Marc Collado

The Wizard of Menlo Park

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT

The phonograph keynote

When Edison first presented the phonograph to Scientific American, the audience was stunned by its ability to say a simple “hello.” This moment parallels modern-day tech keynotes, like Apple product launches, where innovation shocks the public, only to become normalized rapidly.

It serves as a reminder that today’s jaw-dropping advancements will likely seem trivial or outdated soon. Just as Scientific American was amazed by the phonograph, today’s innovations will eventually lose their novelty as we integrate them into our daily lives.

Within a few years, we might view current interfaces as primitive, much like how the phonograph’s early days now seem simplistic compared to streaming services or AI assistants.

Spotify’s grandfather

It’s fascinating that as early as the 19th century, people like Joseph Hippel envisioned telephones being used to stream music into homes, much like modern music streaming services.

Edison’s phonograph ultimately paved the way for this concept, although he didn’t immediately grasp its potential for music distribution. His initial focus remained on telegraphy.

Focus on the market’s needs

Edison’s first invention, the legislative vote recorder, was a technical marvel but failed because he didn’t understand the needs of its market. Politicians rejected it as they preferred slower voting processes that allowed time for lobbying.

This failure taught Edison that even the most brilliant innovations must align with user needs.

Edison as the first celebrity inventor

Before Edison, celebrities were primarily political and military figures. Edison pioneered the modern concept of a celebrity inventor, a role he leveraged by constantly engaging with the media.

He understood the power of public interest in his work, which helped him secure financial backing and public support for his inventions. It was this blend of technological achievement and media savviness that made him one of the first true celebrity figures in the way we understand fame today.

This is akin to today’s tech figures, such as Elon Musk, who masterfully use public attention and media to fuel their businesses.

ICE vs. electric car

The relationship between Thomas Edison and Henry Ford was one of mutual admiration and deep friendship that lasted over several decades.

While Edison initially supported the idea of electric cars, it was Ford’s success with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles that shaped the automotive industry. Despite this, Ford never stopped admiring Edison and continued to support his work and legacy.

One notable collaboration came in 1914 when Ford helped finance Edison’s research into electric car batteries. However, the collaboration didn’t yield the results they had hoped, and electric cars didn’t take off as they had envisioned at that time.

Her, Not Ready Player One

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT

https://player.rss.com/focaterra/1157848?theme=color&v=2

We once thought we were building a future straight out of Ready Player One. However, it turns out, our future is shaping up to be more akin to the movie Her.

A paradigm shift around the corner

The driver for a generational change is a paradigm shift. The history of computing is essentially a chain of these shifts, each triggered by a groundbreaking technological advancement within its underlying foundation. These pivotal moments don’t just tweak the status quo; they redefine how we interact with technology.

From mainframes to personal computers (PCs), from desktop applications to the web, first on PCs, and then on mobile. Each new technological wave enables the upcoming paradigm and causes a seismic shift in human-computer interaction (HCU), spurring the rise of fresh tools and new entrants to the market.

Easier, closer

At the core of every shift there is a central theme: frictionless interaction and deeper human-tech integration. Technology keeps coming closer to our bodies and becoming more user-friendly.

Even though mobile seems today like the endgame, it just takes a technological breakthrough to bring about new product possibilities we’re not even dreaming of. Imagine trying to conceptualize the personal computer back in the ’60s, or an iPhone in the ’90s; our forecasts are often limited by the lens of the present. We might now be at the same point.

We may think we’re predicting the future, but we’re just projecting our current toolkit into the future. We’re missing the foundational shift that will pave the way for what’s next. It’s also why sci-fi movies from the last century are cluttered with cables and machinery. They were simply extrapolating from what they knew.

A false start

That being said, industry incumbents, like Apple and Meta, are keenly aware of history’s cyclical nature. Their eyes are set on the next paradigm shift, and both seem to think it’ll be a VR wonderland straight out of Ready Player One. But here’s the catch: VR might add more friction than it removes, making it a counterintuitive successor to our handy mobile devices.

Now, skip VR; it’s advancements in Large Language Models (LLMs) and Artificial Intelligence that may be the real game changers.

AI-driven social networks are already remodeling our digital friendships — removing the need for humans to create the content that populates our feeds. While multi-modal interactions with platforms like ChatGPT offer a user experience that’s more human-like than ever before.

They’re steering HCU towards an era of synthetic social networks and ambient computing.

Ambient computing

For startups looking to gain a foothold, LLMs offer the first opportunity since the dawn of the iPhone to capture user attention and to replace the phone as the de facto device.

This is precisely why Meta’s smart glasses — not the Oculus headset — are their ticket to a frictionless, immersive user experience. By folding AI into everyday items, Meta is streamlining product design in an unprecedented way.

A device that can master multi-modal input might very well be the heir to the smartphone throne and pave the way to a the new paradigm. One that aims to make technology so integral to our surroundings that we forget it’s even there.

It’s the next frontier, challenging the continuous computing emerged from the smartphone and leading to a computing that fuses with our environment. The advent of AI isn’t just an incremental update; it’s a revolutionary shift and probably the next chapter in the ongoing story of human progress.

23.29: Notes on Montaigne

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Earlier this year, all thanks to a nudge from Jesús Salido, I got hooked on The Essays by Michel de Montaigne. Right off the bat, I felt like the french philosopher was speaking my language. I mean, this guy from the Renaissance was dropping life truths and principles that still hit home today.

However, The Essays are long and kind of a tough read. That’s why I jotted down some key takeaways, akin to the quick summaries I whipped up for both Nietzche and Yuval Noah Harari.

Here’s a closer look at some of his most prominent ideas. This is Michel de Montaigne for the rest of us.

Action, honor, and truth

While many envision Montaigne as a cultured man, sequestered in his library, it’s essential to recognize him as deeply involved in the political happenings of his time.

I have an open disposition, apt to build trust at first encounters. Authenticity and truth are accepted in any era.

Montaigne was also a lover of genuine conversation. He was not one to engage in debates with the intent to conquer but rather to understand. He believed that sincerity and staying true to one’s word had more merit.

If moral conviction doesn’t drive us to honesty, practical reason should.

Embracing human nature

Montaigne championed the idea of relativism, suggesting that truths are not absolute but subject to individual perceptions. His writings betray a deep-seated skepticism, doubting the very foundation of human reasoning.

What do I know?

Montaigne urged us to come to terms with our human condition, embracing our imperfections and the unpredictability of life. He subscribed to Heraclitus’s idea that everything is in a constant state of flux, making the pursuit of absolute truth elusive. His motto was, “What do I know?”, reminding us of the ever-changing nature of reality.

Aging and mortality

Montaigne likened aging to a slow, piece-by-piece death. He believed that as we grow older and experience life’s gradual losses, the finality of death becomes less shocking. Thus we shouldn’t reflect on it as a big event, but rather as the last stage of this gradual process.

He draws parallels between the potency of youth and the waning strength of old age, using metaphors like a falling tooth as a sign of both aging and impending mortality.

To philosophize is to learn to die.

However, death was a recurring theme in Th Essays, viewing it as an inevitable part of existence. He admired the stoic attitudes of peasants who faced the devastations of wars and plagues with a calm reminiscent of Socrates drinking hemlock.

The natural state

In his travels, Montaigne encountered diverse cultures, leading him to challenge the ethnocentrism of his contemporaries. He argued against the notion of cultural superiority, emphasizing mutual respect and understanding. At his core, he was a humanist. He celebrated individual freedom, the dignity of each person, and the potential within every human being.

The men and women of the New World lived better before Columbus discovered them.

Montaigne had an idealized view of the New World, seeing it as closer to the natural state than the Old World. He believed that the closer one is to this natural state, the better.

He also expressed concerns about the possible imbalance arising from the convergence of two worlds at distinct developmental stages.

Montaigne held a skeptical view on progress, seeing history as a cycle rather than a straight line. Some of his ideas even seem to draw inspiration from Taoism.

Changing the state of things risks making it worse rather than better.

His skepticism led him to uphold traditions, even if they seemed arbitrary.

Montaigne encouraged returning to natural behavior, criticizing societal constructs that deviate from it. He denounced the cruelty he witnessed, particularly in religious wars, emphasizing the sanctity of life above all.

Apunts de la WWDC

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT

https://player.rss.com/focaterra/987037?theme=color&v=2

Vision Pro

És probablement el producte “menys polit” que mai ha llançat Apple. Sí que és cert que hem vist “jugades semblants” com podrien ser l’iPhone o l’Apple Watch en el seu moment, però cap en un estat de maduresa tan inicial com aquest.
Vision Pro no les hem d’entendre com un complement de l’iPhone, com ho pot ser l’Apple Watch o els AirPods, sinó com el futur i potencial relleu del Mac.
Filosòficament ens el volen vendre com un producte al qual mirem a través i no a si mateix. Malgrat aquesta afirmació és tecnològicament incorrecte — doncs el Vision Pro projecta la realitat exterior que les seves càmeres capturen cap a una pantalla opaca situada a la part interior del dispositiu — la il·lusió que vol transmetre és que en tot moment estem percebent el món exterior a través d’un vidre.
El dispositiu tècnicament qualificaria de realitat virtual. Però posa tant èmfasi en voler-nos fer creure que, el seu mode per defecte és el d’augmentar-la. Malgrat tot, durant la presentació en cap moment es fa esment de la “realitat augmentada” o “realitat virtual” sinó que ens introdueixen al concepte “spatial computing”.
Malgrat que a nivell tecnològic hi siguem molt lluny, la raó de l’anterior és que la visió futura per aquest producte són unes ulleres de l’estil “Google Glass”. Doncs amb les Vision Pro, estem intentant creuar aquest abisme tecnològic i social, accelerant el progrés entre el món actual i aquest hipotètic escenari futur. De la mateixa manera que un mòdem de 28k obrí pas i allisà el camí cap a una xarxa 5G.
Inicialment, els casos d’ús que vaticinen són productivitat, probablement l’únic que pot arribar a justificar aquest elevat preu, i entreteniment passiu, on el subjecte participa de manera estàtica en un esdeveniment o joc.
Els espais d’ús que mostren mai tenen lloc en emplaçaments exteriors, sinó a casa, l’oficina, o un avió. Deixant ben clar aquest no és un producte pensat per a la mobilitat ni la interacció social en espais oberts.
El que inevitablement ens porta a parlar de l’aïllament inherent en l’ús d’aquestes tecnologies. Malgrat que Apple ha intentat fer molt èmfasi en aquesta “transparència” i la (falsa) sensació que en tot moment estem percebent l’exterior, la veritat és que hi ha un punt de raresa en el fet d’experimentar una realitat diferent de la gent del teu voltant.
Què estàs veient mentre m’estàs mirant? Aquest concepte és molt evident ja avui, per exemple, amb els AirPods. Quan algú es dirigeix a nosaltres i es crea aquell moment “incert / violent” on els subjectes no saben si estem atenent o estem experimentant una conversa diferent a través dels nostres auriculars de la que ells no en són partíceps.
És un producte del qual Apple té molt a aprendre i no té clar el cas d’ús guanyador. És semblant al que va passar amb l’iPhone (que es va posicionar inicialment com un iPod, un telèfon i un comunicador d’Internet, i acabà sent l’últim); o l’Apple Watch (que es va posicionar inicialment com una peça de joieria, un dispositiu de precisió temporal, una eina de productivitat o un fitness tracker, i acabà sent l’últim).

Curiositats de l’esdeveniment

Ni una paraula de la intel·ligència artificial. En el seu lloc “transformers”, o “lleguatges generatius”.
L’Apple Watch és clarament la plataforma que lidera quant a interfície d’usuari. A més, a més, el producte clarament cada vegada més està heretant funcionalitats només vistes abans en Garmin o dispositius esportius d’aquest estil.
Apple continua fidel als llançaments de programari per cicles, a l’estil hardware, en detriment d’una cadència contínua.
Actualment, Apple manté fins a sis plataformes de manera simultània: macOS, iOS, ipadOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS; i després productes sense UI com AirPods o HomePod, que tenen el seu propi model d’interacció.
La polinització de funcionalitats entre plataformes fa que algunes de més madures, com macOS, perdin simplicitat.

La carta als Reis de macOS

👍 Resolt a macOS Sonoma

Enllaços interns entre notes a Apple Notes
Silenciar els AirPods directament des de l’auricular
Autocompletat de codis 2FA des del correu
Gestió millorada de PDFs
Hem matat Electron amb Safari web apps?

👎 Encara no resolt

Drecera per canviar l’idioma del corrector
Compartir un enllaç d’un arxiu des del Finder de manera “senzilla”
Recordar per defecte com se sol contactar una persona
Gestió d’invitacions del calendari a Apple Calendar
Sincronitzar preferències d’aplicacions entre iOS i macOS

AI and the Status Quo

Sat, 20 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT

While I’ve often held and shared a degree of skepticism towards emerging tech trends — take web3, virtual reality, or autonomous vehicles, for example — this time, with the raise of AI it’s different.

Unlike with, for example, web3, this time around the big names in tech aren’t just watching from the sidelines, but flooding the space with a boatload of investment and and re-routing their strategic paths to get on the AI train.

They are very interested in seeing this shift happen and we’ve recently seen companies like Microsoft, Google, or Facebook abruptly changing their roadmap to join the AI ride and that’s mainly of two reasons.

First, because the AI domination is a matter of raw compute power and default consumer touch points. Therefore its success will only cement its dominance.

Unlike with web3 or virtual reality, AI’s prominence is aligned with FANGA’s business model because at the end of day, once the technology has been commoditized, it’ll all come down to who can foot the bill for these products — think owners of data centers.

Moreover, consider who already owns the default choices and products that billions of users won’t forsake. Consumer behavior is usually static and gravitates towards familiarity. When somebody is already accustomed to a product — say Google Docs or Microsoft Excel — it is very difficult to make them change and go somewhere else. The consumer benefit has to be insanely better, which it is not often the case. However, you layer a new feature on top of an already known product, give it enough time and value, and eventually users will embrace it.

This presents a challenge for OpenAI, though it’s equally a testament to its accomplishments thus far. A fitting analogy here is Apple Maps, which initially lagged behind Google Maps, but just by the fact of being the default choice on iOS, it so far remains the most used mapping solution for the platform.

Second, because the end game of this AI play looks a lot like a thick foundational infrastructure layer with thin applications built on top.

If this sounds a lot like the Internet as it is today — with thick protocols and big tech riding on top of them — it is because AI won’t create new players like the Internet did, but only perpetuate the status quo. Historically, big tech companies have benefited from Internet’s decentralized, free, and open protocols — such as TCP/IP or SMTP — and created their business models on top. Shaping the Internet as the centralized entity that we all know today.

It then follows that this time around, the ones with the compute power and the data centers won’t only host the party and own the AI models, but also cater to the most common and horizontal use cases. Simultaneously, the entities with niche data will devise vertical applications on thinner layers atop this foundation.

Long story short, I’m not sure if LLMs are part of a technological revolution akin to the Internet. But I wouldn’t underestimate either the power of defaults and the ripple effect of substantial capital infusion in this space. It will undoubtedly shape user behavior and bolster the rule of default products.

AI is Here to Stay

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT

I am almost 36 years old now, and very pragmatic and skeptical when it comes to adopting new technology. I am not active on social media and don’t even have a Facebook account. I have never used, and am not sure if I understand, platforms like Snap or TikTok. I used to be an early adopter in my teens, but over time I lost the fear of missing out and learned to appreciate tools for their outcomes, not their allure.

Perhaps this is because in my short lifespan, I’ve seen many tech waves come and go. Some have been transformational, like the iPhone, while others promised to change the world forever but quickly faded away, like NFTs or VR.

However, this time around, with all the developments in the world of artificial intelligence, I feel that the impact will be both different and truly transformational.

The idea of AGI is something that has come and gone many times, and it’s a topic that has interested me for a long time. Its implications on different layers, such as privacy, job automation, creativity, and overall societal transformation, have the potential to change the world as we know it.

Why I think that’s the case?

The acceleration of AI developments is starting to reveal a truly exponential growth. There was a time when between product breakthroughs we’d had to “wait” years. Now this is coming down to months, even days. This means that the pace of innovation is likely to increase at an unprecedented rate, with new products being developed and released at an ever-increasing speed.
Recent layoffs have left thousands of tech-minded people unemployed, probably seeking to start new venture.
What these AI-enabled tools do, among many other things, is to lower the barrier of entry — in terms of skills, capital requirements, and human resources — to create a new product. For example, starting from scratch and recreating any existing product today, might cost several orders of magnitude less and scaling could not even require deep technical chops.

For the first time, by leveraging AI’s capabilities and offloading some tasks where it clearly outperforms humans, I believe we’re on the verge of the renaissance man, a solo founder of the modern era.

However, despite the fact that we often make stupid societal decisions, progress is generally making the world a better place. But as good as an AI-driven scenario could get, the potential for negative outcomes of such God-like technology, if poorly managed, can lead to a “game over” of sorts.

Because of this, I’ve decided that I want to spend more time around this technology, get my hands dirty with it, blog about its possible applications and dangers, share its latest developments, and create some AI-enabled products or tools that could amplify our human nature, cognition, expand our capabilities, and above all, make the world a better place.

En resum, Silicon Valley Bank

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT

https://player.rss.com/focaterra/871138?theme=color&v=2

El resum següent és un acompanyament de l’episodi, llistant, resumint i, si cal, aprofundint en cada bloc temàtic del que parlem. T’ajudarà a fer mès amè l’episodi i entendre alguns dels conceptes més tècnics amb els quals podries no ser familiar.

Avisos i curiositats

Aquesta és una història que canvia cada minut que passa. Doncs tota notícia esdevé obsoleta el mateix moment de la seva publicació. En aquest cas, les notes a continuació recullen només els esdeveniments previs al 15 de Març. Per tant, no ens fem “responsables” de que nous fets entrin en contradicció amb els comentaris esmentats en l’article.
Com que aquesta és la mateixa setmana que Microsoft ha anunciat GPT-4 hem fet un experiment. De la mà d’aquest resum escrit “a l’antiga” — el que també es coneix com “del nostre puny i lletra” o “de la manera que ho hem fet des que s’inventà la mecanografia” — hem generat també un altre resum més curt “a la futura”.

Resum “a la futura”

Hem generat una transcripció del arxiu d’àudio amb Whisper.
Hem agafat aquest text i li hem demanat a ChatGPT que ens generi un resum de la transcripció — també generada per intel·ligència artificial.
Per comparar i jutjar quin és millor, trobaràs el resultat al final de la versió escrita “a l’antiga”.

Ara si, dit això, ja podem començar.

El context

El passat 10 de març, després d’anunciar la venda forçada d’una part de la seva cartera d’obligacions a llarg termini i la impossibilitat de fer front a les retirades de fons dels seus clients, el Silicon Valley Bank va col·lapsar. Per cert, si això us sona a xinès, seguiu llegint, tot tindrà sentit en un parell de paràgrafs.
Malgrat que la crisi va esclatar tot d’una la setmana passada, la causa subjacent de tot plegat es va anar gestant en els últims anys i era coneguda des de fa mesos.
- La causa és l’extrema exposició del banc a un balanç ple d’actius de baix interès a llarg termini.
- L’activador de la fallida va ser el que es coneix com un “bank run” o una massiva retirada de diners per part dels clients, diners amb els quals el banc havia comprat aquests actius.
- El catalitzador de tot plegat: Internet.
Els clients de SVB no eren particulars ni grans empreses, sinó més aviat startups.
- Per a aquestes, el col·lapse de SVB significa la impossibilitat de dur a terme l’operativa diària de qualsevol empresa, ja sigui per pagar nòmines, proveïdors o disposar de crèdit.
- Malgrat que això canviarà en els propers paràgrafs, per a elles, el límit de 250.000 dòlars que la FED garanteix a tots els dipòsits tampoc els seria suficient. La majoria d’elles tenien dipòsits per sobre d’aquest llindar, ja que l’operativa diària d’una empresa generalment requereix més capital.

La història

Tot comença a gestar-se a partir dels volts del 2017 amb un quadre macroeconòmic caracteritzat per una enorme quantitat de diners “gratuïts” en circulació, propiciat per una continuada política monetària de tipus zero, fins i tot negatius, i la creença que tot plegat “sempre” seguiria així.
Els fons de capital risc, amb gran quantitat de liquiditat en cartera, comencen a “regar” l’espai tecnològic, donant lloc als “unicorns”, rondes de finançament impossibles i valoracions milionàries sense precedents.
Com qualsevol persona carregada de bitllets, els nous “unicorns”, armats de capital líquid, havien de dipositar aquests diners en algun lloc. Casualment, aquest lloc va ser el SVB, el banc “creat” especialment per a ells.
Com dèiem, ja es va anunciar fa mesos que el banc estava exposat a “aguantar” aquestes obligacions a llarg termini. No obstant, com que la regulació bancària permetia que aquests actius no actualitzessin el seu valor en el balanç, les alarmes no havien de saltar a menys que molta gent volgués treure els diners de cop, cosa que ha passat.

Rendiment vs. viabilitat

Pel que fa al paper, el banc no ha fet res “malament”. Ha fet el que sol fer un banc, el seu model de negoci, que no és altre que invertir els diners dels seus dipositaris (anotats al passiu del balanç del banc) i generar-ne rendiment.
- Els SVB els va invertir en lletres i deute del tresor Americà a llarg termini. A més llarg termini, més gran és el teu compromís amb l’obligació, més gran és el risc, i per tant més alt és el tipus que ofereixen. Com que en aquells moments els tipus d’interès eren quasi zero, només els bons a molt llarg termini oferien un rendiment per a ells acceptable.
Aquest tipus d’actius també tenen un mercat secundari, és a dir, es poden comprar i vendre en qualsevol moment. Si els tipus no canvien, el seu preu generalment no fluctua gaire. Si els tipus canvien, el seu valor s’ajusta en funció de si el tipus que ara s’ofereix és més alt o més baix.
En pujar bruscament els tipus, el mercat secundari per aquests títols cau en picat, ja que ara pots aconseguir un major rendiment directament amb el deute emès directament pels bancs centrals.
Això no sol ser un risc sistèmic per a un banc, ja que a menys que molta gent volgués treure els diners de cop i el banc necessiti “liquidar” aquests actius, el banc simplement assumeix que les seves inversions tindran el rendiment previst al venciment. Un rendiment menor del que podria aconseguir ara, certament, però el que ja tenia projectat si més no.

El “bank run”

Durant la setmana passada, un grup de “founders” i experts de Silicon Valley van anunciar que retiraven els diners i van aconsellar la resta del sector, que en cas d’estar exposat, fes el mateix.
Per poder fer front a aquestes retirades, el banc anuncià Dimecres que venia, per tant assumia la pèrdua, de part d’aquesta cartera a llarg termini. Dijous cauria un cinquanta per cent al mercat. Divendres un seixanta.
Tot plegat fa saltar totes les alarmes i es crea un efecte dominó. El que es coneix com un “bank run”.
Aquest ha estat el primer “bank run” empès per les xarxes socials. Un món compulsiu, irracional, on les retirades es poden generar sense fricció, de forma remota, immediata i “en un sol click”; sense necessitat de personificar-se a la finestreta del banc.
En un escenari com aquest el banc té dues opcions, cap d’elles té bon acabar:
- Seguir liquidant actius per fer front als pagaments, assumint més pèrdues, seguir descapitalitzant-se fins que… bé, fins que tècnicament es produeix una insolvència.
- Si algú encara està disposat a invertir, aixecar diners al mercat a una valoració “de broma” motivada per l’anterior.
- Aturar les retirades de dipòsits, fent saltar encara més alarmes i estenent el pànic a encara més inversors que optaran per reclamar els seus dipòsits.
Qualsevol de les tres, desembocarà en un rescat bancari que segurament pagarem “entre tots” o en una fallida que depenent de la dimensió del banc corre el risc de ser sistèmica, com el 2008.

Resum “a la futura”

Avui parlem del Silicon Valley Bank i del què ha passat. Aquest no és un episodi d’actualitat, jo crec que és més un episodi de punt de vista històric, perquè és extremadament interessant.

Estem davant d’un dels majors drames financers de l’època moderna, 100%, un especialment molt relacionat amb tecnologia perquè ens toca molt de prop. Si algú ha baixat de la parra o de la figuera i no sap de què estem parlant, el 16è banc en capitalització bancària als Estats Units, ha fet fallida i ha acabat per ser intervingut.

A partir del 2017, en un escenari de tipus zero, és a dir que el diners eren gratuïts, literalment, va haver-hi una estesa i una empastifada de pasta en el món del VC acollonant, es van regar les startups i el món tecnològic de diners d’una manera increïble en el període aquest de 2017-2020, abans del Covid.

Què fa una empresa d’aquest calibre? Els va portar a un banc. Particularment, els van dipositar en aquest Silicon Valley Bank, que és, si ets enginyer com l’Àlex, és de la caixa enginyer, si ets una startup, ets del Silicon Valley Bank. Era un banc que tenia aquest perfil de clients sobretot.

El negoci d’un banc és molt senzill. Té diners i aquests diners no estan al seu actiu, estan al seu passiu. Aquests diners han de fer alguna cosa, els han de posar a fer funcionar, a rentar d’alguna manera. Perquè si no, ens trobem, i sobretot això és important, és que no hi ha d’haver diners, cosa que no és el cas. El banc va fer el que tocava, però va anar al mercat financer i resulta que allà no s’ho donaven interessos perquè els interessos eren a tipus zero.

Aquest punt és molt important. Si havies comprat un bono a 10 anys que rendeix el 2%, ara ja no val això. Aquest actiu perd valor. Aquest punt és crític. Aquest banc estava ple de tickets d’aquests a 10 anys. Han pujat els tipus d’interès i aquest actiu ara no val un duro. Això no és un problema si no necessites el líquid. Si necessites el líquid i el vens, les pèrdues són enormes.

Això és el que es diu duration mismatch en el món anglosaxó. Tens actius però si no vens i pots esperar a venciment, no has d’acceptar la pèrdua en el balanç. Tot va sobre el pla que tenies o pots vendre. Aquesta situació també es pot donar al revés. Si haguessis comprat a tipus molt alts i els tipus baixessin, aquest bono valdria més ara.

Influencers — Updated 2025.09

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

The following list features authors and personalities I’ve explored through books, blogs, and podcasts. However, my greatest lessons have come from my real-life mentors. Perhaps they’ll have their own list someday.

Modern thinkers

Deep learners

Tech insiders

Lifestyle optimizers

Human behavior - psychology and economics

Human performance - health and fitness

Physicists

Stoics in the XXI century

Classics

The Psychology of Money

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Everyone has their own way of seeing the world. What I think is wild might be normal for someone else. Your background can really change how you look at investing and how much risk you’re willing to take. So, don’t judge other people’s investment choices, because they might not see things the same way as you do.

Becoming wealthy and staying wealthy are two distinct games. Achieving wealth can be a stroke of luck or a result of ingenuity. However, maintaining wealth requires discipline, frugality, and long-term planning.

Enough. At a party hosted by a billionaire on Shelter Island, Kurt Vonnegut told his friend Joseph Heller that their host, a hedge fund manager, had made more money in one day than Heller had earned from his hugely successful novel Catch-22 throughout its entire history. Heller’s response?

Yes, but I have something he will never have — enough.

The importance of compounding. There is an old riddle about a lily pad in a pond.

The lily pad doubles in size every day and after 30 days it covers the whole pond. On what day does the lily pad cover half the pond?

Many people would say “day 15” because that’s what our minds think of first. But the answer is actually day 29.

A more interesting question is, how much of the pond would be when the lily pad have covered on day 15? The answer is .0031%. On day 24 it will cover more than 1%. On the day 29 it will cover half of it.

This riddle is tricky because the lily pad’s growth is exponential, not linear. Our minds struggle with exponential models and we understand linear growth better because it is easier to estimate. Exponential growth is hard to envision and our estimates don’t usually work, but this is exactly how compound interest works, thus take it into account when thinking of your investments.

Long tails. In addition to compounding, long tails also play a significant role in the wealth narrative.

In a venture capital portfolio, it is assumed that after distributing funds across multiple investments, most of them will fail. However, returns from a couple of “unicorn” investments will compensate for all the fund returns. Similarly, consider what would have happened if ten of the more than 15 billion people who have lived on Earth during the XIX and XX centuries had not existed. The course of history would have been completely different.

The dynamics of investing are no different, so keep compounding and long tails in mind when thinking about wealth.

Remember to pay yourself first. While it’s easy to fall into the trap of debt and unnecessary spending, doing so means that a large percentage of your hard-earned money goes towards paying off those debts. This can leave you with less income than you deserve, even before you get a chance to enjoy it.

If you take this argument to the extreme, you may not even have enough money to cover your daily expenses, let alone save for the future. So, to stay afloat and ensure that you can grow your savings account, it’s important to prioritize yourself and your financial well-being.

Don’t waste your time pursuing the wrong things. People often desire admiration and respect, believing that they can obtain it by acquiring extravagant possessions, such as jewelry, fancy cars, or huge houses. But owning these things doesn’t necessarily follow admiration and respect. Seeing a Ferrari on the road might make you appreciate the car’s engineering and craftsmanship, but it won’t necessarily make you think the driver has “made it.”

In fact, owning a Ferrari is often the opposite of accumulating wealth. It only means that the person has 500K less in their bank account, or worse, is in debt.

A margin of safety. When it comes to investing, it’s always important to remember to have a margin of safety and room for error. While being a risk-seeker is important, it’s equally important to be cautious and avoid getting knocked out of the game.

This is an idea also present across all Nassim Taleb’s work and The Value Investor, that at the end of the day, the most important thing is to keep playing.

Investing is a long-term game. It’s easy to get caught up in short-term market fluctuations, but it’s important to keep a level head and not panic. Stay the course and stick to your long-term plan.

There is also no such thing as a completely safe investment, and you should always be prepared for the possibility of losing money. However, with proper planning, long-term perspective, and a margin of error, can be a powerful tool for building wealth over time.

You must fail often to reap extraordinary rewards. Personal finance is akin to a venture portfolio. The few investments that succeed typically account for the majority of the returns. This may seem counterintuitive and even intimidating, but diversifying your investments across different baskets can mean that most of them fail, while the few that succeed will more than make up for the losses.

Assets don’t always have a rational price. Even bubbles can be rationalized at any given time, since nobody wants to be stuck with an overvalued asset. Ultimately, the price depends on various factors, such as the type of investor and the time horizon.

What may be a good choice for a day trader may not be the best option for a long-term holder. These two investors don’t know each other and are playing different games, yet on the same board. Therefore, it’s essential to know your goals and evaluate what makes sense for you at any given point in time.

I am a passive investor, optimistic in the worlds ability to generate real economic growth, and I’m confident that over the next thirty years that growth will accrue to my investments.

Stories people tell. The economic landscape in late 2009 was much better than it had been two years prior. In 2007, the economy was thriving, prices were rising, and prospects were promising. However, by 2009, it seemed like everything was going downhill. Stories and narratives often influence market sentiment, even when metrics point in a different direction.

The Return of the Solo Founder

Sat, 17 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT

The term Renaissance man or polymath — inspired by Renaissance creators — is often used to designate a breed of people whose skills span across a wide range of domains. Two of the highest examples from that time were Leonardo da Vinci, a painter but also a scientist, philosopher, engineer, and mathematician; and Michelangelo, an extraordinary sculptor, painter, architect and poet.

However, the complexity of today’s products can make it difficult for individuals to become proficient in multiple areas. Starting and running a successful business often requires a team with specialized skills and expertise. This is especially true for technology companies, which often required a combination of software developers, designers, and marketers to bring a product to market.

For example, developing a complex software product may require expertise in multiple programming languages, as well as a deep understanding of user experience design and data analytics. Similarly, marketing a product may require a combination of creative thinking, data analysis, and social media savvy. As a result, many businesses rely on teams of specialists to handle these tasks.

The Solo Founder

This trend, though, is about to change and bring back the figure of the Renaissance man for the modern era — the solo founder.

New tools have made it easier for people to handle a wider range of tasks and responsibilities — handing-off to the repetitive and time-consuming tasks, or simply the ones that aren’t their strong suit.

Additionally, the increasing availability and accessibility of online learning resources has made it easier for curious minds to continuously improve their skills and knowledge. By leveraging these resources, solo founders can quickly become proficient in multiple areas, even if they do not have formal training or education.

Now is an exciting time to be a solo founder.

The Rise of AI

Advances in AI and other technological tools have made it possible for individuals to create products and businesses that may have previously required a team. One of the key benefits of these tools is their ability to automate certain tasks and processes, freeing up time and resources for founders to focus on other areas of their business.

In addition to automation, AI tools can also provide solo founders with access to advanced capabilities that may have been out of reach in the past. For example, a solo founder with limited design skills can use AI-powered design tools to create professional-quality graphics and marketing materials. Similarly, AI-powered language translation tools can be used to expand their reach and connect with global markets.

On top of that, the rise of the gig economy and the increasing popularity of remote work have made it easier than ever to build a network of freelancers and contractors to help with specific tasks or projects, rather than having to build a full-time team. These tools can also help solo founders scale their businesses more efficiently, as they can handle a larger volume of work without requiring additional human labor.

Overall, the combination of automation, advanced capabilities, and the gig economy has made it easier for solo founders to build new thriving businesses. As a result, now is an exciting time for entrepreneurs, creators, and product generalists to pursue their passions and turn their ideas into reality.

Conclusion

Of course, this post was entirely, but this sentence, generated, in less than ten minutes, using ChatGPT — a chatbot developed by OpenAI.

La mètrica de l'originalitat — part II

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT

https://player.rss.com/focaterra/675172?theme=color&v=2

Aquesta vegada, la situació és ben curiosa perquè tot apunta que la piràmide del coneixement s’ha invertit. Puix que en temps passats, la canalla solia recórrer al progenitor en la cerca de saviesa i experiència. Però avui dia, tota aquesta revolució digital ha agafat, fins i tot, a aquestes velles generacions a contrapeu.

Tot el jovent nascut en l’última dècada — coneguts també com a generació Alpha — han crescut en un món eminentment digital. On el contingut generat per algoritmes d’intel·ligència artificial no és una anècdota, sinó una capa omnipresent que impregna la nostra realitat. Per ells, realitat no són només arbres i carrers. També contingut d’un esdeveniment fictici curosament col·locat al bell mig de la seva experiència digital.

Una realitat que ha vingut per quedar-se. Una realitat, però, que ha vingut tan de pressa que no ha donat espai als progenitors per fer entendre a la canalla que, aquella pseudorealitat autogenerada, no forma part del món dels àtoms, sinó dels 1s i 0s.

Per exemple, anys enrere vam inventar el foc. Amb la gran diferència, però, que llavors podíem recórrer amb èxit als experts per saber si aquell giny ens cremaria. En canvi, avui hem inventat la intel·ligència artificial i no tenim a qui recórrer per determinar la veracitat d’una conversa entre Joe Rogan i Steve Jobs.

As soon as it works, no one calls it AI any more.

—— John McCarthy

I no oblidem que aquesta és només la versió preliminar d’aquesta tecnologia. La joguina que ha sortit a les notícies. L’afer es magnifica quan — tal com preveia John McCarthy, un dels pares de la disciplina — en tan bon punt la tecnologia funcioni, mai més ningú es referirà a ella com intel·ligència artificial. Passarà silenciosament al segon pla; a formar part del que denominarem el nou normal; on aquesta pseudorealitat ja no serà distingible.

Arribats aquest punt, en funció de la gravetat dels efectes de segon ordre que tot plegat pugui tenir, no ens hauria de sorprendre veure regulació governamental. Una situació a l’estil GDPR o les marques d’aigua en contingut publicitari amb les que ja tots som familiars.

Una idea que a tots ens sona intervencionista i que atempta contra la innovació. Doncs proposar la mà legislativa com a solució a un problema que encara no tenim no és atractiu. Però assegut en aquesta cadira i jutjant pels esdeveniments passats, no se m’acut una sortida millor per posar anticipar una realitat que inevitablement arribarà.

La mètrica de l'originalitat — part I

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT

https://player.rss.com/focaterra/667060?theme=color&v=2

Un debat tan llarg de fet, que aquesta és només la primera part de la gravació — la setmana vinent en publicarem la segona part.

Per començar i anar obrint boca, primer aterrem els fonamentals, els bàsics. Si resulta que precisament avui baixes de l’hort i no has sentit res sobre la generació d’imatges amb intel·ligència artificial, pots començar per aquí — ben segur aquest esdevindrà el teu nou passatemps de la setmana.

Es tracta de Midjourney, un servidor de Discord que t’entregarà imatges generades per la seva intel·ligència a mesura que xateges amb ella. Tu li formules el que vols i ella et contestarà en forma de quatre petits suggeriments. A partir d’aquí, pots continuar provant sort, iterar el model, quedar-te amb la imatge que t’agrada, o simplement aprendre dels “prompts” de la resta d’usuaris amb qui compartiràs servidor.

Seguim l’episodi parlant de la volatilitat i aquesta societat líquida en què vivim. Ens referim a com Internet crea cicles de valor i tendències de les quals avui tothom parla, però demà ningú recorda. Un bon exemple en són els NFTs. Una revolució fa uns mesos, un desert avui dia.

El qual ens porta a parlar de dues conseqüències en què això inevitablement desemboca.

Primera, es redueix exponencialment la quantitat de temps que necessitem per tele-transportar algú del passat al present i pateixi un atac de cor d’incredulitat. El que eren mil·lennis durant el paleolític, segles durant l’època antiga, passen a ser comptades setmanes en el món contemporani.
Segona, les feines del futur s’aglutinen als extrems. Especialistes a una banda, generalistes i emprenedors a l’altre. La franja del mig, probablement, quedarà desdibuixada i obsoleta perquè no serà capaç d’adaptar-se al canvi constant ni crear nous projectes.

Però no tot són males notícies i, com sempre, tanquem amb un punt per l’esperança.

Doncs no sabem si la generació d’imatges amb intel·ligència artificial ens deixarà o no sense feina. Però en tal cas, sempre podem optar per reciclar-nos com a dissenyadors de miniatures per vídeos de xarxes socials. Un bon exemple de mercat que abans no estava disponible perquè literalment no existia i ara està explotant pel canvi constant que experimenta la societat. Sabem quant durarà? No. Només sabem que és una porta que s’obre de la mà de noves oportunitats. Probablement se saturarà i es tancarà aviat. El que sabem de segur és que demà, al costat d’aquesta, se n’obrirà una altra.

Finalment, tanquem amb un concepte que desgranarem a l’episodi de la setmana vinent: la mètrica de l’originalitat. Per fer-ne cinc cèntims i picar la curiositat de l’oient, bàsicament la idea és entendre com la intel·ligència artificial optimitza un problema quan la mètrica no és quantificable — en aquest cas, la creativitat humana.

Podem apuntar a molts exemples on la intel·ligència artificial ha sobrepassat ja les capacitats humanes: escacs, Go (el joc), fins i tot en la detecció de càncers a través del processament de ressonàncies magnètiques.

Malgrat això, en tots ells, aquesta intel·ligència sempre ha disposat d’una mètrica quantificable sobre la que optimitzar. Dona-li suficient corpus de data i una mètrica sòlida al model i… acabes d’engreixar les xifres de l’atur del mes vinent.

La IA se sent còmode allí on sap jugar. Ho converteix tot en un problema matemàtic. Justament allò que a nosaltres ens costa horrors, a ella li surt de forma inherent. Ara bé, què passa quan la mètrica no és quantificable amb una xifra? Aquí ja no se sent tan còmode. Sempre necessitarà un humà al costat per ajudar-la a entendre si els seus resultats van ben encaminats o no. És aquí on s’obre la porta de l’esperança i potser una oportunitat per homes i màquines per col·laborar plegats.

Ho parlem el següent episodi.

Hola des de Foc a Terra

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

🎙 Foc a Terra és un podcast amb Àlex R. Bacardit i Marc Collado.

Un podcast de minories, per al gran públic, que t’acostarà — en català — a la tecnologia tal com raja.

Per saber-ne més, pots visitar a la nostra web oficial. Finalment, no dubtis en seguir-nos a Twitter i subscriure’t per ser el primer a escoltar-nos.

Una mica de context

L’Àlex és d’aquelles persones que tan bon punt la coneixes inevitablement penses: algun dia muntarem “alguna cosa” junts. Feia temps que ens seguíem els passos, amb l’Àlex. Malgrat això, no acabàvem de trobar mai ni el què, ni el com, ni el quan. Doncs bé, tot apunta que el meu torn ha arribat i “alguna cosa” ja té nom i cognoms: es diu Foc a Terra i és un podcast de minories, per al gran públic que t’acostarà a la tecnologia en català i tal com raja.

Avui és un dia especial per @lexrodba i per mi. Doncs us volem presentar un nou projecte personal amb què hem estat treballant els últims mesos.

Diem hola 👋 a @foc_a_terra, un podcast de minories, per al gran públic, que t'acostarà — en català — a la tecnologia tal com raja.
— Marc Collado (@MarcCollado) January 24, 2022

Per què?

Jo personalment, estic una mica desencisat amb el món. Sembla que tots plegats hàgim acceptat la tecnologia com un destí inevitable del progrés. Sense preguntar massa hem obert la porta de bat a bat a una bateria de productes i serveis transformadors. Falsament etiquetats com a “innovadors”, aquests han reconfigurat silenciosament els pilars de la societat.

En molt poc temps ha canviat absolutament tot: hàbits, oci, rutines, relacions socials… Innumerables alteracions en menys temps del que qualsevol espècie necessitaria per aclimatar-se a una nova realitat. A més a més, no fa la pinta que tot plegat vulgui reprimir-se. Ans al contrari, cada dia que passa la tendència s’accelera.

I malgrat la seva rellevància, quasi ningú en parla d’això. Com si no estigués de moda o no anés amb nosaltres. Tots plegats hem acatat com si no hi hagués res a fer. Submisos, com si aquest fos un final ineludible que una capriciosa entitat divina ha dictat per nosaltres.

En aquest context hi manca educació. Cal explicar a tothom que aquest assortiment tecnològic no és neutre ni inofensiu, i té greus conseqüències. Algú s’ha de preguntar com pot ser que hàgim girat la societat com un mitjó i ningú hagi aixecat la mà per, almenys, contar què està passant.

Foc a Terra

Un paper que les grans corporacions catalanes semblen haver-hi heretat a desgana, un regal no desitjat, com si els hi fes nosa. I el resultat? Per una banda, una diarrea informativa, capitanejada per uns auto proclamats “experts”; una narrativa poc elaborada, simplista, que t’acusa d’analfabet per sobre l’espatlla. Per l’altra, una constel·lació desdibuixada de “freaks” que haurien d’aixecar més la veu; gent ben versada i que saben el que diuen; però poc preocupats pel com i que pequen d’emprar un llenguatge massa especialitzat i poc accessible.

Doncs hi ha un buit que va tot sol: falten veus de “freaks” que vulguin comunicar per a les masses.

I com que sembla que ningú no ho vol fer… dos “freaks” d’estar per casa amb moltes ganes de comunicar a la resta de mortals et presentem Foc a Terra: un podcast de tecnologia, de minories, per al gran públic. Mitjançant contingut proper, pretenem acostar-te la tecnologia i les noves tendències, sense embuts ni sensacionalismes en un format didàctic i divulgatiu.

Prenent el relleu històric dels populars Fireside chats (d’aquí el nom Foc a Terra) l’Àlex i jo t’acompanyarem cada dilluns mentre tu condueixes, planxes, o camines cap a la pròxima reunió. Una xerrada setmanal, crítica, entretinguda, i polèmica. Guiada per dos apassionats tecnològics, que t’ho explicaran tot sense filtres, tal com raja.

Ah, sí, i per si no ho havies notat, exclusivament en català.

Why We Get Fat

Sat, 13 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT

It is surprising how little we know about nutrition. We all need food to survive, however, we still haven’t comprehended its inner mechanics.

Nutrition has become a myth, cult, and dogma more than science. That’s precisely what makes it so difficult to even discuss it. Why We Get Fat is not a diet book, but a biological one and the science of what’s happening in our body that makes us fat.

Conventional wisdom

We are causal-seeking machines. We demand immediate, direct explanations of all events happening around us. The effortless the evidence and the more compelling the narrative, the better. The problem is that when media, lobbies, and governmental interests get in the way, these explanations can depart from reality.

We’ve grown being told that we remain lean because we’re virtuous and we get fat because we lack self-control. That we are the only ones to blame. That obesity is caused by overeating. That nutrition can be solely explained by the first law of thermodynamics — reducing an extremely complex process to a simple “calories-in, calories-out” story.

But all thermodynamics says is that if something gets more or less massive, then more or less energy has to enter than leave it. It says nothing about why. It says nothing about cause and effect.

While there are some bits of truth here and there, the oversimplification of the argument makes us draw the wrong conclusions.

Cause and effect, reversed

Conventional wisdom argues that fat accumulation is driven by a simple energy balance, what we call “calories-in, calories-out”. However, this narrative is flawed. Cause and effect are reversed.

We don’t get fat because we overeat, we overeat because we are getting fat.

Think about it in another way: picture a kid growing. She definitely consumed more calories than she expended. Yet you’d never tell that she gained weight because she ate too much or exercised too little, but because she was growing. Her body demanded those calories and it found a way to get them: either by increasing the appetite or reducing energy expenditure.

We can conclude that anything that makes us grow, also makes us overeat — because the body requires it.

The same goes for exercising. There has been a prevailing narrative that exercise will make us leaner. This belief is rooted in the observation that people who are lean tend to be more physically active than those of us who aren’t. This is true. However, again, it gets cause and effect backward. This observation tells us nothing about whether “runners” would be fatter if they didn’t run.

On top of that, calories burned from exercising not only represent an extremely small fraction of our daily expenditure but will also lead to more appetite. In other words: it takes a lot of running to burn an extra slice of cake.

We ended up buying into this “exercise more and eat less” narrative because it feels intuitive and reinforces our beliefs.

Estrogen, insulin, LPL, HSL, and CHOs

Obesity is nothing but a disorder of excess fat accumulation.

🧪 An experiment was made in the early 1970s. George Wade studied the relationship between sex hormones, weight, and appetite by removing the ovaries from rats — deregulating de activity of estrogen.

Rats eat too much, the excess calories find their way to the fat tissue, and the animal becomes obese. Which would fit the “calories-in calories-out” story. But…
After putting them on a strict diet, rats still got just as fat, just as quickly.
If rats were injected with estrogen, it resulted in normal behavior.

Estrogen inhibits an enzyme called LPL. Which is a key factor in partitioning fat among different body tissues. Wade’s rats overate because they were losing calories into fat cells that were needed in other places. The fatter the rats got, the more they had to eat to feed the non-fat cells. The body became unable to regulate its fat tissue, creating a cycle of getting fatter and fatter.

❓ A series of questions are worth asking:

What regulates fat accumulation? As it turns out, insulin does. In a nutshell, higher levels of insulin signal the body to store fat. Lower levels of insulin lead to its release.
If insulin happens to regulate fat, what triggers the secretion of such hormone? In part, CHOs do. Higher levels of CHOs in the bloodstream -> follow the release of insulin -> follow the accumulation of fat.
What regulates LPL on fat cells? The presence of insulin. The more insulin our body secretes, the more active the LPL becomes on the fat cells, and the more fat gets stored in fat cells.
What else? Insulin also suppresses an enzyme called HSL, which works to make fat cells “leaner”. It does so by breaking down triglycerides into their component fatty acids so that they can escape into circulation. The more active HSL is, the more fat we liberate and can burn from fuel.

Fat regulation

Fat is carefully regulated throughout the body. That’s the reason we don’t get fat in the back of our hands or in the forefront. It is also heavily determined by our genetics.

Moreover, a simplistic approach on the matter quickly reveals the silliness of the “calories-in, calories-out” framework.

1 kilogram of fat contains 7.500 calories. If we only overeat, on average, by 20 calories a day — which is an overly optimistic assumption — after 25 years, we’d add up to 20 kilograms. Now think of all the food decisions we make in a day and how unattainable it would be, without scientific instrumentation, to balance out food. If these assumptions were right, it’d be impossible for any human to remain lean.

A Framework to Master the World

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT

The framework I use to learn new things and expand my understanding of the world is something that has always been on my mind. To some extent, akin to Neri Oxman’s idea (picture below) around the structure of knowledge. However, I’ve never taken the time to verbalize nor articulate its rationale.

Developing a strategy for continuous learning is useful because there is always too much to learn. The corpus of available information is overwhelming and almost infinite.

On top of that, if your curious mind tends to wander, you might find yourself seduced by the allure of novelty; following the path of the least resistance instead of doubling down on already acquired skills.

When it comes to learning, starting from scratch always seems easier. That’s because of the faux feeling of progress; similar to the oversized gains that come with your firsts weeks at the gym.

This is probably the reason why generalists and restless minds tend to jump across themes without a clear agenda. Because of this, it can be difficult to assess where to direct our attention. Here’s precisely where the framework might be useful.

My hypothesis goes like this:

To “master the world” one needs to develop a deep understanding of how both humans and things work — both at a micro and a macro lens.

The former revolves around how persons behave, both within groups and individually. The latter is about the rules of nature and stuff we invent, both on a macro and a micro level.

When it comes to learning, the common pattern is to focus on professional or personal development. However, the strategy that I’m going to explain approaches learning in a more old-fashioned manner.

At the start, it might seem boring and static, but give it enough time and you’ll start connecting the dots and reap the benefits of timeless wisdom.

How humans (and societies) behave

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.

—— Mark Twain

Like it or not, despite living at the pinnacle of the most advanced society the humankind has ever seen, behind every single invention there is a human that made it. Hence, to successfully navigate this world, we need a deep understanding of how humans work.

I associate the micro to single humans and the macro to societies.

We can learn the micro through psychology; paying special attention to human biases and statistics. And macro through history; which will inevitably stumble upon the arts, economics, politics, or philosophy.

How things (and the world) work

The future is already here — it’s just not evenly distributed.

—— William Gibson

I mentioned a few lines above that there is always a person behind each invention.

However, it is also true that technology permeates each layer of our world. It already governs almost each interaction and corner of our life; and the trend is only accelerating. Hence, it is safe to assume that learning how to deal with such change and speaking “machine language” will become a cornerstone of our societal development.

As with people, I tend to make a distinction at the micro and the macro level for how things work; from quantum mechanics up to the gravitational theories.

We can learn how the world and things work by learning physics. This branch will also feature a few supporting disciplines, such as math, algebra, or calculus. Again, it is nice to study them as well, however, I’d use them only to advance faster and better understand physics.

(Bonus) Interpersonal skills

Last but not least, I found interpersonal skills a useful tool to navigate society. These include, but are not limited to, a wide range of disciplines such as writing, public speaking, negotiation, empathy… Scott Adams has an entire repertoire at How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big.

The Little Book of Stoicism

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Arete

Stoics had a curious approach to a life well-lived, because they argued that it is in our nature to thrive in life. In other words, living with Arete is to complete our nature, like a grape when it matures.

We all have the potential to live a happy, virtuous life led by reason, based on rationality. Living with Arete is the perfection of our nature, to become the best we can be.

They also use the idea of “living in agreement with nature”. The potential to thrive in life resides inside. Hence it is our nature to complete what has been planted within us and bring our potential to life.
To thrive in life is not something to be imposed or forced, it is what nature wants us to do — to become the highest version of ourselves.
They used different expressions to refer to the same thing: living in agreement with nature, being virtuous, or living how nature wanted us to live.

The sage

There are no perfect humans, that’s why the stoics used the Sage to depict an ideal character to look upon. The embodiment of perfection, virtue, and a source of inspiration.

The Sage mastered the four-character traits adopted from the Socratic philosophy, which they refer to as the four cardinal values:

Wisdom: how to act appropriately. It includes values such as perspective, good sense, or healthy deliberation.
Justice: how to act well in our relationship with others. It includes values such as good-heartedness, fairness, or integrity.
Courage: how to act when facing fearful situations. It includes values such as honesty, perseverance, or confidence.
Self-discipline: how to act right despite temptation. It includes values such as orderliness, self-control, or humility.

Unlike an artisan or a craftsman that uses wood or bronze, for the Stoics, life is the raw material for their practice in the art of living.

Focus on what you control

Some things are up to us, others are not. Stoics encouraged us to focus on what we control. To do this, they described three levels of influence:

High influence: our choices, actions, or judgment.
Partial influence: our health, or body.
No influence: the weather.

We can’t control random events, yet we can control our reactions to them. Which remains the core principle of Man’s Search for Meaning, and also influenced The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

It makes no sense to focus on the desired outcome because it’ll always depend on things we can’t control. It is better to focus on the process, preparation, and training.

Best practices

There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

—— Hamlet

Accept, embrace, and love whatever happens. We don’t get to choose the cards we’re dealt, but how we play them is totally up to us. One can never tell if anything is good or bad, only time will tell. This idea is also related to The Obstacle is the Way, which stands behind the motto of “what stands in the way becomes the way”.

Nature has granted the use of life like a loan, without fixing any day for repayment.

—— Marcus Tullius Cicero

Memento mori is a symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death, but also a core concept of stoicism. We should be reminded of the impermanence of people, health, or possessions. Everything is a loan from nature, and at some point, the lender will want it back. Hence it is a fool’s errand to pretend that anything will last forever.

We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.

—— Archilochus

To prepare for the eventual repayment, Stoics suggest practicing the techniques of negative visualization, such as contemplating our own dead, voluntary discomfort (temporary poverty or get into uncomfortable situations). These activities will expand our comfort zone and get us ready for the day.

Following a minimal lifestyle is also part of this theme. We shall accept wealth, enjoy it, yet not cling to it. Being indifferent to riches will help us prepare for the moment when things are taken away from us.

At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?”

—— Marcus Aurelius

Preparing for the day ahead was a common practice among Stoics. Not only by sticking to a strict morning routine but also by journaling and reviewing our actions at dawn. We shall start by focusing on just a few things, doing less, but better; tackling the most important duty first; dismissing the unimportant, such as the news, gossip, or social media; and spending time on what matters.

We shall always strive to seek wisdom. Being disciplined and doing what needs to be done. Never think of what others will think of us, dismissing fame and riches, to become a restless student.

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

—— Mike Tyson

This principle is akin to the one described before around focusing on what we control and our reaction to events. It comes in many ways, but in the end, its core teaching tells that nothing but opinion is the cause of a troubled mind.

It is not what happens to us that matters, but our reaction to it.
We get disturbed by our opinion of the event, not by the event itself.
The Universe is not against us. It is not the other person’s actions that harmed us, but our interpretation of it. Our reaction to anything decides whether harm has occurred or not.
Things don’t happen against us, they just happen — anger is a pointless reaction. We shouldn’t give the circumstances the power to rouse anger, the circumstances don’t care at all.
Getting angry at a situation doesn’t change or improve a situation, on the contrary, it only magnifies the damage done to us.

We suffer more from imagination than from reality.

—— Seneca.

What we fear won’t happen in reality, but we’re held back and paralyzed by our fears. It is a projection into the future about something we don’t control that causes a lot of worries. We might be attached to something we don’t control, such as a loved one, a salary… yet we can’t desire things that are not up to us to keep.

Those who do not desire something outside their control can’t be anxious.

What we fear is a product of our imagination, not reality. We just think reality will be bad, but most of the time, it won’t. We shall stop, and beat fear with preparation and reason.

How to Live

Sat, 24 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT

These books notes are special for many reasons. First of all because, a while ago, I promised myself that I wouldn’t read a “self-help” book again. Yet this one is special for many reasons.

First of all, it comes right from Derek Sivers, one of my favorite authors, and also the one advocating for the very quote that presides this Books section.

If more information was the answer, we’d all be billionaires with perfect abs.

Second, because the book looks a lot like the compendium of good habits and routines I wish I had written myself. It is actionable, yet full of contradictory advice. This might sound counterintuitive because you’d expect some kind of direction from such a book, but in the end, you’ll see, it clicks.

Third, because it is well written, concise, and to the point. I can’t emphasize this enough. Each word seems to have been carefully chosen. There’s not a single misplaced sentence, not even the slightest useless or cosmetic adjective that doesn’t add to the conversation. Derek has mastered the art of writing in the way we speak.

And finally, this is a book you would love to revisit often. The way it is structured invites you to come back for more. Straight to a single chapter seeking advice on a particular problem. It is direct, actionable, and because it often contradicts itself, you might each time discover something new.

For example, imagine you come across a given chapter its ideas you already agree upon. The read becomes effortless because it matches your preconceived views of the world — a.k.a. confirmation bias. Yet next to it comes a chapter that states the contrary. A cognitive dissonance starts to manifest within. Carrying on with the book becomes more challenging, even painful. You skim through each paragraph to get over it as if those ideas weren’t speaking to you.

That’s mostly how you read it the first time. You devour the chapters that confirm your views of the world and look past the ones that don’t.

However, and here comes the twist, this dynamic changes when you read it for a second. Like a good song, it grows on you, and start to appreciate the nuggets you might have disdained before. That’s what I found to be the most interesting facet of the book. The contradictions, somehow, start making sense. This might sound counterintuitive, but in the end, it is what life is all about, contradictions — isn’t it?

That’s why instead of making the usual book review — there are really good ones floating out there — I made the unusual. A selfish table of contents with a trivial legend, to keep coming back to it and re-read the chapters in clusters.

It is a little bit twisted, but here’s how it works:

Each title represents a cluster, and its number and name map to the chapter that most aligns with its core idea.
Then within each cluster, the chapters that also reinforce (=), contradict (!), or become neutral but somehow relate (~), to the core idea.

This map suffers from an extreme personal bias. Each cluster could have been re-written from the opposite point of view inverting the symbols for each chapter, yet I surfaced the ones that matched my preconceptions of the world the time I read it.

1. Be independent

~ 21. Reinvent yourself regularly

2. Commit, 15. Learn, and 23. Create

= 8. Master something
- ! 9. Let randomness rule
= 14. Value only what has endured
- ! 13. Chase the future
= 16. Follow the great book
~ 6. Intertwine with the world
! 3. Fill your senses
! 7. Make memories

4. Do nothing

= 24. Don’t die
- ! 25. Make a million mistakes
~ 12. Be a famous pioneer
~ 26. Make change

5. Think super-long-term

= 10. Pursue pain
= 18. Prepare for the worst
~ 20. Get rich
~ 27. Balance everything
! 11. Do whatever you want now

19. Live for others

= 22. Love
~ 17. Laugh at life

The Shallows

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT

ℹ️ This post has become an unexpected part II of Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. Here, the author dissects the very same topic as Postman did, but with the added benefit of having lived through the Internet era.

Written more than three decades ago, the core idea captured in Amusing Ourselves to Death remains astonishingly relevant. Although Postman’s historical landscape ended up at the adage of television, it closely depicts our current state of affairs. At the time of its publication, it might have been perceived as an overstatement, yet with the benefit of hindsight, it has fallen short of dystopia.

Along these lines, I recently stumbled upon The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr. His book can be considered a legitimate extension of Postman’s words.

These are some scattered notes I took from the book, plus additional thoughts of mine inserted here and there.

In the quiet spaces opened up by the prolonged, undistracted reading of a book, people made their own associations, drew their own inferences and analogies, fostered their own ideas. They thought deeply as they read deeply.

Carr makes a similar case that every information technology carries an intellectual ethic ― a set of assumptions about the nature of knowledge and intelligence. In other words, the medium defines the message, and culture is recreated anew by every medium of communication.

Similarly, he explains how the printed book served to focus our attention, promoting deep and creative thought. Yet, in stark contrast, the Internet encouraged the rapid, distracted sampling of small bits of information from random sources. This is important because every technology has an inherent bias. It has within its physical form a predisposition toward being used in certain ways and not others. The Internet has nurtured our society with a world of addiction, shallowness, and short attention spans.

As the very excerpt of the book depicts, the Internet’s ethic has become that of an industrialist, an ethic of speed and efficiency, of optimized production and consumption. This is to say that the Internet is remaking us in its image. We are becoming ever more adept at scanning and skimming, but what we are losing is our capacity for concentration, contemplation, and reflection.

And here it comes the most mind blowing revelation: this societal shift has deeper implications, even in our bodies. As it turns out, the actions and habits we partake in the real world can make real physical changes to our psyche. Our brains, the historical and scientific evidence reveals, change in response to our experiences. Hence the technologies we use to find, store and share information can reroute our neural pathways.

This might have something to do with my inability to focus — which initially attracted me to The Shallows. The book revealed that I’m not alone. Unlike before, when we get immersed in a book and focus on it entirely, we no longer focus for long anymore. The Internet not only has dramatically shortened our attention spans but got us addicted in ways we didn’t see coming.

For most of us who transitioned from an “analog youth” to a “digital adulthood”, we are now able to focus less and get distracted more easily. The Internet has changed our brains in terms of adaptation. Continually surfing the web gets us to like it more, regardless of how much you must have hated it from the start — it never stops.

Our brains now live in a permanent state of distraction. For our ancestors, maximum concentration and focus were required for reading. This is why reading helped humans develop the productivity of their brains massively. Unfortunately, we no longer enjoy these quiet spaces in our lives.

One of the reasons mentioned in Amusing Ourselves to Death to justify the printed word domination was its lack of competition. The printed matter was virtually all that was available. However, nowadays it is the Internet the one that enjoys domination since it has been embedded in almost any aspect of our life.

This ubiquity has only worsened by its highly addictive nature. The level of interactivity people experience is continuously engaging our reward system, making us very aware and conscious of our social status. On top of that, the Internet has a way of capturing our attention and not stopping there; it will indefinitely scatter our interests into endless dimensions so that we’ll be drawn to a lot of things.

21.25: Random Thoughts of the Week

Sun, 27 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Ideas I’ve shared

Peter Attia has had a huge influence on the development of my nutritional and fitness regimes. I’ve always liked his pragmatic point of view and data-driven approach to science. For example, his elegant three-dimension nutritional framework gracefully depicts the levers at reach for dietary regulation. This time around, in his latest appearance in the Tim Ferriss Show, he nerds out about the structural benefits of improving movement by focusing on the four components of exercise: stability, strength, aerobic efficiency, and anaerobic performance.
Do you know that feeling when somebody acutely writes down something you had a sense of but always struggled to pin down? This is exactly what Julie Zhuo has done in her recent post at Future, the brand new a16z’ publication. In there, she goes deep into what she calls Product Thinking, or the skill of knowing what makes a product useful — and loved — by people.

Things I was into

This week I’ve been over the moon, not just figuratively, but almost literally. This is because I’ve finally completed the LEGO NASA Apollo Saturn V. For almost three months I’ve indulged myself with a single building chapter each week to lengthen its construction delight. To set the mood, I also re-listened to The Man Who Knew the Way to the Moon, an Audible Original about the story of John C. Houbolt.

#TIL the Space Task Group was initially favoring direct ascent, instead of Lunar orbit rendezvous, as the procedure for landing humans on the Moon. It was only after engineer John Houbolt' endless perseverance — and public discredit — that it was taken into consideration.
— Marc Collado (@MarcCollado) August 8, 2019

From time to time I revisit this classic of mine. I’d say I’ve been struggling with this for years now. Yet whenever I feel like some of us are spending more than 60 hours a week solely optimizing for the only asset we shouldn’t care as much and already have more than we need to (capital L) Live, I pull this one out to bring some sanity across the board.

We buy things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t like.

—— Fight Club

21.24: Random Thoughts of the Week

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Ideas I’ve shared

For a few years, I’ve been advocating for the protection of user privacy and very outspoken about the harm that an economy based on data is causing to society. However, I didn’t know about the existence of this publication, yet its content around the perils of an economy governed by data is very insightful and worth reading.
Speaking of another recurrent topic of mine: side-projects… More often than not, I find myself rambling with friends about their value, how to nourish them and balance all out with demanding jobs while retaining a well-rounded life… This is the best recollection of all these “strong opinions” I’ve read so far.

The idea of “better” always depends on what you compare it with. Imagine a bear is chasing both you and your friend out in the woods. You don’t want to run faster than the bear, but your friend.

An extremely insightful podcast with Noam Bardin about the early days at Waze and a very interesting discussion around the product life cycle. Waze let it evolve in two axes, ensuring both alignments with the KPIs and the kind of users that were driving growth:

Maturity: figure out what matters most at each stage (what would delight users) and make sure to align all the efforts with your main KPIs.
Type of user: the people using the product at the beginning might not be the same ones that later on. For example, early adopters caring about GPS signal strength, yet laggards might prefer a cool avatar for the car.

Things I was into

[…] These all loop back on each other: being more practiced at your work attracts more people around you, and more people increases your chances of stumbling into the next great opportunity, where you’ll grow faster. In the end, you’re going to find yourself on a curve that bends upwards.

One of the areas I’ve been taking for granted and overlooked for a long time has been deliberately cultivating a network of friends and acquaintances. Although I’m proactively working on improving it, this post nicely drives the idea home by framing our trajectory as a compounded story — one that we struggle with when we project it from our current position.

Random thoughts

Every year, one way or another, I take a look at the silliest WWDC announcements that nobody, but me, cares about. Up until this day, inexplicably, Apple still bundles a preview page among their marketing material with an endless list of all the features and a short paragraph with its description. I wonder how much traffic this page will end up acquiring… Anyway, this year, here are my five (petty) picks for macOS Monterrey:
- iCloud+ and its ability to personalize your email address with a custom domain name. Would that mean no need for hosting email somewhere else and stop paying for the email service altogether?
- Photos got a significant update that now includes a richer Info pane where you can edit the date and time when a photo was taken.
- Are both AirPlay to the Mac and Universal Control Apple’s answers to the entry-level display?
- Custom mouse pointers: supposedly now you can customize the outline and fill color of the mouse pointer […]. Does this mean I can now get the iPad pointer on the Mac?
- If Automatic window resizing, all the features under Window Management, and its automation through Shortcuts mean that I’ll finally get a streamlined process to manage windows in and out of an external display… that’s the best feature Apple has given to the human race in decades.