Bonking
Tings Newsletter #27
If you’re new here: I’m Michael Karnjanaprakorn, the founder of Skillshare and Otis. Currently on a sabbatical, I’m exploring what's next and sharing my journey. I write about life, work, and random things. If someone forwarded this to you, join 5K+ other readers by subscribing here.
A few personal updates: Ran my first half marathon in years and bonked hard. That’s never happened before, so now I’m figuring out proper race fueling—before, during, and after the race. Ordered the Maurten Drink Mix 160 based on a friend’s recommendation.
After diving deep into Magic: The Gathering, I won a local RCQ and qualified for the Regional Championship. One step closer to making the pro tour. Didn’t expect to level up this fast, but here we are!
Wrote a few blog posts on how to get hired at a startup, energy, playing to win, and rate of learning.
My last podcast episode was with Danya Shults, who I worked with at Skillshare. We talked about career transitions and her “Shultsbbatical,” where her family moved to Spain for five months after years in the startup world.
Brian Armstrong’s YCombinator for Politics idea is interesting. The biggest barrier to great candidates isn’t just money—it’s making politics an appealing career path for high-agency, talented people. Right now, public service often means sacrificing a massive income, slower career progression, and constant public scrutiny. YC for Politics could help by providing funding and creating a clearer on-ramp, but how do we make politics as rewarding as other high-impact careers?
Many politicians treat funding as a major accomplishment, but the real measure of success is whether that initiative was actually built—and even more importantly, if it worked. It’s like startups celebrating a big fundraise instead of focusing on the harder part: investing that money to grow the company faster.
Speaking of YC, Paul Graham is dropping some thoughts on the government that will make you think: one on the outlook of the economy and another on the separation of powers.
Kyla Scanlon has been publishing some great essays, including ones on Gen Z and the end of predictable process, the parallel economy and how social media has distorted our sense of time, and an orchestrated recession.
Tiny teams are the future—and it's already here. Companies are scaling to tens of millions in revenue with fewer than 50 people. The old model of raising big round, hiring aggressively, and bloating headcount is dead. The best companies now stay lean, leverage AI and automation, and grow revenue-first without unnecessary overhead.
Remember the boring businesses trend? Looks like everyone has come back to work in big tech. “…who knew that cash flowing a laundromat in Sacramento would be harder than earning $236,000 and a 20% annual bonus for checking 17 slack messages per day?”
Chris Bakke (from the previous tweet) went on Moneywise to talk about how fatherhood redefined his life after selling his company for $50M.
Andrew Chen explores the rise of vibe coding, a new way of building software where developers interact with AI tools using natural language instead of writing code. Building software could become as easy as making a TikTok or YouTube video, leading to an explosion of niche, ephemeral apps from non-traditional developers.
Is Jack Dorsey the inventor of Bitcoin?
Finished The Seventh Floor by David McCloskey, a solid page-turner and relevant given the current landscape. Most think espionage is about spying but it’s really about ideological subversion—undermining institutions, shaping public perception, and influencing key decision-makers from within. This 1984 interview with a former KGB agent breaks down Cold War tactics that are still in play today.
Mark Manson’s podcast with Arthur Brooks on building a meaningful life was great. Brooks’ point about setting ambitious personal goals really resonated—most people focus on career goals, but having big goals in hobbies, health, and relationships matters just as much.
Yancey Strickler’s Substack is worth checking out. The Kickstarter co-founder now runs Metalabel and shares interesting ideas, like using a giant roll of butcher paper as your working material when you start a new project.
AI tutors will be a game-changer. One-on-one tutoring has been shown to produce a two-sigma improvement in learning outcomes. Alpha School in Texas implemented AI tutors, and student test scores skyrocketed to the top 2% nationally.
The Rorra water filtration system looks promising. Haven’t tried it yet—still using Sans—but I’d get this if I didn’t already have a filter.
White Lotus is back, and my favorite character this season is Gaitok, played by Tayme Thapthimthong. Before acting, he served int the Thai Armed Forces Security Centre, Thailand’s counterpart to M16 or the CIA. Turns out, he’s also a solid singer—here’s him performing No Diggity.
This was my favorite Super Bowl commercial. If you’re a parent, this one will hit hard. Time flies!
Until the next one…
-Michael