The Diff
Byrne Hobart
The Diff is a newsletter exploring the technologies, companies, and trends that are making the future high-variance. Posts range from in-depth company profiles, applied financial theory, strategy breakdowns and macroeconomics.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 19, 2021 • 14min
Defensive Monopolies
This is an audio version of the free newsletter. Read the newsletter at thediff.co, and subscribe for an additional 3 posts (and podcasts!) per week.
(00:00) - Defensive Monopolies
(07:42) - A Word From Our Sponsors
(09:15) - Supply Chain Disruption and Retail Membership Programs
(10:14) - Evergrande and Unlimited Liability
(11:14) - Alameda Goes Direct
(12:02) - Off-Brand
(12:43) - State-sponsored VC
Nov 12, 2021 • 14min
The Coming Carbon Short-Squeeze
This is an audio version of the free newsletter. Read the newsletter at thediff.co, and subscribe for an additional 3 posts (and podcasts!) per week.
(00:00) - The Coming Carbon Short-Squeeze
(09:37) - The Streaming Race
(10:34) - Captive Banks
(11:09) - Construction Credit
(11:53) - Illiquidity Doesn't Always Pay
(12:46) - Instacart Shifts Further Towards Ads
Nov 5, 2021 • 15min
The Promise and Paradox of Decentralization
This is an audio version of the free newsletter. Read the newsletter at thediff.co, and subscribe for an additional 3 posts (and podcasts!) per week.
(00:00) - The Promise and Paradox of Decentralization
(12:04) - Valuation Arbitrage
(12:47) - Labor Liquidity
(13:52) - Pricing Power
Oct 29, 2021 • 17min
What's a Ponzi Scheme? What Isn't?
This is an audio version of the free newsletter. Read the newsletter at thediff.co, and subscribe for an additional 3 posts (and podcasts!) per week.
(00:00) - What's a Ponzi Scheme? What Isn't?
(08:39) - A Word From Our Sponsors
(09:14) - Meta
(13:18) - ROE and CAPM
(15:49) - Expensive Cheap Energy
Oct 22, 2021 • 12min
Blimps, Bots, and the Future of Cargo
This is an audio version of the free newsletter. Read the newsletter at thediff.co, and subscribe for an additional 3 posts (and podcasts!) per week.
(00:00) - Blimps, Bots, and the Future of Cargo
(07:45) - Bitcoin's Long March: Pensions
(08:40) - Last Mile
(09:20) - Google's Laffer-Style Tax Cut
(10:38) - Sales
Oct 15, 2021 • 11min
FedEx: Two Bets on Network Effects
This is an audio version of the free newsletter. Read the newsletter at thediff.co, and subscribe for an additional 3 posts (and podcasts!) per week.
(00:00) - FedEx: Two Bets on Network Effects
(07:24) - Aging Into Owning the Metaverse
(08:14) - Fake Reviews
(08:47) - Ads and Addicts
(09:53) - Coal
Oct 8, 2021 • 26min
Discourses on Big Tech
This is an audio version of the free newsletter. Read the newsletter at thediff.co, and subscribe for an additional 3 posts (and podcasts!) per week.
(00:00) - Discourses on Big Tech
(21:03) - A Word From Our Sponsors
(22:06) - Sticky Wage Growth
(23:04) - The Coal Boom
(23:55) - Equity and Collateral
(24:59) - Building an Apple Car vs Appleifying a Built Car
Oct 1, 2021 • 16min
Your Life is (Almost) a Call Option
This is an audio version of the free newsletter. Read the newsletter at thediff.co, and subscribe for an additional 3 posts (and podcasts!) per week.
(00:00) - Your Life is (Almost) a Call Option
(09:29) - A Word From Our Sponsors
(10:32) - Reactive Strategy
(12:00) - Working it Out
(13:30) - Standardizing the Metaverse
(14:11) - Probability
(14:39) - When Payments Work
Sep 24, 2021 • 14min
Identity and the Login: Who Owns "Who's That?"
This is an audio version of the free newsletter. Read the newsletter at thediff.co, and subscribe for an additional 3 posts (and podcasts!) per week.
(00:00) - Identity and the Login: Who Owns "Who's That?"
(08:28) - A Word From Our Sponsors
(09:08) - Facebook Apologetics
(11:13) - Food Delivery and Unit Economics
(12:38) - More Air Taxis
(13:11) - Business and China
Sep 17, 2021 • 16min
Yandex: Google Through the Looking Glass
This is an audio version of the free newsletter. Read the newsletter at thediff.co, and subscribe for an additional 3 posts (and podcasts!) per week.
(00:00) - Yandex: Google Through the Looking Glass
(10:42) - A Word From Our Sponsors
(11:16) - Shifting the Curve
(12:26) - Where Housing Demand Comes From
(12:50) - Throughput
(13:33) - Lobbying
(14:38) - Customer Service-as-a-Service
