Napkin Math

Profit and power in technology.

Jan 12, 2023

In Defense of the Unoptimized Life

Give yourself the space to be inspired

Nov 21, 2023

The Case Against Sam Altman

The board is bad at their job, but they may not be crazy

Jun 1, 2023

The Cost of Greatness

What will be the blood sacrifice on your altar of ambition?

Mar 30, 2023

Tinder Is Way More Important Than You Think

Forget AI, the people want to bone

Jul 28, 2022

Snapchat’s Probably Screwed

Apple's ATT Fallout Continues

Apr 6, 2023

We Don’t Know Enough About the Pornhub Acquisition

One of the world’s most important websites was sold and nobody cares

Apr 13, 2023

Steve Jobs’ Legacy for Builders

A book that lit a fire in my soul

Feb 2, 2023

AI Looks Like a Bubble

Investors need to take a cold shower

Jul 1, 2020

Why MasterClass Isn’t Really About Mastery

And other lessons from a 9-figure edtech startup

Aug 3, 2023

Devote Yourself to the Cause of Your Life

Your to-do list can wait

Sep 21, 2023

Oh No, I Kinda Want to Work for Elon

An examination of the man-child who would be king

Dec 15, 2022

Should You Fire This Newsletter?

In which I analyze whether I’m good at my job

Jan 26, 2023

How Technology Giants Die

GE, Amazon, and the flywheel of death

May 26, 2022

The Addiction Economy

Addicted, Overwhelmed, Oversubscribed: How Technology Hooked the World

Oct 26, 2023

Live Fuller, Not Bigger

You must escape the shallow joy of more

Jun 3, 2021

Product-Led Growth’s Failure

How a Scrappy Utah Software Company Ignored Every Silicon Valley Heuristic and Won Anyway

Feb 9, 2023

The Meditations of Vinyl Jesus

Music producer Rick Rubin explores the creative process

May 25, 2023

Dying Whales and Dying Billionaires

A note about power

Oct 1, 2024

Dad Mode

The secret to personal growth isn't in self-help books or ayahuasca trips. It's in a $1.99 pregnancy test from Target.

Sep 15, 2022

When Creation Goes To Zero

Skynet Who?

Oct 11, 2023

Falling Out of Love With Michael Lewis

The complicated demands of business writing

Feb 8, 2024

The One-person Billion-dollar Company

Can AI agents make you a billionaire?

Jun 15, 2023

OpenAI’s Code Interpreter Is About to Remake Finance

Get in loser, we’re disrupting Oracle

Aug 8, 2024

The Horny Truth About AI Chatbots

What our digital companions reveal about human loneliness