Gabriel Weinberg
Founder and CEO of the search engine DuckDuckGo, and co-author of the books Traction and Super Thinking.
Gabriel Weinberg did not write this page. ppll compiled it from their own words, each linked to the source. Is this you? · Report a mistake
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What they believe
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Seeking out and applying mental models across a wide array of disciplines is powerful.
Around 2003 I came across Charlie Munger’s 1995 speech, The Psychology of Human Misjudgment, which introduced me to how behavioral economics can be applied in business and investing. More profoundly, though, it opened my mind to the power of seeking out and applying mental models across a wide array of disciplines.
web.archive.orgby 6 Jul 2016This on korrents
The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These one: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.
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
Seeking out and applying mental models across a wide array of disciplines is powerful.
Around 2003 I came across Charlie Munger’s 1995 speech, The Psychology of Human Misjudgment, which introduced me to how behavioral economics can be applied in business and investing. More profoundly, though, it opened my mind to the power of seeking out and applying mental models across a wide array of disciplines.
Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful by 6 Jul 2016
A small set of mental models comes up again and again in everyday decisions, problem solving and truth seeking.
There is a much smaller set of concepts, however, that come up repeatedly in day-to-day decision making, problem solving, and truth seeking.
Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful by 6 Jul 2016
A mental model only helps if it is known well, practised, and applied in the right context at the right time.
I find mental models are useful to try to make sense of things and to help generate ideas. To actually be useful, however, you have to apply them in the right context at the right time. And for that to happen naturally, you have to know them well and practice using them.
Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful by 6 Jul 2016
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Many mental models are useful well outside the discipline they come from.
Most of the mental models on this list are here because they are useful outside of their specific discipline. For example, use of the mental model “peak oil” isn’t restricted to an energy context.
Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful by 6 Jul 2016
The best ideas often arise when going across disciplines.
The best ideas often arise when going cross-dicipline.
Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful by 6 Jul 2016
Any one person's list of mental models is shaped by their own experience and is likely incomplete.
This post is my attempt to enumerate the mental models that are repeatedly useful to me. This set is clearly biased from my own experience and surely incomplete.
Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful by 6 Jul 2016
Mental models can help explain and navigate the world without being good in themselves.
I am not endorsing any of these concepts as normatively good; I’m just saying they have repeatedly helped me explain and navigate the world.
Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful by 6 Jul 2016
For someone who wants to be generally effective, learning a list of well-used mental models is a good place to start.
I wish I had learned many of these years earlier. In fact, the proximate cause for posting this was so I could more effectively answer the question I frequently get from people I work with: “what should I learn next?” If you’re trying to be generally effective, my best advice is to start with the the things on this list.
Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful by 6 Jul 2016
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 9 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 Hanns G monitors
Attached to it are three 28" Hanns G monitors, two vertical (on the ends) and the middle one horizontal.
usesthis.com 12 Oct 2011
Uses Sonos
For personal stuff, I use Picasa for photos, Sonos for music (with Pandora and trying Spotify right now).
usesthis.com 12 Oct 2011
Uses Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
I also recently bought a new DSLR camera – Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 to be specific – though I still haven't wrapped my head around all of its features.
usesthis.com 12 Oct 2011
Show 6 more
Uses Zagg keyboard folio
On the go I use a 3G-enabled iPad 2 with the new Zagg keyboard folio so I can easily fix server problems.
usesthis.com 12 Oct 2011
Mixed on Chrome
I use all the Web browsers a lot since I'm constantly chasing browser bugs, and don't currently really like any of them though I lean towards Chrome (but currently am annoyed at it because it keeps crashing on me).
usesthis.com 12 Oct 2011
Mixed on Pandora
I need better music as well. I'm tired of Pandora – hopeful for Spotify, but I really like the radio aspect of Pandora.
usesthis.com 12 Oct 2011
Mixed on Android T-mobile G2
For phone, I have a Android T-mobile G2, though its slowness is getting on my nerves lately.
usesthis.com 12 Oct 2011
Uses PuTTY
I'm in PuTTY all the time. I like to develop remotely.
usesthis.com 12 Oct 2011
Disliked HP Envy 13T-1000
When not in my basement, I'm using my laptop, which is a HP Envy 13T-1000. Hmm… probably not going to be buying any more HP machines :).
usesthis.com 12 Oct 2011
Where they publish
Newsletter The Great Race His Substack, linked from his own site under Writing.
Open thegreatrace.substack.com
Link verified 5 Sept 2026.
Bluesky @yegg13.bsky.social Posts on privacy, search and mental models.
Recent
- Resolving the privacy paradox gabrielweinberg.com/p/resolving-... Revealed preference arguments often have hidden flaws 23 Jul 2026
- No, everyone is not using AI for everything. gabrielweinberg.com/p/people-are... People are consuming AI like they eat meat: some are embracing it, some are limiting their use of it, and some are avoiding it altogether. 13 Jun 2026
- A "patchwork" of AI laws is a feature, not a bug gabrielweinberg.com/p/a-patchwor... If AI violates our privacy, takes our jobs, and potentially can destroy the world, then it’s too big for Congress to regulate alone 7 Jun 2026
Show 17 more
- 🆕✍️More data supports science funding literally pays for itself 24 May 2026 gabrielweinberg.com
- I worked with Sidra on countless designs to get these shoes just right, and couldn't be happier with the way they turned out. A genuine collaboration with another team that cares about every detail. Get the DuckDuckGo x Atoms collab here: 13 May 2026 duckduckgo.com
- 🆕✍️Principles almost always have exceptions, often when they conflict with other principles (Rule 5). When principles conflict, a priority stack usually decides which one wins. 10 May 2026 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ Start collecting an AI "token tax" now; figure out exactly what to do with the funds later 25 Apr 2026 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ You can make a compelling narrative for almost anything untrue (Rule 4) 22 Mar 2026 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ There should be a citizen-led path to amend the Constitution. Congress won't reform itself, but a citizen-led amendment path could. 28 Feb 2026 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ Simulating likely 2026 World Cup matchups (for all matches) 31 Jan 2026 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ Yes AI or No AI, that is the question. AI is everywhere. Did anyone give you a choice? 19 Jan 2026 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ As AI displaces jobs, the US government should create new jobs building affordable housing: What if some displaced workers help build the housing we need? 10 Jan 2026 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ Some surprising things about DuckDuckGo you probably don't know 13 Dec 2025 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ What GLP-1 drug price is cost neutral to Medicare? Seemingly around $140/month 29 Nov 2025 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ One approach to a heavily curated information diet 22 Nov 2025 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ China has a major working-age population advantage through at least 2075. Given this advantage, they have a path to dwarf the U.S. economy. 15 Nov 2025 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ Introducing Duck Tales: New audio/video interview series taking you inside DuckDuckGo 8 Nov 2025 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ Total Factor Productivity needs a rebrand (and if you don't know what that is you probably should). 1 Nov 2025 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ Is consumer AI heading for a duopoly? 19 Oct 2025 gabrielweinberg.com
- 🆕✍️ The paradox of progress gabrielweinberg.com/p/the-parado... If progress = rising living standards, why doesn’t a progress agenda command top billing in U.S. politics? • Timescale mismatch. • Change aversion. • Lacking urgency. 11 Oct 2025
Link verified 5 Sept 2026. Recent items update automatically from the channel.
LinkedIn in/yegg13 Professional profile.
Link verified 5 Sept 2026.
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