# Seven Powers, a Productivity-Growth Paper, and a San Jose Case Study

*By Recommended Reading from Tech Founders • May 22, 2026*

Patrick Collison surfaced the day’s strongest learning resources: Hamilton Helmer’s *Seven Powers* for thinking about durable software moats, and a Nick Bloom paper on innovation and productivity growth. Garry Tan’s notable pick was a New York Times video on San Jose’s homelessness approach, highlighted for its concrete design and measurable outcomes.

## What stood out

Today’s strongest signals centered on **durable frameworks** and **outcome-focused case studies**. Patrick Collison supplied the clearest founder-learning recommendations: a favorite book on software moats and a paper on innovation and productivity growth. Garry Tan’s pick was a policy video, but it fit the same filter: a resource endorsed for its concrete model and observed results. [^1][^2]

## Most compelling recommendation

### *Seven Powers*
- **Content type:** Book [^1]
- **Author/creator:** Hamilton Helmer [^1]
- **Link/URL:** Direct book link was not provided in the source; source discussion: [Patrick Collison & Amjad Masad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgYiF86h0yU) [^1]
- **Who recommended it:** Patrick Collison [^1]
- **Key takeaway:** Collison said software moats may not change all that much over the next 5–10 years and pointed to *Seven Powers* as one of his favorite frameworks because it reduces the question to “seven moats.” [^1]
- **Why it matters:** This was the strongest recommendation because Collison used it directly when answering how durable competitive advantages in software should be analyzed. [^1]

> "one of my favorite books on the subject is Hamilton Helmer's ... seven powers." [^1]


[![The Best Time in History to Start a Company | Patrick Collison & Amjad Masad](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YgYiF86h0yU/hqdefault.jpg)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=YgYiF86h0yU&t=1788)
*The Best Time in History to Start a Company | Patrick Collison & Amjad Masad (29:48)*


## Two other recommendations worth saving

### *Paper on innovation and productivity growth* *(title not provided in source)*
- **Content type:** Research paper [^1]
- **Author/creator:** Nick Bloom [^1]
- **Link/URL:** Direct paper link was not provided in the source; source discussion: [Patrick Collison & Amjad Masad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgYiF86h0yU) [^1]
- **Who recommended it:** Patrick Collison [^1]
- **Key takeaway:** Collison described it as a “very interesting paper” about how innovation and productivity growth, at least on a per-person basis, appeared to be declining and how that broader stagnation might be explained. [^1]
- **Why it matters:** It offers a macro frame for readers who want to think about innovation, productivity, and stagnation at the system level rather than only at the company level. [^1]

### *San Jose's approach to homelessness* *(video)*
- **Content type:** Video [^2]
- **Author/creator:** The New York Times [^2]
- **Link/URL:** [NYT video](https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000010897310/san-joses-approach-to-homelessness.html) [^2]
- **Who recommended it:** Garry Tan [^2]
- **Key takeaway:** Tan highlighted a pragmatic approach built around converting rundown motels into transitional housing, prioritizing people from the local neighborhood first, and creating no-encampment zones only after offering real alternatives. [^2]
- **Why it matters:** He emphasized concrete outcomes rather than abstract intent: fewer 911 calls, less blight, and more stable neighborhoods. [^2]

## Bottom line

If you open only one resource, start with *Seven Powers*. It had the clearest endorsement and the most direct application to a durable founder problem: how to reason about moats in software. After that, Nick Bloom’s paper is the best macro follow-on, while the NYT video is the most concrete non-business case study in today’s set. [^1][^2]

---

### Sources

[^1]: [The Best Time in History to Start a Company | Patrick Collison & Amjad Masad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgYiF86h0yU)
[^2]: [𝕏 post by @garrytan](https://x.com/garrytan/status/2057446406257004679)