Every week, we put together a list of our top 5 articles of the past week. Happy reading!
How Shopify Outfoxed Amazon to Become the Everywhere Store Bloomberg (reading time: 22 minutes)
To say I’m a fan of Shopify is an understatement. It is the largest Canadian technology company by a landslide and still has lots of room to grow. This profile of its CEO, Tobi Lutke is a great update about the company. There are some interesting strategy tidbits in here particularly an error Amazon made in 2015. It might be Amazon’s most important strategic blunder.
Maturity of the software industry Chris Dixon (reading time: 5 minutes)
Blockchains allow computers to make credible commitments that in turn unlock new classes of applications.
In this short Twitter thread, venture capitalist Chris Dixon articulates why the technology industry has not matured yet. HIs core argument is that software’s unique feature is composability and that blockchains have now enabled a entirely different parameter, trust. (see opposite viewpoint in the bonus article!)
Airbnb’s $10 Billion Engineer Is Tackling The Lodging Giant’s Toughest Projects Forbes (reading time: 11 minutes)
Much is known about AirBnb as one of the most recognized companies today. This article features its technical co-founder Nate Blecharczyk and head of strategy. I learned some interesting insights about how AirBnb uses its data to its advantage. From blocking would be party goers and developing tools for city officials, it’s another example of the limitless possibilities of technology.
The Top Sectors of Web3 in 2022 by Revenue Tomasz Tunguz (reading time: 3 minutes)
I’ll be honest, I try to keep up with all the Web3 developments but it’s damn hard. This short post has a great summary of where the bulk of revenue in the sector is coming from. The flurry of activity in Web3 over the past year is so fun to watch as a whole industry takes shape.
Virage numérique : l’économie québécoise est-elle dans le coup? Radio Canada (reading time: 10 minutes)
This article in French highlights the need for Quebec businesses to invest more in digital technology. It shows the province being a laggard when compared to the rest of the country. From firsthand experience, this is directionally correct.
BONUS:
My first impressions of web3 Moxie Marlinspike (reading time: 19 minutes)
Meet the new king, same as the old king. The premise of Web3 is that it’s the same as Web2 but decentralized. The founder of messaging app Signal wrote a brilliant (and technical) dissection of his experience using these platforms. His key takeaway is that these platforms tend towards centralization.
