Florian's Filter — W44 2026

This week, the links I am sharing are about learning, changing perspective and getting the tools in your hands to make a tangible difference in the crazy world we live in. Let me challenge your thinking on the geographic bias of AI adoption or the operational reality of transformation of telco's IT. Let's think together with TomDeLong of what it means to be connected to people, and learn about difficult conversations - and much more. Enjoy!

Articles

• The surprising popularity of AI
  This piece prompts a reflection on the geographic and cultural biases that often color our perspective of current AI developments. The Economist examines how AI is being embraced in unexpected regions.
• Without a decision mandate, composable IT is just a slide in the strategy deck
  We recently published our first thought piece on TM Forum, I am proud of my team that put it together and happy to represent my company at TMF. In the article, we argue that telcos need actual authority and accountability to bring the value of composable IT to reality - those old school concepts are very much necessary, maybe even especially in the age of AI!
• Anthropic IPO Prospectus
  For those using GenAI in business, this document provides a masterclass in how the major players make and spend their money. The section on "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" is something you should read, not just the boilerplate summary at the beginning - start at page 133 to get there!

Videos

• Virtual Books@Baker with Professor Thomas J. DeLong
  Professor Tom DeLong is an exceptional educator whose teaching has had a profound impact on me - both on a professional and personal level. In this Harvard Business School session, he discusses the intersection of leadership and teaching over his decades-long career, which he wrote about in his book "Teaching by Heart".
• What Claude Code Can Do That You Haven't Tried
  This presentation from NDC Conferences is packed with practical tips and tricks for maximizing the Claude Code feature set. Gui Ferreira delivers a high-density guide with no filler.

Books

• Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most
  This recommendation from the Harvard Negotiation Project is a tool for high-stakes communication that would have been invaluable to me, had I read it twenty years ago. It provides a framework for navigating the most challenging professional and personal dialogues. Luckily, it is never too late to learn and improve, so I was happy to come across these concepts last year, and I am still working on implementing them more regularly :)
• Hacker Books — books mentioned in Hacker News comments
  This site scrapes Hacker News for book recommendations, serving as a fascinating mirror of the recurring themes and intellectual curiosities within that community. Hacker Books aggregates these mentions from 2007 to 2026.

New on floho.com

• I don't really use VS Code as an editor
  In this edition of that small series on my website, I explain why VS Code is my primary tool for AI-assisted building, even though I am not a developer by trade.