best of 2025

Growing up, the monthly arrival of the print version of Time Magazine was always something I looked forward to. Checking the mail and seeing that iconic red border, Time was a consistent part of my young adult reading. It sparked my love for print media, and I believe it is what made me obsessed with the concept of a "best list." I especially looked forward to the “special editions,” like Time's Person of the Year (now a piece of American iconography), Invention of the Year, and Photo of the Year. 

I’ll share more reflections on 2025 soon, but I wanted to start with the readings (essays and books) that stood out most. This list captures my personal bests from throughout the year. What I love about revisiting the work that carried the most weight, sparked the most joy, or taught me something lasting is how it reinforces the pursuit of knowledge as a very human act. It keeps my curiosity in motion and compounds in ways that are hard to predict, but easy to feel. So without further ado...the bests readings and writings throughout the year.

Essays 

American Vulcan by Jeremy Stern 

A portrait of one of the most quietly polarizing figures in tech & defense, Palmer Lucky. I think it’s easy to write off those who operate best on the fringes of a spectrum, and Palmer seems to only operate on the fringes. Stern details Palmer's life in distinct sections, from a homeschooled tinkerer to the founder of Oculus to the founder of Anduril, the largest manufacturer of autonomous systems for security & defense. It’s a rare snapshot into the fringes on which Palmer operates: work, life, family, media, and politics. 

“I’m maybe not the crusader for truth that people imagine. I am a crusader for vengeance. And if my vengeance can best be served by covering up the crimes of those who have wronged me, then I’ll probably do that.”

“Remember that I’m not a journalist,” he continued. “I don’t have to be objective. I don’t have to be neutral. I can be a propagandist.” 

Curious Times by Aravind Srinivas

Ages are defined by work, but what happens in the AI age, where knowledge work is slowly being eradicated? Srinivas poses this question that many of us are asking in different ways and answers it quite optimistically: learning will replace knowledge as our dominant economic output. The ability to pose the best questions, learn, and move quickly will be the human elements that define the AI age. Imo, the future belongs to the curious. :)

“Each time the dominant form of work has changed, prosperity has followed those who re-skilled and adapted. Success went to societies that prioritized immediate learning for affected workers and systems of education for their upcoming generations.” 

Successful People by Sam Altman 

A small post from Altman’s blog written over 13 years ago. I believe it’s a small window into Altman’s mindset as he builds OpenAI. “…the most successful founders do not set out to create companies. They are on a mission to create something closer to a religion.” 

The Art of Understanding What's Going On by Tina He

Tina He from Pace Capital is a cut above the rest, and her blog, Fake Pixels, is one of my favorites in the industry. We like to think we understand incentives, truths, and behavior, yet we’re often chasing narratives (especially in AI companies) rather than mechanics. A really refreshing read and clear breakdown of how to actually understand a company by examining its underlying incentives, not the story it wants to tell.

“Spotting the gap between surface narratives and hidden incentives helps clarify how these cycles play out and reveals the second- and third-order effects that are often overlooked when abstracting "AI" as a universal fix.” 

Books

The Young VC’s Handbook compiled by Sakib Jamil 

If you’re a jr. investor and we’ve chatted in the last year, odds are I’ve shown you my battered/well-loved copy of the Young VC’s Handbook. It's the only book that gives you actual tactical advice on how to do your job as an investor, and I reference it incredibly often. 

Thinking in Bets by Anne Duke 

A rec from Robbie at mtf. I was initially worried I was about to get knee-deep in some game theory, but what I got was an easy-to-digest guide to choices, biases, echo chambers, continuums, etc. I read this right after learning I’d passed on a deal that later had a16z lead a subsequent round, and I wish I’d read it sooner. I don’t know if that would have changed the outcome, but I do know my decision-making frameworks are a bit stronger now, thanks to Anne.

1491 by Charles C. Mann 

A pre-Columbian history of the Americas that I breezed through in a week. Mann challenges long-held assumptions, biases, and “facts” about the Americas, drawing on modern anthropological discoveries to dismantle much of the conventional narrative. The book is broken up into three parts: population, culture, and environment. Because this period is often glossed over (or entirely skipped) in K–12 American history curriculum, most of it was new to me and sent me down some good rabbit holes. 

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin 

I think a Creative Act has been at the top of countless best-seller lists and everyone’s recommendations since its release in 2023. I’m always drawn to books written by people at the very top of their craft, and Rick Rubin unquestionably qualifies. The book is a quiet, grounding reminder that creativity isn’t a credential or a talent, it’s a way of paying attention to what's around you. You don’t need to be a creative to be creative.