Napkin Math

Profit and power in technology.

Nov 8, 2023

We Should All Want to Be Mitt Romney

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

Apr 27, 2022

Cash—Kingmaker or Killer?

A examination of when cash can anoint a market winner

Apr 19, 2023

You Probably Shouldn’t Work at a Startup

It’s overrated—both financially and emotionally

Jul 17, 2024

A New Book of the Startup Bible

It’s the rare business book that you should actually read

Nov 30, 2022

The House of the Bloody Mouse

Where does Disney go from here?

Sep 28, 2022

Why Culture Eats Strategy

The Search For the Winning Formula

Jul 26, 2023

Snap’s Probably Screwed (Again)

Maybe Elon should buy it

Apr 7, 2022

The Futility of Utility

A personal essay

Oct 4, 2023

Automate the Simple Stuff With Stupid Tools

This is the dumbest AI will ever be—and it’s still magic

Jul 20, 2022

Crypto Has A Use Case

How Braintrust Used Tokens to Kickstart a Market

Dec 15, 2021

The primary trends I’m investing in next year

Inflation, web3, embedded fintech, investing in people, and the newsletter winter that is coming

Sep 13, 2023

Defense Tech Shouldn’t Be Sexy

Weapons are a necessary evil, not a hype-y consumer product

Sep 11, 2024

The Button Problem of AI

What’s the real reason AI hasn’t yet delivered on its hype?

May 3, 2023

7 Reasons Media Is a No-Good, Horrible, Rotten Business That I Love Anyways

Plus a few things that bring me hope

Apr 4, 2022

Twitter’s Shot at Becoming a Meme Stock

It’s Musk's world and we’re just tweeting in it

Apr 20, 2022

Microsoft should buy Netflix

Netflix and Bill

May 18, 2022

How Startups Can Survive the Creator Economy Winter

The Race for Revenue Share

Jan 31, 2024

Crypto’s Prophet Speaks

A16z’s Chris Dixon hasn’t abandoned the faith with his new book, 'Read Write Own'

Jun 21, 2022

Are We Really Addicted?

An interview with Nir Eyal

Aug 12, 2024

The Addiction Economy

Addicted, overwhelmed, oversubscribed: How technology hooked the world

Sep 23, 2024

The One-person Billion-dollar Company

Can AI agents make you a billionaire?

Mar 6, 2024

Ads in the Age of AI

Weirder, different, and new

Sep 7, 2022

What I Learned From Being Cancer Free

Seven Years of Freedom

Aug 30, 2023

The Internet Demands Greatness

No one cares, so take more risks