AI confers an advantage on first …

AI confers an advantage on first movers. AI learns, and the sooner it is deployed, the sooner it can begin to learn. The more it learns, the better it gets in terms of prediction accuracy. The better it gets, the more effective the new system is. The flywheel begins to turn. This flywheel explains why some in the venture capital community are investing so aggressively in seemingly nascent AI projects.

– from Power and Prediction book by Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans and Avi Goldfarb

Every world power has its time …

Every world power has its time in the sun, thanks to the uniqueness of their circumstances and the nature of their character and culture, but they all eventually decline. Some do so more gracefully than others, with less trauma, but they nevertheless decline.

– from Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order book by Ray Dalio

My father, Fraser, taught me to …

My father, Fraser, taught me to work hard, laugh often, and keep my word. My mother, Marian, showed me how to think for myself and to use my voice. Together, in our cramped apartment on the South Side of Chicago, they helped me see the value in our story, in my story, in the larger story of our country. Even when it’s not pretty or perfect. Even when it’s more real than you want it to be. Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own.

– from Becoming book by Michelle Obama