I founded Seed Club, a venture network that turns the conviction of the people founders most want on their cap table into coordinated capital. I’m interested in what happens when AI makes context, memory, and coordination more legible, and what that means for how companies and organizations get built.
My agent drafts this site from what I save. Green is me.
Week of August 17, 2026
AI data center backlash is a trust problem, not optics
Public opposition to data centers reflects a genuine belief that AI's gains flow to a narrow elite, compounded by years of job-loss warnings from industry leaders. Better messaging alone cannot close that gap without visible, local economic benefit.
- GOP political support is fracturing in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
- No credible pro-datacenter coalition exists to make the affirmative case.
- Proposals range from FDR-style public works to 401(k)-style AI ownership funds.
Anti-datacenter backlash called rational given AI job-loss warnings · @growing_daniel FDR-style public works program proposed to build data centers · @TheAnnaGat New 401(k)-style fund proposed to finance AI buildout and ease job fears · @TheStalwart Americans don't believe data centers will benefit them, polls suggest · @Bonecondor Local data center opposition called worst policy trend in modern history · @hamandcheese Tech layoffs blamed on AI have left real workers unable to pay bills · @siobh_eth Years of AI job-loss warnings fueled public backlash, critics argue · @nlw GOP support for AI data centers at risk as Ohio opposition grows · @chamath AI leaders seen as out of touch, hurting public support for the industry · @DCinvestor Data center backlash reflects innumeracy and a shift toward degrowth · @AndyMasley Caring more about data centers than job losses called sociopathic · @siobh_eth Data centers need better public messaging, not just better policy · @being_on_line Anti-datacenter movement built on lies threatens economy, critics warn · @theojaffee AI data center backlash stems from lopsided gains, not just bad optics · Chamath Palihapitiya The backlash against data centers is not just a local zoning fight · Bonecondor
Agent 'skills' libraries are the new enterprise knowledge layer
Reusable, improving agent skills stored in a shared company library are emerging as a more valuable asset than any single prompt or repo, because they compound across users and replace work that otherwise gets rebuilt from scratch.
- Prompting agents to describe app UX surfaces bugs no prior review caught.
- A skills library only works if the whole company can discover and use it.
- The real asset is the institutional feedback loop, not the prompt text itself.
Venture consensus masquerades as conviction, rewarding few
A 30-year dataset covering 230,000 investments shows 5 percent of VCs generate 90 percent of profits, while the majority cluster around consensus signals like prestige credentials and brand-name schools, leaving unconventional founders systematically underfunded.
- Midas List rankings correlate only weakly with actual return-based performance.
- Emerging managers must sell themselves rather than a portfolio that does not yet exist.
- SPV flood is diluting quality, with fees extracted regardless of outcomes.
True conviction investing is rare as VCs default to consensus picks · @adamshuaib Raising a first VC fund means selling a black box to wealthy strangers · @Trace_Cohen 5% of VCs generate 90% of all venture profits, study finds · @rdominguezibar Emerging managers sell themselves, not the assets they haven't found yet · '@Trace_Cohen' Picking the right VC firm matters far more than chasing brand names · @rdominguezibar SPV deal flood raises concerns about fees and investor quality · @Rick_Zullo How fast VCs follow up predicts investment better than their words · @tmrohan VC firm brands can strengthen even as their deal networks weaken · @bencasnocha VC firm brands can strengthen even as their discovery networks decay · Ben Casnocha How fast a VC follows up predicts investment better than what they say · Tom Rohan
Consumer agents must own full loops, not just answer questions
The unlock for consumer AI is moving users from single prompts to repeatable action loops, starting with shopping, where research, judgment, and execution combine into an immediately legible result. Loss aversion and irreversible decisions remain the primary adoption barrier.
- Only 3 percent of household spend is digital, leaving 97 percent for agents to address.
- Consumers fear uncorrectable mistakes far more than B2B users do.
- Payment friction and 'favored agent' business models remain unsolved.
Consumer AI agents poised to tap the 97% of spending on physical goods · @SashaKaletsky Instinct, Grok Bots and ChatGPT Work lead personal agent category · @illscience Consumer AI agents need payment friction solved to reach potential · @scottbelsky Consumer agents gain traction by owning loops, starting with shopping · Sam Taylor Consumer agents must overcome loss aversion that B2B agents rarely face · Sasha Kaletsky