Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
We live in a world where immediacy has become the cardinal virtue. More and more attention is focusing on real-time communications and messaging, both for consumers and businesses (e.g. Slack). But this focus comes with major implications and consequences. Immediacy delivers on-demand dopamine hits. We get instant gratification, not just because of the content of … Continue reading Immediacy, Quality, and AI
I spend a lot of time thinking about the future–both mine, and that of the world as a whole–and one of the things that has been on my mind is the need for us to do things differently. A recent longform piece in New York focused on the theory that the seeming inexorable economic progress … Continue reading “The Blip”, False Patterns, And How Startups Are The Future of Work
As we hurtle rapidly forward into an undiscovered country of robots and 3D printers, people are starting to ask, “What is the future of work?” Economic changes have already decimated traditional middle-class blue collar work like car- and steel-making. A lot of folks in Silicon Valley have jumped on the “everyone should learn how to … Continue reading The Future of Work
Mary Meeker is one of the few folks who was a leading figure during the first dot com boom who is still playing a similar role. (Contrast her with Mark Andreesen, who back then was the wunderkind behind Netscape, and today is an elder statesman and VC) That’s actually a good thing, because she continues … Continue reading The Mobile Gold Rush Has Just Begun
“It was the capacity for intimate relationships that predicted flourishing in all aspects of these men’s lives.” A few months back, I was asked, “What do you think we’ll look back upon centuries from now and marvel that we didn’t understand?” There are plenty of things we know are bonkers, but which were considered normal … Continue reading Psychology is the Physics of the 21st Century
Marc Andreessen (who is both richer and smarter than I’ll ever be) recently caused a stir with his Wall Street Journal op ed, “Why Software Is Eating The World.” Marc is a good writer, and it’s a good editorial that helps explain the increasing importance of software. But I can’t help but feel that he’s … Continue reading It’s The Information, Stupid
This morning, I heard the death knell for traditional broadcast television. My 6-year-old, Marissa, woke up called me to the living room. “Daddy, can I watch TV?” “Sure,” I said, reaching for the remote control. “No, not that TV,” she said, “This TV.” She held up the iPad, which the kids have been using to … Continue reading RIP, TV
Ten years ago, I paid $20 per month for dialup Internet access on my desktop computer. Today, I pay $20 for broadband access on a handheld computer that fits in my pocket, has enough battery power to last all day, and is vastly more powerful than my old tower. What do you think personal computing … Continue reading What Connectivity Will $20/Month Buy In 2020?
Genius or madness? A new sex toy (which looks like a giant peanut) promises to bring teledildonics to a new level, with sophisticated servos and controls, heating element, and lubrication tank. You hook it up to your computer and then play the on-demand videos which synch up to the device based on pre-programmed kinesthetic scripts. … Continue reading Real Touch Sex Toy: Madness, Genius, or the End of Humanity?
In case you haven’t seen it yet, this computer animated woman is mind-blowing. If I didn’t know that it was computer generated, I would have assumed it was a real person. I fear that all too soon, we’ll be testing Scott Adams’ assertion that the holodeck will be the last human invention ever created (because … Continue reading Computerized Woman Brings Holodeck One Step Nearer