In the quiet woods of Louisiana, the monks of Saint Joseph Abbey crafted wooden caskets that embodied something sacred: simplicity in life's final farewell. Their hands shaped not just wood, but dignity itself. Yet when they tried to offer these caskets to grieving families, they discovered an absurd truth: state law required them to become licensed funeral directors and maintain a full embalming facility—equipment they'd never use, skills they'd never need, all to sell a wooden box. Imagine requiring a chef's license to sell a cookbook, or demanding a pilot's license to fold paper airplanes.
This isn't just a story about monks and caskets. It's about how good intentions can chain human progress to the heavy anchor of the past.
We live in an age where innovation moves at the speed of thought, yet often dies at the speed of bureaucracy. Regulations born of wisdom have hardened into armor protecting giants from tomorrow's ideas. Imagine if every renaissance had required approval from the dark ages it sought to illuminate. That's precisely the system we've built—one where new ideas must seek permission from the very incumbents they hope to replace.
The game is as elegant as it is devastating. Industry veterans glide through revolving doors into regulatory agencies, where they craft rules as complex as spider webs and twice as sticky. Consider this: in some states, you need more hours of training to become a licensed hair braider than a licensed emergency medical technician. Interior designers in some states must complete six years of education and training—more than it takes to become a lawyer—all to suggest where to place a sofa. Big companies build compliance departments to navigate these mazes, while entrepreneurs and innovators are left tangled in red tape. It's a masterpiece of modern bureaucracy: protection so perfect it prevents progress itself.
Take Tesla's fight to sell cars directly to customers—a battle that reveals the absurdity of our age. Traditional dealers wielded decades-old laws like ancient swords, forcing customers in some states to buy cars as if the internet had never been invented. In Michigan, Tesla once had to create a "gallery" where people could look at cars but not buy them—like a restaurant where you could see the menu but had to drive to another state to eat. Or watch as established banks suddenly discover a passionate concern for "consumer protection" when facing innovative financial technology—the same banks that needed taxpayer billions after betting against public interest in 2008.
The examples border on comedy: food truck owners in some cities must notify every brick-and-mortar restaurant within 300 feet before parking. Homeowners have faced fines for harvesting rainwater in their own backyards. Children's lemonade stands get shut down for lacking vendor permits. Yet this isn't a simple tale of regulation versus freedom. The true art lies in finding the sweet spot where protection enables progress rather than preventing it. Like skilled gardeners who understand that a pruned tree grows stronger, we must learn to regulate with wisdom rather than fear. The goal isn't to eliminate the garden's walls, but to build them high enough to protect while leaving room for new flowers to bloom.
The path forward demands essential changes. Every regulation must sunset like a natural day, forcing us to consciously renew what serves the future rather than blindly preserving the past. Second, we need regulatory sandboxes where tomorrow's ideas can prove themselves without first conquering yesterday's rules. Lastly, we must shift from dictating methods to defining outcomes—protecting public interests without prescribing how innovators achieve them.
Technology offers new possibilities for this evolution. Smart contracts and blockchain could transform regulation from static walls into dynamic guardians, adapting in real-time to protect without suffocating. Imagine rules that flow like water, finding the most efficient path to public good while naturally wearing away outdated barriers. Instead of requiring specific training hours, we could test actual competency. Rather than demanding fixed solutions, we could measure real outcomes.
Critics will argue this risks the very protection regulations aim to provide. But they miss a profound truth: in a world that moves at the speed of innovation, static rules are their own kind of risk. The greatest danger isn't that we'll move too fast, but that we'll stand still in a world that doesn't.
The monks of Saint Joseph Abbey eventually won their right to serve their community through craft. But their victory raises a haunting question: how many innovations die quietly in the shadows of captured regulation? How many solutions to human problems lie dormant, not because they're impossible, but because they're illegal?
True protection doesn't come from limiting possibilities, but from expanding them wisely. We need frameworks that guard public interest while nurturing the seeds of progress—understanding that sometimes the most dangerous thing we can do is cling to safety at the cost of growth.
Progress requires fewer rules, not just better ones. The art lies in removing the countless protections that chain us to the past, keeping only those few that truly serve the public good. Regulatory capture's greatest cost isn't counted in lost profits or stifled innovations. It's measured in the human potential left buried beneath mountains of rules that protect the powerful by preventing the possible.
The challenge is to deregulate intelligently, not to regulate brilliantly. We need the courage to strip away decades of bureaucratic buildup while maintaining only those essential frameworks that protect public safety. Because every time we let good intentions calcify into barriers, we don't just slow progress—we deny the progress of tomorrow to protect yesterday's incumbents.
Artificial Imagination 🖤
Suspended between light and shadow, she dances in that sacred space where souls go to shed their earthly weight. Her dress billows like forgotten dreams in the deep, while divine light crowns her in an underwater aurora—a moment where surrender becomes freedom, and despair dissolves into grace.
This is not an actual photo, but one that was totally A.I. generated using a prompt that I created with Midjourney
Vibe Hack 💬
Level up your ChatGPT game with the new integrated search feature! No more tab-hopping between ChatGPT and search engines—you can now get real-time information right in your chat. Whether you need current sports scores, latest news, stock updates, or fresh research, just click the globe icon or let ChatGPT automatically tap into search when needed. Plus users and Team members can dive in right away through chatgpt.com or grab the Chrome extension to search straight from your browser bar.
My Weekly Vibe
Podcast: Want to dive deep into one of tech's most fascinating journeys? Check out the Meta deep-dive episode from the Acquired podcast. For over six hours, Ben and David meticulously unpack how a dorm room project transformed into a company that connects billions. Even if you think you know the Facebook story, you'll discover fascinating details about their early pivots, the Instagram acquisition, and how they navigated countless existential challenges. The hosts do a brilliant job balancing the technical aspects with the human elements. Queue this up for your next road trip—you won't regret it.
Water: Finally found my new favorite fizzy drink! Spindrift's Nojito sparkling water hits all the right notes—real squeezed lime juice, a hint of mint, and the perfect amount of bubbles. Unlike other sparkling waters that taste like you're licking a scented sticker, this actually delivers on the mojito-inspired flavors without any artificial sweeteners or weird aftertaste. At just 4 calories per can, it's become my go-to afternoon refresher. Keep a few cans in the fridge for when you want something special but don't need the added sugar or alcohol.
Boxing: Netflix's first foray into live sports was an ambitious undertaking—a mega-event featuring Mike Tyson returning to the ring at 58 to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, 27, at AT&T Stadium. While there were some streaming hiccups (about 85,000 users reported issues), the electric atmosphere of the sold-out crowd made it feel like a truly historic moment. The Taylor-Serrano rematch was a fun watch. The production value was impressive despite being Netflix's first attempt, with multiple camera angles and high-quality commentary. From Phil Collins playing during the walkouts to the celebrity-filled crowd (including Evander Holyfield and Charlize Theron), it felt like a throwback to boxing's glory days. Whether you loved or hated the matchup itself, you can't deny it got people talking.
Morning Walks: There's something almost magical about stepping outside before the world wakes up. The stillness, the crisp air, the way your neighborhood feels like it belongs just to you—it's become one of my favorite ways to start the day, whether as a warm-up or cool-down from a workout. The best mornings are when my little girl tags along, turning our walks into little adventures as we spot rabbits or race to the next street sign. These quiet moments of connection away from screens and schedules have become precious. Plus, that early dose of natural light does wonders for resetting your body clock. Give it a shot for a week—you might just get hooked on the peace of dawn patrol.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson | cred: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
Weekly Muse
"I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars." - Og Mandino
Real Estate
Something fascinating is happening at Zillow, and it's not what you'll read in the press releases. The sudden departure of President Susan Daimler and her husband Matt as SVP of Product comes at an intriguing moment—amid Zillow's strongest quarter in recent memory, with mortgage revenues soaring 63% year-over-year.
The timing raises compelling questions. Why would two key architects of Zillow's evolution step away during such success? Industry sources suggest this wasn't a long-planned transition, hinting at deeper strategic shifts ahead.
Jun Choo's elevation to COO offers intriguing clues about Zillow's next chapter. With his deep experience in Premier Agent pricing and B2B products, Choo represents a different kind of operational DNA. While public messaging emphasizes continuity and agent partnerships, the structural changes tell a more complex story.
Let's read between the lines. With Premier Agent referral fees already at industry-leading 40% levels, yet shareholder pressure for growth never ceasing, Zillow faces an interesting dilemma: how to drive further revenue growth without alienating the agent partnerships they've carefully cultivated. While Zillow publicly champions these partnerships, the economics point toward a more selective approach—one where they'll likely forge deeper relationships with fewer, higher-performing teams while gradually expanding their direct to consumer capabilities.
Rich Barton's strategic playbook deserves careful study here. His previous ventures—Expedia and Glassdoor—followed similar trajectories: start by partnering with industry players, then gradually expand control over the ecosystem. With Barton now in the Executive Chair role and Jeremy Wacksman ascending to CEO, Zillow's platform ambitions likely exceed their public statements.
This isn't about wholesale disintermediation, but rather a careful balancing act: maintaining crucial agent relationships at the top end while exploring more direct engagement with consumers in other segments. This 'barbell strategy' makes sense—top-producing agents and teams still drive significant revenue and provide valuable market expertise, while technology increasingly enables direct handling of simpler transactions. The real question isn't whether Zillow will maintain agent partnerships, but rather how exclusive that club becomes as they expand their own transaction capabilities.
The Fed's Reality Check | Jerome Powell's recent acknowledgment of a "weak housing sector" signals more than just market commentary. While headlines fixate on potential rate cuts, the deeper story reveals a Fed committed to their restrictive stance well into 2025. This persistence of higher rates isn't just crimping transactions—it's forcing a fundamental rethink of how deals get done.
The impact runs deeper than most realize. As margins compress and traditional financing remains challenging, we're seeing the emergence of creative financing structures and new pathways to closing. Some of the industry's largest players are quietly developing alternative qualification methods that could revolutionize who can buy and how they buy. The Fed's stance isn't just about rates—it's catalyzing structural changes in transaction models.
Election Cycles: The Smart Money's Move | The conventional wisdom about election-year market hesitation masks a fascinating reality. While current data confirms the expected 3.7% dip in overall October-to-November sales, a closer look reveals an interesting countertrend: sophisticated buyers actually accelerate their activity during these periods.
The pattern is clear but often missed: High-net-worth buyers leverage political uncertainty to negotiate better deals, while institutional investors systematically increase acquisitions during these windows. This creates a unique opportunity landscape where market hesitation by some opens doors for others. The savviest operators understand these cycles aren't barriers—they're strategic opportunities for those who recognize the patterns.
The CCP Battle: Power and Control | The Clear Cooperation Policy continued debate is a battle for control over real estate's future—who owns the customer relationship, who controls the flow of inventory, and who captures transaction value.
As previously stated, my stance is that completely ending the CCP is bad for consumers and competition in the industry. The CCP underpins the integrity of the real estate market by ensuring transparency and accessibility to inventory information, which is crucial for a healthy, functioning market. It also plays a key role in promoting fair housing practices.
Dismantling the CCP could allow large brokerages to create walled gardens of listings, shutting out smaller competitors and harming consumers through reduced choice and higher costs. Arguments around privacy or exclusivity do not justify dismantling the entire system, as many MLSs already have provisions for truly off-market listings.
Instead, the industry should focus on evolving the CCP to address legitimate concerns while preserving its core benefits. The future of real estate should be more open, not less, and the CCP, thoughtfully evolved, is essential to that future. We must guard against short-sighted changes that promise flexibility but deliver fragmentation, as that would be a significant step backward for the industry and consumers.
In the voice of Seth Meyers with SNL’s Weekend Update… “Hey Baltimore, for just $8.5 million you can live out your "I'm definitely not compensating for anything" dreams in this absolute unit of a house that looks like a Connecticut WASP threw up all over Greenspring Valley. You're getting an indoor basketball court that screams "my kid's definitely not making varsity," a golf simulator for practicing your swing while pretending you're not hiding from your family, and—I'm not kidding—FIVE garage spaces because apparently four luxury SUVs weren't enough to fill the void where your personality should be. And the best part? It's zoned as agricultural, so you can tell everyone at your country club that you're "basically a farmer now.” (Krauss Real Property Brokerage) *Disclaimer: this is a very lovely listing and clearly just a bit of satire, so loosen up and enjoy
Interesting Find
The TIME Best Inventions of 2024 issue has landed, and it’s like Christmas morning for tech nerds like me. This year’s lineup includes a foldable bike motor that could turn your morning commute into a Tour de France and an AI-powered toilet seat—because even your bathroom breaks deserve innovation. Every year, this list proves that the future is as wild as it is exciting, and diving into these inventions is always a highlight for me. Which invention blows your mind more: a robotic chef that grills the perfect steak or a bedazzled cat litter box that monitors feline health? Honestly, some of these ideas are so clever, they make me question all my life choices.
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