Subscribe to discover Om’s fresh perspectives on the present and future.
Welcome to 2026.
And just like that, we’re in a new year.
It’s a rainy morning around these parts. A good day to grab a cup of coffee, reflect on the year that was and the year to come, and consider how best to live in the now, since we can’t turn back the clock or predict the future. The now is the only truth.
The past twelve months have been challenging intellectually and creatively. I found myself doing less and consuming more. I think I needed my mind to lie fallow for a while before I could till it for new ideas. It showed in my output: only125 blog posts, essays, interviews, reviews, and other bits and bobs across my various online homes. I did write a lot in my journals; I filled nearly twenty A5-sized notebooks.
Most importantly, I read a dozen fiction books and about 25 nonfiction books, and I worked through more than 10,000 articles (or at least that many are archived in Readwise Reader). I also watched a lot of videos on science, pens, and history. I should read more, but this was a good restart of my reading habit.
My book of the year is 1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin. It’s a near-perfect setup for the times we’re living through. The book proves that Sorkin is a much better writer, than a television guy. But I suppose money is better on CNBC.
What’s next for 2026? No big plans: I want to go back to creating. Most important, I want to write as often as I can and make something of value that doesn’t add to the clutter in your lives. I plan to read twice as much fiction and more nonfiction, and to reinvent my photography by learning a new visual language.
Happy New Year, everyone.
I hope the year ahead is more thoughtful, peaceful, and well reasoned.
January 1, 2026
Reading List Rewind
Here are some of my favorite articles from 2025. They are a good way to look at the coming twelve months.
Vision Pro and the lessons of MacBook Air. I remain resolute in my affection for the Vision Pro, even as we hear every so often about its pending demise, production slowdowns, and other challenges.
What DeepSeek means for everyone: The Chinese are getting good at AI. By embracing open source, they are throttling U.S. ambitions. The race will get hotter in 2026.
The Mediocrity of Modern Google. Google’s stock just had its best year since 2009, so my article seemingly didn’t age well. The company seems to be doing well in AI and is giving Sam Altman heartburn. Yet its products are still very “mid,” and the company continues to redefine mediocrity. It is a doubling down on a culture of “good enough.” (Related: Search is now just a feature.)
Sometimes a car is not just a car. The auto industry is a car wreck. You can thank China for that.
The smart home is an illusion. I learned that the hard way. It is a case study in how hyped technology and human reality are often out of sync.
Decoding Zuck’s superintelligence memo. Man, the Facebook empire is worried sick about AI, and its recent moves reflect it. (Related: Meta’s favorite product isn’t AI. It’s the copy button.)
The Satya of Satya Nadella’s layoff memo became a template for others to imitate.
Desperately Seeking Personalization
Beyond tech, I want to flag three personal pieces for you, readers.
Ten Years Later. In 2015, Gigaom shutdown. It took me a decade to finally get over it.
Happy New Year Om. I agree with you about 1929 –a tour de force of historical business writing. I’m wading through Ron Chernow’s biography of John D. Rockefeller — Titan — and wish it had half the drama Sorkin’s book does.
David, HNY to you as well. I owe you an email. I have to admit, Sorkin caught me by surprise for sure. I was expecting the TV guy to show up. Nope. Very nice. I will wait for your final review of Titan, before jumping into it.
There is much to unpack here, but the post about Satya’s team missing the boat on an AI integration inot Microsoft products is surprising.
Here is a post about how Satya is shifting into PM mode to try to rescue their investment. I think Microsoft needs an independent innovation team to pull of what is needed since a bloated ship is too impossible to change course quickly.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aagupta_the-ceo-of-a-3-trillion-company-just-made-activity-7409307552770859008-4OUk?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAAEoaV0BFTVRB9zgF_pvvY2xFxxo5nzXv9g
Thanks – I will read this asap.
It’s great that you’re taking time to reflect and prioritize rest as a way to cultivate new ideas. It sounds like 2025 was a year of renewal for you. I also love the idea of reinventing your photography by learning a new visual language—do you have a specific style in mind?
thanks Om, always enjoy the content. Would be great to see an inside look at how you fill the a5 notebooks. Is it stream of consciousness / bullet journal / thematic / etc? Perhaps a fun future blog post…
A lot of it is personal, and other is just bits and pieces from conversations, ideas that pop up in my head, and article ideas. Snippets from various content sources. But lot of it just what used to be “bloggy bits” back in 2000 😃
It is always a highlight of my day (or week, or month) to get your thoughts. I’ve decided to keep trying to produce good copy and useful thoughts for whoever reads them. And to focus more attention on the change E-Transport (bikes, trikes, cargo bikes, scooters, unicycles, etc.) are making in our cities and towns. If my hip gets worse I may try an Exoskeleton. On Substack those posts will go into a separate place called “Opa Fiets.”
Dana
I think you are right— writer must write or else what’s the point. I get your alerts and that is amazing that you continue to find new ways to be excited.
I am not very sure about the sub stack just yet but plan is to experiment with it this year.
That’s interesting you’re comparing Sorkin’s drama to Chernow’s Rockefeller biography. Does Sorkin manage to capture the sweeping historical context as well as Chernow does?