Joe Van Brussel

I write about technology, philosophy, money+math, and occasionally sports

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

The more powerful our technologies become, the more important our philosophies

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

@tszzl The Advent of AI Demoralization -- https://t.co/RiqvIv1CQE

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

https://t.co/qal76j6O8M

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

https://t.co/aF53yft0hX

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

Leading the way where?

Here’s the tell:

"The business is more profitable than ever, with a smaller team and less overhead. I’m able to pay my team better than I ever have. In no way is the business suffering"

So he’s laid people off, right? Maybe he’s paying the others a little more but overall he's saving on labor costs, i.e. labor has become cheaper and some people are already out of a job.

He’s experiencing a nice little honeymoon now during a transition, but what happens when his clients realize they shouldn’t be paying as much as they are? How long until another business also uses Claude to do the same thing? Does he have a perfect moat to prevent competitors from simply stepping in and taking his business?

If it’s really that easy, someone else will do it (and work while he’s hiking) very quickly.

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

@nickcammarata I'm assuming this is all in one Claude Project, with multiple threads for each subject (exercises, finance, etc)? And then you upload all docs as project files for context?

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

@andrewglynch Considering there's still a shameful dearth of financial education in just about every American education system, I feel like the answer is Montessori for school and Accounting / Personal Finance at home

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

@AmandaAskell Would be amazing for public speaking, too.

From what I understand, the best treatment for stage fright is exposure therapy. But it's very difficult to create incrementally challenging situations in the real world (e.g. Toastmasters).

Seems ideal for VR

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

@tenobrus The good version of freedom is "freedom to choose" i.e. people want to be in control of their lives, and to be able to make choices based on their values.

The worse version is FOMO-adjacent: Never committing or choosing a lane b/c then you miss all the other lanes

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

Sports also unite us in ways technology hasn’t.

Football fans can connect with any football fan, regardless of team affinity. And most sports pull people in from all walks of life.

Sports cut across demographic categories in a world stratified by microcultures.

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

There’s a scene in the book “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” that I keep coming back to. The young protagonist Paloma, who has decided to commit suicide on her 13th birthday, sees a rugby match on TV for the first time.

She immediately becomes captivated by a New Zealand player who “doesn’t move like the others.” His size and speed and elegance inspire her. She’s captivated by the raw, primal beauty of his physical performance.

The passage is about noticing beauty in the world – and represents the beginning of Paloma’s healing journey – but for me, it captures why sports are irreplaceable: They’re spontaneous, improvised, accessible, emotional. They’re human.

As AI shapes more of our world, these qualities of sports will become even more precious.

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

Here's screenwriter Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull) on FB a few days ago

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

@AdamMGrant I couldn't agree with this more.

And yet, Corporate America continues to ruthlessly and endlessly pass over qualified people with amazing accomplishments in favor of those who blast their own horns.

That's the disconnect. It's not psychological, it's structural

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

@Laura_W_Gieseke 1. Lots of Southern food is inherently unhealthy, yet it's also deeply tied to culture, creating an unhealthy generational loop.
2. I love Southern food

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

@jackiekenoyer This is such an awesome example of the importance of first steps. Fighting inertia to start a little movement, then letting momentum help keep things rolling. Love it

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

@markcecchini It feels like the Safety/Security tab is the one evolving the most.

Younger generations are seeking a balance between Safety and Freedom more than past generations.

The idea of Stability for 40 years just to have freedom in the future isn't as compelling as it used to be

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

The same mindset can seep into our feeling of self worth, too. Once our self esteem is primarily rooted in achievement, any unproductive day feels like a failure.

Which is an absolute tragedy, honestly. We should all be able to recognize the beauty and worth of certain unproductive moments

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

We're no longer early adopters testing each new tool and looking for helpful applications. We're surfers, trying to catch rideable waves while ducking under the unruly ones, hoping they don't break us.

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

In the last week, I've begun to feel a visceral shock at the speed of technological progress.

We've passed a critical threshold: No matter how hard we try, we can't meaningfully keep up with the latest developments, let alone meaningfully integrate them into our lives.

[Joe Van Brussel @joevanbrussel]

Moving forward, we’ll need to identify specific opportunities and ruthlessly prioritize them. Because now 50 new tools launch weekly, and AI capabilities arrive faster than we can process them.