Schumpeter would be happy - new classes of great opportunities for entrepeneurs; real brains and improving them (or not); AI bots in trading and poker; super-spiders, deep-learning for dummies, Tinder man-sluts, and new politics.

This week’s subscriber growth challenge: Please recommend this newsletter to one friend with whom you work.

Department of Schumpeter's delight

Is a one-man billion dollar startup on the horizon?

Either you need enormous scale (in people, users, etc.) or you need to be nimble and make something valuable. The folks in the middle are the ones who falter.

No stack startups

Andrew Weissman of BetaWorks spots a new class of entrepreneurs who heavily rely on other companies stacks (and platforms) – allowing them to seize specific opportunities.

"Never a better time": state of the startup ecosystem

Nice presentation of the startup ecosystem from Mattermark, the analysts.

Top 50 US boardroom hoarders sit on $1tn in cash

And just five (highly-acquisitive) companies are sitting on $500bn in cash. Catnip for founders.

Department of grey matter

Surge in US 'brain-reading' patents

There is a dramatic rise in the number of technology patents filed that relate to reading brainwaves which may help avoid the problem below.

Popular electric brain stimulation method hurts IQ scores

Hacker brain stimulation kits can make you dumber. Or don’t get high on your own supply.

Will classics or computer science close the skills gap?

Which subject matters more? Expect this debate to widen with Fareed Zakaria’s new book on Liberal Education out soon.

Department of artificial intelligence (poker edition)

Artificial intelligence is the next big thing for hedge funds seeking an edge

Nice feature digging into a new class of AI-driven hedge funds.

Three steps to building a Twitter-driven trading bot

Dr Karthik Tadinada shows us how to leverage Twitter to create a Twitter-driven trading bot.

Poker pros are crushing the poker bot

The world’s top poker players are whooping the ass of the world’s top poker bot. #humansrulefornow

Amazon's opens it's AI for everyone

Amazon’s AI system is accessible via AWS joining an increasing number of simple to use AI/prediction platforms (check out Ersatz Labs and BigML too).

Short links (good for dinner parties)

Spiders spin super silk after graphene spritzing

Researchers speculate that the spiders incorporated the solution into their silk as they spun their webs.

Deep learning for dummies

This is a great 1 hr lecture on deep learning. Surprisingly accessible, if you are comfortable with a decent level of probability (A'Level level).

42 Percent of Tinder users aren't even single

People in relationships have, once again, ruined something for the singles.

Artificial intelligence: Rise of the machines

Very simple overview for The Economist. Not a lot new in there, but a handy simplistic survey.

Tesla's home battery sold nearly $1bn in one week.

New study shows that people stop listening to new music at 33

U.S. could reach 1 million drone flights a day by 2035

This prediction is clearly wrong. It’ll be vastly higher than that.

What I wrote

The empty quadrant

We need a new politics. One that is optimistic, positive, logically coherent and compassionate. (To be published midnight tonight)

And finally thanks to @mrperrett, @shehnaz_s & @ajitjaokar for specific link recommendations.
Please continue to send me feedback: azeem@azhar.co.uk