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...
Platformer
Biden seeks to rein in AI
An executive order gives AI companies the guardrails they asked for. Will the US go further?
a year ago
An executive order gives AI companies the guardrails they asked for. Will the US go further?
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Why the web economy will continue growing rapidly
Here’s the really good news for the web economy over the next decade. Consumers are spending more...
over a year ago
Here’s the really good news for the web economy over the next decade. Consumers are spending more and more time online, yet only about 1…
David Perell
The Jerry Seinfeld Guide to Writing
Writing and editing should be separate activities. When I’m in this creation mode, I shoot for a...
over a year ago
Writing and editing should be separate activities. When I’m in this creation mode, I shoot for a flow state. I keep my fingertips on the keyboard and measure progress by how many words I put on the page. My physical environment helps me be generative too. If I’m sitting down at...
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...
David Perell
The Perks of Niche Fame
There are two kinds of fame: Celebrity-Fame and Niche-Fame.
The post The Perks of Niche Fame...
over a year ago
There are two kinds of fame: Celebrity-Fame and Niche-Fame.
The post The Perks of Niche Fame appeared first on David Perell.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The inevitable showdown between Twitter and Twitter apps
People usually think of business competition as occurring between substitutes – products that serve...
over a year ago
People usually think of business competition as occurring between substitutes – products that serve similar functions for the user. Famous…
Folklore.org:...
Joining Apple Computer
Reflections on the 40th anniversary of my joining Apple
a year ago
Reflections on the 40th anniversary of my joining Apple
Business Brainstorms
Copilot for cooperations, futility of SOPs, $0->$100m->$0 in 5 years, and adjusting to market...
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 a Superhuman for Salesforce? Because this...
AVC
The Cleanse
I’ve never done a cleanse. But many of my friends and family members have done them. There are...
a year ago
I’ve never done a cleanse. But many of my friends and family members have done them. There are various flavors of cleanses but the basic idea is you cut back your consumption of food and drink and replace it with mostly liquid nutrition for anywhere from a day to a month. I...
Internal Tech Emails
Mark Zuckerberg on Messenger
To get people to ditch WhatsApp and switch to Messenger, it will never be sufficient to be 10%...
over a year ago
To get people to ditch WhatsApp and switch to Messenger, it will never be sufficient to be 10% better than them or add fun gimmicks on any existing attribute or feature. We will have to offer some new fundamental use case that becomes important to people’s daily lives.
Working Theorys
The Creator Search Fund
Don't buy a company, commercialize a creator.
10 months ago
Don't buy a company, commercialize a creator.
Platformer
Utah's war on social networks is a symptom of a larger problem
Congress failed to act — and now a patchwork of bad state laws is eroding our privacy
a year ago
Congress failed to act — and now a patchwork of bad state laws is eroding our privacy
Rest of World -...
Two trophies, one meme
How the World Cup and the Golden Globes united Argentina through a single viral image.
a year ago
How the World Cup and the Golden Globes united Argentina through a single viral image.
Articles - Alex...
Magpie marketing
We believe we work in turbulent times. A quick skim of the industry press
and you’ll learn that...
over a year ago
We believe we work in turbulent times. A quick skim of the industry press
and you’ll learn that ecommerce is upending retail. Social media is
uprooting advertising. Private labels are replacing brands. Advertising is
dying. And TV is dead. We believe change is the new...
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.
Noahpinion
In defense of science fiction
New technology is usually good, and it's good for sci-fi to inspire it.
a year ago
New technology is usually good, and it's good for sci-fi to inspire it.
Steve Blank
Lessons for the DoD – From Ukraine and China
Portions of this post previously appeared in War On the Rocks. Looking at a satellite image of...
over a year ago
Portions of this post previously appeared in War On the Rocks. Looking at a satellite image of Ukraine online I realized it was from Capella Space – one of our Hacking for Defense student teams who now has 7 satellites in orbit. National Security is Now Dependent on Commercial...
Rest of World -...
The music streaming app for those who can’t pay for downloads
Ad-driven Trebel has scooped up 13 million users across Latin America who don't want to pay for...
a year ago
Ad-driven Trebel has scooped up 13 million users across Latin America who don't want to pay for YouTube or Spotify.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Hardware startups
For a long time, entrepreneurs and investors shied away from hardware. This seems to be changing. As...
over a year ago
For a long time, entrepreneurs and investors shied away from hardware. This seems to be changing. As Paul Graham says, there are many…
Stephen Diehl
In Praise of 'Line Goes Up'
over a year ago
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…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Some thoughts on incumbents
Reposted from Oct 7, 2010 from cdixon.posterous.com By “incumbents” I mean the big companies that...
over a year ago
Reposted from Oct 7, 2010 from cdixon.posterous.com By “incumbents” I mean the big companies that are loosely competitive to your startup…
Rest of World -...
How Zimbabwe’s biggest fast-food company became a popular fintech solution
Innbucks started as an app to receive loose change at some restaurants. Now, it’s a licensed...
a year ago
Innbucks started as an app to receive loose change at some restaurants. Now, it’s a licensed microfinance institution.
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
SatPost by Trung...
The Greatest Meme Template Ever
Why does Juan Joya Borja (aka El Risitas aka “Spanish Laughing Guy”) always put a smile on our...
10 months ago
Why does Juan Joya Borja (aka El Risitas aka “Spanish Laughing Guy”) always put a smile on our faces.
AVC
Subscribing To AVC
For many years, there were three ways to subscribe to AVC: 1/ Email – Get new posts delivered to...
a year ago
For many years, there were three ways to subscribe to AVC: 1/ Email – Get new posts delivered to your inbox 2/ RSS – Get new posts delivered to your RSS reader 3/ X – Follow AVC on X X revoked the API access that I was using to autopost three or four months ago. […]
Internal Tech Emails
Facebook vs. TikTok | Elon Musk emails Tesla's board
Today we see a shift towards social media products serving as “discovery engines.”
over a year ago
Today we see a shift towards social media products serving as “discovery engines.”
Data Boutique
How Data Boutique Works
Making Web Data Purchases Easy
a year ago
Making Web Data Purchases Easy
Working Theorys
Placeholders for Life
Life is not a dress rehearsal
9 months ago
Life is not a dress rehearsal
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Google’s feature creep
Microsoft used to be considered the king of feature creep. Here was Microsoft Word when it was most...
over a year ago
Microsoft used to be considered the king of feature creep. Here was Microsoft Word when it was most cluttered: I don’t use any of…
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.
essay – snarfed.org
We’re drowning
Matthew Childs / Reuters We live in a golden age of software reuse. We’ve never before had such a...
over a year ago
Matthew Childs / Reuters We live in a golden age of software reuse. We’ve never before had such a wealth of freely available code, in so many languages, so easy to find and install. And yet, we’re drowning. We slap together rickety rowboats and toss them out on PyPI Ocean and npm...
Noahpinion
Why is China producing so many export goods, anyway?
Six theories.
7 months ago
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…
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
AVC
Noya
Six months ago, I wrote about Direct Air Carbon Capture and ended with this: I remember hearing that...
a year ago
Six months ago, I wrote about Direct Air Carbon Capture and ended with this: I remember hearing that “we’ve spent hundreds of years taking carbon out of the ground and putting it into our atmosphere and we are going to spend hundreds of years taking carbon out of the atmosphere...
Platformer
The unbearable slowness of Meta's Oversight Board
A 234-day wait to get a ruling in a case about incitement to violence suggests that something...
a year ago
A 234-day wait to get a ruling in a case about incitement to violence suggests that something important is broken
AVC
AIVC
I was approached by a company this week that has trained a large language model on all of the blog...
a year ago
I was approached by a company this week that has trained a large language model on all of the blog posts I have written here at AVC. There are 9059 of them for those that are counting. They wanted to offer me a chat bot called “ask Fred.” I told them no thanks. Let me […]
Ed Zitron's Where's...
We're Watching Facebook Die
In the first quarter of 2024, Meta made $36.45 billion dollars - $12.37 billion dollars of which was...
7 months ago
In the first quarter of 2024, Meta made $36.45 billion dollars - $12.37 billion dollars of which was pure profit. Though the company no longer reports daily active users, it now uses another metric: “family daily active people.” This number refers to “registered and logged-in
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Platform distribution risks
When your product extends a platform’s functionality, one of the main risks you face is that the...
over a year ago
When your product extends a platform’s functionality, one of the main risks you face is that the platform could embed your product’s key…
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
Interview: Jean Twenge, psychologist
In which we talk all about generational differences, Millennial angst, and the effects of social...
a year ago
In which we talk all about generational differences, Millennial angst, and the effects of social media and cell phones
Rest of World -...
Brazil is the first stop in the Latin American electric motorcycle market
Vammo, an electric mobility company for delivery workers, chose to launch in the country because 85%...
a year ago
Vammo, an electric mobility company for delivery workers, chose to launch in the country because 85% of its electric grid runs on renewable energy.
Rest of World -...
Why African startups must invest in tech policy conversations
Oswald Osaretin Guobadia discusses the biggest challenge startups face when dealing with government...
a year ago
Oswald Osaretin Guobadia discusses the biggest challenge startups face when dealing with government policies and regulators.
Rest of World -...
Hong Kong politicians are making a splash on Chinese social media – and finding mainland fans.
Users have responded enthusiastically to their selfies, food pics, and Father’s Day updates.
a year ago
Users have responded enthusiastically to their selfies, food pics, and Father’s Day updates.
Data Boutique
How Data Boutique Works #3: Third Party Solutions
Working with data? List your solution on Data Boutique
9 months ago
Working with data? List your solution on Data Boutique
Entrepreneur's Edge
OKRs will never be enough
Nuanced goal-setting frameworks to help manage the complexity in a growing company.
a year ago
Nuanced goal-setting frameworks to help manage the complexity in a growing company.
AVC
What Will Happen In 2024
As we enter 2024, the capital markets have found their footing and are moving higher. The Fed has...
a year 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...
Noahpinion
A Nobel for the story of women in the workforce
How Claudia Goldin brought all the threads together.
a year ago
How Claudia Goldin brought all the threads together.
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...
3 months ago
The lifestyle and social media platform, often compared to Instagram, is turning obscure sites into must-see attractions.
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...
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…
Rest of World -...
South Korean streamers struggle with Twitch’s sudden exit
The streaming giant attributed its departure to high network fees.
10 months ago
The streaming giant attributed its departure to high network fees.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
And then, suddenly, it works
The other day a friend was demoing a new app he was working on. My first reaction was: “Yeah, yeah....
over a year ago
The other day a friend was demoing a new app he was working on. My first reaction was: “Yeah, yeah. This is nicely executed version one of…
Aaron's Essays
Things that aren't progress
A few months ago, I wrote about things that look like work, but aren't. As I paid more attention to...
over a year ago
A few months ago, I wrote about things that look like work, but aren't. As I paid more attention to founders doing these things, I started thinking about why they were happening. I realized that the behaviors were largely a function of bad goal setting.
When founders choose bad...
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…
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for your weekend (#24)
Economists had a good 2023, degrowthers promising growth, the troubles in the humanities, U.S....
12 months ago
Economists had a good 2023, degrowthers promising growth, the troubles in the humanities, U.S. redistribution, and defense production
Rest of World -...
China’s favorite resale app is a youth subculture hotspot
You can sell anything on it, and millions do, but it's also become a forum for fandoms and birthed a...
a year ago
You can sell anything on it, and millions do, but it's also become a forum for fandoms and birthed a unique style of confessional item listings.
Rest of World -...
Come downstairs or we’ll eat your order, delivery workers tell customers
Brazilian delivery workers take their fight to get app users to pick up their orders to local...
a year ago
Brazilian delivery workers take their fight to get app users to pick up their orders to local legislatures.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The most important question to ask before taking seed money
There is a certain well respected venture capital firm (VC) that has a program for fledgling...
over a year ago
There is a certain well respected venture capital firm (VC) that has a program for fledgling entrepreneurs. The teams that are selected…
Noahpinion
Why did the U.S. miss the battery revolution?
We were early to the party on every other technological revolution, but we missed this one.
5 months ago
We were early to the party on every other technological revolution, but we missed this one.
Rest of World -...
Why Chinese EV battery manufacturers are flocking to Hungary
They are drawn to the country’s access to European automakers, government subsidies, and favorable...
a year ago
They are drawn to the country’s access to European automakers, government subsidies, and favorable relations with China.
Noahpinion
Repost: Someone has to run the fabs
Egalitarianism is important but we neglect STEM education at our peril
a year ago
Egalitarianism is important but we neglect STEM education at our peril
Roberto Vitillo's...
I am back
It's been three years since my last post on my old Wordpress blog! You can still find my earlier...
over a year ago
It's been three years since my last post on my old Wordpress blog! You can still find my earlier posts there as I was too lazy to move…
Rest of World -...
How a Ugandan startup wound up in Mexico
Assak's unexpected entry into Mexico bodes well for international investment.
a year ago
Assak's unexpected entry into Mexico bodes well for international investment.
Internal Tech Emails
Sam Altman emails Elon Musk
The mission would be to create the first general Al and use it for individual empowerment—ie, the...
10 months ago
The mission would be to create the first general Al and use it for individual empowerment—ie, the distributed version of the future that seems the safest.
AVC
Empire AI
Last summer I sat down with Tom Secunda, who co-founded Bloomberg LP with Mike Bloomberg, to talk...
11 months ago
Last summer I sat down with Tom Secunda, who co-founded Bloomberg LP with Mike Bloomberg, to talk about areas of shared philanthropic interest. Tom told me that academic institutions do not have access to the kind of AI/ML infrastructure that the top tech companies have and he...
Rest of World -...
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
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…
Noahpinion
Does the notion of a "Global South" still make any sense?
There are really four Global Souths.
a year ago
There are really four Global Souths.
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Ten million users is the new one million users
Entrepreneurs and investors have been enamored with consumer internet startups for the last few...
over a year ago
Entrepreneurs and investors have been enamored with consumer internet startups for the last few years. But there are signs this is ending…
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for your weekend (#32)
The bridge disaster, Daniel Kahneman, Biden and nuclear power, ebbing unrest, Bay Area...
9 months ago
The bridge disaster, Daniel Kahneman, Biden and nuclear power, ebbing unrest, Bay Area "progressives", and cancer detection
Platformer
The secret list of Twitter VIPs getting boosted over everyone else
Congratulations to Ben Shapiro, AOC, and ... LeBron?
a year ago
Congratulations to Ben Shapiro, AOC, and ... LeBron?
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...
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.
Rest of World -...
Meet Newme, India’s Shein replacement
A year after India banned the Shein app, Newme emerged to fill the gap. Founder Sumit Jasoria talks...
a year ago
A year after India banned the Shein app, Newme emerged to fill the gap. Founder Sumit Jasoria talks about Gen Z fashion in this "country of countries."
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,...
Devmoh
Why did Meta open-source Llama 2?
Meta seems to be all in on open-source AI. They released Llama 2, which features some impressive...
a year ago
Meta seems to be all in on open-source AI. They released Llama 2, which features some impressive benchmarks compared to other open source language models. Why does Meta keep releasing open-source models? What is their incentive? To attract and retain top AI talent.
Platformer
Microsoft kickstarts the AI arms race
The relaunched Bing does research, writes emails, and just might hit Google where it hurts
a year ago
The relaunched Bing does research, writes emails, and just might hit Google where it hurts
Rest of World -...
The chilling power of Gaza’s internet blackout
Ongoing bloodshed makes the territory’s digital ties even more important.
a year ago
Ongoing bloodshed makes the territory’s digital ties even more important.
Unpacked
Twitter Pays Creators: The Momentum Towards Revenue Sharing
Amidst fierce platform competition, creators stand to gain a lot from the emergence of...
a year ago
Amidst fierce platform competition, creators stand to gain a lot from the emergence of revenue-sharing programs
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Understanding your market
Some startups become huge sensations without requiring any active marketing – YouTube, Skype, and...
over a year ago
Some startups become huge sensations without requiring any active marketing – YouTube, Skype, and Twitter come to mind. However, the vast…
Rest of World -...
Small-scale investors are building Vietnam’s EV charging network
Anyone with spare land in a good location can become a franchisee for a charging company, but with...
4 weeks ago
Anyone with spare land in a good location can become a franchisee for a charging company, but with no government support it can take years to break even.
Working Theorys
Weekend Theorys No. 2
Crypto social games, work "trials," and meeting your creations in the wild.
11 months ago
Crypto social games, work "trials," and meeting your creations in the wild.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Founder vesting
The most important term in a startup term sheet that no one seems to think carefully about is...
over a year ago
The most important term in a startup term sheet that no one seems to think carefully about is founder vesting. There are two key points…
Internal Tech Emails
Mark Zuckerberg tries to buy Instagram
The process began with you asking if we'd do this at $500m, but then you didn't want to end up doing...
3 months ago
The process began with you asking if we'd do this at $500m, but then you didn't want to end up doing it at that valuation. I am curious to know at what valuation you would do this, and then I can just let you know whether we'd do that.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Shutting down
I’ve seen a number of situations recently where entrepreneurs decided to shut their startups down...
over a year ago
I’ve seen a number of situations recently where entrepreneurs decided to shut their startups down while they still had cash in the bank…
Rest of World -...
Four predictions for 2024
It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
a year ago
It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Platformer
Six questions about Google Bard
The company's new large language model has arrived. Now what?
a year ago
The company's new large language model has arrived. Now what?
Rest of World -...
Filipinos are embracing electric three-wheelers faster than officials can regulate them
Unregistered three-wheelers big enough for whole families are a popular antidote to the country's...
3 months ago
Unregistered three-wheelers big enough for whole families are a popular antidote to the country's terrible gridlock.
Rest of World -...
Traffic laws can’t keep up with Mexico City’s electric mopeds
Chinese-made mopeds have become popular in the traffic-clogged city, but users and manufacturers...
5 months ago
Chinese-made mopeds have become popular in the traffic-clogged city, but users and manufacturers aren’t sure which laws apply to them.
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...
Inverted Passion
You can only succeed if you know how you can fail
We want to be successful with our decisions. Even though failure is often glamorized, nobody wants...
a year ago
We want to be successful with our decisions. Even though failure is often glamorized, nobody wants it on purpose. Everyone wishes to be successful when they’re starting a company, launching a product, hiring a leader or even while buying a house. It may sound obvious, but the...
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...
5 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 —...
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 1 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Working Theorys
Before the Crowd Shows Up
The arena rewards those who arrive early.
9 months ago
The arena rewards those who arrive early.
Noahpinion
Western leftists have lost the plot
Gleeful support for the massacre of innocents is simply inhumane.
a year ago
Gleeful support for the massacre of innocents is simply inhumane.
Inverted Passion
The Anti-Productivity Manifesto
After a barrage of recommendations on my twitter, I finally ended up reading Oliver Burkeman’s Four...
a year ago
After a barrage of recommendations on my twitter, I finally ended up reading Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks. The central premise of the book is simple: everyone has got about four thousand weeks to live, and spending that limited time chasing efficiency is wrongheaded. The...
David Perell
People Don’t Actually Read
People don’t read as much as they say they do. This trend is accelerating too. I’m in a friend group...
over a year ago
People don’t read as much as they say they do. This trend is accelerating too. I’m in a friend group of intellectually curious people, and just about everybody says they’re reading fewer books than they used to. But at the risk of sounding like your 5th grade English teacher,...
Rest of World -...
In-home beauty service in Pakistan: the woman sweet-talking tough clients
Though gig work gives respite from the grind of working in a salon, choosy clients make a...
a year ago
Though gig work gives respite from the grind of working in a salon, choosy clients make a beautician’s work demanding.
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 2 of Ansi Common Lisp
over a year ago
haseeb qureshi
So you want to build a crypto startup?
I’m a crypto VC. That means I spend my days talking to crypto entrepreneurs, hearing pitches, and...
over a year ago
I’m a crypto VC. That means I spend my days talking to crypto entrepreneurs, hearing pitches, and evaluating products. The first thing you realize working in this industry is that pretty much everyone is winging it. (That applies to me, but it especially applies to...
Rest of World -...
The industry behind the industry behind AI
It’s outsourcing all the way down.
a year ago
It’s outsourcing all the way down.
David Perell
The Counterfactual Theory of Value
The Labor Theory of Value argues that the value of a product or a service is determined by the...
over a year ago
The Labor Theory of Value argues that the value of a product or a service is determined by the amount of labor required to produce it. If so, something that takes 100 hours to produce is worth 10x more than something that takes 10 hours. One issue with the Labor Theory is it...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
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…
SatPost by Trung...
Francis Ford Coppola: The Entrepreneur
Exploring the legendary director's business career in 8 films, a studio and a winery.
3 months ago
Exploring the legendary director's business career in 8 films, a studio and a winery.
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...
a month ago
CamScanner was one of 59 Chinese apps the Indian government banned in 2020, amid a border conflict with China.
Inverted Passion
Notes on how Facebook ads work
I was studying Facebook ads system for Nintee, made some notes that you might find useful. Resources...
a year ago
I was studying Facebook ads system for Nintee, made some notes that you might find useful. Resources Facebook Doesn’t Make as Much Money as It Could—On Purpose How to Save Millions With Marketability Testing Facebook Bid Strategies
The post Notes on how Facebook ads work appeared...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Exponential curves feel gradual and then sudden
"How did you go bankrupt?" "Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” – Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also...
over a year ago
"How did you go bankrupt?" "Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” – Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises The core growth process in the…
Rest of World -...
The CEO trying to democratize cybersecurity
Felix Kan on building a bug-hunting platform to enhance cybersecurity for small companies.
11 months ago
Felix Kan on building a bug-hunting platform to enhance cybersecurity for small companies.
Working Theorys
Word Association Fame
The new attention playbooks will be full of old plays.
10 months ago
The new attention playbooks will be full of old plays.
Platformer
How Google's Bard AI could shake up search
Dependence on search traffic has already kickstarted a race to the bottom for publishers. Will...
a year ago
Dependence on search traffic has already kickstarted a race to the bottom for publishers. Will Google's new AI tools accelerate it?
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...
7 months ago
Andrea Campos is the founder and CEO of Yana, a mental health care app and chatbot for Spanish and English speakers.
Blog posts of...
Startup Mentoring Sessions: How to get the most out of it.
Everyone is doing pitch training. Almost no-one does training for the mentoring session, but this is...
over a year ago
Everyone is doing pitch training. Almost no-one does training for the mentoring session, but this is where most startups get the m...
Steve Blank
Here’s What Happened When Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks visited Stanford’s Gordian...
It was an honor to host US Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks at Stanford’s Gordian Knot...
over a year ago
It was an honor to host US Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks at Stanford’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. (Think of the Deputy Secretary of Defense as the Chief Operating Officer of a company – but in this case the company has 3 million...
Working Theorys
The Time-Boxed Startup
What if startups had an expiration date?
10 months ago
What if startups had an expiration date?
Stephen Diehl
Purely Narrative-driven Bubbles
over a year ago
Stephen Diehl
Reflecting on Haskell in 2017
over a year ago
Blog posts of...
Managing people 🤯
I believe almost all first-time founders burn out their first employees – maybe this article helps...
over a year ago
I believe almost all first-time founders burn out their first employees – maybe this article helps you avoiding this
Noahpinion
Some thoughts on where the war in Ukraine is headed
And some perspective on what's happened already.
a year ago
And some perspective on what's happened already.
Platformer
Why I'm having trouble covering AI
If you believe that the most serious risks from AI are real, should you write about anything else?
a year ago
If you believe that the most serious risks from AI are real, should you write about anything else?
David Perell
Annual Review 2021
I’ll start this Annual Review by reflecting on 2021. I’ll share highlights and reflect on the goals...
over a year ago
I’ll start this Annual Review by reflecting on 2021. I’ll share highlights and reflect on the goals I set at the beginning of the year. Later, I’ll outline how I plan to improve my life and set a new vision for 2022.
The post Annual Review 2021 appeared first on David Perell.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Financing risk
Startups that raise seed funding face the risk of not being able to raise additional money. This is...
over a year ago
Startups that raise seed funding face the risk of not being able to raise additional money. This is what is sometimes known as “financing…
Rest of World -...
Why are Apple and Tesla losing ground in China?
The Chinese market isn’t quite as untapped as U.S. companies thought.
9 months ago
The Chinese market isn’t quite as untapped as U.S. companies thought.
Rest of World -...
ShopeeFood drops non-compete clause after Rest of World reporting
Drivers for the Vietnam delivery company had used workarounds but feared detection. After Rest of...
9 months ago
Drivers for the Vietnam delivery company had used workarounds but feared detection. After Rest of World's reporting, the clause was dropped.
SatPost by Trung...
Learning to Slow Down Time
It feels like time is moving faster when we age. How to slow it down? Nature, vacations, events,...
6 months ago
It feels like time is moving faster when we age. How to slow it down? Nature, vacations, events, novelty and random day trips to Disneyland.
Rest of World -...
Nigeria’s dating app for people who want to stop dating and get hitched already
What started out as a matchmaking WhatsApp group has turned into a popular dating app with over 2.1...
a year ago
What started out as a matchmaking WhatsApp group has turned into a popular dating app with over 2.1 million recorded matches and 44 marriages.
Working Theorys
Baseline Fame
When privilege becomes a pre-requisite.
7 months ago
When privilege becomes a pre-requisite.
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...
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...
Nadia Asparouhova
Idea machines
Tech as a system of values, and not just an industry, is heavily driven by its subcultures and their...
over a year ago
Tech as a system of values, and not just an industry, is heavily driven by its subcultures and their ideologies. Where do these ideologies come from, and how do they influence what’s accomplished?
One of the most visible ideologies in tech is effective altruism (or EA), a...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Virtual reality: a new creative medium where the default state is belief
The holy grail of virtual reality, the one that’s always been out of reach until now, is presence....
over a year ago
The holy grail of virtual reality, the one that’s always been out of reach until now, is presence. In the VR community, “presence” is a term…
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.
Platformer
How the Kids Online Safety Act puts us all at risk
Anti-speech laws are spreading from states to Congress, and the future of online speech could hang...
a year ago
Anti-speech laws are spreading from states to Congress, and the future of online speech could hang in the balance
Working Theorys
Trophy Jobs | Theory No. 12
We’ve all heard of the trophy wife or husband — a partner that’s valued heavily as a status symbol,...
a year ago
We’ve all heard of the trophy wife or husband — a partner that’s valued heavily as a status symbol, for superficial qualities over substance. Similarly, I’ve started to think about the idea of the trophy job — a job that people covet for its status more than its substance.
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...
6 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.
Noahpinion
Yes, we still have to work
The automated luxury paradise is still just science fiction.
5 months ago
The automated luxury paradise is still just science fiction.
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.
SatPost by Trung...
6 thoughts on "Elon Musk" by Walter Isaacson
Including the Twitter deal, SpaceX's "Idiot Index", the manufacturing "algorithm", management style...
a year ago
Including the Twitter deal, SpaceX's "Idiot Index", the manufacturing "algorithm", management style and Big Tech beefs (Bill Gates, Larry Page, Jeff Bezos).
Noahpinion
Stop saying "there is no decoupling". There is!
Decoupling will take time, and it won't look like the Iron Curtain, but it's happening.
a year ago
Decoupling will take time, and it won't look like the Iron Curtain, but it's happening.
Rest of World -...
How we’re tracking AI incidents around global elections
Rest of World is collecting examples of AI being used for campaigning, misinformation, and memes in...
8 months ago
Rest of World is collecting examples of AI being used for campaigning, misinformation, and memes in a regularly updated tracker.
Rest of World -...
A little-understood role in a global VC could also be one of the most influential
Ana Jiménez, 500 Global’s chief of staff for Latin America, on building a relationship of trust and...
a year ago
Ana Jiménez, 500 Global’s chief of staff for Latin America, on building a relationship of trust and strategic vision with her organization’s leader.
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 2 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Noahpinion
Why on Earth does Trump want to cancel the CHIPS Act??
A second Trump presidency would truly be a gift to Xi Jinping.
2 months ago
A second Trump presidency would truly be a gift to Xi Jinping.
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.
Noahpinion
America's semiconductor policy is missing a key piece
A guest post by Steven Glinert.
8 months ago
A guest post by Steven Glinert.
Platformer
Can Snap snap back?
At its annual summit, the company gets bullish on AI — but feels haunted by the ghost of its past...
a year ago
At its annual summit, the company gets bullish on AI — but feels haunted by the ghost of its past ambitions
Rest of World -...
Ride-hailing in Pakistan: A driver’s endless struggle for a clean car
This inDrive worker says he is tired of passengers treating his car like a donkey cart.
a year ago
This inDrive worker says he is tired of passengers treating his car like a donkey cart.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Predicting the future of the Internet is easy: anything it hasn’t yet dramatically transformed, it...
People love to focus on horse races: NYC vs Silcon Valley, Facebook vs Twitter, IPO markets vs...
over a year ago
People love to focus on horse races: NYC vs Silcon Valley, Facebook vs Twitter, IPO markets vs private exchanges, the valuation of some…
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
Stephen Diehl
Exotic Programming Ideas: Part 3 (Effect Systems)
over a year ago
Aaron's Essays
The Hindsight Game
There are all kinds of strategies for evaluating startup ideas - investors talk about having a...
a year ago
There are all kinds of strategies for evaluating startup ideas - investors talk about having a “prepared mind,” others build market maps, I like to think about toys, and we could go on. What everyone wants to do is predict the future. That’s honestly impossible. But we can...
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The importance of asking people questions
Andy Weissman’s blog has the tagline “Maximizing the serendipity around you.” It’s a good...
over a year ago
Andy Weissman’s blog has the tagline “Maximizing the serendipity around you.” It’s a good philosophy. I think one of the simplest ways to…
Essays - Benedict...
Do App Store Rules Matter?
After a decade of arguing, regulators will change Apple’s App Store rules.
How much money is...
over a year ago
After a decade of arguing, regulators will change Apple’s App Store rules.
How much money is involved, what might happen next and, most importantly,
who cares? This is a big deal for Spotify, but does it matter to anyone
else?
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Size markets using narratives, not numbers
Anyone who has pitched VCs knows they are obsessed with market size. If you can’t make the case...
over a year ago
Anyone who has pitched VCs knows they are obsessed with market size. If you can’t make the case that you’re addressing a possible billion…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Inferring intent on mobile devices
[Google CEO Eric] Schmidt said that while the Google Instant predictive search technology helps...
over a year ago
[Google CEO Eric] Schmidt said that while the Google Instant predictive search technology helps shave an average of 2 seconds off users…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Presenting Founder Collective
As readers of this blog know, I’m a huge fan of the startup and venture capital world but also a...
over a year ago
As readers of this blog know, I’m a huge fan of the startup and venture capital world but also a sometimes critic of how the venture capital…
Rest of World -...
Uber’s big plan for India: buses
Uber Shuttle, a shared bus ride service, is available in two Indian cities. The company plans to...
a month ago
Uber Shuttle, a shared bus ride service, is available in two Indian cities. The company plans to launch in three more cities soon.
Steve Blank
Mapping the Unknown – The Ten Steps to Map Any Industry
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step Lǎozi 老子 I just had lunch with Shenwei, one...
over a year ago
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step Lǎozi 老子 I just had lunch with Shenwei, one of my ex-students who had just taken a job in a mid-sized consulting firm. After a bit of catching up I offered he was looking a bit lost. “I just got handed a project to […]
Noahpinion
Argentina's macroeconomic situation is even worse up close
A guest post by Karl T. Muth
a year ago
A guest post by Karl T. Muth
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Chris Sacca on the implied user contract
Chris Sacca nicely summarized today’s FB vs Google vs Twitter controversy: It comes down to what...
over a year ago
Chris Sacca nicely summarized today’s FB vs Google vs Twitter controversy: It comes down to what each company has promised its users…
Rest of World -...
Malaysia’s homegrown car brands bank on cheaper models to compete with Tesla and BYD
Proton and Perodua are betting on low prices and an emotional connection with Malaysia’s drivers to...
4 months ago
Proton and Perodua are betting on low prices and an emotional connection with Malaysia’s drivers to compete with BYD and Tesla.
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,...
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…
SatPost by Trung...
Coca-Cola: "A cure for all nervous affections"
How cocaine, the "patent medicine" industry and mass advertising created the world's most iconic...
a year ago
How cocaine, the "patent medicine" industry and mass advertising created the world's most iconic beverage.
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.
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.
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
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
🛰️ Starlink Plus
3 months ago
Stephen Diehl
Cooking Classes with Datatype Generic Programming
over a year ago
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…
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…
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 1 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Nothing Human
Meditations on Machinic Desire
The philosopher and accelerationist Nick Land writes, in his 1994 essay Machinic Desire, three of...
2 months ago
The philosopher and accelerationist Nick Land writes, in his 1994 essay Machinic Desire, three of the most insight-dense paragraphs I’ve ever encountered:
XO Capital - Field...
Our First Community Call
This week Danny jumped on a live Twitter Spaces with me. We talked about:
When to "quit"
XO...
10 months ago
This week Danny jumped on a live Twitter Spaces with me. We talked about:
When to "quit"
XO community, courses,
Motivations for picking a startup idea
Decision making differences between short holds and longer holds.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The challenge of creating a new category
One of the hardest things to do as a startup is to create a new category. Bloggers and press have a...
over a year ago
One of the hardest things to do as a startup is to create a new category. Bloggers and press have a natural tendency to “pigeonhole” – to…
Stephen Diehl
Exotic Programming Ideas: Part 1 (Module Systems)
over a year ago
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#43)
Slop wars; Poland and Ukraine; AI bubble; MMT reversal;
5 months ago
Slop wars; Poland and Ukraine; AI bubble; MMT reversal;
Articles -...
How to raise money
In this article, I will walk you through my fundraising formula that has helped me raise over $1...
a year ago
In this article, I will walk you through my fundraising formula that has helped me raise over $1 billion of capital in my career. I’ll also walk you through building a predictable and repeatable fundraising machine.
The probability of success for a high growth company is...
David Perell
Tiago Forte & Will Mannon: Building Cohort-Based Courses
I have two guests today: Tiago Forte and Will Mannon. Tiago is my business partner and the creator...
over a year ago
I have two guests today: Tiago Forte and Will Mannon. Tiago is my business partner and the creator of an online course called Building a Second Brain. The two of us record a podcast like this every year to reflect on what we’ve learned about the online education industry. And...
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...
Platformer
What we’re learning from the Reddit blackout
Five lessons, and one open question
a year ago
Five lessons, and one open question
Noahpinion
2023 is when the empires strike back
Cold War 2 won't be decided by the opening moves.
a year ago
Cold War 2 won't be decided by the opening moves.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Twitter killed RSS (and that’s a bad thing)
I’ve used Google Reader religiously since it launched. I’m a few days away from quitting it...
over a year ago
I’ve used Google Reader religiously since it launched. I’m a few days away from quitting it forever. Pretty much every blog I read tweets…
Rest of World -...
Free AI tools are killing South Africa’s web designer job market
Some web designers use ChatGPT to code and create basic designs, while salaries for web designers in...
a year ago
Some web designers use ChatGPT to code and create basic designs, while salaries for web designers in South Africa have dropped.
Unpacked
Data Scraping in the Spotlight: Are Language Models Overstepping by Training on Everyone's Content?
As I wrapped up the research for this piece and was about to start writing, OpenAI had a perfect...
a year ago
As I wrapped up the research for this piece and was about to start writing, OpenAI had a perfect announcement to go with it - they are temporarily disabling the “Browse with Bing" feature on ChatGPT. If you haven’t used it before, this is a feature available to paying Plus users....
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 2 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
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
Maximizing capacity utilization as a startup premise
In stark contrast to other major airlines, Southwest has been profitable for 40 years. If Southwest...
over a year ago
In stark contrast to other major airlines, Southwest has been profitable for 40 years. If Southwest had one core “startup premise” it was…
Rest of World -...
How translator-influencers bring banned foreign videos onto China’s internet
On social media platform Weibo, influencers curate, translate, and edit content from the outside...
a year ago
On social media platform Weibo, influencers curate, translate, and edit content from the outside world.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Some thoughts on the iPhone contact list controversy and app security
1. I’ve heard rumors that lots of apps have been uploading user contact lists for years. One person...
over a year ago
1. I’ve heard rumors that lots of apps have been uploading user contact lists for years. One person who knows the iOS world well told me “if…
Internal Tech Emails
Facebook and Google "at Defcon 2"
From: Sheryl Sandberg We really want a deep relationship – or at this point any relationship – with...
6 months ago
From: Sheryl Sandberg We really want a deep relationship – or at this point any relationship – with Google
Rest of World -...
Nigerian businesses increasingly skip traditional banks and turn to Moniepoint
Moniepoint’s payment machines have become ubiquitous across Nigeria. But the company faces...
10 months ago
Moniepoint’s payment machines have become ubiquitous across Nigeria. But the company faces competition from Chinese-backed OPay.
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for your weekend (#26)
The U.S. economy, U.S. energy, Millennial wealth, medical administrators, and standardized tests
11 months ago
The U.S. economy, U.S. energy, Millennial wealth, medical administrators, and standardized tests
Rest of World -...
What it takes to raise a $300 million VC fund for Africa
Tidjane Deme talks about convincing investors to back Africa-focused tech funds amid a global...
8 months ago
Tidjane Deme talks about convincing investors to back Africa-focused tech funds amid a global funding slump.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The Babe Ruth Effect in Venture Capital
"How to hit home runs: I swing as hard as I can, and I try to swing right through the ball... The...
over a year ago
"How to hit home runs: I swing as hard as I can, and I try to swing right through the ball... The harder you grip the bat, the more you can…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
A few points about the “tech bubble” debate
Pretty much every day now a major blog or newspaper writes an article asking whether we are...
over a year ago
Pretty much every day now a major blog or newspaper writes an article asking whether we are experiencing another tech bubble (e.g. see today…
Rest of World -...
Kenya’s biggest protest in recent history played out on a walkie-talkie app
More than 40,000 Kenyans have downloaded Zello since protests began against the government’s plan to...
5 months ago
More than 40,000 Kenyans have downloaded Zello since protests began against the government’s plan to raise taxes.
XO Capital - Field...
493.5% ROI - Exiting Sheet.Best
💡
Side note. To build our community up a bit, we're putting a cohort together to help 5 people buy...
10 months ago
💡
Side note. To build our community up a bit, we're putting a cohort together to help 5 people buy their first saas company. If this one is successful and we can add some value, we'll do another one! Jump in our discord to stay informed!
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”.
Platformer
Meta seeks to hide harms from teens
But to change the conversation, the company will have to do more than tweak its settings
11 months ago
But to change the conversation, the company will have to do more than tweak its settings
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things for the middle of your week (#40)
Europe's Greens; jobs and the Great Replacement; tariffs and development; rent control; service...
6 months ago
Europe's Greens; jobs and the Great Replacement; tariffs and development; rent control; service costs
Dustin Curtis
The 16-inch MacBook Pro: A Faster Horse
From Apple’s announcement of the 16-Inch MacBook Pro a couple of weeks ago:
“Our pro customers tell...
over a year ago
From Apple’s announcement of the 16-Inch MacBook Pro a couple of weeks ago:
“Our pro customers tell us they want their next MacBook Pro to have a larger display, blazing-fast performance, the biggest battery possible, the best notebook keyboard ever, awesome speakers and massive...
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things to start your week (#18)
Recession illusions, China's military buildup, industrial policy and wages, rethinking corporate...
a year ago
Recession illusions, China's military buildup, industrial policy and wages, rethinking corporate tax, tightening export controls, and an interview with Darrell Owens
Rest of World -...
The political power of an unlikely Tesla factory
How Elon Musk plays politicians from Monterrey to Buffalo.
a year ago
How Elon Musk plays politicians from Monterrey to Buffalo.
Platformer
Here come the ChatGPT bans
Blocked in schools, forbidden at a machine learning conference. What should OpenAI do about it?
a year ago
Blocked in schools, forbidden at a machine learning conference. What should OpenAI do about it?
cdixon.org RSS Feed
The thin edge of the wedge for virtual reality
Pius Uzamere argues that virtual reality will succeed first in business applications instead of...
over a year ago
Pius Uzamere argues that virtual reality will succeed first in business applications instead of gaming: The most interesting virtual reality…
XO Capital - Field...
We 10x-ed screenshotapi.net and sold it
Before we jump in, I was on a pod talking through content, acquisitions, etc:
This exit is bitter...
4 months ago
Before we jump in, I was on a pod talking through content, acquisitions, etc:
This exit is bitter sweet. Screenshot was our first ever acquisition. We 10x-ed it, and it is really the reason XO exists today. If this first acquisition hadn't gone well, I think I would
Internal Tech Emails
Steve Jobs emails Bill Gates
They are really going out of their way to say that they intend to kill QuickTime, and are being...
a year ago
They are really going out of their way to say that they intend to kill QuickTime, and are being quite threatening and rude about it.
Unpacked
2024 Predictions: AI, Media, Advertising & more
They say predictions is a bad business - You get it right, people say "duh". You get it wrong, you...
11 months ago
They say predictions is a bad business - You get it right, people say "duh". You get it wrong, you are terribly wrong. So, of course we are kicking off with 2024 tech predictions. Listen in for hot takes across AI, Media, Advertising & more.
Noahpinion
How Latin America started to beat inequality
It can be done.
8 months ago
Essays - Benedict...
Ways to think about a metaverse
Your boss wants a metaverse strategy, but what would that be, and what does
metaverse even mean?...
over a year ago
Your boss wants a metaverse strategy, but what would that be, and what does
metaverse even mean? If we strip away the noise, what can we say about
this, and what can we predict?
SatPost by Trung...
Blumhouse: The Hollywood Horror Hit Machine
How Jason Blum turned "constraints breed creativity" into a business model.
a year ago
How Jason Blum turned "constraints breed creativity" into a business model.
essay – snarfed.org
Socket activation
I’ve spent some time over the last few weeks reading about the various *nix init systems: venerable...
over a year ago
I’ve spent some time over the last few weeks reading about the various *nix init systems: venerable SysV, interim replacement Upstart, controversial monolith systemd, Apple’s proprietary launchd, and niche variants like runit and Epoch. Lots of history, lots of flame wars. One...
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,...
a year 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...
Platformer
Bluesky's big moment
A new Twitter clone is surging in popularity. Could it have legs?
a year ago
A new Twitter clone is surging in popularity. Could it have legs?
Rest of World -...
Jumia Food’s shutdown left hundreds of drivers jobless, unable to withdraw earnings
Former gig drivers in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda are still feeling the pinch after Jumia Food...
9 months ago
Former gig drivers in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda are still feeling the pinch after Jumia Food abruptly exited seven African markets.
Rest of World -...
Illegal gold mining influencers are tearing up the Amazon
Creators share tips on YouTube and TikTok to bring new miners into the fold and turn criminal...
a year ago
Creators share tips on YouTube and TikTok to bring new miners into the fold and turn criminal behavior into money-making content.
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…
Rest of World -...
Women in South Africa’s gig economy feel forced to work extra hours for free
Women who work as domestic cleaners with SweepSouth, an on-demand app, say clients frequently ask...
12 months ago
Women who work as domestic cleaners with SweepSouth, an on-demand app, say clients frequently ask them to do unpaid work, and the company hasn’t responded to their complaints.
Noahpinion
Why rabbits?
Towards a better, floofier world.
a year ago
Towards a better, floofier world.
SatPost by Trung...
Who Will Run Berkshire After Buffett?
PLUS: Group Chat Rules, 5 Banks in Disguise, Chipotle's Memo.
7 months ago
PLUS: Group Chat Rules, 5 Banks in Disguise, Chipotle's Memo.
tomcritchlow.com
(Another) Quick Riff on Narrative Strategy
I’ve been ruminating on the idea of narrative strategy for a while now. The last time I wrote about...
10 months ago
I’ve been ruminating on the idea of narrative strategy for a while now. The last time I wrote about it was in 2020.
Articles - Alex...
The forecasting fallacy
Marketers are prone to a prediction. You’ll find them in the annual tirade
of trend decks. In the...
over a year ago
Marketers are prone to a prediction. You’ll find them in the annual tirade
of trend decks. In the PowerPoint projections of self-proclaimed prophets.
In the feeds of forecasters and futurists. To understand the extent of our
forecasting fascination, I analysed the websites...
Platformer
Five reasons Threads could still go the distance
One week later, engagement is down — but the prize is still there for the taking
a year ago
One week later, engagement is down — but the prize is still there for the taking
Rest of World -...
The capybara influencer revolt
A wildlife influencer’s famous capybara was confiscated by Brazilian authorities. A mass movement...
a year ago
A wildlife influencer’s famous capybara was confiscated by Brazilian authorities. A mass movement ensued.
SatPost by Trung...
Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos Enter a Room
In December 2000, the founders of Apple and Amazon were invited to critique a demo of the Segway. It...
3 months ago
In December 2000, the founders of Apple and Amazon were invited to critique a demo of the Segway. It was a wild two-hour session filled with gem quotes and business insights.
Rest of World -...
A tale of two feeds
Car smuggling in Bolivia is booming, despite thieves and theft victims widely documenting the...
a year ago
Car smuggling in Bolivia is booming, despite thieves and theft victims widely documenting the problem.
Paul Graham: Essays
Chapter 1 of Ansi Common Lisp
a year ago
Platformer
A visit to TikTok's transparency center
Few companies have ever made their code so available for inspection. How much will it matter?
a year ago
Few companies have ever made their code so available for inspection. How much will it matter?
Rest of World -...
Amazon launched a program for Indian handicrafts. Local artisans say it’s not working
Makers say Amazon Karigar has failed to distinguish their crafts from mass-produced items.
2 months ago
Makers say Amazon Karigar has failed to distinguish their crafts from mass-produced items.
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.”
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…
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Building products from improvised user behaviors
For a long time, there were niche communities of “lo-fi” camera enthusiasts: people who shared...
over a year ago
For a long time, there were niche communities of “lo-fi” camera enthusiasts: people who shared photos taken on old cameras that had…
Noahpinion
Who's afraid of the Huawei Mate 60 Pro?
Export controls were never going to make China's semiconductor industry vanish.
a year ago
Export controls were never going to make China's semiconductor industry vanish.
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...
8 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...
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…
Rest of World -...
2023 Impact Report
The global reach and impact of our journalism in 2023
8 months ago
The global reach and impact of our journalism in 2023
Noahpinion
At least five interesting things to start your week (#23)
SF's Market Street debacle, the debate over real wages, why U.S. growth has gotten smoother, TikTok...
a year ago
SF's Market Street debacle, the debate over real wages, why U.S. growth has gotten smoother, TikTok as a propaganda engine, and California homelessness
essay – snarfed.org
Content negotiation considered harmful
Matilda, 1996 Content negotiation is a feature of HTTP that lets clients ask for, and servers...
a year ago
Matilda, 1996 Content negotiation is a feature of HTTP that lets clients ask for, and servers return, different content types based on the request’s Accept header. Sounds great, right? Well, no. Content negotiation is the classic example of an idea that sounds good in theory, but...
Working Theorys
Status Limbo | Theory No. 27
To get status, you have to give up status.
11 months ago
To get status, you have to give up status.
Rest of World -...
Apple’s reluctant shift toward India
Apple apparently sees India as a destination to assemble and sell its iPhones. But CEO Tim Cook...
a year ago
Apple apparently sees India as a destination to assemble and sell its iPhones. But CEO Tim Cook hasn’t made any big promises yet.
Paul Graham: Essays
Holding a Program in One's Head
over a year ago
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...
Working Theorys
Weekend Theorys No. 1
"Healthy” social apps, the folly of the "one-two punch," and side projects that command respect
11 months ago
"Healthy” social apps, the folly of the "one-two punch," and side projects that command respect
Paul Graham: Essays
Do Things that Don't Scale
over a year ago
Paul Graham: Essays
The Future of Web Startups
over a year ago
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Does a VC’s brand matter?
Suppose you are in the enviable position of choosing between offers from multiple VC firms. How...
over a year ago
Suppose you are in the enviable position of choosing between offers from multiple VC firms. How much should you weigh the brand of the VCs…
tomcritchlow.com
Building a New Project in Public
Nate Kadlac runs Approachable Design an online course to teach the basics of visual aesthetic and...
a year ago
Nate Kadlac runs Approachable Design an online course to teach the basics of visual aesthetic and design.
Data Boutique
Web Data Is A Commodity And Needs A Marketplace To Grow
The Advantages Of Central Markets
a year ago
The Advantages Of Central Markets
Rest of World -...
Using AI to revive nostalgia — and preserve Hong Kong’s past
Michael Chang, CEO of Capture.HK, talks about how the company helps digitize old albums and video...
a year ago
Michael Chang, CEO of Capture.HK, talks about how the company helps digitize old albums and video tapes.
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…
Raw Thought (from...
What are the optimal biases to overcome?
over a year ago
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…
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Four types of mobile apps
If you are a founder trying to create a new mobile app or an investor trying decide whether an app...
over a year ago
If you are a founder trying to create a new mobile app or an investor trying decide whether an app has enduring value, it is helpful to…
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.
Rest of World -...
How livestream realtors helped make Xishuangbanna a boom town
Real estate agents turn to Douyin and Kuaishou to show properties virtually through livestreaming,...
9 months ago
Real estate agents turn to Douyin and Kuaishou to show properties virtually through livestreaming, drawing the attention of out-of-town buyers.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
🪄 Growth Magic
4 months ago
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.
cdixon.org RSS Feed
Some thoughts on mobile
People tend to lump smartphones and tablets together as “mobile”. This can be misleading. Ask people...
over a year ago
People tend to lump smartphones and tablets together as “mobile”. This can be misleading. Ask people who run internet companies and they’ll…
Noahpinion
Yes, Americans are much richer than Japanese people
GDP is not a perfect guide to wealth, but it's pretty darn good.
a week ago
GDP is not a perfect guide to wealth, but it's pretty darn good.
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?
Noahpinion
Five possible reasons China's productivity slowed down
A repost, with some updates.
6 days ago
A repost, with some updates.
Rest of World -...
Sierra Leone’s first lady hopes going viral on TikTok will secure Saturday’s elections
Amid economic turmoil, President Julius Maada Bio is seeking re-election in Sierra Leone. His wife,...
a year ago
Amid economic turmoil, President Julius Maada Bio is seeking re-election in Sierra Leone. His wife, Fatima, is dancing to a crowd of over 200,000 on TikTok to drum up votes.
Rest of World -...
Rest of World’s 2024 global playlist
What's that sound? It's your perfect soundtrack to just about everything.
6 months ago
What's that sound? It's your perfect soundtrack to just about everything.
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.
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:
Business Brainstorms
Hard startups, importance of founder-led sales, Netflix for written content
Hey, this is Jakob Greenfeld, author of the Business Brainstorms newsletter - every week I write...
a year ago
Hey, this is Jakob Greenfeld, author of the Business Brainstorms newsletter - every week I write this email to share the most interesting trends, frameworks, opportunities, and ideas with you. Let's dive in! 💡 Opportunities “I wish I could pay per newspaper article, with only...
Tech + Economics +...
The internet is broken. Here’s how we fix it.
In 1971, Ray Tomlinson, an engineer working on the ARPANET project — the
predecessor to the...
a year ago
In 1971, Ray Tomlinson, an engineer working on the ARPANET project — the
predecessor to the Internet — sent the first email. The message was nothing
profound; it was a series of random characters that looked more like the
utterance of a toddler on a typewriter than a...
Tom Blomfield
Apple is propping up a fundamentally broken payments industry
Apple’s latest announcement on payments has sparked some interesting debate but also a fair share of...
over a year ago
Apple’s latest announcement on payments has sparked some interesting debate but also a fair share of breathless pronouncements on a “revolution" in mobile payments.
To be clear - Apple Pay is a step forward in terms of end user experience - but it simply entrenches a...
Noahpinion
Hispanics as the new Irish
A historical analogy to help us understand the present moment.
a year ago
A historical analogy to help us understand the present moment.
Entrepreneur's Edge
The Power of Beliefs
The significant role that our beliefs play in our outcomes.
a year ago
The significant role that our beliefs play in our outcomes.
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…
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.
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.
Rest of World -...
Indonesia is trying to block LGBTQIA content from the internet
A new broadcast bill imposes curbs on LGBTQIA content and other “negative” material, potentially...
6 months ago
A new broadcast bill imposes curbs on LGBTQIA content and other “negative” material, potentially hurting content creators and broadcasters in Indonesia.
Noahpinion
The perverse incentives of euthanasia
Suggesting that people die is not a good way of saving taxpayer money.
9 months ago
Suggesting that people die is not a good way of saving taxpayer money.
Business Brainstorms
💡 Business Brainstorms 💡- My favorite ideas of the week
#1 💡 Phil is the founder of my favorite email software and he’s 100% correct here. Google sucks for...
11 months ago
#1 💡 Phil is the founder of my favorite email software and he’s 100% correct here. Google sucks for recommendations. The algorithm has been gamed to death. Just in the past two days I’ve asked GPT for recommendations on 2 high ticket decisions (job board in specific region,...
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