Skip to content
dr.Pep
dr.Pep
knows better
  • Single Sentence Summaries
  • Linux
  • Analytics
  • Recent posts
Copyright © 2022 Pepijn van der Laan.
All rights reserved.
The careful study of ancient wrecks reveals much about how – through the ages and across civilizations – engineers have solved for the same challenges in different ways

The careful study of ancient wrecks reveals much about how – through the ages and across civilizations – engineers have solved for the same challenges in different ways

When structuring your tech-heavy organization it helps to think in archetypes of team roles and interaction modes

When structuring your tech-heavy organization it helps to think in archetypes of team roles and interaction modes

Earth is an unremarkable planet in an average solar system in a plain-vanilla galaxy in just one-of-many bubble universes

Earth is an unremarkable planet in an average solar system in a plain-vanilla galaxy in just one-of-many bubble universes

A subversive branch of the French royal family has been responsible for the emergence of the low countries as a geopolitical entity

A subversive branch of the French royal family has been responsible for the emergence of the low countries as a geopolitical entity

Venture Capital has been of major importance in the making of the tech industry in general, and Silicon Valley in particular.

Venture Capital has been of major importance in the making of the tech industry in general, and Silicon Valley in particular.

Drawing is a great way to structure your thinking and convey your ideas

Drawing is a great way to structure your thinking and convey your ideas

Indigenous societies show that, next to capitalism, there are many alternative blends of violence, knowledge and charisma on which a viable social power structure can be built

Indigenous societies show that, next to capitalism, there are many alternative blends of violence, knowledge and charisma on which a viable social power structure can be built

Thinking of decisions under uncertainty as bets leads to better, more rational, choices by challenging our innate biases

Thinking of decisions under uncertainty as bets leads to better, more rational, choices by challenging our innate biases

A selfless focus on creating impact makes employees highly valuable for organizations

A selfless focus on creating impact makes employees highly valuable for organizations

Determining the value function is a difficult problem that is nonetheless key to safely and effectively using reinforcement learning

Determining the value function is a difficult problem that is nonetheless key to safely and effectively using reinforcement learning

PayPal has been successful first and foremost because of ruthless competitiveness and a maniacal work ethic

PayPal has been successful first and foremost because of ruthless competitiveness and a maniacal work ethic

The early 20th century provided a thriving pan-European intellectual and scientific environment, for those men who had the brains and could afford to participate

The early 20th century provided a thriving pan-European intellectual and scientific environment, for those men who had the brains and could afford to participate

The unlikely journey of a talented, black physicist from the hood shows the mechanics of ‘privilege’

The unlikely journey of a talented, black physicist from the hood shows the mechanics of ‘privilege’

Old-fashioned advertising creativity is very, very important in marketing effectiveness; unlike ‘thinking logically’

Old-fashioned advertising creativity is very, very important in marketing effectiveness; unlike ‘thinking logically’

Addresses are useful, but the system for assigning them varies between countries

Addresses are useful, but the system for assigning them varies between countries

One can remove the gods from the story of Troy’s fall, but it is so much better if you leave them in

One can remove the gods from the story of Troy’s fall, but it is so much better if you leave them in

The secret to closing a deal is convincing content, delivered convincingly

The secret to closing a deal is convincing content, delivered convincingly

Politicians need not believe in conspiricy theories to spread them

Politicians need not believe in conspiricy theories to spread them

The West has been underestimating the threat of Putin for many years

The West has been underestimating the threat of Putin for many years

When belief in progress has vanished, populists promise to rebuild the past – at all costs

When belief in progress has vanished, populists promise to rebuild the past – at all costs

Anything, from a generic concept to a highly personal experience, can be rated on a five-star scale

Anything, from a generic concept to a highly personal experience, can be rated on a five-star scale

From Anime to the Karaoke machine and the Gameboy, Japanese design has had an outsized influence on pop culture

From Anime to the Karaoke machine and the Gameboy, Japanese design has had an outsized influence on pop culture

Governments of developing countries should: 1. stimulate household farming 2. push through land reform, and 3. protect their budding manufacturing industry – in that order

Governments of developing countries should: 1. stimulate household farming 2. push through land reform, and 3. protect their budding manufacturing industry – in that order

The US postal service is a success story of the benefits of public funding

The US postal service is a success story of the benefits of public funding

To solve the problems facing our planet today, we need to think ahead seven generations

To solve the problems facing our planet today, we need to think ahead seven generations

Bayesian nets help prevent flawed statistical arguments and enable the leap from correlation to causation

Bayesian nets help prevent flawed statistical arguments and enable the leap from correlation to causation

A pragmatic programmer has to be an inquisitive, realistic critical thinker and fast adapter that is open to new perspectives and technologies

A pragmatic programmer has to be an inquisitive, realistic critical thinker and fast adapter that is open to new perspectives and technologies

Traders trying to make a killing in an ever more sophisticated market economy are driven to ever smarter deals and lower moral standards

Traders trying to make a killing in an ever more sophisticated market economy are driven to ever smarter deals and lower moral standards

Flawed data collection and interpretation hurt the position and prospects of women in many different ways

Flawed data collection and interpretation hurt the position and prospects of women in many different ways

Almost any country can hack its way to power, posing a threat to political systems and essential infrastructure world-wide

Almost any country can hack its way to power, posing a threat to political systems and essential infrastructure world-wide

Today’s dominant ideology is the acceptance of ‘how the world really is’ and that any attempt to change that will lead to ruin

Today’s dominant ideology is the acceptance of ‘how the world really is’ and that any attempt to change that will lead to ruin

A hero is someone directing their rage towards achieving an unattainable goal and, if successful, ending up a star

A hero is someone directing their rage towards achieving an unattainable goal and, if successful, ending up a star

Statistical thinking leads to better decisions, but unfortunately most people are bad at that

Statistical thinking leads to better decisions, but unfortunately most people are bad at that

To make the fashion industry sustainable (from both environmental and social perspective) consumers need to care and get engaged

To make the fashion industry sustainable (from both environmental and social perspective) consumers need to care and get engaged

From the start, WeWork’s business model was eerily similar to that of Regus while Adam Neumann’s main skill was conning investors

From the start, WeWork’s business model was eerily similar to that of Regus while Adam Neumann’s main skill was conning investors

A start-up in retail should resolve significant friction in the value chain and/or the consumers’ lives

A start-up in retail should resolve significant friction in the value chain and/or the consumers’ lives

A good archeologist makes Sherlock Holmes’ deductions look rather elementary

A good archeologist makes Sherlock Holmes’ deductions look rather elementary

China’s debt-fueled economic growth cannot continue in the same way

China’s debt-fueled economic growth cannot continue in the same way

Apparently, the success factors that made Jack Ma are his command of the English language, his showmanship

Apparently, the success factors that made Jack Ma are his command of the English language, his showmanship

Do not start a restaurant, unless there is nothing else you can do

Do not start a restaurant, unless there is nothing else you can do

Psychologically, the Greek gods can be characterized as tantrum-prone children with a sex drive

Psychologically, the Greek gods can be characterized as tantrum-prone children with a sex drive

AI increasingly constrains the domain of human creativity, similar to how science has constrained Faith

AI increasingly constrains the domain of human creativity, similar to how science has constrained Faith

Like in other instances of decolonization, forming the USA has been a murky affair largely dependent on chance

Like in other instances of decolonization, forming the USA has been a murky affair largely dependent on chance

A bunch of anarchists and misfits was able to defy the most powerful nations of the world for a surprisingly long time

A bunch of anarchists and misfits was able to defy the most powerful nations of the world for a surprisingly long time

Cyber warfare is getting increasingly sophisticated and the USA can no longer contain the threat of Russia and other foreign powers

Cyber warfare is getting increasingly sophisticated and the USA can no longer contain the threat of Russia and other foreign powers

For more impact: write your own rules, commit to redistributing power, and fight for fairness

For more impact: write your own rules, commit to redistributing power, and fight for fairness

Be curious, try stuff, reframe problems, know the process, and ask for help

Be curious, try stuff, reframe problems, know the process, and ask for help

It is the responsibility of white people to end discrimination and assure racial equality

It is the responsibility of white people to end discrimination and assure racial equality

Corporate executives don’t have a clue about what customers and employees experience

Corporate executives don’t have a clue about what customers and employees experience

Fishermen tend to kill the thing they love

Fishermen tend to kill the thing they love

There is an important distinction between being Agile and having agility

There is an important distinction between being Agile and having agility

“Art is just a container you poor yourself into”

“Art is just a container you poor yourself into”

Never trust data scientists, in particular when they do not have data

Never trust data scientists, in particular when they do not have data

Seneca and his friends have a lot of practical advice for navigating life

Seneca and his friends have a lot of practical advice for navigating life

Truly understanding strangers is difficult, but failing to do so may cause grave harm to individuals as well as society as a whole

Truly understanding strangers is difficult, but failing to do so may cause grave harm to individuals as well as society as a whole

It is a miracle that databases actually work, considering all the things that can go wrong

It is a miracle that databases actually work, considering all the things that can go wrong

Folk tales about vampires and werewolves are based in an exaggerated fear for rabies

Folk tales about vampires and werewolves are based in an exaggerated fear for rabies

Kill Powerpoint, have to 2-pizza teams, and get your core values straight

Kill Powerpoint, have to 2-pizza teams, and get your core values straight

It requires a lot of dedication to learn superior memorization skills, but it can be done

It requires a lot of dedication to learn superior memorization skills, but it can be done

Experiencing other people’s suffering leads us away from rational decision making

Experiencing other people’s suffering leads us away from rational decision making

Tags
AI (10) Analytics (5) Art (8) Artificial Intelligence (4) Biology (5) Brain science (5) Change (5) Chemistry (4) Classics (4) Collaboration (5) Culture (40) Data science (8) Design (6) Economics (20) Economy (7) Entrepreneurship (16) Ethics (10) Evolution (8) Hacking (6) History (60) Innovation (59) Investing (6) IT (8) Journalism (5) Leadership (25) Linux (8) Marketing (10) Mathematics (6) Personal development (4) Philosophy (12) Physics (9) Politics (47) Psychology (8) Retail (5) Science (31) Silicon Valley (4) Sociology (7) Start-ups (5) Startup (10) Statistics (13) Strategy (7) Technology (43) Ubuntu 20 (8) USA (28) War (4)
Archives
Copyright © 2022 Pepijn van der Laan.
All rights reserved.