2025 Letter

#1

Post by Amorymeltzer » Thu, Jan 01, 2026, 2:32 PM UTC

2025 Letter
danwang.co

Re: 2025 Letter

#2

Post by kaonwarb » Thu, Jan 01, 2026, 4:20 PM UTC

I recommend Dan’s book (https://danwang.co/breakneck/) to those wanting to better understand China - and the United States.

Re: 2025 Letter

#3

Post by url00 » Thu, Jan 01, 2026, 4:21 PM UTC

As often the case with Dan's letters, a well balanced take on many issues. I particularly appreciated the thoughts on AI and (what I read) the undertone of infrastructure being the real differentiator between the US effort and China. We'll see how it plays out this year. "May you live in exciting times" etc.

Re: 2025 Letter

#4

Post by pityJuke » Thu, Jan 01, 2026, 4:28 PM UTC

As someone unfamiliar with the author, I had a deep amount of cynicism for the length of this piece... but damn, it's good, top to bottom.

Re: 2025 Letter

#5

Post by 152334H » Thu, Jan 01, 2026, 4:30 PM UTC

> Beijing has been preparing for Cold War without eagerness for waging it, while the US wants to wage a Cold War without preparing for it.

great line

Re: 2025 Letter

#6

Post by bix6 » Thu, Jan 01, 2026, 4:31 PM UTC

Dam Wang, good read!

Re: 2025 Letter

#7

Post by jstummbillig » Thu, Jan 01, 2026, 4:38 PM UTC

Wait, how funny is this guy. That's an easy top 10 funny person out of nowhere in my life.

Re: 2025 Letter

#8

Post by pr337h4m » Thu, Jan 01, 2026, 4:38 PM UTC

> Which of the tech titans are funny? In public, they tend to speak in one of two registers. The first is the blandly corporate tone we’ve come to expect when we see them dragged before Congressional hearings or fireside chats. The second leans philosophical, as they compose their features into the sort of reverie appropriate for issuing apocalyptic prophecies on AI.

This is just not accurate though? For example, this post from a tech titan might not necessarily be that funny but it's neither blandly corporate nor philosophical: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2006548935372902751

Re: 2025 Letter

#9

Post by coderatlarge » Thu, Jan 01, 2026, 4:42 PM UTC

from the piece:

“ the median age of the latest Y Combinator cohort is only 24, down from 30 just three years ago “

does yc publish stats to validate?

Re: 2025 Letter

#10

Post by libraryofbabel » Thu, Jan 01, 2026, 4:44 PM UTC

kaonwarb wrote: post #2

I recommend Dan’s book ( https://danwang.co/breakneck/ ) to those wanting to better understand China - and the United States.

One of the best books I read this year. I think a lot of HN readers will like it. A really balanced take on China that also digs deep into the perennial question of “why can’t we build big infrastructure projects in the US?” that comes up here quite often.