I’m pleased to announce the launch of Bayes Calculator – a passion project I’ve wanted to build for years. I created it to help people understand and visualize Bayesian statistics and Bayesian inference calculations. Check it out now at bayescalculator.com.
It’s been so long I don’t even remember when I was first introduced to Bayesian statistics, but I believe it was when I got my masters’ in Decision Sciences at the London School of Economics. While frequentist statistics was what I’d always learned growing up (and which is obviously still valuable), learning about Bayesian approaches filled a gap I hadn’t known existed.
Since I finally shut down Seed-DB last year, I’ve finally had some time to build the projects that have been kicking around in my head – this is the first to launch. There are a lot of features I’d like to develop, but in the spirit of “launch early” (and often?), I’m posting about it now, and I welcome any and all feedback. [Contact page or tweet at me.]
(I’d like to thank the newest crop of AI tools, without which it would have taken me easily 100 times as long in order to get this off the ground!)
There’s a reason most people don’t even try to read this book – it’s over 1100 pages, and the paperback version weighs over 4 pounds. But MY GOD is it a fantastic read!
Robert Caro began his career as an investigative reporter, and his writing style is really engaging like the best investigative pieces. Yes, he goes into incredible detail in certain parts of the book that feels… unnecessary sometimes, but each chapter is juicy.
I learned so much about political power, organizational power, how cities get built, the history of New York City/State, and about how BIG things get built. It’s all about Robert Moses, who built so much of the physical infrastructure in/around New York City and Long Island (parks, highways, bridges, tunnels) — all from unelected positions of power that he held for 40+ years. (!)
I love Michael Lewis’ writing, and really appreciate him diving into government employees, highlighting people that are doing outstanding work. (And often doing work that only the government can do.)
This was a really fascinating book. I knew that Apple really relies on manufacturing in China, but the history of how that developed, and the consequences of it were new to me. I’ve heard from friends at Apple that argue with some of the details in the book, but the overall themes are consistent and important.
This book features Laz, the creator of the most insanely difficult running races that have ever existed: the Barkley Marathons and the Backyard Ultramarathon. Laz’s races push every person to the absolute limit of the pain and suffering they’re willing and able to endure.
Check out an amazing documentary of the Barkley Marathons here:
If there’s one branch of government that can counter the worst impulses of the Trump administration, it’s the judicial branch. And if there’s one part of the executive branch that has professional ethics and standards, it’s the Justice Department. This book deals with what happened in the Justice Department during Trump’s first administration, and then Biden’s administration, and then the start of Trump’s second administration. It’s a wild tale, with tales of true heroism but also decisions in hindsight that look very unwise. I learned a lot.
This was originally a blog post, but makes an excellent little book with nuggets of wisdom. I ended up highlighting and consolidating the parts that really spoke to me.
After watching the first two series on Apple TV, I decided to read the book series. (The first two series of the TV match up to book #1 in the series; the next two series match up to book #2 and #3, apparently.) If you like the series, you’ll definitely like the books.
This is another fun series – it’s a RPG (Role Playing Game) come to life as a series of novels – aka “LitRPG”. It’s not particularly thought-provoking, but it’s a hell of a fun read.
In July 2012, I launched Seed-DB, a database of seed accelerators around the world and the companies in which they invested. I had originally started compiling the data in Google spreadsheets when I was writing my MBA thesis, and wanted to quantify the nascent accelerator ecosystem. Over time I kept getting feedback that the data was valuable to people, and decided to launch a standalone webapp to make it easier to access.
Building Seed-DB was a very meaningful milestone in my life. Building a webapp by myself was a fun challenge, and proved I could take an idea and implement it. (I have training in aerospace and nuclear engineering; not computer/software engineering, but taught myself how.) Over time, Seed-DB became an important resource for founders, accelerators, and others looking to understand the ecosystem. I’m proud to say that Seed-DB data was the source for infographics in the Economist and was cited in the New York Times and Techcrunch! (It also led to two different jobs.)
But everything must end, and it’s time for me to shut down Seed-DB. I haven’t had the time to update the data in a few years, even for the most high-profile accelerators. Additionally, the infrastructure behind the site needs a total overhaul, which I just don’t have the time or heart to do anymore. Finally, the seed accelerator ecosystem is just much more known – warts and all. The site isn’t as valuable or insightful as it was when it launched.
Thank you to everyone who’s given me feedback or who’s shared data with me – from accelerators to investors and founders themselves. I also owe a huge thank you to Crunchbase who gave me API access for many years to get the funding data that appeared on Seed-DB. Thank you to everyone for your support.
I couldn’t recommend this book more highly if you’re interested in the evolution of humanity, the nature of intelligence, or the similarities and differences between human intelligence and artificial intelligence.
Obviously COVID brought a lot of attention to immunology, but at a pretty surface level. I found this book illuminating and hugely educational in understanding what’s going on inside our bodies, particularly when we get sick.
This book was written before the door blew off a 737 MAX, but that just emphasizes the validity of this book. It’s a real cautionary tale for any company.
I was a little wary of this book, but each chapter focused on a President and a specific story of the White House Situation Room and that person. What I found fascinating is just how… unsophisticated the tools and technology was for so long!
Jed Christiansen 