Just as my obsession with relevance and economic security have often crowded out what’s really important — relationships — I’ve let my preoccupation with the election results crowd out the blessings in my life. God, I’m so fucking sick of politics. So … let’s talk about cars. Fas … | Continue reading
Just as my obsession with relevance and economic security have often crowded out what’s really important — relationships — I’ve let my preoccupation with the election results crowd out the blessings in my life. God, I’m so fucking sick of politics. So … let’s talk about cars. Fas … | Continue reading
I believe the more interesting conversation than why she lost, is how he won. We on the left try to comfort each other with the cold (i.e., freezing) comfort of “he barely won the popular vote,” or “Wisconsin was decided by just 30k people,” but the reality is Donald Trump destro … | Continue reading
I’m still in my pajamas — haven’t changed since Tuesday night. I’m also drinking a fair amount and toggling between Netflix shows: Nobody Wants This, which is pleasant but über cliche (i.e., stupid); and Monsters, which, as the father of two boys, I find just plain disturbing. In … | Continue reading
I just returned from the U.S. and was struck by how tense things are. It feels similar to what I imagine the mood was during the Vietnam War. So let’s take a break and discuss something even more stressful: college admissions. Yay. Last week I did a college tour with my son. It w … | Continue reading
The Last Swing Voters The catastrophizing, from both sides, re “The end of America” if s/he wins is obnoxious and recognizes neither history nor the resilience of the U.S. We’ve survived much worse than her/him. However, it’s clear that, as in any election, some groups will fare … | Continue reading
The most impressive, and unimpressive, product displays of 2024 occurred last week — from companies headed by the same person. The largest booster rocket ever assembled was called back to terra by gravity; then, as it approached the Earth’s surface, engines ignited that navigated … | Continue reading
I’m in L.A., and it’s been an emotional week — on several dimensions. Many of my closest friends are celebrating our 50th. It’s wonderful. Any competitiveness, jealousy, or other petty bullshit has melted away. All that’s left is collective joy at our friendships, and adult child … | Continue reading
The stock market is touching highs, but some corporate icons have seen valuations crash. I believe dispersion, China, and a changing of the guard are key to understanding these fallen angels. Dispersion In 1996, at the height of the brand era, I was asked to address the board of … | Continue reading
Why don’t we fix our immigration system? A: It’s too profitable. The best marketers in the world are tobacco companies, tech companies, universities, and the Republican Party. The GOP primarily represents the wealthiest 1% of Americans and corporations, yet manages to get about 4 … | Continue reading
I turned 50 last weekend (just go with it). It’s a milestone and an opportunity to reflect, which I do … too much. In the past 50 years, there may have been more technological innovation and disruption than in the previous 500. The year my parents divorced, I spent the summer wit … | Continue reading
During Tuesday night’s debate, Trump and Harris discussed the economy, but neither referenced the simplest available move to reduce poverty and inequality: raise the minimum wage. On the campaign trail, they’ve both jumped on an idea to eliminate the federal income tax on tips. T … | Continue reading
Since the recovery of six hostages’ bodies in Gaza, I’ve been pondering grief. As others have said, grief is the price we pay for love, a testament to the depth of our connection. It isn’t just about losing a loved one; it’s about losing what they represented to our family, commu … | Continue reading
I’ve known Greg Shove, the CEO of Section and author of Personal Math, for over 30 years. We met when I was chairman of Red Envelope (e-commerce firm). Since then Greg has started and sold three companies. Section (Disclosure: founder/investor) helps upskill enterprises for AI. T … | Continue reading
Josh Brown is one of Prof G Markets’ favorite guests. He’s funny, fearless, and genuinely insightful about the markets. Turns out, he’s also a great writer. We asked him to share the post below, making the case for optimism, as that is not our strong suit. I’m more of a “the glas … | Continue reading
After reading this, many readers will accuse me of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). I believe I suffer from a different ailment, DAS: Democracy Addiction Syndrome. And Daddy needs his fix. Today’s post is an updated version of one I wrote a year ago. While things have changed — … | Continue reading
Growing up, our biggest fear was “the bomb.” Dr. Strangelove came out the year I was born. Not to worry though, see a bright flash … just duck and cover. Yep, your desk will so shield you from a thermonuclear blast. This week, I interviewed historian Niall Ferguson. He believes w … | Continue reading
The Olympics used to be a slab of TV content. The internet has ground the Games into social media moments. Things change. When I was a kid, the Summer Olympics were an iconic, quadrennial opportunity to rewatch the moon landing. Another chance to beat the Russians, this time in t … | Continue reading
A decent boot camp for marketing is to work on a campaign. In these contests, there are two brands with few differentiating attributes re the product that consumers discern. Would you know who is president, at any given time, if you didn’t know who is president? The race for pres … | Continue reading
Misdirects Narratives surrounding the attempt on Trump’s life were being shaped as the event was unfolding. Most of them are misdirects from the real story — the crisis facing young American men. Moments after he was shot by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks and swarmed by Secret … | Continue reading
When Dr. Doug Ross (George Clooney) changes the direction of our world, it’s a sign I should return to my knitting and discuss business. I don’t know if it’s age or common sense, but it feels as if this world is getting increasingly unstable. So let’s take a break, and venture to … | Continue reading
Not If, When I believe President Biden will announce he is withdrawing from the 2024 race imminently. Just as anybody who’s seen a commercial or a logo believes they’re an expert in advertising and design, I’ve convinced myself I have insights into the inner workings of the Beltw … | Continue reading
I’m in a dark place. I just watched democracy collapsing as a con man abused an old man. I haven’t hit rock bottom yet, so let’s discuss social media and age-gating. Addiction & Reach Social media is unprecedented in its reach and addictive potential — a bottomless dopa bag that … | Continue reading
AI Laundromat I’m at Cannes, hungover, as I went to Yahoo Beach and saw the Chainsmokers. Cannes is everything I wanted in my twenties and thirties but didn’t have access to, since I was working all the fucking time and had no money or influence. Better late, I guess. Anyway, the … | Continue reading
As stupid as Apple’s Vision Pro is, Apple Intelligence is that … intelligent. Innovation Is Overrated Specifically, disruptive innovation — the kind that marks a “before” and “after” in our lives — is terrible for shareholder value. Some innovators that changed our lives: Seattle … | Continue reading
Throughout human history, if we had access to more than we needed, we kept the excess to survive in leaner times. Having surplus items also signaled wealth and desirability as a mate, and key rituals often depended on precious items being stored safely. Our ability to store crops … | Continue reading
To: Grads From: Prof G Subject: You got this America, and the Western alliance it leads, is dysfunctional. It’s also less dysfunctional than any other society. Why? America’s alchemy of individualism, rights, education, innovation, capital, diversity, entrepreneurship and generos … | Continue reading
Note: This newsletter is not investment advice. Five years ago, Nvidia was a second-tier semiconductor company known for giving Call of Duty better resolution. Today it’s the third-most-valuable company on Earth, with a dominant 80% share in AI chips, the processers underpinning … | Continue reading
Over the past several decades, America has waged a covert war against the young. One front in this war is our income tax system, which favors Owners over Earners. Young people are almost all Earners, while Owners are typically older, and the tax code is a wealth-transfer vehicle … | Continue reading
Einstein defined the 20th century with the revelation that mass is a form of energy. Today’s theoretical physics posits something more fundamental: Mass and energy are all information. The 21st century will be defined by the recognition that the most powerful form of energy is th … | Continue reading
For any species to endure, it must find reward in two things: sex and conflict. The importance of the sex drive is obvious. But if we’re not wired for conflict, we’ll meet the same fate as if we never reproduced. Evolution is a competition for resources, and conflict is inevitabl … | Continue reading
For years, we’ve been making predictions. The objective isn’t only to be right more than we’re wrong, but to catalyze a productive dialog that might shape better outcomes. If you get most/all your predictions right, you’re not predicting … you’re stating the obvious. Also, predic … | Continue reading
This week I spoke at TED2024, the iconic program’s 40th anniversary event. I joined RuPaul, Kesha, and two different astrophysicists on the stage in Vancouver. I was given 15 minutes, and took 17, to riffle through 47 slides articulating what I believe is the greatest challenge f … | Continue reading
No Mercy / No Malice has been nominated for a Webby Award. Vote for us here, and I will surround you with white light. _____________ Daniel Kahneman, who died last month, leaves an extraordinary intellectual legacy. Few people have unpacked our behaviors with greater insight than … | Continue reading
Florida is now one of the most restrictive states in the country for abortion rights: The state’s supreme court reversed its own precedents on April 1 and upheld a ban on abortions after six weeks. Women in Florida, as in many states after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, now face ha … | Continue reading
Florida is now one of the most restrictive states in the country for abortion rights: The state’s supreme court reversed its own precedents on April 1 and upheld a ban on abortions after six weeks. Women in Florida, as in many states after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, now face ha … | Continue reading
I experienced ketamine therapy a few weeks ago and, after discussing it on Pivot and Prof G pods, I’ve received a great deal of inquiries from friends, strangers, and media. I wanted to let the experience settle as my perception continues to evolve/mature/unfurl (couldn’t find th … | Continue reading
Within and across species, relationships are essential to surviving and thriving. Complex social arrangements between trees and fungi sustain forests, individual bees and ants cannot feed themselves or reproduce, beavers work in groups of up to 10 to build their dams, and bald ea … | Continue reading
The market is shaped by psychology, not financials. And the psychology around IPOs has been in trauma since retail investors were run over by a semitrailer whose mud flaps read SPAC and Rate Hike. Winter came for IPOs, and we’re still waiting for the thaw. Despite a surplus of hi … | Continue reading
My next book is the product of a lifetime spent as a founder, professor, parent, and mentor. The Algebra of Wealth contains 300 pages of insights and hard lessons drawn from experience, paired with the best research on the foundational question of prosperity: how to achieve finan … | Continue reading
Each year we pick a Big Tech stock we think will outperform its peers. In November 2022 we picked Meta as our stock of 2023. For 2024 our pick is Alphabet. I believe Alphabet has been over-punished for its flaccid response to AI, as Meta was for its stupidity with the Metaverse. … | Continue reading
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Other than AI, gaming may be the fastest-growing $10-billion-plus industry in the U.S. A record 43 million Americans (1 in 6 people over the age of 18) bet on this year’s Super Bowl, wagering a total of $23 billion, a 35% jump from last year’s total. Next month, twice that many c … | Continue reading
Last week’s quarterly flogging of tech executives made for good theater. It’s a show meant to make us feel something before we return to our lives. American media soon pivoted to something more important and more American, money. Meta announced earnings on Feb. 1, posting one of … | Continue reading
Eight of the country’s elite colleges settled a lawsuit last week, agreeing to pay $118 million for colluding to match financial aid offers — price fixing. The schools deny any wrongdoing, but writing checks for $118 million does not signal innocence. The complaint lays out a str … | Continue reading
Few virtues are more celebrated in America than perseverance and grit. Commencement speakers offer a similar battle cry: “Never give up!” Jesus, what bullshit. Entrepreneurs aren’t voted into the hall of fame unless they have a story about mortgaging their house to make payroll o … | Continue reading
Aftershocks — second-order effects — can shake the ground far beyond the original shift in tectonic plates. Few predicted that an unprecedented increase in interest rates would turn mortgages into handcuffs and send housing prices skyrocketing. Or that mobile phones could facilit … | Continue reading
You are where you spend time. And my boys, like the rest of America’s youth, are TikTok. When asked whether they’d prefer TikTok or all other streaming platforms, tomorrow’s business/civic/military leaders pick the former. TikTok is the most consequential Asian import since … Dat … | Continue reading