Writing
31 essays. New ones also go out by email on Substack.
2026
- Why It's Worth Upskilling Animal Advocates in AITraining today’s advocates in AI increases our preparedness for an AGI future while also creating more impact for animals now
2024
- How The Internet Accelerates Social Change By Connecting Divergent ThinkersBefore, if I had a thought that was strange and unique and controversial, and you had the same thought that was strange and unique and controversial, it would be pretty difficult for us to find each other.
- The Limits of Language: Why Words Can Never Fully Capture RealityAll of reality simply is what it is —the words we use to describe reality are useful, but they are imperfect models of reality itself.
- Why Anything Matters: A Simple Framework for Understanding MeaningWhy does anything matter?
2023
- Using AI to Visualize a Vegan FutureAI tools are getting more powerful every month. With the basic ChatGPT plan, for example, you can now type in descriptions of images and have it output beautiful visualizations in a matter of seconds.
2022
- Some Thoughts on My 32nd BirthdayToday is my 2^5th birthday. I'm hoping to make it to 2^6, but 2^7 is probably out of reach, unless medical technology advances quite a bit in the next few decades. (Possible, I suppose.)
2019
- Your 20-Year ProjectI think we need more people who are willing to devote 10–20 years of their lives to a single project that they believe has a huge potential for impact.
- Counterfactuals—The Art and Science of Wondering “What If”A counterfactual is a “what if?” question about the potential consequences of different decisions.
- A Review of Vegan BusinessBusiness is a powerful force (indeed, one of the most powerful) in modern society.
- Animals in the Far Future, and How to Help ThemThe majority of all animals ever killed by humans could exist in the future, especially if our current trends continue.
- I Asked Activists What They Need—Part 1I wanted to know what people in our movement need. So I asked them. This post is as simple as that.
- The Crucial Importance of Great Management in the Animal Protection MovementLet’s talk about management. Hell, while we’re at it, let’s talk a little bit about leadership too. (But mostly management.)
- People Do What Their Friends Do—How to Get More People Into the Movement for AnimalsPeople are heavily influenced by the groups they’re a part of and the social networks they’re connected to.
- Book Summary—The Effective Executive, by Peter DruckerLet’s talk about effectiveness. But first, let’s talk about Peter Drucker.
- The Misinterpreted Parable of Horses and Cars in New York CityThere is a parable floating around the animal rights movement. It goes something like this.
- How to Overcome Six Types of Isolation in Animal ActivismIt’s important to talk about negative emotions.
- How to Solve Problems and Understand Things Using a Space AnalysisFirst of all, the title “Space Analysis” sounds really epic, doesn’t it? Like we're going to be cosmologists or meta-astronauts analyzing outer space.
- Learn From OthersIf you have a problem you’re trying to solve, or you have something you might want to build… See what’s out there that can help. Learn from others.
- Innovation in ARIf you wanted to be a catalyst for innovation in animal advocacy, how exactly would you do that? In this article, we talk about innovation to help animals.
- Book Summary—Grit, by Angela DuckworthThe book "Grit" by Angela Duckworth has a lot of lessons for the animal rights movement. To help animals, we need to stick with things in the long run.
- Mock-Up Your IdeasSo you have an idea that you think could help animals. You should create a mock-up.
- Crafting Your StoryDo you have a narrative for your life and what you’re doing in the animal rights movement that motivates and empowers you?
- Recovery in MotionAt the point where your mind and body are telling you “stop”, you have two options: You can quit, or you can recover in motion.
2018
- Inspiration for 20192018 is over. 2019 is before us. So where are we?
- Imagine: LA Vegan Meat CompetitionImagine the power of competitions to push our movement forward. Specifically, let's imagine Los Angeles in the summer of 2019...
- Vegans Creating VegansNot all behavior change is created equally.
- Language on the Other SideIt’s rare for different flanks of the movement to talk to each other—what you may not know is how much people don’t even use the same language.
- Book Summary—Good to Great, by Jim CollinsThe book Good to Great by Jim Collins shows how organizations transform themselves. In this article, we apply the six lessons to the movement for animals.
- Transforming and Creating Culture—A Reflection on the HolidaysWhat could holidays look like in a vegan world?
- Recidivism: Or, Vegan and Back AgainI can see how easy it would be for someone to go vegan or vegetarian and then give up. I mean, I gave up half a dozen times.
- 30 Million Vegans - Empowering People in the Movement for AnimalsWe’re sitting on top of a gold mine of potential impact for animals called “people empowerment”. All we have to do is start digging.