Three Chunks of Info for a Re-Frame

Sources be powerful.

Jan 31, 2025

This is 3Bits & Change, an email about building a service and retail business. This one was written to the silence of my airpods and a sandwich warmer in the distance.

Have you ever gone on vacation for long enough to forget the password on your laptop?

Yes.

It turns out you shifted your password to muscle memory well before the trip. After a few weeks, fingers forget what to do. Wild. You likely engaged your cognitive powers to remember your password and then taught your fingers what to do, again. Nifty.

I’ve been returning to the same sources for information, input and info for months and months - like muscle memory. I interrupted the pattern last week and I’m seeking to see what my overall cognitive flow and patterns will be like in a few weeks.

So far, so good.

Here are a few new inputs.

//no.1 - The Coming Wave

Audible sent me a reminder that I had some large number of credits to use. Ok, yeah. So, I turned to a few new downloads to listen to during gym and drive time (replacing a slew of podcasts). The first book I downloaded was about AI.

The Coming Wave was published in 2023… likely written in ‘21 and ‘22(?) by Mustafa Suleyman of DeepMind (acquired by Google - becoming Gemini now), Inflection AI, and the current CEO of Microsoft AI.

The writing and research was done +18mo ago—at least a full cycle of Moore’s Law ago! Maybe two.

Run… go read or listen or otherwise consume this (or another resource(s)) as soon as you can IF you’re remotely interested in a foundational mental structure for understanding AI now and what is likely to happen in the next 18 month cycle.

Buckle up!

//no.2 - Sacca on TFS

The downsides first. 1) This episode has an large number of “fs.” There is that. 2) It’s structurally loose, as conversations between good friends often are. It can be frustrating to listen to if you’re expecting it to be linear. It’s not nearly as linear as it could be. But, they were not intending that either.

Tim Ferriss, of The Tim Ferriss Show (TFS) and Chris Sacca have known each other for many Moore’s Law cycles and this conversation reflects that reality.

A few upsides. 1) I was struck by the conviction Chris speaks with regarding the impact of AI on numerous and divergent topics (e.g. here). His background with LOWERCASE CAPITAL and now active investment via Lowercarbon Capital provide a unique view on the world (past, present and future). 2) I’ve been preoccupied with a few of the consequential ideas he advances not least of which the general notion that taking risk and getting in trouble is missing from our current culture, specifically for those youth and young adults among us. Could it be that the unpredictable (because the AI’s do the predictable so well) is what is now the most uniquely human to do going forward?

Lost more to unpack from this one. The above is a start. I’m energized by this interview like I was from the one in 2015.

//no.3 - What Message?

First published in 1967, I read McLuhan’s, The Medium Is The Message, as a communications major in 1998. Sacca referred to it in the above. I snagged a hard cover this time and started pondering the content again, now +2 decades later.

Quoted by McLuhan in the beginning of the book “The major advances in civilization are processes that all but wreck the societies in which they occur".” —A.N. Whitehead

Buckle up.

Sum

We all have choice in what we focus on. Altering information sources can lead to different ideas and energy. I find a ton of energy around learning about, adjusting current behavior and putting the new tools of AI to work.

Change

In the last issue I asked you all about protein sources. Here are some options to take a peek at:

I won’t be buying more David bars soon. They’re more chaulky than I like. But if I needed to purchase them because that’s all that was on the shelf at a remote gas station in the mtns I’d only buy Blueberry.
The Maui Nui sticks are super. I like them (and, yes, the cost per gram is high).
Neil suggested Anthony's Premium Pea Protein… yet to test.
Nate suggested Prime Protein… yet to try. It’s hard to hit the +200g per day mark. I’ll keep at it. This could help
Dan suggested Muscle Egg as super drinkable, and PACKED with protein. Also Ascent protein, Optimum Nutrition, and Protein2o. I’ve only tried the Optimum stuff from this list … but currently prefer this whey isolate.

And now… for your suggestions. Hit reply with your most captivating AI resource, things to read and why. I’ll collect them for the next issue.

On Your Way

I’ve been typing next to a large glass garage door with a now very cold cup of coffee. The light is great but my fingers are super cold given the negative temps on the other side.

It’s now time to stick my hands on a heated steering wheel and drive across town. Stay warm out there.

Cheers!