Napkin Math

Profit and power in technology.

Mar 2, 2023

Should I Quit and Start a Franchise?

I’m wondering if I can deep-fry my way out of the apocalypse

Nov 10, 2022

Pinterest Has a Chance

The first full-stack shopping platform

Dec 14, 2023

Want to Build? Technical Excellence Won’t Be Enough.

This new era of startups requires a founder baptized in the humanities

Feb 16, 2023

Bada Bing: Why Microsoft Wants Google to Dance

Surely nothing bad will happen with an AI hooked up to the internet

Jun 6, 2023

The Bugman Cometh

My sick, unexplainable desire to buy a face computer

Aug 24, 2023

A TikTok Competitor Is About to IPO—And It’s Deeply Suspicious

Triller's S1 raises questions about its numbers

Aug 4, 2022

The Meh-taverse

A Book Review

Oct 14, 2022

Who Wins the AI Value Chain?

It's A Brave New World

Jun 10, 2022

Software is Eating the Individual

The Embedded Human

Sep 22, 2022

The AI Writer

How tech is changing what it means to be an author

Sep 26, 2020

Substack Rhymes With Medium

Substack can't decide if it's a CMS or a media brand. Neither could Medium. Their indecision will likely lead to similar outcomes.

Nov 22, 2022

6 New Theories About AI

Software with superpowers

Jul 15, 2020

How Costco Convinces Brands to Cannibalize Themselves

An unlikely marriage where both sides win

Mar 28, 2024

What Are AI Agents—And Who Profits From Them?

The newest wave of AI research is changing everything

Mar 30, 2022

Twitter’s Probably Screwed

The Rugged Landscape of Digital Advertising

Jul 15, 2022

Has Venture Lost Its Soul?

A Book Review of The Power Law

Aug 17, 2023

The Internet Is Still Early

Neither hellscape nor utopia—the internet makes society anew

May 11, 2023

Why Are Republicans Better at Making Money on the Internet?

What consumer tech and media got wrong

May 5, 2022

The Empire Stripes Back

A $100B Bet on Two Brothers

Jun 16, 2022

Selective Optimism

People who promise high returns forever are liars

Apr 28, 2022

Cash—Kingmaker or Killer?

A examination of when cash can anoint a market winner

Oct 6, 2022

The Face That AI Built

My explorations in image generation

Sep 19, 2024

Live Fuller, Not Bigger

You must escape the shallow joy of more

Nov 9, 2023

We Should All Want to Be Mitt Romney

What is the point of F U money if you never say F U?