A weekly newsletter that tells the story of how tech companies became unelected governments and what to do about it, by former Google executive and 30-year Internet veteran Jonathan Bellack.

Posts

Sep 11, 2026

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5 min read

“Blood and soil” politics are undermining our online future

A unique book about ancient Athens got me thinking about why billionaires are trying to destroy the global Internet culture that made them rich.

Sep 4, 2026

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6 min read

Summer field trip 2.3: Is Google too big to succeed?

Wrapping up my second summer field trip, is size destiny when it comes to corporate culture? A tour through my own career, from startups to a 200,000-person leviathan. Is Gemini a Google rebirth, or its last gasp of creativity?

Aug 28, 2026

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4 min read

Meta’s new settlement with the states should only be the first step toward real regulation.

The Meta settlement requires limited oversight of Instagram and Facebook for just five years. Making it permanent, independent, and industry-wide requires a law.

Aug 28, 2026

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5 min read

Summer field trip 2.2: Strategy theatre at Google: was I the hero or the fool?

My summer field trip into Google corporate culture continues with a memoir of twenty years of strategic planning success and debacle.

Aug 14, 2026

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6 min read

Summer field trip 2.1: two mythic tales of Sridhar Ramaswamy, former Google Ads chief

In the spirit of Odysseus, I’m sailing the seas of Google corporate culture for the next three weeks. Today, how senior executives, like the Gods, shaped the fate of billions even when they weren’t in the room.