Writing, 2023.
Essays since 2006, plus a few things first published at USV. Occasional by design. The podcast lives on its own page.
- From Crypto-Native to Crypto-Enabled
After a decade of crypto-native exploration — DeFi, DAOs, NFTs — we're entering the era of crypto-enabled apps that look like normal web apps but have superpowers under the hood.
- You Never Know When You've Had a Good Day
A story from USV's Brad Burnham about a startup exec who got fired and cashed out right before the bubble popped — a reminder that bad days sometimes turn out to be the best ones.
- The Slow Hunch Redux
Why we write
- AI + Crypto: Best and Worst Cases
I think of AI and crypto as two very different, but very much related, elements of society moving from the industrial age to the digital age. At USV, we (along with lots of others over the years) have used the Carlota Perez framework, which studies how techno-economic paradigms unfold over eras. Ben...
- Motivating via Excitement vs. Fear
My favorite song from the past two years was Chris Stapleton’s Starting Over, the second verse of which goes like this: This might not be an easy time There’s rivers to cross and hills to climb Some days we might fall apart And some nights might feel cold and dark But nobody wins, afraid of losing A...
- Being in Motion
I find myself today flying across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, en route to Denver for ETH Denver followed by LA for the Upfront Summit. I often end up writing blog posts on planes — partially because of the large block of unscheduled time, but I think it’s more than that. I think there is… Con...
- Beautiful Permanence & Messy Change
I am traveling home today from Switzerland, having been there for a week for a few board meetings (and also some amazing skiing in between, notching a life goal I’ve had since I was a teenager). Every time I travel to Europe I end up fixated on the fact that the physical infrastructure there is… Con...