sparks ⚡️

The elevated levels of sadness and fear are, I believe, at least in part the result of our philosophically sedentary lifestyle.

Controlling search means controlling how most people access every other digital thing—it’s an incredible platform to gain trust and visibility, advertise, or influence public opinion.

Much of what’s beautiful about searching the internet is jumping into ridiculous Reddit debates and developing unforeseen obsessions on the way to mastering a topic you’d first heard of six hours ago, via a different search; falling into clutter and treasure, all the time, without ever intending to. AI search may close off these avenues to not only... See more

The idea of research as leisure activity has stayed with me because it seems to describe a kind of intellectual inquiry that comes from idiosyncratic passion and interest. It’s not about the formal credentials. It’s fundamentally about play. It seems to describe a life where it’s just fun to be reading, learning, writing, and collaborating on ideas... See more

the best software products aren’t just assemblages of functionality, exposed by particular formal elements (links, buttons, icons, menus). Rather, they organize and shape how you think, and they create or sustain a particular lifestyle

At the same time, from the very beginning, the land of the free has also been about the freedom to make and spend money. America put God on our money, but for many Americans, money is God.

Misogyny isn’t about hating or discriminating against women because they are women and thus attract suspicion and consternation. Misogyny is about exposing women to harm because our gender makes us beneath full consideration. Misogyny is primarily something we face, not something people feel in their hearts.

A lot will be said about how Trump voters are wrong to vote for him out of their concern about “the economy.” And obviously, what they mean by “the economy” is their pocketbook, their bank balance. But even if they were right (and they’re not), this is a devastating realization: that so many Americans will shrug about the bodies and the needs of gi... See more

Research shows that women often inherit leadership roles when organizations are in crisis. That kind of risk exposure is especially acute for women of color. Desperate companies and nonprofits blow through their wunderkind leaders and turn to women, who often have fewer organizations competing for their talents. They can get them at a good deal — f... See more

Nature abhors a vacuum. But political opportunists thrive in vacuums.

This election was about who told a better story about the fundamentals without promising anything to fix those fundamentals. That is the sweet spot for an opportunist like Trump and his party. Sell everything, promise nothing. Keep them coming back for more.