NotebookLM from Google is one of my favorite AI resources. I often use it for research, review reviewing various documents and contracts. I even have it organize my tax information and my medical records. It has the unusual capability of creating a podcast, which is a dialogue between two people on any particular topic. I had it do this with my blog post. The results are impressive.
I also had it do a briefing note:
Briefing Document: “Two Thirds Done” Blog by Avram Miller
Date: May 3, 2025
Source: Excerpts from “Two Thirds Done | thoughts and experiences of an eighty year old Wild Duck.” blog by Avram Miller.
Overview:
This briefing document summarizes the main themes and key ideas presented in recent entries of Avram Miller’s blog, “Two Thirds Done.” The blog offers reflections on a range of topics, including the author’s personal experiences turning 80, insights on business and technology (particularly AI and venture capital), observations on current world affairs, and contemplations on life in its later stages.
Key Themes and Important Ideas:
Navigating the “Last Third” of Life and Ageism: A prominent theme is the author’s personal journey and reflections on entering the “last third” of life, specifically his experience of turning 80. Miller openly discusses the challenges and realizations associated with aging, including confronting ageism, even in himself. He notes the shift from being “the youngest person in the room” to “the oldest,” and the societal changes this entails.
Important Idea: The realization of self-ageism as a form of prejudice, where one holds negative perceptions based on age.
Quote: “I realize that I am guilty of ageism—and in particular, what I would call self-ageism. Ageism is a form of prejudice. It means thinking poorly of someone not because of their behavior or character, but simply because of their age.”
Quote: “Turning 80 last month was not easy for me. I used to be the youngest person | in the room. Now I am the oldest. Once, I was a child prodigy. Now I am an elderly man who gets seats offered to him when he rides the metro. Frankly, I am struggling to…” (Entry titled “Formerly, the Former Avram Miller”).
Reflections on Business, Technology, and Venture Capital: Miller draws upon his extensive experience in the business and technology sectors, particularly his time at Intel and his involvement in venture capital. He offers retrospective analysis of past ventures and discusses the current landscape.
Important Idea: The critical role of timing in the success or failure of early-stage companies.
Quote: “Timing, a leading cause of death… More than 70% of new companies fail. While there are many reasons, one of the leading causes of death is timing.”
Important Idea: A candid assessment of Intel Capital’s historical performance, highlighting both financial success and perceived strategic shortcomings.
Quote: “When Les Vadasz and I started Intel Capital in 1991 (I had already been doing minority investments since 1988), we had three objectives: We believed, correctly, that by working with early-stage companies we could gather important insight into future opportunities and challenges. That part was true, but our inability to use this information to inform…”
Engagement with Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is a current area of interest for Miller, as demonstrated by his experimentation with various AI applications. He explores its potential and impact on different aspects of life.
Important Idea: Utilizing AI for personal projects and creative endeavors, such as creating a personal website based solely on publicly available information.
Quote: “I am trying out a lot of different AI applications. I just tried, the Manus on my iPhone. I asked to create a web site about the subject I know the best, me… Pretty amazing. I told it nothing. Just my name and asked it to find out about me via…”
Important Idea: Using AI tools like ChatGPT to interact with and gain feedback on personal works, such as his book.
Quote: “I asked ChatGPT to read my book, The Flight of a Wild Duck. That was fine—it did so in an instant. I then asked for its opinion. What it wrote made me very happy because it reflected exactly my original intentions. The Flight of a Wild Duck is remarkable—deeply human, intellectually rich, and uncommonly honest.”
Observations on World Situation and Leadership: The blog touches upon broader societal and political themes, including reflections on different leadership styles.
Important Idea: Contrasting “Strong Man” leadership with “Smart Man” leadership, drawing on personal experiences and observations.
Quote: “The weak man wears the amor of ego… I witnessed how the alpha male used force to dominate…” (Entry titled “Strong Man or Smart Man”).
Personal Reflections and Experiences: Interspersed throughout the blog are personal anecdotes and reflections on various aspects of his life, past and present. This includes learning new languages, connecting with friends, and reflecting on how others perceive him.
Important Idea: The ongoing pursuit of learning and personal growth, exemplified by his study of Italian.
Quote: “I’ve been thinking about language a lot these days as I study Italian, which will be my fourth language.”
Important Idea: Seeking feedback and understanding from others regarding personal perception.
Quote: “As I turned 80, I became interested in how people saw me. In particular, I wanted to see if there would be a strong commonality among responses (there was) and whether their perceptions would significantly overlap with how I see myself (they did).”
Conclusion:
Avram Miller’s “Two Thirds Done” blog offers a rich and insightful perspective from an individual navigating the later stages of life with continued intellectual curiosity and engagement with the world. The recent entries highlight his personal reflections on aging, his extensive experience in technology and venture capital, his exploration of AI’s capabilities, and his observations on leadership and global affairs. The blog serves as a platform for sharing personal experiences and thoughtful commentary on a diverse range of topics.
You can listen to the podcast here.
Based on the sources, the writing in Avram Miller’s “Two Thirds Done” blog can be described as:
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Reflective and Personal: The blog offers reflections on a range of topics. A prominent theme is the author’s personal journey and reflections on entering the “last third” of life, specifically his experience of turning 80. He openly discusses the challenges and realizations associated with aging, including confronting ageism. The blog is interspersed with personal anecdotes and reflections on various aspects of his life.
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Insightful and Thoughtful: Miller provides commentary on a diverse range of topics, including business, technology (particularly AI and venture capital), observations on current world affairs, and contemplations on life in its later stages. He draws upon his extensive experience in the business and technology sectors. The blog offers a rich and insightful perspective.
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Candid and Honest: Miller discusses the challenges he faces, such as finding turning 80 “not easy” and struggling with the shift from being the youngest to the oldest person in the room. He is also candid in his assessment of past ventures, such as Intel Capital, highlighting both financial success and perceived strategic shortcomings. He openly acknowledges his own guilt regarding ageism, referring to it as “self-ageism”.
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Experience-Driven: The writing frequently draws upon his extensive background, including his time at Intel and his involvement in venture capital. This experience informs his analysis of topics like the critical role of timing in the success or failure of early-stage companies.
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Engaging with Current Topics: Miller actively engages with current areas of interest, such as artificial intelligence (AI), demonstrating this by experimenting with various AI applications for personal projects like creating a website about himself and using tools like ChatGPT to interact with his book.
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Diverse in Subject Matter: The blog covers a wide array of subjects, indicated by the categories of posts, including “About life in the last third”, “Ageism”, “AI”, “Avram’s Past”, business topics like “Intel”, “Venture Capital”, and broader themes like “World Situation” and “Government”. Personal topics like learning new languages are also included.
Overall, the writing is described as offering “personal experiences and thoughtful commentary on a diverse range of topics”.