storing, analyzing, and acting upon extremely...
over a year ago
In the last decade there have been major advances in storing, analyzing, and acting upon extremely large data sets. Data sets that were…
Roberto's blog
Conquer dev environments with Nix
I regularly use different devices with different OSs, such as a MacBook, a Windows desktop with WSL,...
6 months ago
I regularly use different devices with different OSs, such as a MacBook, a Windows desktop with WSL, a couple of Raspberry PIs, and so on. I have a bunch of tools I like to have at my fingertips when I log into a machine, like fd and Neovim. Setting up and maintaining the same...
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#21)
Saudi oil, delayed economic optimism, the EV revolution, U.S. education performance, Indian...
a year ago
Saudi oil, delayed economic optimism, the EV revolution, U.S. education performance, Indian industrialization, and Chinese urbanism
Rest of World -...
40 companies that are beating the West
Faster, smarter, more adaptable: These emerging market pioneers are outmaneuvering Silicon Valley...
a year ago
Faster, smarter, more adaptable: These emerging market pioneers are outmaneuvering Silicon Valley for global domination.
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
David Perell
Coolest Things I Learned in 2020
This is a collection of the most popular ideas I shared in 2020.
The post Coolest Things I Learned...
over a year ago
This is a collection of the most popular ideas I shared in 2020.
The post Coolest Things I Learned in 2020 appeared first on David Perell.
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Some thoughts on when to raise money, and the current financing environment
A key question for founders is when they should try to raise money. More specifically, they often...
over a year ago
A key question for founders is when they should try to raise money. More specifically, they often wonder whether to raise money now or wait…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Why content sites are getting ripped off
A commenter on my blog the other day (Tim Ogilvie) mentioned a distinction that I found really...
over a year ago
A commenter on my blog the other day (Tim Ogilvie) mentioned a distinction that I found really interesting between intent generation and…
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.
tomcritchlow.com
9 Years on the Road
October 24th is my indie-versary, the anniversary of quitting my last full time job. Every year I...
11 months ago
October 24th is my indie-versary, the anniversary of quitting my last full time job. Every year I write a set of reflections about this strange and magical journey.
Steve Blank
Cram Down – A Test of Character for VCs and Founders
This article previously appeared in TechCrunch. Cram downs are back – and I’m keeping a list. At the...
over a year ago
This article previously appeared in TechCrunch. Cram downs are back – and I’m keeping a list. At the turn of the century after the dotcom crash, startup valuations plummeted, burn rates were unsustainable, and startups were quickly running out of cash. Most existing investors...
SatPost by Trung...
YouTube: The Learning Machine
Can YouTube have a similar impact on education as the printing press did? Yes, and the explosion of...
7 months ago
Can YouTube have a similar impact on education as the printing press did? Yes, and the explosion of sports footage on the platform helps to explain why.
Rest of World -...
Seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border? You’d better speak English or Spanish
Migrants speaking Haitian Creole or Indigenous languages face challenges at the border.
a year ago
Migrants speaking Haitian Creole or Indigenous languages face challenges at the border.
Noahpinion
Economic losses for our allies are not wins for the U.S.
Stop comparing ourselves to countries who are on our side.
10 months ago
Stop comparing ourselves to countries who are on our side.
Devmoh
How Google Stores 10,000 Petabytes of Data Efficiently
Google Colossus Explained Simply
a year ago
Google Colossus Explained Simply
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
AVC
I’ve Moved Onchain
Over the last few years, I’ve moved my internet life from web2 to web3 and rarely use any web2...
7 months ago
Over the last few years, I’ve moved my internet life from web2 to web3 and rarely use any web2 services anymore. So I am starting a series called “I’ve Moved Onchain” to explain this journey to everyone and today’s opening post is about blogging, naturally. I’ve blogged at...
essay – snarfed.org
I’m not eating my own dog food
PetMD …or if you prefer, eating my own cooking, or scratching my own itch, or drinking my own...
a year ago
PetMD …or if you prefer, eating my own cooking, or scratching my own itch, or drinking my own champagne. Sure. These are all metaphors for the idea that if you build something, it turns out better if you use it yourself, especially if you want it yourself. However, when I think...
SatPost by Trung...
How Hermès Sells "Time"
The ~$250B French luxury giant creates the most sought after leather bags through craftsmanship,...
10 months ago
The ~$250B French luxury giant creates the most sought after leather bags through craftsmanship, heritage and long-term thinking.
Noahpinion
The Ukraine war is ultimately about Poland
When Putin talks, we should listen.
10 months ago
When Putin talks, we should listen.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Are people more willing to pay for digital goods on mobile devices?
Mary Meeker’s [ ](images/screen-shot-2009-12-27-at-11-51-18-am.png) The assertion seems to be that...
over a year ago
Mary Meeker’s [ ](images/screen-shot-2009-12-27-at-11-51-18-am.png) The assertion seems to be that there is something special about the…
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…
Rest of World -...
Self-checkout is putting elderly grocery baggers out of work in Mexico
Volunteer packers at stores like Walmart say they’re receiving 50% fewer tips than before the...
a year ago
Volunteer packers at stores like Walmart say they’re receiving 50% fewer tips than before the pandemic.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The enterprise: buyers versus users
Why does most enterprise technology feel like it is a decade behind consumer technology? For the...
over a year ago
Why does most enterprise technology feel like it is a decade behind consumer technology? For the same reason our health care system is…
tomcritchlow.com
Slouching Towards Innovation
A lot of innovation work revolves around shiny objects - maybe a slick interactive prototype, or a...
over a year ago
A lot of innovation work revolves around shiny objects - maybe a slick interactive prototype, or a concept video. A lot of innovation projects never see the light of day.
Roberto Vitillo's...
Why you should measure tail latencies
The response times of your service can cost you dearly if left unchecked. Even when a small fraction...
over a year ago
The response times of your service can cost you dearly if left unchecked. Even when a small fraction of requests experiences extreme…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
VC’s care about the upside case, not the mean
The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make when pitching VCs is to argue that their startup is likely to...
over a year ago
The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make when pitching VCs is to argue that their startup is likely to succeed. Instead, they should argue…
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...
tomcritchlow.com
Clients Have a Surprising Amount of Detail
There’s a wonderful blog post called “Reality has a surprising amount of detail” which talks about...
a year ago
There’s a wonderful blog post called “Reality has a surprising amount of detail” which talks about how interesting the world is and how much depth there is to every concept. Here’s a quote about boiling water:
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
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.
Rest of World -...
WhatsApp gives India an ultimatum on encryption
Tracing the origins of messages is more complicated than it sounds.
7 months ago
Tracing the origins of messages is more complicated than it sounds.
Noahpinion
Six ideas for Poland
Poland is a developed country. But it can still get richer.
3 months ago
Poland is a developed country. But it can still get richer.
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…
Internal Tech Emails
Elon Musk and OpenAI
Guys, I've had enough. This is the final straw.
a month ago
Guys, I've had enough. This is the final straw.
Rest of World -...
Instagram helps Brazilians dodge a national sales ban on vapes
As Brazilian law clashes with Meta’s policies, illegal vapes flood social media and the streets.
2 months ago
As Brazilian law clashes with Meta’s policies, illegal vapes flood social media and the streets.
Tech + Economics +...
OpenSea slashes NFT marketplace staff by 50%
OpenSea, the prominent NFT marketplace startup, has laid off about half
of its staff, the...
a year ago
OpenSea, the prominent NFT marketplace startup, has laid off about half
of its staff, the company confirmed to Decrypt on Friday.
A company representative told Decrypt that approximately 50% of
employees were impacted across the company. The company would not
...
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things to start your week (#51)
Falling obesity; the red-state boom; U.S. housing supply; men avoiding college; China's economic...
2 months ago
Falling obesity; the red-state boom; U.S. housing supply; men avoiding college; China's economic goals; implicit taxes on the poor; Garcia interviews Krugman and Cowen interviews Scanlon
Nothing Human
Tolkien on Machines, Power, Language, Love, War, and Everything Else
passages I highlighted in my copy of Tolkien's Letters
3 weeks ago
passages I highlighted in my copy of Tolkien's Letters
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Being friendly has become a competitive advantage in VC
Over the last decade or two, the supply of venture capital dollars has increased dramatically at the...
over a year ago
Over the last decade or two, the supply of venture capital dollars has increased dramatically at the same time as the cost of building tech…
Blog posts of...
Peter Thiel’s Startup Class Notes as PDF
@bgmasters created an awesome series of blog posts covering his notes of Peter Thiel’s startup class...
over a year ago
@bgmasters created an awesome series of blog posts covering his notes of Peter Thiel’s startup class CS183. Personally i try to re...
Noahpinion
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.
SatPost by Trung...
9 Creative Lessons From Virgil Abloh
Insights from the late designer who went from studying architecture, working with Kanye, founding...
2 months ago
Insights from the late designer who went from studying architecture, working with Kanye, founding Off-White and leading menswear at Louis Vuitton.
Tech + Economics +...
The block button is the ultimate source of dopamine. Use it.
I’m seeing this debate pop up on Threads and Mastodon, and I’ve speed-run
the whole discourse so...
a year ago
I’m seeing this debate pop up on Threads and Mastodon, and I’ve speed-run
the whole discourse so many times from Twitter to Bluesky that I’m
exhausted. But let me be clear. It's perfectly okay to use the block
function on any and every single platform. Block whoever you...
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.
Rest of World -...
African startups need more than just funds from their investors
Anne-Marie Chidzero, chief investment officer at FSD Africa Investments, talks about the risks and...
a year ago
Anne-Marie Chidzero, chief investment officer at FSD Africa Investments, talks about the risks and opportunities in backing Africa’s early-stage startups.
Rest of World -...
Mexico’s women gig workers are making a dangerous job safer
Women delivery workers are pushing for protection from gender-based violence, creating safe meeting...
a month ago
Women delivery workers are pushing for protection from gender-based violence, creating safe meeting spots and WhatsApp support groups, and fighting for legal protections.
Rest of World -...
This delivery app takes away health insurance when workers don’t meet quotas
Rest of World spoke with 40 riders for Swiggy in India. Many described losing coverage when they...
8 months ago
Rest of World spoke with 40 riders for Swiggy in India. Many described losing coverage when they needed help the most.
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.
Raw Thought (from...
What are the optimal biases to overcome?
over a year ago
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#27)
Chaos Climbers, gender wars, union wars, social media toxicity, a good spending bill, and urban...
10 months ago
Chaos Climbers, gender wars, union wars, social media toxicity, a good spending bill, and urban agglomeration
Roberto Vitillo's...
Scalability patterns of distributed systems
I have released a new chapter of Understanding Distributed Systems ! It explores the different...
over a year ago
I have released a new chapter of Understanding Distributed Systems ! It explores the different patterns at your disposal when designing…
Tom Blomfield
Home-Brew Customer Phone Support
This is the technical part of a longer piece on “Automating Customer Service at a Startup”
DIY...
over a year ago
This is the technical part of a longer piece on “Automating Customer Service at a Startup”
DIY Phone Support
We implemented a home-brew customer service phone line in a few hours with a basic Sinatra app on Heroku, using the Twilio-ruby gem to generate TwiML (saving us the pain...
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&
Working Theorys
Weekend Theorys No. 1
"Healthy” social apps, the folly of the "one-two punch," and side projects that command respect
10 months ago
"Healthy” social apps, the folly of the "one-two punch," and side projects that command respect
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 1 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Working Theorys
Angel Investing | Theory No. 28
A 5-year reflection & predictions on the practice of writing small checks into early-stage startups.
11 months ago
A 5-year reflection & predictions on the practice of writing small checks into early-stage startups.
Dustin Curtis
Building new worlds
Earlier this summer, the New York Times published an opinion piece titled The World Is a Mess. We...
over a year ago
Earlier this summer, the New York Times published an opinion piece titled The World Is a Mess. We Need Fully Automated Luxury Communism, by Aaron Bastani:
To say the present era is one of crisis borders on cliché. We inhabit a world of low growth, low productivity and low wages,...
AVC
The Hour Of Code
I have written many times about the Hour Of Code here at AVC. It is the highlight of the annual...
over a year ago
I have written many times about the Hour Of Code here at AVC. It is the highlight of the annual Computer Science Education Week which is the first week of December, which is this week. Yesterday Marco Argenti, Goldman Sachs’ CIO, and I went with NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks...
Rest of World -...
How an economic crisis shifted Sri Lanka’s e-commerce industry
Rakhil Fernando of Daraz talks about how the company had to shift its focus from lifestyle products...
a year ago
Rakhil Fernando of Daraz talks about how the company had to shift its focus from lifestyle products to essentials.
Rest of World -...
Cambodia’s leader continues to abuse Facebook while Meta mulls suspension ruling
Can the Oversight Board force Meta to hold its ground?
a year ago
Can the Oversight Board force Meta to hold its ground?
Tech + Economics +...
AI does not produce reliable information. As Donald Trump's lawyer has fucked around and found out.
Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer and fixer for Donald Trump, used
an artificial...
11 months ago
Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer and fixer for Donald Trump, used
an artificial intelligence program to generate bogus legal citations in his
motion for early termination of his supervised release.
Cohen, who was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 for...
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.
SatPost by Trung...
I want Apple's Vision Pro
The Apple Vision Pro has a very appealing use case: "the workplace of your dreams".
a year ago
The Apple Vision Pro has a very appealing use case: "the workplace of your dreams".
Rest of World -...
The company building AI dubbing that preserves original voices
Seamus McAteer, the founder of Speechlab, discusses AI-generated speech and the importance of...
a year ago
Seamus McAteer, the founder of Speechlab, discusses AI-generated speech and the importance of translating accents.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Search and the social graph
Google has created a multibillion-dollar economy based on keywords. We use keywords to find things...
over a year ago
Google has created a multibillion-dollar economy based on keywords. We use keywords to find things and advertisers use keywords to find…
42!
Does your SaaS actually save your customers from doing more work?
A recent conversation on Twitter with a colleague has reminded of this dilemma that we faced in our...
a year ago
A recent conversation on Twitter with a colleague has reminded of this dilemma that we faced in our early days of launching my SaaS.
You see, In 25 years of consulting to small businesses, I had learned that business owners and managers were faced with the challenge of recording...
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.
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.
Platformer
Taylor Lorenz on her extremely online history of the internet
Notes on selling books via Instagram stories, fighting with Elon, and which platform is best at...
a year ago
Notes on selling books via Instagram stories, fighting with Elon, and which platform is best at shielding users from harassment
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Why is enterprise tech so far behind consumer tech? Because it can be.
Brian Manning put it nicely in a comment to my post yesterday about enterprise software: In my...
over a year ago
Brian Manning put it nicely in a comment to my post yesterday about enterprise software: In my opinion, enterprise technology is WAY behind…
Rest of World -...
Online sports betting in South Asia has a new target: Archery
Teer, a century-old game in India, is now attracting gamblers from Bangladesh and Bhutan.
a year ago
Teer, a century-old game in India, is now attracting gamblers from Bangladesh and Bhutan.
Paul Graham: Essays
What Microsoft Is this the Altair Basic of?
over a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
"Natural languages are adequate, but that doesn't mean they're optimal"
Languages are something of a mess. They evolve over centuries through an unplanned, democratic...
over a year ago
Languages are something of a mess. They evolve over centuries through an unplanned, democratic process that leaves them teeming with…
Stephen Diehl
Fintech and Practical Utopianism
over a year ago
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.
Rest of World -...
Vietnam’s “TikTok monk” gives wisdom on life and love to millions of followers
Gen Z slang and social media trends help Giac Minh Luat connect with Vietnam’s lonely generation.
2 months ago
Gen Z slang and social media trends help Giac Minh Luat connect with Vietnam’s lonely generation.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Give away the diagnostic, sell the remedy
Companies that employ the “freemium” business model give away a product or service for free and then...
over a year ago
Companies that employ the “freemium” business model give away a product or service for free and then charge for additional features. The…
Noahpinion
Why you should not ignore economists
They aren't always right, but they almost always have something important to add.
3 months ago
They aren't always right, but they almost always have something important to add.
Tech + Economics +...
There is a deep rot at the heart of Australian tech.
Steve Baxter, one of Australia's most prominent investors and a judge on
Shark Tank, is on record...
11 months ago
Steve Baxter, one of Australia's most prominent investors and a judge on
Shark Tank, is on record as saying that I am a man pretending to be a
woman. It's an old, outdated, obsolete and uninteresting transphobic trope.
In itself, it's almost not worth mentioning. But...
Noahpinion
The California Forever project is a great idea
The implementation will be very tricky, but there's a big opportunity here.
11 months ago
The implementation will be very tricky, but there's a big opportunity here.
Roberto's blog
Decision matrices as a thinking tool
Some decisions require comparing multiple options where it’s not immediately apparent which is best....
6 months ago
Some decisions require comparing multiple options where it’s not immediately apparent which is best. One common way of doing that is to list the pros and cons of each option. For example, option A lists low latency as a pro, while option B lists high throughput as a pro. But do...
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...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Crypto token roundup
Roundup of lots of recent posts on crypto tokens: Balaji S. Srinivasan — Thoughts on Tokens Fred...
over a year ago
Roundup of lots of recent posts on crypto tokens: Balaji S. Srinivasan — Thoughts on Tokens Fred Wilson — ICOs and VCs here, Ethereum in 2…
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
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…
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.
Noahpinion
China at the peak
The country's rise is complete, but don't expect a rapid decline.
a year ago
The country's rise is complete, but don't expect a rapid decline.
Data Boutique
How To Improve QA With Data Boutique For In-House Web Scraping
Independent data help you get to 99% reliability
a year ago
Independent data help you get to 99% reliability
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 1 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Computers that can make commitments
Blockchains are computers that can make commitments. Traditional computers are ultimately controlled...
over a year ago
Blockchains are computers that can make commitments. Traditional computers are ultimately controlled by people, either directly in the case…
David Perell
28 Pieces of Life Advice
In honor of my 28th birthday, here are 28 pieces of life advice.
The post 28 Pieces of Life Advice...
over a year ago
In honor of my 28th birthday, here are 28 pieces of life advice.
The post 28 Pieces of Life Advice appeared first on David Perell.
Noahpinion
Japan is not a xenophobic country
It has a substantial amount of immigration, as well as pro-immigration policies and attitudes.
7 months ago
It has a substantial amount of immigration, as well as pro-immigration policies and attitudes.
Noahpinion
The age of SASEA
South Asia and Southeast Asia are globalization's next frontier.
5 months ago
South Asia and Southeast Asia are globalization's next frontier.
42!
Reflections on 2020
I feel kind of conflicted writing this, because 2020 was a horror of a year for most people around...
over a year ago
I feel kind of conflicted writing this, because 2020 was a horror of a year for most people around the world. Instead, for me, and my family, it was somewhat of a start of new beginnings and some huge wins.
I feel that I have finally stepped out of a decade long black tunnel,...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Revisited: big VCs investing in seed rounds
A few years ago, the trend of companies raising smaller seed rounds combined with the emergence of...
over a year ago
A few years ago, the trend of companies raising smaller seed rounds combined with the emergence of new seed funds caused many big VCs to…
Rest of World -...
The church of Roblox: How young Filipino Catholics are building more inclusive spaces
Though not officially sanctioned, the role-playing clergy encourage young people to go deeper into...
6 months ago
Though not officially sanctioned, the role-playing clergy encourage young people to go deeper into their faith while providing a safe space for queer Catholics.
Rest of World -...
India banned a Chinese app four years ago. Government agencies are still using it
CamScanner was one of 59 Chinese apps the Indian government banned in 2020, amid a border conflict...
3 weeks ago
CamScanner was one of 59 Chinese apps the Indian government banned in 2020, amid a border conflict with China.
Rest of World -...
For South Africa’s female ride-hailing drivers, customers are the biggest hazards
Desperate to make ends meet, female Uber and Bolt drivers say abuse and attacks are a constant part...
a year ago
Desperate to make ends meet, female Uber and Bolt drivers say abuse and attacks are a constant part of the job.
Tech + Economics +...
I can't believe this needs to be said.
I can't believe this needs to be said, but no - the reason Disney's movies
have bombed lately is...
11 months ago
I can't believe this needs to be said, but no - the reason Disney's movies
have bombed lately is not because they aren't advertising on Birdchan.
There are a plethora of reasons behind their recent box office failures.
But they have nothing to do with diminishing...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Online privacy: what’s at stake
It is widely believed that a flourishing democracy requires an independent, diverse, and financially...
over a year ago
It is widely believed that a flourishing democracy requires an independent, diverse, and financially solvent press. With print newspapers…
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 […]
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...
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…
AVC
Threads
Like tens of millions of others, I downloaded Threads onto my phone yesterday and signed up. The...
a year ago
Like tens of millions of others, I downloaded Threads onto my phone yesterday and signed up. The thing that Twitter has been missing since it killed off its ecosystem over a decade ago is competition. And as we all know, lack of competition is a very bad thing. In governments and...
Rest of World -...
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Man and superman
There are two broad philosophical approaches to explaining the forces that drive world events. The...
over a year ago
There are two broad philosophical approaches to explaining the forces that drive world events. The first one is sometimes called the Great…
Tech + Economics +...
20 years of tech has made life easier, not better.
Lately, I’ve felt nostalgic for the cluttered aisles of the local video
store. It was more than a...
a year ago
Lately, I’ve felt nostalgic for the cluttered aisles of the local video
store. It was more than a place; it was a portal, a weekend ritual that
promised adventure, laughter, and the thrill of discovery. You would step
inside, greeted by the scent of popcorn and the soft...
Rest of World -...
Apple finally breaks Android’s grip on Southeast Asia
Rising wealth in the region has young professionals ditching cheaper Chinese smartphones for...
a year ago
Rising wealth in the region has young professionals ditching cheaper Chinese smartphones for iPhones.
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 Daily Bolster
USV is an investor in Bolster, a marketplace for fractional and full-time executive talent for...
a year ago
USV is an investor in Bolster, a marketplace for fractional and full-time executive talent for startups and growth companies. This week Bolster launched a daily short (5min) podcast and email with actionable insights and advice from founders, operators, and investors. It is...
Rest of World -...
Kathmandu is making taxi drivers switch to EVs. Not all drivers can afford one
The Xpres-T, made by Indian carmaker Tata, is the only EV approved for use as a taxi in Nepal. It...
5 months ago
The Xpres-T, made by Indian carmaker Tata, is the only EV approved for use as a taxi in Nepal. It costs $27,000 — several years’ income.
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...
Tech + Economics +...
“Walking meetings” are not going to bring people back to the office.
Joy Adan, senior thought leadership manager at Reward Gateway, an
Australian human resource...
a year ago
Joy Adan, senior thought leadership manager at Reward Gateway, an
Australian human resource consulting company, said that connecting with
co-workers and building those relationships were a critical part of
work and should not be trivialised.
“Coffee badging...
Noahpinion
A vote for Trump is a vote for chaos
Let's leave the 2010s in the past where they belong.
11 months ago
Let's leave the 2010s in the past where they belong.
Devmoh
3 key tips for maximum impact, and the myth of the "lazy" Big Tech Engineer
On forums with startup-heavy presences, it’s a common occurrence to sing about the downfall of FAANG...
a year ago
On forums with startup-heavy presences, it’s a common occurrence to sing about the downfall of FAANG and the uselessness of Big Tech for an engineer’s career. This specific tweet went viral recently and I wanted to do a little deep dive on the underlying implications of it:
Working Theorys
The Brunch Test | Theory No. 16
A framework for building products that balance familiarity with freshness.
a year ago
A framework for building products that balance familiarity with freshness.
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.”
Aaron's Essays
Conflicted Capital
I’ve spent a long time wrestling with how to advise founders about investors and the conflicts of...
over a year ago
I’ve spent a long time wrestling with how to advise founders about investors and the conflicts of interest generated by opposing incentives.[1] These considerations are especially important when a founder thinks about fundraising. The founder needs to figure out how to treat...
Noahpinion
Our climate change debates are out of date
Solar and batteries are going to win, and our thinking needs to adjust accordingly.
a year ago
Solar and batteries are going to win, and our thinking needs to adjust accordingly.
Noahpinion
How not to be fooled by viral charts
Part 1: How to spot misinformation, mistakes, and meaningless data
a year ago
Part 1: How to spot misinformation, mistakes, and meaningless data
Blog posts of...
Refactoring larger legacy codebases
This article is based on a comment of mine to a HackerNews question. Thought it might be useful to...
over a year ago
This article is based on a comment of mine to a HackerNews question. Thought it might be useful to explain it here a bit more in d...
Internal Tech Emails
Elon Musk's texts
I read the article. It is weak sauce and still makes me sound like a liar. It is filled with...
over a year ago
I read the article. It is weak sauce and still makes me sound like a liar. It is filled with equivocation and in no way indicates the strong interest you conveyed in person.
Stephen Diehl
The Complete Argument Against Crypto
over a year ago
Paul Graham: Essays
Are Software Patents Evil?
over a year ago
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 “By far the worst company to emulate in Startup Make-Believe is Google / Alphabet. Google has...
a year ago
#1 💡 “By far the worst company to emulate in Startup Make-Believe is Google / Alphabet. Google has a number of structural advantages stemming from its Search monopoly that mean that it’s able to be almost completely divorced from reality, and that has allowed it to grow in...
Noahpinion
All the arguments against EVs are wrong
EVs are just going to win.
a year ago
EVs are just going to win.
Unpacked
Highlights: First Quarter of Unpacked
Bold product moves, AI things accelerate, Tech policy in the front seat, Interesting things...
a year ago
Bold product moves, AI things accelerate, Tech policy in the front seat, Interesting things continue. This post is a bird’s eye view of the seventeen articles published on Unpacked in the past quarter.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
“The typical path of how people respond to life-changing inventions
I’ve never heard of it. I’ve heard of it but don’t understand it. I understand it, but I don’t see...
over a year ago
I’ve never heard of it. I’ve heard of it but don’t understand it. I understand it, but I don’t see how it’s useful. I see how it could be…
Nadia Asparouhova
Understanding science funding in tech, 2011-2021
For those who sit between science and tech, it’s hard not to notice the proliferation of new...
over a year ago
For those who sit between science and tech, it’s hard not to notice the proliferation of new initiatives launched in the last two years, aimed at making major improvements in the life sciences especially.
While I don’t have a science background, nor any personal relationship to...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Revenue vs margin
Three years ago, Fred Wilson wrote a great blog post called When Talking About Business Models,...
over a year ago
Three years ago, Fred Wilson wrote a great blog post called When Talking About Business Models, Remember that Profits Equal Revenues Minus…
Essays - Benedict...
The FTC versus tech M&A
The US is fundamentally rethinking its approach to regulating competition,
and M&A, and tech, and...
over a year ago
The US is fundamentally rethinking its approach to regulating competition,
and M&A, and tech, and big tech buying startups. The FTC’s attempt to block
Meta from buying Within is a test case for all of this. So, how many
interesting problems can we count?
Blog posts of...
Sh*t! Twitter is exciting - again!
Every epoch in the history of humanity had a raw resource that became the key to commercial success...
over a year ago
Every epoch in the history of humanity had a raw resource that became the key to commercial success that time. Similar to companie...
Rest of World -...
Apple should tell Indians what it knows about politicians’ phones being hacked
The Silicon Valley giant’s muted public response after several Indian opposition leaders received a...
a year ago
The Silicon Valley giant’s muted public response after several Indian opposition leaders received a message that their devices may be compromised is doing more harm.
AVC
The Rebrand
I’d guess that upwards of half of USV’s portfolio companies have changed the name of their company...
a year ago
I’d guess that upwards of half of USV’s portfolio companies have changed the name of their company during their lifetime. It is not hard to understand why. Founders start out with an idea and not much more. By the time they have built a product, built a team, and found product...
Rest of World -...
Scan to donate: Brazil’s instant digital payment system brings relief to flood victims
As flooding battered the country, Pix became the most popular way to send and receive aid — and a...
6 months ago
As flooding battered the country, Pix became the most popular way to send and receive aid — and a target for scammers.
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...
Rest of World -...
Chinese smartphone maker Transsion’s strategy to win hearts and wallets in small-town India
After big successes in Africa, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, China's Transsion Holdings sets its sights...
9 months ago
After big successes in Africa, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, China's Transsion Holdings sets its sights on India.
SatPost by Trung...
Amazon's $43B ad business, explained
Jeff Bezos long shunned ads. However, Amazon's juicy first-party data has enabled it to compete with...
a year ago
Jeff Bezos long shunned ads. However, Amazon's juicy first-party data has enabled it to compete with Alphabet and Meta in the new digital advertising landscape.
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