The Local Maximum with Max Sklar

This is a conversation with Timoni West at Unity Labs about the emerging tech of Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed reality. We talk about how these new worlds are being created, the challenges that need to be overcome, and how they will be different than you may have assumed from watching your favorite sci-fi movies.localmaxradio.com/79 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

As Max returns from Lviv Ukraine where he offered a course on Bayesian thinking, he shares his knowledge and insights.- What are the drawbacks and limitations to Bayes rule vs other approaches?- Is probability objective or subjective? - How did Larry David illustrates argument by analogy?- The von Mises brothers include one free market economist (Ludwig) and one statistician (Richard) - what did they have to say on this topic?- What’s the problem with a Flat Earth Prior? Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Frequent Local Maximum contributor Maryam Aly comes on to discuss her career into competitive foosball, and how she achieved a top ranking in the global foosball leaderboard. We also discuss lessons on teamwork and communication that Maryam has transferred from Foosball over to the software engineering realm!localmaxradio.com/77 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Politicians and bureaucrats in the US are talking about Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency after Facebook announces that they’ll get in the game - including a Trump tweet. Some people are sending Bitcoin through the radio waves to prepare for an extreme scenario. Googlers clearly want to elect a democrat in 2020 - and this is affecting their product decisions. Researchers say an AI is learning science - but Max and Aaron break down what this really means.Plus - find out about Max’s new job! Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

I discuss with AIER director Jeffrey Tucker his new book, The Market Loves You, covering triumphs of markets and innovation such as the railroad, the word processor, and shoes. We turn to today’s big ideas in Bitcoin, Social Media, and the App Frenzy, and the unresolved problems that the next crop of entrepreneurs, engineers, and consumers will tackle.Finally, we cover the nature of innovation itself. Why do people become entrepreneurs? What is the role of engineers and product developers? And what is quality?There’s also something about a chicken stick at the airport, and big announcement for me!localmaxradio.com/75 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

The US Supreme Court says that it can’t weigh in on Gerrymandered districts. We look at the idea of Gerrymandering in the United States, armed with the new social choice tools that we picked up in previous episodes.A Cloudflare outage temporarily takes down a portion of the internet. This may be evidence of a central point of failure, but could that central point be shrinking?Finally we talk about a Bayesian argument in the Wall Street Journal and recently released book that claims to predict the end of the world. We break down what it’s claiming, how the tools of Bayes and Lindy fit in, and how much weight to put on the prognosis. How can we avoid our Turkey Consumption Holiday of Choice?Then - we go completely off script, covering the possibility of continuing civilization on Mars and on pockets in Earth after a Nuclear disaster, the asteroid made of gold, and some monkeys finally reaching the stone age.You have reached another Local Maximum indeed! Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Talk Python To Me host Michael Kennedy discusses a range of issues with Max, including Python's popularity as a programming language and what we can learn from that, hosting a podcast as part of a business, and how programming skills can fit well with other careers and in our education system. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Facebook’s proposed cryptocurrency called Libra is supposed to aid international transactions. Does it compete with banks, or does it compete with Bitcoin? And what are the chances that Facebook and their 100-member consortium of companies will follow through on this over the next few years?We then turn to the idea of voting power, and learn about one important metric when it comes to analyzing voting systems: The Shapely Power Index. We’re dive into how it’s computed, what it means, and what it’s limitations are.Today’s co-host is Maryam Aly.localmaxradio.com/72 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

We hear from Tassos Noulas, faculty fellow at the NYU Center for Data Science about Urban Data Science and the related theory and projects. In the age of big data, scientists have found a better understanding of how cities develop, how to improve transport networks, and some ideas for future products that can be built around taxis and AR.Topics include the Future Cities Challenge, Taxi price comparison apps, retail gravitation, central place theory, the relationship with fractal geometry, and wiki atlas.localmaxradio.com/71 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

I look at the woe’s of social media and YouTube today, and discover that similar problems have occurred throughout history. Covering the rise of radio in the 1920’s and 1930’s including Fascist orators and federal intervention of radio in the 1930s, Cable News Fights, the FCC worried about explicit content in the 1990s and 2000s.Finally, I compare the truly decentralized universe of podcasts - the podoverse - with the tech-giant run social media systems like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, and why their business models, and the complexity of running such systems have led to internet malaise while at the same time a golden age of podcasting commences.localmaxradio.com/70 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Apple announces that they are unbundling iTunes into several apps at WWDC. Some feared this means the end of iTunes, but we discuss how it's actually a design upgrade.Foursquare and Placed brought together in a big spinoff-merger deal. What does that mean for the future of location, ads, and attribution?Lots of emphasis on privacy at WWDC. Cubans to get private wifi - are they slowing joining the 21st century?localmaxradio.com/69Finally, we look at the history of the content creation and distribution business (music, movies, tv, and podcasts) in the 21st century. P2P file sharing apps, to Apple's iTunes store, and a summary of the business models emerging as standard today. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Aaron and I discuss my list of 6 university courses that in retrospect have influenced me in surprising and unexpected ways, even after many years. The list is:Yale's Writing Seminar (Yale)Functional Programming (Yale)Philosophy and Computer Science (Yale)Emerging Technology and Business Innovation (NYU Stern)Machine Learning (NYU Courant)Electronic Communities (NYU Stern) Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

The episode starts with a game of thrones discussion for 2 minutes (how can it not)! And then Max discusses some related news items coming out of China:The Rise of The Social Credit ScoreThe Re-Education Camps the Uighers and others in Western China are being forced intoCausality MythsThe Big Debate on Socialism vs Capitalism Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

I visited Foursquare HQ to check in with Executive Chairman Dennis Crowley.- Personal stories and the Innovative mind- Industry trends in consumer apps/big data- Foursquare's latest labs project: hypertrending at SXSWI also follow up on last weeks episode, with more details on voting affecting the outcome of an election, and the turkey vs email problem. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

How can one estimate the probability of an unprecedented event - something that has never happened before - happening? It seems like a hopeless endeavor, but there actually are valid strategies to tackle this problem.We also recap the interviews that occurred in the 5 previous episodes, and the continuing closure and censorship of our social networks as they are increasingly becoming associated with violence in the real world - and how we're going to get out of this. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Marc Cenedella is the CEO of Ladders, Inc, and today he talks to Max about the Ladders Job Search service, and the job matching problem in the 21st century. After diving into The Ladders’ specific audience and product approach, the conversation turns to Max’s resume. The advice provided is invaluable to all job seekers - present and future - out there.localmaxradio.com/64 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s interview is with Bethany Crystal at Union Square Ventures. We cover a lot of groundBuilding Network Effects as a means to Market PowerBuilding Careers, avoiding the career cliffInspiration from the Idea of Transfer LearningDiversification in investments and in the selfCheck out Bethany’s blog: http://bethanycrystal.com/blog/I also talk about the launch of the Luminary Podcast Network: luminarypodcasts.comAlso - get my take on Google’s ill-fated AI Ethics panel.localmaxradio.com/63 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Today's interview was done at a Tech2025 event where participants were asked to think about wealth and the present state of the US and Global economy. I spoke to Denise Hearn, author of "The Myth of Capitalism" about the trend towards Oligopoly and its causes.Also included are discussions about the definition of capitalism, the definition of wealth, the price of a free good, regulatory capture, and the role of our monetary system in distorting the economy.localmaxradio.com/62https://www.mythofcapitalism.com/ Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Michael Bronspigel runs the Facebook capitalism page and tells the story of how Facebook’s algorithm and policies affected his group. We also talk about- the nature of online properties- the story of how he started the group and turned it into a business- retro internet memes- the push to further crack down on contentThe group: fb.com/capitalists, capitalismisfreedom.orgShow notes: localmaxradio.com/61 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

I caught up with Hilary Mason, GM of Machine Learning at Cloudera and former founder of Fast Forward Labs. We cover how to:- Generate ideas for Machine Learning Research- Hold a good brainstorm- Break into tech as a Data Scientist- Give an engaging and successful tech talkI also asked Hilary about the evolving role of Machine Learning and Data Science, and what she wants to build in the future! Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Today we have a look at how information technology is affecting life in authoritarian socialist regimes such as Cuba and Venezuela. Particularly, we discuss the introduction of 3G cellular service in Cuba, and how it has needed to compromise on allowing more connectivity to its citizens over the last decade.In the case of Venezuela, we look at how cryptocurrency (and Bitcoin in particular) is being used to work around currency controls and hyperinflation. It’s still speculative on how much this is really going on, but we talk more generally about how crypto technology can be used in a social-upheaval type situation in the future.We also check in on Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s recent 3.5 hour long interview on Joe Rogan. The main topic, which we have covered here in the past, is on content moderation and bias at social media companies. We round up the different viewpoints expressed and continue to provide our ongoing analysis.localmaxradio.com/59 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Today's interview is with Mark Weiss, Data Engineer at Beeswax and host of Using Reflection which is a podcast where engineers talk about what they love and what they've learned in their careers. I asked him about what he personally has learned from his interviews and from his own career started in the news media.Then, we turn to the craft of data engineering - on which the viability of all the internet services you love (or hate) hinge upon. There is so much change going on in the data engineering world, and I asked Mark about that change, and where he hopes and thinks it can go in the future.localmaxradio.com/58usingreflection.com Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

There's a lot of confusion over what a "data scientist" is these days, and the job titles can mean multiple things to multiple people. It's also getting tougher for new entrants into the job market. Max breaks it down and gives advice for those looking to break in.On the technical side, Max starts with the argument from analogy, a philosophical argument that works alongside Bayes which we use without knowing every single day. Then, a connection to machine learning is made with a description of the Nearest Neighbor (kNN) algorithm, and the specific use case at Foursquare.localmaxradio.com/57 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Google's "VP of Trust and Safety" has put out Google's strategy for weeding out fake news. Do they have the right definition? Will it work? What is a VP of Trust and Safety? We'll discuss whether Google is looking out for their users.In that vein, we wanted to discuss new ways fake news might be generated, and found this site thispersondoesnotexist.com created images of people who are not real but look pretty convincing. They use Generative Adversarial Networks. After listened, you'll know how those work to create plausible images. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Author David Auerbach covers Bitwise: A Life in Code. We discuss:- The consequences of data everywhere from the 1980s to today.- Taxonomies and their bias and imperfection. Applications to Mental Illness, personality (meyers-briggs + PI), marketing age buckets- Dealing with Bias in AI and Humans- David's Role in the fight for compatibility between MSN messenger and AIMGet the Book: https://www.amazon.com/Bitwise-Life-Code-David-Auerbach/dp/1101871296/Show notes page: localmaxradio.com/55 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

We discuss 5G and what that means for mobile tech in the 2020s, as well as augmented reality, virtual reality, mesh networks, gaming, and self driving cars.See the show notes: localmaxradio.com/54 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Swati Doshi, Founder and Managing Director of Human Results, has Max and Maryam take time-tested behavioral assessments. We learn about our results live and respond to them on-air. Also covering:- Why these assessments can be useful in forming teams.- Considering team chemistry- Examples from Foursquare LabsTake the assessment Swati gave to Max and Maryam here or write to [email protected] notes: localmaxradio.com/53 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Today I look back at my 7 years, 8 months, and 1 day working at Foursquare, including:- How my career splits into 2.5 year increments- The initial data team at Foursquare- More discussion on the Swarm/Foursquare app split- More on Marsbot and Recommender Systems- Superuser voting, and a shoutout to Foursquare Superusers- My new role starting February 6th Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Foursquare Swarm PM Avneesh Kohli tells us about the lifelogging app and more. We cover:- The controversial Foursquare/Swarm app split of 2014- The importance of Slack reaction emojis- Editing and Storytelling in consumer apps- Timehop- The evolution and turnaround of Microsoft during Avneesh's time there- The growing role of data analytics in basketball strategylocalmaxradio.com/51@avneeshk91 @maxsklar Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Facebook is definitely not going to allow me to advertise this one!- Cryptocurrency/Bitcoin as the alternative to Patreon and the Credit Cards- Anonymous Reddit Users seems to know inside details about the Google Memo Situation- An article comes out about Facebook's internal problems among employees, but how much of this is common?Affiliate LinkTrezor Hardware Wallet to hold your cryptocurrency: https://shop.trezor.io/?offer_id=10&aff_id=1299&source=ShowDesc50&tiny_url=1Show Notes:localmaxradio.com/50 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Daniele Quercia, Professor of Urban Informatics, talks about his research into what makes a city and a travel route good. Our algorithms aren't measuring things like sights, smells, and ambiance, and these are the things that can affect our mood and overall wellbeing. We discussion:- The change in focus from Efficiency to Exploration- The Political Map (or technically accurate map) versus the phychological mind-map- Making daily habits more inspiring- Ideas for urban planners and for changes to the modern workplaceGo to localmaxradio.com/49 and goodcitylife.org for more information. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Today's discussion with Daniel Kronovet is about social choice theory and voting systems. The topics include:- The history of the theory versus the practice which is much older (American founder and ancient Greece)- Multi-party voting, ranked voting, and Condorcet- Arrow's Theorem- Relation to Surveys and Foursquare- Blockchain voting and allocating budget.The notes for this show are on localmaxradio.com/48 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Today you'll hear Max's first attempt at newsroom-style standup comedy - taking place at the Foursquare 2018 talent show at Foursquare HQ in Flatiron.Afterwards, a discussion with Aaron about the bit, the previous 2 episodes, and our favorite and memorable episodes throughout the year. Also our hopes for 2019 on the Local Maximum.Have your own hopes for the show in 2019? Email [email protected]. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

The web was designed for text and images, and all of the interactive elements we use today, and all of the advertising technology backing it up was developed as such. Spotify Machine Learning Engineer Shani Offen asks how we can apply this to audio content like music, podcasts, and audiobooks.We cover:- The role of advertising in driving innovation.- The difficulties of building audio chatbots.- Brainstorming on interactive sound and voice. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

A riveting long-form interview with former Google engineer Maryam Aly as she gives us a close-up insight into what it's like to work for the tech giant, and the culture and structures inside. We do not shy away from the hot topics which include:- Google’s Interview and Recruitment Process- Approach to security and privacy- Google's product decision-making and roadmaps- Gravity of search results and the potential for Bias or tampering- Atmosphere during and after the circulation of the James Damore Memo.- Google’s specific approach to running a diverse workplace Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

If you want to know how machine learning is used to solve real world problems (even first world problems like helping you out at restaurants) - then this episode is for you.Max and Enrique Cruz talk about how Foursquare ranks its tips, how we used machine learning in the process, and our takeaways from how content is ranked online generally. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Self Driving Cars are often in the news, and this month the chatter has picked up! Waymo wants to launch in Phoenix, and GM is investing heavily in it's self driving division.But what does this mean? Will we see true autonomous taxis soon, or will there be a transition period - and what will it look like? We cut through news articles that try to paint a positive or negative story based on the same facts.Aaron joins me today to discuss these issues. localmaxradio.com/43Also - Google Hangout's demise alongside Google Plus! Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

We discuss the story of an American missionary killed on North Sentinel Island - a forbidden Island off the coast of India which has been isolated for tens of thousands of years.Also:- Complaints about the trains in the northeast US- Some updates on my sabbatical projects- Followup on my discussion with David Pietrusza: Teddy Roosevelt, and the society at the turn-of-the-20th-century.- Answer a listeners question about Google Plus's strategylocalmaxradio.com/42 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Discussion with political historian David Pietrusza about the Presidents and the changing political landscape. We cover how our political system was affected by the rise of radio, television, film, and connecting it to today's technological trends.- Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, Pre-1920 use of Phonographs.- the Rise of Radio in the 1920s, FDR's fireside chats- Television, late night, JFK, Nixon, and Reagan- Reality TV, Social Media, and targetted advertising in the age of Obama and Trump.http://davidpietrusza.com/localmaxradio.com/41 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Tech 2025's Charlie Oliver stops by the Foursquare office to discuss her approach to engaging and energizing the public with topics on emerging technology. We discuss:- The evolving attitudes of some of the industry leaders and technical experts, and the disconnect between themselves and the people affects by their creations.- How to engage the public on topics like Machine Learning, AI, and Blockchain without going the route of the "technical boring lecture"- How passions and emotions can be stirred up by product creation; and can take the creators completely by surprise.This is a packed episode. Check out tech2025.com, and enjoy! Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

I explore logical paradoxes, especially those ultimately caused by circular logic, or circular definitions. Also includes the Twitter fight about the 2018 midterm elections between Nate Silver, Dinesh D'Souza, and Nassim Taleb.Paradoxes include:- Liar's Paradox- Russell's Paradox- Curry's Paradox- Berry's Paradox Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

During the Fall 2018 Local Maximum Tech Retreat, we did a panel on the predictions that we make about the future of technology, consumer applications, and society.Topics and analysis include virtual fitness training, online doctors visits, social media moderation, self driving cars, education, complex voice assistants, and more.Including panelists Aaron and Crystal Astrachan (Amazon). Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

I talk to Naomi Brockwell about Bitcoin and Blockchain - the technology of freedom!In addition to her work in popularizing this emerging technology, and some of it's implications on human liberty and global human development, we also talk about her media career, moderating debates, interest in video, popularizing this emerging technology, and her work with John Stossel and on the Hard Fork TV series.Includes a promo for Swarm 6.0 and clips of Naomi's YouTube videos! Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

With Google's announcement of the impending demise of Google Plus, we discuss various Google products that have succeeded and failed over the years, and what we can learn from it.Also: the security breaches from Facebook and Google Plus, Amazon's AI hiring program and the bias it sustains, and Tim Berners Lee's dream of a decentralized web. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Camille Fournier joins the Local Maximum today to discuss her book on engineering management, Rent the Runway, company culture, engineering ladders, and more!Plus, learn about Foursquare for Good and Max responds to listener messages about ads and censorship. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Now with extra mappers and reducers!I talk to Joe Crobak of the Data Engineering Weekly newsletter about data engineering, and it's importance in modern software projects. We cover:- The definition of data engineering- Hadoop, MapReduce, and Spark- How data engineering has evolved over the last decade.- Joe's experiences working in government vs. startups. The US Digital service, and the paperwork reduction act.Remember to check out the new website at localmaxradio.com, and Joe's site at dataengweekly.com. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

The Social Media giants can't handle the fact that they can't control the system they've created. Another "smart" podcaster backs us up on the futility of fixing internet moderation through Machine Learning alone.Also - how are our elections affected by new communications technology? It's possible that our current situation has been repeated many times in history - but it's also possible that the pendulum is swinging more wildly.And Facebook's ridiculous ads system finally hits me personally, where they'll block ads for asinine reasons, and push through bad ones. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Aaron interviews me about what I plan to work on while I take 6 weeks off from Foursquare. We'll talk about the future of this podcast, several prototype ideas that I want to build, and my reading list.Can I get all this done? Probably not ALL of it - but I hope a good chunk of it! Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

We do things every in the hope that it will cause something good to happen as a result. And we're also bombarded with information trying to convince us on what to buy, who to vote for, and how to live.But most of the time, it's very difficult to tell whether A causes B, or if they are merely correlated. I talk to subject matter expert Shirin Mojarad of McGraw-Hill to break down how scientists can detect causality and what to look for in a causality study. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Some data scientists are attempting to use data and machine learning to predict the outcome of the next season of game of thrones. In this solo show I discuss the merits of this approach, give an overview of decision trees, adversarial problems, and the role of information theory. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe