Napkin Math

Profit and power in technology.

Apr 19, 2023

You Probably Shouldn’t Work at a Startup

It’s overrated—both financially and emotionally

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?

Feb 14, 2024

Autonomous Vehicles Have a Problem of Narrative

The tech industry needs to be honest about the trade-offs of risk

Jul 17, 2024

A New Book of the Startup Bible

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

Sep 28, 2022

Why Culture Eats Strategy

The Search For the Winning Formula

Oct 4, 2023

Automate the Simple Stuff With Stupid Tools

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

Apr 7, 2022

The Futility of Utility

A personal essay

Dec 16, 2021

The primary trends I’m investing in next year

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

Jul 26, 2023

Snap’s Probably Screwed (Again)

Maybe Elon should buy it

Sep 13, 2023

Defense Tech Shouldn’t Be Sexy

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

Nov 30, 2022

The House of the Bloody Mouse

Where does Disney go from here?

Sep 11, 2024

The Button Problem of AI

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

Apr 4, 2022

Twitter’s Shot at Becoming a Meme Stock

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

Jan 31, 2024

Crypto’s Prophet Speaks

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

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

Jul 20, 2022

Crypto Has A Use Case

How Braintrust Used Tokens to Kickstart a Market

Apr 20, 2022

Microsoft should buy Netflix

Netflix and Bill

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

May 18, 2022

How Startups Can Survive the Creator Economy Winter

The Race for Revenue Share

Feb 24, 2022

Joe Rogan: The Platform-Proof Creator

Spotify’s No-Win Predicament

Jun 21, 2023

AI Can Construct a Trading Strategy Now

And it means there are big changes ahead for what software can do

Mar 9, 2022

How To Get Leverage On Your Ideas

The Power Output Equation

Mar 25, 2024

How to Make Millions on Discord

A new distribution channel has opened