David Pennington
@dtpennington
I write stuff. I’d like to write more stuff. Currently: reclaiming my brain.
David Pennington
dtpennington.com
Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle is a concept in quantum mechanics. It tells us that what we measure determines what we observe. And what we observe determines the nature of reality.
Are overnight oats ads proof that Instagram is changing reality?
AI is entirely to blame for why most inboxes are useless.
The tech has made email marketers vastly more confident in their production to delivery pipeline, which means I’m receiving 5 emails when there used to be one - and getting 5 emails doesn’t 5X my interest in the sale. Of all things, it 1/5ths it with each message that arrives.
Even my text
Emil Cioran never had a real job. ‘I avoided at any price the humiliation of a career,’ he observed toward the end of his life. ‘I preferred to live like a parasite [rather] than to destroy myself by keeping a job.’
Costica Bradatan • Learning to Be a Loser: A Philosopher’s Case for Doing Nothing
What does it tell us about progress if the most influential technological innovation of the century is clearly destroying lives on a massive scale?
Ted Gioia • I Ask Seven Heretical Questions About Progress
I've coined a new theory of the Internet in 2025.
It’s the basis for my new company.
I call it the "Boutique Impact" Theory.
Five years ago, audience was king. Make content, build audience, profit. I know this firsthand. I served 7,000+ Write of Passage and Second Brain students, many of whom wanted to build an audience. Most people sharing on the... See more
It’s the basis for my new company.
I call it the "Boutique Impact" Theory.
Five years ago, audience was king. Make content, build audience, profit. I know this firsthand. I served 7,000+ Write of Passage and Second Brain students, many of whom wanted to build an audience. Most people sharing on the... See more
Will Mannon • Will Mannon on Substack
If the early internet was serving beer and wine that brought people together, today’s internet is dealing crack and fentanyl that tears people apart. The consumer isn’t winning when they are addicted to a product that makes them unhappy, and when they are spending hours each day using products they would pay money to make disappear.