Key Insights from the 2026 Mid-Year Music Report

Key Insights from the 2026 Mid-Year Music Report

There's a version of the maker's mindset that treats being lost in time as a kind of higher state. The idea that the most 'alive' people are the ones whose

There's a version of the maker's mindset that treats being lost in time as a kind of higher state. The idea that the most 'alive' people are the ones whose minds are always elsewhere, pulled between what they remember and what they're building toward. Simply being here now is viewed

George Mack’s popularization of the High Agency Triangle sparked a lot of great takes on what it means to push through reality. Most focus heavily on execution, but execution in

George Mack’s popularization of the High Agency Triangle sparked a lot of great takes on what it means to push through reality. Most focus heavily on execution, but execution in a vacuum breaks down fast. High agency isn't just about forcing outcomes -- it’s an equilibrium of three distinct capacities:

Ronan Farrow’s investigation into OpenAI is a watershed moment for accountability in AI. It confirms a structural reality: the gap between OpenAI’s nonprofit safety rhetoric and its profit-chasing behavior isn't

Ronan Farrow’s investigation into OpenAI is a watershed moment for accountability in AI. It confirms a structural reality: the gap between OpenAI’s nonprofit safety rhetoric and its profit-chasing behavior isn't an accident. It's a feature of the leadership. OpenAI was founded on the premise that AGI (humanity’s most consequential invention)

I've been fascinated with the transition from a Profane culture to a Sacred one for a long time. In 2008 (senior year in college), my final project for the course

I've been fascinated with the transition from a Profane culture to a Sacred one for a long time. In 2008 (senior year in college), my final project for the course Religion in Culture was a video essay on the mashup artist Girl Talk. I analyzed his live shows through the

The moral reckoning that came for the structural rot in Hollywood, Music, and Politics has finally triggered the Great Sorting in Silicon Valley. The era of Extractive Performance is expiring:

The moral reckoning that came for the structural rot in Hollywood, Music, and Politics has finally triggered the Great Sorting in Silicon Valley. The era of Extractive Performance is expiring: vanity signals (TechCrunch, billboards, sauna invites), 'growth at any human cost', the 'move fast and break things' excuse for moral

This reads to me as the building of an organizational collective consciousness. The AI world model + intelligence layer reduces unnecessary friction that allows humans to focus on human things.

This reads to me as the building of an organizational collective consciousness. The AI world model + intelligence layer reduces unnecessary friction that allows humans to focus on human things. This effectively collapses the hierarchy into 3 roles: owners, doers, and coaches. Jack gives historical examples of armies and organizations

The recent shutdown of VRPirates has generated significant industry noise. But history suggests this is a temporary, cosmetic victory rather than a structural shift. The Hydra Effect of Platform Piracy

The recent shutdown of VRPirates has generated significant industry noise. But history suggests this is a temporary, cosmetic victory rather than a structural shift. The Hydra Effect of Platform Piracy Shutting down a centralized hub rarely delivers a lasting blow to distribution. We’ve seen this movie before with Napster, The

Here’s what the 2026 IFPI Report reveals about the shift from passive access to embodied presence. The music industry spent the last decade relentlessly optimizing for passive attention. It turned

Here’s what the 2026 IFPI Report reveals about the shift from passive access to embodied presence. The music industry spent the last decade relentlessly optimizing for passive attention. It turned music into background noise, created fundamentally broken streaming economics, and starved fans of true connection. If you want to see

In UMG's Q4 earnings call last week, Sir Lucian Grainge laid out the strategic future of the world’s largest music company. Recently I’ve written about why the music industry is

In UMG's Q4 earnings call last week, Sir Lucian Grainge laid out the strategic future of the world’s largest music company. Recently I’ve written about why the music industry is broken and how immersive tech (XR) and AI can provide a path forward. Here’s what was discussed on the call