# Flow, DeepMind Context, and Operator Picks on Open Source

*By Recommended Reading from Tech Founders • May 16, 2026*

A compact set of organic recommendations emerged today: Tomasz Tunguz on *Flow* as a model for AI tool design, Packy McCormick’s DeepMind learning stack, Sarah Tavel’s pointer to Bill Gurley on open source, and Paul Graham’s endorsement of *Social Radars*.

## What stood out

The clearest recommendation today was *Flow*. Tomasz Tunguz did not just name the book; he used it to explain what good AI workflows should feel like: direct connection to the work, with tools fading into the background as extensions of the user [^1]. The rest of the day’s authentic picks clustered around two other themes: background material on Demis Hassabis and DeepMind, and shorter-form operator media worth reading or listening to [^2][^3][^4][^5].

### Most compelling recommendation

#### *Flow* [^1]
- **Content type:** Book [^1]
- **Author/creator:** Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi [^1]
- **Link/URL:** Not provided in the source material
- **Who recommended it:** Tomasz Tunguz [^1]
- **Key takeaway:** Tunguz described it as a book about getting into a state where, while working, you are "directly connected," and tied that idea to Heidegger’s view that well-designed tools become extensions of the self [^1]
- **Why it matters:** This was the strongest pick because Tunguz surfaced it in the context of AI workflows and tool design, giving the recommendation an immediate application for builders [^1]

> "there’s this great book called flow ... how do you get into a place where when you’re working you’re just directly connected" [^1]

### DeepMind learning stack

#### *The Infinity Machine* [^2]
- **Content type:** Book [^2]
- **Author/creator:** Sebastian Mallaby [^2]
- **Link/URL:** [https://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Machine-Hassabis-DeepMind-Superintelligence/dp/0593831845](https://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Machine-Hassabis-DeepMind-Superintelligence/dp/0593831845) [^2]
- **Who recommended it:** Packy McCormick [^2]
- **Key takeaway:** After reading Mallaby’s book on Demis Hassabis and DeepMind, McCormick said his big takeaway was that "you don’t want to bet against Sir Demis" [^2]
- **Why it matters:** McCormick framed it as a conviction-building read on Hassabis and DeepMind rather than a casual mention, making it a useful starting point for readers who want background on that story [^2]

#### *The Thinking Game* [^2]
- **Content type:** Documentary [^2]
- **Author/creator:** Not specified in the source material
- **Link/URL:** Not provided in the source material
- **Who recommended it:** Packy McCormick [^2]
- **Key takeaway:** McCormick said he had already watched it for context on DeepMind’s development of AlphaFold before reading *The Infinity Machine* [^2]
- **Why it matters:** It appears in the same learning path as Mallaby’s book, giving readers a second format for understanding DeepMind’s story [^2]

> "you don’t want to bet against Sir Demis." [^2]

### Shorter-form operator picks

#### Bill Gurley on sophisticated executives using open source in creative ways [^3]
- **Content type:** Blog post [^3]
- **Author/creator:** Bill Gurley [^3]
- **Link/URL:** [https://substack.com/home/post/p-197032865?source=queue](https://substack.com/home/post/p-197032865?source=queue) [^3]
- **Who recommended it:** Sarah Tavel [^4]
- **Key takeaway:** Tavel called Gurley’s piece "worth the read"; Gurley framed it around how sophisticated executives are using open source in "super creative ways" [^4][^3]
- **Why it matters:** The combination of a concrete operator topic and an independent endorsement from another investor made this a stronger signal than author self-announcement alone [^4][^3]

#### *Social Radars* [^5]
- **Content type:** Podcast [^5]
- **Author/creator:** Jessica and CLevy [^5]
- **Link/URL:** Not provided in the source material
- **Who recommended it:** Paul Graham [^5]
- **Key takeaway:** Graham described hearing the hosts as "reassuring" and "like having the proverbial voice of sanity as background music" [^5]
- **Why it matters:** This was a strong quality signal from Graham for the show’s tone and judgment, even without a specific episode recommendation [^5]

> "It’s like having the proverbial voice of sanity as background music." [^5]

### Bottom line

If you only pick one item from today’s set, *Flow* had the clearest practical use case because Tunguz mapped it directly onto AI tool design [^1]. If you want broader context on Demis Hassabis and DeepMind, Packy’s book-plus-documentary stack is the best follow-on path [^2]. For shorter consumption, Sarah Tavel’s Bill Gurley link and Paul Graham’s *Social Radars* nod were the cleanest operator-media recommendations [^4][^3][^5].

---

### Sources

[^1]: [Inside the AI Sprint | Tomasz Tunguz, Theory Ventures](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKLuvfr22Vs)
[^2]: [Weekly Dose of Optimism #193](https://www.notboring.co/p/weekly-dose-of-optimism-193)
[^3]: [𝕏 post by @bgurley](https://x.com/bgurley/status/2055271855209038321)
[^4]: [𝕏 post by @sarahtavel](https://x.com/sarahtavel/status/2055368051558949064)
[^5]: [𝕏 post by @paulg](https://x.com/paulg/status/2055327288414151121)