Napkin Math

Profit and power in technology.

Sep 5, 2024

Vibes-based Search

The next big disruption in software is here, and it understands what you’re looking for better than you do

Jun 11, 2024

Apple’s AI Evolution: Built-in AI, Supercharged Siri, and Ecosystem Lock-in

Maybe the new world is the same as the old

Dec 1, 2021

Investing on Instinct

Why the best deals are done with no data at all

Jun 4, 2024

AI Is Transforming the Nature of the Firm

By reducing transaction costs, AI will reshape how companies operate and interact

Jan 30, 2022

Spotify’s Quest to Own Your Ear

A Napkin Math and Trapital Production

Apr 14, 2022

The Race for New Payment Rails

Who is building the next Visa?

Jan 6, 2022

What the hell is going on with Lambda School?

The complicated business of selling social good

Jul 30, 2024

Tinder Is Way More Important Than You Think

The success of a dating app has huge implications for the U.S. economy

Jun 27, 2023

Shopping for AI Shovels: The MosaicML Acquisition

Why would Databricks spend $1.3B?

Jul 23, 2024

Vibes Are a Legitimate Economic Indicator

In her debut book, Kyla Scanlon makes the case for feeling the numbers

Sep 23, 2024

What Are AI Agents—And Who Profits From Them?

The newest wave of AI research is changing everything

Jul 11, 2024

Searching for Signal

When building a startup gets hard, where should we turn?

Jul 9, 2024

Paramount’s Dilemma: Content Isn’t King—Distribution Is

Half a century removed from its glory days, the Hollywood giant has a new rescue plan

Mar 23, 2022

BIG announcement incoming

I'm going full time on Napkin Math

Jan 9, 2025

More Output, Less Effort

8 pieces of technology that have dramatically improved my life

Oct 28, 2021

The Creator Power Scale: A Formula to Determine if Platforms are Ripping You Off

An examination of the Twitch Hack data

Jan 25, 2024

The Zone of Deployment

How can you know when to invest?

Feb 27, 2024

What the Media Is Getting Wrong About AI

The future must be built on truth

Jan 13, 2022

3 Thoughts On Justworks

The newest SaaS company to hit the public markets

Nov 16, 2023

COGS: How I Bankrupted MoviePass

An intuitive explainer for how to lose money and win anyway

Feb 6, 2024

Profit, Power, and the Vision Pro

Will Apple’s new headset change everything?

Sep 28, 2023

The Double Bind Theory—Or Why Sensationalism (Unfortunately) Works

If you want to win, you gotta spike

Aug 27, 2024

Benevolent Billionaire or Despot—Or Both?

A new book on Bill Gates asks: How do you measure a billionaire’s net impact on the world?

Apr 4, 2024

How I Use ChatGPT (As a Reasonable Person)

My AI awakening