Passion, Skill, and Profit: A Callback to Scott Galloway

Introduction Scott Galloway’s provocation—that “follow your passion” is terrible career advice, and you should instead follow the money—is a useful corrective to a lot of fuzzy thinking. But like most contrarian takes, it overcorrects. The real framework is more nuanced: passion, skill, and economic demand interact, and the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. This post uses Galloway’s argument as a jumping-off point for thinking clearly about how to build a career worth having. ...

March 17, 2026 · 1 min · 174 words · Thomas Bray

Public Finance of the States: Series Overview

What This Series Is About State governments occupy a fascinating and underappreciated position in American governance. Unlike the federal government, they cannot print money, must generally balance their budgets, compete with neighboring states for residents and businesses, and face hard tradeoffs with finite resources. That combination of constraints makes state finance one of the most instructive places to study how political priorities translate into actual policy. This series examines each of the fifty states—organized by region—through the lens of public finance. The goal is not a dry recitation of budget numbers but an attempt to understand what each state’s fiscal choices reveal about its political economy, its history, and its relationship with the people it governs. ...

March 17, 2026 · 2 min · 371 words · Thomas Bray

Monetary discount rates and depression

Introduction This post will delve into the relationship between monetary discount rates and depression. Key Points Explain monetary discount rates and their significance. Discuss how depression can affect decision-making and discount rates. Explore potential solutions or interventions. Conclusion Wrap up the discussion and highlight the importance of understanding this relationship.

November 29, 2025 · 1 min · 50 words · Thomas Bray