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
May 20, 2024 • 16min
One Edge or Many? Reflections on Renaissance Technologies
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) - One Edge or Many? Reflections on Renaissance Technologies
(11:22) - Retention
(12:24) - Training Data
(13:20) - Social Networking Primitives and Local Maxima
(14:33) - Renting
(15:02) - Ads
May 13, 2024 • 14min
Invisible Efficiencies
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) - Invisible Efficiencies
(06:49) - Making a Market
(07:53) - Outsourcing
(09:35) - Multicloud
(10:53) - Can Frackers Collude?
(12:37) - Infrastructure
(13:25) - Area Man Tweets
May 6, 2024 • 14min
Martingale Beliefs
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) - Martingale Beliefs
(07:18) - Country Equity
(08:25) - Costs and Benefits
(09:38) - Continuation Funds
(10:36) - Deepfaking the Dead and the Last Generation of Celebrities
(11:47) - Mature Financial Systems
Apr 29, 2024 • 18min
AI Ruins Education the way Pulleys Ruin Powerlifting
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) - AI Ruins Education the way Pulleys Ruin Powerlifting
(12:38) - The Other Kind of Bank Unwind
(13:30) - AI Asset Plays
(14:15) - Retail Rides Again
(14:59) - Single-Family Rentals
(16:21) - AI Math
Apr 22, 2024 • 16min
Who's Afraid of Index Funds?
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) - Who's Afraid of Index Funds?
(10:25) - The Market for Data
(11:52) - Crowded Careers
(12:42) - Black Boxes, Everywhere
(13:32) - Externalities
(14:45) - Intra-Elite Conflict
Apr 15, 2024 • 12min
Most Market Phenomena are Older than they Look
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) - Most Market Phenomena are Older than they Look
(06:58) - Labor Arbitrage
(07:40) - Reddit and Search
(09:23) - On-Prem
(10:21) - Audience of One
(11:07) - Ads Everywhere
Apr 8, 2024 • 15min
The Data Business, At Three Resolutions
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 Data Business, At Three Resolutions
(08:45) - The Instagram Numbers
(09:57) - Trader Pay
(11:08) - The Distribution of Near-Misses
(12:54) - Benefits
(13:34) - Funding Cycles
Apr 1, 2024 • 13min
Algorithmic Collusion
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) - Algorithmic Collusion
(08:38) - Operationalizing Secrecy
(09:36) - Product Convergence
(10:00) - Black Box Update
(10:49) - Data Scarcity
(11:41) - Cash Management
Mar 25, 2024 • 13min
The Duolingo Disaster That Wasn'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) - The Duolingo Disaster That Wasn't
(07:34) - Chatbots
(08:31) - Alpha Capture
(09:45) - Coreweave
(10:58) - Preannouncements
(11:41) - AI's ROI
Mar 18, 2024 • 12min
The Case for Marking More to Market
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 Case for Marking More to Market
(06:47) - Petrodollar Recycling
(07:44) - Importing Talent
(08:19) - Self-Regulation
(09:38) - Apple/Google
(10:39) - Exits
