The Hard Fork by Marvin Liao

The Hard Fork by Marvin Liao blends strong opinions and insights on personal development, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and technology with a global perspective. It covers the importance of kindness, healthy living, business fundamentals, the cultural impacts of work, investment strategies, and navigating global cultural and economic shifts.

Personal Development Entrepreneurship Venture Capital Technology and Media Business Self Sovereignty Health and Wellbeing Cultural Insights Global Economic Trends Innovation and Startups Risk Management

The hottest Substack posts of The Hard Fork by Marvin Liao

And their main takeaways

You Have to Pick a Side Eventually: The Case for the West

176 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics China Russia USA
  1. The world is splitting into three major blocs: Global West, Global East, and Global South.
  2. The USA-led Global West has been criticized for its political incompetence, energy policies, and cultural issues.
  3. Despite flaws, many prefer to live in a USA-led order over China or Russia due to concerns about freedom and human rights.

Revenge of the Angry Nerds: A More Competitive & Even More Ruthless Time in Silicon Valley

216 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Silicon Valley Startups Tech industry Innovation Digital Transformation
  1. Silicon Valley is seeing a shift towards a more masculine, ruthless culture led by powerful men in tech.
  2. Tech companies are moving towards a leaner, more focused approach after facing financial challenges.
  3. Surviving in the current Silicon Valley landscape requires a severe mindset change, frugality, and hard work.
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Before Living a Beautiful Life, You Need to Know What It Looks Like: Tools For Figuring it Out

98 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Figure out what your perfect day looks like to know what brings you joy and is necessary for you to be at your best
  2. Use a Hobbies Matrix to identify the activities you enjoy solo or in groups, split by indoor and outdoor preferences for different seasons
  3. Create a vision board to give yourself a clear direction on where you want to go, helping to build towards your end goal

The Brothers Sun: A Look into Taiwanese Family life, Gangsters and Startups

58 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Family Traditions
  1. The TV show reflects the dynamics of Taiwanese families, focusing on face culture, passive aggressiveness, high expectations, and sibling rivalry for performance improvement.
  2. Taiwanese/Chinese culture can lead to emotionally stunted individuals driven by shame and anger, affecting relationships and individuals' emotional balance.
  3. Lessons for startup and life include the importance of making decisions, willingness to make mistakes, and the need for quick decision-making to reach market truth.

Marvin’s Best Weekly Reads January 14th, 2024

39 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Startups Innovation AI Space Entrepreneurship
  1. El Segundo's hardware scene has been thriving with the influence of companies like SpaceX, shaping a positive hardware ecosystem with various local companies.
  2. Lessons from history and human civilization show a long and significant past.
  3. Seed investing is evolving, with Seed becoming the new Series A, emphasizing the importance of understanding market dynamics for success.

School is Uncool: The Good & Bad of a Formal Education

216 implied HN points • 12 Jul 23
🚌 Education Schooling Learning Parenting
  1. Children start with wild creativity and courage but often conform as they grow older due to social pressures.
  2. To succeed, it's important to be authentic, think independently, and stand out from the crowd.
  3. Balancing formal education with informal learning is crucial for helping kids develop critical thinking skills and avoid becoming 'cookie-cutter sheeple.'

Marvin’s Best Weekly Reads February 11th, 2024

0 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Investing Startups Technology Economy Marketing
  1. Strategic reorientation is crucial for Israel to address the trap it walked into, but changes might not be easy to implement.
  2. Understanding current events in Silicon Valley is valuable for VCs and founders, especially during the startup industry's cleanup phase.
  3. City-states like Singapore are discussed for their potential future success, with a spotlight on rising tensions between Taiwan and China.