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Thoughts, stories and ideas.
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\nI work at an AdTech company. Most of our creators use WordPress. A long time ago, I ran my blog with a simple Nginx server. Then I moved onto some weird crypto blogging platform and a stupid simple one. I was all over the place. It was fun, but I got little writing done. I realized it was time I centralized things. I needed one blog, one place to find (and put) all my stuff.
Why not WordPress? I hear about dogfooding products all the time and here was a perfect chance to do so. Plus, why not monetize my 3 friends who read the blog? I was leaving good quarters on the table.
What is dogfooding? Here are my favorite examples of the concept: Add to Playlist (Beehiv dogfood), Craft (Rewind dogfood), Real World Engineering Challenges #6: Migrations (infrastructure dogfood).
The first time around I tried to use Oracle's free tier. While it sounds great and would work for my original, simpler site, it failed for WordPress. The key problem? Their free tier includes only 1 GB of RAM. Granted, that was enough to get a WordPress instance setup. But when I tried to edit or publish the RAM spiked and the server fell over.
It is difficult to get a clear answer about how much RAM you need to self-host WordPress. The WordPress docs do not mention it at all. Random posts on the web pull 512 MB as a minimum out of thin air. Almost every forum that attemptsan answer says some form of \"It depends.\"
I discovered all this after I got my WordPress site all set up, including the annoying setup of Google Analytics. I refused to accept my setup was insufficient until I failed to publish my second article for the 5th time. It was then I realized that I might be in trouble with my tiny VM.
Here I'd like to shoutout Anthropic's Claude. I can't put my finger on what it is, but I love that chat app. It is warm and helpful in a way that the others do not appear to be. The UI makes an attempt to feel human and organic in stark contrast with the hospital vibes of OpenAI.
First, I tried to be reasonable. I could always resize the VM, right? Bump the RAM a little bit? Nope. It was then I discovered the myth that is the A1 Flex. My hopes soared only to tumble down again. Oracle claims this larger shape exists the way we claim Bigfoot lurks somewhere in America or aliens inhabit our skies. In theory, this shape would fulfill my requirements and keep me in the free zone. However, I'm not keen to write a script that hits the Oracle API every minute for 19 days to get a free VM.
The lowest price alternative to all this \"free\" tier is $25/month. At that point, I mind as well pay WordPress to host this shit. Would I take the easy way? Of course not. I'm a software developer. We love to make mountains out of molehills.
I debated. I hemmed and hawwed. I went crawling back to swim in the Digital Ocean. Why? Their guides got me through the setup. I don't know why they have incredible documentation on just about everything, but they do. It is incredible marketing and they earned my $12/month.
On to the actual setup. This is in large part for future me who blows up my server and needs to reset it from scratch. But I hope you can find it useful as well. I'm not going to replicate Digital Ocean's documentation, just as I'd never attempt to replicate a Picasso. Instead, I'm going to collect all the docs I found useful in the order I used them.
Before we dive in, here are some of my assumptions:
RAM: 2 GiB | vCPU: 1 vCPU | Transfer: 2,000 GiB | SSD: 50 GiB
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
And when the mainstream media highlights the stories of blue-collar workers, it’s often through a positive lens — the hardworking delivery worker making over 1 million yuan in three months and runs on three hours of sleep every day, and the livestreaming farmers using social platforms to turn their family businesses around. Their struggles rarely pierce the information bubble. On rare occasions when they do so through social media platforms, they get taken down without any reason.
At some point when I was a little kid, my dad told me he had never once removed his ring since my mom put it on his finger at their wedding, the year before I was born. My mom, I knew, took hers on and off all the time. In fact she often wore other rings in place of her actual wedding band, because she found them more comfortable, and she placed little sentimental value on the ring from her actual ceremony. I asked my dad that day about his, and he told me he simply had never taken it off. I found that to be amazing. From my childhood perspective, he’d worn that ring nonstop for a lifetime.
So she moved the party over to a nearby horse farm, and invited the public to join the fun. Meghan began hosting community events, charging people $10 to give their dogs a chance to play on her machine.Her events soon outgrew the horse farm. The space wasn’t large enough to contain the swathes of people and pets that her little invention attracted.Holy shit. Meghan had accidentally created a business.
Happy 249th B-Day to the US Navy, which started with a 13 October 1775 resolution for “a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men, be fitted, with all possible despatch, for a cruise of three months….” After the War of Independence, the new Constitution empowered Congress “to provide and maintain a navy,” which they finally did in 1798.
Slack prevents desperation. You can avoid bad trades and wait for better spots. You can be efficient.
Microsoft filed a patent application for a “context-aware” backpack, equipped with sensors and a microphone, which can tell you things about your surroundings;
McKinsey’s history with hospital systems from the Bronx to California is littered with the same sort of stuff: Lay off workers, wrench more money out of the hands of patients who can’t afford it, close community-based facilities and make patients range farther for care, and ultimately, merge smaller systems into larger health care behemoths of the sort that UPMC has become.
While, in theory, having a colder body temperature may be related to longevity (simply put, the lower the temperature the slower chemical reactions happen), in the “wild” this may be a double-edged sword because at lower temperatures the immune system is less capable (predisposing to infections & cancer) and also repair processes happen more slowly. Most importantly, at these temperatures brain function is quite impaired because of the perturbation of the delicate balance of ion kinetics.
And occasionally, I feel nostalgia for the complicated, dramatic stories I left behind. I thought I was going to save literature! I was so worried that I wouldn’t get everything right! What a wild, cinematic way to live! It’s kind of like remembering how boldly I acted the first time I got drunk. I wouldn’t want to live there, but there is a kind of appealing frenzy to it that I now cannot return to.
Few occasion have the most confident dressers flustered like a first date. I am of the view that the goal of a first date outfit is to: play up your best features, conveys confidence and provoke interest - all while looking like you haven’t tried very hard. EASY PEASY.
Quoting Jason Brink, Gala's former chief marketing officer, \"Why can't we create a system whereby people can earn via playing? Because it would take something like a dollar a week in some situations of additional income to keep someone from having to sell their kid. And if we can provide that via gaming, that is an amazing thing and we can fundamentally change the way the world functions.\" This valiant effort was spearheaded through Gala's first publicly available game, Town Star. It would be a surprising hit, especially thanks to its substantial real money rewards.
If thinking is navigating the idea maze, then good ideas may be interesting paths through the maze. This very essay you’re reading is a kind of a purposeful wandering hike through my own idea maze, laid out in a way that’ll hopefully plant some new seeds in your own garden of ideas. Ideas are paths through idea mazes, and writing is a way to chart those paths for others to follow.
For me and my family, the holidays are centered around food. We gather, 40 deep, for a veritable Thanksgiving feast every year. This week I've curated some of my favorite stories of the year about food. Please send me any food related writing that you found this year!
The Tokyo-trained Matsuhisa began his career as a restaurateur in Anchorage, Alaska, with an inauspicious start: His seven-week-old restaurant, which had taken him six months to build, burned to the ground. Exhausted and in debt, he moved to Lima, Peru, and ran Matsuei alongside a business partner with whom he eventually parted ways on negative terms. Matsuhisa then spent a year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but soon learned his mostly seafood menus didn’t resonate with locals more bent on eating beef.
Philly is, after all, the sixth biggest city in the nation. Its population is as diverse as it is passionate — and Philly has the cuisine, about which everyone here has a strong opinion, to match.
We kicked off the summer with a family trip to Montreal, which I wrote about for the Eater Travel newsletter. Despite having all our flights canceled (and spending way too much time on the phone rebooking), it was a fantastic destination for a trip with two toddlers — so much great food and pastries, a fully walkable city, and extremely family-friendly restaurants.
Mozi is a private social network for seeing your people more, IRL. Add your plans, check who’s in town, and know when you overlap.
The IRC strongly encourages elected officials to collaborate with civil society groups to strengthen protection and asylum systems. Upholding the dignity and rights of displaced individuals is vital, especially as we reaffirm America’s long-standing bipartisan commitment to supporting refugees and asylum seekers.
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Twitter followed suit, allegedly deprioritizing links to external websites and implementing new algorithmic changes in 2023. Meanwhile, publishers who have spent years paying tribute to the search gods now find themselves perpetually scrambling to build their own distribution channels – a panic exponentially intensified since AI entered the scene.
The best money I spent in November: $80 for a Lyft home after a night out with my dad. My dad and I are big Scotch drinkers, and a few years ago, we started an annual tradition of attending Whiskey Fest in Times Square. It’s one of my favorite nights of the year, because I love to hang out with my dad and try new-to-me Scotches. It’s mostly men at the event, but this year I made fast friends with another woman who also loves peated Scotches (IYKYK). Does anyone else want to start a Scotch whiskey club in NYC?
As you might imagine, I have a really hard time with friendship breakups. Like any other kind of breakup, there are the practical elements and then there is the personal pain. By practical elements, I mean: was there a fight? Did we make up? Did we agree to stop talking, or did one person just stop replying? Do I want to reach out? Do I think they will?
Before my eyes, the students that were excited to do “real coding,” began to label themselves as “bad at coding” the same way students have learned to label themselves “bad at math.” I felt like I was doing more harm than good, teaching students coding languages they weren’t ready for.
I am simultaneously excited by and terrified of AI. The potential to scale tasks I could not before is thrilling. The potential to scale harm that was once difficult to do is horrifying. As I look back on the year, these are some of the articles that shaped my thoughts on the bright spots and pitfalls of AI.
Observing my rough Venn sketch, I fear the main issue with those new artifacts is that neither fit into a specific segment. As mentioned above, they are all just a bit of everything, which makes me think:
How might AI hardware be fashionable yet useful?
Is AI the true enabler of a new hardware era?
Already, Earth Species Project is experimenting with synthetic animal sounds. In the same way a human voice can be deepfaked, new chirps, rumbles or howls can be artificially generated by machine learning. Like this chiffchaff call. The first clip is a recording of the birds — the second is a call generated by AI.
Younger people may not believe this but before spreadsheets investment bankers worked really long hours. It's only thanks to Excel that Goldman Sachs associates can get everything done and leave the office at 3pm on Fridays. Now LLMs mean they'll only have to work one day a week!
The share of women in high-tech roles has barely budged in two decades, despite the invocation to … lean in. The percentage of women in tech leadership roles is also trending down, as is the share of venture capital raised by female founders.
When you limit what customers can bring to markets, you limit what can happen in those markets. As far as I can tell, the real promise for agentic AI isn’t just in enabling existing processes or making them more efficient. It’s in establishing a credible deterrent to enshittification—if you’re trying to rip me off, don’t talk to me, talk to my bot army.
Large language models (LLMs) like Chat-GPT and Claude.ai are whizzy and cool. A lot of people think that they are going to be The Future. Maybe they are — but that doesn’t mean that building them is going to be a profitable business. In the 1960s, airlines were The Future. That is why old films have so many swish shots of airports in them. Airlines though, turned out to be an unavoidably rubbish business. - https://calpaterson.com/porter.html
But LLMs really do just parse natural language. That doesn’t mean they’re always capable of doing what you want, but the best way to try to get them to do what you want is the same, whether you have a computer science degree or have never written a program in your life: describe what you want as clearly as possible in plain natural language.
I can think with my computer for the first time and it can wield my tools and it can do that without any special apis it's just the fact that it's a browser there's a consistent theme. It takes a part of the browser that's always existed and just upgraded to be that much more personalized and that much more intelligent.
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a. Applicability of Arbitration Agreement. You agree that any dispute or claim against us, or our vendors or service providers(collectively, “We” or “Us”), related in any way to your access or use of this website, to these Terms, or to any aspect of your relationship with Us, will be resolved by binding arbitration, rather than in court, except that (1) you may assert claims in small claims court if your claims qualify, so long as the matter remains in such court and advances only on an individual (non-class, non-representative) basis; and (2) you or We may seek equitable relief in court for infringement or other misuse of intellectual property rights (such as trademarks, trade dress, domain names, trade secrets, copyrights, and patents). You agree that you must commence any arbitration or other claim within one (1) year after the dispute arises; otherwise, the claim is permanently barred, which means that you will no longer have the right to assert a claim regarding the dispute. This Arbitration Agreement will apply, without limitation, to all claims that arose or were asserted before the effective date of these Terms or any prior version of this Arbitration Agreement.
You agree in advance that you will not participate in or seek to recover monetary or other relief in any lawsuit filed against Us, alleging class, collective, and/or representative claims on your behalf. Instead, by agreeing to arbitration, you may bring your claims against any of Us in an individual arbitration proceeding (except for any Batch Arbitration, as described below). If successful on such claims, you could be awarded money or other relief by an arbitrator. You acknowledge that you have been advised that you may consult with an attorney in deciding whether to accept these Terms, including this Arbitration Agreement.
The Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement.
b. Process. To begin a claim, you must first send a letter describing your claim in detail, including your name and contact information, your legal claim, the specific facts giving rise to your claim (including the date(s) and amount(s) of any relevant transaction or interaction with us), and the requested relief, to 1411 Broadway Floor 27, New York, NY 10018. You and We agree to attempt in good faith to negotiate an informal resolution of your claim. If a resolution is not reached within thirty (30) days, you may commence an arbitration action as set forth herein. The arbitration will be conducted by JAMS, an established alternative dispute resolution provider. Disputes involving claims and counterclaims under $250,000, not inclusive of attorneys' fees and interest, will be subject to JAMS's most current version of the Streamlined Arbitration Rules and procedures available at http://www.jamsadr.com/rules-streamlined-arbitration/; all other claims will be subject to JAMS's most current version of the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures, available at http://www.jamsadr.com/rules-comprehensive-arbitration/. JAMS's rules are also available at www.jamsadr.com or by calling JAMS at 800-352-5267. If JAMS is not available to arbitrate, the parties will select an alternative arbitral forum. You may choose to have the arbitration conducted remotely, based on written submissions, or in person at a mutually agreed location. We will be entitled to make an offer of judgment in the arbitration proceeding. If the offer of judgment is not accepted, and the award is not more favorable than the unaccepted offer, you will be solely responsible for all costs incurred by Us after the offer of judgment is made to the extent permitted by applicable law. Any judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.
c. Fees. If the arbitrator finds that you cannot afford to pay JAMS's filing, administrative, hearing, and/or other fees, and you cannot obtain a waiver from JAMS, we will pay them for you. If the arbitrator determines the claims are frivolous, you agree to pay Us our attorneys’ fees and costs in the arbitration, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
d. Authority of Arbitrator. The arbitrator, and not any federal, state, or local court or agency, will have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute related to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or formation of this Arbitration Agreement, including, but not limited to, any claim that all or any part of this Arbitration Agreement is void or voidable. The arbitration will decide the rights and liabilities, if any, of you and Us. The arbitration proceeding will not be consolidated with any other matters or joined with any other cases or parties. The arbitrator will have the authority to grant motions dispositive of all or part of any claim. The arbitrator will have the authority to award monetary damages and to grant any non-monetary remedy or relief available to an individual under applicable law, the arbitral forum's rules, and these Terms (including the Arbitration Agreement). The arbitrator will issue a written award and statement of decision describing the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based, including the calculation of any damages awarded. The arbitrator has the same authority to award relief on an individual basis that a judge in a court of law would have. The award of the arbitrator is final and binding upon you and Us.
e. Waiver of Jury Trial. You and We hereby waive any constitutional and statutory rights to sue in court and have a trial in front of a judge or a jury. You and We are instead electing that all claims and disputes will be resolved by arbitration under this Arbitration Agreement, except as specified in Section (a) above. An arbitrator can award on an individual basis the same damages and relief as a court and must follow this Agreement as a court would. However, there is no judge or jury in arbitration, and court review of an arbitration award is subject to very limited review.
f. Waiver of Class or Consolidated Actions. Except with respect to Batch Arbitration (as defined below), all claims and disputes within the scope of this Arbitration Agreement must be arbitrated on an individual basis and not on a class basis, only individual relief is available, and claims of more than one customer or user cannot be arbitrated or consolidated with those of any other customer or user. In the event that this subparagraph is deemed invalid or unenforceable neither you nor We are entitled to arbitration and instead claims and disputes will be resolved in a court as set forth in these Terms.
g. Batch Arbitration. You and We agree that, in the event that there are fifty (50) or more individual requests for arbitration of a similar nature filed against Us within an approximately (30) thirty-day period (or otherwise in close proximity) regardless of the state(s) in which such claims are filed, JAMS will administer all such similarly situated arbitration demands on a collective basis as a single, consolidated arbitration (subject to a single set of fees, proceeding schedule, and, if required, hearing) before a single arbitrator in accordance with the requirements outlined elsewhere in this section, provided that – in the event that the arbitrator deems it impracticable or inequitable to administer all such claims collectively in a single arbitration – (s)he may group demands for arbitration into groups of not fewer than twenty (20) matters, plus a remainder group as needed (or as otherwise deemed by the arbitrator to be practicable, equitable, and in best keeping with the spirit of this provision) and arbitrate each group of matters as a single, consolidated arbitration (either structure a “Batch Arbitration”). You and We agree (1) to work with JAMS in good faith to facilitate the resolution of disputes on a Batch Arbitration basis and (2) that requests for arbitration are of a “similar nature” if they arise out of the same event, agreement, or factual scenario and raise the same or similar legal issues and seek the same or similar relief. Disagreements over the applicability of this Batch Arbitration process will be settled in a single, consolidated arbitration proceeding that includes all affected parties and is resolved by a single arbitrator subject to the requirements of this section. This Batch Arbitration provision shall in no way be interpreted as authorizing a class or collective arbitration or action of any kind, or any suit or arbitration involving joint or consolidated claims, under any circumstances other than those expressly set forth in this section.
h. Severability. If any part or parts of this Arbitration Agreement are found under the law to be invalid or unenforceable, then such specific part or parts will be of no force and effect and will be severed, and the remainder of the Arbitration Agreement will continue in full force and effect.
i. Survival. This Arbitration Agreement will survive the termination of your relationship with Us.
j. Modification. Notwithstanding any provision in these Terms to the contrary, We agree that if We make any future material change to this Arbitration Agreement, it will not apply to any individual claim(s) for which that you had already provided notice to Us.
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","comment_id":"34","plaintext":"Advertising.\n\nCMI Marketing, Inc., d/b/a Raptive (“Raptive”) is a service provider of this Site for the purposes of placing advertising on the Site, and Raptive will collect and use certain data for advertising purposes. To learn more about Raptive’s data usage, click here: https://raptive.com/creator-advertising-privacy-statement\n\nGoogle Analytics\n\nHere is a link to the Google Analytics Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.\n\nBinding Arbitration (“Arbitration Agreement”)\n\na. Applicability of Arbitration Agreement. You agree that any dispute or claim against us, or our vendors or service providers(collectively, “We” or “Us”), related in any way to your access or use of this website, to these Terms, or to any aspect of your relationship with Us, will be resolved by binding arbitration, rather than in court, except that (1) you may assert claims in small claims court if your claims qualify, so long as the matter remains in such court and advances only on an individual (non-class, non-representative) basis; and (2) you or We may seek equitable relief in court for infringement or other misuse of intellectual property rights (such as trademarks, trade dress, domain names, trade secrets, copyrights, and patents). You agree that you must commence any arbitration or other claim within one (1) year after the dispute arises; otherwise, the claim is permanently barred, which means that you will no longer have the right to assert a claim regarding the dispute. This Arbitration Agreement will apply, without limitation, to all claims that arose or were asserted before the effective date of these Terms or any prior version of this Arbitration Agreement.\n\nYou agree in advance that you will not participate in or seek to recover monetary or other relief in any lawsuit filed against Us, alleging class, collective, and/or representative claims on your behalf. Instead, by agreeing to arbitration, you may bring your claims against any of Us in an individual arbitration proceeding (except for any Batch Arbitration, as described below). If successful on such claims, you could be awarded money or other relief by an arbitrator. You acknowledge that you have been advised that you may consult with an attorney in deciding whether to accept these Terms, including this Arbitration Agreement.\n\nThe Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement.\n\nb. Process. To begin a claim, you must first send a letter describing your claim in detail, including your name and contact information, your legal claim, the specific facts giving rise to your claim (including the date(s) and amount(s) of any relevant transaction or interaction with us), and the requested relief, to 1411 Broadway Floor 27, New York, NY 10018. You and We agree to attempt in good faith to negotiate an informal resolution of your claim. If a resolution is not reached within thirty (30) days, you may commence an arbitration action as set forth herein. The arbitration will be conducted by JAMS, an established alternative dispute resolution provider. Disputes involving claims and counterclaims under $250,000, not inclusive of attorneys' fees and interest, will be subject to JAMS's most current version of the Streamlined Arbitration Rules and procedures available at http://www.jamsadr.com/rules-streamlined-arbitration/; all other claims will be subject to JAMS's most current version of the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures, available at http://www.jamsadr.com/rules-comprehensive-arbitration/. JAMS's rules are also available at www.jamsadr.com or by calling JAMS at 800-352-5267. If JAMS is not available to arbitrate, the parties will select an alternative arbitral forum. You may choose to have the arbitration conducted remotely, based on written submissions, or in person at a mutually agreed location. We will be entitled to make an offer of judgment in the arbitration proceeding. If the offer of judgment is not accepted, and the award is not more favorable than the unaccepted offer, you will be solely responsible for all costs incurred by Us after the offer of judgment is made to the extent permitted by applicable law. Any judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.\n\nc. Fees. If the arbitrator finds that you cannot afford to pay JAMS's filing, administrative, hearing, and/or other fees, and you cannot obtain a waiver from JAMS, we will pay them for you. If the arbitrator determines the claims are frivolous, you agree to pay Us our attorneys’ fees and costs in the arbitration, to the extent permitted by applicable law.\n\nd. Authority of Arbitrator. The arbitrator, and not any federal, state, or local court or agency, will have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute related to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or formation of this Arbitration Agreement, including, but not limited to, any claim that all or any part of this Arbitration Agreement is void or voidable. The arbitration will decide the rights and liabilities, if any, of you and Us. The arbitration proceeding will not be consolidated with any other matters or joined with any other cases or parties. The arbitrator will have the authority to grant motions dispositive of all or part of any claim. The arbitrator will have the authority to award monetary damages and to grant any non-monetary remedy or relief available to an individual under applicable law, the arbitral forum's rules, and these Terms (including the Arbitration Agreement). The arbitrator will issue a written award and statement of decision describing the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based, including the calculation of any damages awarded. The arbitrator has the same authority to award relief on an individual basis that a judge in a court of law would have. The award of the arbitrator is final and binding upon you and Us.\n\ne. Waiver of Jury Trial. You and We hereby waive any constitutional and statutory rights to sue in court and have a trial in front of a judge or a jury. You and We are instead electing that all claims and disputes will be resolved by arbitration under this Arbitration Agreement, except as specified in Section (a) above. An arbitrator can award on an individual basis the same damages and relief as a court and must follow this Agreement as a court would. However, there is no judge or jury in arbitration, and court review of an arbitration award is subject to very limited review.\n\nf. Waiver of Class or Consolidated Actions. Except with respect to Batch Arbitration (as defined below), all claims and disputes within the scope of this Arbitration Agreement must be arbitrated on an individual basis and not on a class basis, only individual relief is available, and claims of more than one customer or user cannot be arbitrated or consolidated with those of any other customer or user. In the event that this subparagraph is deemed invalid or unenforceable neither you nor We are entitled to arbitration and instead claims and disputes will be resolved in a court as set forth in these Terms.\n\ng. Batch Arbitration. You and We agree that, in the event that there are fifty (50) or more individual requests for arbitration of a similar nature filed against Us within an approximately (30) thirty-day period (or otherwise in close proximity) regardless of the state(s) in which such claims are filed, JAMS will administer all such similarly situated arbitration demands on a collective basis as a single, consolidated arbitration (subject to a single set of fees, proceeding schedule, and, if required, hearing) before a single arbitrator in accordance with the requirements outlined elsewhere in this section, provided that – in the event that the arbitrator deems it impracticable or inequitable to administer all such claims collectively in a single arbitration – (s)he may group demands for arbitration into groups of not fewer than twenty (20) matters, plus a remainder group as needed (or as otherwise deemed by the arbitrator to be practicable, equitable, and in best keeping with the spirit of this provision) and arbitrate each group of matters as a single, consolidated arbitration (either structure a “Batch Arbitration”). You and We agree (1) to work with JAMS in good faith to facilitate the resolution of disputes on a Batch Arbitration basis and (2) that requests for arbitration are of a “similar nature” if they arise out of the same event, agreement, or factual scenario and raise the same or similar legal issues and seek the same or similar relief. Disagreements over the applicability of this Batch Arbitration process will be settled in a single, consolidated arbitration proceeding that includes all affected parties and is resolved by a single arbitrator subject to the requirements of this section. This Batch Arbitration provision shall in no way be interpreted as authorizing a class or collective arbitration or action of any kind, or any suit or arbitration involving joint or consolidated claims, under any circumstances other than those expressly set forth in this section.\n\nh. Severability. If any part or parts of this Arbitration Agreement are found under the law to be invalid or unenforceable, then such specific part or parts will be of no force and effect and will be severed, and the remainder of the Arbitration Agreement will continue in full force and effect.\n\ni. Survival. This Arbitration Agreement will survive the termination of your relationship with Us.\n\nj. Modification. Notwithstanding any provision in these Terms to the contrary, We agree that if We make any future material change to this Arbitration Agreement, it will not apply to any individual claim(s) for which that you had already provided notice to Us.\n\nConsent to Data Collection. These Terms of Service incorporate our Privacy Policy, which discloses how we, our vendors, and our service providers collect and use data when you use the Site and/or mobile applications. 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THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL APPLY TO ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, STATUTE, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE PARTIES HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SUCH DAMAGE, AND EVEN IF A REMEDY SET FORTH HEREIN IS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.","feature_image":null,"featured":0,"type":"page","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-01-08T20:57:01.000Z","updated_at":"2025-01-08T20:57:01.000Z","published_at":"2025-01-08T20:57:01.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b3e2","uuid":"f9038ee3-101c-4ed7-9641-9ae49fa8a08e","title":"Blog Roll","slug":"blog-roll","mobiledoc":"{\"version\":\"0.3.1\",\"atoms\":[],\"cards\":[],\"markups\":[[\"a\",[\"href\",\"https://wise.readwise.io/feed/\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"https://blog.readwise.io/rss/\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"http://www.allthingsdistributed.com/atom.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"https://danwang.co/?feed=rss\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"http://daringfireball.net/feeds/main\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/brainbaking-com/index.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/world-hey-com/dhh/feed.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/blog-zgp-org/feed.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"https://www.caseyliss.com/rss\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/karl-voit-at/feeds/lazyblorg-all-atom_1-0-links-only.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/raphlinus-github-io/feed.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/fasterthanli-me/index.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/maggieappleton-com/rss.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"http://feeds.feedburner.com/collabfund\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"http://www.aaronsw.com/2002/feeds/pgessays.rss\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/alicebartlett-co-uk/feed/weaknotes.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/www-subbu-org/index.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/lethain-com/feeds.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"https://stratechery.passport.online/feed/rss/KWTA59w3HPb8j4DiVL3moc\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/kate-io/feed.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/brooker-co-za/blog/rss.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/tonsky-me/atom.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"https://rachelbythebay.com/w/atom.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"http://yosefk.com/blog/feed\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/danluu-com/atom.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"https://www.snellman.net/blog/rss-index.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/www-scattered-thoughts-net/atom.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/fabiensanglard-net/rss.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"https://writing.bobdoto.computer/feed/\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/thesephist-com/index.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"https://blog.jiajiang.com/feed\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/www-geoffreylitt-com/feed.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/kevinlynagh-com/feed.xml\"]],[\"a\",[\"href\",\"__GHOST_URL__/content/files/xeiaso-net/blog.xml\"]]],\"sections\":[[1,\"h4\",[[0,[],0,\"Readwise Blog Roll\"]]],[3,\"ul\",[[[0,[],0,\"Weekly Wisereads (\"],[0,[0],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Readwise Blog (\"],[0,[1],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"All Things Distributed (\"],[0,[2],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Dan Wang (\"],[0,[3],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Daring Fireball (\"],[0,[4],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Brain Baking (\"],[0,[5],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"David Heinemeier Hansson (\"],[0,[6],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Don Marti (\"],[0,[7],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Liss is More (\"],[0,[8],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"public voit (\"],[0,[9],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Raph Levien’s blog (\"],[0,[10],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"fasterthanli.me (\"],[0,[11],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Maggie Appleton (\"],[0,[12],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Collaborative Fund (\"],[0,[13],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Paul Graham: Essays (\"],[0,[14],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"The website of Alice Bartlett | Weaknotes (\"],[0,[15],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"because writing is clarifying (\"],[0,[16],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Irrational Exuberance (\"],[0,[17],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Stratechery (\"],[0,[18],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Kate Murphy (\"],[0,[19],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Marc Brooker's Blog (\"],[0,[20],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"tonsky.me (\"],[0,[21],1,\"RSS\"],[0,[],0,\")\"]],[[0,[],0,\"Writing - 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The API Economy
Baliwood
Blackbird Spyplane
bookbear express
Boondoggle
Campuccino
The China Spec
ChinAI Newsletter
Confessions of a Code Addict
Construction Physics
Contraptions
deepculture
Digital Native
Dwarkesh Podcast
The Electric Typewriter
escape the algorithm
Escaping Flatland
Experimental History
Experimental Living
Far & Near
Following the Yuan
Franco's Newsletter
Gaming in China
Gareth Hates AdTech
General Robots
The Generalist
A Good Enough Newsletter
Hobbyist Academia
The Honest Broker
idle gaze
koodos labs
Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends
Little Lessons
LOL (lots of links)
Nat Eliason's Newsletter
Nomadico
Not Boring by Packy McCormick
Numlock News
Obsidian Iceberg
Pattern Breakers
The Polymerist
The Pragmatic Engineer
The Purse
Rambull
Recomendo
Rich on Tech
Sasha's 'Newsletter'
Search Engine with PJ Vogt
Silver Bulletin
Siming Shan
SOCIAL MEDIA ESCAPE CLUB
The Sublime
Summation and Five Links by Auren Hoffman
wellness wisdom
Why You Should Join
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","comment_id":"46","plaintext":"Readwise Blog Roll\n\n * Weekly Wisereads (RSS)\n * Readwise Blog (RSS)\n * All Things Distributed (RSS)\n * Dan Wang (RSS)\n * Daring Fireball (RSS)\n * Brain Baking (RSS)\n * David Heinemeier Hansson (RSS)\n * Don Marti (RSS)\n * Liss is More (RSS)\n * public voit (RSS)\n * Raph Levien’s blog (RSS)\n * fasterthanli.me (RSS)\n * Maggie Appleton (RSS)\n * Collaborative Fund (RSS)\n * Paul Graham: Essays (RSS)\n * The website of Alice Bartlett | Weaknotes (RSS)\n * because writing is clarifying (RSS)\n * Irrational Exuberance (RSS)\n * Stratechery (RSS)\n * Kate Murphy (RSS)\n * Marc Brooker's Blog (RSS)\n * tonsky.me (RSS)\n * Writing - rachelbythebay (RSS)\n * Proper Fixation (RSS)\n * Dan Luu (RSS)\n * Juho Snellman's Weblog (RSS)\n * Scattered Thoughts (RSS)\n * fabiensanglard.net (RSS)\n * The Daily Pony (RSS)\n * thesephist (RSS)\n * The Art of Achieving Ambitious Things (RSS)\n * Geoffrey Litt (RSS)\n * Kevin Lynagh's website (RSS)\n * Xe's Blog (RSS)\n\nSubstack Blog Roll\n\nAirport Architecture\n\nThe API Economy\n\nBaliwood\n\nBlackbird Spyplane\n\nbookbear express\n\nBoondoggle\n\nCampuccino\n\nThe China Spec\n\nChinAI Newsletter\n\nConfessions of a Code Addict\n\nConstruction Physics\n\nContraptions\n\ndeepculture\n\nDigital Native\n\nDwarkesh Podcast\n\nThe Electric Typewriter\n\nescape the algorithm\n\nEscaping Flatland\n\nExperimental History\n\nExperimental Living\n\nFar & Near\n\nFollowing the Yuan\n\nFranco's Newsletter\n\nGaming in China\n\nGareth Hates AdTech\n\nGeneral Robots\n\nThe Generalist\n\nA Good Enough Newsletter\n\nHobbyist Academia\n\nThe Honest Broker\n\nidle gaze\n\nkoodos labs\n\nLinks I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends\n\nLittle Lessons\n\nLOL (lots of links)\n\nNat Eliason's Newsletter\n\nNomadico\n\nNot Boring by Packy McCormick\n\nNumlock News\n\nObsidian Iceberg\n\nPattern Breakers\n\nThe Polymerist\n\nThe Pragmatic Engineer\n\nThe Purse\n\nRambull\n\nRecomendo\n\nRich on Tech\n\nSasha's 'Newsletter'\n\nSearch Engine with PJ Vogt\n\nSilver Bulletin\n\nSiming Shan\n\nSOCIAL MEDIA ESCAPE CLUB\n\nThe Sublime\n\nSummation and Five Links by Auren Hoffman\n\nwellness wisdom\n\nWhy You Should Join\n\nZach Snoek","feature_image":null,"featured":0,"type":"page","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-01-29T05:16:39.000Z","updated_at":"2025-01-29T05:16:39.000Z","published_at":"2025-01-29T05:16:39.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b3e3","uuid":"a2fcb055-f26d-4803-ac7f-bb681d089a63","title":"Currently Reading","slug":"currently-reading","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"In the Kingdom of Ice\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.alibris.com/search/books/isbn/9780307946911?invid=18597661956&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=NMPi&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20865478211&gbraid=0AAAAAC92pG5yAV68gRhlvV3V74mWb3KFS&gclid=CjwKCAjwxrLHBhA2EiwAu9EdM1Rnfe9805_5riI-9q71Z5OTF8AhUKwbes-zwM1r-s9pc7JRM-ftphoC7y8QAvD_BwE\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Not my favorite book so far, but interesting when paired with my recent trip to Iceland. Wild to read after \",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Mellon: An American Life\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.alibris.com/Mellon-An-American-Life-David-Cannadine/book/9555845?matches=66\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\".\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"value\":1,\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Einstein's Dreams\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.alibris.com/Einsteins-Dreams-Alan-Lightman/book/1941952?matches=383\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I love this more than I even thought I could. Beautiful writing, mind bending experiments in time. Hats off.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"value\":2,\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Crafting Interpreters\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.alibris.com/booksearch?mtype=B&keyword=crafting+interpreters&hs.x=0&hs.y=0\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - If Elements of Computing is a bottom up look at computers, Crafting Interpreters takes you from the programming language down.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"value\":3,\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"tag\":\"ul\",\"type\":\"list\",\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Previously Read\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"heading\",\"tag\":\"h4\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"2025\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"heading\",\"tag\":\"h5\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.alibris.com/The-Elements-of-Computing-Systems-Building-a-Modern-Computer-from-First-Principles-Noam-Nisan/book/27954349?matches=13\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I intended to work through this, but I'm reading the book instead. While I'm sure I'm not learning all that I could, I've been surprised at how much this contextualized the current discussion about GPUs.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"value\":1,\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"True North\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/true-north-gavin-francis/1129886100;jsessionid=79925E0003357C83A0E523DD60CF8411.prodny_store02-atgap07\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I found this at my neighborhood bookstore, \",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"City of Asylum\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://cityofasylum.org/\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". I am surprised to know how little I knew about the far north. The Faroe and Shetland Islands are remaking my travel dreams with each word I read about them.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"value\":2,\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.alibris.com/Spqr-A-History-of-Ancient-Rome-Mary-Beard/book/32274264?matches=86\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - After reading \",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Romanovs: 1613-1918\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.alibris.com/The-Romanovs-1613-1918-Simon-Sebag-Montefiore/book/33642576?matches=78\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" and \",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.alibris.com/Genghis-Khan-and-the-Making-of-the-Modern-World-Jack-Weatherford/book/7882324?matches=119\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", I became curious about other empires. Hoping to read about the British Empire next, recommendations welcome.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"value\":3,\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Circe\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.alibris.com/Circe-Madeline-Miller/book/39450489?matches=219\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I'm reading this alongside SPQR and it's fascinating to see the historical and mythological intersect here.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"value\":4,\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"tag\":\"ul\",\"type\":\"list\",\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Big thanks to Desmolysium for inspiration for this page.
I've been working on learning systems since I was a kid. My systems started off random and chaotic. I would check out 30 books at a time from the library. I would dive down internet wormholes, coming up for air hours later. Slowly, as I got older and my frontal lobe developed, I started to create systems for my learning.
I discovered the Zettelkasten System and Spaced Repetition. I started using Matter, Readwise and a Kindle to read more than ever before. Perhaps more important than everything else, my friend Neil and I used the principles of The Black Swan and Thinking Fast & Slow to systematize creativity. Our original focus was startups, but I've found that our formula works for most creative work: generate, evaluate and execute on ideas.
For now, the newsletter serves as a place to generate, evaluate, and execute on my ideas. I have many more ideas beyond the newsletter, but I try to build like an onion. The newsletter is the only layer I can handle right now.
The newsletter serves as a form of spaced repetition, reminding me of what I've read. It forces me to write about what I read and make connections. Finally, it forces me to produce and share something every week. In sum, I generate (find new stuff), evaluate (write about & remember old stuff), and execute (write the damn thing) on ideas every week thanks to this newsletter.
At the moment, this site is mostly the newsletter. So I would suggest starting off by heading over there and finding the most recent edition. If you like the newsletter, I would head to the Blog Roll so you can find the source of any of my useful ideas.
On this website, there are a few things cooking:
I publish Link of the Day on another blog, Hey World.
\\n\\n\\nWhy a separate location? The goal of Link of the Day is to push out quick thoughts. For some reason publishing on Wordpress feels serious in a way that writing an email (Hey is just email under the hood) does not.
\\n\\n\\nThus instead of writing everything here and notifying folks every time I publish, my posts are collected here via an RSS. If you want to subscribe, you can do so here: https://world.hey.com/jimmy.cerone
\\nI publish Link of the Day on another blog, Hey World.
\n\n\nWhy a separate location? The goal of Link of the Day is to push out quick thoughts. For some reason publishing on Wordpress feels serious in a way that writing an email (Hey is just email under the hood) does not.
\n\n\nThus instead of writing everything here and notifying folks every time I publish, my posts are collected here via an RSS. If you want to subscribe, you can do so here: https://world.hey.com/jimmy.cerone
\nI wrote this article sometime in 2024. I plan to write an update to this at some point, but for now I wanted to share a little time capsule for my own sake. Just a note, this article is incomplete as I only share the first two parts of my stack.
Learning is all about repetitions. A few years ago, I realized all the articles I read went in one ear and out the other. At first, I just took more notes. I would export every article to a remarkable and mark the living daylights out of it. Better, but not best.
While Neil Weeda and I worked on the now defunct Jimmy and Neil Have Problems, we stumbled upon the key to locking information in:
Our process started by writing our ideas down, talking about them, and then listening back to our podcast episode to reflect. We found it took 3 passes at an idea to lock it in. It was a long time before I applied the same process to my own learning. Just this week, I cracked the code. I'm copying Neil and I's process to lock in my own learning.
Each week I'll be reading articles (1️⃣), writing a newsletter about them (2️⃣) then recording a podcast episode about them (3️⃣). I already did steps 1️⃣ & 2️⃣, but starting this week I'm recording a podcast to go along with each newsletter.
That is the high level process. I posted that on LinkedIn, but here on my blog I want to get more into the nitty gritty. What I love about this process is it fits like a glove with my life. I’m sharing it not as a how to guide but as inspiration. I hope it helps you find a process of locking in learning that works for you!
My process unfolds in 4 steps:
Input mechanisms are something I think a ton about. Neil and I built our own custom idea input mechanism with Zapier to make it seamless. Thankfully I use the Matter reader, which is seamless by default.
I've got Matter on my phone, iPad and all my browsers so that saving an article is a mere shortcut away. Back when I used Pocket, I tried to hit \"inbox\" zero for articles. These days I don't worry about how many articles I have thanks to Matter's sorting and filtering. I use tags to group content into themes if I'm doing intensive research, but for the most part I use the shuffle feature to find an article to read.
The collecting and reading of articles is a funnel. The mouth of the funnel is so important in the process. If you've got a great process to read articles but no great articles to read, you are stuck at square 1.
For the most part, my articles come from newsletters. Matter allows you to follow newsletters within the app and I follow a huge range of folks. Many of them are newsletters like my own, packed with interesting articles each week.
Outside of my newsletter funnel, I get great articles by using Marginalia search. It's a custom search engine that prioritizes indie blogs over SEO packed bullshit. When I find a site I love, I binge. I comb the whole site bookmarking articles and I subscribe to their newsletter (or RSS, which Matter also supports).
Over time this funnel grows like an out of control garden. At this point, interesting articles find me. At first I needed to search and now my bigger problem is keeping up and filtering.
Tools for Collection
My focus in the process is here right now. I'm trying to figure out how to read articles with more consistency. My article reading is a boom and bust cycle at the moment. Traveling is a boom that leads to a deluge of articles that lasts for weeks. Normal life is focused on reading books more than articles right now so I then go through huge article dry spells.
I get so much out of articles I would love to make the process more consistent. That said, what I have does work. My article reading process uses delayed decision making as a strategy, as almost everything I do does. While reading, I add a tag with the week's date to anything I find remotely interesting.
My bar is super low. As soon as adding an article crosses my mind, I tag it like so: YYYY-MM-DD. Why the low bar? My focus at that time is reading, not evaluating. I try to keep evaluation to a minimum.
A general note on my process is I'm constantly highlighting and taking notes. I picked up this habit back in high school and it's stuck with me ever since. My process for reading articles is old and came along way. Back in college I would go to the library and print physical articles out to mark them up. A waste of paper yes, but incredibly effective.
After my first \"real\" job, I splurged on a Remarkable where I saved paper by marking up my articles digitally. The Matter reader came out while I still used my Remarkable and the two battled it out. Initially I deleted Matter and left it behind because I felt the Remarkable gave me more.
Over time though, the ease of use of Matter and the ability to collect and keep track of newsletters won out. Plus note taking on there is super easy and they've added tons of support for it over time.
A final note is that I do almost all of my reading on an iPad. I skim articles on my phone as it's not a great device for reading. If it's interesting, I pick it up on my iPad with an Apple Pencil so I can get a real sense of taking notes. The writing to text on the iPad is incredible and such a life saver.
The iPad & Matter reader combination was the real Remarkable killer. The writing ability of the iPad leveled the playing field and let Matter's strengths as a reader really shine.
Tools for Reading
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
I am omitting the Deep Dive for a few issues here as I'm traveling. Thank you for your patience!
There's plenty of work that consists of simply churning out widgets faster, and I'm happy to see that work disappear (so long as we find a way for people to continue living healthily without it), but it must be acknowledged that many of the things we value in society come from an ill-defined, more vital place, and there is an intersection of that spark with the realities of production.
A cash business can have quick linear growth, whereas an equity business will have slower but exponential growth. This is part of why the standard advice is to not quit your day job when you start a startup. You need the salary to keep you afloat for the years it will likely take for your equity business to start paying you.
Who cares, in other words, whether or not Threads succeeds, when the existence of a new Twitter will do little to serve most peoples’ hunger for authentic communication? Fortunately, the original small community ethos of the early Internet seems to be mounting a comeback in forms like podcasting, e-mail newsletters, Discord groups, and TalkNats.com-style discussion sites—all of which can offer a more homegrown and personal variety of online interaction. These efforts deserve our attention more than the spectacle of billion-dollar companies falling over themselves to force together as many people as possible.
The traditional way of making hot sauce involves fermenting either straight hot peppers or a mix of hot and sweet peppers and other aromatic veggies (like garlic or onion). When the fermentation time is up, the whole shebang is blended with vinegar until smooth as silk. To help keep the hot sauce from separating, emulsifiers are usually used during the blending process—we recommend xanthan gum—which keeps the hot sauce smooth when bottled.
After taking office in 1981, Reagan pushed to overturn an arms embargo that Carter had imposed on Guatemala for its wretched human rights record. Yet even as Reagan moved to loosen up the military aid ban, U.S. intelligence agencies were confirming new Guatemalan government massacres.
Whoever you are, we welcome you. However you learn, we will embrace you. Whatever you have to share, we are listening. This is the promise of Peacehaven— a vibrant community and farm growing endless possibilities.
Founded in 2007 to serve adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, today we are reaching people of all ages and abilities with programs and resources for anyone who believes in the dignity and perspective of everyone. At Peacehaven, we are building community by re-imagining collaboration.
Hey folks! I am changing a few things about the newsletter. The Album of the Week is gone as I love music, but don't feel I have much to say about it. Gone also is the deep dive, which began soaking up increasing amounts of my limited time. I'm trying out a \"Prediction of the Week\" using Manifold. Let me know what you think!
While I'm changing things, I'm going to group the links here a little bit. I will only do this if I've got some that relate and this week some of them appear to do so!
The world is changing really fast. This week I've collected a few links about how the digital world changes a few key parts of relationships: prenups, pregnancy, and parenting.
I never would have signed a prenup when I got married at 28. I had antiquated thoughts about them (that they signal you’re planning for divorce). I wasn’t bringing much of anything into the marriage. I wasn’t yet truly a feminist. Motherhood (and the pandemic) had not yet radicalized me.
My first child is now arriving in a matter of days, and most of my social and professional networks have no earthly idea. Apart from a single vague post to an alt Instagram account, I’ve largely hid this pregnancy from social media.
Both agree that their relationship works precisely because they’re not romantic partners. “We’re friends and roommates, so the expectations we have of each other are spoken. There’s not a lot that’s assumed,” says Stephens.
I did not publish the newsletter for a couple of weeks because I was in Miami and then Puerto Rico. I left that trip wondering if it would be the start of me wandering through Latin America. I return a little off kilter, with many of my assumptions thrown asunder. We live in a world that's more mobile than ever, yet how do you really know a place? Is living in a curated Airbnb in Mexico City \"getting to know Mexico\"? Can you understand Nicaragua by spending a month there?
I include the article about the Santa Anas because I think it defines what it means to know a place. To feel the change of the seasons on the wind. What we call \"living like a local\" today is more consumption than cultural exchange.
The company’s trust-building efforts have not extended to the communities that surround its listed properties. To long-time residents living close to popular Airbnb listings in San Juan, Mexico City, or Havana, the name is now a synonym for gentrification: old historic buildings are being bought, refurbished in a similar aesthetic, and rented out at high prices that remote tech workers are willing to pay.
The World Bank calls this lake the “Galapagos of Central America” because of its great biological diversity. The canal – if it is ever made – will enter the lake from the west – south of San Jorge – then cross the lake four kilometers to the south of the volcanic island of Ometepe. It then will hit the eastern shore eight kilometers south of San Miguelito.
I recall being told, when I first moved to Los Angeles and was living on an isolated beach, that the Indians would throw themselves into the sea when the bad wind blew. I could see why. The Pacific turned ominously glossy during a Santa Ana period, and one woke in the night troubled not only by the peacocks screaming in the olive trees but by the eerie absence of surf. The heat was surreal. The sky had a yellow cast, the kind of light sometimes called \"earthquake weather\". My only neighbor would not come out of her house for days, and there were no lights at night, and her husband roamed the place with a machete. One day he would tell me that he had heard a trespasser, the next a rattlesnake.
I first found Sunsama on Product Hunt and as a broke college student, couldn’t afford the $20/month. But boy did I use the shit out of that 14 day free trial. I recommend you do the same before making a decision. I kept coming back to Sunsama on and off over the years until switching to roles jolted my memory again.
A few days into using Sunsama, I’m calmer, more productive, and more focused. I hope you find the same!
There’s 3 big things that happen in Sunsama:
Sunsama guides you through the daily planning ritual, where you pull in tasks from your calendar, Slack, and email. My favorite part? When it asks you what obstacles you might face. That one question and space to reflect on it saves me time every day.
Then you do daily work by focusing on one task at a time, taking notes as you go. There’s lots of fun stuff to do here, including adding channels to organize your work, running meetings with a clean place to take notes so you are focused and more.
Finally, you do a shutdown ritual, where you wrap up for the day. I find this process to be so natural with Sunsama. When I wrap all my tasks for the day, I know it’s time to end. Simple and easy.
If you want a more in depth setup, check out Sunsama’s extensive docs.
The above get you the basics. But to get the most out of Sunsama, you gotta setup the integrations. These make all the difference for me, centralizing my task management all in one place: Sunsama.
Here’s the integrations I’ve gotten the most mileage out of, along with some tips for best use.
I know I already said to setup your work email, but there’s a couple of notes I want to add here about it. First, you are going to want to filter your notes by Index + Unread. It’s annoying to see messages you’ve already dealt with. Do yourself a favor here.
Second, you will see an Automations tab? I don’t really worry about it and haven’t had any trouble yet. Feels like an advanced user thing. If you wanna dig in more there, check out their excellent docs.
I’m going to be honest here, I don’t use Jira too often. That said, when I do use it, it helps a ton. The only use case I’ve found here is when I’m starting a story or tech reviewing a story. When that’s the case, I use Jira’s stupid JQL syntax to find the story ID=XXX-XXX and then click Add to today to bring all my story details into one nice place.
I’m on the fence about this integration. Most of the time, I use emails (from Jira) rather than the GitHub integration to pull in things like Code Reviews from other people. I suppose if your story is in code review this could be useful? In the end, to make this useful you probably need to think about the filters here so you can surface stories that concern you.
My filters are vague and bad, showing me everything there is to see. To make this integration useful, you are going to want to be smarter about this than me (or just use the Jira / Gmail integrations instead).
Next to email, Slack is my most used integration. Email and Slack contain the tasks that I most often forgot and the tasks that most often break my flow. Sunsama solves both problems neatly. Each morning I review my emails & Slack messages, archiving irrelevant ones and adding tasks to Sunsama.
Once I’ve done a passthrough I can then prioritize my tiny tasks alongside my bigger ones all in Sunsama. Then I close my Slack and Email until later in the day. All of a sudden I’m moving from a fragmented, forgetful process to an intentional and detail oriented one. It works wonders.
When I’m done reviewing Slack, I end up with a bunch of tasks in my list, all clustered near the top. All that’s left to do is then to organize these by priority and get to work.
At its core, Sunsama is a project management tool built for deep work. To really understand Sunsama though, I think about how it relates to and differs from two other productivity tools:
Sunsama is similar to Trello in that it’s kanban-esque. It’s got columns that you put tasks into as you go. The difference here is that Trello is un-opinionated about what those columns are in particular and how they relate. They could be anything! Days, statuses, random meaningless things! Further, they could be related sequentially or collected in a random order. The possibilities are endless.
While this freedom is nice for some things (Pinterest style boards, backlogs, etc), it can be limiting when it comes to your day to day work.
Unlike Trello, Sunsama has opinions about what columns are and how they relate. Each column is a day. You plan one day at a time, pulling in tasks from your calendar, Slack, and email as you go. The days relate in specific ways, tied to rituals that Sunsama pushes you through. In the planning ritual, you pull tasks in and push ones that don’t fit into the next day. In the shutdown ritual, you push whatever didn’t get done into the next day or archive it.
Why are these differences significant? In Trello (or any Kanban), tasks can linger for weeks, stuck in one column or another. Like Bullet Journaling, Sunsama forces us to deal with tasks day by day, making it harder to push them into the amorphous future. The result is we are forced to make choices about our work, bringing focus.
Without Sunsama’s opinion about how work should get done, Trello (and Todoist) end up as rivers overflowing their banks. Sunsama forces us to reckon with our work reach day, not allowing it to build up past what we can handle.
Like Todoist, Sunsama allows you to manage tasks in a list format, organized by channels and categories. Similar to Sunsama, Todoist is un-opinionated about what you tasks are and how they are organized. It’s a build a bear type situation while Sunsama is more a Beanie Baby type situation.
As I’ve already touched on the day as the building block in Sunsama, I want to discuss the calm of Sunsama in comparison with the stress of Todoist here. One of my favorite small features of Sunsama is the focused view you get when working on a task.
![\"Ahhhhhh.](\"__GHOST_URL__/content/images/lastweekilearned-com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1lx_afciqrhk3-rsid-_pq.png\")
While I’m working on this task, it’s all I see. Unlike Todoist, I don’t see all the other tasks I’m neglecting while working on this one. There is no buzzing bee in my ear reminding me to check in on my tech review ticket and my code review and the story work I’ve got going on. Everything is clean and simple. If I lose my focus, I reopen Sunsama and see a clean reminder of what I was working on.
Todoist on the other hand is (even with channel / tag filtering) like a megaphone repeating my tasks on loop. I can’t escape all the things I’ve got left to do. There’s no where to hide. And when one is done? I’m staring a giant list once again.
What’s more is that due to Todoist lack of opinion, I’m unclear about which of these many tasks takes priority. From what I know, everything is by default organized by recency. Yet recency is not anything like priority. Just because a coworker told me to review his PR 5 mins ago doesn’t mean it’s more important than my story work I started 3 days ago. Yet if I’m not careful, my Todoist list suggests that’s the case.
Sunsama builds in prioritization at its core through its daily planning ritual. There’s two ways to declare priority:
If you’ve got a maker schedule like me, you prioritize with a tasks position on the list, bringing the most important to the top. If you’re on a manager schedule with lots of meetings, you plug the holes of your day with your most important work. In either case, looking at the medium of Sunsama suggests the correct course of action.
","comment_id":"102","plaintext":"I first found Sunsama on Product Hunt and as a broke college student, couldn’t afford the $20/month. But boy did I use the shit out of that 14 day free trial. I recommend you do the same before making a decision. I kept coming back to Sunsama on and off over the years until switching to roles jolted my memory again.\n\nA few days into using Sunsama, I’m calmer, more productive, and more focused. I hope you find the same!\n\n\nHow Does Sunsama Work?\n\nThere’s 3 big things that happen in Sunsama:\n\n 1. Daily planning ritual\n 2. Actual work\n 3. Daily shutdown ritual\n\nSunsama guides you through the daily planning ritual, where you pull in tasks from your calendar, Slack, and email. My favorite part? When it asks you what obstacles you might face. That one question and space to reflect on it saves me time every day.\n\nThen you do daily work by focusing on one task at a time, taking notes as you go. There’s lots of fun stuff to do here, including adding channels to organize your work, running meetings with a clean place to take notes so you are focused and more.\n\nFinally, you do a shutdown ritual, where you wrap up for the day. I find this process to be so natural with Sunsama. When I wrap all my tasks for the day, I know it’s time to end. Simple and easy.\n\n\nHow to Setup Sunsama\n\nIf you want a more in depth setup, check out Sunsama’s extensive docs.\n\n 1. Decide if you want to use your work or personal email account. I went with work here because I’m planning on using Sunsama only for work.\n 2. Grab the desktop app. I also have the iPad app, holding off on the iPhone app. Would love to hear thoughts on how people use these\n 3. Add work & personal calendars. This is the key to the castle. Planning your day around the main events is a game changer.\n 4. Add work email. Their guide recommends both work & personal email. I only did my work email because I don’t need to see my 352 newsletters during work hours.\n\nThe above get you the basics. But to get the most out of Sunsama, you gotta setup the integrations. These make all the difference for me, centralizing my task management all in one place: Sunsama.\n\nHere’s the integrations I’ve gotten the most mileage out of, along with some tips for best use.\n\nEmail\n\nI know I already said to setup your work email, but there’s a couple of notes I want to add here about it. First, you are going to want to filter your notes by Index + Unread. It’s annoying to see messages you’ve already dealt with. Do yourself a favor here.\n\nSecond, you will see an Automations tab? I don’t really worry about it and haven’t had any trouble yet. Feels like an advanced user thing. If you wanna dig in more there, check out their excellent docs.\n\nJira\n\nI’m going to be honest here, I don’t use Jira too often. That said, when I do use it, it helps a ton. The only use case I’ve found here is when I’m starting a story or tech reviewing a story. When that’s the case, I use Jira’s stupid JQL syntax to find the story ID=XXX-XXX and then click Add to today to bring all my story details into one nice place.\n\nGitHub\n\nI’m on the fence about this integration. Most of the time, I use emails (from Jira) rather than the GitHub integration to pull in things like Code Reviews from other people. I suppose if your story is in code review this could be useful? In the end, to make this useful you probably need to think about the filters here so you can surface stories that concern you.\n\nMy filters are vague and bad, showing me everything there is to see. To make this integration useful, you are going to want to be smarter about this than me (or just use the Jira / Gmail integrations instead).\n\nSlack\n\nNext to email, Slack is my most used integration. Email and Slack contain the tasks that I most often forgot and the tasks that most often break my flow. Sunsama solves both problems neatly. Each morning I review my emails & Slack messages, archiving irrelevant ones and adding tasks to Sunsama.\n\nOnce I’ve done a passthrough I can then prioritize my tiny tasks alongside my bigger ones all in Sunsama. Then I close my Slack and Email until later in the day. All of a sudden I’m moving from a fragmented, forgetful process to an intentional and detail oriented one. It works wonders.\n\nWhen I’m done reviewing Slack, I end up with a bunch of tasks in my list, all clustered near the top. All that’s left to do is then to organize these by priority and get to work.\n\n\nWhy Sunsama?\n\nAt its core, Sunsama is a project management tool built for deep work. To really understand Sunsama though, I think about how it relates to and differs from two other productivity tools:\n\n 1. Trello\n 2. Todoist\n\n\nTrello\n\nSunsama is similar to Trello in that it’s kanban-esque. It’s got columns that you put tasks into as you go. The difference here is that Trello is un-opinionated about what those columns are in particular and how they relate. They could be anything! Days, statuses, random meaningless things! Further, they could be related sequentially or collected in a random order. The possibilities are endless.\n\nWhile this freedom is nice for some things (Pinterest style boards, backlogs, etc), it can be limiting when it comes to your day to day work.\n\nUnlike Trello, Sunsama has opinions about what columns are and how they relate. Each column is a day. You plan one day at a time, pulling in tasks from your calendar, Slack, and email as you go. The days relate in specific ways, tied to rituals that Sunsama pushes you through. In the planning ritual, you pull tasks in and push ones that don’t fit into the next day. In the shutdown ritual, you push whatever didn’t get done into the next day or archive it.\n\nWhy are these differences significant? In Trello (or any Kanban), tasks can linger for weeks, stuck in one column or another. Like Bullet Journaling, Sunsama forces us to deal with tasks day by day, making it harder to push them into the amorphous future. The result is we are forced to make choices about our work, bringing focus.\n\nWithout Sunsama’s opinion about how work should get done, Trello (and Todoist) end up as rivers overflowing their banks. Sunsama forces us to reckon with our work reach day, not allowing it to build up past what we can handle.\n\n\nTodoist\n\nLike Todoist, Sunsama allows you to manage tasks in a list format, organized by channels and categories. Similar to Sunsama, Todoist is un-opinionated about what you tasks are and how they are organized. It’s a build a bear type situation while Sunsama is more a Beanie Baby type situation.\n\nAs I’ve already touched on the day as the building block in Sunsama, I want to discuss the calm of Sunsama in comparison with the stress of Todoist here. One of my favorite small features of Sunsama is the focused view you get when working on a task.\n\nWhile I’m working on this task, it’s all I see. Unlike Todoist, I don’t see all the other tasks I’m neglecting while working on this one. There is no buzzing bee in my ear reminding me to check in on my tech review ticket and my code review and the story work I’ve got going on. Everything is clean and simple. If I lose my focus, I reopen Sunsama and see a clean reminder of what I was working on.\n\nTodoist on the other hand is (even with channel / tag filtering) like a megaphone repeating my tasks on loop. I can’t escape all the things I’ve got left to do. There’s no where to hide. And when one is done? I’m staring a giant list once again.\n\nWhat’s more is that due to Todoist lack of opinion, I’m unclear about which of these many tasks takes priority. From what I know, everything is by default organized by recency. Yet recency is not anything like priority. Just because a coworker told me to review his PR 5 mins ago doesn’t mean it’s more important than my story work I started 3 days ago. Yet if I’m not careful, my Todoist list suggests that’s the case.\n\nSunsama builds in prioritization at its core through its daily planning ritual. There’s two ways to declare priority:\n\n 1. Dragging a task onto the calendar to schedule time\n 2. Moving a task to the top = highest priority\n\nIf you’ve got a maker schedule like me, you prioritize with a tasks position on the list, bringing the most important to the top. If you’re on a manager schedule with lots of meetings, you plug the holes of your day with your most important work. In either case, looking at the medium of Sunsama suggests the correct course of action.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1744731606495-411c49ed27fa?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHN1bnNoaW5lfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3OTU2ODMzMHww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-04-01T19:50:27.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:32:24.000Z","published_at":"2025-04-01T19:50:27.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b3f1","uuid":"4428799f-dc24-4bfe-a2e3-63ded5ae9658","title":"Week 1 of April 2025: Tariff Time","slug":"week-1-of-april-2025","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Links\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"🎯 Zoom’s one-click growth hack\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://strategybreakdowns.com/p/zooms-one-click-strategy?_bhlid=ef79eb0607d8c15de14d30de18434061566d0cd6&last_resource_guid=Post%3A3db0b527-a8fb-4466-ab7b-d624eb314b37&utm_campaign=zoom-s-one-click-strategy&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=strategybreakdowns.com\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - To be honest, I hate Zoom. So much. But I use it all the time. Why? It just works. Zoom took a complex, tricky problem and made it easy, if not elegant.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"While other established video conferencing players like Skype, WebEx, and Microsoft Teams spent years tackling enterprise features and complex security protocols, Zoom’s founder Eric Yuan made every product decision in line with a simple guiding principle:\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"→ Ruthlessly eliminate friction from video meetings\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"By the time the pandemic hit, Zoom’s activation funnel was lightyears ahead of competitors. Click a link, join a meeting.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Is Speaking Multiple Languages Overrated?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2024/11/12/multiple-languages-overrated/?ck_subscriber_id=1306912138\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - While in LA, I became obsessed with learning languages. I spent every day surrounded by Korean, Vietnamese, Spanish and more. Then I read \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Babel No More\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.amazon.com/Babel-No-More-Extraordinary-Language/dp/1451628250\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" and realized just how much work went into maintaining fluency in more than one language. For people that do, it is about all they do. The most underrated difficulty? The social strain of maintaining multi-lingual relationships.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"However, when I came home after spending a year learning multiple languages abroad, I realized it would be much harder to do the same thing with four languages. Finding friends who speak Mandarin, Korean, Spanish or Portuguese typically requires joining four completely different social groups.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Tariff Time\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h4\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Before I dive in, I want to clear up the difference between tariffs and deficits. A deficit is the difference between what we import and export from another country. A tariff is a tax a country places on imported goods. While we do run trade deficits with many nations, few of them apply tariffs to the United States. As laid out in \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"How to Hide an Empire\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.amazon.com/How-Hide-Empire-History-Greater/dp/0374172145\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", the US used trade as a form of \\\"empire\\\" after WWII and many of our trade deals are advantageous. That said, our economic \\\"empire\\\" came with a cost. We exported many jobs overseas which allowed for cheaper goods and more economic growth. Unlike the UK and other de-industrializing countries, we did not invest in communities impacted by the changes. In \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Deaths of Despair\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691190785/deaths-of-despair-and-the-future-of-capitalism?srsltid=AfmBOopy2C9BXMXk8FqvhFqQTaNSMEyDDav4TLjhG6OcUxzrHqEuTHeg\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", the devastating consequences of our negligence, writ large in the Rust Belt, are laid out in painstaking detail.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"To summarize, the current administration is correct in saying that we run a trade deficit with many countries in the world. They are incorrect in calling our tariffs retaliatory. Few countries (outside of China) apply tariffs to US goods with any regularity. The core problem the administration is trying to address, the loss of jobs in the US, is what we dig into today.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"First we start by learning about the construction industry. Where do our inputs come from? How will they be impacted? Next, we dig into a specific import that underpins much of modern industry: steel. Finally, we wrap with a deep dive into the strategic application of tariffs. When and where do they make sense to use? Why don't the tariffs of the current administration accomplish the intended goals?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"How Will the Trump Tariffs Affect Construction?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.construction-physics.com/p/how-will-the-trump-tariffs-affect?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=104058&post_id=156995441&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3myxec&triedRedirect=true\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Before reading this, I found the current administration's talk of unfair trade agreements alarmist. Even so, they gave me pause. Were we really getting screwed? After reading this, I feel much better about construction in the US. Our domestic industry is stronger than I imagined and our trade partners are varied. We don't put all our eggs in one basket. Will this diversified portfolio of imports remain post tariffs? Remains to be seen.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"There’s also a tendency for imports to be less finished products: the three largest categories in this group, totalling $117 billion worth of imports, include products directly from the mill that need to undergo further processing (being rolled, drawn, extruded into different shapes, and so on). This sort of processing seems to be more frequently done in the US: metal products produced by processing purchased metal tend to have lower import indexes.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"🌍 Steel standing\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://archives.internationalintrigue.io/p/wednesday-af25?_bhlid=a789ab313af17a273f53a2c3fd02966d460ffc93&last_resource_guid=Post%3A8ae5f85f-6386-4309-82b2-517e184e2c4e&utm_campaign=trump-s-latest-tariffs-from-four-cities&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=archives.internationalintrigue.io\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - The more I read about tariffs and trade, the more I see how \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":2,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"good\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" of a deal we often get. The best example is Canada, which allows us to leverage our manufacturing capabilities with their raw imports. Pissing off our northern neighbors is looking more like a strategic miss with each passing day.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Either way, last time around there was research suggesting the tariffs resulted in maybe 1,000 net new US steel-maker jobs, but at the cost of 75,000 US steel-user (manufacturing) jobs as metal inputs suddenly got more expensive. So we may well see similar impacts this time around, though Trump’s assessment seems to be it’s worth it.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"When are tariffs good?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/when-are-tariffs-good?ref=thebrowser.com\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I love to read steel man arguments and this is a great one. There is a case to be made for tariffs, but it's a different case than Trump is making. What I find most interesting here is that the Biden administration quietly deployed targeted tariffs to great effect in the solar industry.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The most important justification for tariffs, as I see it, is national security. If a war breaks out between the U.S. and China, the U.S. will have to build a whole lot of munitions and weapons very fast — especially drones, ships, missiles, and so on. In order to do that, it’s incredibly important to have existing civilian industries that can be quickly repurposed for military purposes — just like auto companies built bombers and tanks in World War 2.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Prediction of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Bets and Bounties Program\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/18_aQgMeDgHM_yOSQeSxKBzT__jWO3sK5KfTYDLznurY/preview?tab=t.0\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I am not yet great at coming up with predictions. But this article lays out my motivator for becoming better at them. We don't think of predictions this way, but they can be used as a way to refine what we know in a data driven way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"$250+ to anyone who substantially shifts our opinion on a substantive issue related to our forecast. For example: “Early AGIs won’t really communicate in neuralese,” or “We won’t solve mechanistic interpretability until at least 2035.” We will award this bounty if, had we known about your argument before publication, we would have written our scenario substantially differently\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
While other established video conferencing players like Skype, WebEx, and Microsoft Teams spent years tackling enterprise features and complex security protocols, Zoom’s founder Eric Yuan made every product decision in line with a simple guiding principle:
→ Ruthlessly eliminate friction from video meetings
By the time the pandemic hit, Zoom’s activation funnel was lightyears ahead of competitors. Click a link, join a meeting.
However, when I came home after spending a year learning multiple languages abroad, I realized it would be much harder to do the same thing with four languages. Finding friends who speak Mandarin, Korean, Spanish or Portuguese typically requires joining four completely different social groups.
Before I dive in, I want to clear up the difference between tariffs and deficits. A deficit is the difference between what we import and export from another country. A tariff is a tax a country places on imported goods. While we do run trade deficits with many nations, few of them apply tariffs to the United States. As laid out in How to Hide an Empire, the US used trade as a form of \"empire\" after WWII and many of our trade deals are advantageous. That said, our economic \"empire\" came with a cost. We exported many jobs overseas which allowed for cheaper goods and more economic growth. Unlike the UK and other de-industrializing countries, we did not invest in communities impacted by the changes. In Deaths of Despair, the devastating consequences of our negligence, writ large in the Rust Belt, are laid out in painstaking detail.
To summarize, the current administration is correct in saying that we run a trade deficit with many countries in the world. They are incorrect in calling our tariffs retaliatory. Few countries (outside of China) apply tariffs to US goods with any regularity. The core problem the administration is trying to address, the loss of jobs in the US, is what we dig into today.
First we start by learning about the construction industry. Where do our inputs come from? How will they be impacted? Next, we dig into a specific import that underpins much of modern industry: steel. Finally, we wrap with a deep dive into the strategic application of tariffs. When and where do they make sense to use? Why don't the tariffs of the current administration accomplish the intended goals?
There’s also a tendency for imports to be less finished products: the three largest categories in this group, totalling $117 billion worth of imports, include products directly from the mill that need to undergo further processing (being rolled, drawn, extruded into different shapes, and so on). This sort of processing seems to be more frequently done in the US: metal products produced by processing purchased metal tend to have lower import indexes.
Either way, last time around there was research suggesting the tariffs resulted in maybe 1,000 net new US steel-maker jobs, but at the cost of 75,000 US steel-user (manufacturing) jobs as metal inputs suddenly got more expensive. So we may well see similar impacts this time around, though Trump’s assessment seems to be it’s worth it.
The most important justification for tariffs, as I see it, is national security. If a war breaks out between the U.S. and China, the U.S. will have to build a whole lot of munitions and weapons very fast — especially drones, ships, missiles, and so on. In order to do that, it’s incredibly important to have existing civilian industries that can be quickly repurposed for military purposes — just like auto companies built bombers and tanks in World War 2.
$250+ to anyone who substantially shifts our opinion on a substantive issue related to our forecast. For example: “Early AGIs won’t really communicate in neuralese,” or “We won’t solve mechanistic interpretability until at least 2035.” We will award this bounty if, had we known about your argument before publication, we would have written our scenario substantially differently","comment_id":"107","plaintext":"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\n\nLinks\n\n * 🎯 Zoom’s one-click growth hack - To be honest, I hate Zoom. So much. But I use it all the time. Why? It just works. Zoom took a complex, tricky problem and made it easy, if not elegant.\n\nWhile other established video conferencing players like Skype, WebEx, and Microsoft Teams spent years tackling enterprise features and complex security protocols, Zoom’s founder Eric Yuan made every product decision in line with a simple guiding principle:\n\n→ Ruthlessly eliminate friction from video meetings\n\nBy the time the pandemic hit, Zoom’s activation funnel was lightyears ahead of competitors. Click a link, join a meeting.\n\n * Is Speaking Multiple Languages Overrated? - While in LA, I became obsessed with learning languages. I spent every day surrounded by Korean, Vietnamese, Spanish and more. Then I read Babel No More and realized just how much work went into maintaining fluency in more than one language. For people that do, it is about all they do. The most underrated difficulty? The social strain of maintaining multi-lingual relationships.\n\nHowever, when I came home after spending a year learning multiple languages abroad, I realized it would be much harder to do the same thing with four languages. Finding friends who speak Mandarin, Korean, Spanish or Portuguese typically requires joining four completely different social groups.\n\nTariff Time\n\nBefore I dive in, I want to clear up the difference between tariffs and deficits. A deficit is the difference between what we import and export from another country. A tariff is a tax a country places on imported goods. While we do run trade deficits with many nations, few of them apply tariffs to the United States. As laid out in How to Hide an Empire, the US used trade as a form of \"empire\" after WWII and many of our trade deals are advantageous. That said, our economic \"empire\" came with a cost. We exported many jobs overseas which allowed for cheaper goods and more economic growth. Unlike the UK and other de-industrializing countries, we did not invest in communities impacted by the changes. In Deaths of Despair, the devastating consequences of our negligence, writ large in the Rust Belt, are laid out in painstaking detail.\n\nTo summarize, the current administration is correct in saying that we run a trade deficit with many countries in the world. They are incorrect in calling our tariffs retaliatory. Few countries (outside of China) apply tariffs to US goods with any regularity. The core problem the administration is trying to address, the loss of jobs in the US, is what we dig into today.\n\nFirst we start by learning about the construction industry. Where do our inputs come from? How will they be impacted? Next, we dig into a specific import that underpins much of modern industry: steel. Finally, we wrap with a deep dive into the strategic application of tariffs. When and where do they make sense to use? Why don't the tariffs of the current administration accomplish the intended goals?\n\n * How Will the Trump Tariffs Affect Construction? - Before reading this, I found the current administration's talk of unfair trade agreements alarmist. Even so, they gave me pause. Were we really getting screwed? After reading this, I feel much better about construction in the US. Our domestic industry is stronger than I imagined and our trade partners are varied. We don't put all our eggs in one basket. Will this diversified portfolio of imports remain post tariffs? Remains to be seen.\n\nThere’s also a tendency for imports to be less finished products: the three largest categories in this group, totalling $117 billion worth of imports, include products directly from the mill that need to undergo further processing (being rolled, drawn, extruded into different shapes, and so on). This sort of processing seems to be more frequently done in the US: metal products produced by processing purchased metal tend to have lower import indexes.\n\n * 🌍 Steel standing - The more I read about tariffs and trade, the more I see how good of a deal we often get. The best example is Canada, which allows us to leverage our manufacturing capabilities with their raw imports. Pissing off our northern neighbors is looking more like a strategic miss with each passing day.\n\nEither way, last time around there was research suggesting the tariffs resulted in maybe 1,000 net new US steel-maker jobs, but at the cost of 75,000 US steel-user (manufacturing) jobs as metal inputs suddenly got more expensive. So we may well see similar impacts this time around, though Trump’s assessment seems to be it’s worth it.\n\n * When are tariffs good? - I love to read steel man arguments and this is a great one. There is a case to be made for tariffs, but it's a different case than Trump is making. What I find most interesting here is that the Biden administration quietly deployed targeted tariffs to great effect in the solar industry.\n\nThe most important justification for tariffs, as I see it, is national security. If a war breaks out between the U.S. and China, the U.S. will have to build a whole lot of munitions and weapons very fast — especially drones, ships, missiles, and so on. In order to do that, it’s incredibly important to have existing civilian industries that can be quickly repurposed for military purposes — just like auto companies built bombers and tanks in World War 2.\n\n\nPrediction of the Week\n\n * Bets and Bounties Program - I am not yet great at coming up with predictions. But this article lays out my motivator for becoming better at them. We don't think of predictions this way, but they can be used as a way to refine what we know in a data driven way.\n\n$250+ to anyone who substantially shifts our opinion on a substantive issue related to our forecast. For example: “Early AGIs won’t really communicate in neuralese,” or “We won’t solve mechanistic interpretability until at least 2035.” We will award this bounty if, had we known about your argument before publication, we would have written our scenario substantially differently","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1740313498505-89024211b126?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDN8fHRhcmlmZnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3Nzk1Njg0MDV8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-04-05T17:13:13.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:33:36.000Z","published_at":"2025-04-05T17:13:13.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b3f2","uuid":"3147fdd5-0c32-4e91-84ef-68a8c99a7158","title":"The Future of Learning Online | Week 2 of April 2025","slug":"the-future-of-learning-online-week-2-of-april-2025","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Future of Learning Online\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h4\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The more I write this newsletter, the more I realize why I'm writing it. If I had to put it into words, I write to bring a more hopeful version of the future, supported by tech, to life. Today I walk you through a bright spot in the development of tools for learning unlocked by AI. I love to learn and I'm jealous of the tools students and lifelong learners have at their disposal today. There are \\\"premium\\\" versions of these experiences that are expensive and extractive. Many of us are put off by these tools. Given that, I'm excited by the home grown tools popping up around the web that are cheap and useful.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Dynamic documents // LLMs + end-user programming\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://buttondown.com/geoffreylitt/archive/dynamic-documents-llms-end-user-programming/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" (2060 words) - While it can be a way to offload thinking, AI can also act as a lever, extending existing tools. The humble document is an interesting place to start for AI applications. We are comfortable with it and yet it can be so much better. I love this vision of documents as dynamic canvasses, like \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Jupyter Notebooks\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://jupyter.org/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" for all.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The general vibe of AIA is: human in the driver seat, precisely wielding a tool, but supported by AI capabilities. For example, Carter and Nielsen use the example of moving a slider to change the boldness of a font, where \\\"boldness\\\" is a dimension that a machine learning model learned from looking at many existing fonts. Notably, the user interaction is fast and direct-manipulation; not at all like \\\"talking to a human over a chatbot.\\\"\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Stevens: a hackable AI assistant using a single SQLite table and a handful of cron jobs\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.geoffreylitt.com/2025/04/12/how-i-made-a-useful-ai-assistant-with-one-sqlite-table-and-a-handful-of-cron-jobs.html?__readwiseLocation=\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" (972 words) - I am trying to find my way to a little AI assistant. Mine is currently just a bunch of HTML templates and email cron jobs. I am so impressed by this project that I might just copy it for myself. The big players in the space want to convince you that this tech is gnarly and impossible to run yourself. The big secret? With their own tools, it's not.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The assistant is called Stevens, named after the butler in the great Ishiguro novel Remains of the Day. Every morning it sends a brief to me and my wife via Telegram, including our calendar schedules for the day, a preview of the weather forecast, any postal mail or packages we’re expected to receive, and any reminders we’ve asked it to keep track of.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"A Naive Exploration of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://maggieappleton.com/cscl\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" (1,386 words) - The first two articles are about the tooling for learning and doing with AI. Yet using AI or even the internet for learning is no easy task. We cannot just put iPads in schools and see a blossoming of creativity. We need new ways of thinking about learning built for the digital age.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"All the papers makes clear that collaboration in and of itself doesn't magically produce understanding. Instead, it needs to be designed, structured, and carefully facilitated to lead to learning.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hyperlegibility\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.notboring.co/p/hyperlegibility?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=10025&post_id=159783056&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoyMTk5Nzk2NjgsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1OTc4MzA1NiwiaWF0IjoxNzQyOTA1NTk0LCJleHAiOjE3NDU0OTc1OTQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xMDAyNSIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.2am5j0e5vVvZCwBFj3om9u3DNAQkj1PJzlTZ76JtRHw&r=3myxec&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" (2,689 words) - Last but not least, this article is critical because it answers the, \\\"What if?\\\" of AI. What if we could pump out endless information and access knowledge faster than ever? What does one do in that situation? The answer, according to the author, is to become hyper-legible.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hyperlegibility emerges with game theoretical certainty from each of our desire to win whatever game it is you’re playing. Certainly, it’s a consequence of playing The Great Online Game. In order for the right people and projects to find you, you must make yourself legible to them. To stand out in a sea of people making themselves legible, you must make yourself Hyperlegible: so easy to read and understand you rise to the top.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"A Quick Field Trip Around the World\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h4\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"🕵️ Special edition: Taiwan\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://archives.internationalintrigue.io/p/special-edition-india-s-elections-db355fe4a7f8edc1?_bhlid=999d9ac536a98d199dc024ce0e9fe3dc7098e087&utm_campaign=special-edition-taiwan&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=archives.internationalintrigue.io\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" (3,464 words) - The history of Taiwan, as Ukraine, runs deep and long. While I want to write more about tariffs, I think it's actually useful to take a step back and reflect on some of the core conflicts in the US - China relationship, Taiwan being one of them. My mind has been on Taiwan a lot recently thanks to the excellent Acquired \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"series about TSMC\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/acquired/id1050462261?i=1000684803477\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" including a \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"recent interview with the 94 year\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/acquired/id1050462261?i=1000685569822\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" old founder.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Qing Emperor was determined to destroy Koxinga, and in 1683 sent an expeditionary force with three hundred warships to end his local reign and formally incorporate Taiwan into the Qing Empire. The Qing retained patchy control of the island for the next two centuries, and didn’t even get around to fully mapping it until shortly before it fell into the hands of Japan in 1895. Taiwan then remained under Japanese control until 1945.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Fragile state\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://africasacountry.com/2024/10/fragile-state\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" (1,415 words) - While the regime change in Syria soaked up lots of media coverage lately, the situation in Somalia is equally complex and further from a resolution. Take special note here of Turkey's role, as it appears to be attempting to fill void of the US in the Middle East and parts of Africa.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Horn of Africa, a region once described by Jeffrey Lefebvre as one of the world’s most “highly penetrated regional subsystems,” is on the brink of a dangerous turn as several actors intensify their displays of power in Somalia. Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, and other regional powers are taking sides in what is fast becoming Africa’s Lebanon—a fractured country where multiple national factions and entities pursue conflicting political agendas, inviting foreign actors to further their own influence and advance their political positions.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Prediction of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Will Apple be exempt from the U.S. tariffs on China by the end of April?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://manifold.markets/ShamalPerera/will-apple-be-exempt-from-the-us-ta\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I am betting yes here because of \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Scott Galloway's point during his podcast with Ian Bremmer\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prof-g-pod-with-scott-galloway/id1498802610?i=1000702980985\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\": Trump blinked. He blinked on TikTok, he blinked on the wider tariffs and I believe he will blink here. iPhone supply is inelastic and cannot be spun up in America without years of investment. Is it a good idea? I don't think it is worth arguing that point as it is not an idea that is possible to execute on in the next 4 years.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"1000 Minds\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-455ipZQ3I\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I am a little annoyed the folks at 1000 Minds built the software that I wanted to build. Even so, I can't help but loving it. I am getting a demo this coming week and I'm excited to see how to best take advantage.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Discover what matters to people and make good decisions using 1000minds decision-making and conjoint analysis software.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Support Rebecca's Life-Saving Kidney Transplant\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-rebeccas-lifesaving-kidney-transplant\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - My dad is an incredible DJ who has made hundreds (thousands?) of weddings special. He couldn't have done it without the help of Mark and Rebecca Ferrell. These two changed my dad's \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"life with their workshops\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://pauldailey.com/2014/06/29/1800-for-a-wedding-dj-is-dirt-cheap/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", and by extension, my own. They gave so much and they could use a helping hand now. Please join my family in giving back.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
The more I write this newsletter, the more I realize why I'm writing it. If I had to put it into words, I write to bring a more hopeful version of the future, supported by tech, to life. Today I walk you through a bright spot in the development of tools for learning unlocked by AI. I love to learn and I'm jealous of the tools students and lifelong learners have at their disposal today. There are \"premium\" versions of these experiences that are expensive and extractive. Many of us are put off by these tools. Given that, I'm excited by the home grown tools popping up around the web that are cheap and useful.
The general vibe of AIA is: human in the driver seat, precisely wielding a tool, but supported by AI capabilities. For example, Carter and Nielsen use the example of moving a slider to change the boldness of a font, where \"boldness\" is a dimension that a machine learning model learned from looking at many existing fonts. Notably, the user interaction is fast and direct-manipulation; not at all like \"talking to a human over a chatbot.\"
The assistant is called Stevens, named after the butler in the great Ishiguro novel Remains of the Day. Every morning it sends a brief to me and my wife via Telegram, including our calendar schedules for the day, a preview of the weather forecast, any postal mail or packages we’re expected to receive, and any reminders we’ve asked it to keep track of.
All the papers makes clear that collaboration in and of itself doesn't magically produce understanding. Instead, it needs to be designed, structured, and carefully facilitated to lead to learning.
Hyperlegibility emerges with game theoretical certainty from each of our desire to win whatever game it is you’re playing. Certainly, it’s a consequence of playing The Great Online Game. In order for the right people and projects to find you, you must make yourself legible to them. To stand out in a sea of people making themselves legible, you must make yourself Hyperlegible: so easy to read and understand you rise to the top.
The Qing Emperor was determined to destroy Koxinga, and in 1683 sent an expeditionary force with three hundred warships to end his local reign and formally incorporate Taiwan into the Qing Empire. The Qing retained patchy control of the island for the next two centuries, and didn’t even get around to fully mapping it until shortly before it fell into the hands of Japan in 1895. Taiwan then remained under Japanese control until 1945.
The Horn of Africa, a region once described by Jeffrey Lefebvre as one of the world’s most “highly penetrated regional subsystems,” is on the brink of a dangerous turn as several actors intensify their displays of power in Somalia. Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, and other regional powers are taking sides in what is fast becoming Africa’s Lebanon—a fractured country where multiple national factions and entities pursue conflicting political agendas, inviting foreign actors to further their own influence and advance their political positions.
Discover what matters to people and make good decisions using 1000minds decision-making and conjoint analysis software.
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
In last week's edition, I talked about the application of AI for learning. This week we are taking a look at how the biggest tech behemoth's in the world are built. One of the challenges with AI powered coding is that software engineering is so much more than just code. AI is powerful, but it is not magic. In these articles you will find the trade offs huge companies make, no matter how advanced their tech. Some of the trade offs are surprising, like the fact AWS S3 (Google Drive for nerds) uses \"old\" hard drives rather than the fancy SSD you use in your laptop.
The main takeaway though? While tech can abstract away a lot, computers are still tied to the physical world. AI can accelerate our progress, but it cannot transcend physical limitations and trade offs. So while you may be able to build the next Airbnb without any coding experience, maintaining and scaling it will still require hard earned expertise.
Imagine a hard drive head as a 747 flying over a grassy field at 75 miles per hour. The air gap between the bottom of the plane and the top of the grass is two sheets of paper. Now, if we measure bits on the disk as blades of grass, the track width would be 4.6 blades of grass wide and the bit length would be one blade of grass. As the plane flew over the grass it would count blades of grass and only miss one blade for every 25 thousand times the plane circled the Earth.
Kevin Modzelewski talks about Dropbox and its History. He describes the technological issues faced by Dropbox and the actions they have to take in order to continuously improve it.
Most API startups create immense value for a small number of customer companies, usually within a specific niche. Plaid is used by fintech companies, Scale is used by AI companies, and Alchemy is used by Web3 companies. It’s rare for an API startup not to be constrained to a specific niche. It’s rare for an API startup to create lots of value for lots of different companies, each across different niches. When that’s the case, something magical happens: the market for your API truly becomes every software company.
In an increasingly chaotic world, I'm finding it helpful to think regionally. As Melinda Gates asked on Kara Swisher's pod, what can you do in your town to make the world better? This week we take a look at two folks who are devoted to their region. One is a love letter to home and the other is an interview with a musician bringing new life to the Carolinas.
The paradox here is this: If I was a perfectly rational person, I am pretty sure I would still be in London. I had a job in the sector with great purpose. I love the diversity and cultural vibes in London and Europe at large. My kids have free education in the UK given the special visa we have. I love football. Hong Kong is crumbling on all fronts in the new era. The rational side of my brain is great at rationalizing.
The Columbia, South Carolina native told his mom that if he didn’t get anywhere with producing in 2018, he was going to take his money, get his commercial driver’s license and drive trucks. A year later, he has a platinum plaque mounted on his wall, a deal with Sony, and collaborations with DaBaby, Lil Keed, and Young Nudy.
While DeepSeek’s savings on training might look like a big deal today, it is the savings on inference, which has to happen at runtime, will be the key. It will drive major demand as the whole planet moves over the coming years to take advantage of this new power. - https://crazystupidtech.com/archive/what-deepseek-means-for-everyone/
We believe in the power of philanthropy. Philanthropy seeded the Green Revolution, helped cure polio, precipitated the first nuclear arms treaty, and drove the campaign against slavery. History shows that strategic generosity can not merely better the world so much as alter the course of history. Our goal is for every grant we recommend to help as many individuals as possible, as much as possible, while counting everyone equally — including future generations. We are truth-seeking, far-sighted, risk-neutral, and informed by the best available evidence.","comment_id":"115","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\n\nLinks\n\nBack to Basics\n\nIn last week's edition, I talked about the application of AI for learning. This week we are taking a look at how the biggest tech behemoth's in the world are built. One of the challenges with AI powered coding is that software engineering is so much more than just code. AI is powerful, but it is not magic. In these articles you will find the trade offs huge companies make, no matter how advanced their tech. Some of the trade offs are surprising, like the fact AWS S3 (Google Drive for nerds) uses \"old\" hard drives rather than the fancy SSD you use in your laptop.\n\nThe main takeaway though? While tech can abstract away a lot, computers are still tied to the physical world. AI can accelerate our progress, but it cannot transcend physical limitations and trade offs. So while you may be able to build the next Airbnb without any coding experience, maintaining and scaling it will still require hard earned expertise.\n\n * Building and operating a pretty big storage system called S3 - While TSMC's scale blew my mind last week, this week it is hard drives bringing the awe. I can barely wrap my head around the precision at work here. The fact it is all abstracted into an \"upload\" button on AWS is even crazier. Hats off to the huge team at AWS for their good work. If you find this fascinating, check out Last Week in AWS, which breaks down AWS with snark and humor.\n\nImagine a hard drive head as a 747 flying over a grassy field at 75 miles per hour. The air gap between the bottom of the plane and the top of the grass is two sheets of paper. Now, if we measure bits on the disk as blades of grass, the track width would be 4.6 blades of grass wide and the bit length would be one blade of grass. As the plane flew over the grass it would count blades of grass and only miss one blade for every 25 thousand times the plane circled the Earth.\n\n * How We've Scaled Dropbox - The web is insane. The fact I can watch this tiny Stanford talk for free years after the fact is wild. Cloud storage is a foundational part of the web today. After watching this video, you will never see iCloud or Google Drive the same way.\n\nKevin Modzelewski talks about Dropbox and its History. He describes the technological issues faced by Dropbox and the actions they have to take in order to continuously improve it.\n\n * Why You Should Join WorkOS - Real innovation makes the world faster or better or both. WorkOS seems to find a way to unlock insane value by allowing other companies to move faster and better. How? By making it easier for companies to onboard at scale. Ever tried to roll out a new tool at a big company? It's a nightmare. With WorkOS it's closer to a dream.\n\nMost API startups create immense value for a small number of customer companies, usually within a specific niche. Plaid is used by fintech companies, Scale is used by AI companies, and Alchemy is used by Web3 companies. It’s rare for an API startup not to be constrained to a specific niche. It’s rare for an API startup to create lots of value for lots of different companies, each across different niches. When that’s the case, something magical happens: the market for your API truly becomes every software company.\n\nBack to Home\n\nIn an increasingly chaotic world, I'm finding it helpful to think regionally. As Melinda Gates asked on Kara Swisher's pod, what can you do in your town to make the world better? This week we take a look at two folks who are devoted to their region. One is a love letter to home and the other is an interview with a musician bringing new life to the Carolinas.\n\n * Why I Came Home - What do we really care about? For some of us, the answer is clear and obvious. For others, we must look at our irrationalities, our sacrifices. What draws us to the fire, even as we know it will hurt? What can we not help but love? I'm relating to this piece deeply as I see America drift away from the place my great-great parents found upon arrival from Italy. Knowing my place is struggling, what can I do to make it a little better, a little easier for those of us still here?\n\nThe paradox here is this: If I was a perfectly rational person, I am pretty sure I would still be in London. I had a job in the sector with great purpose. I love the diversity and cultural vibes in London and Europe at large. My kids have free education in the UK given the special visa we have. I love football. Hong Kong is crumbling on all fronts in the new era. The rational side of my brain is great at rationalizing.\n\n * Jetsonmade is building a name for himself and the Carolinas - I've been watching Clarkson's Farm on Amazon Prime and I'm shocked by how much progress you can make by banding together with some likeminded folks. The sheer amount of growth and prosperity Jetsonmade brought to his community is admirable. How'd he do it? Partnering with local folks to build a flywheel.\n\nThe Columbia, South Carolina native told his mom that if he didn’t get anywhere with producing in 2018, he was going to take his money, get his commercial driver’s license and drive trucks. A year later, he has a platinum plaque mounted on his wall, a deal with Sony, and collaborations with DaBaby, Lil Keed, and Young Nudy.\n\n\nPrediction of the Week\n\n * Will Cloud Providers see greater revenue growth in 2025 than AI companies? - The training of AI models is expensive. The running of those models is becoming cheaper and cheaper, as evidenced by DeepSeek's breakthrough:\n\nWhile DeepSeek’s savings on training might look like a big deal today, it is the savings on inference, which has to happen at runtime, will be the key. It will drive major demand as the whole planet moves over the coming years to take advantage of this new power. - https://crazystupidtech.com/archive/what-deepseek-means-for-everyone/\n\n * What does this mean for OpenAI and Anthropic? As Benedict Evans lays out in \"The Deep Research Problem\", they lack a moat. The rise of open source models and the decreasing cost of running models means they face tremendous pressure. Who are the winners here? The cloud providers. I believe we will see Anthropic and OpenAI continue to lead in consumer facing AI applications. But in the corporate world? Folks will not be able to resist the cost savings of running their own internal models.\n\n\nProduct of the Week\n\n * GitHub - mwmbl/mwmbl: An open source, non-profit web search engine - Google is so big as to be incomprehensible. Yet it's still valuable to understand how search works. mwmbl is small enough to be digestible.\n\n\nCause of the Week\n\n * Longview Philanthropy - I am a fan of strategy and I don't think there's an area with more potential for strategic impact than philanthropy. I'm thrilled that this organization exists, especially given the pullback in funding for a wide variety of strategic ventures. Giving well is a huge lever for societal change - a little goes a long way.\n\nWe believe in the power of philanthropy. Philanthropy seeded the Green Revolution, helped cure polio, precipitated the first nuclear arms treaty, and drove the campaign against slavery. History shows that strategic generosity can not merely better the world so much as alter the course of history. Our goal is for every grant we recommend to help as many individuals as possible, as much as possible, while counting everyone equally — including future generations. We are truth-seeking, far-sighted, risk-neutral, and informed by the best available evidence.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1558494949-ef010cbdcc31?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fHNlcnZlcnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3Nzk1Njg1ODB8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-04-18T17:57:52.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:36:24.000Z","published_at":"2025-04-18T17:57:52.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b3f4","uuid":"5ad0e36a-30c6-4c17-a257-33f0025bfa9f","title":"Some Humble Leaders and a Beehiiv | Week 4 of April 2025","slug":"some-humble-leaders-and-a-beehiiv-week-4-of-april-2025","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Some Stories about a Beehiiv\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h4\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"One of my favorite startups (and the new host of my newsletter) is Beehiiv. They ship like crazy, build in public and \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"take huge swings at competitors\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mail.bigdeskenergy.com/p/death-by-thousand-substacks\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" in a world of corporate carefulness. I don't always agree with the founder's newsletter, Big Desk Energy, but I always come away intrigued. Here are some of my favorites from the blog.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"need for speed\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mail.bigdeskenergy.com/p/vibe-building?_bhlid=883fb75dc9e04aca6f1ae36eb896b51cca3f5caf&last_resource_guid=Post%3Ab9783963-24e6-4528-bc1b-e76b9a0fdac6&utm_campaign=vibe-building&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=mail.bigdeskenergy.com\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - It is rare to see founders this honest in public. Tyler Denk of Beehiiv is setting the standard for how to build in public: he's publicly wrong. It is writing like this that makes me wonder, why can't we have more honesty in bigger companies? What would it look like for greater transparency everywhere?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I fucked up. I recently realized that our incessant need for speed and doing more has led to a handful of blindspots and inefficiencies. We’ve been moving too quickly to stop and ask the important questions...When we launched the product [Direct Sponsorships] in March, we announced it to our users then simply moved onto the next project. Was it a success? I honestly have no idea — we never defined what the success metrics were prior to building it.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"how to ship like beehiiv\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mail.bigdeskenergy.com/p/product-velocity-playbook?_bhlid=f762d36e2077340b166a1ec9432db5a03135b64e&utm_campaign=product-velocity-playbook&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=mail.bigdeskenergy.com\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - The subtitle of this one is, \\\"speed is a competitive advantage.\\\" I am using these articles almost like an audit trail for Denk's thinking. Here he lays out valid points about the reason Beehiiv built so fast and the benefits of their speed. These stand in contrast, but not opposition to, the need for metrics he lays out in \\\"need for speed.\\\"\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"When we first launched back in 2021 there were already dozens of competitors who had platforms far more advanced than our nascent little toy. Mailchimp had recently been acquired for $12B, Substack had just raised $65M, and there were a dozen other email and marketing solutions with huge teams and robust capabilities. Meanwhile, I’m pretty sure we first hooked up the ability to actually send emails like 4 days before launching. Our philosophy from day one was simple: ship or die.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"how to fundraise\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mail.bigdeskenergy.com/p/how-i-raised-50m?_bhlid=d36eca8d25405c1910185e0958d1a5b853dbfb3b&utm_campaign=how-i-raised-50m&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=mail.bigdeskenergy.com\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - In this article, we jump forward a bit in the saga to the post product, pre investor days. I knew a couple of friends who raised VC money, but man is this a peek behind the curtian. For all those considering starting their own company, this is a must read.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"If you have the means to bootstrap your startup, then good on ya. Back when my cofounders and I began building beehiiv I was 26 years old, and they were both just 23. We didn’t have the means to pay our own salaries, our vendors, or other people to come join us.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"contrast therapy\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mail.bigdeskenergy.com/p/contrast-therapy?_bhlid=8caa7826c999900edb014e887513387976e6ba83&utm_campaign=contrast-therapy&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=mail.bigdeskenergy.com\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - If the first few articles are peeking behind the curtain of the company, this one is meeting Mr. Oz himself. I'm not sure I could live like this, but it's interesting to know that someone out there does (and seems to like it).\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I’m one of the most routine-oriented people I know. Not really by choice, but out of necessity. I’ve crafted a routine that allows me to take care of myself and also gives me the energy and focus to be effective in front of a computer screen for 12+ hours a day.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Some Humble Leaders\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h4\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Humble Francis\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://snyder.substack.com/p/humble-francis?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=310897&post_id=161797232&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3myxec&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - When I read the following anecdote, I felt a deep sense of awe and dread. Awe at someone who is, at least in this instance, so tender and connected to others. Dread because I cannot imagine any of our current leaders doing the same. There is great wisdom in watching what people to do the least of these.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Just before he reached the sanctuary, he halted suddenly and turned to his right, noticing that pew. Then, as the rest of us waited, he walked to its far end, and bent himself to speak. He greeted each person in turn, touching them. As the people with whom he was conversing could not rise, he had to lower himself. So, over and over, Francis knelt down to look someone in the eye and to hold both of their hands in his. This took about fifteen minutes.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Warren Buffett’s 2024 Report to Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://daringfireball.net/linked/2025/04/12/buffet-2024-berkshire-shareholders-letter\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Generosity is not free. It cost something, takes something from us. But it is a powerful signal to the world about who we are and what we stand for. What we give (or don't give) tells us more about ourselves than we may be comfortable hearing.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"So thank you, Uncle Sam. Someday your nieces and nephews at Berkshire hope to send you even larger payments than we did in 2024. Spend it wisely. Take care of the many who, for no fault of their own, get the short straws in life. They deserve better. And never forget that we need you to maintain a stable currency and that result requires both wisdom and vigilance on your part.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Immigrant Defense Project\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/donate/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I come from immigrants and I love what this organization is doing to keep them safe in these uncertain times. Please join me in supporting their good work.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
One of my favorite startups (and the new host of my newsletter) is Beehiiv. They ship like crazy, build in public and take huge swings at competitors in a world of corporate carefulness. I don't always agree with the founder's newsletter, Big Desk Energy, but I always come away intrigued. Here are some of my favorites from the blog.
I fucked up. I recently realized that our incessant need for speed and doing more has led to a handful of blindspots and inefficiencies. We’ve been moving too quickly to stop and ask the important questions...When we launched the product [Direct Sponsorships] in March, we announced it to our users then simply moved onto the next project. Was it a success? I honestly have no idea — we never defined what the success metrics were prior to building it.
When we first launched back in 2021 there were already dozens of competitors who had platforms far more advanced than our nascent little toy. Mailchimp had recently been acquired for $12B, Substack had just raised $65M, and there were a dozen other email and marketing solutions with huge teams and robust capabilities. Meanwhile, I’m pretty sure we first hooked up the ability to actually send emails like 4 days before launching. Our philosophy from day one was simple: ship or die.
If you have the means to bootstrap your startup, then good on ya. Back when my cofounders and I began building beehiiv I was 26 years old, and they were both just 23. We didn’t have the means to pay our own salaries, our vendors, or other people to come join us.
I’m one of the most routine-oriented people I know. Not really by choice, but out of necessity. I’ve crafted a routine that allows me to take care of myself and also gives me the energy and focus to be effective in front of a computer screen for 12+ hours a day.
Just before he reached the sanctuary, he halted suddenly and turned to his right, noticing that pew. Then, as the rest of us waited, he walked to its far end, and bent himself to speak. He greeted each person in turn, touching them. As the people with whom he was conversing could not rise, he had to lower himself. So, over and over, Francis knelt down to look someone in the eye and to hold both of their hands in his. This took about fifteen minutes.
So thank you, Uncle Sam. Someday your nieces and nephews at Berkshire hope to send you even larger payments than we did in 2024. Spend it wisely. Take care of the many who, for no fault of their own, get the short straws in life. They deserve better. And never forget that we need you to maintain a stable currency and that result requires both wisdom and vigilance on your part.
As someone who also decided not to have children, I appreciate Garten’s forthrightness about and lack of apology for her choice. But it’s also remarkable to me in part because Garten has made herself all but synonymous with domesticity, something that many people still view through the prism of motherhood. Garten is nurturing without being maternal; instead of children, she lavishes her care on her husband and friends.
In media, Yiwu’s story has been widely covered — it is seen as the epitome of the China dream, a multicultural trade hub with vibrant Arab influence, and even a predictor of US elections — while new elements continue to emerge.
It’s unclear to me whether users in the EU will be able to delete apps like Photos and Camera even if they don’t have any third-party photography apps installed, which would leave their iPhone in a state where there is no way to take new photos or view existing ones. This is performative regulation. None of this deletable apps nonsense increases competition; it merely increases the chances of profound user confusion.
… but this was the best trade I ever made. “Nice stuff” was cool, but freedom of time was much cooler. A year of free time in your 20s is worth a decade of free time when you retire at 65. When you’re young, life is a lot more fun. The relationships and skills you build in your 20s have 20+ years to compound. The travel is more fun. You literally just have more energy.
Sinatra was ill. He was the victim of an ailment so common that most people would consider it trivial. But when it gets to Sinatra it can plunge him into a state of anguish, deep depression, panic, even rage. Frank Sinatra had a cold.Sinatra with a cold is Picasso without paint, Ferrari without fuel—only worse. For the common cold robs Sinatra of that uninsurable jewel, his voice, cutting into the core of his confidence, and it affects not only his own psyche but also seems to cause a kind of psychosomatic nasal drip within dozens of people who work for him, drink with him, love him, depend on him for their own welfare and stability.
Adjacent News is a new-age media venture that is focused on using prediction markets and forecasting platforms to add context to the news you already read, where you read it. Generate news that is driven by changes in the markets and provide trading and data platforms.
Nestled in the heart of Pittsburgh's Northside lies a hidden gem, the Mexican War Streets. Here, a dedicated group of individuals has taken up the mantle of preserving the historic character of this beautiful neighborhood while fostering community engagement and support. We are the Mexican War Streets Society (MWSS), a non-profit organization founded in 1969 by community-minded individuals who share a passion for preservation and a commitment to our neighborhood.
But the biggest difference is that Apple, under Jobs, was quirky, and I think would have remained noticeably more quirky than it has been under Cook. You’d be wrong, I say, to argue that Cook has drained the fun out of Apple. But I do think he’s eliminated quirkiness. Cook’s Apple takes too few risks. Jobs’s Apple took too many risks.
A legit beauty queen and Juilliard-trained dancer, Neeleman now runs an actual farm in Utah alongside her husband Daniel, with whom she shares 10 children. She bakes beautifully scored sourdough loaves in her $20,000 vintage oven, and is happy to sell you the supplies to make your own at home — fancy bowls, a $20 bench scraper emblazoned with the farm’s logo, and “sourdough spatulas” are all available on her website.
Submarine landslides are awesome events whose existence was only discovered in the 1950s, when scientists analyzed the timing of 12 cable faults that severed communication between Europe and North America two decades earlier. Before then, according to oceanographer Mike Clare, “It was assumed that deep water was boring and nothing happens down there.” In fact, the ocean floor is riven with mountains and canyons that experience avalanches that dwarf anything found on land, cascades of sediment and debris racing for hundreds of miles.
Instead of looking at some problem like “I don’t see enough friends,” or “I don’t work out enough,” or “I don’t have enough fun,” and then trying to find time to fit those priorities into, we should see how we can incorporate them into what we’re already doing.
The reason why GAMM and all its little digirati minions on social media are pushing things like crypto, then the blockchain, and now virtual reality and artificial intelligence is because those technologies require a metric fuckton of computing power to operate. That fact may be devastating for the earth, indeed it is for our mental health, but it’s wonderful news for the four storefronts selling all the juice.
In 1964, Bob Dylan was a wildly successful folk musician touring the world. But he didn’t really want to be a folk musician. “I play these concerts,” he said, “and I ask myself: ‘Would I come see me tonight?’ and I have to truthfully say: ‘No, I wouldn’t come.’” And then he’d ask himself what kind of music he would want to see himself play. “Rock,” he said. “I’d rather see me do rock.” The problem was that he had built a massive audience full of people who love folk music. If he all of a sudden started playing rock music, he knew he might lose his audience. Playing the folk shows eventually got to the point where he was ready to quit playing music altogether. If he were to quit, he realized, it’d sort of be just losing an audience. So Dylan said, Who cares?, and in June 1965, he recorded his first rock song, Like A Rolling Stone. - SIX at 6: Aren’t You Afraid?, Vampire Weekend, Who Cares?, Like A Rolling Stone, House Money, and Hemingway","comment_id":"127","plaintext":" * ★ Thoughts and Observations in the Wake of Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ Keynote - Nominally this is about Apple's most recent keynote. But I found it a deep reflection on the DNA of Apple under Tim Cook. For all the hubub around Elon Musk, I think we miss in some ways a far more interesting leader in Cook.\n\nBut the biggest difference is that Apple, under Jobs, was quirky, and I think would have remained noticeably more quirky than it has been under Cook. You’d be wrong, I say, to argue that Cook has drained the fun out of Apple. But I do think he’s eliminated quirkiness. Cook’s Apple takes too few risks. Jobs’s Apple took too many risks.\n\n * What Does It Take to Actually Cook Like a Tradwife? - I am fascinated by strange intersections. Here I see two of my worlds colliding: my zealous evangelical high school phase and my college hippie phase. The parallels are as interesting as they are unexpected. Who do I know that makes cheese from scratch? Homemakers and hippies.\n\nA legit beauty queen and Juilliard-trained dancer, Neeleman now runs an actual farm in Utah alongside her husband Daniel, with whom she shares 10 children. She bakes beautifully scored sourdough loaves in her $20,000 vintage oven, and is happy to sell you the supplies to make your own at home — fancy bowls, a $20 bench scraper emblazoned with the farm’s logo, and “sourdough spatulas” are all available on her website.\n\n * The invisible seafaring industry that keeps the internet afloat - For many of us, the sea and the internet are two big black boxes that quietly underpin our daily lives. Here we see these two behemoths interact in the strangest of ways. Who knew landslides happened underwater? And they take down the cables which keep us connected? Forget conspiracy theories, this shit is crazy.\n\nSubmarine landslides are awesome events whose existence was only discovered in the 1950s, when scientists analyzed the timing of 12 cable faults that severed communication between Europe and North America two decades earlier. Before then, according to oceanographer Mike Clare, “It was assumed that deep water was boring and nothing happens down there.” In fact, the ocean floor is riven with mountains and canyons that experience avalanches that dwarf anything found on land, cascades of sediment and debris racing for hundreds of miles.\n\n * De-Atomization is the Secret to Happiness - A professor of mine called this function stacking and I like his name for it better. So far my best experiment in de-atomizing my life is selling my car and riding my bike. I no longer worry about exercise. Today I rode to a workout and picked up groceries. Without much effort, I logged 8 miles riding! Function stacking!\n\nInstead of looking at some problem like “I don’t see enough friends,” or “I don’t work out enough,” or “I don’t have enough fun,” and then trying to find time to fit those priorities into, we should see how we can incorporate them into what we’re already doing.\n\n * Any Technology Indistinguishable From Magic is Hiding Something - Scott Galloway first pointed out that technology companies are turning into energy companies. He talked about the business side of these companies in The Four. I love this article because it brings the conversation into the personal and the technical. What does it mean these companies are aggregating so much? What are their incentives given their dominance? What does that mean for us?\n\nThe reason why GAMM and all its little digirati minions on social media are pushing things like crypto, then the blockchain, and now virtual reality and artificial intelligence is because those technologies require a metric fuckton of computing power to operate. That fact may be devastating for the earth, indeed it is for our mental health, but it’s wonderful news for the four storefronts selling all the juice.\n\n\nProduct of the Week\n\n * Hey Email - Forget their calendar product (sorry Basecamp). Hey email is the real gold here. Unlike Gmail, Hey is opinionated about how you do email. Emails flow through workflows rather than requiring weird excel like magic filters. I've used this for years and its the easiest $99 I spend each year. This is not an affiliate link btw. Just me talking about stuff I like.\n\n\nCause of the Week\n\n * Vote.org - I knew voting was cool, but it wasn't until reading Democracy in America with a friend that I understood its uniqueness in history. Here's me reminding my US readers to make a plan to vote!\n\n\nAlbum of the Week\n\n * The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - My good friend loves Bob Dylan and last week I finally dove into his discography. The fact he wrote Blowin' In the Wind in 10 minutes is insane to me. Can you imagine Picasso whipping out a masterpiece in that time? A true artist. The story below only cements it.\n\nIn 1964, Bob Dylan was a wildly successful folk musician touring the world. But he didn’t really want to be a folk musician. “I play these concerts,” he said, “and I ask myself: ‘Would I come see me tonight?’ and I have to truthfully say: ‘No, I wouldn’t come.’” And then he’d ask himself what kind of music he would want to see himself play. “Rock,” he said. “I’d rather see me do rock.” The problem was that he had built a massive audience full of people who love folk music. If he all of a sudden started playing rock music, he knew he might lose his audience. Playing the folk shows eventually got to the point where he was ready to quit playing music altogether. If he were to quit, he realized, it’d sort of be just losing an audience. So Dylan said, Who cares?, and in June 1965, he recorded his first rock song, Like A Rolling Stone. - SIX at 6: Aren’t You Afraid?, Vampire Weekend, Who Cares?, Like A Rolling Stone, House Money, and Hemingway","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1518181835702-6eef8b4b2113?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDN8fGNhYmxlc3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3Nzk1NjA2OTF8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2024-10-28T22:52:26.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T18:24:57.000Z","published_at":"2024-10-28T22:52:26.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b3f8","uuid":"0a140a2b-4342-4fa2-a422-6e2e23fbfcfc","title":"What if Advertising Was Illegal? | Week 3 of May 2025","slug":"what-if-advertising-was-illegal-week-3-of-may-2025","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Wild World of Advertising\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"My first look at the world of advertising came from \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Made to Stick\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.alibris.com/Made-to-Stick-Why-Some-Ideas-Survive-and-Others-Die-Chip-Heath/book/9803607?matches=316\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" by Dan and Chip Heath. I stole it from my father's bookshelf when most kids were reading Harry Potter (I was a weird kid). Something about the business of persuasion captivated me. Part of my fascination is how new this medium is. For much of history, advertising stretched only as far as the nearest trading route. Today, you can reach billions with Meta alone. You can personalize ads to a degree never seen before. My mind is still wrapping its head around the implications of this flattened ad-filled world. As consumers, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"we are bombarded with ads constantly\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://theecologist.org/2024/sep/23/how-many-ads-do-you-see\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". As producers, advertising is a requirement for growth.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Startups spend almost 40 cents of every VC dollar on Google, Facebook, and Amazon…Advertising spend in tech has become an arms race: fresh tactics go stale in months, and customer acquisition costs keep rising - \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Is it healthy for start-ups to spend so much money on user acquisition?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mobiledevmemo.com/facebook-google-alternative-start-up-user-acquisition/#:~:text=Startups%20spend%20almost%2040%20cents,customer%20acquisition%20costs%20keep%20rising.\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Today we hear from my coworker, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Don Marti\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmarti/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", about the core questions of advertising. I've never considered these questions, even as they shake the foundations of the subject I've read about since childhood. I'm still mulling over the conclusions and hope it gives you food for thought.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"advertising personalization: good for you?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://blog.zgp.org/advertising-personalization-good-for-you/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - It is hard to imagine a world before personalized ads. In the last decade, we all got used to the idea that our phones are listening in, whether literally or metaphorically. I took for granted that personalized ads were better quality, and the invasion of privacy was worth it. Yet Don asks, \\\"What if it isn't?\\\" I've come away from this thinking about new ways to reach customers that are better for businesses and users.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Jakob Nielsen may have provided the best explanation in 2006’s Search Engines as Leeches on the Web, which likely applies not just to search, but to other auction-based ad placements like social media advertising. An auction-based advertising platform like those operated by Google and Meta is able to dynamically adjust its advertising rates to capture all of the expected incremental profits from the customers acquired through it.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"picking up cheap shoes in front of a steamroller\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://blog.zgp.org/picking-up-cheap-shoes-in-front-of-a-steamroller/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Going a step further, Don asks, \\\"What if advertising was not legal?\\\" Again, it is hard to imagine a world without ads. We are bombarded with them. Yet, the question is worth asking, because it gets at the core idea, \\\"What is advertising?\\\" Advertising is so embedded in modern life it is hard to reason about on its own. The concept is tangled with the internet, privacy law, globalization and more. In a world of infinite information, ads no longer add value as information. If they aren't there to inform consumers, what are they for?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The traditional argument pro-advertising—that it provides consumers with necessary information—hasn’t been valid for decades. In our information-saturated world, ads manipulate, but they don’t inform. The modern advertising apparatus exists to bypass rational thought and trigger emotional responses that lead to purchasing decisions. A sophisticated machine designed to short-circuit your agency, normalized to the point of invisibility.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"business recommendations\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://blog.zgp.org/business-recommendations/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - In a world of AI slop, I'm turning more to individuals for recommendations. I hardly ever search for products anymore. Instead, I consult a long list of product recommendations from newsletters like this one. With the rise of AI, it will be more and more difficult to tell which products are real, which testimonies are valid, and who to trust.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Since there’s a search quality crisis on, a lot of the companies you might find on social media are scams, and a lot of the stuff sold on big retail sites is fake, here are some real businesses I can recommend in several categories. Will fill in some more.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Some Dispatches from the World of Stay-at-Home Mothers\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"My mother stayed home to raise my brother and me, returning to work when I was in high school. When I was growing up, her salary matched the childcare costs. She wanted to continue working, but the policy choices of America made it difficult. Childcare in America is sparse and expensive. My friends with kids rush to the waitlists of the few options available. This week we peek into Germany, where childcare and support for mothers is better. Even with more support, life as a stay-at-home mother is no picnic. After reading about stay-at-home mothers in Germany, we read about the rise of the stay-at-home girlfriend on TikTok and elsewhere. I've \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"previously\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"__GHOST_URL__/week-3-of-october-2024/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"written\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"__GHOST_URL__/week-4-of-october-2024/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" about the rise of the \\\"tradwife\\\" on social media, but for many reasons this trend is more complicated. There are complex financial, cultural, and practical questions here that feel new.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Division of Labor No. 13: A Stay-at-Home Mom and Political Advisor Raising 2 Small Kids in Germany\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://thepurse.substack.com/p/family-of-four-stay-at-home-mom-germany?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2141070&post_id=155878766&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3myxec&triedRedirect=true\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"How do you think parenting in Germany differs from parenting in the U.S.? Compared to Americans, Germans are very pragmatic and conformist. It seems to me that American parents can get quite wrapped up in individual parenting choices (homeschooling, baby-led weaning or not, co-sleeping or not), and these are an important part of a parenting “identity.” This isn’t as much the case in Germany. Of course, people might disapprove of what you’re doing, but they will tend to shrug and say, “du musst es selber wissen.” It’s a polite way of affirming that everyone should mind his or her own business. That is, unless you’re breaching safety or property rules. You might hear about it if your child is not wearing reflector lights on his bicycle—that’s unacceptable!\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"What Happens to the Stay-at-Home Girlfriend After a Breakup?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.cosmopolitan.com/relationships/a64636761/stay-at-home-girlfriend-breakups/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Financial expert Farnoosh Torabi, host of the So Money podcast and author of A Healthy State of Panic: Follow Your Fears to Build Wealth, Crush Your Career, and Win at Life, is, to put it lightly, not a fan of the stay-at-home girlfriend trend. “I think it's one of the ultimate financial scams,” she says, pointing out that while stay-at-home wives often have financial protections in the event of a divorce, like spousal support and equitable division of assets acquired during the marriage, stay-at-home girlfriends don’t.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Prediction of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Volkswagen ID. Buzz will surpass 5,000 sales in Q3 of 2025\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://manifold.markets/JimmyCerone/the-volkswagen-id-buzz-will-surpass?r=SmltbXlDZXJvbmU\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - While it is unclear whether we will see continued growth in EV sales overall, \\\"van life\\\" presents an interesting place for EV sales to grow. A big challenge with existing vans is the retrofitting of a functioning electrical system. While their range is still low, EV vans present an interesting opportunity to make a more elegant experience possible. One of the more interesting options is the VW ID Buzz. I am uncertain if sales will turn around here, but I expect this to be a canary in the coal mine of sorts for the wider EV \\\"van life\\\" market.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"City of Asylum\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://cityofasylum.org/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I've friends in town and they loved this local institution. A bookstore, restaurant, jazz bar and more, this place is a gem. Best of all, City of Asylum provides a home for writers in exile from across the world. Please consider supporting this lovely space which helps my neighborhood and so many more across the world.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"City of Asylum is the largest exiled writer sanctuary in the world. Currently there are 6 different writers and families living on Sampsonia Way. Almost 10% of the exiled writers in the entire 80-city International Cities of Refuge Network are in Pittsburgh.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
My first look at the world of advertising came from Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath. I stole it from my father's bookshelf when most kids were reading Harry Potter (I was a weird kid). Something about the business of persuasion captivated me. Part of my fascination is how new this medium is. For much of history, advertising stretched only as far as the nearest trading route. Today, you can reach billions with Meta alone. You can personalize ads to a degree never seen before. My mind is still wrapping its head around the implications of this flattened ad-filled world. As consumers, we are bombarded with ads constantly. As producers, advertising is a requirement for growth.
Startups spend almost 40 cents of every VC dollar on Google, Facebook, and Amazon…Advertising spend in tech has become an arms race: fresh tactics go stale in months, and customer acquisition costs keep rising - Is it healthy for start-ups to spend so much money on user acquisition?
Today we hear from my coworker, Don Marti, about the core questions of advertising. I've never considered these questions, even as they shake the foundations of the subject I've read about since childhood. I'm still mulling over the conclusions and hope it gives you food for thought.
Jakob Nielsen may have provided the best explanation in 2006’s Search Engines as Leeches on the Web, which likely applies not just to search, but to other auction-based ad placements like social media advertising. An auction-based advertising platform like those operated by Google and Meta is able to dynamically adjust its advertising rates to capture all of the expected incremental profits from the customers acquired through it.
The traditional argument pro-advertising—that it provides consumers with necessary information—hasn’t been valid for decades. In our information-saturated world, ads manipulate, but they don’t inform. The modern advertising apparatus exists to bypass rational thought and trigger emotional responses that lead to purchasing decisions. A sophisticated machine designed to short-circuit your agency, normalized to the point of invisibility.
Since there’s a search quality crisis on, a lot of the companies you might find on social media are scams, and a lot of the stuff sold on big retail sites is fake, here are some real businesses I can recommend in several categories. Will fill in some more.
My mother stayed home to raise my brother and me, returning to work when I was in high school. When I was growing up, her salary matched the childcare costs. She wanted to continue working, but the policy choices of America made it difficult. Childcare in America is sparse and expensive. My friends with kids rush to the waitlists of the few options available. This week we peek into Germany, where childcare and support for mothers is better. Even with more support, life as a stay-at-home mother is no picnic. After reading about stay-at-home mothers in Germany, we read about the rise of the stay-at-home girlfriend on TikTok and elsewhere. I've previously written about the rise of the \"tradwife\" on social media, but for many reasons this trend is more complicated. There are complex financial, cultural, and practical questions here that feel new.
How do you think parenting in Germany differs from parenting in the U.S.? Compared to Americans, Germans are very pragmatic and conformist. It seems to me that American parents can get quite wrapped up in individual parenting choices (homeschooling, baby-led weaning or not, co-sleeping or not), and these are an important part of a parenting “identity.” This isn’t as much the case in Germany. Of course, people might disapprove of what you’re doing, but they will tend to shrug and say, “du musst es selber wissen.” It’s a polite way of affirming that everyone should mind his or her own business. That is, unless you’re breaching safety or property rules. You might hear about it if your child is not wearing reflector lights on his bicycle—that’s unacceptable!
Financial expert Farnoosh Torabi, host of the So Money podcast and author of A Healthy State of Panic: Follow Your Fears to Build Wealth, Crush Your Career, and Win at Life, is, to put it lightly, not a fan of the stay-at-home girlfriend trend. “I think it's one of the ultimate financial scams,” she says, pointing out that while stay-at-home wives often have financial protections in the event of a divorce, like spousal support and equitable division of assets acquired during the marriage, stay-at-home girlfriends don’t.
City of Asylum is the largest exiled writer sanctuary in the world. Currently there are 6 different writers and families living on Sampsonia Way. Almost 10% of the exiled writers in the entire 80-city International Cities of Refuge Network are in Pittsburgh.","comment_id":"129","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\n\nThe Wild World of Advertising\n\nMy first look at the world of advertising came from Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath. I stole it from my father's bookshelf when most kids were reading Harry Potter (I was a weird kid). Something about the business of persuasion captivated me. Part of my fascination is how new this medium is. For much of history, advertising stretched only as far as the nearest trading route. Today, you can reach billions with Meta alone. You can personalize ads to a degree never seen before. My mind is still wrapping its head around the implications of this flattened ad-filled world. As consumers, we are bombarded with ads constantly. As producers, advertising is a requirement for growth.\n\nStartups spend almost 40 cents of every VC dollar on Google, Facebook, and Amazon…Advertising spend in tech has become an arms race: fresh tactics go stale in months, and customer acquisition costs keep rising - Is it healthy for start-ups to spend so much money on user acquisition?\n\nToday we hear from my coworker, Don Marti, about the core questions of advertising. I've never considered these questions, even as they shake the foundations of the subject I've read about since childhood. I'm still mulling over the conclusions and hope it gives you food for thought.\n\n * advertising personalization: good for you? - It is hard to imagine a world before personalized ads. In the last decade, we all got used to the idea that our phones are listening in, whether literally or metaphorically. I took for granted that personalized ads were better quality, and the invasion of privacy was worth it. Yet Don asks, \"What if it isn't?\" I've come away from this thinking about new ways to reach customers that are better for businesses and users.\n\nJakob Nielsen may have provided the best explanation in 2006’s Search Engines as Leeches on the Web, which likely applies not just to search, but to other auction-based ad placements like social media advertising. An auction-based advertising platform like those operated by Google and Meta is able to dynamically adjust its advertising rates to capture all of the expected incremental profits from the customers acquired through it.\n\n * picking up cheap shoes in front of a steamroller - Going a step further, Don asks, \"What if advertising was not legal?\" Again, it is hard to imagine a world without ads. We are bombarded with them. Yet, the question is worth asking, because it gets at the core idea, \"What is advertising?\" Advertising is so embedded in modern life it is hard to reason about on its own. The concept is tangled with the internet, privacy law, globalization and more. In a world of infinite information, ads no longer add value as information. If they aren't there to inform consumers, what are they for?\n\nThe traditional argument pro-advertising—that it provides consumers with necessary information—hasn’t been valid for decades. In our information-saturated world, ads manipulate, but they don’t inform. The modern advertising apparatus exists to bypass rational thought and trigger emotional responses that lead to purchasing decisions. A sophisticated machine designed to short-circuit your agency, normalized to the point of invisibility.\n\n * business recommendations - In a world of AI slop, I'm turning more to individuals for recommendations. I hardly ever search for products anymore. Instead, I consult a long list of product recommendations from newsletters like this one. With the rise of AI, it will be more and more difficult to tell which products are real, which testimonies are valid, and who to trust.\n\nSince there’s a search quality crisis on, a lot of the companies you might find on social media are scams, and a lot of the stuff sold on big retail sites is fake, here are some real businesses I can recommend in several categories. Will fill in some more.\n\n\nSome Dispatches from the World of Stay-at-Home Mothers\n\nMy mother stayed home to raise my brother and me, returning to work when I was in high school. When I was growing up, her salary matched the childcare costs. She wanted to continue working, but the policy choices of America made it difficult. Childcare in America is sparse and expensive. My friends with kids rush to the waitlists of the few options available. This week we peek into Germany, where childcare and support for mothers is better. Even with more support, life as a stay-at-home mother is no picnic. After reading about stay-at-home mothers in Germany, we read about the rise of the stay-at-home girlfriend on TikTok and elsewhere. I've previously written about the rise of the \"tradwife\" on social media, but for many reasons this trend is more complicated. There are complex financial, cultural, and practical questions here that feel new.\n\n * Division of Labor No. 13: A Stay-at-Home Mom and Political Advisor Raising 2 Small Kids in Germany\n\nHow do you think parenting in Germany differs from parenting in the U.S.? Compared to Americans, Germans are very pragmatic and conformist. It seems to me that American parents can get quite wrapped up in individual parenting choices (homeschooling, baby-led weaning or not, co-sleeping or not), and these are an important part of a parenting “identity.” This isn’t as much the case in Germany. Of course, people might disapprove of what you’re doing, but they will tend to shrug and say, “du musst es selber wissen.” It’s a polite way of affirming that everyone should mind his or her own business. That is, unless you’re breaching safety or property rules. You might hear about it if your child is not wearing reflector lights on his bicycle—that’s unacceptable!\n\n * What Happens to the Stay-at-Home Girlfriend After a Breakup?\n\nFinancial expert Farnoosh Torabi, host of the So Money podcast and author of A Healthy State of Panic: Follow Your Fears to Build Wealth, Crush Your Career, and Win at Life, is, to put it lightly, not a fan of the stay-at-home girlfriend trend. “I think it's one of the ultimate financial scams,” she says, pointing out that while stay-at-home wives often have financial protections in the event of a divorce, like spousal support and equitable division of assets acquired during the marriage, stay-at-home girlfriends don’t.\n\n\nPrediction of the Week\n\n * The Volkswagen ID. Buzz will surpass 5,000 sales in Q3 of 2025 - While it is unclear whether we will see continued growth in EV sales overall, \"van life\" presents an interesting place for EV sales to grow. A big challenge with existing vans is the retrofitting of a functioning electrical system. While their range is still low, EV vans present an interesting opportunity to make a more elegant experience possible. One of the more interesting options is the VW ID Buzz. I am uncertain if sales will turn around here, but I expect this to be a canary in the coal mine of sorts for the wider EV \"van life\" market.\n\n\nCause of the Week\n\n * City of Asylum - I've friends in town and they loved this local institution. A bookstore, restaurant, jazz bar and more, this place is a gem. Best of all, City of Asylum provides a home for writers in exile from across the world. Please consider supporting this lovely space which helps my neighborhood and so many more across the world.\n\nCity of Asylum is the largest exiled writer sanctuary in the world. Currently there are 6 different writers and families living on Sampsonia Way. Almost 10% of the exiled writers in the entire 80-city International Cities of Refuge Network are in Pittsburgh.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1557858310-9052820906f7?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDR8fGFkc3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3Nzk1Njg4MDB8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-05-18T01:29:39.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:40:10.000Z","published_at":"2025-05-18T01:29:39.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b3f9","uuid":"d5ba66eb-a358-4c0a-b7ed-11bcaa133c36","title":"How to Survive the AI Apocalypse | Week 4 of May 2025","slug":"how-to-survive-the-ai-apocalypse-week-4-of-may-2025","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Links\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"AI is changing the world fast. New careers are popping up, old ones are falling away. In the chaos, I find it hard to chart a path forward. This week I've assembled some of the best writing on careers. I'm using these to guide my next steps and I hope you find it as helpful as I have.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Why you probably have a low leverage career (and how to create more leverage)\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.thewayofwork.com/leverage\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I look for \\\"mental models\\\" that cut through complexity. Rick Foerster describes high career leverage as, \\\"your work is valuable, hard to replace, high impact relative to the input, and high upside.\\\" To my eye, becoming high leverage is the safest path forward in a changing world. The concept is counterintuitive, but clear and useful once understood.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Please note: I do not mean that having high leverage equals “good,” as in morally. There are many important, high value careers that are unfortunately low leverage in our system today. But I am here to talk about what you can do about it.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"How to Do Great Work\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.paulgraham.com/greatwork.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I keep coming back to this one. The main thread is to find work you’re curious about, allowing you to work hard and stay original. If leverage is the end goal, curiosity is the map to get you there.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"For example, while you must work hard, it's possible to work too hard, and if you do that you'll find you get diminishing returns: fatigue will make you stupid, and eventually even damage your health. The point at which work yields diminishing returns depends on the type. Some of the hardest types you might only be able to do for four or five hours a day.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Acquired Season 3, Episode 4: Recode (with Kara Swisher)\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/acquired/id1050462261?i=1000428067505\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Kara Swisher is a perfect example of someone who used curiosity to find a high leverage career. No one else can do what she does. In the 1990s, Kara moved towards her curiosity, eschewing politics for the dinky (at the time) Silicon Valley. She was there in the beginning thanks to her curiosity and tolerance for risk. In this interview, she lays out her pathway to career success.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Kara has been called one of the greatest interviewers of our time by Ezra Klein and once interviewed Bill Gates and Steve Jobs in their only ever combined interview, actually in the chairs we're sitting in. I actually vividly remember where I was when I watched this for the first of many times. She's interviewed President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, the mooch, and famously made Mark Zuckerberg sweat through his Facebook Illuminati hoodie on stage.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"A Deep Dive into a Couple of Misunderstood Foods\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h4\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"why nobody knows what curry is\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L16xxxVDGGo\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Food is at the heart of everything. We all eat. I love this video for its nuanced take on a dish that is both ubiquitous and misunderstood. There is so much here to dive into: history, cuisine, and geography.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"What even is a curry? A dish? A spice? A colonial mistake? Or something that’s always been part of who we are? In this video, Melissa unpacks this messy debate, tracing how a single word came to define (and flatten) an entire world of flavours, histories, and identities.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Is Caviar a scam?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sClalDEIVbo\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I did not grow up in a world where caviar ever found its way to the table. Now that I'm older, I'm hesitant to dive into the deep end with caviar. So I found it convenient to let Ethan do the expensive testing for me.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"In this video we're doing a deep dive into the world of caviar which at upwards of $400 for just 30 grams is easily one of the most expensive foods in the world. But I'm approaching this video as a bit of a skeptic and asking the question is caviar actually worth it or is it just popular because of its status as a luxury product? So I bought six different fish egg varieties at drastically different price points.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Prediction of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"More than 60% of Chatbot Arena top 100 models will use permissive licenses by EOY2026\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://manifold.markets/JimmyCerone/more-than-60-of-chatbot-arena-top-1?play=true\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - My thesis is that we’ll see a bifurcation in AI based on model type. Text-based models will become a commodity since so much data is publicly available. The lack of a moat (proprietary data) and stiff competition will drive down margins. As a result, companies will increasingly open source their text-based models.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Defy Ventures\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://defyventures.org/take-action-main/donate?emci=db17b5d8-ad2a-f011-8b3d-6045bded8cca&emdi=98d217d1-f037-f011-a5f1-6045bda9d96b&ceid=10228155\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - One of the most difficult (and troubling) impacts of incarceration is the dearth of employment opportunities upon release. Defy steps in to help formerly incarcerated people develop businesses that give them the economic security to change their lives. I worked as a coach with Defy and can testify to their transformative impact. Please consider giving your time or money.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Defy’s entrepreneurial programs enable one of America’s largest forgotten communities to defy the odds. We equip them with new skills, new connections, and a new belief to match their new purpose, and succeed in their new life of economic independence.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
AI is changing the world fast. New careers are popping up, old ones are falling away. In the chaos, I find it hard to chart a path forward. This week I've assembled some of the best writing on careers. I'm using these to guide my next steps and I hope you find it as helpful as I have.
Please note: I do not mean that having high leverage equals “good,” as in morally. There are many important, high value careers that are unfortunately low leverage in our system today. But I am here to talk about what you can do about it.
For example, while you must work hard, it's possible to work too hard, and if you do that you'll find you get diminishing returns: fatigue will make you stupid, and eventually even damage your health. The point at which work yields diminishing returns depends on the type. Some of the hardest types you might only be able to do for four or five hours a day.
Kara has been called one of the greatest interviewers of our time by Ezra Klein and once interviewed Bill Gates and Steve Jobs in their only ever combined interview, actually in the chairs we're sitting in. I actually vividly remember where I was when I watched this for the first of many times. She's interviewed President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, the mooch, and famously made Mark Zuckerberg sweat through his Facebook Illuminati hoodie on stage.
What even is a curry? A dish? A spice? A colonial mistake? Or something that’s always been part of who we are? In this video, Melissa unpacks this messy debate, tracing how a single word came to define (and flatten) an entire world of flavours, histories, and identities.
In this video we're doing a deep dive into the world of caviar which at upwards of $400 for just 30 grams is easily one of the most expensive foods in the world. But I'm approaching this video as a bit of a skeptic and asking the question is caviar actually worth it or is it just popular because of its status as a luxury product? So I bought six different fish egg varieties at drastically different price points.
Defy’s entrepreneurial programs enable one of America’s largest forgotten communities to defy the odds. We equip them with new skills, new connections, and a new belief to match their new purpose, and succeed in their new life of economic independence.","comment_id":"135","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\n\nLinks\n\nAI is changing the world fast. New careers are popping up, old ones are falling away. In the chaos, I find it hard to chart a path forward. This week I've assembled some of the best writing on careers. I'm using these to guide my next steps and I hope you find it as helpful as I have.\n\n * Why you probably have a low leverage career (and how to create more leverage) - I look for \"mental models\" that cut through complexity. Rick Foerster describes high career leverage as, \"your work is valuable, hard to replace, high impact relative to the input, and high upside.\" To my eye, becoming high leverage is the safest path forward in a changing world. The concept is counterintuitive, but clear and useful once understood.\n\nPlease note: I do not mean that having high leverage equals “good,” as in morally. There are many important, high value careers that are unfortunately low leverage in our system today. But I am here to talk about what you can do about it.\n\n * How to Do Great Work - I keep coming back to this one. The main thread is to find work you’re curious about, allowing you to work hard and stay original. If leverage is the end goal, curiosity is the map to get you there.\n\nFor example, while you must work hard, it's possible to work too hard, and if you do that you'll find you get diminishing returns: fatigue will make you stupid, and eventually even damage your health. The point at which work yields diminishing returns depends on the type. Some of the hardest types you might only be able to do for four or five hours a day.\n\n * Acquired Season 3, Episode 4: Recode (with Kara Swisher) - Kara Swisher is a perfect example of someone who used curiosity to find a high leverage career. No one else can do what she does. In the 1990s, Kara moved towards her curiosity, eschewing politics for the dinky (at the time) Silicon Valley. She was there in the beginning thanks to her curiosity and tolerance for risk. In this interview, she lays out her pathway to career success.\n\nKara has been called one of the greatest interviewers of our time by Ezra Klein and once interviewed Bill Gates and Steve Jobs in their only ever combined interview, actually in the chairs we're sitting in. I actually vividly remember where I was when I watched this for the first of many times. She's interviewed President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, the mooch, and famously made Mark Zuckerberg sweat through his Facebook Illuminati hoodie on stage.\n\nA Deep Dive into a Couple of Misunderstood Foods\n\n * why nobody knows what curry is - Food is at the heart of everything. We all eat. I love this video for its nuanced take on a dish that is both ubiquitous and misunderstood. There is so much here to dive into: history, cuisine, and geography.\n\nWhat even is a curry? A dish? A spice? A colonial mistake? Or something that’s always been part of who we are? In this video, Melissa unpacks this messy debate, tracing how a single word came to define (and flatten) an entire world of flavours, histories, and identities.\n\n * Is Caviar a scam? - I did not grow up in a world where caviar ever found its way to the table. Now that I'm older, I'm hesitant to dive into the deep end with caviar. So I found it convenient to let Ethan do the expensive testing for me.\n\nIn this video we're doing a deep dive into the world of caviar which at upwards of $400 for just 30 grams is easily one of the most expensive foods in the world. But I'm approaching this video as a bit of a skeptic and asking the question is caviar actually worth it or is it just popular because of its status as a luxury product? So I bought six different fish egg varieties at drastically different price points.\n\n\nPrediction of the Week\n\n * More than 60% of Chatbot Arena top 100 models will use permissive licenses by EOY2026 - My thesis is that we’ll see a bifurcation in AI based on model type. Text-based models will become a commodity since so much data is publicly available. The lack of a moat (proprietary data) and stiff competition will drive down margins. As a result, companies will increasingly open source their text-based models.\n\n\nCause of the Week\n\n * Defy Ventures - One of the most difficult (and troubling) impacts of incarceration is the dearth of employment opportunities upon release. Defy steps in to help formerly incarcerated people develop businesses that give them the economic security to change their lives. I worked as a coach with Defy and can testify to their transformative impact. Please consider giving your time or money.\n\nDefy’s entrepreneurial programs enable one of America’s largest forgotten communities to defy the odds. We equip them with new skills, new connections, and a new belief to match their new purpose, and succeed in their new life of economic independence.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1581059686229-de26e6ae5dc4?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDN8fGRpc2FzdGVyfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3OTU2ODk2NHww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-05-26T23:17:31.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:42:59.000Z","published_at":"2025-05-26T23:17:31.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b3fa","uuid":"c482da21-b1bf-42f1-a9a6-429a8fc798ba","title":"The Beauty of Regulation and the Limits of Productivity | Week 1 of June 2025","slug":"the-beauty-of-regulation-and-the-limits-of-productivity-week-1-of-june-2025","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Beauty of Regulation\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"One of the regions I least understand is Central Asia. Like Russia, it sits at the intersection of East and West, both and yet neither. In the last few weeks, I watched my way through travel documentaries in the former Soviet Republics of Central Asia. I know so little about them that I can’t say much other than every video is a step into a new world.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"This second article may seem out of place. Why talk about Russian pollution when discussing Central Asia? Yet if you dig into the article, you find that the legacy of the USSR still hangs over the region. The most obvious sign is the Aral Sea's disappearance. Once one of the world's largest lakes, it is now a tenth of its original size due to Soviet agricultural experiments.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Often, the tale of regulation is one of pointless bureaucracy. I felt it in my bones when watching Clarkson's Farm. However, the legacy of the USSR in Russia tells a different story. Stalin pushed a regime of industrialization at all costs. Boy was it costly. Regulation isn't always the burden it is made out to be. Clean water and safe air are not a guarantee.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"In summary, I find this region fascinating for its position at the center of the world. With the rise of multi-polarity, Central Asia will become more and more important. We must be wary of repeating the mistakes of the past as the tug of war over these countries grows ever more fraught.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"TAJIKISTAN. Cities, Sights and People | Travel Documentary\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ySqEbWHi-5Y\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The country remains the poorest of the former Soviet republics. Tajikistan became a member of the WTO in 2013, but its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistani migrant laborers in Russia and Kazakhstan, pervasive corruption, the opiate trade, and destabilizing violence emanating from neighboring Afghanistan. - \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"https: //www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tajikistan/\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tajikistan/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Grim Pollution Picture in the Former Soviet Union\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-grim-pollution-pictur_b_9266764\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Guests staying at a modern hotel in Sochi, Russia, for the 2014 Winter Olympics recall signs in English next to their water faucets that read: \\\"Do not use on your face because it contains something very dangerous.\\\" Russia spent a staggering $50 billion on the games to impress the world but could not offer visitors a basic: clean water to drink or bathe with.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Limits of Productivity\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"For most of my life, I only cared about productivity. Even as I write this, my old ways claw their way back to the surface. I am juggling social commitments while sitting to write this newsletter. A younger me would've ignored them all to write. The older (current) me is writing a smaller version of the newsletter and heading out the door. As I try to figure out what a productive but full life means, I keep coming back to these two concepts: restraint and priority. What can I not do? What means most?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Thanks to authors like these, I'm focusing less on how much I can get done and more on what I want to get done.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Group Chat No. 4: I’m overwhelmed! What balls are we dropping this week?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://thepurse.substack.com/p/group-chat-im-overwhelmed?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2141070&post_id=160930451&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3myxec&triedRedirect=true\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I once heard a woman say that some balls are glass and some balls are rubber, and it’s a matter of understanding which is which. I’ll add that, for better or worse, the material can constantly be changing. But also, the world doesn’t end if you break a few balls¹ along the way, though the mess can be annoying (and sometimes downright difficult) to clean up.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Why time management is ruining our lives\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/22/why-time-management-is-ruining-our-lives\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"In a quiet moment in Seattle, Robert Levine, a social psychologist from California, quoted the environmentalist Edward Abbey: “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I'm featuring a blog of the week and Scott Young takes the title this week. I'm featuring this article because it's a rich starting point for his writing. Scott is a writer who does things and then writes about them instead of theorizing. Many of his experiments are ones I've considered myself, yet not found the time to do. I've loved living vicariously through him and learning lessons for free.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Year Without English\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/myprojects/the-year-without-english-2/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Keep in mind the rule is no speaking English. Although I’ll want to communicate with people I meet in the written form of the language I use to speak with them, I’m (of course) going to continue blogging, answering emails and posting written updates in English. My goal is to keep my blog updated the same way I did during the MIT Challenge, which had a minimal time commitment.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Prediction of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"By December 31, 2025, will <30% of the Vision leaderboard on LMArena use permissive licenses?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://manifold.markets/JimmyCerone/by-december-31-2025-will-30-of-the?play=true\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - My thesis is that we’ll see a bifurcation based on model type. Text-based models will become a commodity since so much data is publicly available. The lack of a moat (proprietary data) and stiff competition will drive down margins. As a result, companies will increasingly open source their text-based models. Training data for vision models is much more scarce, with stronger copyright laws to contend with. Thus, these will tend to be more proprietary. The current leaderboard can be found here: \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"https://lmarena.ai/leaderboard/vision.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://lmarena.ai/leaderboard/vision.\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Album of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hope We Have Fun by Mt. Joy\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://open.spotify.com/album/3r5ik8QohUa56zacmEyAdb?si=zJrRW1Q4T-WSG9s0eKyi6w\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Astrovan\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://open.spotify.com/track/7dgx1noElNRQygCPSU0mfb?si=b4e1868655f64bb2\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" was my entry point into Mt. Joy. It echoed through my campus of cautious Christians, a shot across the bow that could be passed off as a joke. I remember standing in the lovely 1930s church of Hope College, the rock folk of Mt. Joy rolling across the pews. Their newest album is a mix of easy listening and slightly mournful that I adore.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Saint Louis - Operation STL Medevac: 4-Mile Litter Carry & Ruck Benefiting 22Mohawks\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://runsignup.com/Race/Donate/MO/Augusta/MohawksSTLOperationMohawkMedevac\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - The sheer number of veteran suicides is staggering. Whatever your position on the various wars the US has engaged in, it is an unmitigated tragedy so many have lost their lives since returning home. Please support my cousin in raising money for this worthy cause.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"More than 22 veterans die by suicide everyday. Since the start of the Global War on terror in 2001 there have been over 7,100 combat related deaths. In that same period there have been over 125,000 Veteran Suicides. This is unacceptable. 22Mohawks mission is dedicated to reducing that number.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
One of the regions I least understand is Central Asia. Like Russia, it sits at the intersection of East and West, both and yet neither. In the last few weeks, I watched my way through travel documentaries in the former Soviet Republics of Central Asia. I know so little about them that I can’t say much other than every video is a step into a new world.
This second article may seem out of place. Why talk about Russian pollution when discussing Central Asia? Yet if you dig into the article, you find that the legacy of the USSR still hangs over the region. The most obvious sign is the Aral Sea's disappearance. Once one of the world's largest lakes, it is now a tenth of its original size due to Soviet agricultural experiments.
Often, the tale of regulation is one of pointless bureaucracy. I felt it in my bones when watching Clarkson's Farm. However, the legacy of the USSR in Russia tells a different story. Stalin pushed a regime of industrialization at all costs. Boy was it costly. Regulation isn't always the burden it is made out to be. Clean water and safe air are not a guarantee.
In summary, I find this region fascinating for its position at the center of the world. With the rise of multi-polarity, Central Asia will become more and more important. We must be wary of repeating the mistakes of the past as the tug of war over these countries grows ever more fraught.
The country remains the poorest of the former Soviet republics. Tajikistan became a member of the WTO in 2013, but its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistani migrant laborers in Russia and Kazakhstan, pervasive corruption, the opiate trade, and destabilizing violence emanating from neighboring Afghanistan. - https: //www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tajikistan/
Guests staying at a modern hotel in Sochi, Russia, for the 2014 Winter Olympics recall signs in English next to their water faucets that read: \"Do not use on your face because it contains something very dangerous.\" Russia spent a staggering $50 billion on the games to impress the world but could not offer visitors a basic: clean water to drink or bathe with.
For most of my life, I only cared about productivity. Even as I write this, my old ways claw their way back to the surface. I am juggling social commitments while sitting to write this newsletter. A younger me would've ignored them all to write. The older (current) me is writing a smaller version of the newsletter and heading out the door. As I try to figure out what a productive but full life means, I keep coming back to these two concepts: restraint and priority. What can I not do? What means most?
Thanks to authors like these, I'm focusing less on how much I can get done and more on what I want to get done.
I once heard a woman say that some balls are glass and some balls are rubber, and it’s a matter of understanding which is which. I’ll add that, for better or worse, the material can constantly be changing. But also, the world doesn’t end if you break a few balls¹ along the way, though the mess can be annoying (and sometimes downright difficult) to clean up.
In a quiet moment in Seattle, Robert Levine, a social psychologist from California, quoted the environmentalist Edward Abbey: “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”
I'm featuring a blog of the week and Scott Young takes the title this week. I'm featuring this article because it's a rich starting point for his writing. Scott is a writer who does things and then writes about them instead of theorizing. Many of his experiments are ones I've considered myself, yet not found the time to do. I've loved living vicariously through him and learning lessons for free.
Keep in mind the rule is no speaking English. Although I’ll want to communicate with people I meet in the written form of the language I use to speak with them, I’m (of course) going to continue blogging, answering emails and posting written updates in English. My goal is to keep my blog updated the same way I did during the MIT Challenge, which had a minimal time commitment.
More than 22 veterans die by suicide everyday. Since the start of the Global War on terror in 2001 there have been over 7,100 combat related deaths. In that same period there have been over 125,000 Veteran Suicides. This is unacceptable. 22Mohawks mission is dedicated to reducing that number.","comment_id":"138","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\n\nThe Beauty of Regulation\n\nOne of the regions I least understand is Central Asia. Like Russia, it sits at the intersection of East and West, both and yet neither. In the last few weeks, I watched my way through travel documentaries in the former Soviet Republics of Central Asia. I know so little about them that I can’t say much other than every video is a step into a new world.\n\nThis second article may seem out of place. Why talk about Russian pollution when discussing Central Asia? Yet if you dig into the article, you find that the legacy of the USSR still hangs over the region. The most obvious sign is the Aral Sea's disappearance. Once one of the world's largest lakes, it is now a tenth of its original size due to Soviet agricultural experiments.\n\nOften, the tale of regulation is one of pointless bureaucracy. I felt it in my bones when watching Clarkson's Farm. However, the legacy of the USSR in Russia tells a different story. Stalin pushed a regime of industrialization at all costs. Boy was it costly. Regulation isn't always the burden it is made out to be. Clean water and safe air are not a guarantee.\n\nIn summary, I find this region fascinating for its position at the center of the world. With the rise of multi-polarity, Central Asia will become more and more important. We must be wary of repeating the mistakes of the past as the tug of war over these countries grows ever more fraught.\n\n * TAJIKISTAN. Cities, Sights and People | Travel Documentary\n\nThe country remains the poorest of the former Soviet republics. Tajikistan became a member of the WTO in 2013, but its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistani migrant laborers in Russia and Kazakhstan, pervasive corruption, the opiate trade, and destabilizing violence emanating from neighboring Afghanistan. - https: //www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tajikistan/\n\n * The Grim Pollution Picture in the Former Soviet Union\n\nGuests staying at a modern hotel in Sochi, Russia, for the 2014 Winter Olympics recall signs in English next to their water faucets that read: \"Do not use on your face because it contains something very dangerous.\" Russia spent a staggering $50 billion on the games to impress the world but could not offer visitors a basic: clean water to drink or bathe with.\n\n\nThe Limits of Productivity\n\nFor most of my life, I only cared about productivity. Even as I write this, my old ways claw their way back to the surface. I am juggling social commitments while sitting to write this newsletter. A younger me would've ignored them all to write. The older (current) me is writing a smaller version of the newsletter and heading out the door. As I try to figure out what a productive but full life means, I keep coming back to these two concepts: restraint and priority. What can I not do? What means most?\n\nThanks to authors like these, I'm focusing less on how much I can get done and more on what I want to get done.\n\n * Group Chat No. 4: I’m overwhelmed! What balls are we dropping this week?\n\nI once heard a woman say that some balls are glass and some balls are rubber, and it’s a matter of understanding which is which. I’ll add that, for better or worse, the material can constantly be changing. But also, the world doesn’t end if you break a few balls¹ along the way, though the mess can be annoying (and sometimes downright difficult) to clean up.\n\n * Why time management is ruining our lives\n\nIn a quiet moment in Seattle, Robert Levine, a social psychologist from California, quoted the environmentalist Edward Abbey: “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”\n\nI'm featuring a blog of the week and Scott Young takes the title this week. I'm featuring this article because it's a rich starting point for his writing. Scott is a writer who does things and then writes about them instead of theorizing. Many of his experiments are ones I've considered myself, yet not found the time to do. I've loved living vicariously through him and learning lessons for free.\n\n * The Year Without English\n\nKeep in mind the rule is no speaking English. Although I’ll want to communicate with people I meet in the written form of the language I use to speak with them, I’m (of course) going to continue blogging, answering emails and posting written updates in English. My goal is to keep my blog updated the same way I did during the MIT Challenge, which had a minimal time commitment.\n\n\nPrediction of the Week\n\n * By December 31, 2025, will <30% of the Vision leaderboard on LMArena use permissive licenses? - My thesis is that we’ll see a bifurcation based on model type. Text-based models will become a commodity since so much data is publicly available. The lack of a moat (proprietary data) and stiff competition will drive down margins. As a result, companies will increasingly open source their text-based models. Training data for vision models is much more scarce, with stronger copyright laws to contend with. Thus, these will tend to be more proprietary. The current leaderboard can be found here: https://lmarena.ai/leaderboard/vision.\n\n\nAlbum of the Week\n\n * Hope We Have Fun by Mt. Joy - Astrovan was my entry point into Mt. Joy. It echoed through my campus of cautious Christians, a shot across the bow that could be passed off as a joke. I remember standing in the lovely 1930s church of Hope College, the rock folk of Mt. Joy rolling across the pews. Their newest album is a mix of easy listening and slightly mournful that I adore.\n\n\nCause of the Week\n\n * Saint Louis - Operation STL Medevac: 4-Mile Litter Carry & Ruck Benefiting 22Mohawks - The sheer number of veteran suicides is staggering. Whatever your position on the various wars the US has engaged in, it is an unmitigated tragedy so many have lost their lives since returning home. Please support my cousin in raising money for this worthy cause.\n\nMore than 22 veterans die by suicide everyday. Since the start of the Global War on terror in 2001 there have been over 7,100 combat related deaths. In that same period there have been over 125,000 Veteran Suicides. This is unacceptable. 22Mohawks mission is dedicated to reducing that number.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1690191984319-3b8f8ca0dec4?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDN8fHRhamlraXN0YW58ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc5NTY5MDE1fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-06-02T23:37:33.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:43:46.000Z","published_at":"2025-06-02T23:37:33.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b3fb","uuid":"f124cddf-6d26-4607-9dae-c996e85b2c4b","title":"My Newsletter's Favorite Newsletter | Week 2 of June 2025","slug":"my-newsletters-favorite-newsletter-week-2-of-june-2025","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Links\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Splitwise/Construction Physics/Anti-nausea hack\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noreferrer noopener\",\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.recomendo.com/p/splitwiseconstruction-physicsanti?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1243269&post_id=162158635&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3myxec&triedRedirect=true\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - One of my great joys is traveling with friends. One of my great annoyances is settling up afterward. I've used text threads, Google Sheets, and more. I cannot wait to try Splitwise for my upcoming trip to Iceland. More time focused on the Northern Lights, less on bills.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"On a recent wedding party trip, a group of six of us easily split the costs of our stay, food, drinks, Ubers, and party favors using Splitwise. We created a group that allowed each of us to add our expenses individually, and the app handled all the calculations and cost-splitting for us. All that was left to do was for each person to settle up at the end of our trip. The app is free to use on iPhone, Android, and the web, and we managed just fine with the free version.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Sleeping in Boats Led to This $300k Studio\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noreferrer noopener\",\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.joinstation.co/blog/silkscreenmarketing\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I could not contain my excitement when I saw this article and YouTube Video. For me, this was a trip down memory lane with two men who shaped my entrepreneurial journey at Hope College. For everyone else, it is chock full of great stories about what enough means in the context of business.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"But here's what makes their approach unique: once they hit that number, growth isn't about scaling revenue. It's about choosing what kind of work they want to do. Recently, they bought machines for hats and embroidery because the team wanted to expand their creative services. As Kylen put it, growing to $500k would mean a completely different team and operation. Sure, they could get there, but would it be work they actually want to do?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"A Few 6 at 6's\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I'm not sure I would call SIX at 6 my favorite newsletter, but it's the one I most often bookmark for my own newsletter. I find myself saving these editions up because I don't want to link to them every single week.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"When I tried to put my finger on why I like these so much, I remembered the feeling of reading my favorite book, A Gentleman in Moscow. At first, I rushed through it, eager for more. Halfway through I realized it was special and started to read slower to soak it in. Every edition of SIX at 6 gives me that same feeling. I'm hooked at first and rush, then I slam on the brakes to sponge up the wisdom.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I find it interesting that A Gentleman in Moscow and SIX at 6 are not \\\"productive\\\" reads. I don't come out of them with 5 tips and tricks to better blitz through my email. Instead, I come out a little bit more human, a little bit more able to weather the ways of the world. I hope they do the same for you.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"SIX at 6: A Radical Model of Transformation, A Desperate Movement, Inside Out, Wayne Gretzky, Virgil Carter, And Anatomy\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noreferrer noopener\",\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://billyoppenheimer.com/january-26-2025/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Over time, LeFauve came to think that her creativity and her anxiety were hitched to the same sled—that her ability to write inventive stories was tied to the way her mind could also spin worries into overwhelming, catastrophic narratives. “It was when I started writing,” she said, “that I realized that I have a very big imagination. And that the downside of that is that anxiety can use your imagination too…\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"SIX at 6: The Last War, The Gates, The Same Thing, Primal Fear, Winning Ugly, and The Lost Generation\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noreferrer noopener\",\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/o8urm90kzecqh63l265hvhq3gx8rrao/g3hnh5h30zkeodar/aHR0cHM6Ly9iaWxseW9wcGVuaGVpbWVyLmNvbS9kZWNlbWJlci0xNS0yMDI0Lw==\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"In his book The 33 Strategies of War, Robert Greene uses the phrase \\\"fighting the last war” to describe the tendency to get stuck repeating old patterns, strategies, approaches, ways of thinking, and so on. In warfare, a general who carries the tactics from a previous battle into the next—without considering changes in technology, terrain, or the enemy—is said to be fighting the last war, a critique of their failure to adapt to present realities and circumstances.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"SIX at 6: The Catastrophe of Success, The Great Curse, Getting Sorkinized, The Un-fun Parts, How To Not Rot, and The Human Condition\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noreferrer noopener\",\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/zlu26nlgzvtnh4g8qnquphwvl8000c6/qvh8h7hrk7zkdnil/aHR0cHM6Ly9iaWxseW9wcGVuaGVpbWVyLmNvbS9ub3ZlbWJlci0xNy0yMDI0Lw==\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"While trees require sunlight to grow, the strongest and longest-living trees don’t get much sunlight during their early years. Instead, they spend their first few decades “waiting patiently in their mothers’ shade,” Peter Wohlleben explains in The Secret Wisdom of Nature. Limited sunlight leads to slow growth. Slow growth leads to the development of dense, long-lasting wood. Youngsters without any shade, on the other hand, grow fast and therefore develop wood that is airy and susceptible to fungi, yeasts, molds, and mildews. So for trees, growth without a little struggle is the great curse.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"SIX at 6: Step-Down Moves, Local Maximums, An Epic Losing Streak, A Trifling Genre, A Way To Prevail, and Turning Back\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noreferrer noopener\",\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/75uol9q7vrh8h6mz86zbzhwzr9r66fn/reh8hohm7rez3xc2/aHR0cHM6Ly9iaWxseW9wcGVuaGVpbWVyLmNvbS9tYXktMjUtMjAyNS8=\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"If not for the encouragement of his friend C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien said he wouldn’t have finished writing The Lord of the Rings. Primarily because, Colin Duriez explains in Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship, “In the 1920s, there was no adult readership for fantasy, or literature in which the story element was predominant.” In the 1920s, Tolkien was a professor at the University of Oxford. And at the time, fantasy or literature in which the story element was predominant wasn’t considered “serious.” It wasn’t worthy of an Oxford professor. It wasn’t prestigious. It was a step down.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Video of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Drone Helicopter Hybrid\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noreferrer noopener\",\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d80oXSCcHTk\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - For years, I heard YouTube was a boon. When I integrated it into my daily round-up, I got it. It’s the place to learn weird and arcane things that may one day end up useful. In this video, I learned about drones in a way I could never pick up from an article. There is something so special about understanding a complex technology like a drone at a small, personal scale.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Abundance Institute\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noreferrer noopener\",\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://abundance.institute/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - More and more I'm interested in a strategic revival in America. What could we build together if we weren't at each other's throats? I love the Abundance Institute for their work in architecting a vision of a better tomorrow. For a teaser, check out their \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"excellent video on the modernization efforts of Estonia\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noreferrer noopener\",\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxFCl1iQCxo\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\".\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
On a recent wedding party trip, a group of six of us easily split the costs of our stay, food, drinks, Ubers, and party favors using Splitwise. We created a group that allowed each of us to add our expenses individually, and the app handled all the calculations and cost-splitting for us. All that was left to do was for each person to settle up at the end of our trip. The app is free to use on iPhone, Android, and the web, and we managed just fine with the free version.
But here's what makes their approach unique: once they hit that number, growth isn't about scaling revenue. It's about choosing what kind of work they want to do. Recently, they bought machines for hats and embroidery because the team wanted to expand their creative services. As Kylen put it, growing to $500k would mean a completely different team and operation. Sure, they could get there, but would it be work they actually want to do?
I'm not sure I would call SIX at 6 my favorite newsletter, but it's the one I most often bookmark for my own newsletter. I find myself saving these editions up because I don't want to link to them every single week.
When I tried to put my finger on why I like these so much, I remembered the feeling of reading my favorite book, A Gentleman in Moscow. At first, I rushed through it, eager for more. Halfway through I realized it was special and started to read slower to soak it in. Every edition of SIX at 6 gives me that same feeling. I'm hooked at first and rush, then I slam on the brakes to sponge up the wisdom.
I find it interesting that A Gentleman in Moscow and SIX at 6 are not \"productive\" reads. I don't come out of them with 5 tips and tricks to better blitz through my email. Instead, I come out a little bit more human, a little bit more able to weather the ways of the world. I hope they do the same for you.
Over time, LeFauve came to think that her creativity and her anxiety were hitched to the same sled—that her ability to write inventive stories was tied to the way her mind could also spin worries into overwhelming, catastrophic narratives. “It was when I started writing,” she said, “that I realized that I have a very big imagination. And that the downside of that is that anxiety can use your imagination too…
In his book The 33 Strategies of War, Robert Greene uses the phrase \"fighting the last war” to describe the tendency to get stuck repeating old patterns, strategies, approaches, ways of thinking, and so on. In warfare, a general who carries the tactics from a previous battle into the next—without considering changes in technology, terrain, or the enemy—is said to be fighting the last war, a critique of their failure to adapt to present realities and circumstances.
While trees require sunlight to grow, the strongest and longest-living trees don’t get much sunlight during their early years. Instead, they spend their first few decades “waiting patiently in their mothers’ shade,” Peter Wohlleben explains in The Secret Wisdom of Nature. Limited sunlight leads to slow growth. Slow growth leads to the development of dense, long-lasting wood. Youngsters without any shade, on the other hand, grow fast and therefore develop wood that is airy and susceptible to fungi, yeasts, molds, and mildews. So for trees, growth without a little struggle is the great curse.
If not for the encouragement of his friend C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien said he wouldn’t have finished writing The Lord of the Rings. Primarily because, Colin Duriez explains in Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship, “In the 1920s, there was no adult readership for fantasy, or literature in which the story element was predominant.” In the 1920s, Tolkien was a professor at the University of Oxford. And at the time, fantasy or literature in which the story element was predominant wasn’t considered “serious.” It wasn’t worthy of an Oxford professor. It wasn’t prestigious. It was a step down.
In just over a month, I'll be in Germany, the Netherlands, and (hopefully) Iceland. My trip led me on the inevitable trail back to my decrepit Duolingo owl. The poor owl suffered in obscurity after my brief foray into the \"Pro\" mode this spring.
Today's article isn't about learning languages, but the infrastructure powering Duolingo. Their blog offers a friendly peek into the cost of teaching millions around the world useless words in other languages. I love the tone of the article, it's technical without being intimidating, a difficult line to walk.
Without further ado, here is the link of the day: How we reduced our cloud spending by 20%.
","comment_id":"165","plaintext":"In just over a month, I'll be in Germany, the Netherlands, and (hopefully) Iceland. My trip led me on the inevitable trail back to my decrepit Duolingo owl. The poor owl suffered in obscurity after my brief foray into the \"Pro\" mode this spring.\n\nToday's article isn't about learning languages, but the infrastructure powering Duolingo. Their blog offers a friendly peek into the cost of teaching millions around the world useless words in other languages. I love the tone of the article, it's technical without being intimidating, a difficult line to walk.\n\nWithout further ado, here is the link of the day: How we reduced our cloud spending by 20%.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1706403615881-d83dc2067c5d?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE3fHxsYW5ndWFnZXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3Nzk1NjkwODZ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-08-13T02:30:14.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:45:08.000Z","published_at":"2025-08-13T02:30:14.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b3fd","uuid":"62575a90-a17c-4c8d-80c2-c0cf0f95715e","title":"Cutting Through the AI Hype | Week 2 of September 2025","slug":"cutting-through-the-ai-hype-week-2-of-september-2025","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Greetings folks. It's been a minute! I've been working on a personal project to learn more, faster. Someday I may share it, but for now it's my secret superpower. While building my tool, I've found some foundational articles about AI. I spend a lot of time cutting through the hype and these 3 articles present the core ideas in AI.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The first deals with how to build products in the age of AI. The second describes how AI will change. The final one looks back at the history of AI to see how far we've come in 10 short years.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Building AI Products In The Probabilistic Era - \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://giansegato.com/essays/probabilistic-era\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The key to incredible products in the age of AI is finding out which parts should be deterministic and which should be probabilistic. Old software is deterministic, AI is probabilistic. Old software is engineering, AI is science. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Read more of my thoughts here\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://world.hey.com/jimmy.cerone/link-of-the-day-building-ai-products-in-the-probabilistic-era-2628c7ea\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\".\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"We're moving away from deterministic mechanicism, a world of perfect information and perfect knowledge, and walking into one made of emergent unknown behaviors, where instead of planning and engineering we observe and hypothesize.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"There are no new ideas in AI — only new datasets \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.freethink.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-datasets\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"- At the same time as we are entering a probabilistic era of software, we are entering the engineering era of text-based LLMs. Expect more announcements like Google’s 33x reduction in \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"inference energy usage \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.theneurondaily.com/p/google-spills-the-ai-electrici-tea\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"than model breakthroughs. Text will see incremental improvement, but new breakthroughs will be reserved for video and robotics. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Read more here\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://world.hey.com/jimmy.cerone/link-of-the-day-there-are-no-new-ideas-in-ai-only-new-datasets-b5589fa5\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\".\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The biggest lesson that can be read from 70 years of AI research is that general methods that leverage computation are ultimately the most effective, and by a large margin...Seeking an improvement that makes a difference in the shorter term, researchers seek to leverage their human knowledge of the domain, but the only thing that matters in the long run is the leveraging of computation...the human-knowledge approach tends to complicate methods in ways that make them less suited to taking advantage of general methods leveraging computation.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"D.I.Y. Artificial Intelligence Comes to a Japanese Family Farm - \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/diy-artificial-intelligence-comes-to-a-japanese-family-farm\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The first interesting thing about this article was that it was written in 2017. That feels like light years away in the world of AI. Back then, I was using \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"TensorFlow at Hope College\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://skunkworks.engr.wisc.edu/brent-krueger-works-with-skunkworks-for-cutting-edge-class-at-hope-college/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"to model new materials. I remember kicking off a neural network training set (the new hotness powering LLMs) and waiting hours for terrible results. Reading this and reflecting on my own work, my thesis is that text-based LLMs are a distraction. They’re cool and useful for specific tasks (like coding and marketing). But they’ll be a footnote. Agents aren’t the real use case here either. Probabilistic models have a clear upper bound in their usefulness for many business applications. The real winner is robotics. We are going to see a new industrial age spurred by these models. They are finally allowing us to generalize robotic movement, sensor interpretation, and memory.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Koike completed his machine last year, and it works—to some degree. It sorts cucumbers with an accuracy of seventy per cent, which is low enough that they must subsequently be checked by hand. What’s more, the vegetables still need to be placed on the photo stand one by one\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Greetings folks. It's been a minute! I've been working on a personal project to learn more, faster. Someday I may share it, but for now it's my secret superpower. While building my tool, I've found some foundational articles about AI. I spend a lot of time cutting through the hype and these 3 articles present the core ideas in AI.
The first deals with how to build products in the age of AI. The second describes how AI will change. The final one looks back at the history of AI to see how far we've come in 10 short years.
We're moving away from deterministic mechanicism, a world of perfect information and perfect knowledge, and walking into one made of emergent unknown behaviors, where instead of planning and engineering we observe and hypothesize.
The biggest lesson that can be read from 70 years of AI research is that general methods that leverage computation are ultimately the most effective, and by a large margin...Seeking an improvement that makes a difference in the shorter term, researchers seek to leverage their human knowledge of the domain, but the only thing that matters in the long run is the leveraging of computation...the human-knowledge approach tends to complicate methods in ways that make them less suited to taking advantage of general methods leveraging computation.
Koike completed his machine last year, and it works—to some degree. It sorts cucumbers with an accuracy of seventy per cent, which is low enough that they must subsequently be checked by hand. What’s more, the vegetables still need to be placed on the photo stand one by one","comment_id":"182","plaintext":"Greetings folks. It's been a minute! I've been working on a personal project to learn more, faster. Someday I may share it, but for now it's my secret superpower. While building my tool, I've found some foundational articles about AI. I spend a lot of time cutting through the hype and these 3 articles present the core ideas in AI.\n\nThe first deals with how to build products in the age of AI. The second describes how AI will change. The final one looks back at the history of AI to see how far we've come in 10 short years.\n\n * Building AI Products In The Probabilistic Era - The key to incredible products in the age of AI is finding out which parts should be deterministic and which should be probabilistic. Old software is deterministic, AI is probabilistic. Old software is engineering, AI is science. Read more of my thoughts here.\n\nWe're moving away from deterministic mechanicism, a world of perfect information and perfect knowledge, and walking into one made of emergent unknown behaviors, where instead of planning and engineering we observe and hypothesize.\n\n * There are no new ideas in AI — only new datasets - At the same time as we are entering a probabilistic era of software, we are entering the engineering era of text-based LLMs. Expect more announcements like Google’s 33x reduction in inference energy usage than model breakthroughs. Text will see incremental improvement, but new breakthroughs will be reserved for video and robotics. Read more here.\n\nThe biggest lesson that can be read from 70 years of AI research is that general methods that leverage computation are ultimately the most effective, and by a large margin...Seeking an improvement that makes a difference in the shorter term, researchers seek to leverage their human knowledge of the domain, but the only thing that matters in the long run is the leveraging of computation...the human-knowledge approach tends to complicate methods in ways that make them less suited to taking advantage of general methods leveraging computation.\n\n * D.I.Y. Artificial Intelligence Comes to a Japanese Family Farm - The first interesting thing about this article was that it was written in 2017. That feels like light years away in the world of AI. Back then, I was using TensorFlow at Hope College to model new materials. I remember kicking off a neural network training set (the new hotness powering LLMs) and waiting hours for terrible results. Reading this and reflecting on my own work, my thesis is that text-based LLMs are a distraction. They’re cool and useful for specific tasks (like coding and marketing). But they’ll be a footnote. Agents aren’t the real use case here either. Probabilistic models have a clear upper bound in their usefulness for many business applications. The real winner is robotics. We are going to see a new industrial age spurred by these models. They are finally allowing us to generalize robotic movement, sensor interpretation, and memory.\n\nKoike completed his machine last year, and it works—to some degree. It sorts cucumbers with an accuracy of seventy per cent, which is low enough that they must subsequently be checked by hand. What’s more, the vegetables still need to be placed on the photo stand one by one","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1512941937669-90a1b58e7e9c?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fGFwcGxpY2F0aW9ufGVufDB8fHx8MTc3OTU1NTkyNnww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-09-06T18:46:05.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:45:28.000Z","published_at":"2025-09-06T18:46:05.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b3fe","uuid":"72df9518-ada8-4554-adb6-aa8a47c9ef25","title":"varlock | Smarter ENV Files","slug":"varlock-smarter-env-files","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Today's product of the day is one I didn't know I needed. I create a lot of \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":16,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\".env\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" files for personal and professional projects. They are always dumb and always difficult to pass among team members.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Even given my annoyance, I never thought to imagine anything else. I'm surprised to find that I would love a schema for an \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":16,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\".env\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" file. varlock provides just that, even throwing in helpful error messaging for team members to debug.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I'm not sure I will make the jump to this product given I only set up \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":16,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\".env\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" files once every blue moon. But I am planning to open source some of my recent software experiments and it might come in handy.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Learn more about the product here: \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"https://varlock.dev/\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://varlock.dev/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"10-18-2025 Update\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I finally got around to trying this out for my personal project, which I'm hoping to open source soon. I LOVE it. I will soon be trying to push for this at work. Usually this type of information is either tucked away in a ReadMe or stored in some developer's head. Forcing it to be part of the repository in a version controlled way is a godsend.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Today's product of the day is one I didn't know I needed. I create a lot of .env files for personal and professional projects. They are always dumb and always difficult to pass among team members.
Even given my annoyance, I never thought to imagine anything else. I'm surprised to find that I would love a schema for an .env file. varlock provides just that, even throwing in helpful error messaging for team members to debug.
I'm not sure I will make the jump to this product given I only set up .env files once every blue moon. But I am planning to open source some of my recent software experiments and it might come in handy.
Learn more about the product here: https://varlock.dev/
I finally got around to trying this out for my personal project, which I'm hoping to open source soon. I LOVE it. I will soon be trying to push for this at work. Usually this type of information is either tucked away in a ReadMe or stored in some developer's head. Forcing it to be part of the repository in a version controlled way is a godsend.
","comment_id":"202","plaintext":"Today's product of the day is one I didn't know I needed. I create a lot of .env files for personal and professional projects. They are always dumb and always difficult to pass among team members.\n\nEven given my annoyance, I never thought to imagine anything else. I'm surprised to find that I would love a schema for an .env file. varlock provides just that, even throwing in helpful error messaging for team members to debug.\n\nI'm not sure I will make the jump to this product given I only set up .env files once every blue moon. But I am planning to open source some of my recent software experiments and it might come in handy.\n\nLearn more about the product here: https://varlock.dev/\n\n\n10-18-2025 Update\n\nI finally got around to trying this out for my personal project, which I'm hoping to open source soon. I LOVE it. I will soon be trying to push for this at work. Usually this type of information is either tucked away in a ReadMe or stored in some developer's head. Forcing it to be part of the repository in a version controlled way is a godsend.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555529902-5261145633bf?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGxvY2t8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc5NTY5MTQ2fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-10-13T20:58:46.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:45:50.000Z","published_at":"2025-10-13T20:58:46.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b3ff","uuid":"d7b6980f-29e9-4513-82e5-ae0a954b24a9","title":"Craft | Google Docs but Beautiful","slug":"craft-google-docs-but-beautiful","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I've been using \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Craft\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.craft.do/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" on and off for years now. At first, I stuck to Craft because of it's incredible support for the Apple Pencil. I became known around my company for lovely technical diagrams and Craft was my secret weapon. Over time, the platform grew on me for some strange magic they use to make typing addicting. There's something about the way they animate their software and the timing of everything that makes writing feel easy.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"For a few years, every newsletter I wrote started in \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Craft\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.craft.do/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". After a while, my personal weekly reviews started to go in there as well. Almost everything ended up in there and I loved it.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The only problem? Getting anything out was a nightmare. As I started to want to experiment with a learning system, the open systems of Obsidian and Reflect grew more attractive. Their design is worse, writing in them is not as fun, but nothing I want to do outside of writing is possible with Craft. If they opened up API access or allowed third party integrations with tools like \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Readwise\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://readwise.io/read\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", I would be back in a second. But they do not appear to be headed in that direction, so I stick to \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Reflect\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://reflect.app/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" and \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Zed\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://zed.dev/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" for my writing needs.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"All that said, I do still miss Craft. I went back to my old docs today and it was a trip down memory lane. I am not sure I will ever find an app more beautiful. But sadly I've found many apps that are more functional.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"I've been using Craft on and off for years now. At first, I stuck to Craft because of it's incredible support for the Apple Pencil. I became known around my company for lovely technical diagrams and Craft was my secret weapon. Over time, the platform grew on me for some strange magic they use to make typing addicting. There's something about the way they animate their software and the timing of everything that makes writing feel easy.
For a few years, every newsletter I wrote started in Craft. After a while, my personal weekly reviews started to go in there as well. Almost everything ended up in there and I loved it.
The only problem? Getting anything out was a nightmare. As I started to want to experiment with a learning system, the open systems of Obsidian and Reflect grew more attractive. Their design is worse, writing in them is not as fun, but nothing I want to do outside of writing is possible with Craft. If they opened up API access or allowed third party integrations with tools like Readwise, I would be back in a second. But they do not appear to be headed in that direction, so I stick to Reflect and Zed for my writing needs.
All that said, I do still miss Craft. I went back to my old docs today and it was a trip down memory lane. I am not sure I will ever find an app more beautiful. But sadly I've found many apps that are more functional.
","comment_id":"214","plaintext":"I've been using Craft on and off for years now. At first, I stuck to Craft because of it's incredible support for the Apple Pencil. I became known around my company for lovely technical diagrams and Craft was my secret weapon. Over time, the platform grew on me for some strange magic they use to make typing addicting. There's something about the way they animate their software and the timing of everything that makes writing feel easy.\n\nFor a few years, every newsletter I wrote started in Craft. After a while, my personal weekly reviews started to go in there as well. Almost everything ended up in there and I loved it.\n\nThe only problem? Getting anything out was a nightmare. As I started to want to experiment with a learning system, the open systems of Obsidian and Reflect grew more attractive. Their design is worse, writing in them is not as fun, but nothing I want to do outside of writing is possible with Craft. If they opened up API access or allowed third party integrations with tools like Readwise, I would be back in a second. But they do not appear to be headed in that direction, so I stick to Reflect and Zed for my writing needs.\n\nAll that said, I do still miss Craft. I went back to my old docs today and it was a trip down memory lane. I am not sure I will ever find an app more beautiful. But sadly I've found many apps that are more functional.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1483546363825-7ebf25fb7513?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDN8fGpvdXJuYWx8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc5NTY5MTY4fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-10-18T16:38:21.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:46:11.000Z","published_at":"2025-10-18T16:38:21.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ebfcf4f660723bb415b400","uuid":"c8e1fa59-6ee1-41f7-ad0b-fbf894ab2425","title":"The Future: Solar Cars & Better Voices | Week 2 of October 2025","slug":"the-future-solar-cars-better-voices-week-2-of-october-2025","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Links\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"★ Another Periodic Suggestion to Try, Just Try, Switching to Kagi for Search\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://daringfireball.net/2025/04/try_switching_to_kagi\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I include this link less to advocate specifically for Kagi (it's not my favorite) and more to encourage folks to try out new search engines. There's so many incredible options out there now, from \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Brave\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://search.brave.com/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" to \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Exa\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://exa.ai/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" and so many more. The amount of innovation in search right now is staggering and it's never been a better time to try something other than Google (or God forbid, Bing).\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I just tried searching for “expedited passport renewal” in Google and in Kagi. Kagi presents as its first response the US State Department’s “How to Get my U.S. Passport Fast” page. Google has that same link listed 7th, below the fold even on a desktop browser window on a 27-inch display, behind four sponsored links (all of which look pretty official but aren’t), an AI Overview (which itself includes, in its own AI Overview sidebar, another link to the same “How to Get my U.S. Passport Fast” page), and another U.S. State Department webpage with general instructions for applying for passport.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Project Voice Attractiveness\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://du42p.r.sp1-brevo.net/mk/mr/sh/6rqJ8GoudeITQXsLgrwsncMIDiB/6rQxMSzYQ66R\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Biohacking is still not mainstream, but it blows my mind every time I hear about it. I am a plain Midwestern boy at heart and will probably never try any of this, but boy do I love reading about it. A fascinating blend of science and culture.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Anyway, after 3-4 days it started to sound completely natural and I loved the result. I went from 120 Hz fundamental frequency (on the 75th percentile of the male spectrum) to 105 Hz – basically going from Elija Wood to Bruce Willis. I just sounded like I normally do - but deeper and more resonant. Here is a clip of me about a week after my voice lift (Link).Unfortunately, the result only lasted for about a month – presumably because the ENT doctor only injected a very low amount\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"You're Wrong About Aptera\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DDmeqLEB9c0\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I am more of a car geek than I'd like to admit. Watching this test drive felt like a peek into the future. If America ever gets its shit together and builds more human scale cities, we could be zipping around in solar powered electric cars sooner than we think.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Aptera® aims to build the most efficient solar electric vehicle that requires no charging for most daily use.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Craft\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"__GHOST_URL__/craft-google-docs-but-beautiful/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I’ve been using \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":10,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Craft\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.craft.do/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" on and off for years now. At first, I stuck to Craft because of it’s incredible support for the Apple Pencil. I became known around my company for lovely technical diagrams and Craft was my secret weapon. Over time, the platform grew on me for some strange magic they use to make typing addicting. There’s something about the way they animate their software and the timing of everything that makes writing feel easy.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
I just tried searching for “expedited passport renewal” in Google and in Kagi. Kagi presents as its first response the US State Department’s “How to Get my U.S. Passport Fast” page. Google has that same link listed 7th, below the fold even on a desktop browser window on a 27-inch display, behind four sponsored links (all of which look pretty official but aren’t), an AI Overview (which itself includes, in its own AI Overview sidebar, another link to the same “How to Get my U.S. Passport Fast” page), and another U.S. State Department webpage with general instructions for applying for passport.
Anyway, after 3-4 days it started to sound completely natural and I loved the result. I went from 120 Hz fundamental frequency (on the 75th percentile of the male spectrum) to 105 Hz – basically going from Elija Wood to Bruce Willis. I just sounded like I normally do - but deeper and more resonant. Here is a clip of me about a week after my voice lift (Link).Unfortunately, the result only lasted for about a month – presumably because the ENT doctor only injected a very low amount
Aptera® aims to build the most efficient solar electric vehicle that requires no charging for most daily use.
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Link of the Week
Neighborhoods of Pittsburgh - Hazelwood - It is rare that a neighborhood, let alone a city, get rich visual love letters written to them. Dean Bog made 23 of them, just in Pittsburgh. I've spent every morning of the last week teleporting around the city of Pittsburgh with Dean. What a joy. Start here with the Hazelwood tour, which bleeds love for the neighborhood.
Product of the Week
Git-AI - Every once and a while I have to do a product for my nerds out there (me being one of them). AI is blitzing through our industry and many times it is hard to figure out what the hell it's even doing. Git AI slides into your existing workflows and helps you keep track of the chaos with no change to your setup. Runs locally so your data isn't slipping out the door. Give it a try!
Cause of the Week
The Odin Project - This week is just Pittsburgh and developer heavy isn't it? I got my start in software by working through tutorials on Code and Kahn Academy. There's a soft spot in my heart for folks giving away the tools that helped me create the life I live today. Please consider supporting the Odin Project as they help train up the next (the last?) generation of software engineers!
","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542ab0","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\nLink of the Week\n\nNeighborhoods of Pittsburgh - Hazelwood - It is rare that a neighborhood, let alone a city, get rich visual love letters written to them. Dean Bog made 23 of them, just in Pittsburgh. I've spent every morning of the last week teleporting around the city of Pittsburgh with Dean. What a joy. Start here with the Hazelwood tour, which bleeds love for the neighborhood. \n\nProduct of the Week\n\nGit-AI - Every once and a while I have to do a product for my nerds out there (me being one of them). AI is blitzing through our industry and many times it is hard to figure out what the hell it's even doing. Git AI slides into your existing workflows and helps you keep track of the chaos with no change to your setup. Runs locally so your data isn't slipping out the door. Give it a try!\n\nCause of the Week\n\nThe Odin Project - This week is just Pittsburgh and developer heavy isn't it? I got my start in software by working through tutorials on Code and Kahn Academy. There's a soft spot in my heart for folks giving away the tools that helped me create the life I live today. Please consider supporting the Odin Project as they help train up the next (the last?) generation of software engineers!","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555424221-250de2a343ad?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHBpdHRzYnVyZ2h8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc5NTY5Nzc5fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2026-04-20T20:10:40.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:56:24.000Z","published_at":"2026-04-20T20:10:40.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b4ff","uuid":"09df3845-63c9-49b8-a78c-29d7a0628461","title":"Supply Chains in China and Flooding in Hawai'i | Week 2 of April 2026","slug":"supply-chains-in-china-and-flooding-in-hawai-i-week-2-of-april-2026","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I took some time off of the newsletter as my life became a swirling tornado. I am moving (to a spot with a dog), switching jobs, and spent a month gallivanting around the West Coast. I'm now back to the Burgh and settling in. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"In my time away from the newsletter, I learned what it meant to me. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share what caught my eye each week, to connect with friends over what resonated for them. Thank you for reading all these years and here's to the next few of them! \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Link of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Trivium China Podcast | A Stress Test at the Worst Possible Moment\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.sinicapodcast.com/p/trivium-china-podcast-a-stress-test?publication_id=2079154&post_id=192504423&isFreemail=true&r=3myxec&triedRedirect=true&_bhlid=10379e939191f73a02a052ede5665a5a535b3a1c\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - The more I learn about China, the more I know I don't know. I loved this podcast, which contains a transcript to read if you prefer (I do), because it was so wide ranging. China is a complicated place, making complicated trade offs that are fundamentally different than those we make in the US. I found it fascinating to compare the strategic benefits of each approach, especially in light of \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Breakneck\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324106036?_bhlid=eb8ed22a9d14e0d9c70c74ed352d5b4c5bdeacba\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", which I'm reading with a good friend. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Joe: Yeah. So, what’s quite interesting on China’s industrial side, but particularly manufacturing, which I’m going to talk about, and that manufacturing specifically grew by 6.6% in the first two months of the year. That’s pre-pandemic levels of growth. So, when we think of the structural slowdown that China’s facing, that’s only happened on one side of the economy. Consumption is structurally slow in consumption growth. But manufacturers continue to increase their output at the same rates as before the pandemic. And this is exacerbating this huge supply-demand gap we’re seeing, which leads to all these issues like overcapacity, deflationary pressures, and over-reliance on exports.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Brick\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://getbrick.com/products/the-brick?_bhlid=3bb0bc791e96e5e7d3ca8d6f9c2aa85fee0bc1fa\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - In many ways, I'm behind the digital times. Mix an addictive personality with the jumpiness of ADHD and you get a phone glued to your hand at all hours of the day. I love my phone, even as I wrestle with how to use it well. I do some basic digital hygiene: no games, no social media, no notifications. But even so, I find myself reaching for the damned thing at all hours. The Brick, so far, changed that. For hours of the day, it turns my phone into... a phone. It cannot do anything but call people. If I want to change that, I've got to rush home and tap this stupid thing on my fridge. So far, it's been shockingly effective for an impulse buy. I'm finding focus at work again! I cannot wait to lock myself out of my phone at social events so I can transform myself into the most awkward person alive with more ease than ever. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hawai'i Community Foundation\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/home?_bhlid=80c08cc6ae83790d1f1bb44ea8f839d9c41b997a\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - When it comes to donations, I try to stay about a month behind the news. In a world where focus shifts like the wind, it's useful to circle back on causes that still need help after the cameras leave. This week I'm joining a close friend of mine in supporting foundations that help \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hawai'i as they struggle with extensive flooding\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/08/weather/hawaii-flooding-kona-storm-climate?_bhlid=9f32f8ee56a97b346d516d8416df1dc254c781ee\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". Please consider offering your support as folks continue to face historic rains. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
I took some time off of the newsletter as my life became a swirling tornado. I am moving (to a spot with a dog), switching jobs, and spent a month gallivanting around the West Coast. I'm now back to the Burgh and settling in.
In my time away from the newsletter, I learned what it meant to me. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share what caught my eye each week, to connect with friends over what resonated for them. Thank you for reading all these years and here's to the next few of them!
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Link of the Week
Trivium China Podcast | A Stress Test at the Worst Possible Moment - The more I learn about China, the more I know I don't know. I loved this podcast, which contains a transcript to read if you prefer (I do), because it was so wide ranging. China is a complicated place, making complicated trade offs that are fundamentally different than those we make in the US. I found it fascinating to compare the strategic benefits of each approach, especially in light of Breakneck, which I'm reading with a good friend.
Joe: Yeah. So, what’s quite interesting on China’s industrial side, but particularly manufacturing, which I’m going to talk about, and that manufacturing specifically grew by 6.6% in the first two months of the year. That’s pre-pandemic levels of growth. So, when we think of the structural slowdown that China’s facing, that’s only happened on one side of the economy. Consumption is structurally slow in consumption growth. But manufacturers continue to increase their output at the same rates as before the pandemic. And this is exacerbating this huge supply-demand gap we’re seeing, which leads to all these issues like overcapacity, deflationary pressures, and over-reliance on exports.
Product of the Week
The Brick - In many ways, I'm behind the digital times. Mix an addictive personality with the jumpiness of ADHD and you get a phone glued to your hand at all hours of the day. I love my phone, even as I wrestle with how to use it well. I do some basic digital hygiene: no games, no social media, no notifications. But even so, I find myself reaching for the damned thing at all hours. The Brick, so far, changed that. For hours of the day, it turns my phone into... a phone. It cannot do anything but call people. If I want to change that, I've got to rush home and tap this stupid thing on my fridge. So far, it's been shockingly effective for an impulse buy. I'm finding focus at work again! I cannot wait to lock myself out of my phone at social events so I can transform myself into the most awkward person alive with more ease than ever.
Cause of the Week
Hawai'i Community Foundation - When it comes to donations, I try to stay about a month behind the news. In a world where focus shifts like the wind, it's useful to circle back on causes that still need help after the cameras leave. This week I'm joining a close friend of mine in supporting foundations that help Hawai'i as they struggle with extensive flooding. Please consider offering your support as folks continue to face historic rains.
","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542ab4","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nI took some time off of the newsletter as my life became a swirling tornado. I am moving (to a spot with a dog), switching jobs, and spent a month gallivanting around the West Coast. I'm now back to the Burgh and settling in. \n\nIn my time away from the newsletter, I learned what it meant to me. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share what caught my eye each week, to connect with friends over what resonated for them. Thank you for reading all these years and here's to the next few of them! \n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\nLink of the Week\n\nTrivium China Podcast | A Stress Test at the Worst Possible Moment - The more I learn about China, the more I know I don't know. I loved this podcast, which contains a transcript to read if you prefer (I do), because it was so wide ranging. China is a complicated place, making complicated trade offs that are fundamentally different than those we make in the US. I found it fascinating to compare the strategic benefits of each approach, especially in light of Breakneck, which I'm reading with a good friend. \n\nJoe: Yeah. So, what’s quite interesting on China’s industrial side, but particularly manufacturing, which I’m going to talk about, and that manufacturing specifically grew by 6.6% in the first two months of the year. That’s pre-pandemic levels of growth. So, when we think of the structural slowdown that China’s facing, that’s only happened on one side of the economy. Consumption is structurally slow in consumption growth. But manufacturers continue to increase their output at the same rates as before the pandemic. And this is exacerbating this huge supply-demand gap we’re seeing, which leads to all these issues like overcapacity, deflationary pressures, and over-reliance on exports.\n\nProduct of the Week\n\nThe Brick - In many ways, I'm behind the digital times. Mix an addictive personality with the jumpiness of ADHD and you get a phone glued to your hand at all hours of the day. I love my phone, even as I wrestle with how to use it well. I do some basic digital hygiene: no games, no social media, no notifications. But even so, I find myself reaching for the damned thing at all hours. The Brick, so far, changed that. For hours of the day, it turns my phone into... a phone. It cannot do anything but call people. If I want to change that, I've got to rush home and tap this stupid thing on my fridge. So far, it's been shockingly effective for an impulse buy. I'm finding focus at work again! I cannot wait to lock myself out of my phone at social events so I can transform myself into the most awkward person alive with more ease than ever. \n\nCause of the Week\n\nHawai'i Community Foundation - When it comes to donations, I try to stay about a month behind the news. In a world where focus shifts like the wind, it's useful to circle back on causes that still need help after the cameras leave. This week I'm joining a close friend of mine in supporting foundations that help Hawai'i as they struggle with extensive flooding. Please consider offering your support as folks continue to face historic rains. ","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1587293852726-70cdb56c2866?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHN1cHBseSUyMGNoYWlufGVufDB8fHx8MTc3OTU2OTc1NXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2026-04-11T15:27:49.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:56:08.000Z","published_at":"2026-04-11T15:27:49.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":"Plus a little brick that is changing how I use my phone","codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b500","uuid":"b267a3aa-bc1f-4fe8-90b8-4d68965cd7ff","title":"Scary Hacker Robots Are Coming for Our Digital Lives | Week 3 of February 2026","slug":"scary-hacker-robots-are-coming-for-our-digital-lives-week-3-of-february-2026","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Link of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"He called himself an ‘untouchable hacker god’. But who was behind the biggest crime Finland has ever known?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/17/vastaamo-hack-finland-therapy-notes?__readwiseLocation=&_bhlid=07b421e14e0e28d90bbb978543f6aabc916b2bb7\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I consider myself a fairly sophisticated digital user and a touch paranoid. But I'm yet more paranoid after reading this. The particular hack is disturbing in and of itself, but the scarier consideration is how many vulnerable companies like this exist. In an unfortunate twist, so far AI is \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"better at hacking than defending against hacking\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://extension.harvard.edu/blog/ai-and-the-future-of-cybersecurity/?_bhlid=2f6483d3eda47d1f224b633e3ac04dced4422a13#How-AI-Enables-the-Next-Generation-of-Cyber-Attacks-\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", making it all the more likely we will see catastrophic exploits in the coming years. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Meanwhile, he began inspecting Vastaamo’s server, looking for clues as to who might be behind the hack – and one of the first things he noticed was how lax security had been. “It was definitely unfit for purpose for storing this kind of information,” he says. He tells me that the patient records database was accessible via the internet; there was no firewall and, perhaps most egregiously, it was secured with a blank password, so anyone could just press enter and open it. Kurittu determined that whoever had hacked Vastaamo had probably just been scanning the internet in search of any badly secured databases that could be monetised. “They tried a bunch of bank vaults to see which ones were open, and just happened to stumble on this one.”\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Standard Kernel\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://standardkernel.com/?_bhlid=5703475c17a4aece666f4eee5e91a9bb2a85b98e\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I am thinking about improvements you can build on of late, which I call compounding. I'm on the hunt for them as I am convinced they are the building blocks of a better world. I love what Standard Kernel is doing here. They are throwing AI at a measurable problem which benefits from many unique attempts at the same problem: low level computing principles. If you can make low level software faster, you can do all your computing faster with more energy efficiency. Wins all around. Hats off to the Standard Kernel team. I hope we see more of these companies using AI to take on fundamental problems soon. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Emergency Rental Assistance Fund from Church of the Incarnation of Minneapolis\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://secure.myvanco.com/YHHF/campaign/C-YM9S?_bhlid=a7c6444d6e42c869795412dd2c1d1a0f8b93db48\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I am enamoured with the leverage that is emergency rental assistance. If you lose your home, it is a quick and sad descent. It can take years to recover. Thus preventing an eviction is a low risk (on the order of hundreds of dollars) way to save a life, or the life of a whole family. Please consider helping the Church of the Incarnation of Minneapolis give people a valuable backstop. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Link of the Week
He called himself an ‘untouchable hacker god’. But who was behind the biggest crime Finland has ever known? - I consider myself a fairly sophisticated digital user and a touch paranoid. But I'm yet more paranoid after reading this. The particular hack is disturbing in and of itself, but the scarier consideration is how many vulnerable companies like this exist. In an unfortunate twist, so far AI is better at hacking than defending against hacking, making it all the more likely we will see catastrophic exploits in the coming years.
Meanwhile, he began inspecting Vastaamo’s server, looking for clues as to who might be behind the hack – and one of the first things he noticed was how lax security had been. “It was definitely unfit for purpose for storing this kind of information,” he says. He tells me that the patient records database was accessible via the internet; there was no firewall and, perhaps most egregiously, it was secured with a blank password, so anyone could just press enter and open it. Kurittu determined that whoever had hacked Vastaamo had probably just been scanning the internet in search of any badly secured databases that could be monetised. “They tried a bunch of bank vaults to see which ones were open, and just happened to stumble on this one.”
Product of the Week
Standard Kernel - I am thinking about improvements you can build on of late, which I call compounding. I'm on the hunt for them as I am convinced they are the building blocks of a better world. I love what Standard Kernel is doing here. They are throwing AI at a measurable problem which benefits from many unique attempts at the same problem: low level computing principles. If you can make low level software faster, you can do all your computing faster with more energy efficiency. Wins all around. Hats off to the Standard Kernel team. I hope we see more of these companies using AI to take on fundamental problems soon.
Cause of the Week
Emergency Rental Assistance Fund from Church of the Incarnation of Minneapolis - I am enamoured with the leverage that is emergency rental assistance. If you lose your home, it is a quick and sad descent. It can take years to recover. Thus preventing an eviction is a low risk (on the order of hundreds of dollars) way to save a life, or the life of a whole family. Please consider helping the Church of the Incarnation of Minneapolis give people a valuable backstop.
","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542ab5","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\nLink of the Week\n\nHe called himself an ‘untouchable hacker god’. But who was behind the biggest crime Finland has ever known? - I consider myself a fairly sophisticated digital user and a touch paranoid. But I'm yet more paranoid after reading this. The particular hack is disturbing in and of itself, but the scarier consideration is how many vulnerable companies like this exist. In an unfortunate twist, so far AI is better at hacking than defending against hacking, making it all the more likely we will see catastrophic exploits in the coming years. \n\nMeanwhile, he began inspecting Vastaamo’s server, looking for clues as to who might be behind the hack – and one of the first things he noticed was how lax security had been. “It was definitely unfit for purpose for storing this kind of information,” he says. He tells me that the patient records database was accessible via the internet; there was no firewall and, perhaps most egregiously, it was secured with a blank password, so anyone could just press enter and open it. Kurittu determined that whoever had hacked Vastaamo had probably just been scanning the internet in search of any badly secured databases that could be monetised. “They tried a bunch of bank vaults to see which ones were open, and just happened to stumble on this one.”\n\nProduct of the Week\n\nStandard Kernel - I am thinking about improvements you can build on of late, which I call compounding. I'm on the hunt for them as I am convinced they are the building blocks of a better world. I love what Standard Kernel is doing here. They are throwing AI at a measurable problem which benefits from many unique attempts at the same problem: low level computing principles. If you can make low level software faster, you can do all your computing faster with more energy efficiency. Wins all around. Hats off to the Standard Kernel team. I hope we see more of these companies using AI to take on fundamental problems soon. \n\nCause of the Week\n\nEmergency Rental Assistance Fund from Church of the Incarnation of Minneapolis - I am enamoured with the leverage that is emergency rental assistance. If you lose your home, it is a quick and sad descent. It can take years to recover. Thus preventing an eviction is a low risk (on the order of hundreds of dollars) way to save a life, or the life of a whole family. Please consider helping the Church of the Incarnation of Minneapolis give people a valuable backstop. ","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1485827404703-89b55fcc595e?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHJvYm90fGVufDB8fHx8MTc3OTU2OTY5OXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2026-02-22T15:03:27.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:55:44.000Z","published_at":"2026-02-22T15:03:27.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":"Plus how to help people stay safe with rental assistance","codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b501","uuid":"05c1c967-eff3-4a75-9c8e-863d09eed5f9","title":"Can You Save Money by Taking Political Action | Week 2 of February 2026","slug":"can-you-save-money-by-taking-political-action-week-2-of-february-2026","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Link of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"5 Ally Actions - Jan 23, 2026\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mailchi.mp/2b6ed96f0664/5-ally-actions-jan-23-2026?e=%5BUNIQID%5D&_bhlid=e310cc4ba8ce3420fa029cee7d1927d69cb10266\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Like the \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"debt snowball method\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.ramseysolutions.com/debt/how-the-debt-snowball-method-works?srsltid=AfmBOopx-1xDAe3THwIhw3_TTV9-yJD8A3PmKdUE57I-qR5_Wr5kTTep&_bhlid=8b76c50219d6a70f3b7908683ce3d087059ca391\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", changes in our communities and workplaces happen one pebble at a time. Subscribing to this newsletter is an easy way to see small changes you can adopt in your work and daily life to help make people feel more welcome and at home. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Resist and Unsubscribe\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/?_bhlid=e2e07e19fb64b8fc1480a6ea0b24b32c31c3a689\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I'm not sure if this counts as a product, but I write the newsletter so I'm counting it. I love Galloway's approach to creating social change through targeted economic boycotts. Carefully designed to minimize economic damage to the average American, Resist and Unsubscribe is a powerful way to send a signal to US leadership and save some money along the way. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Young Center\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.theyoungcenter.org/?_bhlid=3753c8159fe8030a64e6abbdb48bb975754524c8\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - One of the few things everyone can agree is the importance of protecting children. Without the ability to fend for themselves, children need our protection. Please consider supporting the Young Center this week, which helps children dealing with the maze that is our immigration complex. Children should not pay for the failures of our lawmakers. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Immigrant children who travel to the United States without their parents or are separated from their parents at the border often face a complex immigration system that is adverse to their best interests. Once they are released from federal custody, many of these children remain caught in additional legal proceedings where decision makers ignore their needs, their safety and their well-being.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Link of the Week
5 Ally Actions - Jan 23, 2026 - Like the debt snowball method, changes in our communities and workplaces happen one pebble at a time. Subscribing to this newsletter is an easy way to see small changes you can adopt in your work and daily life to help make people feel more welcome and at home.
Product of the Week
Resist and Unsubscribe - I'm not sure if this counts as a product, but I write the newsletter so I'm counting it. I love Galloway's approach to creating social change through targeted economic boycotts. Carefully designed to minimize economic damage to the average American, Resist and Unsubscribe is a powerful way to send a signal to US leadership and save some money along the way.
Cause of the Week
The Young Center - One of the few things everyone can agree is the importance of protecting children. Without the ability to fend for themselves, children need our protection. Please consider supporting the Young Center this week, which helps children dealing with the maze that is our immigration complex. Children should not pay for the failures of our lawmakers.
Immigrant children who travel to the United States without their parents or are separated from their parents at the border often face a complex immigration system that is adverse to their best interests. Once they are released from federal custody, many of these children remain caught in additional legal proceedings where decision makers ignore their needs, their safety and their well-being.","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542ab6","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\nLink of the Week\n\n5 Ally Actions - Jan 23, 2026 - Like the debt snowball method, changes in our communities and workplaces happen one pebble at a time. Subscribing to this newsletter is an easy way to see small changes you can adopt in your work and daily life to help make people feel more welcome and at home. \n\nProduct of the Week\n\nResist and Unsubscribe - I'm not sure if this counts as a product, but I write the newsletter so I'm counting it. I love Galloway's approach to creating social change through targeted economic boycotts. Carefully designed to minimize economic damage to the average American, Resist and Unsubscribe is a powerful way to send a signal to US leadership and save some money along the way. \n\nCause of the Week\n\nThe Young Center - One of the few things everyone can agree is the importance of protecting children. Without the ability to fend for themselves, children need our protection. Please consider supporting the Young Center this week, which helps children dealing with the maze that is our immigration complex. Children should not pay for the failures of our lawmakers. \n\nImmigrant children who travel to the United States without their parents or are separated from their parents at the border often face a complex immigration system that is adverse to their best interests. Once they are released from federal custody, many of these children remain caught in additional legal proceedings where decision makers ignore their needs, their safety and their well-being.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1529107386315-e1a2ed48a620?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHBvbGl0aWNzfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3OTU2OTY1Nnww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2026-02-16T23:48:32.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:54:33.000Z","published_at":"2026-02-16T23:48:32.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b502","uuid":"6068a98e-4373-41dc-8b26-114b19e413e5","title":"Malaysia: The Land of the Semi-Conductor | Week 1 of February 2026","slug":"malaysia-the-land-of-the-semi-conductor-week-1-of-february-2026","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Link of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Malaysia: Truly Asia\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/malaysia-truly-asia?_bhlid=692c30aa7219b14c11b27386bad52773309d0a5f\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - While I am still slowly working through the backlog of travel writer \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Matt Lakeman\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mattlakeman.org/about/?_bhlid=4916f6c84eb090a094314860cb69a62cae753040\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", I rediscovered this piece by another writer I've grown to adore, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Noah Smith\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.noahpinion.blog/?_bhlid=9df8d421519c62fd6246b7fe8e8136ef7f42db6d\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". In studying technology across cultures, I fear I've been rather overzealous in my devotion to understanding China and overlooked Malaysia. I hope to rectify that imbalance over the coming months. Malaysia is a place to keep an eye on. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"In fact, tiny Malaysia exports almost twice the total amount of semiconductors that the United States of America does — $74 billion to $43 billion. In per capita terms, that’s almost 16 times as much chip exports per capita as the U.S. Not bad for a post-colonial Muslim country in an underdeveloped region, eh? \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Readwise Reader\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://readwise.io/jimmy-cerone/?_bhlid=cd5f16d1e122e253e08858de9f78523ac9069f88\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I'm highlighting Readwise Reader as I finally have an affiliate link to share! You get a generous 60 day trial with my link. My first read it later app, way back in the day, was Pocket. Then came what may be the most beautiful app out there, Matter. While I loved Matter, I found it difficult to build on. I wanted my reading app to be the core of my digital life, the basis of my Jarvis. And Readwise is flexible enough to be just that. With Readwise I've built tons of fun little tools which help me read more and more deeply. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I've written about this before, but my family came to this country and they were not particularly welcome. My great grandparents struggled to find housing as no one would rent to \\\"dirty Italians.\\\" By the time I grew up, being Italian was fun and fashionable, so I do not know first hand the pain of being in a land that does not accept you. But I can empathize and I hate to imagine anyone facing the struggles my family did when they first arrived. It is my ancestors that motivate the cause(s) of this week. First are \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Red Cards\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.ilrc.org/redcards?_bhlid=8cdb19237cac0cbf79567dcecd375dffc08361d9\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, which help all people, regardless of status, understand the rights granted to them by the Constitution. Second is \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Frontline Dignity\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://frontlinedignity.org/?_bhlid=5cced67a117309aba95929336525515c5490b01c\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", an organization ensure everyone is treated with dignity in their interactions here in the Pittsburgh. I love both of these organizations because they show a bipartisan path forward. There are many different views on immigration policy, but kindness and dignity is something we can all agree upon. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Post Script\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"If you would like to go a step further than giving, you can write your State Representative to encourage them to create oversight for federal detention centers. You can find an example I wrote to my PA State Representative \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"here\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZOs0ifVw6M0R6DIIkfO9f9_aCFWvvzDFkp-KQriH9Is/edit?usp=sharing&_bhlid=6ead59bbe4b3d1b741916ebd908632040270b442\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Link of the Week
Malaysia: Truly Asia - While I am still slowly working through the backlog of travel writer Matt Lakeman, I rediscovered this piece by another writer I've grown to adore, Noah Smith. In studying technology across cultures, I fear I've been rather overzealous in my devotion to understanding China and overlooked Malaysia. I hope to rectify that imbalance over the coming months. Malaysia is a place to keep an eye on.
In fact, tiny Malaysia exports almost twice the total amount of semiconductors that the United States of America does — $74 billion to $43 billion. In per capita terms, that’s almost 16 times as much chip exports per capita as the U.S. Not bad for a post-colonial Muslim country in an underdeveloped region, eh?
Product of the Week
Readwise Reader - I'm highlighting Readwise Reader as I finally have an affiliate link to share! You get a generous 60 day trial with my link. My first read it later app, way back in the day, was Pocket. Then came what may be the most beautiful app out there, Matter. While I loved Matter, I found it difficult to build on. I wanted my reading app to be the core of my digital life, the basis of my Jarvis. And Readwise is flexible enough to be just that. With Readwise I've built tons of fun little tools which help me read more and more deeply.
Cause of the Week
I've written about this before, but my family came to this country and they were not particularly welcome. My great grandparents struggled to find housing as no one would rent to \"dirty Italians.\" By the time I grew up, being Italian was fun and fashionable, so I do not know first hand the pain of being in a land that does not accept you. But I can empathize and I hate to imagine anyone facing the struggles my family did when they first arrived. It is my ancestors that motivate the cause(s) of this week. First are Red Cards from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, which help all people, regardless of status, understand the rights granted to them by the Constitution. Second is Frontline Dignity, an organization ensure everyone is treated with dignity in their interactions here in the Pittsburgh. I love both of these organizations because they show a bipartisan path forward. There are many different views on immigration policy, but kindness and dignity is something we can all agree upon.
Post Script
If you would like to go a step further than giving, you can write your State Representative to encourage them to create oversight for federal detention centers. You can find an example I wrote to my PA State Representative here.
","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542ab7","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\nLink of the Week\n\nMalaysia: Truly Asia - While I am still slowly working through the backlog of travel writer Matt Lakeman, I rediscovered this piece by another writer I've grown to adore, Noah Smith. In studying technology across cultures, I fear I've been rather overzealous in my devotion to understanding China and overlooked Malaysia. I hope to rectify that imbalance over the coming months. Malaysia is a place to keep an eye on. \n\nIn fact, tiny Malaysia exports almost twice the total amount of semiconductors that the United States of America does — $74 billion to $43 billion. In per capita terms, that’s almost 16 times as much chip exports per capita as the U.S. Not bad for a post-colonial Muslim country in an underdeveloped region, eh? \n\nProduct of the Week\n\nReadwise Reader - I'm highlighting Readwise Reader as I finally have an affiliate link to share! You get a generous 60 day trial with my link. My first read it later app, way back in the day, was Pocket. Then came what may be the most beautiful app out there, Matter. While I loved Matter, I found it difficult to build on. I wanted my reading app to be the core of my digital life, the basis of my Jarvis. And Readwise is flexible enough to be just that. With Readwise I've built tons of fun little tools which help me read more and more deeply. \n\nCause of the Week\n\nI've written about this before, but my family came to this country and they were not particularly welcome. My great grandparents struggled to find housing as no one would rent to \"dirty Italians.\" By the time I grew up, being Italian was fun and fashionable, so I do not know first hand the pain of being in a land that does not accept you. But I can empathize and I hate to imagine anyone facing the struggles my family did when they first arrived. It is my ancestors that motivate the cause(s) of this week. First are Red Cards from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, which help all people, regardless of status, understand the rights granted to them by the Constitution. Second is Frontline Dignity, an organization ensure everyone is treated with dignity in their interactions here in the Pittsburgh. I love both of these organizations because they show a bipartisan path forward. There are many different views on immigration policy, but kindness and dignity is something we can all agree upon. \n\nPost Script\n\nIf you would like to go a step further than giving, you can write your State Representative to encourage them to create oversight for federal detention centers. You can find an example I wrote to my PA State Representative here. ","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1562408590-e32931084e23?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHNlbWljb25kdWN0b3J8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc5NTY5NjI0fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2026-02-09T01:22:38.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:54:01.000Z","published_at":"2026-02-09T01:22:38.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":"Plus the app that helps me read more now than ever before","codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b503","uuid":"e51159aa-078f-46f9-b5ed-8e95372e3e03","title":"An Actual AI Agent in the Wild | Week 4 of January 2026","slug":"an-actual-ai-agent-in-the-wild-week-4-of-january-2026","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Link of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Ultimate Guide To Linear Actuators\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzgFyO_W2nM&_bhlid=c09e12d4814fd91b449bdb423dbdd10be8431482\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Jeremy Fielding\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/@Jeremy_Fielding?_bhlid=771e940d0c36fc0e5f4e50191d90322fca81d514\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" is one of those people who is so talented that watching them do anything is interesting. Fielding is a savant in the world of home robotics projects. He is one of the few people who can sit at the intersection of mechanical and electrical engineering with ease. Here he explains the tech that underpins much of the automation around us, from escalators to assembly lines. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Yutori\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://yutori.com/scouts?_bhlid=cef76f9817bba6f6e055b78bb74647ca8e45705d\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - The more I dig into AI, the more I'm bullish on agents. To be clear, agent != automation. Zapier workflows are not agents. Agents are self starters. And unlike most, I want agents to augment, not replace my work. I want agents to attack my code, suggesting improvements. I want agents to scour the web for me and suggest information I might find useful... As I contemplated how to build a research agent, I found one in Yutori. You can see what I've been \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"learning about here\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://scouts.yutori.com/41ba63d1-a0bd-4300-a357-efcec54e209d?_bhlid=21ae953900e078be228b6731180a44a32a11801a\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". So far I'm impressed. Yutori proactively monitors the web like a smarter version of \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Google Alerts\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.google.com/alerts?_bhlid=6b7f2d64628ad2eac5d81474792ba738fa608e5f\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" and creates smart concise round ups. Hats off Yutori. Here's hoping I can finagle API access. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"DDH Church\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.dhhmn.com/?_bhlid=7f394c02260a015db23d3c858199be2e810e8676\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - It seems there is not a lot we can agree on these days. But it is hard to disagree with helping people stay safe, warm and fed come winter. DDH is doing all of this and more, keeping people safe in trying times. While I have my qualms with the church, I have to respect the dedication to taking care of people who need it. Please consider helping DDH help others. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Link of the Week
The Ultimate Guide To Linear Actuators - Jeremy Fielding is one of those people who is so talented that watching them do anything is interesting. Fielding is a savant in the world of home robotics projects. He is one of the few people who can sit at the intersection of mechanical and electrical engineering with ease. Here he explains the tech that underpins much of the automation around us, from escalators to assembly lines.
Product of the Week
Yutori - The more I dig into AI, the more I'm bullish on agents. To be clear, agent != automation. Zapier workflows are not agents. Agents are self starters. And unlike most, I want agents to augment, not replace my work. I want agents to attack my code, suggesting improvements. I want agents to scour the web for me and suggest information I might find useful... As I contemplated how to build a research agent, I found one in Yutori. You can see what I've been learning about here. So far I'm impressed. Yutori proactively monitors the web like a smarter version of Google Alerts and creates smart concise round ups. Hats off Yutori. Here's hoping I can finagle API access.
Cause of the Week
DDH Church - It seems there is not a lot we can agree on these days. But it is hard to disagree with helping people stay safe, warm and fed come winter. DDH is doing all of this and more, keeping people safe in trying times. While I have my qualms with the church, I have to respect the dedication to taking care of people who need it. Please consider helping DDH help others.
","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542ab8","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\nLink of the Week\n\nThe Ultimate Guide To Linear Actuators - Jeremy Fielding is one of those people who is so talented that watching them do anything is interesting. Fielding is a savant in the world of home robotics projects. He is one of the few people who can sit at the intersection of mechanical and electrical engineering with ease. Here he explains the tech that underpins much of the automation around us, from escalators to assembly lines. \n\nProduct of the Week\n\nYutori - The more I dig into AI, the more I'm bullish on agents. To be clear, agent != automation. Zapier workflows are not agents. Agents are self starters. And unlike most, I want agents to augment, not replace my work. I want agents to attack my code, suggesting improvements. I want agents to scour the web for me and suggest information I might find useful... As I contemplated how to build a research agent, I found one in Yutori. You can see what I've been learning about here. So far I'm impressed. Yutori proactively monitors the web like a smarter version of Google Alerts and creates smart concise round ups. Hats off Yutori. Here's hoping I can finagle API access. \n\nCause of the Week\n\nDDH Church - It seems there is not a lot we can agree on these days. But it is hard to disagree with helping people stay safe, warm and fed come winter. DDH is doing all of this and more, keeping people safe in trying times. While I have my qualms with the church, I have to respect the dedication to taking care of people who need it. Please consider helping DDH help others. ","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1658605614131-b7f2c3fdbddc?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDZ8fHdpfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3OTU2OTU5OXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2026-01-25T02:32:18.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:53:29.000Z","published_at":"2026-01-25T02:32:18.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":"Plus an explainer on the device that makes real life automation possible","codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b504","uuid":"a445656d-aa00-4fcf-9210-5d2ea3faa5db","title":"Lots of Notes from Matt Lakeman | Week 3 of January 2025","slug":"lots-of-notes-from-matt-lakeman-week-3-of-january-2025","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Link of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Notes on Saudi Arabia\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mattlakeman.org/2022/11/22/notes-on-saudi-arabia?_bhlid=e6d208ce50f3da6dce35bf47c98c33a1ece238eb\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Matt Lakeman\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mattlakeman.org/?_bhlid=6c1ee067eb184832bc2995e499a8fdd60ce2182a\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"'s most recent piece \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Notes on Afghanistan\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mattlakeman.org/2026/01/05/notes-on-afghanistan/?_bhlid=3019caa84ed54e20f0d8976c3f346450a1903e76\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" made the rounds on every link newsletter last week. I hesitate to recommend something that:\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Has already been recommended by everyone else\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Takes 2.5 hours (~5 days for me) to read\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":2}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"number\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ol\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"So instead I'm recommending Notes on Saudi Arabia as an hour and a half appetizer of sorts. I'm not sure what it is about Matt's writing, but I feel like I'm finally starting to understand the complicated region that is the Middle East through it. He weaves personal context in with history in such a way that it sticks in my pea brain. I can't wait to read his \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"thoughts on the Balkans\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mattlakeman.org/2022/07/17/notes-on-the-balkans/?_bhlid=966e01987bf2a9df0789b2a395e2f2850c33967c\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" and the Hundred Years War next.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Provider Agnostic Agentic Coding with OpenCode and Letta\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onM1DH4BAOI&_bhlid=578eab5fbcb181a0ed117a4e5c8ac2db7b7e418e\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Cheated a little bit this week and did a double dip with \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"OpenCode\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://opencode.ai/?_bhlid=d46c1608fdca5ca62e9ff7f2fb2eb9e438ad2bb8\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" and \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Letta\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.letta.com/?_bhlid=8de8b14b96b9011c6a397cd26c27d167aea9d94d\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". These tools are basically open source Claude Code and so far, I'm a huge fan. Super exciting to be able to switch models at will and feel like I have some semblance of control of my AI overlords.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Purple Leash Project\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.purina.com/purple-leash-project?_bhlid=6009e354f1fbafb7ab788a14d0068881e08b9c89\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - The quote below says it all. Please consider making a donation!\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Purina and the Purple Leash Project are helping create more pet-friendly domestic violence shelters so survivors and their pets can stay together and heal together.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Notes on Saudi Arabia - Matt Lakeman's most recent piece Notes on Afghanistan made the rounds on every link newsletter last week. I hesitate to recommend something that:
So instead I'm recommending Notes on Saudi Arabia as an hour and a half appetizer of sorts. I'm not sure what it is about Matt's writing, but I feel like I'm finally starting to understand the complicated region that is the Middle East through it. He weaves personal context in with history in such a way that it sticks in my pea brain. I can't wait to read his thoughts on the Balkans and the Hundred Years War next.
Provider Agnostic Agentic Coding with OpenCode and Letta - Cheated a little bit this week and did a double dip with OpenCode and Letta. These tools are basically open source Claude Code and so far, I'm a huge fan. Super exciting to be able to switch models at will and feel like I have some semblance of control of my AI overlords.
Purple Leash Project - The quote below says it all. Please consider making a donation!
Purina and the Purple Leash Project are helping create more pet-friendly domestic violence shelters so survivors and their pets can stay together and heal together.","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542ab9","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\n\nLink of the Week\n\nNotes on Saudi Arabia - Matt Lakeman's most recent piece Notes on Afghanistan made the rounds on every link newsletter last week. I hesitate to recommend something that:\n\n 1. Has already been recommended by everyone else\n 2. Takes 2.5 hours (~5 days for me) to read\n\nSo instead I'm recommending Notes on Saudi Arabia as an hour and a half appetizer of sorts. I'm not sure what it is about Matt's writing, but I feel like I'm finally starting to understand the complicated region that is the Middle East through it. He weaves personal context in with history in such a way that it sticks in my pea brain. I can't wait to read his thoughts on the Balkans and the Hundred Years War next.\n\n\nProduct of the Week\n\nProvider Agnostic Agentic Coding with OpenCode and Letta - Cheated a little bit this week and did a double dip with OpenCode and Letta. These tools are basically open source Claude Code and so far, I'm a huge fan. Super exciting to be able to switch models at will and feel like I have some semblance of control of my AI overlords.\n\n\nCause of the Week\n\nPurple Leash Project - The quote below says it all. Please consider making a donation!\n\nPurina and the Purple Leash Project are helping create more pet-friendly domestic violence shelters so survivors and their pets can stay together and heal together.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1542401886-65d6c61db217?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fGRlc2VydHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3Nzk1Njk1MTR8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2026-01-22T02:08:21.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:52:07.000Z","published_at":"2026-01-22T02:08:21.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b506","uuid":"ee190ff0-da54-43d0-bb4b-6a8fc9b03803","title":"Making Tech History As It Happens | Week 2 of January 2026","slug":"making-tech-history-as-it-happens-week-2-of-january-2026","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Link of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"NodeJS\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB8KwiiUGy0&_bhlid=42ebaed7ce18235adb36531714cc6470fd36eef9\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" and \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Vite\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmWQqAKLgT4&_bhlid=d21fef49497a87122241805f9256e597f6a83a4d\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" Documentaries from CultRepo\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Tech moves so fast it is hard to capture the history behind it. For so much of my career, technical projects were faceless monoliths devoid of meaning. I've been binging these Honeypot documentaries because they add flesh and bones to the history of tech. There's an anchoring that happens when you know where a technology comes from that makes it easier to understand. In a world where AI is moving faster than ever, we need more of these. Hats off CultRepo team.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Graphite\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://graphite.com/?_bhlid=fd14cf34171ad2d7420752174fe8987289994620\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Recently acquired by Cursor, today we talk a look at Graphite. What started as a wrapper for the GitHub CLI to enable \\\"\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"stacked PRs\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://graphite.com/blog/stacked-prs?_bhlid=fce77fd642aa33992742c1a5936d4a881e61f1ee\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"\\\" could become the way we interact with AI agents. Ever been intimidated by the wall of text Claude Code generates in a one shot? Stacked PRs with Graphite just might be the answer. I made a little \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"YouTube video\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://youtu.be/PSeDPbfVE3s?si=pFpivw1UrcAJj1II&_bhlid=584fa5eaf72fd050e410484901172c3b04a3f75e\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" showing how it works!\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Defy Ventures\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.defyventures.org/?_bhlid=e7be9ea35c0bc7292b44c3b945ff681e5d89f25f\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - There isn't much that is more American than starting your own business. I love Defy Ventures because it equips folks impacted by the criminal justice system with the tools to create prosperity for themselves and their community. Please join me in supporting this organization, which gives so many a second chance.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
The NodeJS and Vite Documentaries from CultRepo - Tech moves so fast it is hard to capture the history behind it. For so much of my career, technical projects were faceless monoliths devoid of meaning. I've been binging these Honeypot documentaries because they add flesh and bones to the history of tech. There's an anchoring that happens when you know where a technology comes from that makes it easier to understand. In a world where AI is moving faster than ever, we need more of these. Hats off CultRepo team.
Graphite - Recently acquired by Cursor, today we talk a look at Graphite. What started as a wrapper for the GitHub CLI to enable \"stacked PRs\" could become the way we interact with AI agents. Ever been intimidated by the wall of text Claude Code generates in a one shot? Stacked PRs with Graphite just might be the answer. I made a little YouTube video showing how it works!
Defy Ventures - There isn't much that is more American than starting your own business. I love Defy Ventures because it equips folks impacted by the criminal justice system with the tools to create prosperity for themselves and their community. Please join me in supporting this organization, which gives so many a second chance.
","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542abc","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\n\nLink of the Week\n\nThe NodeJS and Vite Documentaries from CultRepo - Tech moves so fast it is hard to capture the history behind it. For so much of my career, technical projects were faceless monoliths devoid of meaning. I've been binging these Honeypot documentaries because they add flesh and bones to the history of tech. There's an anchoring that happens when you know where a technology comes from that makes it easier to understand. In a world where AI is moving faster than ever, we need more of these. Hats off CultRepo team.\n\n\nProduct of the Week\n\nGraphite - Recently acquired by Cursor, today we talk a look at Graphite. What started as a wrapper for the GitHub CLI to enable \"stacked PRs\" could become the way we interact with AI agents. Ever been intimidated by the wall of text Claude Code generates in a one shot? Stacked PRs with Graphite just might be the answer. I made a little YouTube video showing how it works!\n\n\nCause of the Week\n\nDefy Ventures - There isn't much that is more American than starting your own business. I love Defy Ventures because it equips folks impacted by the criminal justice system with the tools to create prosperity for themselves and their community. Please join me in supporting this organization, which gives so many a second chance.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1473163928189-364b2c4e1135?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fGhpc3Rvcnl8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc5NTY5NDg3fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2026-01-13T01:50:42.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:51:34.000Z","published_at":"2026-01-13T01:50:42.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":"A shoutout to CultRepo, documenting history as it happens","codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b507","uuid":"76ab1600-4834-4856-88a8-8efb60816b93","title":"My Favorite 2025 Review | Week 1 of January 2026","slug":"my-favorite-2025-review-week-1-of-january-2026","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Happy New Year and welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Link of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"2025 Letter\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://danwang.co/2025-letter/?_bhlid=fd1bd99947bb9e7e3c69905f337472968685a6a2\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - If you are like me, you are probably seeing this referenced everywhere. I've yet to fully finish this 45 minute marathon, nor have I finished what I've heard is an excellent book in \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Breakneck\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://danwang.co/breakneck/?_bhlid=4c148934b4bb3ab4cc55974f936e7d236325c131\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". But. But. Man oh man is this so good. I was trying to explain why I love these yearly letters so much to a friend. It's hard to put a finger on it. Wang is an incredible memoirist and yet still sees huge trends clearly. Reading Wang feels like knowing a secret about how the world works. Every yearly letter feels like catching up with a mix of your smartest and most entertaining friend. It's long, but boy is it worth it.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"One way that Silicon Valley and the Communist Party resemble each other is that both are serious, self-serious, and indeed, completely humorless.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Dan Wang\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Yoga Body\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.yogabody.com/?_bhlid=83d837608c26ae2094890ae1d4686baaa30893d2\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - My good friend Joey Dawson showed me this course and I'm spellbound. I was an avid yogi when I lived in Los Angeles and I credit it for helping me find my body and mind again after a hard breakup. Yet I always struggled to connect my analytical mind with my yogi mind. Yoga Body is like watching an explainer video while doing Yoga. I finally know exactly why I'm doing every movement.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"United We Dream\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://unitedwedream.org/?_bhlid=bdd9d92749e0fab3a911118587deef5fb779170d\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - There's many reasons I love this organization, but the first reason hits close to home. My grandparents found the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. so motivating, so inspiring, that they traveled from their home in Chicago to march on Washington. I love this organization for fighting for the dream, for keeping the faith even when times are hard. I am here thanks to the American dream of my Italian ancestors and I would love if you joined me in supporting this organization, which makes it possible for more families like mine to find their place here.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Hello folks,
Happy New Year and welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
2025 Letter - If you are like me, you are probably seeing this referenced everywhere. I've yet to fully finish this 45 minute marathon, nor have I finished what I've heard is an excellent book in Breakneck. But. But. Man oh man is this so good. I was trying to explain why I love these yearly letters so much to a friend. It's hard to put a finger on it. Wang is an incredible memoirist and yet still sees huge trends clearly. Reading Wang feels like knowing a secret about how the world works. Every yearly letter feels like catching up with a mix of your smartest and most entertaining friend. It's long, but boy is it worth it.
One way that Silicon Valley and the Communist Party resemble each other is that both are serious, self-serious, and indeed, completely humorless.
Dan Wang
Yoga Body - My good friend Joey Dawson showed me this course and I'm spellbound. I was an avid yogi when I lived in Los Angeles and I credit it for helping me find my body and mind again after a hard breakup. Yet I always struggled to connect my analytical mind with my yogi mind. Yoga Body is like watching an explainer video while doing Yoga. I finally know exactly why I'm doing every movement.
United We Dream - There's many reasons I love this organization, but the first reason hits close to home. My grandparents found the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. so motivating, so inspiring, that they traveled from their home in Chicago to march on Washington. I love this organization for fighting for the dream, for keeping the faith even when times are hard. I am here thanks to the American dream of my Italian ancestors and I would love if you joined me in supporting this organization, which makes it possible for more families like mine to find their place here.
","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542abd","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nHappy New Year and welcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\n\nLink of the Week\n\n2025 Letter - If you are like me, you are probably seeing this referenced everywhere. I've yet to fully finish this 45 minute marathon, nor have I finished what I've heard is an excellent book in Breakneck. But. But. Man oh man is this so good. I was trying to explain why I love these yearly letters so much to a friend. It's hard to put a finger on it. Wang is an incredible memoirist and yet still sees huge trends clearly. Reading Wang feels like knowing a secret about how the world works. Every yearly letter feels like catching up with a mix of your smartest and most entertaining friend. It's long, but boy is it worth it.\n\nOne way that Silicon Valley and the Communist Party resemble each other is that both are serious, self-serious, and indeed, completely humorless.\n\nDan Wang\n\n\nProduct of the Week\n\nYoga Body - My good friend Joey Dawson showed me this course and I'm spellbound. I was an avid yogi when I lived in Los Angeles and I credit it for helping me find my body and mind again after a hard breakup. Yet I always struggled to connect my analytical mind with my yogi mind. Yoga Body is like watching an explainer video while doing Yoga. I finally know exactly why I'm doing every movement.\n\n\nCause of the Week\n\nUnited We Dream - There's many reasons I love this organization, but the first reason hits close to home. My grandparents found the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. so motivating, so inspiring, that they traveled from their home in Chicago to march on Washington. I love this organization for fighting for the dream, for keeping the faith even when times are hard. I am here thanks to the American dream of my Italian ancestors and I would love if you joined me in supporting this organization, which makes it possible for more families like mine to find their place here.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1585909695284-32d2985ac9c0?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fHJldmlld3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3Nzk1Njk0NzF8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2026-01-04T01:48:59.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:51:16.000Z","published_at":"2026-01-04T01:48:59.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b508","uuid":"7adbae56-ca82-425d-a273-bd79f4dc1fe3","title":"Skating to the Puck | Week 4 of December 2025","slug":"skating-to-the-puck-week-4-of-december-2025","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Link of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Came for the AI Tool, Waiting for the AI Network\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.digitalnative.tech/p/came-for-the-ai-tool-waiting-for?_bhlid=10bd27972fd7d85d57a2caa5dd45c0bd4f482efd\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - In many ways, the best way to deal with a new trend is to stay both in front of and behind it. I've gotten the most out of AI by avoiding the current hotness. Instead, I try the tool that was hot 6 months ago (it's now polished) and read about what \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":2,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"might\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" happen in the next year (rather than 2030 AGI predictions). Rex Woodbury offers an interesting look here at the direction AI is headed in the near future.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Most people won’t dedicate hours to painstakingly crafting fake music videos. My friend is special that way (in the best possible way). But most people \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":2,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"will\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" use AI tools to make stuff. And they can make that stuff more quickly, more cheaply, and of higher quality than in past technology eras. This is a long-standing thesis in Digital Native: the arc of technology bends toward more accessible tools and higher quality output. - Rex Woodbury\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Impulse\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.impulselabs.com/?_bhlid=d6f258ca518cb110eeed9a423646448a4aae0df0\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Ostensibly a stove top, Impulse is fascinating because it offers a vision of the \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":2,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"electrified\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" home. We are nearing a world where the grid is more flexible than ever, with energy stored up during peak renewable hours kept in reserve in your car and stove. Not only will we be more resilient to disasters, we may just crack the large scale energy problem in a decentralized way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"With 3 kWh of battery capacity, your products become part of the energy system, offering demand flexibility and resilience. Appliances powered by Impulse can choose when to charge, when to use stored energy, and when to intelligently support the electric grid. - Impulse\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.icirr.org/?_bhlid=2fddd62580e202b1a67f83d3ed44b396ccd2c223\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - More and more of my giving is focused on immigrants. I am here thanks to the brave choice of my great great grandparents to leave Southern Italy at the turn of the 20th century. It would be an honor if you'd join me in supporting the next generation of folks finding our shores.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) builds power with over 100 member and partner organizations representing diverse immigrant and refugee communities. Together the coalition works to win policies to ensure a more equitable society rooted in dignity and respect for all.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Came for the AI Tool, Waiting for the AI Network - In many ways, the best way to deal with a new trend is to stay both in front of and behind it. I've gotten the most out of AI by avoiding the current hotness. Instead, I try the tool that was hot 6 months ago (it's now polished) and read about what might happen in the next year (rather than 2030 AGI predictions). Rex Woodbury offers an interesting look here at the direction AI is headed in the near future.
Most people won’t dedicate hours to painstakingly crafting fake music videos. My friend is special that way (in the best possible way). But most people will use AI tools to make stuff. And they can make that stuff more quickly, more cheaply, and of higher quality than in past technology eras. This is a long-standing thesis in Digital Native: the arc of technology bends toward more accessible tools and higher quality output. - Rex Woodbury
Impulse - Ostensibly a stove top, Impulse is fascinating because it offers a vision of the electrified home. We are nearing a world where the grid is more flexible than ever, with energy stored up during peak renewable hours kept in reserve in your car and stove. Not only will we be more resilient to disasters, we may just crack the large scale energy problem in a decentralized way.
With 3 kWh of battery capacity, your products become part of the energy system, offering demand flexibility and resilience. Appliances powered by Impulse can choose when to charge, when to use stored energy, and when to intelligently support the electric grid. - Impulse
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights - More and more of my giving is focused on immigrants. I am here thanks to the brave choice of my great great grandparents to leave Southern Italy at the turn of the 20th century. It would be an honor if you'd join me in supporting the next generation of folks finding our shores.
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) builds power with over 100 member and partner organizations representing diverse immigrant and refugee communities. Together the coalition works to win policies to ensure a more equitable society rooted in dignity and respect for all.","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542abe","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\n\nLink of the Week\n\nCame for the AI Tool, Waiting for the AI Network - In many ways, the best way to deal with a new trend is to stay both in front of and behind it. I've gotten the most out of AI by avoiding the current hotness. Instead, I try the tool that was hot 6 months ago (it's now polished) and read about what might happen in the next year (rather than 2030 AGI predictions). Rex Woodbury offers an interesting look here at the direction AI is headed in the near future.\n\nMost people won’t dedicate hours to painstakingly crafting fake music videos. My friend is special that way (in the best possible way). But most people will use AI tools to make stuff. And they can make that stuff more quickly, more cheaply, and of higher quality than in past technology eras. This is a long-standing thesis in Digital Native: the arc of technology bends toward more accessible tools and higher quality output. - Rex Woodbury\n\n\nProduct of the Week\n\nImpulse - Ostensibly a stove top, Impulse is fascinating because it offers a vision of the electrified home. We are nearing a world where the grid is more flexible than ever, with energy stored up during peak renewable hours kept in reserve in your car and stove. Not only will we be more resilient to disasters, we may just crack the large scale energy problem in a decentralized way.\n\nWith 3 kWh of battery capacity, your products become part of the energy system, offering demand flexibility and resilience. Appliances powered by Impulse can choose when to charge, when to use stored energy, and when to intelligently support the electric grid. - Impulse\n\n\nCause of the Week\n\nIllinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights - More and more of my giving is focused on immigrants. I am here thanks to the brave choice of my great great grandparents to leave Southern Italy at the turn of the 20th century. It would be an honor if you'd join me in supporting the next generation of folks finding our shores.\n\nThe Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) builds power with over 100 member and partner organizations representing diverse immigrant and refugee communities. Together the coalition works to win policies to ensure a more equitable society rooted in dignity and respect for all.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1520045892732-304bc3ac5d8e?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHNrYXRpbmd8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc5NTY5MzEyfDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-12-30T21:30:01.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:49:50.000Z","published_at":"2025-12-30T21:30:01.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b509","uuid":"92757279-93f6-46d1-98f2-3beb61a0c66b","title":"Breaking Down China's Mega City Cluster | Newsletter #2","slug":"breaking-down-china-s-mega-city-cluster-newsletter-2","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Link of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"China’s Mega City Clusters: Jing-Jin-Ji, Yangzte River Delta, Pearl River Delta\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.china-briefing.com/news/chinas-mega-city-clusters-jing-jin-ji-yangzte-river-delta-pearl-river-delta/?_bhlid=9803a0a6debf091e45d6e74ba682f06c5e3f0239\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I am working to improve my knowledge of Chinese Geography and this article felt like a breakthrough for me. I've been searching for mental models that help simplify the vast geography of China and this article delivered. Why in Chinese geography important? As China grows as a technology hub, understanding where things happen gives critical context. In America, you can understand the qualities of a company depending on its geography. A startup from New York will look much different from one coming out of Silicon Valley. Knowing these geographic differences in China will give you a head start when it comes to understanding the AI tech coming out of China. I highly recommend perusing \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"China Briefing\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.china-briefing.com/?_bhlid=9064899efac6e3b2075ac7a19c1fc3f846846b9c\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" as a whole. The fact it's targeted at investors means there is less spin than in most Western media.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"In the PRD, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Shenzhen\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.dezshira.com/office/china/shenzhen.html?ENTRY=%252Fnews%252Fchinas-mega-city-clusters-jing-jin-ji-yangzte-river-delta-pearl-river-delta%252F&_bhlid=b2cdc0474a371088fb1cf7f97eb2e26be95819dc\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" has a \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"dynamic entrepreneurial and start-up environment\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.china-briefing.com/news/city-spotlight-innovation-in-shenzhen/?_bhlid=18123b82dcf4c09e3e1f36d8df089b3707e72c80\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". It has more patent applications than any other Chinese city and is home to innovative companies such as BYD, Tencent, and Huawei.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"In the YRD, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Shanghai\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.dezshira.com/office/china/shanghai.html?ENTRY=%252Fnews%252Fchinas-mega-city-clusters-jing-jin-ji-yangzte-river-delta-pearl-river-delta%252F&_bhlid=a8874be66c328a35d98e179402061a7e9bab9880\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" has a large international presence and is the regional headquarters for many multinationals; \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Suzhou\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.dezshira.com/office/china/suzhou.html?ENTRY=%252Fnews%252Fchinas-mega-city-clusters-jing-jin-ji-yangzte-river-delta-pearl-river-delta%252F&_bhlid=f636a537dfb5f7e840e626f4714b8e730e8878bc\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" is top a destination for technology manufacturing; Nanjing is an important scientific research education base; and \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hangzhou\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.dezshira.com/office/china/hangzhou.html?ENTRY=%252Fnews%252Fchinas-mega-city-clusters-jing-jin-ji-yangzte-river-delta-pearl-river-delta%252F&_bhlid=30589e3529d6414b2ca74afaecd1b1c65bff6162\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" is home to Chinese giants like Alibaba and Geely.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"In Jing-Jin-Ji, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Beijing\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.dezshira.com/office/china/beijing.html?ENTRY=%252Fnews%252Fchinas-mega-city-clusters-jing-jin-ji-yangzte-river-delta-pearl-river-delta%252F&_bhlid=944e63317896f597f524f9a0166db6ea6f924bcc\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" takes advantage of being the center of government, with the city being the strongest research base in China, and home to many of the country’s best universities. Beijing has more unicorns than any other Chinese city.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"My Tax Receipt\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://my-tax-reciept.vercel.app/?_bhlid=6bfae33e1864f2798a351432cbe4e30ca13f5191\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - Debates about tax code can feel far away. I love this tool for its simplicity and the way it brings tax policy to everyday life. Enter your zip code and you can see how much of your time last year to pay off the US debt (I clocked in at 44 hours...).\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Brighton Heights Free Fridge\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.brightonheights.org/news/free-food-for-all/?_bhlid=c78614704aa3e1dfc3a431ee74a2d2b2845789c0\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I love to see community organizations that serve their neighbors. Run by the Brighton Heights Citizen Brigade, the \\\"Freedge\\\" provides fresh foods to folks living on the North Side of Pittsburgh.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
China’s Mega City Clusters: Jing-Jin-Ji, Yangzte River Delta, Pearl River Delta - I am working to improve my knowledge of Chinese Geography and this article felt like a breakthrough for me. I've been searching for mental models that help simplify the vast geography of China and this article delivered. Why in Chinese geography important? As China grows as a technology hub, understanding where things happen gives critical context. In America, you can understand the qualities of a company depending on its geography. A startup from New York will look much different from one coming out of Silicon Valley. Knowing these geographic differences in China will give you a head start when it comes to understanding the AI tech coming out of China. I highly recommend perusing China Briefing as a whole. The fact it's targeted at investors means there is less spin than in most Western media.
In the PRD, Shenzhen has a dynamic entrepreneurial and start-up environment. It has more patent applications than any other Chinese city and is home to innovative companies such as BYD, Tencent, and Huawei.
In the YRD, Shanghai has a large international presence and is the regional headquarters for many multinationals; Suzhou is top a destination for technology manufacturing; Nanjing is an important scientific research education base; and Hangzhou is home to Chinese giants like Alibaba and Geely.
In Jing-Jin-Ji, Beijing takes advantage of being the center of government, with the city being the strongest research base in China, and home to many of the country’s best universities. Beijing has more unicorns than any other Chinese city.
My Tax Receipt - Debates about tax code can feel far away. I love this tool for its simplicity and the way it brings tax policy to everyday life. Enter your zip code and you can see how much of your time last year to pay off the US debt (I clocked in at 44 hours...).
Brighton Heights Free Fridge - I love to see community organizations that serve their neighbors. Run by the Brighton Heights Citizen Brigade, the \"Freedge\" provides fresh foods to folks living on the North Side of Pittsburgh.
","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542abf","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\n\nLink of the Week\n\nChina’s Mega City Clusters: Jing-Jin-Ji, Yangzte River Delta, Pearl River Delta - I am working to improve my knowledge of Chinese Geography and this article felt like a breakthrough for me. I've been searching for mental models that help simplify the vast geography of China and this article delivered. Why in Chinese geography important? As China grows as a technology hub, understanding where things happen gives critical context. In America, you can understand the qualities of a company depending on its geography. A startup from New York will look much different from one coming out of Silicon Valley. Knowing these geographic differences in China will give you a head start when it comes to understanding the AI tech coming out of China. I highly recommend perusing China Briefing as a whole. The fact it's targeted at investors means there is less spin than in most Western media.\n\nIn the PRD, Shenzhen has a dynamic entrepreneurial and start-up environment. It has more patent applications than any other Chinese city and is home to innovative companies such as BYD, Tencent, and Huawei.\n\nIn the YRD, Shanghai has a large international presence and is the regional headquarters for many multinationals; Suzhou is top a destination for technology manufacturing; Nanjing is an important scientific research education base; and Hangzhou is home to Chinese giants like Alibaba and Geely.\n\nIn Jing-Jin-Ji, Beijing takes advantage of being the center of government, with the city being the strongest research base in China, and home to many of the country’s best universities. Beijing has more unicorns than any other Chinese city.\n\n\nProduct of the Week\n\nMy Tax Receipt - Debates about tax code can feel far away. I love this tool for its simplicity and the way it brings tax policy to everyday life. Enter your zip code and you can see how much of your time last year to pay off the US debt (I clocked in at 44 hours...).\n\n\nCause of the Week\n\nBrighton Heights Free Fridge - I love to see community organizations that serve their neighbors. Run by the Brighton Heights Citizen Brigade, the \"Freedge\" provides fresh foods to folks living on the North Side of Pittsburgh.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1758967905380-f62a8c8fd373?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDR8fGNpdHl8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc5NTY5MjY4fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-12-14T19:22:20.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:48:13.000Z","published_at":"2025-12-14T19:22:20.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":"The next wave is happening in China. Understanding China unlocks the cutting edge.","codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b50a","uuid":"6f7ecacd-ce12-473c-9fc4-81254c24a65d","title":"User Experiences to Die For | Newsletter #1","slug":"user-experiences-to-die-for-newsletter-1","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stand out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Link of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Photograph your bookshelf\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://builtformars.com/ux-bites/photograph-your-bookshelf?bookmark=true&_bhlid=2e6baa412093d9298a871f609ad41de26d5e11a6\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - As AI slips more and more into our lives, quality user experiences are still hard to find. AI can help bring innovative UX designs to life faster, but this link is a reminder that all the AI in the world can’t replace a deep understanding of user needs.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Oboe\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://oboe.fyi/?_bhlid=e23448962db7a95d9a000ae37a2f9b91c3cb8595\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - I found this on the \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Random Show with Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tim-ferriss-show/id863897795?i=1000739572772&_bhlid=faebecea71d2409e1ad093f813193afa01cc789d\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". I'm excited to see how my own home grown \\\"build me a course\\\" tool compares. So far the variety of ways I can learn about \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"CloudFlare's infrastructure\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://oboe.fyi/courses/decoding-internet-infrastructure-with-cloudflares-essential-services-xmgh95wf?ref=catalog&_bhlid=7ba1451ba324f58ec76b26babcaa0cc44ff6c727\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\".\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Emergency Food Pantry\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://communityforge.app.neoncrm.com/campaigns/emergency-food-pantry?_bhlid=2bac839803130978214a0593335a663eb40ad2e2\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" - \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Community Forge\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.forge.community/?_bhlid=234c125e5df7561935664f22b73111363e32668c\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" is an incredible coalition of organizations running out of a stunning elementary school the nonprofit revitalized. In response to SNAP cuts and economic hardship, they're running an emergency food pantry. If you've already supported your local food pantry, please consider helping ours!\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stand out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Photograph your bookshelf - As AI slips more and more into our lives, quality user experiences are still hard to find. AI can help bring innovative UX designs to life faster, but this link is a reminder that all the AI in the world can’t replace a deep understanding of user needs.
Oboe - I found this on the Random Show with Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose. I'm excited to see how my own home grown \"build me a course\" tool compares. So far the variety of ways I can learn about CloudFlare's infrastructure.
Emergency Food Pantry - Community Forge is an incredible coalition of organizations running out of a stunning elementary school the nonprofit revitalized. In response to SNAP cuts and economic hardship, they're running an emergency food pantry. If you've already supported your local food pantry, please consider helping ours!
","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542ac0","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stand out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\n\nLink of the Week\n\nPhotograph your bookshelf - As AI slips more and more into our lives, quality user experiences are still hard to find. AI can help bring innovative UX designs to life faster, but this link is a reminder that all the AI in the world can’t replace a deep understanding of user needs.\n\n\nProduct of the Week\n\nOboe - I found this on the Random Show with Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose. I'm excited to see how my own home grown \"build me a course\" tool compares. So far the variety of ways I can learn about CloudFlare's infrastructure.\n\n\nCause of the Week\n\nEmergency Food Pantry - Community Forge is an incredible coalition of organizations running out of a stunning elementary school the nonprofit revitalized. In response to SNAP cuts and economic hardship, they're running an emergency food pantry. If you've already supported your local food pantry, please consider helping ours!","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1521587760476-6c12a4b040da?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGJvb2tzaGVsZnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3Nzk1NjkyMzV8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-12-08T02:40:14.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:47:19.000Z","published_at":"2025-12-08T02:40:14.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b511","uuid":"0438ccc8-86be-4132-814b-59e7d9e22877","title":"A Trip to China with a Detour to the World of Banking | Week 1 of May 2025","slug":"a-trip-to-china-with-a-detour-to-the-world-of-banking-week-1-of-may-2025-011eacb2725b21b1","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Links\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Obsessive problem solving followed by aimless wandering\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://world.hey.com/dhh/obsessive-problem-solving-followed-by-aimless-wandering-b8e94e0a\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I first wrote about \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Slack\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://thezvi.wordpress.com/2017/09/30/slack/?__readwiseLocation=\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" in my \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"December newsletter\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-slack-tech-meets-healthcare-boring-news-jimmy-cerone-psmjc/?trackingId=3JuxvwanRVKf%2BcarZ3op9g%3D%3D\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"and here is the concept back again. I rarely allow myself Slack, time to think and reflect. Last week I had a bit of unexpected Slack and ended up building a fun tool with Slack and LM Studio. It may be counterintuitive, but I’m starting to try to schedule Slack into my life so I’m not letting it slip by me. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"That to me is the best argument for making sure my plate isn’t full of half-eaten commitments. That my calendar isn’t clogged with an endless ream of recurring meetings. Such that my mind remains an open, blank slate when one of those obsessive opportunities flutter by.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"A Little Detour into the Banking World\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h4\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Banking and in particular credit markets impact us more than you can imagine. Ever since reading the trio of \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"the Big Short\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.netflix.com/title/80075560\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", the \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Man Who Solved the Market\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Solved-Market-Revolution/dp/0241309727#:~:text=Jim%20Simons%20is%20the%20greatest,strategies%20are%20shrouded%20in%20mystery.\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", and \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Black Swan\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness-Fragility/dp/081297381X\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". Since then, I’ve used podcasts like \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Prof G Markets\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prof-g-markets/id1744631325\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" and newsletters like \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Money Stuff \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://mattlevine.co/work\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"to keep up with the markets. Here I take on two hidden parts of the market that end up being instructive about the functioning of the market as a whole. These are not easy reads and I’m not able to grasp all of their points, but they are worth struggling through. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Money Stuff: Crypto Might Get Some Banks\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://readwise.io/reader/shared/01jscqr13zfmb53p6jk22nf5eq\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – It was only in reading this article, and this quote in particular, that helped me understand what banks are actually for. US banks weren’t always this way (see the next article). My family lost their life savings in 1933 and it is a testament to the wisdom of the US government that FDIC insured accounts were created afterwards. The banking and regulatory environment of the US are underrated boons for economic growth. See the article I \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"referenced in January\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reboot-2025-limits-ai-making-spices-simple-jimmy-cerone-0dj3c/?trackingId=3snH2sSMQIaAGTVl%2FGnKbg%3D%3D\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" for more about how the \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"US regulatory environment compares to Tunisia\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.realisticoptimist.io/an-untold-story-of-the-tunisian-startup/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"If you tell people “put your money in the bank, where you can get it out anytime, guaranteed by the government,” (1) they will do it and (2) the bank can use the money to make risky loans to entrepreneurs and young home-buyers. If you tell people “put your money in a fund to make risky loans to entrepreneurs and young home-buyers,” they might just not do it; credit and the economy would contract.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":10,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Who Is BaaS For?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://fintechtakes.com/articles/2024-04-03/who-is-baas-for/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – Banking innovation underlies almost all other innovation. At its core, business is the act of moving money around, whether it is for objects or services. If you cannot move money safely, cheaply, and reliably, commerce grinds to a halt. I loved this article for its thoughtful policy recommendations and deep background. I came away from this one feeling like I could write an article to my representative about banking policy. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"There is a strong case to be made that given the critical role that entrepreneurs and small businesses play in our economy and the vast geography of our nation, the U.S. benefits more from having a large number of small and midsized banks, rather than a market structure with just a handful of very large banks, like in Europe and China. There are a couple of problems with this. First, in the absence of hard-and-fast rules preventing bank consolidation (which has been the case in the U.S. since the Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994), banks have every incentive to get as big as possible.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"A Trip to China\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h4\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"One of life’s greatest mistakes is to underestimate and misunderstand others. The greatest among us are incredible at seeing people, places, and things as they really are. The legendary Warren Buffet did this with companies and enjoyed an illustrious career and fabulous wealth. In these turbulent times, it is easy to misunderstand and underestimate China. I share this deep dive on China from first hand sources to help demystify the day to day experience of China. My goal is to more clearly elucidate the strengths and weaknesses of this undeniably important country, outside of all the partisan rhetoric. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"ChinAI #309: Leaving Tech Giants to Teach at Junior Colleges\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-309-leaving-tech-giants-to?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2660&post_id=161766564&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3myxec&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I find it interesting to compare the flight to safety in China with a similar flight to safety we are \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"seeing here in the creator economy\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://digiday.com/marketing/why-some-creators-are-returning-to-traditional-jobs-and-side-hustles-as-brand-deals-slow/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". In particular, I find the shift to alternative education systems fascinating. All over the world, we are seeing humans squeezed for more and more productive time. How do different countries handle the pressure? How will each country react to the rise of AI? We have much to learn from others in uncertain times. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Why has teaching at junior colleges become a safe harbor for those feeling from jobs at big tech companies?Stability and winter/summer breaks = safe shores. In fact, celebrity teacher/influencer Zhang Xuefeng has long recommended this track, which is seen as more relaxed than primary/secondary school teachers with heavy teaching workloads or university professors who must publish or perish.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"#441: China Core Sample, 2025\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.jackcheng.com/sunday/441-china-core-sample-2025/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – In reading about China, I’m often inspired by their infrastructure. It’s part of why I loved the \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"bipartisan Infrastructure Act\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/big-deal-third-anniversary-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-signing-biden-harris\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". I am jealous of the big projects China still takes on today, especially with so many of America’s project fading fast into the rearview. I am hopeful that in America we can stop fighting long enough to start building again. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Ending droughts in the Southwest\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://asteriskmag.com/issues/06/its-2024-and-drought-is-optional\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" would be a great place to start.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"If this is the future, then it’s a deeply complicated – and in ways frightening – version of the future, where things are cheap, plentiful, delivered fast, yet intensely monitored and tracked. Then again, the question of how much China is ahead or behind is a clumsy question. The subway system there, for instance, has long surpassed the public transit here in the States in nearly every factor: design, cleanliness, timeliness, and reach; my parents moved to their current apartment knowing there’d be a new Metro line completed within two years, and now it’s been completed.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"[OOO] Starbucks’ contender Mixue’s Zhengzhou store & founder home city trip 1/2\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.chineseconsumers.news/p/starbucks-contender-mixue-zhengzhou?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=620446&post_id=157485716&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3myxec&triedRedirect=true\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – The “fast food” of a nation is so descriptive. I was surprised and mystified by the A&W’s dotting the eastern Canadian cities. I love finding odd similarities among places that are superficially different. In this article, I saw the frugality of my Midwestern home town in a completely unrecognizable form. The rise of Mixue is a mix of logistics brilliance and cultural shift that is a revealing look at modern day China. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I believe it has a lot to do with its base Henan. While the province doesn’t enjoy the best reputation in China (there had been reported discriminations against workers), there seems to be a formula for success there: low labor cost + low raw materials cost + low logistics cost. All in all, it’s cost-effective to the core, meeting the expectation of today’s consumers. Henan is known as one of China’s most populous provinces (with 98 million people in 2022, ranking after Guangdong and Shandong). This plays a role in major public events, such as the recent mass cycling phenomenon from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng that reported to have 100,000 people on one night. Foxconn set up factories there in 2010 over alternatives like Hebei, Shanxi, and Sichuan, was due to the availability of human resources, according to a China Daily tech columnist.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Why Loewe, Arc’teryx, and Miu Miu nailed 2025’s Chinese New Year spirit | Following the Yuan\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.chineseconsumers.news/p/loewe-arcteryx-miu-miu-2025-cny?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=620446&post_id=155334288&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3myxec&triedRedirect=true\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – Cross cultural interactions are another informative way to peek into another country. I love this article for its concrete examples of American brands attempting to interact with Chinese consumers in alternately successful and cheesy ways. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Not to mention, snake isn’t a culturally significant zodiac sign in China to begin with — especially comparing to dragon last year, which even drove a baby boom amid a population decline — it is also a tough subject to be creative with. There aren’t an abundance of auspicious, non-villain IPs to choose from. Snake doesn’t carry positive connotations in China either, many of us grew up with the cautionary tale of the farmer and the snake.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Prediction of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Will the first publicly purchasable humanoid robot have built in object interaction restrictions?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://manifold.markets/NivlacM/will-the-first-publicly-purchasable\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I starting thinking about this prediction when seeing the viral video of a \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"robot going berserk making the rounds\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ8ehsA4nS0\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" on the web. There’s a lot of questions here and I wonder if we aren’t giving too much focus to “software AI.” Starting to think about what robots should not be able to do is a scary but important place to go as \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"LLMs start to bleed into the physical world\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://venturebeat.com/ai/how-llms-are-ushering-in-a-new-era-of-robotics/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". It’s one thing if an AI produce bad text, it’s another if it takes bad physical actions. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Unitree H1\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.unitree.com/h1\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – On theme for this week’s prediction and articles, this is the top robot company in China. For more about the founder of Unitree, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"check out this deep dive\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1KO06jaebE\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". What I find interesting about the race for robots is, who is going to own the operating system? Will there be a Microsoft in this space? Or will it develop differently? We are already seeing this happen with Waymo licesning their self driving technology to other companies, as \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Mark Mahaney pointed out on the Prof G Markets show last week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prof-g-markets/id1744631325?i=1000705667438\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Working Families\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://workingfamilies.org/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – When I talk to family and friends from all sides of the political spectrum, we keep coming back to the question, “Is this the best we can do?” More and more I’m looking for builders who say, “We can do better.” The bar is sometimes low, but we must start somewhere. Please consider supporting this organization which is offering an alternative to the divisions fracturing us here in the US. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"State by state and community by community, WFP is building a political home for all of us who see bigotry, bailouts, and business as usual in our political system and ask, “Is that the best we can do?”\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
That to me is the best argument for making sure my plate isn’t full of half-eaten commitments. That my calendar isn’t clogged with an endless ream of recurring meetings. Such that my mind remains an open, blank slate when one of those obsessive opportunities flutter by.
Banking and in particular credit markets impact us more than you can imagine. Ever since reading the trio of the Big Short, the Man Who Solved the Market, and Black Swan. Since then, I’ve used podcasts like Prof G Markets and newsletters like Money Stuff to keep up with the markets. Here I take on two hidden parts of the market that end up being instructive about the functioning of the market as a whole. These are not easy reads and I’m not able to grasp all of their points, but they are worth struggling through.
If you tell people “put your money in the bank, where you can get it out anytime, guaranteed by the government,” (1) they will do it and (2) the bank can use the money to make risky loans to entrepreneurs and young home-buyers. If you tell people “put your money in a fund to make risky loans to entrepreneurs and young home-buyers,” they might just not do it; credit and the economy would contract.
There is a strong case to be made that given the critical role that entrepreneurs and small businesses play in our economy and the vast geography of our nation, the U.S. benefits more from having a large number of small and midsized banks, rather than a market structure with just a handful of very large banks, like in Europe and China. There are a couple of problems with this. First, in the absence of hard-and-fast rules preventing bank consolidation (which has been the case in the U.S. since the Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994), banks have every incentive to get as big as possible.
One of life’s greatest mistakes is to underestimate and misunderstand others. The greatest among us are incredible at seeing people, places, and things as they really are. The legendary Warren Buffet did this with companies and enjoyed an illustrious career and fabulous wealth. In these turbulent times, it is easy to misunderstand and underestimate China. I share this deep dive on China from first hand sources to help demystify the day to day experience of China. My goal is to more clearly elucidate the strengths and weaknesses of this undeniably important country, outside of all the partisan rhetoric.
Why has teaching at junior colleges become a safe harbor for those feeling from jobs at big tech companies?Stability and winter/summer breaks = safe shores. In fact, celebrity teacher/influencer Zhang Xuefeng has long recommended this track, which is seen as more relaxed than primary/secondary school teachers with heavy teaching workloads or university professors who must publish or perish.
If this is the future, then it’s a deeply complicated – and in ways frightening – version of the future, where things are cheap, plentiful, delivered fast, yet intensely monitored and tracked. Then again, the question of how much China is ahead or behind is a clumsy question. The subway system there, for instance, has long surpassed the public transit here in the States in nearly every factor: design, cleanliness, timeliness, and reach; my parents moved to their current apartment knowing there’d be a new Metro line completed within two years, and now it’s been completed.
I believe it has a lot to do with its base Henan. While the province doesn’t enjoy the best reputation in China (there had been reported discriminations against workers), there seems to be a formula for success there: low labor cost + low raw materials cost + low logistics cost. All in all, it’s cost-effective to the core, meeting the expectation of today’s consumers. Henan is known as one of China’s most populous provinces (with 98 million people in 2022, ranking after Guangdong and Shandong). This plays a role in major public events, such as the recent mass cycling phenomenon from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng that reported to have 100,000 people on one night. Foxconn set up factories there in 2010 over alternatives like Hebei, Shanxi, and Sichuan, was due to the availability of human resources, according to a China Daily tech columnist.
Not to mention, snake isn’t a culturally significant zodiac sign in China to begin with — especially comparing to dragon last year, which even drove a baby boom amid a population decline — it is also a tough subject to be creative with. There aren’t an abundance of auspicious, non-villain IPs to choose from. Snake doesn’t carry positive connotations in China either, many of us grew up with the cautionary tale of the farmer and the snake.
State by state and community by community, WFP is building a political home for all of us who see bigotry, bailouts, and business as usual in our political system and ask, “Is that the best we can do?”","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542ac7","plaintext":"Hello folks,\n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned.\n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\n\n\nLinks\n\n * Obsessive problem solving followed by aimless wandering – I first wrote about Slack in my December newsletterand here is the concept back again. I rarely allow myself Slack, time to think and reflect. Last week I had a bit of unexpected Slack and ended up building a fun tool with Slack and LM Studio. It may be counterintuitive, but I’m starting to try to schedule Slack into my life so I’m not letting it slip by me. \n\nThat to me is the best argument for making sure my plate isn’t full of half-eaten commitments. That my calendar isn’t clogged with an endless ream of recurring meetings. Such that my mind remains an open, blank slate when one of those obsessive opportunities flutter by.\n\nA Little Detour into the Banking World\n\nBanking and in particular credit markets impact us more than you can imagine. Ever since reading the trio of the Big Short, the Man Who Solved the Market, and Black Swan. Since then, I’ve used podcasts like Prof G Markets and newsletters like Money Stuff to keep up with the markets. Here I take on two hidden parts of the market that end up being instructive about the functioning of the market as a whole. These are not easy reads and I’m not able to grasp all of their points, but they are worth struggling through. \n\n * Money Stuff: Crypto Might Get Some Banks – It was only in reading this article, and this quote in particular, that helped me understand what banks are actually for. US banks weren’t always this way (see the next article). My family lost their life savings in 1933 and it is a testament to the wisdom of the US government that FDIC insured accounts were created afterwards. The banking and regulatory environment of the US are underrated boons for economic growth. See the article I referenced in January for more about how the US regulatory environment compares to Tunisia. \n\nIf you tell people “put your money in the bank, where you can get it out anytime, guaranteed by the government,” (1) they will do it and (2) the bank can use the money to make risky loans to entrepreneurs and young home-buyers. If you tell people “put your money in a fund to make risky loans to entrepreneurs and young home-buyers,” they might just not do it; credit and the economy would contract.\n\n * Who Is BaaS For? – Banking innovation underlies almost all other innovation. At its core, business is the act of moving money around, whether it is for objects or services. If you cannot move money safely, cheaply, and reliably, commerce grinds to a halt. I loved this article for its thoughtful policy recommendations and deep background. I came away from this one feeling like I could write an article to my representative about banking policy. \n\nThere is a strong case to be made that given the critical role that entrepreneurs and small businesses play in our economy and the vast geography of our nation, the U.S. benefits more from having a large number of small and midsized banks, rather than a market structure with just a handful of very large banks, like in Europe and China. There are a couple of problems with this. First, in the absence of hard-and-fast rules preventing bank consolidation (which has been the case in the U.S. since the Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994), banks have every incentive to get as big as possible.\n\nA Trip to China\n\nOne of life’s greatest mistakes is to underestimate and misunderstand others. The greatest among us are incredible at seeing people, places, and things as they really are. The legendary Warren Buffet did this with companies and enjoyed an illustrious career and fabulous wealth. In these turbulent times, it is easy to misunderstand and underestimate China. I share this deep dive on China from first hand sources to help demystify the day to day experience of China. My goal is to more clearly elucidate the strengths and weaknesses of this undeniably important country, outside of all the partisan rhetoric. \n\n * ChinAI #309: Leaving Tech Giants to Teach at Junior Colleges – I find it interesting to compare the flight to safety in China with a similar flight to safety we are seeing here in the creator economy. In particular, I find the shift to alternative education systems fascinating. All over the world, we are seeing humans squeezed for more and more productive time. How do different countries handle the pressure? How will each country react to the rise of AI? We have much to learn from others in uncertain times. \n\nWhy has teaching at junior colleges become a safe harbor for those feeling from jobs at big tech companies?Stability and winter/summer breaks = safe shores. In fact, celebrity teacher/influencer Zhang Xuefeng has long recommended this track, which is seen as more relaxed than primary/secondary school teachers with heavy teaching workloads or university professors who must publish or perish.\n\n * #441: China Core Sample, 2025 – In reading about China, I’m often inspired by their infrastructure. It’s part of why I loved the bipartisan Infrastructure Act. I am jealous of the big projects China still takes on today, especially with so many of America’s project fading fast into the rearview. I am hopeful that in America we can stop fighting long enough to start building again. Ending droughts in the Southwest would be a great place to start.\n\nIf this is the future, then it’s a deeply complicated – and in ways frightening – version of the future, where things are cheap, plentiful, delivered fast, yet intensely monitored and tracked. Then again, the question of how much China is ahead or behind is a clumsy question. The subway system there, for instance, has long surpassed the public transit here in the States in nearly every factor: design, cleanliness, timeliness, and reach; my parents moved to their current apartment knowing there’d be a new Metro line completed within two years, and now it’s been completed.\n\n * [OOO] Starbucks’ contender Mixue’s Zhengzhou store & founder home city trip 1/2 – The “fast food” of a nation is so descriptive. I was surprised and mystified by the A&W’s dotting the eastern Canadian cities. I love finding odd similarities among places that are superficially different. In this article, I saw the frugality of my Midwestern home town in a completely unrecognizable form. The rise of Mixue is a mix of logistics brilliance and cultural shift that is a revealing look at modern day China. \n\nI believe it has a lot to do with its base Henan. While the province doesn’t enjoy the best reputation in China (there had been reported discriminations against workers), there seems to be a formula for success there: low labor cost + low raw materials cost + low logistics cost. All in all, it’s cost-effective to the core, meeting the expectation of today’s consumers. Henan is known as one of China’s most populous provinces (with 98 million people in 2022, ranking after Guangdong and Shandong). This plays a role in major public events, such as the recent mass cycling phenomenon from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng that reported to have 100,000 people on one night. Foxconn set up factories there in 2010 over alternatives like Hebei, Shanxi, and Sichuan, was due to the availability of human resources, according to a China Daily tech columnist.\n\n * Why Loewe, Arc’teryx, and Miu Miu nailed 2025’s Chinese New Year spirit | Following the Yuan – Cross cultural interactions are another informative way to peek into another country. I love this article for its concrete examples of American brands attempting to interact with Chinese consumers in alternately successful and cheesy ways. \n\nNot to mention, snake isn’t a culturally significant zodiac sign in China to begin with — especially comparing to dragon last year, which even drove a baby boom amid a population decline — it is also a tough subject to be creative with. There aren’t an abundance of auspicious, non-villain IPs to choose from. Snake doesn’t carry positive connotations in China either, many of us grew up with the cautionary tale of the farmer and the snake.\n\n\nPrediction of the Week\n\n * Will the first publicly purchasable humanoid robot have built in object interaction restrictions? – I starting thinking about this prediction when seeing the viral video of a robot going berserk making the rounds on the web. There’s a lot of questions here and I wonder if we aren’t giving too much focus to “software AI.” Starting to think about what robots should not be able to do is a scary but important place to go as LLMs start to bleed into the physical world. It’s one thing if an AI produce bad text, it’s another if it takes bad physical actions. \n\n\nProduct of the Week\n\n * Unitree H1 – On theme for this week’s prediction and articles, this is the top robot company in China. For more about the founder of Unitree, check out this deep dive. What I find interesting about the race for robots is, who is going to own the operating system? Will there be a Microsoft in this space? Or will it develop differently? We are already seeing this happen with Waymo licesning their self driving technology to other companies, as Mark Mahaney pointed out on the Prof G Markets show last week. \n\n\nCause of the Week\n\n * Working Families – When I talk to family and friends from all sides of the political spectrum, we keep coming back to the question, “Is this the best we can do?” More and more I’m looking for builders who say, “We can do better.” The bar is sometimes low, but we must start somewhere. Please consider supporting this organization which is offering an alternative to the divisions fracturing us here in the US. \n\nState by state and community by community, WFP is building a political home for all of us who see bigotry, bailouts, and business as usual in our political system and ask, “Is that the best we can do?”","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1607863680198-23d4b2565df0?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDZ8fGJhbmtpbmd8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc5NTY4NzcwfDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-05-06T02:19:07.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T20:39:38.000Z","published_at":"2025-05-06T02:19:07.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b512","uuid":"3cdcb8e5-610b-4a80-a83e-f48736cb2d6d","title":"Some Humble Leaders and a Beehiiv | Week 4 of April 2025","slug":"some-humble-leaders-and-a-beehiiv-week-4-of-april-2025-85f083cf9619793f","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks,\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":1,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Newsletter:\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"https://lastweekilearned.com/2025/04/27/some-humble-leaders-and-a-beehiiv-week-4-of-april-2025/\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\",\"target\":\"_blank\",\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://lastweekilearned.com/2025/04/27/some-humble-leaders-and-a-beehiiv-week-4-of-april-2025/?_bhlid=32abd1eaeea4f5a914ba22eeac9d3c9f0136e04a\"},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"If you want to share this newsletter, just reply with your friend’s email and I’ll add them to the list. If you want to unsubscribe, just reply and I’ll remove your email from the list. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Thank you for your time, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Jimmy\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Newsletter: https://lastweekilearned.com/2025/04/27/some-humble-leaders-and-a-beehiiv-week-4-of-april-2025/
If you want to share this newsletter, just reply with your friend’s email and I’ll add them to the list. If you want to unsubscribe, just reply and I’ll remove your email from the list.
Thank you for your time,
Jimmy
I am late in getting the newsletter out this week. I am mostly fine with this? I’m trying to be laser focused on a thing at a time (and failing). But last week’s focus was social life and it went well. So here I am, late but with a full social battery. Thanks for your patience folks.
Today we take a trip to the cutting edge of tech. What is happening there? In these articles I try to give us a peek behind the curtain at a few important developments happening in the world of tech.
Stop AI coding sessions when you feel overwhelmed by what’s going on. Either revise your prompt and start a new session, or fall back to manual implementation – “artisanal coding”, as my colleague Steve Upton calls it.
For Big Tech, doing crimes in an obvious way is a power move, a credible, costly signal. If there were a Meta alternative that didn’t do genocide, or an honest alternative to Google search advertising, then advertising decision-makers would have switched to them already.
Are you telling me that today’s model gets this table 85% right and the next version will get it 85.5 or 91% correct? That doesn’t help me. If there are mistakes in the table, it doesn’t matter how many there are – I can’t trust it. If, on the other hand, you think that these models will go to being 100% right, that would change everything, but that would also be a binary change in the nature of these systems, not a percentage change, and we don’t know if that’s even possible.
But before we dive in, let’s first make sure we’re on the same page about the difference between CEXs and DEXs.
CEX (Coinbase, Robinhood) – Think of it like a traditional Web2 platform. It’s easy to use, but the exchange holds your assets for you (not your keys, not your coins).
DEX (Uniswap, Aerodrome) –This is a more Web3-native experience—not as user-friendly since you’ll need to connect your wallet, manage gas fees, and handle transactions yourself. But the trade-off? You stay in full control of your funds at all times.
I don’t try to force creativity. It’s all about input = output. I focus on consuming the right things—whether that’s design, film, art, music or just life itself. The more diverse my influences, the more creative I get. But curating what I take in is just as important. It’s something you have to develop over time. When I do this, I see my taste constantly evolving in everything. What I liked a year ago doesn’t always resonate with me now. That’s what keeps things fresh and exciting.
Our space does double duty as a music studio and library too, which is pretty cool. Plus, Ryan (my business partner) uses it as well, which honestly saves us from the awkwardness of him always being in our house. Makes it way easier to switch off when I’m done, I can just walk away and actually be present with my family instead of still being in work mode.
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Immanuel Kant (22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics have made him one of the most influential and controversial figures in modern Western philosophy, being called the \"father of modern ethics\", \"father of modern aesthetics\" and, by bringing together rationalism and empiricism, the \"father of modern philosophy\".
Ramit Sethi, bestselling author of “I Will Teach You to Be Rich” and the brand new book, “Money For Couples,” joins the show to discuss how couples should navigate their finances. He explains what he thinks is the ultimate financial red flag, and why he believes couples should have joint bank accounts. Ramit also breaks down how much couples should spend on weddings – and reveals what he thinks about prenups.
Let's break it down. When choosing a steak there are three main variables that will influence the flavor we perceive in a cut from different beef cattle. Variable number one is total fat content now the total fat content includes the intermuscular fat which is the large white chunks between muscle groups and the intramuscular fat which is the small white fat between the muscle fibers which is what we refer to as marbling.
In Turkish, the word for neighborhood — “mahalle” — carries greater heft than its English counterpart. For several centuries, the mahalle was the basic administrative and social unit of Ottoman society. Neighborhoods were largely self-sufficient, taking care of their own security, street cleaning, firefighting and education, which would take place at the “medrese” of the neighborhood mosque or other place of worship.
A while back, technical feasibility was the hardest thing about building a startup. With the development of cloud infrastructure, development frameworks, and the advent of AI, that’s no longer the case. “Can the software be built” is no longer a valid question for 99% of startups. You can build software faster and better than ever before. There might be a question of “who is the right person to build this software,” but not a question of whether or not it can be built. The answer is an easy “yes.”
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
A new survey found that during a typical dinner, 41 percent of respondents talk to people they’re with, while 63 percent watch television, 28 percent look at their phone, 16 percent listen to music or podcasts, 8 percent read and 6 percent play video games. With just 41 percent engaging in conversation with their dinner mates, one might gasp at the decline in decorum or manners.
The most impressive test? Competitive pricing research. We watched Operator methodically document features and costs across multiple sites. When it hit barriers, it politely asked for help, then picked up right where it left off—just like a human would.
I wrote until 2007. I stopped due to sheer lack of time. So many people were calling me for guest verses that I didn’t have time to sit and write. One day I did 14 features without writing anything down, and everyone loved it. I was like, “So this is the way to do it.” But it’s a gift and a curse. The gift is I can get shit done quickly, and it’s true to the heart. The curse is that I talk about the same shit a lot. I’m growing very fucking slowly. I’m still a kid in everything I do.
I’m not one for resolutions. I do, however, like the idea of focusing on interests that I want to make more of an effort to dig into. In 2025, that’s becoming more intentional with where I give my attention, and slowing down to experience actual immersion rather than overwhelming my senses with an abundance of distractions. Less TikTok, more books or articles. Less background TV, more purposeful time with engaging entertainment.
Liberia, to be sure, has had its own troubled history. Despite the contract’s promises of “peace and friendship,” settlers and local ethnic groups would clash repeatedly as the colony expanded—and as repatriates built a society that often discriminated against indigenous Africans in ways that mirrored the Jim Crow South. In 1980, longstanding resentment against Liberia’s elites, most of whom were descended from freed slaves, begat a violent coup and a series of civil wars from which the country is still recovering.
I am struggling with the chaos the New Year. With so much change coming to the world in 2025, I found myself floundering for a way to filter through it all. Last week, I found it. I ask two questions about any piece of news to form my opinion:
I can handle smart decisions that are not kind. The world is a scary place and tough decisions need to be made. I empathize with dumb decisions that are kind. We need more bleeding hearts in the world. This week I highlight a series of decisions that are neither smart nor kind.
I want to be clear, the administration is not wholly off base in all of the measures being pursued. The current budget deficit is out of control as Ray Dalio lays out on CNBC. I applaud the President's efforts to end the carried interest loophole, which allows Wall Street to line their pockets at our expense.
These examples caught my eye because they are not political newspapers making these calls. These are experts in their field, from aviation to Ad Tech to construction to e-commerce. None of these authors mention politics with any frequency. Yet, the current administration is making decisions that are neither smart nor kind across a wide variety of industries. We risk losing progress across a variety of fronts.
Yet there is great hope here. There is credibility in apolitical, data driven push back to policies that are not smart. People respond to results and it is our responsibility to advocate for smart and kind policies in our respective industries.
Jon Ostrower, Will Guisbond, and Elan Head at The Air Current did an excellent job putting the president’s words in context:
“The President of the United States shattered decades’ worth of precedent, both legal and cultural, that has guided heads of state to avoid any overt interference or appearance of the same in active air safety investigations. That precedent has contributed to the overall safety of the aviation system both in the U.S. and globally, allowing for probable cause — and ultimately measures to prevent future accidents — to be established unfettered from political agendas and considerations.”
Speculation, to be clear, has no place in an aviation accident investigation.
But pausing solar permitting is a huge step in the wrong direction if you’re concerned about energy abundance, given that solar is the overwhelming majority of planned generation capacity, it’s rapidly becoming the cheapest source of electricity, and it’s powering the AI buildout Trump is championing. It signals prioritizing silly culture war issues over American prosperity.
If proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico go through, in addition to those on Chinese imports, then the price of each new car sold in the US would rise by about $3,000, according to Arun Kumar at consulting firm AlixPartners. Automakers would slash their marketing budgets to offset any losses from price increases, he says. COVID-19’s supply-chain disruptions resulted in a 20% drop in overall ad spending, Kumar says. In comparison, tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico could trigger a pullback of 5% to 15%.
This feeds into my story I did on how Chinese electric cars are really leaving the US in the dust and this was already a kind of bringing together of stories so this will cover a lot of stuff here. BYD [is seeing] just absolutely insane growth...it reached 500,000 sales last month which is astounding. If you put that into...worldwide context Tesla is is aiming for 500,000 sales in the quarter.
Over the past few months, my team and I have made every effort to hold prices steady, but with new trade policies set to increase sourcing and production costs, we wanted to give you this opportunity to shop at today’s lower prices while we can still offer them. This sale is our way of saying thank you for being part of our community and trusting us with your needs. We’re committed to keeping our quality high and ensuring you get the best value possible.
Thanks to CTV publishers who generously donate their unused inventory for social good! Giving nonprofits massive reach and publishers tax benefits they deserve.
A good friend of mine recommended Lizzy McAlpine. I'd heard of her via Noah Kahan, but man was I missing out. This song with FINNEAS is stunning. The lyrics are on point but it's the wide range of vocals interwoven that keep me coming back.
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
This is what I am going to say by default: “What was it like for you?” One night my wife came home around 11 pm. She spent the night with one of her best friends who didn’t have the best time over the past few years. After my wife settled down, I asked, “What was it like for you?”She took a long pause. Then she opened up and shared their stories and memories. We chatted for an hour before we went to bed.
The CA-45 race was the most expensive 2024 house race in the country, with over $50 million spent, and was the third-to-last to be called in the country. On November 27, 2024, Tran was leading by just 613 votes when Steel conceded and the Associated Press called the race for Tran, bringing one of the most watched House races in the 2024 election cycle to a conclusion.
If you hear my voice at any moment in your time of need, I hope you hear this: Do not move any of your money when you are upset, scared, angry, anxious, etc. None! In those moments when you are searching for quick relief, the solution is not in draining your accounts, liquidating your retirement, or fleeing the country.
The pita ‘pizza’ is the ultimate quick meal. It can accommodate whatever you have in the fridge and be veggie-forward or high in protein. Our favorite part is the contrasting textures you get.
Another really insightful episode of the Ezra Klein show. In this conversation with Keith Humphreys – a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University who specialises in addiction and its treatment – I learned so much about the stigma around drug use, what policy attempts are (in)effective, and why it’s a lot more complicated than just saying ‘legalise all drugs’. A very relevant discussion, given that more and more countries are now open to trying something other than the war-on-drugs approach.
In the last article, I talk about incentives. Incentives are all about the structures around us, both natural and man made. OpenAI is a fascinating case study here and in some ways, but today we are going to look at some more subtle, sketchy, and hopeful examples of incentives in tech.
I’m solidly in favor of the Benevolent Dictator For Life (BDFL) model of open source stewardship. This is how projects from Linux to Python, from Laravel to Ruby, and yes, Rails, have kept their cohesion, decisiveness, and forward motion. It’s a model with decades worth of achievements to its name. But it’s not a mandate from heaven. It’s not infallible.
Scratch is amazing. With it, any eight-year-old can learn how to make video games in just a few hours. With any other programming language, teaching sequential evaluation, parameters, events, parallel programming, conditionals, loops, Boolean algebra, variables, and lists would take dozens of agonizing hours. In Scratch a student joyously becomes familiar with these concepts through making their first game. As a co-founder of The Coding Space, a NYC after-school and summer program, I have watched students spend thousands of hours in Scratch. It’s magical to see.
Polluters resent new regulations that force them to cease dumping chemicals into rivers and lakes, or pumping them into the air. Coal mines and factories resented child labor laws a century ago (and some still resent them today). If iOS had debuted in 2007 with per-contact sharing controls exactly like those in iOS 18 today, no one serious would ever have complained that this was wrong or unfair. But Apple adding these controls only now makes it different. They’re not just giving users control they previously didn’t have, they’re taking something away from companies that seek to exploit, as Heer aptly describes it, a creepy growth-hacking technique.
Evan Wallace, an undergrad at Brown, was curious about WebGL, a new powerful graphics framework for the browser, and built a sphere in a pool of water. At the time, this doesn’t seem exciting at all, but this was the spark that lit the path that Evan and his soon-to-become cofounder Dylan Field found themselves on before building the recently acquired Figma. Something as simple and playful as “WebGL Water” gave Evan and Dylan the intuition that complex graphics in the browser were not far from reality.
Every month 500M+ people interact with tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Deepseek, and more to help them research and solve their problems.
This amount of traffic is insanely appealing to marketers. A lot of Kai’s current subscribers are already seeing ChatGPT sourced conversions. Even with all this excitement, there’s still no consensus on how what’s best described as “SEO for AI” will work. This is where Kai comes in. We help marketers understand how AI talks about their Company and what they can do to influence that.
Stormzy has announced that his third studio album will arrive later this year. This Is What I Mean is due out November 25 (via 0207 Def Jam/Interscope). The 12-track release, according to a press release, was mostly written during a retreat to Osea Island, a small island in the Blackwater Estuary that’s accessible by car for only a few hours each day due to the rising tide. – https://pitchfork.com/news/stormzy-announces-new-album-this-is-what-i-mean/","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542ad0","plaintext":"Hello folks, \n\nWelcome to Last Week I Learned. \n\nAs always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way. \n\nLinks\n\n * What Was It Like for You? – A lot of psychobabble comes off as inauthentic. I am guilty of trying much of it, but this single question works. I’ve found myself leaning on it more and more as it unlocks incredible conversations with my friends and family. \n\nThis is what I am going to say by default: “What was it like for you?” One night my wife came home around 11 pm. She spent the night with one of her best friends who didn’t have the best time over the past few years. After my wife settled down, I asked, “What was it like for you?”She took a long pause. Then she opened up and shared their stories and memories. We chatted for an hour before we went to bed.\n\n * House of Mirrors – When I first saw Little Saigon, it blew my mind. Tucked into Orange County, it’s the largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam. Thanks to my friend Sole‘s work in this piece, I finally feel like I understand this wonderful and complicated place. \n\nThe CA-45 race was the most expensive 2024 house race in the country, with over $50 million spent, and was the third-to-last to be called in the country. On November 27, 2024, Tran was leading by just 613 votes when Steel conceded and the Associated Press called the race for Tran, bringing one of the most watched House races in the 2024 election cycle to a conclusion.\n\n * Group Chat No. 1: What the heck should I be doing with my money right now? – Whatever your political affiliation, these are going to be a wild 4 years. One of the keys to good finance is avoiding dumb mistakes. Moving your money when you are freaking out is a dumb mistake, but an avoidable one. After moving money while freaking out a few times, I’ve setup systems to take away my opportunities. I automated my investments, built in cushions to my budget and more to avoid making crazy moves while feeling crazy. \n\nIf you hear my voice at any moment in your time of need, I hope you hear this: Do not move any of your money when you are upset, scared, angry, anxious, etc. None! In those moments when you are searching for quick relief, the solution is not in draining your accounts, liquidating your retirement, or fleeing the country.\n\n * The pita ‘pizza’ protocol (recipe blueprint) – My family’s big tradition when we are all in the same place is to do a “pizza bake off.” While we started off making our own dough, we’ve slowly shifted to using Pita as the base. It’s delicious, the garlic is already built in, and gives us more time to customize the toppings. \n\nThe pita ‘pizza’ is the ultimate quick meal. It can accommodate whatever you have in the fridge and be veggie-forward or high in protein. Our favorite part is the contrasting textures you get.\n\n * 289 / How drug decriminalisation is and isn’t working out – Ever since I first read Freakonomics, I’ve been fascinated by incentives. Drug decriminalization is an entrancing maze of incentives, right at the intersection of biology and psychology. A bonus? This newsletter, Dense Discovery, is an incredible source of fun new insights every week. \n\nAnother really insightful episode of the Ezra Klein show. In this conversation with Keith Humphreys – a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University who specialises in addiction and its treatment – I learned so much about the stigma around drug use, what policy attempts are (in)effective, and why it’s a lot more complicated than just saying ‘legalise all drugs’. A very relevant discussion, given that more and more countries are now open to trying something other than the war-on-drugs approach.\n\nDeep Dive: The Incentives Behind Good Tech\n\nIn the last article, I talk about incentives. Incentives are all about the structures around us, both natural and man made. OpenAI is a fascinating case study here and in some ways, but today we are going to look at some more subtle, sketchy, and hopeful examples of incentives in tech. \n\n * Open source royalty and mad kings – While we learn a lot about political governance in school, I’ve come to believe that corporate governance is just as important. How do companies make decisions? What are the rules? I find the world of open source software a fertile place for understand the edges of these rules. How do you govern people without pay and without real penalties? Here’s an example of it going wrong. \n\nI’m solidly in favor of the Benevolent Dictator For Life (BDFL) model of open source stewardship. This is how projects from Linux to Python, from Laravel to Ruby, and yes, Rails, have kept their cohesion, decisiveness, and forward motion. It’s a model with decades worth of achievements to its name. But it’s not a mandate from heaven. It’s not infallible.\n\n * WoofJS — making JavaScript learnable – Shifting from the evil to the noble, we look at WoofJS, which aims to make learning software easier. We are taking a step down the abstraction ladder from an open source project to a language. I adore the care with which the author took to create an incentive structure for learning. I only wish I could apply the same level of thoughtfulness to all my projects. \n\nScratch is amazing. With it, any eight-year-old can learn how to make video games in just a few hours. With any other programming language, teaching sequential evaluation, parameters, events, parallel programming, conditionals, loops, Boolean algebra, variables, and lists would take dozens of agonizing hours. In Scratch a student joyously becomes familiar with these concepts through making their first game. As a co-founder of The Coding Space, a NYC after-school and summer program, I have watched students spend thousands of hours in Scratch. It’s magical to see.\n\n * ★ Consider the Plight of the VC-Backed Privacy Burglars – One of the incentives that I struggle most with is what Scott Galloway calls the algebra of deterrence. The idea is that we need negative incentives, not just positive ones, to keep folks in line. The incentive structure in the online world is tipped in favor of creepy and invasive practices. To create good tech, we need rules, any of them, to keep the worst offenders in line. Read The Age of Surveillance Capitalism for more.\n\nPolluters resent new regulations that force them to cease dumping chemicals into rivers and lakes, or pumping them into the air. Coal mines and factories resented child labor laws a century ago (and some still resent them today). If iOS had debuted in 2007 with per-contact sharing controls exactly like those in iOS 18 today, no one serious would ever have complained that this was wrong or unfair. But Apple adding these controls only now makes it different. They’re not just giving users control they previously didn’t have, they’re taking something away from companies that seek to exploit, as Heer aptly describes it, a creepy growth-hacking technique.\n\n * Please Build More Silly Things – Sometimes the best tech comes out of spaces absent of incentives. I am working to build more silly things myself. Why? I always learn unexpectedly useful things in my tinkering. In a world full of world eating tech bros, we could use more silly side projects. \n\nEvan Wallace, an undergrad at Brown, was curious about WebGL, a new powerful graphics framework for the browser, and built a sphere in a pool of water. At the time, this doesn’t seem exciting at all, but this was the spark that lit the path that Evan and his soon-to-become cofounder Dylan Field found themselves on before building the recently acquired Figma. Something as simple and playful as “WebGL Water” gave Evan and Dylan the intuition that complex graphics in the browser were not far from reality.\n\nProduct of the Week\n\n * Kai – In many ways, LLMs are the biggest rival to Google ever. We are turning to LLMs for answers, but it is still unclear what “SEO” looks like. Kai, created by a good friend of mine Grayson Faircloth, aims to give you real data about how your brand shows up in an LLM. Think SEMRush for LLMs.\n\nEvery month 500M+ people interact with tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Deepseek, and more to help them research and solve their problems.\nThis amount of traffic is insanely appealing to marketers. A lot of Kai’s current subscribers are already seeing ChatGPT sourced conversions. Even with all this excitement, there’s still no consensus on how what’s best described as “SEO for AI” will work. This is where Kai comes in. We help marketers understand how AI talks about their Company and what they can do to influence that.\n\nCause of the Week\n\n * Giving What We Can – More and more, I am a big fan of little efforts over a long period of time. Organizations like 80,000 hours make me feel small and scared, even as I acknowledge their noble goals. Giving What We Can feels like a Switch approved way to give more money. Please consider donating to the organization directly or signing up for a giving pledge of some sort. I am at 5% right now, for context. \n\nAlbum of the Week\n\n * This is What I Mean by Stormzy – I played this album on loop for a good month in 2023. Knowing the story of the album makes it so much richer. \n\nStormzy has announced that his third studio album will arrive later this year. This Is What I Mean is due out November 25 (via 0207 Def Jam/Interscope). The 12-track release, according to a press release, was mostly written during a retreat to Osea Island, a small island in the Blackwater Estuary that’s accessible by car for only a few hours each day due to the rising tide. – https://pitchfork.com/news/stormzy-announces-new-album-this-is-what-i-mean/","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1607706189992-eae578626c86?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDN8fGNvZGV8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc5NDk0NTYxfDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2025-02-08T15:17:58.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T19:26:23.000Z","published_at":"2025-02-08T15:17:58.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b51b","uuid":"d259fc82-bdbd-4a76-b23b-eddb44cd3379","title":"Week 1 of February 2025: Russia Goes to Georgia","slug":"week-1-of-february-2025-2","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Links\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The premise trap\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://world.hey.com/dhh/the-premise-trap-924b8cd9\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – When LLMs first came onto the scene, I feared for my job. After working with these tools for more than a year now, I think DHH nailed it here. For folks who already know how to code, LLMs dramatically lower the time to production. For newbies, AI can be a confusing mess. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"This is what I hear from people who are trying to use AI to write entire systems for them without actually being capable programmers themselves. That it’s an incredible rush to see a prototype come to life in mere minutes, but that actually moving this forward to something that works reliably often turns into a one-step-forwards-two-steps-backwards dance. (Not unlike the many stories someone might have getting catfished by a barely qualified junior programmer on Upwork!).\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"★ Andy Grove Was Right\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://daringfireball.net/2024/12/andy_grove_was_right\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I am more and more convinced that the secret to skill and prowess is more about reps than anything else. LLMs are good because they get more pattern matching at bats than any technology in history. ARM became dominant because it stepped up to the plate for the largest production runs in the history of the world: mobile. Want to build a great product? Go create something at scale. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"It’s not just that smartphones are now a bigger industry than the PC industry ever was, and that Intel has missed out on becoming a dominant supplier to phone makers. That’s bad, but it’s not the worst of it. It’s that those ARM-based mobile chips — Apple Silicon and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon lineup — got so good that they’re now taking over large swaths of the high end of the PC market.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Marching Through Georgia | The New Yorker\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/12/15/marching-through-georgia\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I love this article because it is a portal into the past with striking prescience. Georgia was a canary in the coal mine for Ukraine. Besides the predictive power of this article, written in 2008, I find the country of Georgia fascinating. Great food, unique language and a fierce devotion to their own culture even as they sit at the cross roads of the world. For a more modern update, read about \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"the new kid on the block in politics here\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/01/bidzina-ivanishvili-profile-georgia?__readwiseLocation=\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The country has long been a battleground for competing powers, and in the early nineteenth century it acceded to the Russian Empire, which it hoped would protect it against the Persians. But it stubbornly maintained its own identity, with its Georgian Orthodox Church and a language that is not Turkic or Slavic or Indo-European and is written with a distinctly curlicued alphabet.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #77: The Truth That Lives There\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://therumpus.net/2011/06/24/dear-sugar-the-rumpus-advice-column-77-the-truth-that-lives-there/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – The fractal nature of this essay drew me to it more than the relationship advice itself. To see the same story from 6 different perspectives is lovely. In addition to the writing itself, the topic is one that is under-discussed. What do you do if you want to leave a good relationship for what appears to be no reason? \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"All of these are reasons are true enough in their specificity, but they all boil down to the same thing: I had to leave. Because I wanted to. Just like Playing It Safe does and Standing Still does and Claustrophobic does and Leaving a Marriage does, even if they aren’t ready to do it yet. I know by their letters they each have their own lists and all those words on all of those lists boil down to one that says go.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Return of the Mic\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://link.theverge.com/click/35802454.20268/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudnVsdHVyZS5jb20vYXJ0aWNsZS9jaGF0LXBvZGNhc3RzLWJvb20tY2FsbC1oZXItZGFkZHktc21hcnRsZXNzLmh0bWw_dWVpZD00ZGE3YzllNDQ5MjQxYTM0MTYyMzIyNmYwMzUxNGFkYw/660910deb196042f2504f6b4Bd5491074\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I first heard about the podcast revolution from Scott Galloway in his piece \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"All Ears\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.profgalloway.com/all-ears/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". In a world of swiping and tapping and speeding around, podcasts feel like a zig in a world of zags. I’m in favor of anything that slows us down and helps us think. I would expect podcasts to do this, but it’s not clear they do. Thus, I admit I’m a little on the fence here, even as I devour podcasts myself. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Being a good interviewer is a plus but not a strict requirement. Sometimes, they trade in the promise of expertise, whether it’s former athletes recapping games or aging comedians reminiscing about how SNL used to be, but that, too, isn’t a precondition. For the most part, a little fame, a knack for attention, and some predisposition toward building a cult of personality are enough to rise to the top.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Deep Dive: New Year Changes\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I am a little bit of a productivity freak. I love tools and strategies to get more done. As I’ve gotten older, my focus has shifted from getting shit done to getting what matters done. This week’s articles give an array of tools and strategies for taking care of the things that matter this year. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Before I share the articles for the deep dive, I want to lay out my current “productivity stack” for those that are interested. I also published \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"my “old” productivity stack here\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://lastweekilearned.com/2025/02/01/my-old-productivity-stack/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" for those that want to see how it’s changed over time. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Please share your own productivity stack with me!\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Reading\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Readwise (Reader & Highlight Review)\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://readwise.io/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":1,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Kindle\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":1,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":2}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":2},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Writing\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":2},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Reflect\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://reflect.app/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":1,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":3},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Projects\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":3},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cursor\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.cursor.com/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":1,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Warp\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.warp.dev/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":1,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":2},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Linear\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://linear.app/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":1,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":3},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hey Email\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.hey.com/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":1,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":4},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Todoist\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.todoist.com/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":1,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":5},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Arc\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://arc.net/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":1,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":6},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Sunsama\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.sunsama.com/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":1,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":7},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Raycast\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.raycast.com/\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":1,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":8}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":4}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"All right without further ado, here are some recommendations for tools and strategies to reach your goals in the new year. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"What’s in Dani’s Raycast\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LuxUdV_-Fvs\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – When I get a new computer, raycast is the first thing I download. Marketed towards power users, this is a replacement for Spotlight search on the Mac, but it’s so much more. I use it to control my music, manage my windows and keep things copied and pasted all time with ease. My day is so much easier with Raycast. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Alex Lieberman’s Startup Stack\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i-91bwYgpYlcWRu7YesGisnyWn9EpZG3TUMLyGlF-XM/edit?tab=t.0\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I’m most familiar with personal productivity tools. Here is a great list of tools for business people looking to cut out the boring for the exciting. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":2}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"If you’re here, you’re probably a builder, like me. I built Morning Brew from senior year of college until we sold the business in 2020. And now, I’m building a variety of businesses in different spaces & different stages. With all of these businesses, I’ve had the opportunity to test a TON of different products & services, ultimately landing on a core stack that serves as my business operating system. I want to share that list with you so you don’t have to go through the same startup stack search, I’ve spent the last 10 years refining.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"January: Restart\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://readwise.io/reader/shared/01jggame9xjkj01km5ykkwgmh9\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I needed this reminder myself. January is a great restart point. It’s not about setting crazy goals, it’s about reminding yourself of the rituals and routines that serve you well. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Resolutions famously don’t stick because we often try to shoehorn them into our already full lives. Instead of resolving to do vague things like “Be more organized” or “Learn French,” think of habits you can form that would support your goals, like “Plan my week every Sunday” or “Take a French class once per week.” You are what you do consistently, so engineer your habits to support you (and your goals.)\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Issue No. 319: New Rule\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://insider.fitt.co/issue-no-318-best-bet/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I am relearning about fitness and diet after going a little crazy about each in my younger years. I love this newsletter because it keeps me up to date with practical, research based tips for staying healthy. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Longevity and weight loss have made body composition a priority, and more protein mandatory. As protein-packed foods flood store shelves, new demos will hit the weights — toppling misconceptions about strength training for good.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"the next evolution of The Commons\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://wellnesswisdom.substack.com/p/the-next-evolution-of-the-commons?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=33691&post_id=155131472&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoyMTk5Nzk2NjgsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1NTEzMTQ3MiwiaWF0IjoxNzM3MjU0MjMyLCJleHAiOjE3Mzk4NDYyMzIsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zMzY5MSIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.2PGTykt7Qs8694bSKi-E1ifUU1rmseMvJK4ijFW3Ulc&r=3myxec&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I am lucky enough to live in a neighborhood with lots of public third spaces. I really hope the model being built by the Commons here is replicated across the US. We need more places to be, together. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"We believe now is the time to experiment with novel forms of evening activities: from late night decaf tea houses, evening bathhouses, no-alc dance parties, reading parties, game board parlors to cozy cafes that close at 2am. The Commons is hoping to be at the forefront of this experimentation, opening our space for evening programming that is connective, conscious, and wholesome (with the aims of opening a late night tea house sometime in the future ).\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"California Community Fund\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.pledge.to/ccfwildfirerelieffund#donate\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I try to delay my donations because I feel like that creates the most impact. Everyone donates when things are in the news, fewer stick around after the news cycle. Please consider donating to support California Wildfire relief. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Album of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Take Care by BigXthaPlug\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://open.spotify.com/album/1XZtc4PTKO10b6B3vjwbWs?si=lbEehZzTTFWe8sdDPqPY3Q\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I am a sucker for rap from the South, but my love for this album goes beyond that. BigXthaPlug is unlike anyone I’ve ever listened to. Give this a spin just to hear something like you’ve never heard before. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[],\"direction\":null,\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
This is what I hear from people who are trying to use AI to write entire systems for them without actually being capable programmers themselves. That it’s an incredible rush to see a prototype come to life in mere minutes, but that actually moving this forward to something that works reliably often turns into a one-step-forwards-two-steps-backwards dance. (Not unlike the many stories someone might have getting catfished by a barely qualified junior programmer on Upwork!).
It’s not just that smartphones are now a bigger industry than the PC industry ever was, and that Intel has missed out on becoming a dominant supplier to phone makers. That’s bad, but it’s not the worst of it. It’s that those ARM-based mobile chips — Apple Silicon and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon lineup — got so good that they’re now taking over large swaths of the high end of the PC market.
The country has long been a battleground for competing powers, and in the early nineteenth century it acceded to the Russian Empire, which it hoped would protect it against the Persians. But it stubbornly maintained its own identity, with its Georgian Orthodox Church and a language that is not Turkic or Slavic or Indo-European and is written with a distinctly curlicued alphabet.
All of these are reasons are true enough in their specificity, but they all boil down to the same thing: I had to leave. Because I wanted to. Just like Playing It Safe does and Standing Still does and Claustrophobic does and Leaving a Marriage does, even if they aren’t ready to do it yet. I know by their letters they each have their own lists and all those words on all of those lists boil down to one that says go.
Being a good interviewer is a plus but not a strict requirement. Sometimes, they trade in the promise of expertise, whether it’s former athletes recapping games or aging comedians reminiscing about how SNL used to be, but that, too, isn’t a precondition. For the most part, a little fame, a knack for attention, and some predisposition toward building a cult of personality are enough to rise to the top.
I am a little bit of a productivity freak. I love tools and strategies to get more done. As I’ve gotten older, my focus has shifted from getting shit done to getting what matters done. This week’s articles give an array of tools and strategies for taking care of the things that matter this year.
Before I share the articles for the deep dive, I want to lay out my current “productivity stack” for those that are interested. I also published my “old” productivity stack here for those that want to see how it’s changed over time.
Please share your own productivity stack with me!
All right without further ado, here are some recommendations for tools and strategies to reach your goals in the new year.
If you’re here, you’re probably a builder, like me. I built Morning Brew from senior year of college until we sold the business in 2020. And now, I’m building a variety of businesses in different spaces & different stages. With all of these businesses, I’ve had the opportunity to test a TON of different products & services, ultimately landing on a core stack that serves as my business operating system. I want to share that list with you so you don’t have to go through the same startup stack search, I’ve spent the last 10 years refining.
Resolutions famously don’t stick because we often try to shoehorn them into our already full lives. Instead of resolving to do vague things like “Be more organized” or “Learn French,” think of habits you can form that would support your goals, like “Plan my week every Sunday” or “Take a French class once per week.” You are what you do consistently, so engineer your habits to support you (and your goals.)
Longevity and weight loss have made body composition a priority, and more protein mandatory. As protein-packed foods flood store shelves, new demos will hit the weights — toppling misconceptions about strength training for good.
We believe now is the time to experiment with novel forms of evening activities: from late night decaf tea houses, evening bathhouses, no-alc dance parties, reading parties, game board parlors to cozy cafes that close at 2am. The Commons is hoping to be at the forefront of this experimentation, opening our space for evening programming that is connective, conscious, and wholesome (with the aims of opening a late night tea house sometime in the future ).
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
Comparing individuals living on either side of the long-gone Habsburg border within the same modern-day country, we find that respondents in a current household survey who live on former Habsburg territory have higher levels of trust in courts and police. They are also less likely to pay bribes for these local public services, demonstrating that the institutional heritage influences not only preferences and unilateral decisions but also bilateral bargaining situations in citizen-state interactions.
Let’s talk about the second big boo boo I made with Ranger. I thought was doing the right thing getting him to meet and play with as many dogs as possible. I figured this would make him super comfortable around dogs later on in life. Well let me tell you big mistake. You see by introducing Ranger to every dog we could find I inadvertently created this expectation that every time he saw another dog it was Party Time.
To make it twenty years with anyone — even family — is an immense accomplishment. It requires choosing each other often. In a romantic relationship, it requires choosing each other every time. Even if you don’t particularly want to, at that particular moment. When it’s easy, but also when it’s hard. Especially when it is hard. What’s been so great about spending twenty years with Erin is that it is very rarely hard. Well, for me anyway.
Noisy, stupid bots are a minus for most kinds of social software, but a win for markets. If only there were some easy way to crank up a bunch of noisy, stupid bots. Oh, wait, there’s a whole AI boom happening. Good timing, right? And AI projects need ways to test their output quality in a scalable way, just as much as prediction markets need extra trading churn. AI projects and prediction market projects solve each other’s problems.
To do the thing that no one else can do, you have to make the choice that no one else would make. But it can’t be performative—you can’t fake it by choosing an unpopular thing, because if you do it arbitrarily, the choice you’re making will just be bad.
What is an American? While everyone else went to Spain and Italy and Australia for their study abroad trips, I stayed “home.” I studied America from the inside out at the Oregon Extension and then went to an oft ignored part of the US: Pine Ridge. There I grappled with the same question as my great great grandparents. They arrived here from Italy, imagining a better life. Through an insane amount of work, sticking together, and luck they achieved the “American” dream. In many ways, we ceased to be Italian and became American.
What did becoming American mean to my family? For many, it meant serving their country. My grandpa spent weeks in bunkers doing Cold War planning and his Uncle paid the ultimate price on the beaches of Normandy. For others, it meant a prosperity they could not imagine in Italy. When my relatives helped liberate Italy in WWII, they found a different world in the village they left a mere 50 years before. For everyone, despite its difficulties, America was a better place.
Just as my ancestors gained from America, America gained from them. Both my great great grandparents owned businesses, employing folks in their small New Jersey town. My grandparents were public servants above and beyond their day jobs, guiding the community as superintendents and nonprofit board members. I am proud of my ancestors. I like to imagine that just as they became American, they gave a bit of themselves to America to make it what it is today.
While listening to On with Kara Swisher, I was reminded of my family. On the episode, two incredible Americans traded wisdom and hope, even amid uncertain times. In this podcast, I am reminded of what a real American sounds like. A real American stands up for the needy and moves to protection, not prejudice. A real American looks for solutions, admits mistakes and makes things better. A real American is generous and kind. A real American is powerful, not because they threaten others, but because they keep others safe.
I am young, but not forgetful. I remember the America that took my family in, at times grudgingly, from Italy. I remember the America of my grandparents, the America that marched on Washington. I remember the America that cared about healthy homes, schools, and communities more than political points and monopolies. It is people like Laverne Cox that give me hope we will remember America is more about serving than being served:
“I work really hard to make sure my mental health is in a place where I can be of service. And if I have been of service in my life, if I can be of service in this moment, that feels like part of me fulfilling my higher powers plan for me. So, I’m grateful.” – Laverne Cox
It doesn’t get more American than that.
Hard pivot from geopolitical power, but imagine the NBA without Embiid, Luka, Giannis, Jokić, Kyrie, SGA, Jamal Murray, Andrew Wiggins and the dozens of other international superstars. The NBA would be a shell of itself without them. Fortunately Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, allows these “foreigners” to participate because they are some of the most talented players in the world. His job is to put the best product out on the court to the benefit of the fans, the owners, the shareholders, the networks, the advertisers, and the local communities.
So, I’m from Guatemala. This is a public service announcement, that is where Guatemala is. Also, that is not where they keep the prisoners. That is called Guantanamo. Not the same place. So Guatemala’s right below Mexico. And for the Americans in the audience, and let this sink in, because it really applies in most ways, for the Americans in the audience, you can think of it as Mexico’s Mexico.
According to Skalkin: “Traditional bio packaging often struggles to compete with its plastic counterparts in terms of pricing and integration complexity. Our bio-based plastic substitute can be manufactured using existing plastic production equipment, eliminating the need for plastic factories to purchase new equipment.
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
“Courage is a virtue, but courage always feels terrible. It is an awful feeling. It’s not like you imagine when you see other people being courageous.”
“Radical gratitude is expressing thanks for things you’re not thankful for, because that’s what gratitude actually is.”
Despite the much-touted Startup Act, which does represent a clear legislative improvement for the Tunisian startup scene, Tunisian regulations are still far too cumbersome to keep the best Tunisian founders in Tunisia.
“Software is eating the world” – the slogan of the venture capital firm a16z, part-owner of facebook, twitter, linkedin, coinbase, opensea, and solana; started in 1996 by marc andreessen, former cofounder of netscape: one of many guys who expects you to believe that the past 25 years of wildly centralized, exploitative internet history, from which he personally has benefited to the tune of $2 billion, are something he was merely a passive bystander to, and that he actually loves decentralization and freedom
What social games are able to do (and which virtual worlds that aren’t games largely fail at) is to replace the anxiety of unstructured and unbounded social interactions with a highly structured scenario in which we literally have something to do and rules for how we do it.
Probably the worst possible place you could store your spices is in an open bowl right by the stove with a boiling pot of water and sunlight streaming down a good place on the other hand to store them is in sealed containers in a dry environment from extreme heat and direct light.
I recognize that this week’s deep dive is indulgent. I am a techie at heart, even though my interests wander far and wide. But stay with me. Even if you do not read these articles, they represent an important limitation of AI. AI is, at its heart, statistical pattern matching. It does not make meaning out of data, it just recognizes patterns in data. I list these articles because they are examples of places that AI cannot go: new ones.
AI is incredible at finding things we miss in huge amounts of data. Given a mode of the world, it can even find patterns we missed. But the meaning must be made by humans. We must direct AI to new places, to new theories, to new meaning. In our discussion of AI, we are missing a critical aspect of it’s nature, namely that it is a tool.
All the articles below are examples of cases where AI would struggle. How do you store trillions of messages? How do you optimize a database? What’s the best content management system (CMS)? The answer to those questions can be informed by AI, not answered by AI. They require considerations about trade offs, intention, and meaning.
Yes the rise of agents is inevitable and will make these AIs look “smarter” than ever before. But at the core, AI is a tool. We can use it solve problems with MySQL, trillions of messages, keyboards and CMS. It is a darn powerful tool. That is all it is, though.
InnoDB, and really, nearly all database servers (such as Oracle), present an atypical workload (from the point of view of the majority of installations) to Linux: a single large multi-threaded process which consumes nearly all of the system’s memory and should be expected to consume as much of the rest of the system resources as possible.
Why hadn’t we migrated it yet? To start with, it’s a big cluster. With trillions of messages and nearly 200 nodes, any migration was going to be an involved effort. Additionally, we wanted to make sure our new database could be the best it could be as we worked to tune its performance. We also wanted to gain more experience with ScyllaDB in production, using it in anger and learning its pitfalls.
The electronics design and fabrication technologies available to motivated individuals today is incredible. Compared to even just 6 years ago when I made a cell phone, we amateurs now have access to powerful CAD/CAM, low-cost/qty PCB assembly, sorta-usable free EDA software, powerful new embedded languages, and a huge corpus of tacit knowledge on YouTube.
So why hasn’t this issue been solved? To my understanding, most of the WordPress ecosystem is not run on in-depth software development shops. It is mostly web agency-level businesses. Their focus is usually not on the development workflow and the average customer’s experience level is low enough that many do not see the problem.
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
A lot of us have been out of our routines the past week or two with travel and time off. My favorite thing about it is that it puts us all on different-than-usual schedules for errands. You could live two blocks away from someone you know and never realize it if you’re on opposite schedules. Mix up everyone’s schedules and you get exponential opportunities to run into someone you know at the grocery store.
“It’s funny how China has basically the inverse problem as America. We subsidize demand and restrict supply. They subsidize supply and restrict demand. We can’t rebuild fallen bridges. They build bridges to nowhere. In the most desirable cities in this country, every random Victorian house and park bench is a historic site that can’t be disturbed. There, they’ll bulldoze a 500 year old temple to build an endless skyscraper complex that no one wants to live in.” – Notes on China
In 2025, it’s as clear as ever that we need to learn these exact lessons when it comes not only to how we build cities, but to how we envision ourselves and our own humanity — how we as Cool Craggy-Brained People react to, absorb, defend against, and adapt ourselves in the face of life’s onslaughts, upheavals, confusions, mystifications, misunderstandings, and tragedies.
We can’t be ideologically rigid, inflexible, doctrinaire, and corny. We gotta learn how to bend, reedlike, while staying firmly rooted in Dope Principles.
And while very few working quantum computers exist, they’re something that Google, IBM, Amazon, and practically every hyperscaler company have their eyes on, he said. There likely won’t be one clear “winner” of quantum computing, he said, but a combined effort of “multiple architectures” that pushes the boundaries. “Even supercomputers cannot solve many of these problems — it’ll take them thousands of years to solve a problem that can be done in a few minutes [with quantum],” said Madasamy. “I have not seen any other technologies that can leap from current trends of computing to newer things that we can achieve.”
There’s this design heuristic that if people cut across the grass, you should pave the shortcut they make. This gives the path a lovely human fit. But sometimes you want to do the opposite. You want to design ways to get people to take a longer path, a longcut, so they can see or do things they’d miss otherwise.
Today’s deep dive is about two sides of a coin. Gender fascinates me in all its complexities. We love to put gender into two neat little boxes, but it loves to escape in strange and fascinating ways. This week I share a story that shocked me at first, yet changed my thoughts about the gendered expectations we have at work and home. The next story talks about the strange phenomenon of women in coding. At one time, coding was almost exclusively a female domain. We owe many of the early breakthroughs in Computer Science to pioneers like Grace Hopper. Yet somewhere along the line, coding switched sides of the coin. The article linked from NPR is the best explanation I’ve seen so far as to why and it holds the seeds for how to reverse the trend.
The next couple of links talk about the other side of the coin. My belief, as a young man, is that all young men would benefit from more friends. I went a good chunk of my life as a lone wolf, soldiering through whatever came up on my own. Thanks to college, that changed. I am lucky to end many calls with, “I love you.” But not everyone is so lucky to go to college or travel as I do. I loved Simon Sinek’s advice for how to make more friends. I share his video so that young men like me who might feel alone can get a toehold into the social world.
The last article I’m sharing today is about men and children. In many cultures around the world, men are only allowed to feel when it comes to their family. It is not normal in many societies for men to maintain loving friendships. Yet we are seeing a world where less and less men are creating families. There are so many complex reasons for this, but it worries me. If men can’t form emotional bonds with friends and aren’t creating families, that leaves a love hole of sorts. I don’t have any solutions yet, but I am glad folks like Richard Reeves are starting the conversation.
So here’s my advice to women who want a big career and a stable family: You need to earn a lot of money to make that happen. I don’t know a stay-at-home dad who is seriously taking care of kids full-time, over the course of five-to-seven years, without a lot of money in the bank. And I don’t know a woman who has a huge career without money to support a bunch of people to take care of things at home.
A lot of computing pioneers — the people who programmed the first digital computers — were women. And for decades, the number of women studying computer science was growing faster than the number of men. But in 1984, something changed. The percentage of women in computer science flattened, and then plunged, even as the share of women in other technical and professional fields kept rising.
There’s an entire industry to help people become better leaders to help us maintain better relationships and there’s no industry to teach us how to be a better friend and yet people with close friendships are healthier they live longer they better deal with stress less likely to become addicted friendship is the thing that actually protects us so why aren’t we prioritizing our friendship it’s because we actually don’t know how to do it.
The tone of the debate over there is refreshingly straightforward, with less of the culture war brittleness that can characterize the U.S. conversation on gender issues. This is, in part, because the Scandinavian countries have such a good track record on promoting gender equality on behalf of women. That reduces the level of suspicion that is aroused when they start to talk about boys and men: Nobody thinks the Norwegians hate women.
Hello folks! I hope this finds you well just after Thanksgiving and just before Christmas. This week we talk about useful AI, how to bring craft to the little things, and the overlooked benefits of “fast food.”
So what did Klarna figure out that everyone else missed? Love it or hate it, Klarna made its AI use open and strategic—not something employees hide. First, it picked the right battles. Instead of trying to use AI for everything, Klarna focused on stuff that actually makes sense to automate today:Customer service automation (its chatbot covers for those 700 fired humans).AI-generated marketing content and translations.Internal productivity tools.
Second, Klarna committed to it. That 90% daily usage stat is wild. Most companies are still debating whether to let employees use ChatGPT.
Substack etiquette dictates that this email should simply thank you for subscribing and let you know that you will start receiving updates in your inbox. But this is a newsletter about the algorithms that pull and direct our attention. And one of the biggest lies that internet culture tells us is that something is only important and interesting if it is new.
I like to bike to the airport to catch flights, at least when I can (and there are plenty of times I can’t). The other week I rode Citibike to LaGuardia for the first time. The airport is not far from Manhattan, in fact it was less than 10 miles from Washington Heights. But the ride isn’t great — a lot of sections are on street with mixed traffic; I’m told Google Maps did not take me on the best route and there are some better, lower-traffic neighborhood thoroughfares. The ride, which, to be clear, I would do again, makes me appreciate the direct trail access and Bikeep storage at Washington’s Reagan National Airport.
But every once in a while, the element of the test comes to the fore: you do something really bad—infidelity is the classic example—and now the question is, can you pull it off? Can you apologize? The question is not only a question about the sincerity of your commitment to change, or the depth of your contrition, or my generosity of spirit. It’s a question about whether you, in apologizing, can succeed in gesturing at Apology, about whether I, in forgiving, can evoke Forgiveness.
Modern, fast, processed food is a disaster. That, at least, is the message conveyed by newspapers and magazines, on television programs, and in cookbooks. It is a mark of sophistication to bemoan the steel roller mill and supermarket bread while yearning for stone-ground flour and brick ovens; to seek out heirloom apples while despising modern tomatoes; to be hostile to agronomists who develop high-yielding crops and to home economists who invent recipes for General Mills.
I sold my car in July and now get around with a combination of my feet, my bike, and the Pittsburgh bus system. When the hills are steep and my legs are tired, I dream of a moped (or an ebike). Turns out I’m not alone. Yet the future of the moped in America is far from secure. The same vehicle that is taking over Africa and reigned in our imaginations of Europe struggles to adapt to America where it is confined to the hip and the DUIers. Can mopeds survive here? I am tempted to buy one myself, so there may be some “original” reporting here about the question at some point.
But those properties also represent many of the things that make Bird-style scooters desirable in the first place. People don’t want to risk driving them in the street. Bike lanes are scarce, and where they do exist cyclists are hostile toward electric vehicles. Helmets are inconvenient when the whole purpose of the device is to pick it up and go. And part of the appeal of kick scooters is being able to abandon them indiscriminately when you arrive.
Unlike electric cars, which require larger charging stations and a good electricity grid system, which most African countries like Nigeria struggle to provide, electric two-wheelers need minimal space and can be established even in informal settlements and peri-urban areas. Some startups have started developing batteries that off-grid solar systems and home sockets can charge.
Designed by a mom to track her own newborn’s activity, the Nara app is an intuitive, fuss-free way to track naps, diapers, feeding schedule, pumping sessions, and more. Plus log your own pregnancy and postpartum health.
This musical project centers onthe idea of creativity as a shared and circulating force, inspired by Lewis Hyde’s exploration of how ideas are passed down, shared, and repurposed in The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World. The project embraces the concept of influence and references, showing how artists build upon one another’s work. Using uncleared samples from various media, it draws parallels to the Beastie Boys’ recombination of existing material.The project also explores the theological question of whether God can use “crooked”things—imperfect elements—to create straight paths, mirroring how artists take flawed, fragmented influences and craft something new. By sampling, referencing, and reshaping these pieces, the music contributes to a larger cultural conversation, just as Hyde suggests artists do when they “give” by incorporating others’ work into their own.","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542ad5","plaintext":"Hello folks! I hope this finds you well just after Thanksgiving and just before Christmas. This week we talk about useful AI, how to bring craft to the little things, and the overlooked benefits of “fast food.”\n\n\nLinks\n\n * Klarna’s AI takeover works? – AI is a hype machine churning out hay with a needle tucked in there every few tons. I want to help you find the needles in the haystack. Klarna shows us a couple here. In the words of Scott Galloway, they found the peanut butter and chocolate combination that is reducing costs while raising revenue. Read on to find out how. \n\nSo what did Klarna figure out that everyone else missed? Love it or hate it, Klarna made its AI use open and strategic—not something employees hide. First, it picked the right battles. Instead of trying to use AI for everything, Klarna focused on stuff that actually makes sense to automate today:Customer service automation (its chatbot covers for those 700 fired humans).AI-generated marketing content and translations.Internal productivity tools.\n\nSecond, Klarna committed to it. That 90% daily usage stat is wild. Most companies are still debating whether to let employees use ChatGPT.\n\n * Not your usual subscription confirmation – Craft is in the details everyone else ignores. I am a little embarrassed I’ve yet to think of this, but shoutout to this author for raising the bar. Whatever you do, do it with as much care as this person. \n\nSubstack etiquette dictates that this email should simply thank you for subscribing and let you know that you will start receiving updates in your inbox. But this is a newsletter about the algorithms that pull and direct our attention. And one of the biggest lies that internet culture tells us is that something is only important and interesting if it is new.\n\n * November Dispatches – I was skeptical about this newsletter all about airports. How interesting can they be? Turns out I spend a lot of time in them and if someone is a good writer, they can make anything interesting. You will learn about far more than airports here. Enjoy!\n\nI like to bike to the airport to catch flights, at least when I can (and there are plenty of times I can’t). The other week I rode Citibike to LaGuardia for the first time. The airport is not far from Manhattan, in fact it was less than 10 miles from Washington Heights. But the ride isn’t great — a lot of sections are on street with mixed traffic; I’m told Google Maps did not take me on the best route and there are some better, lower-traffic neighborhood thoroughfares. The ride, which, to be clear, I would do again, makes me appreciate the direct trail access and Bikeep storage at Washington’s Reagan National Airport.\n\n * The Paradox of Apology – Mark this one down as an article that both made me think about a topic and changed my mind on it. I will admit, I did not think there was much meat on the bone here. But wow was I wrong. The fact any of us get along after an event requiring an apology is a Christmas miracle. I’ll be thinking back on this one for a long time. \n\nBut every once in a while, the element of the test comes to the fore: you do something really bad—infidelity is the classic example—and now the question is, can you pull it off? Can you apologize? The question is not only a question about the sincerity of your commitment to change, or the depth of your contrition, or my generosity of spirit. It’s a question about whether you, in apologizing, can succeed in gesturing at Apology, about whether I, in forgiving, can evoke Forgiveness.\n\n * In Praise of Fast Food – My great great grandfather drove a horse and buggy from West Orange to Newark every morning for fresh produce. He lived at the edge of the “fast food” era in the US. I found myself wondering what he would say in response to this article. Would he love the food we have now? Would he draw back from the chemical spray on the apples? Would he wonder at the presence of mangos in March? \n\nModern, fast, processed food is a disaster. That, at least, is the message conveyed by newspapers and magazines, on television programs, and in cookbooks. It is a mark of sophistication to bemoan the steel roller mill and supermarket bread while yearning for stone-ground flour and brick ovens; to seek out heirloom apples while despising modern tomatoes; to be hostile to agronomists who develop high-yielding crops and to home economists who invent recipes for General Mills.\n\n\nDeep Dive\n\nI sold my car in July and now get around with a combination of my feet, my bike, and the Pittsburgh bus system. When the hills are steep and my legs are tired, I dream of a moped (or an ebike). Turns out I’m not alone. Yet the future of the moped in America is far from secure. The same vehicle that is taking over Africa and reigned in our imaginations of Europe struggles to adapt to America where it is confined to the hip and the DUIers. Can mopeds survive here? I am tempted to buy one myself, so there may be some “original” reporting here about the question at some point. \n\n * The Mopeds Are Coming – The key comparison in America is the moped versus the Bird scooter. How did Bird Scooters become so popular? Is it possible the moped can extend the benefits of the scooters that litter our streets?\n\nBut those properties also represent many of the things that make Bird-style scooters desirable in the first place. People don’t want to risk driving them in the street. Bike lanes are scarce, and where they do exist cyclists are hostile toward electric vehicles. Helmets are inconvenient when the whole purpose of the device is to pick it up and go. And part of the appeal of kick scooters is being able to abandon them indiscriminately when you arrive.\n\n * Next Wave: Africa’s e-mobility future rides on two-wheelers – In a decentralized power setup mopeds appear to reign supreme. I am curious to see if we see startups building moped infrastructure exporting their tech to Europe and America, given electric mopeds catch on there. \n\nUnlike electric cars, which require larger charging stations and a good electricity grid system, which most African countries like Nigeria struggle to provide, electric two-wheelers need minimal space and can be established even in informal settlements and peri-urban areas. Some startups have started developing batteries that off-grid solar systems and home sockets can charge.\n\n\nProduct of the Week\n\n * Nara Baby Tracker – You could say Peaks (one of my favorite apps) is Nara for grown ups. First, I’m so impressed with the design here. Lovely. Second, the functionality is incredible. A family member was using this to not only track their baby’s milestones, but get deep insight into how they are doing. Even better, it makes appointments at the doctor a breeze. \n\nDesigned by a mom to track her own newborn’s activity, the Nara app is an intuitive, fuss-free way to track naps, diapers, feeding schedule, pumping sessions, and more. Plus log your own pregnancy and postpartum health.\n\n\nCause of the Week\n\n * West Side German Shephard Rescue – Despite the old website, this is legit. I worked here for a good 6 months and loved it. Big dogs are frowned upon in LA and this shelter helps find them good homes across the country. Please consider donating as there are more dogs than ever in need of help. \n\n\nAlbum of the Week\n\n * For Promotional Use Only – I found the concept behind this album fascinating. I think a lot about how creative thought happens in the context of networked thinking. But I love seeing the concept applied to music, an area I’m less familiar with. \n\nThis musical project centers onthe idea of creativity as a shared and circulating force, inspired by Lewis Hyde’s exploration of how ideas are passed down, shared, and repurposed in The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World. The project embraces the concept of influence and references, showing how artists build upon one another’s work. Using uncleared samples from various media, it draws parallels to the Beastie Boys’ recombination of existing material.The project also explores the theological question of whether God can use “crooked”things—imperfect elements—to create straight paths, mirroring how artists take flawed, fragmented influences and craft something new. By sampling, referencing, and reshaping these pieces, the music contributes to a larger cultural conversation, just as Hyde suggests artists do when they “give” by incorporating others’ work into their own.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1617347454431-f49d7ff5c3b1?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDV8fG1vcGVkc3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3Nzk1NjEwNjF8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2024-12-01T00:49:30.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T18:31:06.000Z","published_at":"2024-12-01T00:49:30.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":"This week we talk about useful AI, how to bring craft to the little things, and the overlooked benefits of \"fast food.\"","codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":null,"newsletter_id":null,"show_title_and_feature_image":1},{"id":"69ec0051f660723bb415b520","uuid":"c6488283-bd2b-42cd-8586-2e61ce47e705","title":"Week 4 of November 2024: Slow AI and the End of Growth","slug":"week-4-of-november-2024-2","mobiledoc":null,"lexical":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Hello folks, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Welcome to Last Week I Learned. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Links\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"What does slow AI look like?\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://sublimeinternet.substack.com/p/what-does-slow-ai-look-like?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1191589&post_id=150102561&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3myxec&triedRedirect=true\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – So far my favorite applications of AI are \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"subtle\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.sunsama.com/features/ai\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" or \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"strange\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/carrot-weather/id993487541?mt=12\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". I’m adding slow to that list now with \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Sublime\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://sublimeinternet.substack.com/p/what-does-sublime-actually-do\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". If it’s truly the \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"end of productivity\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://every.to/thesis/the-end-of-productivity\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", we need to think about quality and originality more than quantity. Things are changing folks. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"It’s gonna take you a while. It’s normal to take a while. It’d be weird if you made something beautiful so quickly. The problem isn’t that you’re not working fast enough. The problem is your expectations are not realistic. Our AI helps you slow the fuck down and make something wonderful.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Nothing Grows Forever\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.utne.com/Politics/Nothing-Grows-Forever-Endless-Growth-Economy\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – Counterfactuals are versions of the past that could have happened, but did not. I can’t help but think about how different the world would be if we slowed down in times of trouble rather than becoming frantic. What if we could live well without growing like crazy? One of my favorite books this year, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Bullshit Jobs\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.alibris.com/Bullshit-Jobs-A-Theory-David-Graeber/book/39611330?matches=31\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", asks that question well. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"When Franklin Roosevelt supported grappling with Great Depression unemployment by decreasing the workweek to 30 hours, the largest corporations fought back fiercely. America, they argued, would be saved only by the new “gospel of consumption.” The administration would need to pursue flat-out growth, loosening labor laws and so forth, so that the industrialists could revive the nation. Roosevelt backed down.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Towards Production-Quality Peer-to-Peer Collaboration\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.inkandswitch.com/pushpin/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – This paper became one of my favorite productivity apps back in the day, \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Muse\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://museapp.com/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". Warning, this is quite technical. But in my opinion, it is groundbreaking. The article introduces some new ways of thinking about applications that I find inspiring. What if we could build without the internet? That’s a fascinating question. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"In the past, software used to run on one computer. Today we expect our software and data to be available on multiple devices, with synchronisation across devices belonging to the same user (e.g. laptop, smartphone, tablet), and also allowing real-time collaboration between multiple users.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"type\":\"linebreak\",\"version\":1},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"At present, such multi-user, multi-device software typically relies on cloud services that store the authoritative copy of the users’ data, and which can be accessed through thin clients such as web browsers and mobile apps. However, reliance on the cloud comes with problems: services require ongoing maintenance by expensive 24/7 operations teams, and they cease to exist when the organisation backing them terminates their funding\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Social Software Sundays – The Evaporative Cooling Effect\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://web.archive.org/web/20110221094204/http://blog.bumblebeelabs.com/social-software-sundays-2-the-evaporative-cooling-effect\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I love armchair psychology and this is a fascinating case. I’ve always known this intuitively, but I’ve never seen someone put this into words. The evaporative cooling effect seems to be prominent in the startup world, where I saw it in Indiana, Michigan, and Colorado alike. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Evaporative Cooling Effect is a term I learned from an excellent essay by Eliezer Yudowsky that describes a particular phenomena of group dynamics. It occurs when the most high value contributors to a community realize that the community is no longer serving their needs any more and so therefore, leave. When that happens, it drops the general quality of the community down such that the next most high value contributors now find the community underwhelming. Each layer of disappearances slowly reduces the average quality of the group until such a point that you reach the people who are so unskilled-and-unaware of it that they’re unable to tell that they’re part of a mediocre group.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Lao Food 101: Essential Dishes From Laos and Isan\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.seriouseats.com/a-guide-to-the-essential-dishes-of-laos\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I love food and man does this cuisine sound incredible. The real trick is going to be finding it here in the US. If you know where to find any Lao food here stateside, please reach out!\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Lao People’s Democratic Republic, as it’s formally known, is somewhat smaller than the state of Oregon, but it used to be a lot bigger. When the French invaded Southeast Asia (known in the 19th-century West as Indochina), they set the Mekong River as the border between Thailand and Laos, effectively splitting off a significant portion of the country and transforming it into what is now the Isan region of Thailand.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Deep Dive\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"A friend of mine told me about the \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Utah War\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_War\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", which took place less than a decade before the Civil War. In doing a little reading, I realized how little I knew about the history of the Mormon faith. This week’s deep dive takes a look at the history of the Mormon faith. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Mormons\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.history.com/topics/religion/mormons?__readwiseLocation=\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I found even a general overview insightful. I do not recall learning any of this history in my high school or college classes. I find this wild given it’s the story of an entire US state. Start here to refresh your memory or learn the broad strokes. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Mormons are a religious group that embrace concepts of Christianity as well as revelations made by their founder, Joseph Smith. They primarily belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or LDS, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has more than 16 million members worldwide. Another Mormon denomination, the Community of Christ, is centered in Independence, Missouri, and has about 250,000 members. The religion was officially founded in 1830 when The Book of Mormon was published.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Most American Religion\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/01/the-most-american-religion/617263/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I forgot sometimes that the Mormon faith is by all accounts the largest home grown “American” religion. I’ve yet to travel to Utah proper, but this felt like a great sales pitch. It wears rose colored glasses, but I found the bull case for the Mormon faith a fascinating one. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"By pretty much every measure, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has defied the expectations of its early observers. In the years immediately after its founding’ as Mormons were being chased across the country by state-sanctioned mobs’ skeptics predicted that the movement would collapse before the century was out. Instead, it became one of the fastest-growing religions in the world. The Church now averages nearly 700 converts a day; it has temples in 66 countries and financial reserves rumored to exceed $100 billion. In the past few years, Mormons have become a subject of fascination for their surprising resistance to Trumpism. Unlike most of the religious right, they were decidedly unenthusiastic about Donald Trump. From 2008 to 2016, the Republican vote share declined among Latter-day Saints more than any other religious group in the country.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Choosing to Stay in the Mormon Church Despite Its Racist Legacy\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/black-and-mormon/497660/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – The story of race in the Mormon faith is a checkered one. Joseph Smith was in some ways more progressive than his peers, but in the end the rush to join the American mainstream meant differentiation on the issue of race fell to the wayside. Things are changing and yet problems remain. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"It’s been six years since I became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Each year has been a lesson in faith and doubt, stretching and engaging what it means to be black, a woman, and Mormon. The decision to join on my own was not an easy one. As the child of a Protestant mother and a father who converted to Islam in his teens, I was doing something unheard of in my family by becoming a Mormon. And as a black woman, I had a heightened awareness of what it means to potentially be the only black person in any given congregation in the United States.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Mormon Prophet’s Tragedy\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1869/12/the-mormon-prophets-tragedy/630016/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – Written in 1869, I found this gripping. What a gift the Atlantic preserved this. It’s hard to read, the language barrier is real and it makes reference to what are now obscure historical events. But man is it fun to see a snapshot of history, right after the many conflicts between the US and the Mormon faith. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The coolest and most unbelieving of them all succeeded to the autocracy. Brigham Young, whether guided by instinct or reason I do not know, avoided the fatal mistake of Smith, who turned back from Missouri to Illinois, and the crazy fantasy of Rigdon, who would have gone from Illinois to Pennsylvania. Tribes and religions cannot travel against the sun. Young, during the troubled year that followed, exerted himself to gather all the reins of government into his own hands ; and there was not in all the slavish East a despot more absolute than he when at last he started, with his wives and his servants and his cattle, to lead his people into the vast tolerant wilderness.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Product of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Trashie\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.trashie.io/\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – I came across Trashie on \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"the Pivot Podcast\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://megaphone.link/VMP3733010646\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" this week. I love the concept of making the up-cycling of clothes easier than ever. As someone without a car, the fact they come to you in the form of a shipping friendly bag makes it all the better. In exciting news, they are expanding into eWaste which is arguably a thornier issue. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Did you know that 85% of ALL textiles end up in landfills? (Yes, even the ones you donate!) With Trashie’s #1 bestselling product, The Take Back Bag, your unwanted clothes and textiles stay out of the trash.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Cause of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Flooding in Nigeria\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://give.unrefugees.org/240924emer_nigem_p_3000/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=donate.unhcr.org&utm_campaign=US_PS_EN_NIGERIA-FLOODS_____240924&SF_onetime=701Rf00000JLxGgIAL&SF_monthly=701Rf00000JM2bJIAT&amt=30\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – Until I moved to Pittsburgh, I had no idea that flooding was \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Our Nation’s Most Frequent and Costly Natural Disaster\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.fbiic.gov/public/2010/mar/FloodingHistoryandCausesFS.PDF\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\". Nigeria was hit by catastrophic flooding. While the immediate aftermath is bad, the long term impact is worse. As many as \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"33 million could face hunger\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1156876#:~:text=Nigeria%20faces%20a%20monumental%20hunger,states%20are%20also%20at%20risk.\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" thanks to the damage to cropland. Please consider giving. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"There is a major flood in Nigeria. It is catastrophic, and hundreds of thousands of people have lost their homes and sources of livelihoods. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland have been washed away. Hundreds of people have died. A food crisis looms along with an intensification of poverty especially among the rural farmers. The flood has collapsed buildings, destroyed roads and equipment, stopped children from going to school, heavily diminished people’s access to medication and food, disrupted the lives of people, separated families, and killed hundreds of their loved ones. And some who have lost their dead cannot bury them yet. It is a nightmarish time.\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-quote\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Album of the Week\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"extended-heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h3\"},{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"GNX\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://open.spotify.com/album/0hvT3yIEysuuvkK73vgdcW?si=9SX_afSPQEOYdNkahlUj3A\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\" – It’s gotta be this one folks. After destroying Drake (sorry but it’s true) Lamar drops this, which is great top to bottom. As a little bonus, here’s \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"an interview with Lecrae\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HUV01y734z4\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", who was name dropped on \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"The Day The Party Died\",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":null,\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-the-day-the-party-died-lyrics\"},{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\", Lamar’s release during the VMA’s. \",\"type\":\"extended-text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"listitem\",\"version\":1,\"value\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"list\",\"version\":1,\"listType\":\"bullet\",\"start\":1,\"tag\":\"ul\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","html":"
Hello folks,
Welcome to Last Week I Learned.
As always, let me know which articles stick out! If you found any media (books, TV shows, etc) of your own, please send them my way.
It’s gonna take you a while. It’s normal to take a while. It’d be weird if you made something beautiful so quickly. The problem isn’t that you’re not working fast enough. The problem is your expectations are not realistic. Our AI helps you slow the fuck down and make something wonderful.
When Franklin Roosevelt supported grappling with Great Depression unemployment by decreasing the workweek to 30 hours, the largest corporations fought back fiercely. America, they argued, would be saved only by the new “gospel of consumption.” The administration would need to pursue flat-out growth, loosening labor laws and so forth, so that the industrialists could revive the nation. Roosevelt backed down.
In the past, software used to run on one computer. Today we expect our software and data to be available on multiple devices, with synchronisation across devices belonging to the same user (e.g. laptop, smartphone, tablet), and also allowing real-time collaboration between multiple users.
At present, such multi-user, multi-device software typically relies on cloud services that store the authoritative copy of the users’ data, and which can be accessed through thin clients such as web browsers and mobile apps. However, reliance on the cloud comes with problems: services require ongoing maintenance by expensive 24/7 operations teams, and they cease to exist when the organisation backing them terminates their funding
The Evaporative Cooling Effect is a term I learned from an excellent essay by Eliezer Yudowsky that describes a particular phenomena of group dynamics. It occurs when the most high value contributors to a community realize that the community is no longer serving their needs any more and so therefore, leave. When that happens, it drops the general quality of the community down such that the next most high value contributors now find the community underwhelming. Each layer of disappearances slowly reduces the average quality of the group until such a point that you reach the people who are so unskilled-and-unaware of it that they’re unable to tell that they’re part of a mediocre group.
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic, as it’s formally known, is somewhat smaller than the state of Oregon, but it used to be a lot bigger. When the French invaded Southeast Asia (known in the 19th-century West as Indochina), they set the Mekong River as the border between Thailand and Laos, effectively splitting off a significant portion of the country and transforming it into what is now the Isan region of Thailand.
A friend of mine told me about the Utah War, which took place less than a decade before the Civil War. In doing a little reading, I realized how little I knew about the history of the Mormon faith. This week’s deep dive takes a look at the history of the Mormon faith.
Mormons are a religious group that embrace concepts of Christianity as well as revelations made by their founder, Joseph Smith. They primarily belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or LDS, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has more than 16 million members worldwide. Another Mormon denomination, the Community of Christ, is centered in Independence, Missouri, and has about 250,000 members. The religion was officially founded in 1830 when The Book of Mormon was published.
By pretty much every measure, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has defied the expectations of its early observers. In the years immediately after its founding’ as Mormons were being chased across the country by state-sanctioned mobs’ skeptics predicted that the movement would collapse before the century was out. Instead, it became one of the fastest-growing religions in the world. The Church now averages nearly 700 converts a day; it has temples in 66 countries and financial reserves rumored to exceed $100 billion. In the past few years, Mormons have become a subject of fascination for their surprising resistance to Trumpism. Unlike most of the religious right, they were decidedly unenthusiastic about Donald Trump. From 2008 to 2016, the Republican vote share declined among Latter-day Saints more than any other religious group in the country.
It’s been six years since I became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Each year has been a lesson in faith and doubt, stretching and engaging what it means to be black, a woman, and Mormon. The decision to join on my own was not an easy one. As the child of a Protestant mother and a father who converted to Islam in his teens, I was doing something unheard of in my family by becoming a Mormon. And as a black woman, I had a heightened awareness of what it means to potentially be the only black person in any given congregation in the United States.
The coolest and most unbelieving of them all succeeded to the autocracy. Brigham Young, whether guided by instinct or reason I do not know, avoided the fatal mistake of Smith, who turned back from Missouri to Illinois, and the crazy fantasy of Rigdon, who would have gone from Illinois to Pennsylvania. Tribes and religions cannot travel against the sun. Young, during the troubled year that followed, exerted himself to gather all the reins of government into his own hands ; and there was not in all the slavish East a despot more absolute than he when at last he started, with his wives and his servants and his cattle, to lead his people into the vast tolerant wilderness.
Did you know that 85% of ALL textiles end up in landfills? (Yes, even the ones you donate!) With Trashie’s #1 bestselling product, The Take Back Bag, your unwanted clothes and textiles stay out of the trash.
There is a major flood in Nigeria. It is catastrophic, and hundreds of thousands of people have lost their homes and sources of livelihoods. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland have been washed away. Hundreds of people have died. A food crisis looms along with an intensification of poverty especially among the rural farmers. The flood has collapsed buildings, destroyed roads and equipment, stopped children from going to school, heavily diminished people’s access to medication and food, disrupted the lives of people, separated families, and killed hundreds of their loved ones. And some who have lost their dead cannot bury them yet. It is a nightmarish time.
Plus a deep dive on Mexico's Elections
The second big question is that we're electing 20,262 positions all over the country. This means we're not just getting 500 new congressmembers, but also 128 new senators, nine new governors, and tens of thousands of new regional and municipal representatives. It’s going to be the largest election we’ve ever had, and we’re really switching over to a whole new political class.
Frequently, we’ll find them by making easy problems hard, with hilarious/depressing results. The upper ranks of Big Tech are filled with people who made their careers writing bizarre custom databases, or building Big Data infrastructure that could be replaced with a laptop.
A search quality is something you can check before buying the product, like tasting a sample of cheese. An experience quality is something you have to spend more time figuring out, like seeing if your woodstain dries in the time printed on the tin.
Our analysis finds that Crocs is the most profitable of its largest shoe and apparel retail competition… by some distance.
It takes anywhere from three to five days to freeze 300-pound blocks, and then we cut them down by hand and distribute them all over Southern California. It’s a very time consuming, labor intensive, and also dangerous process that a lot of people either take for granted or don’t have much forethought or concern about.","comment_id":"69ec00376138f6055a542ad8","plaintext":"Plus a deep dive on Mexico's Elections\n\n 1. 🕵️ Special edition: Mexico's elections - This year will see a mind boggling number of elections across the world. As US relations with China deteriorate, it will pay to understand Mexican politics more. I love this newsletter for their local perspectives, giving you a first person peek into different countries.\n\nThe second big question is that we're electing 20,262 positions all over the country. This means we're not just getting 500 new congressmembers, but also 128 new senators, nine new governors, and tens of thousands of new regional and municipal representatives. It’s going to be the largest election we’ve ever had, and we’re really switching over to a whole new political class.\n\n 2. [best of benkuhn.net] You don't need to work on hard problems - I found this article on the nose for me. My driving force has been “finding interesting problems” thus far in my career. My perspective has always felt incomplete, but this article named the fuzzy feelings I could not put my finger on. Well put and well worth the read for anyone in tech or curious about it.\n\nFrequently, we’ll find them by making easy problems hard, with hilarious/depressing results. The upper ranks of Big Tech are filled with people who made their careers writing bizarre custom databases, or building Big Data infrastructure that could be replaced with a laptop.\n\n 3. cheese or woodstain? - The hype around AI is fuzzy. Here Don clears up at least one swath of use cases: search. I will be using this framework to think about what tools I use for search going forward.\n\nA search quality is something you can check before buying the product, like tasting a sample of cheese. An experience quality is something you have to spend more time figuring out, like seeing if your woodstain dries in the time printed on the tin.\n\n 4. Crocs: A Deep Dive - I freaking love an underdog. I am not a Crocs fan myself, but their brand fascinates me. Their deft use of social and partnerships did not register at first because of their strange visual style. Surely an ugly shoe company can’t have social chops? Turns out I was wrong.\n\nOur analysis finds that Crocs is the most profitable of its largest shoe and apparel retail competition… by some distance.\n\n 5. Why Does This Ice Cost $32? - I’ve not ever given much thought to ice, but I will never see it quite the same after reading this. Will I be buying $32 ice? No. But am I better for knowing the backstory? Yes.\n\nIt takes anywhere from three to five days to freeze 300-pound blocks, and then we cut them down by hand and distribute them all over Southern California. It’s a very time consuming, labor intensive, and also dangerous process that a lot of people either take for granted or don’t have much forethought or concern about.","feature_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1724092130936-fb1b5f9921ad?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDR8fGNyb2NzfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3OTU2MDQ3N3ww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","featured":0,"type":"post","status":"published","locale":null,"visibility":"public","email_recipient_filter":"all","created_at":"2024-06-03T21:36:00.000Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T18:21:24.000Z","published_at":"2024-06-03T21:36:00.000Z","published_by":"69eac7df1785b83e5f5597c4","custom_excerpt":"Do not work on interesting 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