P.S. You Should Know... | Issue #340
Local rebates
my story 🚀
After an unfortunate bike theft, I found myself in the market for a new bike last week. At the prodding of a friend, I upgraded to an e-bike with room for two kids on the back bench. What a great call that’s been!
One bonus was a rebate from Austin Energy for $600, part of its “E-Ride” rebate. An interesting touch was the requirement to buy from a “participating dealership” that “must be an Austin Energy electric customer and … must have a local Austin dedicated storefront.” It’s a great incentive to drive purchasers to local businesses! And in this case, it worked to steer me to Electric Surf Co, a cool store that started out selling electric surf boards and one-wheel electric skateboards.
fun facts 🙌
What are the paths that led to unicorn founders? This is really interesting research with a very cool visualization. About half are immigrants or children of immigrants, about half have worked at a startup previously, and about half are serial entrepreneurs. ~ learn more
Galls on Oak leaves and twigs. “Galls are abnormal growths or swellings of plant tissue often caused by the attack of an insect. Galls on oaks are most often caused by small wasps or midges. Insects that cause galls to form are known as gallmakers.” ~ learn more
You are all colorblind compared to tetrachromats. “Tetrachromacy is a rare type of colour vision that allows people to see colours that other people can’t. … While those of us with three of these receptors have the ability to distinguish around one million different colours, tetrachromats are thought to see an estimated 100 million.” ~ learn more
Historical maps probably helped cause World War I. “The simplicity of a historical map — the clear labels, the sharp edges, and above all the reduction of thousands or millions of people into abstract symbols — is a big part of why they’re so beguiling. But it’s also why they lead us astray.” ~ learn more
oh, austin 🤠
A nature trail that became a makeshift homeless encampment. This is near my home and very sad all around. I used to cross through this trail to get my morning coffee, but not anymore. It’s been a 2-month (ongoing) cleanup process for workers to remove all the trash. “The videos, from Austin activist Jamie Hammonds, show the encampment covered in trash "as far as the eye can see," including liquor bottles, needles, Narcan, and other junk.” ~ learn more
tech, startups, internet ⚡
Google shakes the couch cushions for ads revenue in leaked email. From the head of Ads to the heads of Search and Chrome: “I also don’t want the message to be ‘we’re doing this thing because the Ads team needs revenue.’ That’s a very negative message. But my question to all of you is - based on the above - what do we think is the best decision for Google overall?” [Emphasis mine.] ~ learn more
Product-led AI. Greylock investor Seth Rosenberg wants to back the ‘gold miners’ in AI, rather than the popular ‘picks and shovels’. “As I see it, these are the three largest opportunities for founders to build AI-first companies: 1. AI-first networks & marketplaces; 2. Re-defining enterprise software categories; 3. Co-pilot for services” ~ learn more
What OpenAI really wants. This Wired article covers the company’s ambitions. Everyone involved seems to stick to the script: they’re working to create a safe AGI, and it’ll be glorious for humanity. ~ learn more
better doing 🎯
The twelve leverage points to intervene in a system. “Meadows started with the observation that there are levers, or places within a complex system (such as a firm, a city, an economy, a living being, an ecosystem, an ecoregion) where a "small shift in one thing can produce big changes in everything" … She said most people know where these points are instinctively, but tend to adjust them in the wrong direction.” ~ learn more
Business growth lives or dies by working capital. An excellent illustrative example from “The Secret CFO” about working capital’s impact on a growing business. I recently discovered this writer and am thoroughly impressed. ~ learn more
Playing different (stupider) games. “Stupider games are not realizing that other people are playing different games. OpenAI is playing a different game. Capital agglomerators are playing different games. Chamath is playing a different game. One of the biggest obstacles to most of the systems in the world, whether its healthcare, criminal justice, mental health, housing, or capitalism itself—all of them are filled with people playing different games.” ~ learn more
to your health ⚕
What does a nutritionist do? “Though many may call themselves a nutritionist in most states, that’s not the case with other credentials such as registered dietitian nutritionist (RD/RDN) and certified nutrition specialist (CNS). So what’s the difference between these two types of nutritionists?” ~ learn more
It's not the carbs, it's the type of carbs. “The study, published Wednesday in the BMJ, shows “the quality of the carbohydrates in a person’s diet is much more important than the amount,” said its senior author, Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.” ~ learn more
under the microscope 🔬
Always remain skeptical of popular science reporting. “Let me tell you the story of this still of stephen colbert wearing meat goggles, my buddy Frank, and how I learned to distrust science journalism” ~ learn more
FedEx for your cells: extracellular vesicles. Consider this your friendly reminder that we mostly still have no idea how biology works. “Scientists are learning ever more about how vesicles move in and out of cells and across the complex terrain between them, as well as about the roles of vesicles in health and disease. EVs might, for example, be responsible for cancers spreading in the body, or could even be involved in the ageing process.” ~ learn more
Researchers employ quantum mechanics to target glioblastoma. With “gold bipolar nanoelectrodes, termed bio-nanoantennae” plus a bit of electrical stimulation, the cancer cells self-destructed while leaving neighboring healthy cells unharmed. ~ learn more
on the blockchain ⛓
The PayPal stablecoin and why its different from regular cash held at PayPal. “PayPal customers can now transact in PayPal USD, a crypto stablecoin tied to the dollar. So which type of PayPal dollar, regular or crypto, is safer to hold? Surprisingly, the crypto dollar is backed by safer assets, gives you better rights in the event of a bankruptcy and is more transparent.” Interesting that the crypto dollar is safer because of regulation, not because of crypto per-se. ~ learn more
profiles of people 🚶
Jane Stafford pioneered the field of science reporting. Presented without irony, despite the link above warning you to remain skeptical of science reporting. “To their credit and to the benefit of millions of readers, a group of accomplished women at a small Washington, DC-based science news organization—the Science Service—overcame such barriers and, with self-confidence, intelligence, and skill, pioneered in the nascent field of science journalism.” ~ learn more