(Update: January 10, 2023)
This is a collection of on-going explorations into different questions and areas. Some of the questions are inspired by Neo Zhang who writes a brilliant newsletter, Platform Thinking Plus (check it out here).
Origin Stories
What are the origin stories of people, companies and industries? I am particularly fascinated by the history of technology, venture and entrepreneurship.
- People
- Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
- Love him or loath him, Steve Jobs remain a highly impactful figure on the tech industry and the world at large, and Walter Isaacson did a fantastic job with this book.
- Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
- Companies
- Industries
- The Internet History Podcast and How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone
- The book inspired by the podcast series. This is a great podcast series and book detailing the rise of the Internet and the actors who played a part.
- VC: An American History
- This is a tome which details the origin of the venture capital industry in the US, drawing its start from the whaling industry (fascinating!), chronicling the formation of concepts in venture (Power Law!) through to the institutionalization of the industry right up to the Dot Com boom and bust.
- The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future
- A little less academic in tone compared to the previous entry, but informative and, dare I say, fun read nonetheless. It’s interesting to have more of the voice of the personalities at play via interviews done by the author.
- The Internet History Podcast and How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone
Technology and Media
As technology & media evolve, how will we and our children perceive and interact with each other and the world?
- The screen time debate. Is there (and should there) be a distinction between active screen time where one is producing, and passive screen time (think endless scrolling on Instagram) where one is consuming? What are the relative effects of each on children?
Parenting and Fatherhood
On some levels this is my personal “immortality project”.
- Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood
- A very honest (and hence funny) account of fatherhood by Michael Lewis of Liar’s Poker and The Big Short fame.
Learning and Thinking
This relates to the on-going effort of building and optimising my personal I/O and operating system.
Economics, Finance and Investments
An inquiry into how money flows & how economies function.
Nations, Cities and Globalisation
Getting a deeper understanding of how the world works, the underlying “operating system” and our place in the larger scheme of things.
Humanity and Happiness
Who we are individually and collectively
Venture & Entrepreneurship
Everything about and in between start-ups, venture capital and entrepreneurship.