Reposted by jdmTom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 09/10/2026Millions of Americans literally bet their life that RFK Jr, a complete crackpot, knew science better than the CDC and Jonas Salk and just about every living doctor 79828210
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Now we know why they tried to swallow him with a sinkhole 000
Reposted by jdmTom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 27/08/2026My tribute to Tim Curry: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...theatlantic.comThe Absolute Pleasure of Tim CurryHis magic was to be outrageous without being self-conscious. 1451545266
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 04/07/2026"As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” (Lincoln) Cheers to 250 🥂 000
Reposted by jdmProPublica @propublica.org · 29/06/2026NEW: Former Louisiana death row inmate Jimmie “Chris” Duncan, convicted based in part on forensic evidence now widely regarded as junk science, is officially a free man. “I am flooded with relief,” one of his lawyers said.propublica.orgLouisiana Supreme Court Frees Death Row Prisoner, Calling Evidence Against Him “Scientifically Indefensible”The decision affirms a lower court’s ruling nullifying Jimmie “Chris” Duncan’s 1998 first-degree murder conviction. Duncan was convicted based in part on forensic evidence that is now widely regarded ... 12060241435
Reposted by jdmLawfare @lawfaremedia.org · 29/04/2026Today, we’re launching a 5-week effort to sustain Lawfare’s independent analysis. Lawfare is built on one idea: reliable, expert analysis delivered at the pace of news—without a paywall. That only works because of our supporters. Become a $10/month supporter at lawfaremedia.org/support. 12214
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 29/04/2026The greatest opening to any song ever is Janis Joplin's Cry Baby. Come at me bro 000
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 28/04/2026If a massive firestorm can create a local tornado, then why can't some servers? Checkmate, "scientists"! 000
Reposted by jdmThe Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 22/03/2026The Air War College asked Kori Schake not to give a scheduled lecture on civil-military relations—a subject that she writes is “extremely relevant” in the current political climate. Here’s what she would have said:bit.lyThe Lecture I Couldn’t GiveNow more than ever, our armed forces need to understand the history of civil-military relations. 311143
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 16/03/2026How would YOU open the Strait of Hormuz? Wrong answers onlymedia.tenor.coma man is giving a thumbs up while holding a piece of paper that says therapy .ALT: a man is giving a thumbs up while holding a piece of paper that says therapy . 120
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 04/03/2026How I arrived on Blueskymedia.tenor.coma group of people in a restaurant with the words help is on the way dear written on the bottomALT: a group of people in a restaurant with the words help is on the way dear written on the bottom 010
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 27/02/2026Pre-traction founders get rejected by VCs, then spend months trying to fix their pitch. Wrong diagnosis. VCs want retention curves, payback periods, growth rates you don't have yet. You're not unfundable. You're pitching to the wrong room. 030
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 27/02/2026You're getting rejected by VCs. Not because of the idea. Not because of the pitch deck. But because you're pitching to the wrong room. This week's Pivot: how to stop burning time on investors who aren't looking for what you have. 120
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 18/02/2026Most startups waste 84% of their runway chasing customers who will never buy. 🧵 👇 120
Reposted by jdmThe Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 13/02/2026“You look at your son, the glasses you picked out with him, the haircut he chose from the wall at the barber shop, the beating heart you gave him. And you know that you, too, will never recover.” Elizabeth Bruenig maps how a child dies of measles:bit.lyThis Is How a Child Dies of MeaslesWhen your family becomes a data point in an outbreak 1413454
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 23/01/2026media.tenor.comperhaps today is a good day to die is written above a manALT: perhaps today is a good day to die is written above a man 020
Reposted by jdmThe Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 09/01/2026MAGA’s defense of Renee Nicole Good’s death sits uncomfortably with the White House’s defense of January 6 rioters, Jonathan Chait argues. theatln.tc/0SMiwqqn 1419074
Reposted by jdmSteve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 05/01/2026In case you missed it, I took a stab on Saturday via "One First" at writing up five of the questions raised by Friday's U.S. military/arrest operation in Venezuela, and the forthcoming criminal prosecution of Nicolás Maduro: www.stevevladeck.com/p/200-five-q...stevevladeck.com200. Five Questions About the Maduro Arrest OperationFriday night's U.S. military operation in Venezuela was a textbook violation of international law. It's also entirely unauthorized by U.S. law, which ought to (but probably won't) matter. 17425122
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 04/01/2026The responses to this post are unhinged. This military action was unlawful—likely both domestically and internationally. But do people really want to live in a world where journalists sacrifice the lives of helicopter pilots & special ops to stick it to leadership safe at home in DC and FL? 010
Reposted by jdmAkivaMCohen @akivamcohen.bsky.social · 22/12/2025This has been made available, so for purposes of commenting on Bari Weiss's decision to spike the story, here's a live-post of that segment. It begins with a "you may recall" summary of the deportation to el Salvador. Describes the admin's claim that it could deport the men without due process 4927201099
Reposted by jdmRick Steves @ricksteves.bsky.social · 21/12/2025It’s the “season of love and giving”…but this year, doesn’t it seem more like a “season of fear and taking”? Like many of you, I’ve been saddened by the human impact of draconian government budget cuts and how angry many housed Americans are at unhoused Americans. 🧵 1 of 9 817228215907
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 20/12/2025The irony of Epstein claiming to love Lolita is his incomprehension of the unreliable narrator. Humbert was the villain in his own story—and the only one who didn't know it. So I'm with @gcaw.bsky.social... no way Epstein ever actually read it. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...theatlantic.comWhat Jeffrey Epstein Didn’t Understand About LolitaEverything. 032
Reposted by jdmjamelle @jamellebouie.net · 20/12/2025rfk will not rest until your kid is dead wapo.st/4s2l2znwapo.stU.S. plans to stop recommending most childhood vaccines, defer to doctorsThe plan, which is not finalized, suggests children get fewer shots and shifts to a model telling parents to consult doctors to make their own vaccine choices. 14066781870
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 21/11/2025I don't know who needs to hear this, but... Pilots aren't about getting feedback. They're about getting commitments. 010
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 04/11/2025Got a startup question? Ask me anything! I'll be live on Substack at noon today for our weekly office hours, where we chat startups, traction, fundraising — whatever’s on your mind. Let’s gooooo 🚀 open.substack.com/live-stream/...open.substack.comLIVE SOON: Startup AMA w/ Cam & JDMStarting Nov 4 at 3:00 PM EST 000
Reposted by jdmPopehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 16/09/2025I’m more used to saying this to people on the Left than people on the Right, but, “hate speech” is not an exception to the First Amendment. “Hate speech” is protected by the First Amendment unless it falls into a traditional established exception. 39359041301
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 15/09/2025I finally found a nice little perk of social anxiety! Completely unrelated, let me read this message 7 more times before I hit Post 000
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 02/09/2025If your test can't fail, it can't teach you anything. The usual suspects: - Counting likes & shares like revenue - Measuring "interest" before intent - Asking leading questions A real test must unambiguously succeed or fail. Everything else? Just another rerun of Validation Theatre. 000
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 01/09/2025I just put Tajín on dried mango. I don't know where this has been all my life. And you're welcome. 000
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 31/08/2025Your viral post isn't product-market fit — it's just one hit. And one hit doesn't make you the Beatles. New podcast episode breaks down why scalability requires repeatability, which requires predictability. Spoiler: Most "validation" is expensive theater. Listen to "Zero to Traction" now 110
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 23/08/2025If your “traction” slide says, “Seven people said this was interesting,” I’m already out. Investors don’t want Canva art projects, they want proof your startup isn’t cosplay. On this week's Zero to Traction: less Canva, more data. 130
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 22/08/2025Another benefit of traction science: You stop falling in love with bad ideas Because evidence kills delusion faster than anything else. 000
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 21/08/2025Most startup ideas are worthless. Whether it takes you 2 days or 2 years to find out... doesn't change the outcome. Prove yourself wrong today, and you get 2 years of your life back. Why wait? 000
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 21/08/2025Startup pro tip: Test your riskiest assumption first. Don't waste time building "cool" features hoping customers want them. Instead, validate the core problem exists — with enough severity and urgency to motivate customers to buy. Life is short. Don’t waste it building something no one wants. 000
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 20/08/2025You can find traction crazy fast if you just… • Talk to 5 customers this week • Test your riskiest assumption first • Measure what actually matters • Iterate based on evidence If you do? Congrats. You just validated smarter than 90% of founders. 000
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 20/08/20253 must-have startup skills every founder should master: • Asking good questions • Creating hypothesis • Interpreting data 000
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 19/08/20255 "hacks" for better startup experiments: • Test your riskiest assumption first • Talk to customers before building • Measure what matters, not feels good • Fail fast, learn faster • Iterate based on evidence, not ego Turns out, the only real experiment hacks… …aren't really hacks at all. 000
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 19/08/2025Feeling stuck? Stop planning and start testing. No more market research paralysis No more perfect pitch deck obsession No more "just one more feature" Just you, your hypothesis, and your willingness to be wrong. It works every time. 010
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 26/07/2025Your pitch deck is a crime scene. The fonts? Beautiful. The gradient? Tasteful. The story? Dead on arrival. 5 slides I see over and over again that should be charged with killing investor interest — and how to fix them. 🔎 Bring gloves: tractionthinking.substack.com/p/your-pitch...tractionthinking.substack.comYour pitch deck is a crime scene.Here are 5 pitch deck slides that should be charged with killing investor interest. 010
jdm @therealjdm.bsky.social · 18/07/2025Startup Office Hours — ask us anything! We're doing another venture science #ama over on LinkedIn. Bring your questions, snark, hot takes, and a cup of coffee... You're gonna need it. Noon PDT on Fridays. jdm.bio/calendarjdm.bioI’m JDM, and I’m a venture scientist — I turn assumptions into data, and data into tractionI’m a venture scientist — I turn assumptions into data, and data into traction. 000
Reposted by jdmPolitico @politico.com · 16/07/2025COLUMN: Why is the DOJ botching the Epstein saga? “The possibilities range from bad to worse” — especially for what they suggest about the country’s legal leadership, writes former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardori.politico.com3 Scenarios That Explain the Epstein DebacleAll reflect poorly on the Department of Justice. 77959621765
Reposted by jdmAnna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 11/07/2025HAPPENING NOW: Lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia are back in court following yesterday’s wild evidentiary hearing. The parties have re-convened for oral argument on Abrego’s motion to be returned to Maryland if he’s released from criminal custody in TN next week. Follow along ⬇️ 🧵 663025839
Reposted by jdmSteve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 26/06/2025#SCOTUS announces that tomorrow is the *last* day on which it will hand down decisions in cases argued this term. That means birthright citizenship, non-delegation, age verification for porn websites, and three other major rulings will all come down in quick succession starting tomorrow at 10 ET. 821077338