Top articles of the week | January 19

January 19, 2019

Every week, we put together a list of our top 5 articles of the past week. Happy reading!

A New Approach to Understanding How Machines Think Quanta Magazine

One of the main challenges with artificial intelligence is understanding how the machine came up with the answer. The inner workings of neural networks are nearly impossible to make sense of. This has led to some interesting by the team at Google Brain to try to demystify one of AI’s main issues.

The Rise and Demise of RSS Motherboard

The geek in me remembers subscribing to RSS (really simple syndication) feeds and curating the blogs I would sign up to. This technology has now largely disappeared and is no longer a standard used by any publishers or technology companies. The future once looked bright for this technology. This article covers the early history of this technology and how disagreements led to its eventual demise. It’s a fascinating read on how a technology can rise and fall.

How Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Fueled a Humble Comeback Fortune

This short quick read is a good reminder of how quickly Microsoft repositioned itself in an extremely competitive industry. The key point for me is the importance of leadership. Surely Microsoft already had some amazing assets but changing the narrative around a company is something only the CEO can do.

Vinod Khosla on How to Build the Future Ycombinator

This was a great interview of Vinod Khosla, founding CEO of Sun Microsystems. He is interviewed by Sam Altman of Ycombinator fame. He shared some great insights about building an early team, investors and more. #recommend

Fortnite isn’t a game, it’s a place Charged

The key to understanding the craze around Fortnite is that has become more of a social phenomenon that a gaming one. This article explains the appeal (not just for kids) of the game and how it is a place to hangout.