The Leverage

Articles

Finally, Data I’ve Been After for a Year

4 days ago | gettheleverage.com | Evan Armstrong

In a perfectly rational, functional market, each new data point would allow for a more accurate assessment of risk and reward. In markets bubblier than a 12-pack of La Croix, like the one we are currently in, each additional point of positive data is seen as a decrease of risk and an increase in reward. It’s confirmation bias at its finest. Any anecdote that is positive for one entity means the whole sector is going up and to the right.
The Weekend Leverage

6 days ago | gettheleverage.com | Evan Armstrong

I have consumed enough NyQuil to fill the Nile. The Amazon rainforest trembles at the mere mention of my child’s nose and the tissues it requires. My carpet has absorbed three bottles of Oxiclean Carpet Stain Remover, Dog Vomit™ edition. My wife has had to ask Google, ChatGPT, Bing, and Deepseek variations on the question, “Breast milk, cold medication, safe??”All of which is to say The Leverage was on sick leave this week. I apologize for not publishing any deep dives.
The Weekend Leverage

1 week ago | gettheleverage.com | Evan Armstrong

Lace up your New Balances and throw on your jean shorts, it’s Father’s Day! Hopefully this email finds you surrounded by family. I love this day because I quite literally put on the jorts my wife hates, and then, sufficiently squeezed into poorly cut denim, rocking a 7-inch inseam, feel an immense amount of gratitude for my little one and the life she gives me. But enough of that sappy stuff—on to the important things: tech.
Hire Misfits, Not Missionaries

2 weeks ago | gettheleverage.com | Evan Armstrong

The most popular maxim in Silicon Valley might be: “Hire missionaries, not mercenaries.” Coined by legendary investor John Doerr, an early backer of Google, Amazon, Twitter, and more, he argues that there are two types of people who work at startups. There are mercenaries, purely mercantile creatures that ruthlessly prioritize prestige, compensation, and career progression over company success. And there are the elect. The holy ones that make Silicon Valley great: the missionaries.
AI is Popular Because Having a Job Sucks Ass

2 weeks ago | gettheleverage.com | Evan Armstrong

It’s a sad fact, but your boss probably hates you and wishes you didn’t exist. I don’t mean in the Patrick Bateman, stabby-stabby-murder sense, but more in the “life would be easier if I didn’t have to deal with other people’s problems” sorta way. According to a recent study, 70% of middle managers would gladly give up having direct reports if they could keep the same salaries they currently have. Simultaneously, you probably don’t vibe with your job, either.
The Weekend Leverage

2 weeks ago | gettheleverage.com | Evan Armstrong

Well, I did it. My daughter is now in daycare full time, which means I had the capacity to publish two pretty extensive pieces, one on computer vision and the other on the Silicon Panopticon. Still suffering from the “I miss my kiddo blues,” but having the time to bring you writing that delights helps a ton. It could be worse! I could be having a fight on X with the President of the United States. We’ll get to that. But first, today’s issue is brought to you by Mercury.
The Silicon Panopticon

3 weeks ago | gettheleverage.com | Evan Armstrong

This essay is the first in a series I’m calling “Tech Canon” where I’ll review the essential ideas from important books and analyze how they apply today. The Leverage’s mission is simple: truth, beauty, and rigor for tech markets. Wrestling with great books and applying them to today’s technology is central to that promise. This inaugural post is free thanks to our sponsor, Lex. The default for AI writing is verbal sludge and brainrot.
How Vision Changes Everything

3 weeks ago | gettheleverage.com | Evan Armstrong

“I watched the whole nightmare through binoculars — it was a truly terrifying sight.” This quote is from Roman, a Russian citizen overlooking Belaya air base. He is describing the swarms of Ukrainian drones that bombed Russian military assets over the weekend. The Ukrainians smuggled cheap drones costing under $10,000, used ten-year-old open-source software, slapped on some AI models, and launched them from semi-trucks directly at Russian aerial power.
The Weekend Leverage

3 weeks ago | gettheleverage.com | Evan Armstrong

I can’t stop thinking about Tom Cruise. With the release of the final Mission Impossible film, I’ve gone full Cruise-groupie watching interviews from over the course of his career. What makes the MI films special isn’t actually the movies themselves—though many of them are wonderful. It’s watching the behind-the-scenes, learning about Tom Cruise’s insane risk tolerance, skill, and devotion to delighting audiences. This is my pro-tip for how to best appreciate how great Mission Impossible really is.
The Leverage Investor Update

1 month ago | gettheleverage.com | Evan Armstrong

Author’s Note: Founder’s Tier members of The Leverage get access to my monthly investor updates. In each letter, I write about what I’m seeing in the media, the performance of The Leverage, and opportunities I’m excited about. As a celebration of the first month of The Leverage, I’m opening this post to all my readers, and offering a 20% off coupon for those who want to support independent writing. The coupon is good for the next 72 hours, so act quickly.