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dr.Pep
dr.Pep
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Copyright © 2023 Pepijn van der Laan.
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Contrarian thinking is a powerful weapon, if combined with genuine curiosity and a deep respect for facts and data

Contrarian thinking is a powerful weapon, if combined with genuine curiosity and a deep respect for facts and data

The success of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics is an excellent example of how accidental biases affect scientific progress

The success of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics is an excellent example of how accidental biases affect scientific progress

Structural shifts in energy production and usage (especially shale oil and EVs) have fundamentally affected the global power balance

Structural shifts in energy production and usage (especially shale oil and EVs) have fundamentally affected the global power balance

Metaphysical theories are constraint by the scientific knowledge, but plenty degrees of freedom remain for those in search (or need) of meaning

Metaphysical theories are constraint by the scientific knowledge, but plenty degrees of freedom remain for those in search (or need) of meaning

From its earliest origins math has been seen both as an formalization of divine perfection and as an effective, practical tool for solving real-world problems

From its earliest origins math has been seen both as an formalization of divine perfection and as an effective, practical tool for solving real-world problems

Africa and Africans have never been taken seriously by the Western world, simplifying the story of the continent to ‘famine and safaris’

Africa and Africans have never been taken seriously by the Western world, simplifying the story of the continent to ‘famine and safaris’

The lack quality control on generic drugs opened the door to fraud and deceit, endangering health and lives of the world’s poor

The lack quality control on generic drugs opened the door to fraud and deceit, endangering health and lives of the world’s poor

When managing your enterprise data, you should aim for a flexible, loosely coupled architecture that can handle large-scale batch and streaming data as well as APIs

When managing your enterprise data, you should aim for a flexible, loosely coupled architecture that can handle large-scale batch and streaming data as well as APIs

Mixed flour sourdough bread

To succeed in business: conform to reality, be cunning, but stick with whatever moral compass you have

To succeed in business: conform to reality, be cunning, but stick with whatever moral compass you have

Since the invention of the micro processor, chip production has become of imminent strategic importance for both the USA and other geopolitical power blocks

Since the invention of the micro processor, chip production has become of imminent strategic importance for both the USA and other geopolitical power blocks

Sourdough pita from the BBQ

Skillet baked sourdough Naan

Moro Sourdough bread

Silicon valley types and tech icons all recommend using OKRs for business steering, but each means something slightly different

Silicon valley types and tech icons all recommend using OKRs for business steering, but each means something slightly different

The issues and conflicts plaguing modern Spain are rooted in a troubled history that until shockingly recently was a dictatorship

The issues and conflicts plaguing modern Spain are rooted in a troubled history that until shockingly recently was a dictatorship

The subtle nuances that can be achieved by varying ingredients, shaping, and timing  of your bread are under-appreciated

The subtle nuances that can be achieved by varying ingredients, shaping, and timing of your bread are under-appreciated

Protective parenting and the quest for emotional safety hurt the mental resilience of gen Z

Protective parenting and the quest for emotional safety hurt the mental resilience of gen Z

The struggle to keep the legacy of the Roman empire alive has shaped much of Ravenna’s history

The struggle to keep the legacy of the Roman empire alive has shaped much of Ravenna’s history

To bring a socio-techincal concept to life, you need a lot of technology

To bring a socio-techincal concept to life, you need a lot of technology

Rivalry and pursuit of personal glory are major drivers for scientific progress

Rivalry and pursuit of personal glory are major drivers for scientific progress

Consumer brands should prioritize investment in mental and physical availability

Consumer brands should prioritize investment in mental and physical availability

Polls are certainly not perfect, but they are much less bad than public opinion suggests

Polls are certainly not perfect, but they are much less bad than public opinion suggests

If you want to learn how to build good products or start yur own company, Tony Fadell recommends listening to Tony Fadell

If you want to learn how to build good products or start yur own company, Tony Fadell recommends listening to Tony Fadell

Aging populations and the breakdown of global trade make that very bad things are going to happen all over the world, but less so in the USA

Aging populations and the breakdown of global trade make that very bad things are going to happen all over the world, but less so in the USA

Elections are not democratic but aristocratic, because only members of the elite get on the ballot

Elections are not democratic but aristocratic, because only members of the elite get on the ballot

To learn how to make an open source software project a commercial success, study business models in the media industry

To learn how to make an open source software project a commercial success, study business models in the media industry

To benefit the most from network effects: build local scale, fiercely fight for each new value pocket, and remember that every hockey stick will become an S-curve

To benefit the most from network effects: build local scale, fiercely fight for each new value pocket, and remember that every hockey stick will become an S-curve

Every measured quantity should come together with another, more intuitive, figure as a reference

Every measured quantity should come together with another, more intuitive, figure as a reference

The initial strength of the Hanseatic League was the fluidity of the institution, but that also limited the degree to which it could scale its power

The initial strength of the Hanseatic League was the fluidity of the institution, but that also limited the degree to which it could scale its power

The strive for ever greater precision has been a driving force behind all landmark engineering achievements

The strive for ever greater precision has been a driving force behind all landmark engineering achievements

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

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Copyright © 2023 Pepijn van der Laan.
All rights reserved.