I wrote a post a few years ago titled “Some Things I Have Learned About Email” which among other things advocates for double opt-in introductions. These have by now thankfully become fairly standard and when people don’t follow the protocol it now stands out. There is one more thing though that is worth emphasizing even though it should be obvious (but apparently is not): if you asked for an introduction and now someone makes that introduction for you over email, it is your job to send the ne...

I wrote a post a few years ago titled “Some Things I Have Learned About Email” which among other things advocates for double opt-in introductions. These have by now thankfully become fairly standard and when people don’t follow the protocol it now stands out. There is one more thing though that is worth emphasizing even though it should be obvious (but apparently is not): if you asked for an introduction and now someone makes that introduction for you over email, it is your job to send the ne...

It is the season of mega tech IPOs including the recent offerings by Pinterest and the upcoming one by Uber. A key question to be answered is how well will these companies perform in the public markets over time? So far Pinterest has traded up nicely in the first few days, but I am asking about long term performance. We are in new territory here because of how much money these companies have been able to raise previously in private markets. To unpack the question and its implications further:...

It is the season of mega tech IPOs including the recent offerings by Pinterest and the upcoming one by Uber. A key question to be answered is how well will these companies perform in the public markets over time? So far Pinterest has traded up nicely in the first few days, but I am asking about long term performance. We are in new territory here because of how much money these companies have been able to raise previously in private markets. To unpack the question and its implications further:...

NOTE: I have been posting excerpts from World After Capital on Mondays. But because I am doing a more substantial rewrite of Part Four, today’s post describes what I am planning to cover. I want Part Four to be more practical by pointing out ways we can take responsibility today for making the transition to the Knowledge Age. Here are areas I am planning to cover. I am curious if anyone has additional suggestions. First there are direct contributions to the three freedoms. 1. Mindfulness rese...

NOTE: I have been posting excerpts from World After Capital on Mondays. But because I am doing a more substantial rewrite of Part Four, today’s post describes what I am planning to cover. I want Part Four to be more practical by pointing out ways we can take responsibility today for making the transition to the Knowledge Age. Here are areas I am planning to cover. I am curious if anyone has additional suggestions. First there are direct contributions to the three freedoms. 1. Mindfulness rese...

One thing I have learned in over 2 decades of working with startups is that you can learn the most about a leader from the organization that they build. Over time, especially if not checked by a capable board, the organization will come to reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the leader(s). There is a great German saying “Der Fisch stinkt vom Kopf” – “The fish stinks from the head.” The origin of this saying is that a fish’s brain is the most fragile part of the body and when a fish has be...

One thing I have learned in over 2 decades of working with startups is that you can learn the most about a leader from the organization that they build. Over time, especially if not checked by a capable board, the organization will come to reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the leader(s). There is a great German saying “Der Fisch stinkt vom Kopf” – “The fish stinks from the head.” The origin of this saying is that a fish’s brain is the most fragile part of the body and when a fish has be...

I have been enjoying writing about current events as part of Uncertainty Wednesdays, such as the Notre Dame fire and the Boeing crashes. Today’s edition is about impeachment following the Mueller report. One of the great early thinkers about uncertainty was Blaise Pascal who made many important contributions to mathematics (among them Pascal’s triangle which is a staple of learning math). In a posthumously published work Pascal sets out a simple argument for believing in God which has become ...

I have been enjoying writing about current events as part of Uncertainty Wednesdays, such as the Notre Dame fire and the Boeing crashes. Today’s edition is about impeachment following the Mueller report. One of the great early thinkers about uncertainty was Blaise Pascal who made many important contributions to mathematics (among them Pascal’s triangle which is a staple of learning math). In a posthumously published work Pascal sets out a simple argument for believing in God which has become ...

NOTE: Today’s excerpt from my book World After Capital starts the fourth and final section. I am embarking on a significant rewrite of that section to make it more action oriented, so expect some rough reading ahead. Suppose that I have convinced you of the importance of the Knowledge Loop and of the scarcity of attention in the digital age. Suppose further that you find my suggestions for increasing economic, informational and psychological freedom interesting. That still leaves a huge quest...

NOTE: Today’s excerpt from my book World After Capital starts the fourth and final section. I am embarking on a significant rewrite of that section to make it more action oriented, so expect some rough reading ahead. Suppose that I have convinced you of the importance of the Knowledge Loop and of the scarcity of attention in the digital age. Suppose further that you find my suggestions for increasing economic, informational and psychological freedom interesting. That still leaves a huge quest...

NOTE: Today’s excerpt from my book World After Capital ends the chapter on psychological freedom. The prior excerpts covered the freedom to learn, to create, and to share. The following ties this back to one of the central chapters on Humanism. Psychological Freedom and HumanismSelf-regulation, through some kind of mindfulness practice, lies at the heart of psychological freedom. It allows us to separate wants from needs. It lets us take our initial reactions to content that we see and not im...

NOTE: Today’s excerpt from my book World After Capital ends the chapter on psychological freedom. The prior excerpts covered the freedom to learn, to create, and to share. The following ties this back to one of the central chapters on Humanism. Psychological Freedom and HumanismSelf-regulation, through some kind of mindfulness practice, lies at the heart of psychological freedom. It allows us to separate wants from needs. It lets us take our initial reactions to content that we see and not im...

It was upsetting to see Notre Dame burn on Monday, as the building is a beloved landmark to the many millions who have visited Paris and enjoyed a stroll near its majestic presence. In addition it is also a major symbol for many French and an ongoing place of religious worship. It now appears that reconstruction is not only possible but will also be well funded (prompting some interesting debates about fairness). In today’s Uncertainty Wednesday, I want to focus on an important lesson from th...

It was upsetting to see Notre Dame burn on Monday, as the building is a beloved landmark to the many millions who have visited Paris and enjoyed a stroll near its majestic presence. In addition it is also a major symbol for many French and an ongoing place of religious worship. It now appears that reconstruction is not only possible but will also be well funded (prompting some interesting debates about fairness). In today’s Uncertainty Wednesday, I want to focus on an important lesson from th...

Normally I would post a revised excerpt from World After Capital, but last week involved a lot of travel so I didn’t make enough progress. Instead, if you have not seen it already, I recommend watching Andrew Yang’s CNN Town Hall. Andrew is to-date the only presidential candidate to support a Universal Basic Income, which is one of the key policies I recommend in World After Capital in the chapter on Economic Freedom.

Normally I would post a revised excerpt from World After Capital, but last week involved a lot of travel so I didn’t make enough progress. Instead, if you have not seen it already, I recommend watching Andrew Yang’s CNN Town Hall. Andrew is to-date the only presidential candidate to support a Universal Basic Income, which is one of the key policies I recommend in World After Capital in the chapter on Economic Freedom.

From time to time, I see people online posting how they simply talked about something only to be presented an ad about that very thing soon thereafter. This quickly leads into speculation that some software on the phone was using the microphone to listen in on conversations and used that information for ad targeting. There has been extensive discussion online of the technical feasibility and the likely legal consequences. The rough consensus appears to be that it is theoretically possible, ha...

From time to time, I see people online posting how they simply talked about something only to be presented an ad about that very thing soon thereafter. This quickly leads into speculation that some software on the phone was using the microphone to listen in on conversations and used that information for ad targeting. There has been extensive discussion online of the technical feasibility and the likely legal consequences. The rough consensus appears to be that it is theoretically possible, ha...