Hello Reader,
How did your holiday break go? Can't believe it's another year already. I'm writing this at the boarding area for a connecting flight to Las Vegas, where I'll be attending CES 2026. So do pardon a typo or three from a somewhat sleep-deprived brain.
And yes, I'm looking forward to bringing you news of the latest in technology from brands such as Lenovo, Samsung, and Nvidia in a few days' time. For now, I just want to talk about the rise of AI inference and my plans for content in 2026.
Rise of inference
The day before Christmas, Nvidia pulled a surprise acquisition of Groq, in what is the company's largest recorded deal ever. According to some reports I read, it was closed "very quickly." Did Nvidia force Groq's hand after the latter sharply cut its 2025 revenue forecast? And did the delay of its major supply deal with Saudi Arabia play a part? I have a sneaking suspicion they all did.
What is Nvidia doing by acquiring Groq? Some would argue that Nvidia just bought out its most promising competitor. But hearing it from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, it is all about AI inference, which apparently already accounts for more than 40% of Nvidia's AI-related revenue and which he predicts will rise sharply.
From this vantage point, it is easy to see why Nvidia is working hard to further strengthen its already formidable stack by co-opting promising AI inference technology - ensuring that it gets its hands on all parts of the market.
What next for 2026
Over the last few weeks, I've been reviewing my content strategy for 2026. I have been writing practically daily since 30 April 2023, while this newsletter first came to be around March 2024.
As I wrote earlier this week, posting regularly on LinkedIn has opened the doors to opportunities that I would never have imagined, given me rich new connections, and dramatically increased my knowledge. So I don't plan to stop.
On the other hand, it is also true that deeper, analytical pieces fare rather poorly on LinkedIn, especially with the latest algorithmic changes. For instance, my impressions dropped 5.6% in 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, despite a gain of 15,000 followers.
My content is grounded, pragmatic, and balanced. It takes a fair amount of time to research and craft. But it's increasingly drowned out by low-effort AI-written posts, "evergreen" crowd-pleasing content, and hyped-up news that tends to go viral and bump everything else off the feeds.
According to my time tracker, I'm spending more time each year writing, often dozens of hours a month, even as I try to write as quickly as possible. It makes sense to divert my effort towards the appropriate platform.
Here's what will happen:
- Posts on my LinkedIn account will continue to focus on the latest tech developments and events.
- Analyses and explainers will go to my ClearlyTech.co Substack instead.
- My WhatsApp Channel will continue to offer links to my latest posts, as well as occasional informal updates.
- Finally, my email newsletter will always contain a commentary with my candid thoughts on recent developments or my plans.
In short, I'll still be on LinkedIn, but more of my deeper content will go to other channels. Depending on what interests you, I'd encourage you to sign up for the ones that suit you best.
I look forward to an exciting journey with you this year.
Regards,
Paul Mah
Content collaboration
Love the way I write? I'm opening up for more content collaborations. If you are looking for event coverage, brand storytelling, or a way to share your unique perspectives with a broader audience, fill in the form
here and I'll get in touch.
