Every Friday
This week, everything old is new again (for better or worse). We need to log off.
The pre-kend has escaped us
Happy Friday team. Hope you added shareholder value this week. Lot’s cooking in the background of Relay over here - excited for what’s going to be rolling out in the next couple of weeks (stay tuned). Thanks for hanging in there with us while we build in public before AI takes our jobs <3
This week, everything old is new again (for better or worse). Things we never asked for are making a comeback, while others are (hopefully) on their way out—we need to log off.
Unfortunate Comebacks:
Weekly Flops:
trade wars (make them stop, please my portfolio is begging)
note: if someone told you, you can try the best strawberry in the world for $19, would you do it?
Change. But start slowly, because direction is more important than speed.
- Paulo Coelho
Talk low, talk slow, and don’t say too much.
- John Wayne
Top of Mind
Behind The Screens
We were worried Perplexity might not have the legs to hold on next to the key players in AI, but, they continue to perform. This perplexity native phone is another green flag that they just might be able to hang with the big boys.
Yope, a photo-sharing app designed for private groups, has captured Gen Z's attention with its impressive growth to 2.2 million monthly active users and 800,000 daily active users. Despite entering a crowded market of social apps targeting young adults, Yope has distinguished itself through its focus on "unfiltered content" sharing, attracting $4.65 million in seed funding at a $50 million valuation led by Goodwater Capital.
Perhaps you never truly wake at all. Maybe you merely rise, check, scroll, perform, and disappear.
My relationship with my phone is always one I’ve wanted to end, yet it is the habit that never changes. We all could probably stand to take a read through this: Meditations for Phone Addicts. What was your screen time last week? (James’s was definitely higher)
From Washington
The hype around President Trump's White House Crypto Summit is real, underscoring crypto’s growing influence in finance and politics. Today’s summit ranks among the most exclusive gatherings in recent history. Notably absent from any public invite list: Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano (though this may change). Last night, David Sacks confirmed a guest list that did not include him. This omission is striking, given that just last weekend, President Trump announced Cardano as part of the U.S. strategic crypto reserve.
DARPA's ambitious vision for bio-mechanical space structures represents a paradigm shift in how we conceptualize construction beyond Earth's atmosphere, merging biological growth mechanisms with traditional engineering to create massive structures spanning over 1,600 feet. Rather than launching bulky components from Earth at tremendous cost, these hybrid structures would harness biology's "rapid growth properties" to form the "tent cover" around essential mechanical and electronic frameworks, potentially revolutionizing everything from space elevators to orbital debris remediation.
In their compelling work, Abundance, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson propose an "abundance agenda" aimed at revitalizing American liberalism by streamlining government inefficiencies. By stripping away regulatory barriers, they envision a government capable of delivering tangible outcomes, like affordable housing and clean energy. Ultimately, Klein and Thompson's argument underscores the need for a more pragmatic approach to governance, one that prioritizes results over rules and could potentially reinvigorate public trust in government institutions. More progress on both sides of the aisle please.
Ctrl+Alt+Culture
"Soft clubbing" is revolutionizing nightlife culture in 2025, transforming everyday spaces into vibrant music venues that prioritize connection over consumption. This shift isn't the death of nightlife but rather its evolution—a response to post-pandemic desires for more intentional social experiences and deeper human connections. The decentralization of music experiences has democratized nightlife, proving that in today's social landscape, it's no longer about where you party but why you gather.
Oscar Wilde said, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.” Huberman, we love you but at some point the micro-maxing reaches a negative ROI. How much difference is that obscure supplement really going to make? We’re more into embracing the new hybrid athlete way of life. Get out there, live a little.
In a social media world where everything from careers to successful relationships are sold as something that can and should come easy, it was encouraging this week to see public figures owning their ambition and acknowledging that being great at anything is an unglamorous grind with plenty of detours. Timmy’s speech got backlash online (Jack isn’t a fan) but that’s not really the point: there’s something life-affirming about watching people not just chase something but struggle along the way too.
It’s Not That Deep, Randy
ICYMI: Happy Hour Edition
The Deep State's Role in Firefly's Lunar Landing (Core Memory)
We Are Planetary Gardeners (Justin’s Substack)
Rules for the discerning traveler (First Class Jerk)
If you only read the books everyone else is reading (Essayful)
When It Comes to Covering Musk's Government Takeover, WIRED Is Showing Everyone How It's Done (The Present Age)
Thanks for reading—or for mega scrolling all the way down here.
The competition for our clicks, attention, and time has never been fiercer. More apps, more news, more of everything. Big Tech has centralized the web, commoditizing our screen time and dictating how we consume information. As our online selves continue to age, how do we ensure we’re truly tuned in—not just absorbing, but thinking critically?
Relay is a collective effort to distill information across tech, politics, and culture. It stands in direct opposition to the hollow drift toward cheap consumption, regrettable minutes, empty engagement, and a distorted understanding of the real world. It’s a refusal to let algorithms erode our ability to think critically—and an invitation to participate meaningfully, despite apathy becoming the social norm.
We’re focused on more signal, less noise. Tag along (it’s free).
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