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Ben Thompson

Chronological feed of everything captured from Ben Thompson.

tweet / @benthompson / 28d ago

Ben Thompson's X Feed Tracked via Hourly User-Driven Polls

A user-initiated hourly poll monitors Ben Thompson's X feed, crediting @andrewsharp for the setup. The content lacks media attachments or descriptions. This indicates a lightweight, community-based real-time tracking mechanism for high-value feeds without advanced tooling.

ben-thompsonx-feedhourly-polluser-notemedia-metadata
“An hourly poll tracks Ben Thompson's X feed”
tweet / @benthompson / 28d ago

Europe's Tech Regulations Backfired, Boosting US Giants' Dominance

Europe's aggressive regulation of US tech firms over 20 years inadvertently strengthened their dominance rather than curbing it. Over-regulation stifled European businesses' competitiveness, increasing dependency on American tech. Critics predicted this outcome, noting big tech's opposition stemmed from a smaller overall market pie despite relative gains.

eu-tech-regulationus-tech-dominanceeuropean-policy-failuretech-policyantitrust-backfireeconomic-dependency
“Europe's regulations targeting US tech giants made them more dominant”
tweet / @benthompson / 28d ago

Ben Thompson's X Feed Delivers Weekly's Top Scott Cook Insight

Ben Thompson's X feed features an hourly poll highlighting the best take from Scott Cook that week. This positions Thompson's platform as a curated source for high-value tech/business commentary. The user note reinforces ongoing monitoring of Thompson's feed for such standout content.

ben-thompsonx-feedhourly-pollbest-takeuser-note
“Ben Thompson's X feed includes an hourly poll”
tweet / @benthompson / 28d ago

Big Tech's Regulatory Opposition Masks Principal-Agent Conflicts Favoring Shareholder Profits

Ben Thompson endorses the view that large companies' opposition to seemingly beneficial regulations stems from principal-agent problems. Shareholders prioritize profit maximization, which such regulations could enhance by shrinking the overall market pie while strengthening incumbents' relative positions. Company leaders, however, prioritize personal status and resist roles as compliance officers.

business-strategycorporate-regulationprincipal-agent-problemtech-industryshareholder-value
“Big companies often oppose regulations that would benefit their shareholders' profits”
tweet / @benthompson / Apr 23 / failed

No

github_star / benthompson / Apr 15

benthompson starred github/dmca: Repository with text of DMCA takedown notices as received. GitHub does not endorse or adopt any assertion contained in the following notices. Users identified in the notices are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Additional information about our DMCA policy can be found at

Repository with text of DMCA takedown notices as received. GitHub does not endorse or adopt any assertion contained in the following notices. Users identified in the notices are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Additional information about our DMCA policy can be found at . Stars: 6237

youtube / benthompson / Apr 10

From Appalachian Mountains to Aerial Warfare: Anthony Dyer's Journey as a Special Missions Aviator

Anthony Dyer's memoir, "Moonchild," recounts his evolution from a reluctant Air Force recruit to a Special Missions Aviator on AC-130 gunships and HH-60 Pave Hawks. His journey highlights the intense operational experiences, the psychological toll of combat, and the critical importance of seeking help for mental health challenges. The narrative underscores the personal sacrifices made in service and the profound impact of supporting ground forces in high-stakes environments.

military-memoirair-forcespecial-operationsac-130-spectrehh-60-pave-hawkcombat-experienceveteran-stories
“Anthony Dyer initially joined the Air Force seeking direction and a paycheck, not immediately driven by a strong sense of duty or adventure.”
youtube / benthompson / Apr 10

Laurel and Hardy: Enduring Influence on Visual Comedy and Duo Dynamics

Laurel and Hardy's comedic legacy stems from their accessible portrayal of everyday mishaps, their successful transition to sound film by maintaining consistent character, and their pioneering use of visual gags. Their partnership established a blueprint for comedic duos, emphasizing shared comedic creation over individual dominance, directly influencing subsequent generations of comedians from Morecambe and Wise to Reeves and Mortimer.

laurel-and-hardycomedy-duossilent-filmfilm-historyslapstick-comedyuk-tourneil-brand
“Laurel and Hardy's enduring appeal is rooted in their relatable depiction of everyday failures.”
podcast_episode / Stratechery / Apr 8

Relative Performance and the Long Arc of Technological Disruption

Analyzing the intersection of technology and business theory, Horace Deju posits that timing and relative performance—rather than absolute price—determine disruptive success. He argues that AI's full diffusion will be a multi-decade process governed by traditional business rules of profitability and distribution, while Apple's resilience stems from its ability to pivot user interfaces and maintain a rigorous focus on customer perception over mere technical specifications.

apple-strategydisruptive-innovationtechnology-historybusiness-modelsai-impactstartup-strategyproduct-development
“AI adoption will likely follow a 50-year diffusion cycle before reaching full market saturation.”
podcast_episode / Stratechery / Apr 8

The Credential Single Point of Failure: Axios Supply Chain Breach and Anthropic IP Leak

Recent supply chain attacks on Axios highlight a critical failure point in NPM security: while downstream pipelines are hardened, the maintainer's account credentials remain a single point of failure. Simultaneously, Anthropic's accidental leak of the Cloud Code source map demonstrates the fragility of intellectual property in the AI agent space. Long-term software security likely depends on AI's ability to automate the exhaustive auditing of dependency trees and codebase vulnerabilities that are currently too complex for human maintainers.

supply-chain-attacknpm-securitysoftware-vulnerabilitiesai-securityopen-source-softwareintellectual-propertydeveloper-tools
“The Axios NPM package was compromised via a stolen long-lived classic token, allowing attackers to bypass OIDC and SLSA security measures.”
podcast_episode / Dithering / Apr 8

The Accountability Gap: From Apple's DRI Model to Web Bloat

The discussion contrasts the erosion of strict accountability in corporate hardware development—specifically citing the tension between personable management and the 'DRI' model at Apple—with the lack of gatekeeping in web standards. It posits that high-quality output requires a culture of honest, sometimes harsh, accountability to avoid critical technical oversights, such as the frequency mismatch between AirPods and Vision Pro.

apple-ecosystemproduct-managementcorporate-culturecustomer-experiencesupply-chain-issueshardware-developmentresponsibility
“Apple's John Ternus reassigned a senior AirPods executive after discovering the AirPods Pro lacked a wireless frequency required for low-latency audio on the Vision Pro.”
podcast_episode / Stratechery / Apr 8

ARM Enters CPU Market Directly for AI Data Centers, Shifting Strategy and Challenging Partners

ARM is launching its own CPU, the AGI CPU, to address the growing demand for power-efficient processors in AI data centers, particularly for agentic AI workloads. This move signifies a major strategic shift for ARM, moving beyond its traditional role as an IP licensor to direct competition with its licensees and x86 giants. The company aims to capitalize on the increasing reliance on CPUs to orchestrate accelerator-driven AI tasks and manage the overall data center workflow.

arm-cpuai-data-centerchip-designsemiconductor-industryisa-licensingcloud-computingagentic-ai
“ARM is directly entering the CPU market with its own AGI CPU.”
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