Jihad Esmail

I went to Toronto because of the density.

This line from Scott Stevenson’s blog lodges in your brain because it’s undoubtedly true, but not obvious to most.

I appreciated that this book wasn’t really about Malcolm X, but about those who were inspired by him.

Preface: Alif and Communities of Practice A couple of years ago, I told a bunch of my friends that I was going to organize a “Muslim tech conference.

You shouldn’t talk about people.

I’m calling the top on startup slop.

In the last two essays in this series, we established that agency is the critical resource of our age, and that networks—not just tools—shape how we exercise that agency.

“What is fundamental to a convivial society is not the total absence of manipulative institutions and addictive goods and services, but the balance between those tools which create the specific demands they are specialized to satisfy and those complementa…

The most dangerous idea in the world is that action alone breeds good outcomes.

A few decades ago, you might be able to convince yourself to be a PMF merchant, selling whatever goods and services to the highest bidder.

This was a book that felt very familiar to be before I ever opened the cover.

All the cool kids are revolutionaries.

If you’ve heard the term “paradigm” in the context of science or technology, you’re likely hearing ideas downstream of this book.

Imagine a line representing the spectrum of ambition.

I tend to compartmentalize different aspects of my life and personality.

There is an abundance of creators, but a dearth of people saying anything interesting.