Napkin Math

Profit and power in technology.

Feb 13, 2025

Does OpenAI’s Deep Research Put Me Out of a Job?

An investigation into a Sam Altman tweet

Feb 6, 2025

The Vatican Has Some Thoughts on AI

In a new statement, the Catholic Church expounds on the nature of human versus machine intelligence, and its views on the utility of AI

Jan 30, 2025

Who Wins the AI Agent Battle?

What OpenAI’s Operator tells us about what comes next in artificial intelligence

Jan 24, 2025

Why Is Jensen Huang $120 Billion Richer Than You?

Hint: Nvidia’s success is based on much more than chips

Jan 16, 2025

God Is in the Bubbles

The politics of progress has a new manual

Jan 9, 2025

More Output, Less Effort

8 pieces of technology that have dramatically improved my life

Dec 5, 2024

The Religion of Ramp

How the fintech became one of the fastest-growing startups—ever

Oct 24, 2024

How to Win Arguments and Manipulate Managers

Make your spreadsheets shape strategy

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 24, 2024

The One-person Billion-dollar Company

Can AI agents make you a billionaire?

Sep 23, 2024

What Are AI Agents—And Who Profits From Them?

The newest wave of AI research is changing everything

Sep 19, 2024

Live Fuller, Not Bigger

You must escape the shallow joy of more

Sep 12, 2024

The Button Problem of AI

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

Sep 5, 2024

Vibes-based Search

The next big disruption in software is here, and it understands what you’re looking for better than you do

Aug 29, 2024

Welcome to the Era of the Gritty Startup

The age of glut is over. Here are three lessons to navigate through leaner times.

Aug 27, 2024

Benevolent Billionaire or Despot—Or Both?

A new book on Bill Gates asks: How do you measure a billionaire’s net impact on the world?

Aug 22, 2024

Copy Rights and Wrongs

Who owns the output of AI—the machines or the creators?

Aug 16, 2024

Feasting at the Trough of AI Slop

AI imagery is more popular, more powerful, and less harmful than you think

Aug 13, 2024

The Addiction Economy

Addicted, overwhelmed, oversubscribed: How technology hooked the world

Aug 8, 2024

The Horny Truth About AI Chatbots

What our digital companions reveal about human loneliness

Aug 6, 2024

Here’s a Million-dollar Software Idea

Welcoming the dawn of a new era in computing

Jul 30, 2024

Tinder Is Way More Important Than You Think

The success of a dating app has huge implications for the U.S. economy

Jul 25, 2024

Can Anyone Compete With Meta’s New AI Model?

Zuckerberg’s open-source gambit could burst the AI hype—or save it

Jul 23, 2024

Vibes Are a Legitimate Economic Indicator

In her debut book, Kyla Scanlon makes the case for feeling the numbers