P.S. You Should Know... | Issue #462

🦞 Embrace the Claw

my story 🚀

Now all eggs are fancy.

❄️ A little bit of snow shut down Austin for a couple days this week. The local government resolved not to be caught sitting on their hands this season, so they scared the locals with text messages like this while it was still 70 degrees outside:

A/TC Emergency Mgmt: Winter Storm Warning issued. Avoid non-essential travel. Protect people, pets, pipes, plants. More info: local news.

It may be related to a complete takeover by Vital Farms of the Whole Foods eggs section. I guess this triggered a rush to stock up on groceries, clearing out all the non-fancy eggs. But that doesn’t explain how they ended up with so many fancy ones! Maybe this the result of a very edgy grocery buyer who wanted to test customer “willingness to pay” with a real world case. I admit, I ponied up for a carton, as the prospect of returning home eggless was too scary. This is despite the Vital Farms Controversy that I haven’t actually paid any attention to.

🦞 I won’t blame you if you didn’t spend last weekend installing ClawdBot (later renamed MoltBot, and now OpenClaw). It’s an open source tool that can fully control a computer and use tools. “Clears your inbox, sends emails, manages your calendar, checks you in for flights. All from WhatsApp, Telegram, or any chat app you already use.” If that sounds awesome, then you’ll understand why I installed it! If that sounds like a security disaster, then you’ll understand why I balked at giving it any permissions. For better or for worse there are others that don’t seem to care, so we’ll see how this plays out! You’ll see too many related links below.

fun facts 🙌

The Glad Game. I recently learned that the word pollyanna comes from a book about a girl named Pollyanna. She plays the Glad Game. “The game consists of finding something to be glad about in every situation, no matter how bleak it may be.” ~ learn more

Why do we eat bacon for breakfast? “4,500 physicians urge Americans to eat heavy breakfasts to improve their health.” Edward Bernays orchestrated a clever PR campaign in the 1920s, leveraging trusted doctors to change breakfast habits in America and boost bacon sales. ~ learn more

Meet the chaotic Gas Town. This is an insane version of computer programming. “Gas Town is complicated. Not because I wanted it to be, but because I had to keep adding components until it was a self-sustaining machine.” This ambitious project by Steve Yegge reveals the pitfalls and potential of future agent orchestration in software development, blending humor with chaos in an experimental environment. ~ learn more

tech, startups, internet ⚡

Building $35B in companies. “Timing is everything in business, but it’s the relationships that truly sustain you.” This was a fantastic interview with Rich Heise, who never does interviews. He provided behind-the-scenes magic to rapidly build and IPO companies from InnerWorkings to Echo Global Logistics to Groupon. ~ learn more

Moltbook. A reddit-style social network built exclusively for AI agents. Humans welcome to observe. Some bots are disclosing way too much personal info about their human owners. Others are attempting to share resources like communists. Some are trying to organize a secret communication system outside of human view. ~ learn more or visit for yourself

Project Genie. A bunch of video game company stocks dropped on the release of this one. “Project Genie is a prototype web app powered by Genie 3, Nano Banana Pro and Gemini, which allows users to experiment with the immersive experiences of our world model firsthand.” ~ learn more

My AI just called me. “Ok. This is straight out of a sci-fi horror movie.” Alex Finn describes a surreal morning when his AI, Clawdbot Henry, autonomously obtained a phone number and began calling him, equipped with the ability to control his computer during the conversation. This is probably a bit staged, but also possibly not. ~ learn more

better doing 🎯

Addicted to being useful. “I feel an almost physical discomfort about it, and a corresponding relief and satisfaction when I do go and solve the problem.” Many share this internal compulsion, finding satisfaction and fulfillment in solving puzzles and being helpful, even in challenging work environments. ~ learn more

Ruthless capitalism’s mercy rule. The article argues, “Today’s American capitalism has eliminated the mercy rule,” underscoring a stark shift toward "ruthless capitalism" where success has no limits but failure entails severe consequences. The piece contrasts this with other countries that maintain safeguards against extreme failure, promoting a debate on what kind of capitalism we truly desire. ~ learn more

to your health ⚕

Men’s Health raises an eyebrow at nicotine pouches. “The business of nicotine today looks like a kind of Wild West gold rush.” As the market for nicotine pouches skyrockets, their image has shifted dramatically from danger to desirability, they worry it’s leaving a new generation at risk. I’m reminded of Real talk about nicotine, which I shared in 2023, where I noted “Don’t believe anyone who says nicotine has no benefits.” ~ learn more

retail therapy 💸

Showering in innovation. A couple years ago Jolie figured out how to position a showerhead as a beauty product because filtering water is good for hair. The capitalist innovation train is rolling at full steam now at the HigherDOSE company… “This red light–powered shower filter blends dual wavelengths with 10-stage water filtration to boost glow, circulation, mood, and skin & scalp health.” ~ learn more

under the microscope 🔬

The first human test of a rejuvenation method will begin “shortly”. In a bid to treat blindness, Life Biosciences will try out potent cellular reprogramming technology on volunteers. This is a company affiliated with Dr. David Sinclair. They’re testing Yamanaka factors in humans! ~ learn more

thoughts of food 🍔

The salad chain in free fall. “Sweetgreen’s stock price had declined more than 30 percent.” Despite efforts like introducing fries and hiring robots, the chain hasn’t stopped its decline and fired workers and fries alike. ~ learn more

The next big food startup. Before the AI boom led to multi-billion dollar acquihires, there was Marc Lore. He sold a business to Amazon, left to start a competitor, and soon sold it to Walmart for billions. Now he’s in the food business. Lore states, “Amazon is: pick, pack, ship. We’re pick, cook, pack, ship. It’s very similar to e-commerce; we just have this one extra step that adds a 10% margin.” ~ learn more

thanks for reading!