Search the archive

DESCRIPT

Edit your videos and podcasts just by typing.

ENCORE ANXIETY

The first time they tried stand-up comedy, this author strategically picked an open mic in a neighborhood where nobody knew them - failure would be anonymous. The set went well. The second time was different - now people had expectations, and expectation brings its own terror. Success creates a special hell where you're not afraid of being a fraud, but afraid you're genuine and still can't summon that magic again. The antidote isn't caring less but caring more about truthseeking - whatever that meant before anyone was watching.

VIBE ANALYSIS

If vibe coding is creating software by talking to AI, vibe analysis is getting insights the same way - and it might be even bigger. There are 2 million software engineers in the US, but at least 5 million people who pull data to answer questions every day. That's 10 billion hours annually spent on reports, dashboards, and deciding which experiments to ship.

ALT INVESTMENT PLATFORM ICAPITAL RAISES $820M AT $7.5B VALUATION WITH AN EYE TOWARD ACQUISITIONS

iCapital raised $820 million, raising its valuation to $7.5 billion. The company plans strategic acquisitions and tech investments. Co-led by SurgoCap Partners and T. Rowe Price, the round included existing backers like Temasek and UBS. iCapital's platform manages $945 billion and supports private market investments and asset management.

WILL RAISING VENTURE SELL MY SOUL?

A founder's letter asking if taking VC money would ruin everything they love about building their project.

SAM ALTMAN ON HIRING FOR SLOPE, NOT Y-INTERCEPT

When asked about his hardest hiring lessons, Sam Altman says the secret is simpler than most think - “hire for slope, not y-intercept."

IN THEORY…

When reality and theory disagree, update the theory - theories exist to explain what works, not dictate what's possible.

EVEREST RANSOMWARE CLAIMS MAILCHIMP AS NEW VICTIM IN RELATIVELY SMALL BREACH

Everest ransomware group claims to have breached Mailchimp, stealing 767 MB of data containing 943,536 lines, including business information, domain names, company emails, and technology stack details. The leaked data appears to be structured business information from marketing or CRM exports rather than Mailchimp's internal systems, suggesting the breach may have targeted customer data rather than core infrastructure. Everest follows the double extortion model and previously breached Coca-Cola in May, though it remains a relatively obscure ransomware strain compared to major groups.

APPLE PATCHES SECURITY FLAW EXPLOITED IN CHROME ZERO-DAY ATTACKS

Apple patched CVE-2025-6558, a high-severity vulnerability in the ANGLE graphics layer that was actively exploited in Chrome zero-day attacks and allows remote code execution via malicious HTML pages. Google's Threat Analysis Group discovered the flaw in June, with Google patching Chrome on July 15 and CISA adding it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, requiring federal agencies to patch by August 12. The vulnerability affects iOS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6, macOS Sequoia 15.6, and other Apple platforms, marking the sixth zero-day Apple has patched this year.

HACKERS PLANT 4G RASPBERRY PI ON BANK NETWORK IN FAILED ATM HEIST

The UNC2891 hacking group (LightBasin) physically planted a 4G-equipped Raspberry Pi on a bank's ATM network switch to create covert remote access into the internal network. The attackers used this device as a pivot point to move laterally through the bank's systems, deploying backdoors and attempting to install their Caketap rootkit to spoof ATM authorization and steal cash. The heist ultimately failed, but demonstrated advanced anti-forensics techniques, including filesystem mounting to hide malicious processes from security tools.

CHINA'S COVERT CAPABILITIES | SILK SPUN FROM HAFNIUM

SentinelOne's analysis of DOJ indictments revealed China's sophisticated tiered contractor ecosystem for cyber operations. Hafnium/Silk Typhoon operates through at least three companies directly tasked by the Shanghai State Security Bureau rather than opportunistic access brokers. Shanghai Firetech holds 10+ previously unknown patents for offensive tools, including Apple device forensics, smart home appliance control, and encrypted data recovery—capabilities far exceeding publicly attributed Hafnium TTPs and suggesting broader operational scope across multiple MSS regional offices. The research exposed critical attribution gaps where threat actor tracking focuses on behavioral clusters rather than organizational structures, with companies potentially selling capabilities to other MSS offices while remaining unattributed despite shared corporate ownership.

BALANCING SECRECY AND TRANSPARENCY IN BUG BOUNTY PROGRAMS

Bug bounty programs allow vendors to expand their security testing efforts with community hackers who can receive payment for their work. One issue with this approach is that, particularly in private programs, vendors control the disclosure timeline and may create an information gap. Government organizations should step in to regulate vulnerability disclosure with NIST drafting standards and metrics for bug bounty programs, CISA establishing a voluntary vendor accreditation program, as well as requiring federal agencies to comply with the standards, and the SEC to require publicly traded companies to report their bug bounty metrics.

Get the Guide

KALI LINUX CAN NOW RUN IN APPLE CONTAINERS ON MACOS SYSTEMS

The Kali Linux team has launched a Kali container that can be run through Apple's new container virtualization platform. The team has stated that there are some known bugs as well as limitations with hardware passthrough.

THORIUM

Thorium is a scalable file analysis and data generation platform that allows users to orchestrate arbitrary docker/vm/shell tools at scale. It was developed as a partnership between CISA and Sandia Labs.

PROTON LAUNCHES FREE STANDALONE CROSS-PLATFORM AUTHENTICATOR APP

Proton Authenticator is a free standalone 2FA app for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS that doesn't require an account and features end-to-end encryption with cross-device syncing. The app supports easy import/export functions for TOTP seeds (including from Google Authenticator), automatic encrypted backups, and biometric/PIN locking.  Unlike competing apps, it operates without ads, trackers, or vendor lock-in. The source code will be released on GitHub within weeks.

CISA SAYS IT WILL RELEASE TELECOM SECURITY REPORT SOUGHT BY SEN. WYDEN TO LIFT HOLD ON PLANKEY NOMINATION

CISA has committed to releasing its suppressed 2022 U.S. Telecommunications Insecurity Report after Sen. Wyden blocked CISA director nominee Sean Plankey's confirmation until the document is made public. Wyden claims the report contains “shocking details” about telecom vulnerabilities that could have prevented the Salt Typhoon espionage campaign if released when written initially. The Senate passed legislation requiring the report's release within 30 days, while CISA provided no timeline beyond saying it needs “proper clearance.”

SHINNYHUNTERS BEHIND SALESFORCE DATA THEFT ATTACKS AT QANTAS, ALLIANZ LIFE, AND LVMH

Google's Threat Intelligence Group has identified a wave of data breaches as being linked to the ShinyHunters group, debunking the belief that it was associated with ScatteredSpider. In these attacks, the attackers impersonated IT support staff in targeted vishing calls to persuade employees into visiting Salesforce's connected app setup page and then entering a “connection code” that linked a malicious version of Salesforce's Data Loader OAuth app.

CAREER LONGEVITY & THE DON'T FIRE ME CHART

A common metric of security program success is how much leadership is prepared to stick with the work over the long term. Security work tends to follow a cycle in which security issues are increasing so the company hires a security engineer to fix them, the engineer begins fixing the low hanging fruit and the number of issues declines, the engineer digs deeper and implements more logging, monitoring, etc and discovers more issues, management wonders why the issues have increased and fires the engineer. This can be mitigated by communicating that the situation will get worse in the short-term before it gets better in the long-term.

Get Duo's _Ultimate Guide to MSP Operations_

A FRESH LOOK FOR THE MICROSOFT AUTHENTICATION BACKGROUND

Microsoft is rolling out a new default background image for all authentication screens (personal accounts in August, Entra work accounts September 29) as part of its Fluent design modernization effort - this requires no admin action and existing company branding overrides will be preserved.

USERS LEFT SCRAMBLING FOR A PLAN B AS DROPBOX DROPS DROPBOX PASSWORDS

Dropbox has announced that it will shut down its password manager in a phased shutdown, with the service becoming read-only at the end of August followed by the mobile app being shutdown in September, and a full shutdown in October.

‘SUPERINTELLIGENCE' WILL CREATE A NEW ERA OF EMPOWERMENT, MARK ZUCKERBERG SAYS

Mark Zuckerberg said Meta is developing superintelligent AI to improve social media feeds, boost creativity, and enable more meaningful user connections. He described superintelligence as a tool more powerful than the human brain that will enhance how people interact, create, and build communities. Users will mainly access it through Meta's smart glasses, which can record and process video. Zuckerberg said the goal is not to replace human work but to empower individuals and businesses through more advanced AI capabilities.

LINKEDIN REPORTS ‘RECORD LEVELS' OF ENGAGEMENT, LOOKS TO ADDRESS ARTIFICIAL INTERACTIONS

LinkedIn reported another quarter of “record engagement” with revenue up 9% and sessions up 7%. Comments rose 30%, and video uploads increased 20%, making video a key focus. The platform now has 1.2B members, though only around 400M are active. Concerns remain about artificial engagement, including pods and automation. LinkedIn says it is working to detect and limit this activity. It's also expanding AI tools across hiring, sales, and content creation.

WIN REPORT: LESS CLUTTER, 17% MORE TRANSACTIONS

A cluttered product page made it hard for users to find the “Order a sample” link, even though most testers said ordering a sample was essential. The redesigned page simplified the layout, removed distractions, and made the sample button more visible. These changes led to a 17% increase in transactions and a 9% boost in revenue per visitor. The gains came largely from increased sample orders, a key step in the client's buying cycle.

HOW TO GET QUOTED IN THE PRESS

As AI tools increasingly cite journalistic sources, getting quoted in the press has become a way to boost visibility and search relevance. You don't need a PR team to do it, just a clear point of view and a smart workflow. Start by identifying the reporters and platforms that influence your audience, then follow and engage with them authentically. Use tools like HARO or Qwoted to find opportunities, and send short, relevant pitches with insightful, jargon-free quotes. Once you're featured, amplify and repurpose the coverage to extend its impact.

HOW DESIGN-DRIVEN BRANDS ARE OUTPERFORMING COMPETITORS (WEBINAR)

This Canva webinar looks at how brands are outperforming competitors by adopting design-led strategies. It will cover why design-led growth is essential, how to streamline content production, and how to empower teams as visual storytellers to increase conversion. Join live on August 7 at 11 AM ET.

TIP: CHATGPT STATS

Many stats provided by AI tools are not real but inferred. Roughly 40-50% are based on patterns from training data rather than verified sources. This can lead to misinformation, especially when AI-generated stats sound credible but lack a source. To avoid this, prompt AI tools to clearly label stats as either “Verified + Sourced” with a link and date or “Inferred” based on training trends. This step can help ensure you're using accurate data and avoid quoting stats that don't actually exist.

VIRALITY PROMPTS

Within 72 hours of publishing a newsletter on SaaS growth tactics, 32 founders shared experiences of failed experiments and missing viral growth loops. This article focuses on virality as a self-sustaining growth driver in 2025, shaped by psychology, networks, and AI. It shares prompts and frameworks for embedding viral loops across AI content tools, gaming platforms, and productivity software.

ON WRITING “HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CONTENT WRITING” FOR GROW AND CONVERT AND SOLVING AN ANGLING PROBLEM

This article describes how a content piece originally aimed at ranking for “how to become a content writer” failed to match the search intent because it focused more on improving writing than on job-seeking advice. The writer realized the draft reflected their own interests rather than what the intended audience was searching for. Instead of forcing a rewrite to match the original keyword, the editor redirected the article toward new keywords like “content writing tips,” which better aligned with the draft's content. This shift involved restructuring the article around actionable writing advice, especially emphasizing an interview-backed research process. Good content often requires multiple revisions, and keyword targeting should support, not dictate, the real value of a piece.

THE BUSINESS OF BRAND TRIPS

Brand trips can cost between 100k and 700k dollars, with most influencers attending without additional pay, as posting is implicitly expected. Some trips significantly boost sales, such as Hotel Lobby Candle's Montauk event, which drove a 50% overall increase and a 419% surge in themed product sales. Successful trips typically feature carefully selected guests and a strong connection between the experience and the brand's product.

AI QR CODES

A prompt to generate downloadable QR codes from ChatGPT and Copilot.

AI-SHAPED MARKETER > T-SHAPED MARKETER

A breakdown of what the AI-shaped marketer framework now encompasses.

DON'T FOLLOW FRAMEWORKS. BREAK THEM

Frameworks are helpful, but product work is rarely linear. The best teams adapt and remix them to fit messy, real-world situations.

LEADERSHIP CO-PROCESSING WITH LLMS

LLMs can supercharge engineering leadership by acting as research assistants, thought partners, and executive coaches. Used creatively, they help managers think clearly, make better decisions, and lead more effectively.

THE STRATEGIC PRODUCT MANAGER PATH HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

Strategic product managers drive impact behind the scenes - connecting teams, simplifying complexity, and shaping direction without owning a roadmap. Their influence comes from systems thinking, cross-functional clarity, and spotting problems early.

VIBE ANALYSIS

AI is reshaping data work by automating technical tasks and making analysis faster and more accessible. Human judgment still matters, but analysis is about to get twice as efficient and far more powerful.

12 HEURISTICS FOR CONTENT DESIGN

Most design heuristics lack clarity, inclusivity, or testability. This updated set of 12 content heuristics focuses on clarity, accessibility, ethics, and usefulness - offering actionable, user-centered ways to improve digital content.

NEVER START WITH 100%

Modern release strategies minimize downtime and user impact by shifting from big bang launches to controlled rollouts. Approaches like Blue-Green, Canary, and Guarded Releases enable safer, incremental deployment and faster recovery.

3 BOARDS AND NEW WAYS TO SPARK YOUR NEXT GROWTH MOVE

Visual fluency is key across product roles, with no-code tools enabling rapid prototyping. Stay inspired by curating references, joining communities, and embedding discovery into team culture to spark new ideas and growth.

THE MAKING OF DARIO AMODEI

Driven by his father's death from a once-incurable disease, Dario Amodei leads Anthropic with urgency - pushing rapid, safe AI development that's redefining industry norms and global dynamics.

HOW TO EXPAND YOUR INFLUENCE SKILLS

True influence comes from emotional intelligence, not just logic.

AI AND THE DISCIPLINE OF ATTENTION

AI's real risk is losing our ability to choose, commit, and focus.

HOW CURSOR SERVES BILLIONS OF AI CODE COMPLETIONS EVERY DAY

Cursor is an AI-first code editor that uses AI models like GPT-4 and Claude to provide features like real-time code autocompletion, complex multi-file tasks, inline editing, automated code review through "BugBot," and background agents that can execute code in isolated cloud environments. These features are enabled by encrypting and sending code snippets to cloud servers for AI processing. Codebase indexing and semantic search also allows the AI to "understand" and answer questions about the entire codebase.

HOW GO 1.24'S SWISS TABLES SAVED US HUNDREDS OF GIGABYTES

Go 1.24 introduced Swiss Tables, a new map implementation that significantly improved memory efficiency for Datadog's services. While initially experiencing a memory regression from a separate mallocgc issue, Datadog discovered that its high-traffic services actually saw large memory reductions, up to 1 GiB saved in some cases, due to Swiss Tables' more compact storage format compared to Go 1.23's bucket-based maps.

STACK OVERFLOW DATA REVEALS THE HIDDEN PRODUCTIVITY TAX OF 'ALMOST RIGHT' AI CODE

A recent Stack Overflow survey found that while AI adoption among developers is rising, trust and favorability towards AI tools are declining. A major reason for this decline is the prevalence of "almost right" AI-generated code, which developers find frustrating and time-consuming to debug, negating potential productivity gains. This disrupts developer workflows and can introduce security risks.

I TRIED SERVO, THE UNDERCOVER WEB BROWSER ENGINE MADE WITH RUST

Servo is a web rendering engine built with Rust. It was a Mozilla project intended to potentially replace Gecko in Firefox, but Servo was later reorganized under the Linux Foundation after Mozilla layoffs. While not yet able to power a full-featured browser, Servo shows promise and continues development, with current efforts focusing on Shadow DOM and CSS Grid.