High Absolute Value

High Absolute Value explores insights on product development, user experience, and company strategies within high-risk contexts. It delves into the challenges of balancing innovation with safety, understanding customer needs, and the implications of broader technological and social changes on businesses and their approach to trust and safety.

Product Development User Experience Company Strategy Innovation Safety Customer Behavior Technological Changes Social Changes Trust and Safety

The hottest Substack posts of High Absolute Value

And their main takeaways

Follow your Customer

39 implied HN points • 24 Jun 22
  1. Follow your customer to understand their experiences and anticipate their needs.
  2. Data reflecting customer behavior can inform production and decision-making.
  3. Adapt to changing circumstances by tracking key metrics related to customer needs and behavior.

Peloton's Tread+ situation

39 implied HN points • 22 Apr 21
  1. There is a difference between behavioral and product risk.
  2. Behavioral risk comes from user behavior, product risk from design.
  3. Peloton must educate customers on proper behavior and improve product safety.

A few notable developments

19 implied HN points • 20 Jan 22
  1. Tesla raised the price of its FSD to $12k to boost profit margins.
  2. CA might change rules affecting residential solar, possibly boosting energy storage solutions.
  3. Meadow's cannabis delivery with $3k inventory creates a safety concern and highlights high revenue from deliveries.

Picking Work Life Harmony

39 implied HN points • 06 Jan 21
  1. Work and life can complement each other for harmony.
  2. Evaluate work based on how it fits with your whole life.
  3. Prioritize purpose, people, and learning in your work-life balance.

The IRS's missed opportunity

19 implied HN points • 21 May 21
  1. Taxes are meant to make our lives better by supporting essential services and programs.
  2. The IRS missed an opportunity to remind taxpayers of the impact of their contributions.
  3. People should be thanked and shown where their tax dollars go to feel proud of paying taxes.
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Building Trust 

19 implied HN points • 16 Mar 21
  1. Building trust is crucial for any service involving risks or safety.
  2. Trust cannot exist without safety, both objectively and psychologically.
  3. Investing in trust and safety is important ethically, for growth, and to avoid costly incidents.

What I wish was included in Airbnb's Winter Release

1 HN point • 17 Nov 22
  1. Airbnb can improve longer-term stays by providing video walkthroughs for listings.
  2. Guests in longer-term stays should have access to walkability scores for listings.
  3. Airbnb could enhance longer-term stays by offering options like sharing your own place while away and access to nearby gyms.

The CA autonomous race, in charts

0 implied HN points • 17 Feb 22
  1. The California autonomous driving testing report highlighted 26 companies testing vehicles.
  2. Waymo and Cruise are leading in miles driven, with Tesla not included in the DMV's data.
  3. When considering Tesla's FSD Beta testers, Tesla's mileage dwarfs others, but the autonomous driving sector is still in its early stages.

Notable - Joe Rogan, Spotify, and COVID

0 implied HN points • 04 Feb 22
  1. Joe Rogan and Spotify responded to COVID-19 misinformation concerns.
  2. Rogan's apology video highlighted the need for nuanced information sharing.
  3. Spotify's response differed from Facebook's in several key ways.

Repost - How the SolarCity deal happened

0 implied HN points • 18 Jul 21
  1. Elon Musk was in court defending Tesla's acquisition of Solar City.
  2. He called the plaintiff's attorney 'a bad human' during testimony.
  3. The author shared a satirical post they wrote about the deal nearly 5 years ago.

Hey Facebook? Wait Cancel!

0 implied HN points • 21 Oct 21
  1. Facebook is planning a name change due to low usage of 'Hey Facebook' voice command
  2. Customers may associate the name 'Facebook' with privacy concerns
  3. Facebook's decision to change their name likely involved A/B testing and shows pragmatism

Our Strategy to foster Mask Wearing

0 implied HN points • 10 Feb 21
  1. Clearly state the policy and require affirmative acknowledgement.
  2. Frequently remind all users of the policy.
  3. Validate compliance, provide corrective feedback, and penalize repeat offenders.

The Vaccination Reward

0 implied HN points • 15 May 21
  1. Before, being vaccinated gave lower risk but not many extra freedoms.
  2. Now, being vaccinated means lower risk and more freedom in daily life.
  3. The CDC guidance change has positives but also challenges, like unequal access to vaccines and difficulties in enforcing mask rules.

Momentum

0 implied HN points • 26 May 22
  1. Efforts to improve safety require understanding what went wrong and making things safer in the future
  2. Challenges in addressing gun violence stem from a lack of common understanding of right and wrong
  3. Starting with shared values can help align on problems, goals, and solutions for positive change

The cost of complying, and not

0 implied HN points • 18 Aug 21
  1. Companies are motivated to focus on safety to avoid fines and disadvantageous rules.
  2. Incentives play a key role in driving companies to detect and report harmful content.
  3. Decisions on content moderation, like on YouTube, raise concerns about free speech and consistent standards.

Tesla Turns on the Camera

0 implied HN points • 28 May 21
  1. Tesla turned on in-car monitoring to address behavioral risk with Autopilot
  2. Autopilot's convenience created the opportunity for behavioral risk when misused
  3. Tesla's move to turn on the camera relates to Full Self Driving and managing regulatory scrutiny

Delaying Autonomy piece due to Ukraine

0 implied HN points • 25 Feb 22
  1. The author postponed a piece on autonomous driving strategies due to the situation in Ukraine.
  2. The author expresses thoughts and concern for those affected by the war in Ukraine.
  3. Encouragement to assist in helping those impacted in Ukraine in any way possible.

Are we starting the simulation?

0 implied HN points • 13 Oct 22
  1. AI tools like MidJourney are revolutionizing image generation from text prompts.
  2. Our digital actions shape personalized content recommendations, leading to filter bubbles.
  3. Future advancements in data-driven content creation raise ethical and existential questions about living in a simulated digital world.

Listening and Learning from Jeff Bezos

0 implied HN points • 06 Jul 22
  1. Jeff Bezos' 1997 letter laid out principles for how Amazon operates and set clear expectations.
  2. Learning from successful individuals like Jeff Bezos can provide valuable insights on decision-making, goal setting, and more.
  3. Creating narrations of written content can make educational material more accessible to a wider audience.

Elon's tweetstorm

0 implied HN points • 12 May 22
  1. Elon Musk is likely buying Twitter which could benefit users but raises concerns about societal impact.
  2. Elon Musk's roadmap for Twitter includes features like fighting spam, temporary bans, and monetizing users, with an emphasis on improvement.
  3. Societal implications of Elon Musk's ownership of Twitter include concerns about manipulation, censorship, and the need for balance between free speech and safety.

The IRS's Missed Opportunity [Reshare for Tax Season]

0 implied HN points • 15 Apr 22
  1. Taxes serve a purpose and we need to be reminded of that
  2. Paying taxes should come with a clear understanding of where the money goes
  3. The IRS should take inspiration from companies like Chipotle to provide feedback on the impact of tax payments

Notable - Peloton Lanebreak & Oculus Move's Health integration

0 implied HN points • 17 Mar 22
  1. Peloton introduced Lanebreak, a game mode for a new experience beyond instructor-led workouts.
  2. Lanebreak workouts could help Peloton increase revenue and explore new platform experiences.
  3. Oculus Move now integrates with Apple Health, expanding Oculus's fitness offerings to a larger audience.

The App Store's Opportunity: Developer Financing

0 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
🕹 Technology App Store
  1. Apple is unlikely to face serious threats to their App Store business despite reduced commissions in the EU.
  2. Developers could benefit from revenue-based financing opportunities on the App Store.
  3. Apple has the resources and data to offer developers financing options to help them grow their businesses and stay on the platform.

Coming Soon - High Absolute Value

0 implied HN points • 14 Nov 20
  1. High Absolute Value is a philosophy of focusing on activities that matter and bring significant value to society, even if there's a risk of failure.
  2. The content will cover ways to make personal decisions, product decisions, and business decisions, with occasional imaginative discussions.
  3. The target audience includes those involved in building products requiring trust, people interested in combining different disciplines, and those who admire the author's work.

Contrasting Cruise, Waymo, and Tesla's Go To Market Strategy for Autonomy

0 implied HN points • 24 Mar 22
  1. Various companies are working on autonomous driving technology, each with their own approach and scale.
  2. Autonomy is a challenging goal due to the need for reliable performance, safety, and societal trust.
  3. Tesla sells a capability, while Waymo and Cruise focus on providing an autonomous driving service.