2021 blogs that inspire me

7 minutes estimated reading time

I wrote a blog post back in February 2014 that highlighted 40 blogs that inspired me, revisiting this post I decided to write about 2021 blogs that inspire me. But first how did the original list hold up in 2021?

Original list in 2021

Name / CategoryDescription
Analysis 
Wall Street Journal Corporate Intelligence blogNo longer exists, the link defaults to the Wall Street Journal front page.
Edge Perspectives with John Hagel– No longer exists
Monocle MonocolumnMonocle has kept the archive online, but the Monocolumn is no longer updated. It has been abandoned in favour of the Monocle Minute
Organizations and MarketsOrganizations and Markets have their archive online but wrote their last post in 2016, ten years to the day when they first started writing posts
Asia 
AnalectsThe Analects last post was in November 2014
Asia blogThe Asia Society have a blog which alternates between amazing photography from the region and analysis pieces with an academic / think tank type feel. It is still maintained
Asian Security BlogStill sporadically posted to by Robert Kelly a Korean-based professor of international relations, it has some interesting posts analyzing the complex relationships across APAC. In 2017, became better known when his children gatecrashed a television interview he was doing via Skype with the BBC
Bytes of ChinaNo longer available
China Real TimeThe blog has disappeared and now diverts to the WSJ’s Asian news section.
ChinaTechNewsChinaTechNews seems to have stopped at the end of 2020
Hong Kong HustleStopped in 2017, but the archived posts are still available
Jing DailyAll things luxury sector related in China.
Jottings from the Granite StudioNow diverts to Jeremiah Jenne’s personal site
May DailyMay Daily no longer exists
Scene AsiaNo longer exists, instead it diverts to the WSJ home page
Business 
Andy KesslerBlog of the business author and former Wall Street analyst, mostly just posts the copy from his Wall Street Journal articles there now.
Bronte CapitalAustralian authored blog with some interesting analysis on some of the business stories of the day with a very strong focus on US companies
Strategyprofs.netThe archive is still available. The last post was written in 2016
Union Square VenturesA mix of curated content and original analysis by staff from a New York-based venture capital firm
Design 
Cool ToolsKevin Kelly’s website which is a spiritual successor to the Whole Earth Catalog.
designboomGreat new product site which cover product design to architecture products, handy to look through for inspiration
DezeenSimilar to designboom but more focused on architecture
IDSA Materials and Processes SectionNo longer active
Thinking and SharingHasn’t been updated since November 2020
Ideas 
BBH LabsRandom assortment of posts from the innovation team at BBH, always something to think about
ExcapiteIdeas of exploration in the network economy
PARC blogBlog no longer active
Insights 
CEB Iconoculture Consumer Insights BlogMerged into GartnerGroup’s other blog posts
Creative Culture InternationalNuggets of consumer behaviour insights from around the world
GfK Insights BlogGlobal market research agency posts based on some of the research they carry out, has a mixed bag of content
The comScore Data MineNo longer active
WPP Reading RoomNo longer active
Online 
China Internet WatchThink Techcrunch for China
China Social Media blogNo longer active
Facebook Developer BlogLess of a pleasure, more of a professional necessity to try and keep with up with the latest developments on the Great Satan of social
Technology 
FluxxNo longer running a blog
Infinite LoopArs Technica’s Apple-focused channel, quality analysis
Michael GeistCanadian expert on intellectual property and online privacy. Blogs analysis with a North American focus
Tech-On!Blog no longer published in English
The WirecutterA ‘best of ‘ website that looks at different technology categories

What surprised me about the 2012 list is how many blogs covering different aspects of China in terms of the technology scene, culture and online life have disappeared or stopped being updated. Despite the fact that now, more than ever, they are needed.

Major media outlets have walked back from building blogs based on interest areas or personalities ( like a traditional newspaper columnist).

By comparison, I have a compiled an exemplar list of inspirational 2021 blogs. I look at more but that would be ludicrously long to compile.

2021 blogs that inspire me

Name / CategoryDescription
Analysis 
Marginal RevolutionEconomics blog of Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok, both of whom teach at George Mason University
Naked CapitalismNaked Capitalism is an educated critique of post Reagan / Thatcher Chicago School of economics
Global Risk InsightsA mix of current affairs and economics from an international team of policy wonks and economists
LawfareCurrent affairs analysis in association with the Brookings Institute
ProMarket A curated newsfeed of articles on the intersection of technology, policy and economics
VoxEUEU focused policy blog under the auspices of the Centre for Economic Policy Research
Asia
Asian SentinelAsian Sentinel is edited by a couple of veteran Asia based journalists. The content comes from a number of experts in the region in specialisms such as finance, economics and policy.
Chosun IlboEnglish language Korean newspaper
Hong Kong Free PressThe Hong Kong Free Press is an English language online-only new site focusing on Hong Kong
MetropolisEnglish language online magazine focused on life in Japan – culture rather than policy and news
Jayne StarsEnglish language blog that collates Hong Kong celebrity news from Cantonese language media. It is was important for me to keep an eye on this when working in Hong Kong. It is also a good way to track the slow death of the Hong Kong domestic media industry.
Nippon.comOnline magazine ran by the Nippon Communications Foundation
PingWestChina-based English language site that specialises local technology sector news
SoraNews24English language version of a Japanese news site that focuses on ‘fun, weird, and intriguing news from Asia, particularly Japan’. It has some great Japanese consumer insight content including retail experiences
South China Morning PostThe South China Morning Post historically was the paper of record for Hong Kong. It’s medium-to-long term usefulness looks in question with the National Security Act and the Chinese government pressure for Jack Ma to divest media ownership
Tech in AsiaEnglish language site that is focused on the South East Asian and East Asian technology sector 
What’s On WeiboEnglish language site that provides insight into the top stories and memes trending on Chinese social media
The Wire ChinaSubscription-based online Chinese news magazine covering business, policy and economic issues
HKU Legal Scholarship BlogHong Kong University faculty of law blog on local developments
Design
Cool Hunting A mix of the unusual and cool from around the web
Cool ToolsKevin Kelly’s website which is a spiritual successor to the Whole Earth Catalog.
designboomGreat new product site which cover product design to architecture products, handy to look through for inspiration
DezeenSimilar to designboom but more focused on architecture
Core77Curated design and architecture
Retro To GoProducts with a retro design and sensibility
1Granary A magazine focused on profiling designers and artists
ColossalColossal in their own words – “an international platform for contemporary art and visual expression that explores a vast range of creative disciplines.” 
Design milkAn online magazine and e-commerce site focused on modern design
DexignerOne of the OG design blogs started back in 2001
Retro To Go Retro To Go curates vintage and new products that are retro influenced product designs
Ideas
Ad AgedGeorge Tannenbaum is a 40 year creative veteran in the advertising industry. His blog is a mix of smart thinking and ranting about ageism and other isms in the ad industry (there’s a lot of them to rant about)
AeonAeon is a smart digital magazine run along the same principles as PBS or NPR in the US
BaekdalManagement consultancy type content on the media industry, primarily aimed at publishers, but useful for ad people like yours truly
Clot MagazineAn online magazine about art that uses ‘science’ as its media – full of interesting curios
Creative Culture A mix of academics and consultants covering a wide range of cultural issues. I am never sure what I’ll find here, but it’s seldom dull.
FuturismCuration of interesting stuff
Hello FutureFrance Telecom has a blog about the bleeding edge of technology. Alongside the usual 5G flag waving you’d expect from a major mobile network operator there’s some thoughtful content
Kellogg InsightArticles from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Many of which are well written
KnowledgeArticles written by INSEAD teaching staff and alumni 
Union Square VenturesVenture capital fund who write about some of the thinking that underpins their investment themes
Yale University Press BlogA blog that covers the central ideas in the books that they publish. The articles go from current affairs to art, history and science.
Technology
Radio Free MobileDespite the name, covers technology and does some interesting business analysis. I really like the way everything is delivered in succinct bullet points
Semiconductor DigestSemiconductors are the most overlooked, yet important part of technology today. Well worth keeping up with the latest developments here
Chilling CompetitionAnalysis of the intersection between legal and technology, with a particular focus on anti-trust and competition law
Tech.euEurope based technology and innovation news