My Top `X` 2024 Recommendations
A list of things (books, podcasts, apparel, experiences, etc) my friends got tired of me talking about in 2024
Last year was the first time I published a “Top X Recommendations” blog post to close out the year.
I heard from about half a dozen people who found at least one recommendation interesting or useful—which means there were probably even more who never mentioned it but still got something out of the list. So, I figured I’d do it again!
In the very likely scenario that you either don’t have the time, interest, or attention span to read this whole thing, just scroll to the very bottom because the last one is by far my favorite.
I’m also excited to look back on this in 10 years and see what FutureMe thinks about it (the letter is officially in the mail 📬).
A few of the links in this year’s post came from friends. If you see something and think, “I was the one who sent that to Olshansky!”—thank you! 🙏
2023 Retrospective
The goal of this post is to capture any “X”—anything I found myself using, referring to, thinking about, or recommending to others at least half a dozen times throughout the year.
Looking back at last year’s list, I reflected how slowly my habits change. It’ll be interesting to see and reflect on if and how they evolve from here.
Depending on whether I choose to prioritize it, I’m considering expanding these posts to include other everyday habits and tools. Some things have become so ingrained in my daily routine that I don’t even think to highlight them in an annual recap. This idea is heavily inspired by Stammy’s gear page.
For example, after reading Why We Sleep in 2019 (check out my review here), I’ve been tracking my sleep almost every day since July 21, 2019, using a Nike Series 6 Apple Watch and the AutoSleep iOS app. That habit alone would have easily made it into my 2019 recommendations if I’d been writing these posts back then.
Before you move on to 2024, you can find last year’s post below.
I’ll add that I made a few big changes in December of 2024, but it’ll take 2025 to see if they truly stick.
Table of Contents
Books
Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution by Uri Levine - Waze is a household name that Google acquired for over $1 billion in 2013, yet I’d never looked into the team or story behind the product until I picked up this book. In it, Uri Levine dives into the critical importance of being laser-focused on your customer and product, but avoid all the mainstream silicon valley fluff. He’s done it multiple times, so it’s a genuine “do as I do” rather than “do as I say” playbook. The book is practical, tactical, and surprisingly fun to read, as Uri distills his experiences and insights in an engaging way. Ever since finishing it, I find myself asking, “What problem am I solving today?” every morning. If you’re an entrepreneur, a product builder, or simply someone driven by solving real-world problems, this book is definitely worth adding to your reading list.
I wrote a full review of the book here.Million Dollar Weekend: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Launch a 7-Figure Business in 48 Hours by Noah Kagan - Noah’s “first claim to fame” is being the 30th employee at Facebook—but also getting fired three months before his one-year cliff vest (which would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars today). If Uri Levine’s book is a practical, macro-level guide to building a venture-scale team and business, then Noah’s is the micro-level complement for getting your idea off the ground. Putting the two together: launch a 7-figure business in 48 hours, and scale it by falling in love with the problem, not the solution. Jokes aside, after reading this book, I started following Noah on YouTube, social media, and some podcasts. Overall, I love his “I’m just a dude enjoying life” vibe and hands on approach. Since getting fired from the opportnity of a lifetime, he’s had a pretty decent life and learnt a tone. Hs built multiple businesses with AppSumo (9 figure annual revenue) being one of the biggest ones.
I wrote a full review of the book here.
Newsletters & Blogs
Recomendo - Kevin Kelly (co-founder of Wired magazine) and his team curate a weekly blog packed with recommendations on everything from practical tips to niche discoveries. Topics range from keeping avocados ripe without going bad to finding flat socket extendor that easily fits behind a couch, or even guides to visiting Japan while avoiding the usual tourist traps. It’s one of those rare blogs I genuinely look forward to each week and can’t resist opening the moment the email hits my inbox. If you love discovering useful, offbeat, and thoughtful recommendations, this is a must-follow.
John Rush - John calls himself the “SaaS Emperor & Directory King”—and for good reason. I started following him in late 2023 or early 2024, wondering why his invaluable content had only earned him a few thousand followers on X. Fast forward, and his following has skyrocketed to over 62K. His X threads are like a modern-day MBA, offering insights on building, marketing, distributing, and monetizing products. He’s also created a directory guide that breaks down SEO strategies and launched products like Unicorn Platform (a no-code website builder) and SEOBot (an AI-driven SEO tool). If launching a micro SaaS is on your radar for 2024, John Rush is the ultimate resource.
Amazing CTO Newsletter - I discovered Stephan’s newsletter toward the end of 2023 but held off sharing it until I was sure it would stick. After reading it consistently throughout 2024, I’ve officially added it to my list of “newsletters I read religiously,” alongside tldr.tech and Simon Willison’s RSS feed. The newsletter strikes the perfect balance: it’s weekly, provides just the right number of reading recommendations, and adds Stephan’s highly opinionated (which I love) perspective, grounded in decades of experience as a CTO. My first impression was a slight cringe at the “CTO Coach” title and I did feel he might have overdone the 🦄s on his LinkedIn, his commentary is sharp, direct, and genuinely useful.
Chander Ramesh - Chander is a close friend — I had the privilege of meeting him when we both worked at Twitter in 2014. He’s one of the key people who inspired me to start writing, including launching my Medium blog. In fact, my first post on this Substack was inspired by something that happened when we rented a cottage for his birthday. Chander is the most voracious reader I know, a remarkable yet under-the-radar leader, and someone with the drive of a formula 1 racer while also having the agility of a tiger. His ability to make cultural, technical, and mainstream topics equally engaging is unmatched. I’m genuinely grateful to see his blog and writing continue to evolve and fortunate to call him a friend.
Adi Seredinschi - I met Adi at The Science of Blockchain Conference in 2023, and our conversation had a pivotal impact on the technical direction of what my team and I do day-to-day. Beyond being incredibly knowledgeable and helpful, Adi stood out for his calm, collected demeanor and authentic desire to assist. He’s a deep thinker, and that depth shines through in his writing. His blog weaves philosophical reflection to technical introspection, seamlessly ebbing and flowing between the two. It’s a refreshing, hidden corner of the internet—far removed from all the noise.
Essays
Building Bluesky: a Distributed Social Network (Real-World Engineering Challenges) by The Pragmatic Engineer - This was one of the best technical deep dives I’ve ever read on how and why a company’s product and technical stack evolved. It wasn’t just a dry list of tools or choices; it told a story. The piece showcased how Bluesky’s team built a platform that is product-focused without sacrificing scalability, capturing the culture and mindset behind their decisions. It struck a perfect balance—avoiding the obsessive focus on technical minutiae while still giving the tech its due importance as part of the bigger picture. The narrative felt like a high-paced Netflix special, intertwining the engineering details with the broader journey. I’d pay to watch this.
Machines of Loving Grace: How AI Could Transform the World for the Better by Dario Amodei - The founder of Anthropic wrote this vision document to share his perspective on the future of AI. Originally intended as a short post about the intersection of biology and AI, it evolved into a manifesto that’s thoughtful, conversational, and unpretentious—more like a dinner chat than a formal essay. As the CEO of a $60B AI company, Dario offers an unprecedented level of transparency, inviting anyone to join the conversation and influence the future. While I’m aligned with much of his vision, I think his 2027 timeline for key advancements is a little too optimistic; I see them unfolding closer to 2030–2035. Regardless, it’s an inspiring, insightful and informative read that showcases how transformative AI could be. It also show how close to the direction, vision and product Dario is — I appreciate when CEOs are so grounded even in the deca-billion dollar club.
Reflections on Palantir by Nabeel S. Qureshi - As one of my friends put it, this essay should be a “mandatory reading for all executives at early- to mid-stage companies”. Hindsight is 20/20, and it’s easy to look at Palantir as the “obvious” success it is today—with platforms like Foundry, a stock price that’s at an all-time-high, a supportive administration, and a renewed interest in defense tech. But, none of that was true a decade ago, and this piece captures the uncertainty and challenges the company faced, offering a direct line of sight into the uncertainty even its early employees faced. The essay sparked so many thoughts for me that I plan to write a whole blog post in response, including some fun personal anecdotes about Palantir. If you don’t want to miss it, you know what to do 😉
Shows & Movies
Succession - I somehow missed the entire Succession cultural movement as it spanned from 2018 to 2023. Luckily, that allowed me to watch all four seasons back-to-back over the span of a couple of months in 2024. I usually restrict myself to one episode of TV before bed, but there were moments watching Succession when I broke that rule and watched two! The show felt like a modern-day Game of Thrones meeting Renaissance culture, inspired by the Murdoch family. The writing was absolutely brilliant, and the characters had incredible depth, with dozens of dynamic layers to uncover as new ones were growing. Their arcs were transformative—some evolved, others took unexpected turns, and many shifted in dominance or importance. Almost all of my predictions along the way were wrong, and I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.
I wrote full reviews for seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4.KAOS - I watched this in the second half of December, so it’s still fresh in my mind—and it absolutely blew me away. It’s one of the most creative TV shows I’ve ever seen, blending Greek mythology with modern-day technology in a story where man reflects the image of the gods, both physically and emotionally. It reminded me of The Leftovers but with a more positive, fast-paced energy and framed through the lens of Greek mythology rather than “an analogue to Scientology.”
If you’re curious for my full thoughts, you can find my review here.
Podcasts
For some reason, newsletters and podcasts don’t age as well as other content.
It’s easy (and socially acceptable) to read a 40 year old book, watch a 30 year old movie, read a 20 year old essay, or watch a 10 year old show. But, with a few exceptions, I don’t find people recommending 5 year old podcasts or 2 year old blogs as often.
For this reason, it felt great when I realized that two of my favorite podcast episodes this past year are almost/over half a decade old!
The Tim Ferris Show (2020): #656: Brené Brown — Striving versus Self-Acceptance, Saving Marriages, and More (Repost) - Brene is an absolute boss. I haven’t studied her other work (yet), but this podcast really left an impact. It’s one I plan to return to more than once in the future. I would say that this 60 second clip about the “falsehood” of marriage being 50/50 captures the vibe of the entire discussion. Just watch it to get an idea of the rest.
Naval (2019): How to Get Rich - Naval is widely known for tweet-sized life mantras, but I never actually looked into his wider contributions and efforts; spoiler: he founded AngelList. Then I listened to this podcast, and it’s an absolute must-listen. Spanning 3.5 hours, it’s a deep dive into Naval’s philosophy inspired by his iconic 2018 Twitter thread. It feels like a modern-day equivalent of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, adapted for living a rich, meaningful life in every sense—financially, emotionally, intellectually, etc. Naval’s clarity of thought and depth are unparalleled, and this is one of those podcasts I can guarantee you’ll revisit multiple times.
The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett (2024): Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky — “IT WAS SO DARK WE NEARLY DIED!” - This interview with Brian Chesky was raw, open, deeply vulnerable, effortlessly blending emotional, tactical, and practical insights. Every five minutes felt like a masterclass with takeaways I could apply to my own life. I’ve seen Brian’s reputation grow significantly this year, particularly as he flourished out of COVID, supported Sam Altman during tough times, and earned Paul Graham’s “Founder Mode” shoutout, an instant classic. If I ever have the opportunity to shadow a CEO for a week, he’d be at the top of the list.
Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal - This podcast is a refreshing change of pace compared to the other content I typically consume. The best summary comes straight from its tagline: “Exploring theoretical physics, consciousness, AI, and God in a technically rigorous manner.” I’m still early in diving into the backlog, but it’s a journey I’m genuinely excited to continue. The conversations are intellectually stimulating, thought-provoking, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for an episode featuring Stephen Wolfram.
Devices
SOL Reader - I like to call this device a “Kindle on your face,” though it’s marketed as “the world’s first wearable e-reader.” What the Meta Quest 3 is to virtual reality, the SOL Reader is to e-reading. Imagine being on a plane, no longer needing to slouch or bend over to read a small screen—you can just put this on and be fully immersed in your book while maintaining better posture. The form factor, optics, battery, and remote are all spot-on. While the software and integrations could use some refinement, that’s the easier part to iterate on. It’s a game-changing experience for avid readers.
Experiences
I don’t do a great job documenting my trips, experiences, plays, and other memorable events. While I’m not committing to changing that in 2025, it’s something I may revisit in the future. That said, events and experiences serve as the highlights—or checkpoints—amid everything else happening in my life. If my life were a time series, they feel like the vertical dashed lines marking memorable moments.
A week in Fontainebleau - This year, I embarked on a three-week trip: a week in Israel for a friend’s wedding, a week in Belgium for EthCC, and a week in Fontainebleau to avoid flying back to the West Coast in between. I specifically chose Fontainebleau because I wanted a place where I could work without the distraction of too many tourist attractions, while still experiencing something new. The city was perfect—it gave me the space to focus while offering a vibrant environment to explore. Each morning started by grabbing a fresh baguette from a different bakery. One day I crashed a lunch at the Geoscience Institute, another day I joined a catered dinner at a local hotel with guests ranging from Dubai to Russia. I worked out of the library at INSEAD University, toured the historic Château de Fontainebleau where Napoleon spent his summers, and accidentally joined a Japanese culture parade while walking around on a random day. That same week, I also prepared a technical presentation, a hands-on workshop, and got plenty of work done with the team. Fontainebleau was the perfect balance, rest, focus and a unique environment for inspiration.
Dev.Pro - CTO Dinners - Several years after COVID, it’s fair to say that the world is embracing IRL meetings again, and these CTO dinners are a perfect example of that. They strike a balance between intimate, insightful, and thought-provoking conversations with technical leaders, all over the course of a few hours. The food, atmosphere, and drinks create the perfect environment for meaningful discussions, and Jeff (Dev.Pro’s founder) even brought along a couple of his dessert wines! It’s the ideal middle ground between rushed conference chats and focused 1:1s. I’ve attended two of these events so far, and I’ve loved connecting with every single person I’ve met. I’ll never pass up an invite to one of these.
An evening at Harvard’s Philosophy Club - While attending the BCVC Web3 Founders Summit in New York, a friend invited me to Harvard’s philosophy club—an opportunity I couldn’t pass up— ironically in the exact same location as the summit. It turned out to be one of the most thought-provoking, engaging, and unique experiences I’ve had. We sat in a sauna, drank tea, and discussed topics ranging from theoretical physics to AI convergence, all within the backdrop of one of the world’s most prestigious institutions in one of the worlds largest cities. While the setting itself doesn’t define the experience, it undeniably added charm.
The highlight of the evening was a deep, three-hour debate over clams at a local restaurant, tackling the thesis: “There is no truth”, the antithesis: “There is truth”, and the refutation: “If there were no truth, that would itself be a truth. Therefore, there must be some truth.” It’s not the kind of topic I usually dwell on in my day-to-day life, but I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the latter half of a Sunday.
Canadian Stage: Playing Shylock - Twenty minutes into the show, I wasn’t sure if I was watching a play or something real. I’m not exaggerating. The performance blurred the line between acting and reality so much that I found myself questioning what was going on. Saul Rubinek, a true master of his craft, owned the stage with such dominance that it was impossible to tell where the individual ended and the acting began. The role’s complexity—a Jew grappling with both metaphorical and real loss—was embodied in every gesture, from the removal of his kippah to the snipping of his laces. This production wasn’t just a play, it was a statement, a visceral experience that forced the audience to question identity, morality, and humanity in a way only the greatest performances can.
Services
onedollarstats.com - For just $1/month, you get an out-of-the-box dashboard to track analytics and metrics for your website. It’s built by drizzle.team, and it feels like a one-off internal tool they decided to make public. The simplicity and utility of the product are matched by its brilliant pricing. At $1/month, I’m willing to keep making a contribution (donation?), but it’s also micro-SaaS that virtually anyone with a website should be paying for.
Reddit - If you’re still reading along — wow, let me know if you are — seeing this ancient relic is likely a surprise. Reddit has been around since 2005, so how did it make the 2024 list? Some of the skills I’m working on improving in my toolbox are branding, distribution, sales and marketing. As part of this journey, I’ve started using Reddit to experiment across a few different subreddits and realized how amazing of a distribution platform it is. You’re not limited to your existing audience. You can easily come and join an existing community with lots of followers. Members of communities are active and engaged. There’s a lot to learn from having a post go viral, and the comment section is fuel feeding our LLMs these days. I’ve been using it as a play (learning?) ground to see what works in this “attention economy”. Though I’ve never taken a formal marketing course in my life, I feel like universities make Reddit a mandatory unit.
No anon accounts, everything is public: reddit.com/u/olshanskSupabase - I’ve known about Supabase for a couple of years, but this was the year I fell in love with the product and company. Their open-core, customer-focused, product-driven, founder-led approach is nothing short of impeccable. PostgreSQL, the second most popular database behind Snowflake, has inspired countless “PostgreSQL wrapper” companies—but Supabase is the clear leader. On X, their CEO demonstrates what it means to execute with precision, and their CTO recently shared some insights on LinkedIn of what has led to their success. Together, this duo executes, operators builds and leads and there’s a lot to learn from them. Supabase is quickly becoming the default database for AI agents (see database.build) and continues to raise the bar. Their product is not just easy to use, it’s actually fun! They recently raised an $80M Series C, and I can’t wait to see how it helps them scale and grow. LFG.
Apparel
I discovered two of my favorite athletic shirts this past year:
Fabletics O2 Tee - Comfortable, breathable, non-restrictive and very lightweight. The non-member price is $49.95, but you can get it for less than $10 if you become a member, which is free and doesn’t commit you to anything (just skip the credit at the end of every mont). I might load up on a few more of these actually.
REI Active Pursuit Shirt - Also breathable, odor-resistant, easy to wash, and practically indestructible. Unfortunately, it’s been discontinued, and the new version has shifted from 100% polyester to a 92% polyester/8% spandex blend, which is exactly what I was hoping to avoid. A loss for those of us who loved the original.
Videos
Jake Loosararian, Gecko Robotics | All-In Summit 2024 - As AI continues to reshape the software industry, I’m increasingly viewing economic moats as either tangible or intangible. Tangible moats include marketing, branding, distribution, and exceptional product experiences. Intangible moats, on the other hand, involve hard-to-replicate capabilities like production facilities, nuclear reactors, data centers, and GPUs. Gecko Robotics exemplifies both. They combine hardware, AI, and vision systems to solve real, high-stakes problems in materials and construction—a true garage-born innovation story. The company’s founder, Jake Loosararian, could have taken faster routes to exit or profit, but he’s committed to a long-term, multi-decade vision to make a real difference. It’s a refreshing example of a founder-led company aiming for meaningful impact rather than quick wins. Gecko Robotics represents the kind of business that builds deep moats—both tangible and intangible—over time and I anticipate it’ll be a household name a decade from now.
Jerry Seinfeld | Duke's 2024 Commencement Address - I’ll admit, I’ve only seen a few episodes of Seinfeld and never given it a fair shot. While the content holds up and it’s still funny today, the show’s outdated cinematography hasn’t aged well for me. That said, I absolutely love every public appearance Jerry Seinfeld makes, and his Duke commencement speech was absolute fire. There are VERY few YouTube videos I’ve watched more than 3 times, and this is one. In just 15 minutes, he delivers three timeless life lessons: Bust Your Ass, Pay Attention, and Fall In Love. I promise you won’t regret watching it. I just finished watching it again, and my mom loved it too.
Fascinating list! Thank you for sharing, and grateful to be included here!
Surprised you didn’t mention the snipd app which is pretty dope. I started using it recently and it seems to stick with me. It is changing my habit of listening to podcasts from “quantity” towards “quality and slow and intentional”.