Incremental Insights #96
The best of what I read, listened to, and watched during the week
Making the Marlboro Man
The Marlboro Man is one of the most successful rebranding in history. It changed a niche cigarette for women into a global behemoth.
Half of Google’s and Amazon’s Blowout ‘AI profits’ Came From Anthropic—Not Their Core Business
If you own Google and Amazon, then you own a piece of Anthropic too.
Google and Amazon’s “AI profits” weren’t mostly from selling more ads or cloud—they were largely paper gains from marking up their Anthropic stakes after new funding rounds.
GLP-1s, Peptides, and The Trillion-Dollar Health Revolution
The GLP‑1 race isn’t about the most dramatic weight‑loss headline. It’s about the drug people will actually stay on. Lower friction, better tolerability, and a cheaper, easier format can unlock far more adoption than a “stronger” molecule.
AI Can Make Software Now. That Changes Everything, with Paul Ford
Despite the title it’s a much needed middle of the road discussion on AI, vibe coding, and the risks to software jobs.