#104: On Red Scare, finding writing inspiration, and America’s hero fetish

My impulse is to say I don’t mind whether my ideas are original, but that’s not exactly true. I don’t want my writing to feel redundant or derivative of popular ideas that have been circulating forever, but to me that’s less about having wholly original thoughts and more about being in conversation with the world around me. Taken too literally, thi... See more

Don’t be afraid to be an idealist. There is much to be said for our responsibility as creators and consumers of that constant dynamic interaction we call culture — which side of the fault line between catering and creating are we to stand on? The commercial enterprise is conditioning us to believe that the road to success is paved with catering to ... See more

Every day I talk to smart young people who want to work in tech or become founders. And I ask them a simple and obvious question—one that should be instinctual to answer. Not about their revenue goals or their product or how they’re going to scale a team from 5 to 50. But a more essential question: What do you believe? Why will people follow you? I... See more