Teams
The One-on-One Gift Exchange
This simple, repeatable framework for building a culture of open feedback has been a part of my toolkit for over a decade.
Notable links
Commentary on links that caught my attention around the web.
Media
What I learned in the first five years of Platformer
Casey Newton's annual updates are always great. This year, perhaps predictably, the biggest highlight for me is his ambitions around community. We need stronger community platforms to support newsrooms.
Culture
How aesthetics destroyed privacy and polarized us
Has the internet led to more polarization, or is this more of a great unmasking, where people feel more comfortable to share opinions they've always held?
Startups
Implementing an unlimited PTO policy
Useful tips on creating an unlimited PTO policy. I used to think these were more accounting hacks than real benefits - but I've changed my mind over time.
Technology
Bluesky now platform of choice for science community
A new survey suggests that scientists vastly prefer Bluesky to X - and to its other alternatives.
Media
More UK news publishers are adopting 'consent or pay' advertising model
"Sixteen of the 50 biggest news websites in the UK are now using a “consent or pay” model to allow users to pay to reject personalised advertising or even avoid ads altogether." It should be illegal.
Business
Why You Need Systems Thinking Now
"Focus on flows and relationships, not products or services." An argument for systems thinking instead of design thinking or breakthrough innovation.
AI
Political Pollsters Are Trying to Save Money by Polling AI Instead of Real People, and It’s Going About as Well as You’d Expect
"Obviously, any campaign that used only that AI-generated data would miss the mark — instead of looking at the views of real respondents, it would be looking at a funhouse mirror reflection of a demographic cooked up by a language model with no access to actual data."
Media
The 19th's Strategic Plan
"The 19th developed seven key initiatives to guide our priorities for the next three years." Doing this work in public is such a smart move.
Democracy
How Do We Tell the Story of Gaza’s Murdered Journalists?
"Now, nearly two years and more than 250 assassinations later, I can count the names of the living journalists in Gaza I follow on one hand."
Technology
Funding Open Source like public infrastructure
"Open Source runs much of the world's critical infrastructure. It powers government services, supports national security, and enables everything from public health systems to elections. This means governments must help fund Open Source."
Technology
Perplexity Makes Longshot $34.5 Billion Offer for Chrome
"Artificial-intelligence startup Perplexity offered to purchase Google’s Chrome browser for $34.5 billion as it works to challenge the tech giant’s web-search dominance."