It’s December 31st, 2024 and...
America is still racist-- am I allowed to say that?
Hello, and welcome back to another issue of nicely structured loose thoughts. I can't believe it's already New Year's Eve, and we'll soon be off to the races of a new year again. Fun fact: New Year's is my favorite holiday. I intentionally unplug and indulge in my annual rituals of daydreaming about the New Year, making audacious goals, planning my type A little heart out, and basking in the freshness of a clean home. Depending on when you're reading this, I'm likely carrying a dollar bill in my pocket, wearing red underwear, and making black-eyed peas for good luck.
Rather than attempting to summarize the year—there’s a plethora of much better articles and threads for that—I want to reflect on the trends and narratives that stood out to me personally. There is a certain allure of reflective wisdom that the end of the year brings. Reflection is important. In moments of failure, it teaches us how to be better; in moments of success, it offers practices on how to keep winning. And in times of change, it shows us where things are heading. Any student of society knows that life is cyclical. Or, as Mark Twain once said,
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes."
Below are some key themes from 2024 that, I believe, hint at where we’re heading next:
AI is Here to Stay. The curve of technical progress in AI is getting steeper. This year, we saw exciting V1s of consumer applications like AI copilots and hardware. Enterprises are experimenting with automating workflows, personalizing products, and integrating machine learning in their software to stay competitive.
Mass adoption is still a work in progress, but those who fail to embrace AI risk being left behind. The Information Revolution isn’t slowing down, and neither are we.
Reweaving the Social Fabric is Hard. The dust is still settling from the pandemic. Case in point: "Community" has been a buzzword all year—and for good reason, many people are still searching for belonging. (Maybe we’ve always been searching, but now we're just more vocal about it). This delay in figuring out where we belong again might explain why loneliness feels so pervasive and why dating seems impossible for so many.
Accommodating "community" discussions is a growing interest in the role 3rd spaces play, what they look like, and how they should exist.
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Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser**Software supporting community infrastructure is an area I’ve been nerding out on this year. If anyone’s interested, I have a thesis and an RFP on community infrastructure. (Reach out if this resonates!).
Social Media is Decentralizing (and Polarizing). In the time of the ethical consumer, Elon's acquisition and management of Twitter(X), combined with his allegiance with Trump, sparked waves of user and advertising migration. Platforms like Threads, BlueSky, and Mastodon gained traction as users were eager to seek alternative spaces for news and connection. Celebrities and brands even made declarations of their exodus, showcasing their lack of support and where to find them. Yet, as these platforms grow, algorithms reinforce opinions and result in echo chambers, leaving us more polarized than before. Social media may be decentralizing, but it’s also fragmenting our shared reality.
People are (Still) Inherently Lazy. Ozempic and other GLP-1s sold like hotcakes this year, skyrocketing in demand for their weight-loss efficacy. Weight loss assistance has been a public interest for centuries, with some of the earliest drugs coming to the market in the 1920s. But past medications had many side effects and low efficacy compared to the first stable versions we're now seeing of "fewer side effects and high efficacy." My initial impression of these medications was that they felt like a get-slim-quick scheme. While they reduce risks of metabolic diseases, I’m cautious about their long-term effects—especially when healthier habits aren’t being formed alongside them. But alas, I will get off my high horse; nutrition is complicated.
AI chatbot usage is also through the roof! ChatGPT went on recording seeing over 393 million visitors this October. With technology at our fingertips, the way we learn, create, and work will look entirely different in the near future. I wrote a little about it on Twitter.
Healthcare: A Big Mess and a Big Opportunity. Healthcare continues to face mounting criticism: regulatory hurdles, high costs, data challenges, access disparities, and more. The murder of the United Healthcare CEO brought the
common financial burdens into stark focus, and sparked a fandom for the suspected shooter—a disturbing reflection of the system’s failures. For providers, burnout, low margins, and workforce reductions compound the mess. Consistent in the chaos, there’s a pressing need for better. I continue to be excited about the room for innovation and disruption as we enter 2025.
Yes, America is still racist. I spent Christmas in Florida and experienced a few instances of discrimination. Instances including being honked at then flicked off in traffic by an enraged driver and a cashier refusing to sell me a visor when golfing with my dad—sobering reminders that stupid is still alive and kicking.
The latter happened the same day the H1-B debate took off on Twitter ironically. While tech leaders from both sides of the political spectrum championed global talent, people on the far-right decried it as a threat to American wages and jobs. The backlash was weirdly tinged with anti-Indian sentiment. When I see discourse like this happening in the same year of the endings and mocking of DEI programs, coupled with the occasional "I'm gonna be mean to you because your skin is Black" moments, I can't help but sigh. We still have work to do to ease tensions with those who are different from us.
There’s No Better Time to Build. Now, more than ever, tools and resources are empowering entrepreneurs to go from 0 to 1. In software, bootstrapping to $1M ARR is becoming increasingly feasible by leveraging the right products and a solid network. A large wave of retirement and business turnover is on the horizon, giving room for new entrants, especially those of trade services. While AI and robots will replace some low-level jobs, it will be a while before we automate away skilled labor. In another life, I’d paint houses. Start a business.
Living in the year 2024 has felt surreal. Innovation is accelerating faster than ever, and 2025 promises to be no different. Very excited to share my predictions in the next post—stay tuned.
A small aside, I wrote a post at the beginning of the year about narratives I was following in 2024. Here’s one thing I happened to be right about.
So, with that, I'm ready to close out 2024. Happy New Year! Wishing you a wonderful 2025 🥳
With love always, L.
Thanks for reading my sixth article of TOL. As always, I'm open to feedback, comments, love, and hate.
If you like my writing (or me!), consider contributing to my weekly flowers fund. Every week, I buy myself flowers and make an arrangement of them.
Until next year.