My February 2026 best business reads roundup
If you can read just one thing this month, here are two!
Child’s Play. Tech’s new generation and the end of thinking – Sam Kriss, Harper's Magazine
Easily the best non‑fiction I’ve read in months. A wild tour of the agentic moment we’re in. It helps separate what’s just temporary imbalance from what’s a permanent shift in how tech gets built and used.
Something Big Is Happening – Matt Shumer
There’s a short window to get radically ahead by going AI‑native. Progress is moving faster than most people realize, so treat 2026 as your upskill year. And if you think you’ve already read this take a thousand times, give this one a shot. Memes aside, it’s the link I shared the most with non‑tech friends this month.
/Working with AI
How I Use Claude Code - Boris Tane
One of the better primers on pairing with an AI coding assistant. The punchline: no code until the written plan is approved. Less prompt magic, more engineering discipline.
GEO/AEO: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Scot Wingo
A grounded look at whether GEO/AEO is anything more than a rebranded SEO. Useful if you’re trying to cut through the jargon wave.
Chatbots Are the New Influencers Brands Must Woo - Erin Griffith, New York Times
Brands aren’t just selling to humans anymore. They’re courting the bots that shape discovery and reach. Odd, but increasingly true.
/AI is great, but stay grounded
How will OpenAI compete? - Benedict Evans
A useful reminder for product managers like me: excellence is not enough. The real test is not: "Is your product better than anyone else’s?". It's: "What prevents you from losing even when competitors match your technology?"
The 2026 Global Intelligence Crisis - Frank Flight, Citadel
Why white‑collar displacement is slower than expected, why AI diffusion is messy, and why software-engineering roles keep rising.
The AI Bubble: Hidden Risks and Opportunities – Paul Kedrosky, Sumant Wahi, Alex Preston, Man Group
The AI adoption curve is real, but the money system built around it might not be. Calm, data‑forward, and worth your time.
Data vs Hype: How Orgs Actually Win with AI – Laura Tacho
A strong keynote backed by insightful AI usage data. My takeaway: technology doesn’t compensate for broken orgs. Stay pragmatic, stay skeptical, stay human.
(Photo of the month: On February 8, Anthropic ran its first ever Super Bowl ad, playfully mocking ChatGPT for introducing ads. Data shows it boosted user numbers by 11%)
Originally shared as a LinkedIn post. Check it out here.
