WSJ: “Mark Zuckerberg wants you to have AI friends, an AI therapist and AI business agents. In Zuckerberg’s vision for a new digital future, artificial-intelligence friends outnumber human companions and chatbot experiences supplant therapists, ad agencies and coders. AI will play a central role in the human experience, the Facebook co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms has said in a series of recent podcasts, interviews and public appearances.”
Economist: “Webtoons originated in South Korea and have gone global. What distinguishes webtoons from other comics is that they are designed for a small screen. (You read one by scrolling down, one frame at a time, rather than scanning multiple frames across a page or spread.) The format dates back to the early 2000s, but has exploded in popularity of late. In 2024 the webtoons market was worth $9bn; it is projected to reach nearly $100bn by 2033, according to IMARC, a consultancy. That figure is higher than the projected market size of manga, Japan’s celebrated comic books. Indeed, even Japanese readers are ditching their homegrown comics for the digital alternative. The highest-grossing app in Japan in the first quarter of this year was Line Manga, a confusingly named webtoon app.”
Shane Parrish: “What separates good work from great isn’t talent but persistence. The most successful people aren’t those who feel motivated all the time; they’re the ones who work even when they don’t feel like it. Too often, waiting to feel ready means never starting. Outliers act despite their feelings, not because of them.”
Ben Thompson: “The reality is that platforms are not chicken-and-egg problems: it is very clear what comes first, and that is users. Once there are users there is demand for applications, and that is the only thing that incentivizes developers to build. Moreover, that incentive is so strong that it really doesn’t matter how many obstacles need to be overcome to reach those users.”
