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The Friction Economy

October 9, 2026 · 59 min

Show notes

This week we dig into how much of the economy is built on friction, and what happens when AI agents start removing it. Also: why students are so gloomy about AI, Vanity Fair’s New Establishment list and who gets to confer legitimacy on tech, a vibe-coded Adobe replacement, the race for the new home page, and Troy comes around on Kia.

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Chapters:

* 01:25 Vanity Fair and Tech Legitimacy

* 07:46 Students Fear the AI Future

* 27:28 Software Moats and Copycat Culture

* 34:28 Friction Economy Disrupted

* 41:37 One Agent New Homepage

* 49:28 Distillation China

* 54:48 Good Product



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

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