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Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Why Did Big Tech Stop Building Useful Products?

Oct 22, 2026 · 14m

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On this episode

About this episode

Tesla’s recent demo of a rocket-powered Roadster doing a kick-flick over a parked car touched a nerve in me. It seemed to epitomize changes to the tech sector in recent years that have been largely negative. In this short episode, I jump on the mic to explain some of my developing thoughts surrounding these ideas. More from Cal Download Cal’s FREE guide to cultivating a deeper life: calnewport.com/ideas Learn more about Cal’s books: calnewport.com/books Listen to Cal’s podcast: thedeeplife.com/listen Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:40 Factor 1: Growth companies vs. stable companies 05:40 Factor 2: Engagement-pilling 08:00 Factor 3: Building useful products is hard 10:43 Why this is a problem — and…