observed: anything great is different, different is jarring at first as a rule and must be sat with - whether it’s a new brand or product or anything - before judgment. seen too many gut reactions kill something fun and new.
related fact: focus groups test for familiarity, not greatness.
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the ability for leaders to quickly change their minds is a total flex. requires confidence, ability to let learnings quickly override flawed assumptions, and intellectual honesty at the expense of ego.
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“don’t fix it if it ain’t broke” is the beginning of the end for incumbents. as soon as you stop improving if not reimagining the thing that made you successful, you’re toast. especially these days.
same applies to people and their jobs 😬
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in AGI world, as EQ becomes a more critical factor than IQ in one’s success (if it wasn’t always?), trying to imagine how education responds?
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susceptibility to programmatic socialization at scale is something we really need to understand, too bad they had to stop the study. today’s algos are a walk in the park compared to what’s coming with AI-driven social accounts with agendas
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continuously struck by the altruistic nature of Waze, and just how many people contribute meaningfully without a clear transactional reward mechanic. we just love it and want to make it better - such a unique ecosystem.
explains why it’s still independent from Google Maps.
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a few of my most staunchly conservative friends now view (rationalize) losing their capital as an act of patriotism. pretty wild to hear this from people who were so anti taxes. curious how this all plays out.
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thinking: humans will have better odds of success in the age of AI by having more creative inputs (think travel, life experiences, collisions of culture) and better questions.
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one key attribute of AI for the exploratory process is that it has no fear of trying. using these tools does illuminate just how hesitant we all are to play out scenarios and go down unlikely paths. humans have opportunity cost of time and reputation, AI doesn’t care.
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one famous photographer I know once confided, “it’s really just taking a shit load of photographs and then picking the best one.” Reminded me that quality is often a function of quantity of options, time and tools for creation, and taste.
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learned a new term: “phenomenology” - the study of how we perceive and experience the world. so crucial for any product builder, not sure why I didn’t know this term sooner in my life.
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latest edition explores implications around: (1) making sense of the rapid displacement of startups and “the best model” rat race, (2) how “artifacts of humanity” will become a human flex of sorts…
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