Passion Meets Opportunity

Without further ado, today’s Cookmarks 👇

1. Paul Graham reposted this wild thread with the story of how Isaac French’s family turned a rotting 120-year-old train car into a portfolio of highly unique and profitable vacation experiences.

   Paul added this for context: “Starting a marketplace is like making a tool. People will use it in ways you never imagined.”

   
   This story is a prime example of preparation (passion) meeting opportunity. Most people would see the rotting train car and not think much about it, beyond maybe “How the hell did a train car find its way onto a farmer’s field?” Isaac’s father’s lifelong passion for trains gave him a unique perspective and ability to capitalize on an opportunity not many would have seen.

   
   What unique knowledge have your passions endowed you with?

2. Brian Chesky reposted this thread on the realities of life working in startups.

   
   As the famous FDR saying goes “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”

3. Jesse Pujji reposted this take on the classic to-do list, with a twist that would make M. Night. Shyamalan proud.
   
   I love the simplicity of this concept. A lot of focus is put on what needs doing, and rightfully so, but chances are you’re not giving yourself enough credit. Or maybe you’re giving yourself too much credit, in which case this may be the exact wake-up call you need.
   
   I’ll be implementing the anti-to-do list, will you?

4. Aravind Srinivas reposted this controversial take on the monopolies that exist in tech.

   
   I can think of a few arguments for and against a Google breakup.
   
   An argument that comes to mind in favour of Google is that for better or worse, Google is one of the architects of the modern internet. It’s reaping the rewards of the immense value it’s unlocked up to this point.
   
   According to this list of mergers and acquisitions by Alphabet, Google’s parent company, it’s acquired 258 companies since February of 2001. From Google’s perspective, they might argue that the idea of being acquired by Google could incentivize progress in the industry.
   
   We could also say they’re obvious gatekeepers in many industries with their dominance over search alone. Companies a fraction of Google’s size have struggled under the weight of those stratospheric valuations. Are all those acquisitions for the betterment of Google’s product, or could they be more about eliminating potential competitors?

   
   Does having a handful of massive companies like Google help, or hurt innovation? And if so, should they be broken up?

5. Vinod Khosla reposted this authentic 112-year-old newspaper article about climate change. Man-made climate change has been a known phenomenon for more than a century!

   Fun fact: “Anthropogenic global warming” is what you call man-made climate change when you want to impress your date’s parents.

6. Marc Andreessen reposted this interesting and insidious take on censorship.

   
   We’re veering into doom-scroll territory here but with the UK’s announcement that people in the country could potentially face charges or prison time for things they post online, this topic deserves some discussion.
   
   Is there ever a case where censorship can be justified? If there is, where do we draw the line and how do we keep the line from creeping forward?

7. Guillaume Verdon reposted an intro to “The AI Scientist” that’s garnering some serious attention online.
   
   There are increasingly impressive AI tools seemingly daily. From chatbots that can code a website to image generation that is limited only by your ability to describe your imagination to video and audio generation.
   
   But could we finally see AI start to deliver on its promise in more pressing fields like medicine?

8. This one’s sort of a cheat but I’m a sucker for simplicity. So when Naval reposted his simple decision-making process, I couldn’t resist including it.
   
   I’ve made more decisions in my life that are completely at odds with this list than I care to admit, and it always comes down to choosing the less immediately painful path. And they’ve all come back to bite me in the ass.
   
   What decision are you putting off right now that you could address simply with these principles?

9. Suhail Doshi reposted an important reminder for ambitious people to make time for life outside their big goals.
   
   This post made me feel grateful for the support I have in my life while I put it into higher gear getting this newsletter going.

10. Shannon Jean Reposted this message with some incredibly valuable context of his own, adding “This is valuable.”

    
    This post is the flip side of the last one but it’s real. I’ve been in an extended study (procrastination) mode where I’ve watched countless YouTube videos and read an untold number of barely relevant tutorials when I should have just started working on something.
    
    So here I am, doing something — Writing a newsletter for six seven subscribers (hi, mom), who I appreciate deeply.
    
    This portion of the newsletter may never get read. But it feels a hell of a lot better publishing this than it would to watch another video on YouTube or read another tutorial.

    
    What are you procrastinating on?

Thanks for reading! Which post resonated with you the most?

I’d love to hear your takes on these posts, let me know with a reply to this email, or hit me up on X!

Stay curious! 🤝