Six Links That Make You Think #796

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Just Evil Enough, Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another:

Emerson, AI, And The Force – Neal Stephenson – Substack. “Graphomane, Neal Stephenson‘s Substack, continues to delight. I wrote about AI and the Primer from his book, The Diamond Age, a while back; here, he takes his idea to task. Give two people the same resources, and one might thrive while another would squander the opportunity. Many of us have limitless resources, at least informationally: all the world’s tutorials, and a companion in our pockets. So why will some flourish and others wither? This is ultimately a piece about education, and relevant to your current interests, Hugh.” (Alistair for Hugh). 25 Years – Ben Yoskovitz – Focused Chaos . “My friend and Lean Analytics co-author Ben Yoskovitz wrote a heartfelt post on his blog, normally reserved for startup and innovation topics. It’s about his mother’s cognitive decline, and how few years we have left in lives that once stretched out endlessly before us. As Ben says, don’t waste time.” (Alistair for Mitch). The Last Days Of Social Media – James O’Sullivan – Noema . “If I could give one piece of advice to anyone it would be this: delete all your social media apps, and delete all your accounts.” (Hugh for Alistair). Unbundle The University – Yascha Mounk – Persuasion . “‘How did you go bankrupt?’… ‘Two ways,’ Mike said. ‘Gradually and then suddenly.’ Seems like this is happening to institutions all around us.” (Hugh for Mitch).  Psychology Hacks Of The World’s Best Advertisers – Rory Sutherland – Chris Donnelly – YouTube . “I don’t like the title of this podcast… it seems link-baity and (sadly) it might turn off more people that it should. Listen, if you’re not already on the Rory Sutherland train, I am going to urge you to spend some time with this conversation. Rory is on fire (and there is some NSFW language along for the ride). Alistair, I can’t imagine you not loving most of what Rory has to say. Scratch beneath the surface of his ad exec title and you will uncover a wildy divergent thinker, polymath and brillaint sythesizer of what it both means to build a business today… how the markets dance… and how to avoid all of that nonsense to build something that really matters… this is pure gold and just evil enough for you… tell me what you think.” (Mitch for Alistair). Why Everyone Is Wrong About AI (Including You) – Benedict Evans – The Knowledge Project . “I’m a huge fan of Benedict Evans so (before I pass judgement), I’d love to hear what you think about his take on AI. For my dollar? I don’t think current usage and capabilities are the best way to decide whether this is a bubble or not. I’m also cautious not to be a market of one. With that, I didn’t connect with many of his perspectives on what AI can and can’t do and how it might impact work going forward. I am often talking about this idea that we are in ‘stasis’ when it comes to technological moments like this. We have a hard time projecting out what it could be, because we think it is at its limitations or the best it can be in this moment. I still think AI is still in its early stages (long before mass adoption) and well before Day One. And I am not sure why he has come to these conclusions… but I am open to being wrong and being persuaded by his perspectives.” (Mitch for Hugh). 

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

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