Right now, most ebooks are just digitized versions of physical books. They offer convenience in production and distribution—but little else. Compared to an interactive blog or a well-produced audiobook, the ebook format often feels underwhelming.
Over the past few weeks, I read a few chapters of Abhishek Verma’s upcoming book, published on a daily schedule. It felt more like following a blog. The story was gripping, so I kept reading. I know a few other writers experimenting with this model—sharing their books (or parts of them) in real time. Reader's feedback can help shape the narrative. There may be something there. Only time will tell.
I also got a chance to read the first chapter of Sajith Pai’s upcoming book on PMF. It's well-researched, thoughtfully written, and filled with helpful links and further reading. In the blog format, these extras fit in seamlessly. But I rarely click them—mostly out of fear of distraction or falling into a rabbit hole. Still, there's real gold in those references. It makes you wonder: can we create digital (or even print) formats that let you explore these without getting overwhelmed?
The Arc browser offers a neat solution—link previews in floating windows. Some physical books have tried similar ideas, using footnotes and sidebars for context or side stories.
Tyler Cowen’s GOAT: Who Is the Greatest Economist of All Time and Why Does It Matter? took this further. It’s a generative book—possibly one of the first prototypes of what books might look like in an AI-first world. These formats ask more of the reader: to be curious, to dig deeper, to navigate non-linear knowledge paths.
There’s clearly a lot of potential. But the right form factor still feels out of reach. Non-linear storytelling might be the key—something that blends narrative with interactivity and adapts to how we consume content today.
Let’s see what the future holds. If you’ve come across any interesting experiments in this space, do share—I’d love to explore them.
That’s enough about what’s not existing today. Now, let’s dig into the ideas, stories, and rabbit holes I’ve lined up for you.
Looks exciting, right? So why waste another second? Let’s go go go!
💯 Harley Finkelstein on Living & Leading with Intention
Harley Finkelstein’s conversation with Shane Parrish was my favorite listen last week. Harley, former COO and now Chief Storyteller at Shopify, shares a journey shaped by deliberate effort—becoming exceptional at whatever you choose, personally or professionally. He’s a brilliant storyteller, and so much of what he said really resonated.
As Shane puts it: “It’s a candid look at ambition, identity, and the challenge of holding yourself to a higher standard—everywhere it counts.”
Here’s one of the key takeaways from Shane’s post:
5. Embarrassment is the Entry Fee: Harley’s first interview was painful. His eight-year-old daughter has it memorized. She’s also seen his recent ones where he commands the conversation. “Getting really, really comfortable with being uncomfortable is magic,” he says. He watches every single one back, obsessing over improvements. As Charlie Munger said, “You have to rub your nose in your mistakes.” Most people hide their mistakes. Harley analyzes his. Guess who improves faster.
📸 Best Camera is the One that Keeps You in the Moment.
I’m the default photographer in my group. My Google Photos is a treasure chest of memories—moments I’ve captured of everyone around me. It’s something I’m proud of. Each photo meant something at some point in our lives.
But there’s a flip side: I’m missing from most of them. I’m always behind the camera, so while my perspective gets captured, I rarely do. Every once in a while, we’ll get a group shot or a selfie, but that’s just a tiny slice of the full collection.
So when I read Elizabeth Laraki’s recent post about Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, something clicked. She nailed my situation. I’m not alone.
But I have a slightly different take on what it means to stay in the moment. For me, it’s not just about ease of capture. It’s about being in the frame too. Not just witnessing the moment, but being part of it.
BeReal tapped into this spirit. But its output still feels basic; it doesn’t quite capture the beauty of the moment. I believe the right solution isn’t just a split-screen or a dual-lens gimmick. It’ll need to be something new. Built from scratch. A fresh interface that balances presence and perspective.
I hope some artist out there is working on it.
🗺️ Maps, History, and Finding the Throughline
Shrinath V saw the evolution of digital maps and navigation up close—first at Motorola, then at MapMyIndia and Nokia. In Maps, History, and Finding the Throughline, he shares ground-level observations that are packed with sharp insights and fun anecdotes. Here’s one such snippet:
Selling navigation then wasn’t about competing with paper maps. It was about asking people to abandon something older and more trusted: collective memory. Why rely on a blinking dot when the local paanwala could say, “Go past the old neem tree, then ask for Mohan’s house”?
The phones stayed on shelves, their screens dark under shop counters. India wasn’t yet ready to trade a human guide for a digital one. It was my first lesson in adoption: the fiercest competition for new technology is rarely another product. It’s the habit people already trust.
But what makes this essay truly shine (and a perfect fit for a Founding Fuel weekend read) is how it expands the idea of a “map.” Beyond just lines, boundaries, and geographic features, Shrinath explores how maps can become tools to experience culture, history, and memory. These aren’t surface-level musings—he brings in concrete examples that reframe how we think about the past.
And yet history is usually taught as a series of dates, stripped of the geographic forces behind it. We memorize the Battle of Plassey’s date but forget how Clive’s cannons, sheltered from the monsoon, dominated the sodden battlefield against an army that didn’t account for the rains. We analyze treaties without seeing how rivers shaped their clauses. We are astonished at Genghis Khan’s conquests but overlook how the steppe’s grasslands turbocharged his cavalry. We recount Rajendra Chola’s conquests but miss their logic. His eastern campaigns weren’t just battles; they were supply chains. Fertile deltas fed armies; ports launched ships toward the Srivijaya empire.
It’s a fascinating read—one that makes you want to open a map, not to find directions, but to trace the stories beneath the surface.
🫙 Connecting the Dots
I’m a big fan of GV Ravishankar’s Connecting the Dots newsletter. His range of interests shows in the variety of themes and recommendations he shares each time. One recent post “Memory Vessels: Success is Just Well-Contained Brokenness” stood out. It was about his experience at an exhibit in the Museum of Art and Photography (Bangalore).
I had seen the same collection just a few months ago, and I even have a photo of the piece he wrote about.
I remember being drawn to it. I stood there longer than usual, feeling something I couldn’t quite describe. Then I read Ravishankar’s reflection—and he gave words to what I couldn’t.
He wrote:
Art is meant to convey the artist’s perspective on life. But art is also left open for interpretation by the viewer – meant to speak in a language we understand or can relate to. This exhibit made me wonder how, in some ways, these vases were accurate portraits of every successful person’s life I’ve ever seen.
We often walk through life mistaking the glass exterior for the whole story. We look at other people’s lives on Instagram—the vacations, the polished family portraits, the career wins, the celebratory dinners—and assume that perfection is their default setting. That things have always been smooth. That we are somehow the only ones trying to keep our fractured pieces from falling out.
But every one of those glossy pictures is a vase. And inside it are the shards.
I hadn’t made that connection on my own. But once I read his piece, I couldn’t unsee it. I’m in awe of his ability to really connect the dots. Thanks, Gaurav J, for introducing me to the newsletter.
When Ed Sheeran used to visit India, he followed a familiar script. He’d stop by Mumbai, play a quick show, attend a glitzy Bollywood afterparty, and take selfies with cricketers. Then he’d disappear. This time, things were different.
He played gully soccer in Shillong, rode auto rickshaws, wandered through Hyderabadi bazaars, got a champi, and played table tennis with Shah Rukh Khan for three hours. Then came the twist: a Punjabi single featuring Arijit Singh. ““Sapphire” isn’t just Sheeran’s most daring cross-cultural track — it’s his boldest global pivot yet.
Is it heartfelt cultural appreciation? Or just smart marketing? The Juggernaut spoke to culture critics, Sheeran fans, and some of the Indian musicians behind “Sapphire.” The answer, like the song, is layered.
I’ve listened to Sapphire countless times now, and I can confidently say—it’s catchy and it just works. From the first teaser (with the buzz around Arijit’s voice) to the surprise Shah Rukh cameo, and the actual vibe and beats of the song—everything clicks.
And guess what? There’s a Punjabi version too, with even more of Arijit. What’s not to love? This one’s a full-blown sensation.
The piece gives a peek behind the scenes of this song, and everything else Sheeran has done along similar lines in the past. The playbook seems familiar, but this time, it’s executed with a lot more heart than we’ve seen before (from others). And hey, if it’s giving us great music, why not?
🥰 Good Food for Soul
Elena Gosalvez Blanco's brief memoir captures her harrowing months as Patricia Highsmith’s caretaker. As you read, your feelings shift—towards both the writer and the novelist she cared for. It’s a powerful piece that quietly transforms your perspective.
I said the hardest rule to follow was her mandate that I keep the lights off at night because she thought electricity too expensive. That’s why she used a flashlight and gave me one to use too. I had gotten used to fearing her flashlight reflecting across the patio, but I dreaded total darkness because of what that could mean. I found it puzzling that the most basic expenses worried someone who had so much money. She yelled at me if I turned on a light by accident or used too much water, too many soup cubes, too many paper napkins, too much fuel for her car. She gave me very little money for groceries and gas, and I told them that she had not paid me and that I was starting to feel like I preferred not to be paid. Her pathological obsession with saving money shocked me.
✨ Everything else
NYC’s Urban Textscape. Media artist Yufeng Zhao fed millions of publicly-available panoramas from Google Street View into a computer program that transcribes text within the images. The result is a search engine of much of what’s written in NYC’s streets. Another gem from The Pudding. Such a fun and engaging way to satiate your curiosity.
Writers have been using me long before the advent of AI. I am the punctuation equivalent of a cardigan—beloved by MFA grads, used by editors when it’s actually cold, and worn year-round by screenwriters. I am not new here. I am not novel. I’m the cigarette you keep saying you’ll quit.
Diego Cabezas uses simple lines and poetic forms to weave a beautiful world. His wired sculptures are a thing of dreams. A brief snapshot below; check out his instagram feed to see more.
Source: Cabezas’s Instagram
ICYMI,
McSweeney’s never fails to tickle the funny bone. Here’s one from last week that had me in splits. If you’ve ever written college applications or essays, you’ll definitely relate.
The Boy from Jurassic Park’s College Application Essay.
That summer, my grandfather taught me about the ongoing process of learning. Though some critics may read failure in his attempt to safely clone dinosaur embryos, his experience helped me to realize that no matter the age, learning never stops. My grandfather’s learning experience with terrible lizards mirrors my personal experience in my position as Senior Class Co-Treasurer, which required me to learn how to share leadership and how to manage a budget.
If this piece sparked something for you, I’d love to hear what stood out—leave a comment and let’s keep the conversation alive. And if you know someone who’s always asking "why?" or "how come?", pass this along to them. The world gets more interesting every time a curious mind shares what they’ve found.
Fascinating piece on the future of digital reading. Your point about Arc browser Peek feature is so spot-on - that floating preview window really does solve the distraction problem of opening links in new tabs. It is funny how digital books have not really evolved much beyond being digitized physical books. For those stuck on Chrome or Firefox who want that same link preview magic, NoTab brings Arc-style Peek to other browsers. Would love to see more experiments in non-linear storytelling like you mentioned.
I will savour the newsletter all week long (as I usually do), Pritesh. Thanks again for putting all this fascinating stuff together.
For now, my focus went on Diego Cabezas and his designs. Something magical about them. And, coincidentally for my upcoming article this Thursday I was experimenting with line drawings (AI-generated of course) over the weekend. Let’s see!
Fascinating piece on the future of digital reading. Your point about Arc browser Peek feature is so spot-on - that floating preview window really does solve the distraction problem of opening links in new tabs. It is funny how digital books have not really evolved much beyond being digitized physical books. For those stuck on Chrome or Firefox who want that same link preview magic, NoTab brings Arc-style Peek to other browsers. Would love to see more experiments in non-linear storytelling like you mentioned.
I will savour the newsletter all week long (as I usually do), Pritesh. Thanks again for putting all this fascinating stuff together.
For now, my focus went on Diego Cabezas and his designs. Something magical about them. And, coincidentally for my upcoming article this Thursday I was experimenting with line drawings (AI-generated of course) over the weekend. Let’s see!