Ben Thompson
Writes Stratechery, a subscription newsletter on the business and strategy of technology, and hosts the Dithering and Sharp Tech podcasts.
Ben Thompson did not write this page. ppll compiled it from their own words, each linked to the source. Is this you? · Report a mistake
Latest Newsletter
What they believe
-
The best use case for AI agents is handling mundane but necessary tasks.
One of the best agent use cases is taking care of mundane things that are necessary but annoying.
stratechery.comSaid 25 Sept 2026This on korrents
-
Discourse that doesn't tolerate dissenting viewpoints inevitably produces bad outcomes.
viewpoints that don't harbor dissent inevitably lead to bad outcomes.
stratechery.comSaid 18 Sept 2026This on korrents
The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These 2: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.
Feed
As its own page →Hiding
16 October
15 October
14 October
13 October
9 October
8 October
7 October
6 October
5 October
2 October
25 September
From one piece 2026.39: Begun, the Aggregator Wars Have 2 beliefs · stratechery.com
-
Their words
Pacing the frontier may be sincere, but it would also be strategically useful for the frontier labs to have time to reduce overhangs caused by model advancement.
-
Their words
One of the best agent use cases is taking care of mundane things that are necessary but annoying.
23 September
22 September
21 September
18 September
From one piece 2026.38: Doomforce 3 beliefs · stratechery.com
-
Their words
Salesforce is abandoning UI as a moat, which is a very smart move because it's disappearing for everyone.
-
korrents.com
A proposal to pace frontier AI development is unrealistic and mainly serves political control of AI.Their words
Dario Amodei wants to pace the frontier; it's an unrealistic proposal that seems mostly geared to political control of AI.
-
korrents.com
Discourse that doesn't tolerate dissenting viewpoints inevitably produces bad outcomes.Their words
viewpoints that don't harbor dissent inevitably lead to bad outcomes.
11 September
From one piece 2026.37: Duo Threats 2 beliefs · stratechery.com
-
Their words
what Meta has assembled is free (to consumers) hardware and software that dramatically reduces the barrier to entry for ordinary people looking to harness the power of agents, making the AI upside a lot more accessible to the masses who don't want to buy a Mac Mini.
-
Their words
OpenAI's tactics may in fact chill research in advanced mathematics
10 September
9 September
-
Their words
OpenAI solving one of the most famous math problems is extremely impressive, and of little impact to most people's lives; Meta's Muse agent launch has the potential to be the exact opposite.
3 September
28 August
21 August
14 August
6 August
25 July
-
Usesrcmnd.app
ClaudeTheir words
So by far the funniest thing about using Claude and Codex together is how Codex is very earnest and businesslike while Claude treats Codex like an inferior but hard-working subordinate
-
Usesrcmnd.app
CodexTheir words
So by far the funniest thing about using Claude and Codex together is how Codex is very earnest and businesslike while Claude treats Codex like an inferior but hard-working subordinate
23 July
21 July
17 July
10 July
26 June
8 June
1 June
28 May
16 May
15 May
14 May
-
Dislikedrcmnd.app
Gemini (Mac app)Their words
I will now, needless to say, delete the Gemini app, and don't intend to ever install it again.
6 May
Nothing matches.
Beliefs
Korrents What they believe 8 beliefs — each backed by an exact quote.
Each is a — compiled by korrents.com, not by them: the one-line wordings are korrents', the quotes are theirs.
Recent
The best use case for AI agents is handling mundane but necessary tasks.
One of the best agent use cases is taking care of mundane things that are necessary but annoying.
2026.39: Begun, the Aggregator Wars Have Said 25 Sept 2026
Frontier AI labs have a strategic incentive to pace their capability releases so society has time to address the overhangs caused by model advancement.
Pacing the frontier may be sincere, but it would also be strategically useful for the frontier labs to have time to reduce overhangs caused by model advancement.
2026.39: Begun, the Aggregator Wars Have Said 25 Sept 2026
Discourse that doesn't tolerate dissenting viewpoints inevitably produces bad outcomes.
viewpoints that don't harbor dissent inevitably lead to bad outcomes.
2026.38: Doomforce Said 18 Sept 2026
Show 5 more
A proposal to pace frontier AI development is unrealistic and mainly serves political control of AI.
Dario Amodei wants to pace the frontier; it's an unrealistic proposal that seems mostly geared to political control of AI.
2026.38: Doomforce Said 18 Sept 2026
User interface is disappearing as a competitive moat for software companies.
Salesforce is abandoning UI as a moat, which is a very smart move because it's disappearing for everyone.
2026.38: Doomforce Said 18 Sept 2026
Aggressive competitive tactics around a math research breakthrough risk having a chilling effect on that field of research.
OpenAI's tactics may in fact chill research in advanced mathematics
2026.37: Duo Threats Said 11 Sept 2026
Making AI agent hardware and software free to consumers dramatically lowers the barrier to entry and brings AI's benefits to ordinary people who otherwise wouldn't adopt it.
what Meta has assembled is free (to consumers) hardware and software that dramatically reduces the barrier to entry for ordinary people looking to harness the power of agents, making the AI upside a lot more accessible to the masses who don't want to buy a Mac Mini.
2026.37: Duo Threats Said 11 Sept 2026
Consumer AI agents aimed at everyday people will have more impact on people's lives than AI solving elite math problems.
OpenAI solving one of the most famous math problems is extremely impressive, and of little impact to most people's lives; Meta's Muse agent launch has the potential to be the exact opposite.
OpenAI Does Math, Reward-Hacking, Meta Launches Personal Agent Said 9 Sept 2026
What is a korrent?
A korrent is a belief a person has stated in their own words: one sentence stating the claim, backed by a quote and a source, kept at korrents.com.
Under a name here, the quoted block is what they actually said. The korrent beneath it is the claim those words support, in korrents' wording — tap it to see the record, its source, and who else holds it.
Nobody here wrote their own korrents. They are compiled from public statements, and a person can change their mind, which is recorded too.
Recommends rcmnd
rcmnd What they recommend 6 things — each backed by an exact quote.
Compiled by rcmnd.app, not by them: the quotes are theirs, and each links to the post it was copied from.
Recent
Uses Codex
So by far the funniest thing about using Claude and Codex together is how Codex is very earnest and businesslike while Claude treats Codex like an inferior but hard-working subordinate
x.com 25 Jul 2026
Uses Claude
So by far the funniest thing about using Claude and Codex together is how Codex is very earnest and businesslike while Claude treats Codex like an inferior but hard-working subordinate
x.com 25 Jul 2026
Liked Starlink
I’m pumped about Starlink and will seek out United
x.com 15 May 2026
Show 3 more
Disliked Gemini (Mac app)
I will now, needless to say, delete the Gemini app, and don't intend to ever install it again.
x.com 14 May 2026
Disliked WhatsApp
WhatsApp used to be absolutely rock solid, and now both the Mac app and iPhone app are buggy messes.
x.com 17 Mar 2026
Recommends Asianometry
Audio and transcripts of the Asianometry YouTube channel, the best source for learning about how tech works.
stratechery.com 1 Apr 2014
their own
Where they publish
Newsletter Stratechery Their newsletter on the business and strategy of technology. Mostly subscription.
Analysis of how technology businesses actually make money — platform economics, aggregation, and what a given strategic move is for. Published several times a week, mostly to subscribers.
Recent
- 2026.42: Home At Last 16 Oct 2026 The best Stratechery content from the week of October 12, 2026, including what Apple is doing, SpaceX's appetite, and the title, takes, and the Washington Wizards.
- A Conversation With Ari Emanuel About Entertainment and AI 15 Oct 2026 A conversation with Hollywood super-agent Ari Emanuel about his memoir, the impact of AI on Hollywood, and the power of a phone call.
- Apple HomeView, The New Apple TV, The App Story 14 Oct 2026 The Apple Homeview is official, and the question is how big is the addressable market for expensive devices based on subpar AI.
Show 7 more
- SpaceX Buys More Spectrum, Musk and Market Structure, Distributed Cellular 13 Oct 2026 SpaceX's mobile strategy is becoming clearly with its latest spectrum purchase, and it might work.
- 2026.41: It’s Not You, It’s Me 9 Oct 2026 The best Stratechery content from the week of October 5, 2026, including drifting apart from Apple, Facebook complications, and the delightful absurdity of U.S.-China dynamics.
- An Interview with Katie Harbath About Disrupting Politics at Facebook 8 Oct 2026 An interview with former Facebook Head of Global Elections Katie Harbath about her new book Disrupting Politics, and how things change for the company in the 2010s.
- Apple and LG, The House For Everyone Else, Agent Standards and Amazon 7 Oct 2026 Apple is taking a smarter approach to the home than I expected, leaning into integration (with partners); then, what Amazon should do about agents.
- Game Decompilation, Is This Legal?, A Well-Trodden Path 6 Oct 2026 Games are being decompiled, but the real risk to gaming is new games and increased personalization.
- Apple and a Hacker’s Future 5 Oct 2026 I was happy for years in Apple's walled garden; with AI, however, their protections feel like limitations.
- 2026.40: Dots and Question Marks 2 Oct 2026 The best Stratechery content from the week of September 28, 2026, including Meta's focus, what OpenAI is doing, and Mao and NBA Media Day.
Link verified 1 Sept 2026. Recent items update automatically from the channel.
x.com @benthompson Short-form, and where new pieces get announced.
Short-form takes on technology and business, arguments with other analysts, and where new Stratechery pieces are announced.
Recent
- One of the all time insane clipping cycles. Few people are more agent-pilled than me. I’ve literally built my own. When Muse came out I said it was more important than solving math problems. And somehow, saying that tech companies don’t know how to craft marketing messages that resonate is being framed all over the Internet as being a Luddite. 23 Sept 2026
- This is so user hostile @WhatsApp. Just straight up stealing desktop space. 22 Sept 2026
- Here’s my iPhone 18 Pro Max review: Do not buy an iPhone Air unless you want to immediately return every other phone forever. 21 Sept 2026
Show 17 more
- I have always said understanding accounting is underrated. I now realize understanding finance — specifically discount rates — is underrated as well. Long but excellent. 18 Sept 2026
- OK Gemini it’s now or never 3 Sept 2026
- So by far the funniest thing about using Claude and Codex together is how Codex is very earnest and businesslike while Claude treats Codex like an inferior but hard-working subordinate 25 Jul 2026
- Never leave Sol unattended. 21 Jul 2026
- Very sad news, on a human level, an industry level, and a personal level. I didn’t know Om super well, but he was one of the pioneers that made Stratechery possible. And my most vivid memory of him is some truly excellent device that he unilaterally reached out to give me right when I got started that was both right and that I have held onto. A generous man. 26 Jun 2026 om.co
- It's actually super important that the Siri demo was kind of slow, because it emphasized it was real. Would be even better if it were live, though. 8 Jun 2026
- I’m gonna delete this thread because I think people complaining about airlines on Twitter are pretty lame, including myself! That said, I think the takeaway is that the reason I was upset is precisely because of dashed expectations. If this were American I would have shrugged my shoulders. So I guess that’s a compliment to United, but also a reminder that it’s risky to advertise things (like Starlink) when you can’t yet confidently deliver on them. Anyhow, 28B on Southwest. Let’s go! 😅 1 Jun 2026
- I like the Luce 28 May 2026
- Is this from the SpaceX prospectus 16 May 2026
- I’ve been a big fan of what @united is doing in general, but from what I’ve heard (via other passengers and flight attendants), it seems they didn’t renew their Panasonic contract for widebodies while Starlink is rolled out. I’m pumped about Starlink and will seek out United once I know it’s available (had it this week and it was awesome). Until then, however, no Internet, particular on transoceanic flights, is unacceptable and a very poor choice by United’s management. I’ll be flying someone else for those for now. 15 May 2026
- If you disable "Open at Login" for the GeminiAppLauncher" that the Gemini app installs in the background (without asking), GeminiAppLaunch will immediately re-enable "Open at Login". I will now, needless to say, delete the Gemini app, and don't intend to ever install it again. 14 May 2026
- It was always clear that Anthropic would get compute if they needed it. Demand finds supply. 6 May 2026
- Best Cook take of the week 25 Apr 2026
- There is nothing about this that is amazing. It was predicted endlessly, and those predictions were dismissed by people citing the fact that big companies opposed these measures. They opposed them because while their relative position is stronger, the pie is now smaller. 24 Apr 2026
- This Mac app bug is one of the single most enraging bugs I've encountered in years! It's in all of the betas too. You get someone's @ mention randomly added to the chat when you press "Enter" and you have to click to get rid of it (and then it will come back on the next message). 18 Mar 2026
- WhatsApp used to be absolutely rock solid, and now both the Mac app and iPhone app are buggy messes. 17 Mar 2026
- Happy Chinese New Year! 18 Feb 2026
Link verified 1 Sept 2026. Recent items update automatically from the channel.
Podcast Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson Hosts the Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson podcast.
Recent
- (Preview) Apple Enters the Uncanny Valley, The SpaceX Play for Cellular, Q&A on The Ringer, Smartphones, AI Parenting 15 Oct 2026
- (Preview) Two Paths for Apple and Its Users, More on Amazon and Advertising, OpenAI and 722 Mathematical Manuscripts 9 Oct 2026
- (Preview) All About Agents: Dots Arrive, Google and Apple Questions, Muse Follow-Ups, Super Intelligence, and the Mandate of Heaven 2 Oct 2026
Show 17 more
- (Preview) Three Weeks of Meta Momentum, The Ultimate Muse Upside, A King Kong vs. Godzilla Aggregator War 25 Sept 2026
- (Preview) Doom Debates Go Mainstream, AI Religion and the Economic Future, Several Vectors of the China Question 18 Sept 2026
- (Preview) Astra (and AGI?) Arrives, Meta’s Muse and the Agent Opportunity, Anthropic and the Revival of (P)Doom Angst 10 Sept 2026
- (Preview) Fable 5.1 and Anthropic’s Data Retention Pivot, AI Civilizations and Related Matters, Q&A on Meta, Shopify, 3-D Printing 3 Sept 2026
- (Preview) Meta’s New Restrictions for Teens, Nvidia’s Open Source Investments, Q&A on Netflix, Druckenmiller, Parameters and Performance 28 Aug 2026
- (Preview) The App Store in the Shadow of AI, Offensive and Defensive Cybersecurity, Q&A on Financial Planning, AI Writing, American Sports 21 Aug 2026
- (Preview) Nvidia’s Answer to Capital Constraints, Google’s Attrition and Direction, Q&A on AI Writing, Vision Pro, Vibe Coding 14 Aug 2026
- (Preview) Microsoft’s Plan for Platform Survival, Meta and the Market’s Permission, A Lack of Situational Awareness 6 Aug 2026
- (Preview) An OpenAI Model Escapes Sandboxing, Intelligence Will Be a Commodity Market, The Chinese Model Conundrum 23 Jul 2026
- (Preview) The Continuing Adventures of OpenAI, Apple’s Trade Secrets Lawsuit, Q&A on Mainframes, Meta, Daylight Savings Time 17 Jul 2026
- (Preview) Meta and Its Messaging Problem, The XBOX Reset, Q&A on Token Costs, American Soccer, Starlink in Nature 10 Jul 2026
- (Preview) A Summer Break Mailbag: Memory Mania, Vibe Coding, Mafia PR, Caffeine Intake, Garages, and How to Fix Soccer 26 Jun 2026
- (Preview) The Anthropic Saga Continues, Fox and the Future of Streaming, Q&A on ChatGPT, Agentic Shopping, Autonomous Driving 19 Jun 2026
- (Preview) Five Questions on WWDC 2026, Fable 5 And Its Guardrails, What Anthropic Has in Common With Apple 12 Jun 2026
- (Preview) SpaceX Hype and the Elon Bargain, Nvidia and the Neoclouds, Q&A on Dropbox, Google, Ferrari Luce Backlash 29 May 2026
- (Preview) Inference in the Agentic Future, xAI Is Two Companies in One, Q&A on Elon’s Lawsuit, Intel, Apple 15 May 2026
- (Preview) AWS History and Trainium’s AI Future, OpenAI Makes a Deal With Microsoft, Meta and the Future of Wearable Devices 1 May 2026
Link verified 25 Sept 2026. Recent items update automatically from the channel.
About the English under a post
Some people here publish in a language other than English. Where they do, this site shows a machine translation beneath the post, in this typeface — the site's own, not theirs.
The post itself is never changed, moved or hidden: what is set in the serif above is exactly what the person published, and it is what to quote them on. A translation can be wrong in ways that matter, especially about tone.
Only the post's own words are translated. A quoted post, a linked article and a belief on korrents.com are left in their original language.






