Philip I. Thomas

Here's my monthly newsletter about what I'm up to, which I send in place of social media. What I did in December• I'm amid some big life changes. I'm joining an AI startup in San Francisco, and moving out of NYC. I wrote more here: Lost and found. • Visited Prodigal Coffee's roastery in Colorado, which was fun. I've been mail-ordering their beans and it was fun to get a behind-the-scenes peek. • Spent some time in Boulder and loved the Portal pop-up sauna. I wish there were more social saunas in the USA, especially in San Francisco. • Made the decision to move out of New York City, and had vacated it within two weeks. Things to share• Articles: Paklan is my favorite new newsletter. MAMICs: the Middle Aged Man Into Coffee. The year I learned to stop hating the robotaxis - Waymos are magical. "[Waymo insurance data shows] 86% reduction in property damage claims and 90% in bodily injury claims" - similar to properties, I expect insurance costs to drive the adoption of self-driving cars.  The science of love had some actionable advice. The changes in vibes — why did they happen? was prescient and explains a lot of shifts in US politics. Norwegian Fishermen Hunting for Halibut Caught a US Nuclear Sub. Taxing unrealized gains has caused an entrepreneurial exodus in Norway. • Resources: San Francisco Night Java - a map of late-night cafes. • Books: I've been enjoying Staff Engineer: Leadership Beyond the Management Track, re-reading Slow Productivity, and The Finnish Way. • Podcasts: Peter Thiel with Rick Rubin was an unexpected pairing with a great discussion. Plans for January• Moving back to San Francisco and starting a new job • Thinking about starting a vinyl record collection Where I'll be:• San Francisco 🌁