Sangeet Paul Choudary

1 month ago | artificialintelligencemadesimple.substack.com | Sangeet Paul Choudary

It takes time to create work that’s clear, independent, and genuinely useful. If you’ve found value in this newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. It helps me dive deeper into research, reach more people, stay free from ads/hidden agendas, and supports my crippling chocolate milk addiction. We run on a “pay what you can” model—so if you believe in the mission, there’s likely a plan that fits (over here).

1 month ago | platforms.substack.com | Sangeet Paul Choudary

In Japan, a licensed fugu chef occupies a unique position in the food economy. Preparing this pufferfish requires years of training and certification. And that’s because eating the dish comes with the risk of fatal poisoning. You would expect that a meal that had the possibility to kill you wouldn’t have nay takers. This is the fugu paradox. People pay a premium not despite the risk, but precisely because of it.

1 month ago | platforms.substack.com | Sangeet Paul Choudary

In 1849, a swarm of men poured into California, lured by rumours of rivers filled with gold. This was the Gold Rush, where everyone rushed toward the same valleys and set up camp beside the same creeks. All drunk on the same hype. All nodding in unison to create consensus theatre. The smarter ones didn’t dig at all. They sold shovels instead. Somehow, that’s the metaphor that stays on every time we talk about a gold rush. In a gold rush, they say, don’t dig for gold. Sell shovels instead.

2 months ago | platforms.substack.com | Sangeet Paul Choudary

A bottle of wine sells for $80 in stores. The restaurant charges $400. It still sells. And people go back for more. The sommelier tells them a story about the vineyard, about a sixth-generation family continuing a tradition. Some of it might be true. It doesn’t really matter. The wine tastes better now. The diners think they’re paying for wine. What they’re actually buying is the sommelier; his vibe, his wit, his ability to make them feel like connoisseurs. The sommelier isn’t in the wine business.

2 months ago | platforms.substack.com | Sangeet Paul Choudary

The economics of abundance are a funny thing!With the fall of the Berlin Wall, much of Eastern Europe experienced a rapid shift from censorship to expression. What followed alongside the political transformation was an explosion in media as previously underground pamphlets became national newspapers and long-suppressed ideas started showing up on public forums, free from restrictions. The barriers to expression had fallen.