James Cham
@jamescham.bsky.social
Of the San Gabriel Valley; investing for the year 2030; working to improve the second derivative; looking for troublesome ringleaders.
An important point about EV and also other technologies…
4/ European policy debates focus on risk exposure. Engineers focus on data and iteration cycles. Those conversations barely overlap.
January 1, 2026 at 4:45 AM
An important point about EV and also other technologies…
Reposted by James Cham
What you think the likely consequences are depends on whether you expect to see a pooling or separating equilibrium.
One of the big tidal forces of the coming years is that the baseline reliability of things you see on a screen is going to decline.
I think this has not been adequately metabolized.
This is one version, but there are a bunch of them.
I think this has not been adequately metabolized.
This is one version, but there are a bunch of them.
NEW: AI “recipe slop” is overrunning search and social. Food creators say Google’s AI Overviews and glossy fake food pics are drowning out real, tested recipes — collapsing traffic and setting home cooks up for disaster, especially this Thanksgiving.
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
November 25, 2025 at 9:48 PM
What you think the likely consequences are depends on whether you expect to see a pooling or separating equilibrium.
Now there is a very strong torment nexus-vibe here but feel like a few friends of mine are basically proto-Manfred Macx’s. Time to re-read Accelerando!
“pronoiac meme-broker”, “automated their legal processes and are spawning subsidiaries”, “silicon rust belt victims”
“pronoiac meme-broker”, “automated their legal processes and are spawning subsidiaries”, “silicon rust belt victims”
November 25, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Now there is a very strong torment nexus-vibe here but feel like a few friends of mine are basically proto-Manfred Macx’s. Time to re-read Accelerando!
“pronoiac meme-broker”, “automated their legal processes and are spawning subsidiaries”, “silicon rust belt victims”
“pronoiac meme-broker”, “automated their legal processes and are spawning subsidiaries”, “silicon rust belt victims”
Another @dsquareddigest.bsky.social style unaccountability machine style problem. I know there are many problems in the world but I wish we spent more time thinking in these terms... rein.pk/over-regulat...
Over-Regulation is Doubling the Cost by Peter Reinhardt
rein.pk
November 20, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Another @dsquareddigest.bsky.social style unaccountability machine style problem. I know there are many problems in the world but I wish we spent more time thinking in these terms... rein.pk/over-regulat...
Reposted by James Cham
This is a good time to let everybody else know that I've got a mailbag column coming up in a few days...
If you've got a question, fire away here.
49ers, Warriors, Giants, everything.
First slot guaranteed to BlueSky questions.
If you've got a question, fire away here.
49ers, Warriors, Giants, everything.
First slot guaranteed to BlueSky questions.
November 17, 2025 at 12:13 AM
This is a good time to let everybody else know that I've got a mailbag column coming up in a few days...
If you've got a question, fire away here.
49ers, Warriors, Giants, everything.
First slot guaranteed to BlueSky questions.
If you've got a question, fire away here.
49ers, Warriors, Giants, everything.
First slot guaranteed to BlueSky questions.
Was reminded by a friend that air traffic controllers are working without pay right now.
November 7, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Was reminded by a friend that air traffic controllers are working without pay right now.
Reposted by James Cham
Yoshinobu Yamamoto:
First pitcher to win 3 games in a single World Series since 2001 Randy Johnson
First pitcher with 3 road wins in a single WS
4th P to win G6+7 in a WS, joining ‘01 Johnson, 1946 Harry Brecheen, 1925 Ray Kremer — FIRST to do it on road
First pitcher to win 3 games in a single World Series since 2001 Randy Johnson
First pitcher with 3 road wins in a single WS
4th P to win G6+7 in a WS, joining ‘01 Johnson, 1946 Harry Brecheen, 1925 Ray Kremer — FIRST to do it on road
November 2, 2025 at 4:41 AM
Yoshinobu Yamamoto:
First pitcher to win 3 games in a single World Series since 2001 Randy Johnson
First pitcher with 3 road wins in a single WS
4th P to win G6+7 in a WS, joining ‘01 Johnson, 1946 Harry Brecheen, 1925 Ray Kremer — FIRST to do it on road
First pitcher to win 3 games in a single World Series since 2001 Randy Johnson
First pitcher with 3 road wins in a single WS
4th P to win G6+7 in a WS, joining ‘01 Johnson, 1946 Harry Brecheen, 1925 Ray Kremer — FIRST to do it on road
Reposted by James Cham
The Good Samaritan, by Joseph Highmore, 1744, 📸 by @patricksmith04
November 2, 2025 at 4:49 AM
The Good Samaritan, by Joseph Highmore, 1744, 📸 by @patricksmith04
I worry that Kahneman was right about AI 7 years ago:
“Yann LeCun said yesterday that humans would always prefer emotional contact with other humans. That strikes me as probably wrong. It is extremely easy to develop stimuli to which people will respond emotionally.”
“Yann LeCun said yesterday that humans would always prefer emotional contact with other humans. That strikes me as probably wrong. It is extremely easy to develop stimuli to which people will respond emotionally.”
October 30, 2025 at 5:29 AM
I worry that Kahneman was right about AI 7 years ago:
“Yann LeCun said yesterday that humans would always prefer emotional contact with other humans. That strikes me as probably wrong. It is extremely easy to develop stimuli to which people will respond emotionally.”
“Yann LeCun said yesterday that humans would always prefer emotional contact with other humans. That strikes me as probably wrong. It is extremely easy to develop stimuli to which people will respond emotionally.”
Reposted by James Cham
Smuggling this over from a @jamescham.bsky.social post over in The Bad Place:
Rather than using 1-10 ratings to describe things, here's a handy chart for describing things using standard deviations (assuming a normal distribution).
Rather than using 1-10 ratings to describe things, here's a handy chart for describing things using standard deviations (assuming a normal distribution).
October 18, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Smuggling this over from a @jamescham.bsky.social post over in The Bad Place:
Rather than using 1-10 ratings to describe things, here's a handy chart for describing things using standard deviations (assuming a normal distribution).
Rather than using 1-10 ratings to describe things, here's a handy chart for describing things using standard deviations (assuming a normal distribution).
everything is a diffusion of knowledge problem! here's a nice reference to @dsquareddigest.bsky.social from one of the best ai investors -- tomtunguz.com/the-accounta...
September 22, 2025 at 7:44 PM
everything is a diffusion of knowledge problem! here's a nice reference to @dsquareddigest.bsky.social from one of the best ai investors -- tomtunguz.com/the-accounta...
I love every frame from Spider-Verse but this is particularly great.
![[Across the Spider-Verse, 0:28:40, Frame 41260]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:verio7ck7wxnlhggfcjnh5cw/bafkreiho64jcuytispitlfnn6uao7fq6gkigezonpu6twzyfyagrbkfze4@jpeg)
August 27, 2025 at 7:14 AM
I love every frame from Spider-Verse but this is particularly great.
Thanks @delong.social for summarizing this chat with Dan Wang. Everyone should subscribe to Brad's newsletter! braddelong.substack.com/p/on-dan-wan...
August 26, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Thanks @delong.social for summarizing this chat with Dan Wang. Everyone should subscribe to Brad's newsletter! braddelong.substack.com/p/on-dan-wan...
Reposted by James Cham
It's a great book
Listened to Dan Wang on Sinica podcast this morning, fascinating discussion - infinitely quotable.
These three quotes jumped out at me while driving up the motorway...
open.spotify.com/episode/1Rbs...
These three quotes jumped out at me while driving up the motorway...
open.spotify.com/episode/1Rbs...
The Engineering State and the Lawyerly Society: Dan Wang on his new book "Breakneck"
open.spotify.com
August 23, 2025 at 8:10 AM
It's a great book
I know that everything is terrible but this A$AP Rocky vs Spike Lee episode is so much fun--
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8w4...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8w4...
Testing A$AP Rocky and Spike Lee's Music Knowledge | Track Star* Versus
YouTube video by Track Star*
www.youtube.com
August 16, 2025 at 5:41 PM
I know that everything is terrible but this A$AP Rocky vs Spike Lee episode is so much fun--
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8w4...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8w4...
vibe coding says more about demand than supply. the pent up demand has always been sitting there!
August 13, 2025 at 3:56 PM
vibe coding says more about demand than supply. the pent up demand has always been sitting there!
I’m in the middle of reading an advance copy of Dan Wang’s book Breakneck. It is very good and he’s convinced me that I don’t think about China enough. I think it is important enough that I’m hosting a virtual chat before the book comes out in hopes that it breaks through the zeitgeist.
August 12, 2025 at 6:19 AM
I’m in the middle of reading an advance copy of Dan Wang’s book Breakneck. It is very good and he’s convinced me that I don’t think about China enough. I think it is important enough that I’m hosting a virtual chat before the book comes out in hopes that it breaks through the zeitgeist.
Reposted by James Cham
A disconcerting number of high status people upended their worldviews because other people did not affirm that status in the way they thought appropriate.
And social media accelerated this because for high status people it is often the experience of people telling you that you are wrong.
And social media accelerated this because for high status people it is often the experience of people telling you that you are wrong.
and here's David Mamet revealing that getting snubbed by Terry Gross is what radicalized him into conservatism
August 4, 2025 at 6:44 PM
A disconcerting number of high status people upended their worldviews because other people did not affirm that status in the way they thought appropriate.
And social media accelerated this because for high status people it is often the experience of people telling you that you are wrong.
And social media accelerated this because for high status people it is often the experience of people telling you that you are wrong.
I mean I get the point of The Materialists and loved a lot of it. But at the same time, it isn’t that hard to choose Captain America over Reed Richards.
July 23, 2025 at 7:21 AM
I mean I get the point of The Materialists and loved a lot of it. But at the same time, it isn’t that hard to choose Captain America over Reed Richards.
Reposted by James Cham
Our new website Isn’t just a redesign. It’s a reflection of how we’ve evolved — and the deep identity work we love doing.
Take a look around, and if you’re building something bold, let’s talk.
🔗 livingthing.studio
#LivingThingStudio #WebsiteLaunch #DesignStudio #BrandIdentity #BiotechBranding
Take a look around, and if you’re building something bold, let’s talk.
🔗 livingthing.studio
#LivingThingStudio #WebsiteLaunch #DesignStudio #BrandIdentity #BiotechBranding
July 22, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Our new website Isn’t just a redesign. It’s a reflection of how we’ve evolved — and the deep identity work we love doing.
Take a look around, and if you’re building something bold, let’s talk.
🔗 livingthing.studio
#LivingThingStudio #WebsiteLaunch #DesignStudio #BrandIdentity #BiotechBranding
Take a look around, and if you’re building something bold, let’s talk.
🔗 livingthing.studio
#LivingThingStudio #WebsiteLaunch #DesignStudio #BrandIdentity #BiotechBranding
Reposted by James Cham
Stephen Colbert happened to be in the midst of writing a “Take” for @newyorker.com, revisiting a classic Profile of Johnny Carson. “While I host a show in the same time slot and tradition as Carson…” We decided to publish it today. www.newyorker.com/magazine/tak...
Stephen Colbert on Kenneth Tynan’s Profile of Johnny Carson
From Hollywood to the Hasty Pudding, we waft like smoke from an unfiltered Pall Mall through Carson’s worlds, most of which are gone.
www.newyorker.com
July 18, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Stephen Colbert happened to be in the midst of writing a “Take” for @newyorker.com, revisiting a classic Profile of Johnny Carson. “While I host a show in the same time slot and tradition as Carson…” We decided to publish it today. www.newyorker.com/magazine/tak...
Reposted by James Cham
Insightful post by Rob Go of Nextview Ventures about pressures on seed-stage VCs
nextview.vc/blog/a-crisi...
nextview.vc/blog/a-crisi...
A Crisis Moment for Seed VC
This is a long read, but I’ll highlight four interrelated factors that are creating this existential threat to seed: Industry maturation The two unstoppable forces Power law as consensus The AI platf...
nextview.vc
July 18, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Insightful post by Rob Go of Nextview Ventures about pressures on seed-stage VCs
nextview.vc/blog/a-crisi...
nextview.vc/blog/a-crisi...
Reposted by James Cham
This could be a template for 1001 situations, take your pick:
"When we started talking to _______ about _______ problem, nobody could quite figure out whose job it was to solve it."
"When we started talking to _______ about _______ problem, nobody could quite figure out whose job it was to solve it."
July 16, 2025 at 2:37 AM
This could be a template for 1001 situations, take your pick:
"When we started talking to _______ about _______ problem, nobody could quite figure out whose job it was to solve it."
"When we started talking to _______ about _______ problem, nobody could quite figure out whose job it was to solve it."
This has very strong @dsquareddigest.bsky.social vibes! popcornagents.substack.com/p/the-laptop...
July 15, 2025 at 4:58 AM
This has very strong @dsquareddigest.bsky.social vibes! popcornagents.substack.com/p/the-laptop...
Reposted by James Cham
Hey out there to our Bay Area ATProto nerds and ATProto curious friends. @germnetwork.com and ATProto Community Fund are hosting an ATProto meetup at the Internet @archive.org this coming Tuesday July 8th! Come on out, hack and chat: lu.ma/mf4n7jbi
Bay Area ATProto Meetup · Luma
Let's build the future of the social web! AT Protocol is the open-source social layer powering Bluesky and the emerging "Atmosphere" of social apps like…
lu.ma
July 2, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Hey out there to our Bay Area ATProto nerds and ATProto curious friends. @germnetwork.com and ATProto Community Fund are hosting an ATProto meetup at the Internet @archive.org this coming Tuesday July 8th! Come on out, hack and chat: lu.ma/mf4n7jbi