Reflecting on Minimalissimo
I was recently asked what my values are in life. It's a very tough question to answer without...
5th Mar 2023
I was recently asked what my values are in life. It's a very tough question to answer without throwing out one word answers off the top of your head. And that's pretty meaningless unless you're prepared to elaborate on that word and what it means in relation to your life and...
My Favorite Books in the First Quarter of 2026
Sharing my favorite books from the first quarter of 2026 and how they impacted my perspective on...
4th Apr 2026
Sharing my favorite books from the first quarter of 2026 and how they impacted my perspective on various topics.
Alpine Starts II
Or: Thanksgiving in the Mountains
26th Nov 2023
Or: Thanksgiving in the Mountains
Goodbye Florida
In the evenings the song of whippoorwills echoes on all sides. Spring peepers croak and creak in the...
10th May 2023
In the evenings the song of whippoorwills echoes on all sides. Spring peepers croak and creak in the marsh reeds. Here and there through the trees I can catch a glimmering flicker of flames from a campfire. Only the truly committed are having fires in this heat. The air is still...
The Audacity of Ambition
Timothée Chalamet Aspires In Public
1st Mar 2025
Timothée Chalamet Aspires In Public
How Senior Leaders Evaluate Ideas — And a Story of Amazon's 3-Year Planning Process
Ideas are valuable if they're not simply a desired outcome. A path to an outcome is the core element...
29th Jul 2024
Ideas are valuable if they're not simply a desired outcome. A path to an outcome is the core element of a good idea.
Home alone on a Saturday night
Got caught in thought space today.
Ideas galore, activities here and there, actions minimal, lots of...
4th Dec 2022
Got caught in thought space today.
Ideas galore, activities here and there, actions minimal, lots of standing around watching not enough touching.
Like the guy with a crush on a girl but never says anything.
So I took a step outside thought space.
And found gravity.
Twenty...
With thanks to Steven Rosenberg
Lately I’ve got used to waking up and checking my email and socials, and sorting through the latest...
3rd Nov 2025
Lately I’ve got used to waking up and checking my email and socials, and sorting through the latest troll or person angry about something I didn’t say. In a word, not great… assuming you hyphenate not and great, which I didn’t do there for some reason.
This morning, I got this...
The Last Lunch
A Short Story
1st Aug 2026
Render Unto the Machine
The Convivial Society: Vol. 4, No. 12
8th Jul 2023
The Convivial Society: Vol. 4, No. 12
Selene Aegean Bistro
Here we go with another restaurant on my "to eat at" list but it has taken me until now to actually...
2nd May 2026
Here we go with another restaurant on my "to eat at" list but it has taken me until now to actually pay them a visit. When Bluebeard and Nikita wanted to meet up for dinner, it was as good as any time to suggest Selene Aegean Bistro out on Pentiction at Hastings. Not be...
A Practical Guide to Modern Dating
So you've thrown yourself into the modern dating pool, eh? You brave, brave soul.
Look, I know...
1st Jan 2023
So you've thrown yourself into the modern dating pool, eh? You brave, brave soul.
Look, I know meeting new people, going on dates, figuring out if you even like the person sitting across from you—it can all be confusing, frustrating, and just exhausting at times.
But before you...
Aridity Incarnate
The American West, Fiction, and Water
1st Oct 2024
The American West, Fiction, and Water
The ‘Do or Die’ Days
If the Bell Tolls on the American Hinterlands, Will You Answer It?
3 weeks ago
If the Bell Tolls on the American Hinterlands, Will You Answer It?
Regrets List / Things I Did Good List
Noticing the patterns of your personal life-lessons
2nd Aug 2023
Noticing the patterns of your personal life-lessons
An Ode to Manchester Wall
A 19th-century bridge's contribution to climbing culture
9th May 2024
A 19th-century bridge's contribution to climbing culture
10 Ways to Avoid Being Fooled
Mental models for discerning truth
20th Feb 2023
Mental models for discerning truth
I Have Opinions About The Production Of Pizza
The low-hanging fruit of pizza happiness, possibly
13th Sep 2023
The low-hanging fruit of pizza happiness, possibly
I'm Recommending 12 New YouTube Videos
Let's support indie voices instead of Netflix
1st Feb 2026
Let's support indie voices instead of Netflix
Californias
The first time I went out to Silicon Valley, or California for that matter, or anywhere at all west...
29th Jul 2025
The first time I went out to Silicon Valley, or California for that matter, or anywhere at all west of New York state, was after college.
To day has bin a memorable day
Born in 1838, Emilie Davis was a free African American woman who lived and worked as a seamstress in...
1st Jan 2023
Born in 1838, Emilie Davis was a free African American woman who lived and worked as a seamstress in the city of Philadelphia. It was in 1863, aged 24, that Davis began to keep a written record of life during the Civil War in the first of three pocket diaries to have survived,...
Are You Entertained—Or Addicted?
In David Foster Wallace’s classic novel, Infinite Jest, there's a movie that is so entertaining that...
18th Jul 2022
In David Foster Wallace’s classic novel, Infinite Jest, there's a movie that is so entertaining that anyone who views even a small portion of it will give up all desire to do anything else in life in order to keep watching. Throughout the book, characters who see it give up...
Impact, Zimpact!
[Plus audio version]
27th Aug 2025
How I passed the time in 2025
Stories, books, albums, & blogs
28th Dec 2025
Stories, books, albums, & blogs
Small Spaces
notes on building blocks
14th Mar 2024
The Locker Room Talk of Mentors and Minions
I saw myself at 22, lifting a wheel, struggling under its weight to attach it to a car. Behind me...
4th Nov 2017
I saw myself at 22, lifting a wheel, struggling under its weight to attach it to a car. Behind me was an experienced mechanic who has mastered the heavier machinery. He worked with skill, with a quickness that hid the forces he was wielding, making the power required to rip tires...
[instagram]
123 months: everything is perimenopause
as we're both women in our mid 40s we're inevitably entering the dreaded phase in our lives when our...
2nd Aug 2026
as we're both women in our mid 40s we're inevitably entering the dreaded phase in our lives when our hormones go out of whack and we start experiencing disturbing symptoms...these days one can search any medical symptom on google and it is definitely a possible perimenopause...
How I Develop Photos With Darktable
This guide is kept up-to-date with Darktable releases. It is currently written for Darktable 5.2,...
26th Aug 2025
This guide is kept up-to-date with Darktable releases. It is currently written for Darktable 5.2, released June 2025. Be sure to read part 1 before you read this.
There are several tools out there to develop camera RAW files into printable images, some of them are shockingly...
One week left to apply for Invisible College 2026
Our residential seminar for 18–22 year olds was such a success that we are running it again. Apply...
1st May 2026
Our residential seminar for 18–22 year olds was such a success that we are running it again. Apply this week or forever hold your peace.
23 Highlights from 2023
A new video, two viral essays, a weekend in London, friends, family, a toddler, and much more!
5th Jan 2024
A new video, two viral essays, a weekend in London, friends, family, a toddler, and much more!
The slow death of all that is known
The know-it-all can never be surprised. Everything he learns is an appendix to some distant...
2nd Sep 2017
The know-it-all can never be surprised. Everything he learns is an appendix to some distant education. What little new insight is gained is but a footnote to that framework of original knowledge, the dusty document of knowledge canonized long ago when his education was...
We increased conversion ~30% and we don't know exactly how
Not too long ago, we dedicated a 6-week cycle to improving Basecamp's onboarding flows.
The aim was...
3rd Feb 2025
Not too long ago, we dedicated a 6-week cycle to improving Basecamp's onboarding flows.
The aim was to increase conversion from trial to paid by smoothing out the initial experience of getting going, doing a better job of quick-teaching the basics, and making a few things a...
More Calories Less Crime
Some criminals are getting too fat to offend.
12th Aug 2023
Some criminals are getting too fat to offend.
Building a garden in the backyard
I started building a garden in the backyard.
It’s a small space but it took almost a year to get...
6th May 2023
I started building a garden in the backyard.
It’s a small space but it took almost a year to get going.
A year!
Mostly because of laziness and other things going on.
A little dream I have is to one day eat a full feast that consists 100%
Manufactured Inevitability and the Need for Courage
The Convivial Society: Vol. 6, No. 3
15th Dec 2025
The Convivial Society: Vol. 6, No. 3
Coaching Toolkit: Sitting With the Unknown
Practices for navigating uncertainty even when it's uncomfortable
21st Aug 2025
Practices for navigating uncertainty even when it's uncomfortable
[instagram]
the look of love for 119 months
it has been a difficult few weeks for me…but i can say that the years have been difficult too. that...
2nd Apr 2026
it has been a difficult few weeks for me…but i can say that the years have been difficult too. that is why i don’t understand how she can have the love and patience to endure my self with me. sometimes i have terrible insomnia and i end up waking her up tens of times throughout...
the disorientation of freedom
beyond words
4th Feb 2026
13 Lessons from 37 Years
My Gift to You for my 37th Birthday
1st Oct 2024
My Gift to You for my 37th Birthday
what is the shape of your mind?
a visual essay on the topography of internal spaces
19th Mar 2025
a visual essay on the topography of internal spaces
Good Employees Follow the Rules. Great Employees Break Them.
Because the rules are meant for those who aren't as smart and brave as you. Seriously.
7th Oct 2024
Because the rules are meant for those who aren't as smart and brave as you. Seriously.
What's not to like about work-life balance?
Laetitia@Work #43
14th Oct 2021
Carrot Problems
It's not the crime, it's the coverup.
5th Jul 2023
It's not the crime, it's the coverup.
Why Skills Matter More Than Goals
Welcome to the first Monday of the new year. It’s 2022 and if you’re like me, it still feels like...
3rd Jan 2022
Welcome to the first Monday of the new year. It’s 2022 and if you’re like me, it still feels like 2019 was last year. Talk about a mindfuck.
This is that time of year where most productive and growth-minded people sit down and focus on their goals, their identity, and who they...
American Hedonism
What do Thomas Aquinas, Pope Gregory I, and Walker Robinson of Your Neighbors have in common?
7th Feb 2025
What do Thomas Aquinas, Pope Gregory I, and Walker Robinson of Your Neighbors have in common?
ZTM 2023 State of AI Tools & Coding Report
How are developers using AI tools?
2nd Aug 2023
How are developers using AI tools?
started eating pea protein and wtf this makes my shakes taste like peas its literally made of...
Hello my friends.
12th Aug 2025
Fireworks
Midsummer heat with no air conditioning. Cars packed full of paddleboards and floats. Sunscreen...
16th Jul 2025
Midsummer heat with no air conditioning. Cars packed full of paddleboards and floats. Sunscreen slicks trail swimmers through the shallows.
Afternoons are a haze of Canadian wildfire skies, a world seen through gauze, prematurely pink and orange in the evenings.
Summer here...
Polaroid, you broke my heart.
What does it feel like to be contacted by a brand you love and admire? Well, if the person reaching...
15th Sep 2015
What does it feel like to be contacted by a brand you love and admire? Well, if the person reaching out to you is a lawyer from their trademark protection team it probably feels like a kick in the gut.
Designing a New Old Home: Mistakes
But in me haste to do the job, I was too blind to see
5th Mar 2026
But in me haste to do the job, I was too blind to see
Careful technology
Dear friends, There is a commonplace opinion that technology and the natural world, or that...
21st May 2024
Dear friends, There is a commonplace opinion that technology and the natural world, or that technological pursuits and natural pursuits, are at odds. An example: I think this is a false position. But if this kind of sentiment is so often repeated, its worth thinking about why it...
Push the Fence
I know how to replace a kitchen faucet. If you have a janky old faucet that needs to be replaced...
16th Jul 2024
I know how to replace a kitchen faucet. If you have a janky old faucet that needs to be replaced with a smoothly operating new one, I can do that for you or show you how. This wasn’t always true. It became true May 27, 2024, after pulling everything out of the under-sink...
Week 21 of 2025- W212025
Luck is the residue
25th May 2025
Opposites Attract
On the Gender Divide In Politics and Why It Might Just Save Us All
3rd Feb 2024
On the Gender Divide In Politics and Why It Might Just Save Us All
quests, failure, desire
or: contra defensive postures
9th Aug 2024
or: contra defensive postures
Big Companies Don’t Get Slower Because They Become Stupid
Designing processes and software to scale is expensive but necessary. I'll walk through why scaling...
2nd Mar 2026
Designing processes and software to scale is expensive but necessary. I'll walk through why scaling by definition (basically always) leads to a loss of agility.
Why we need more older female role models at work
Laetitia@Work #92
11th Feb 2026
Wacky Guy One: prepping for the audition that coulda changed everything
a raw and unvarnished look at what it takes to make it in hollywood with celebrated commercial actor...
5th Dec 2023
a raw and unvarnished look at what it takes to make it in hollywood with celebrated commercial actor Alex Dobrenko
Unusual UI
I knew if I built my app exactly the way I wanted there was a chance it might not make it through...
5th Nov 2016
I knew if I built my app exactly the way I wanted there was a chance it might not make it through Apple’s approval gauntlet.
Abandon Your New Year’s Resolutions and Perform 6 System Checks
I had trouble making resolutions this year. Normally I love the process, I make my list, sketch out...
6th Jan 2019
I had trouble making resolutions this year. Normally I love the process, I make my list, sketch out a plan, maybe even buy an online course or two. But this year I couldn’t do it. Why was my brain blocking the New Year’s resolution tradition?
Creating Space: Fall Cohort is Open 🍂
Come join us for the next cohort of Creating Space!
6th Oct 2025
Come join us for the next cohort of Creating Space!
Brainstorming Advice from a Long Lost Isaac Asimov Letter
When a writer like Isaac Asimov talks about creativity I take note. What can a lost letter about...
19th Jan 2015
When a writer like Isaac Asimov talks about creativity I take note. What can a lost letter about creativity written by Isaac Asimov from 1959 teach us?
My Favorite Books in the First Quarter of 2026
Sharing my favorite books from the first quarter of 2026 and how they impacted my perspective on...
4th Mar 2026
Sharing my favorite books from the first quarter of 2026 and how they impacted my perspective on various topics.
house cats
These days, it is easier to let my mind be a house cat.
3rd Aug 2025
These days, it is easier to let my mind be a house cat.
The Simple Investment Principles Of Warren Buffett In His Own Words
14th Mar 2017
Talent Myths and the Story of Imperceptible Gains
I made a discovery as I sifted through the running data I have been collecting for the last nine...
4th Jun 2017
I made a discovery as I sifted through the running data I have been collecting for the last nine years. After 897 runs and 4,659 miles I have gotten faster. How much faster? Well, for every mile I run I get 0.012 seconds faster. That's about as imperceptible as a fart.
The Ford Foundation: a fork-tongued global mafia front
[Plus audio version]
1st Sep 2025
The Wedge Between Pleasure and Pain
Castles in the Sky #40
6th Oct 2023
Last of the Curmudgeons
Catch-up service:
7th Sep 2024
minimum effective dose
I am still recovering from my failed root canal (and still have one visit to complete the...
1st Feb 2025
I am still recovering from my failed root canal (and still have one visit to complete the procedure), so I have been hesitant in taking up my regular exercise again because I...
Stop Making Sense
David Lynch, Bob Dylan, and the Beauty of the Inexplicable
1st Feb 2025
David Lynch, Bob Dylan, and the Beauty of the Inexplicable
The Pacification of War
Battle Massacres may have gone out of fashion
23rd Apr 2024
Battle Massacres may have gone out of fashion
Sinister strike
On the comparative advantage of left-handed violence
18th Jun 2023
On the comparative advantage of left-handed violence
Small steps, Big dreams
proudly announcing Tech and Tea
2nd Apr 2023
proudly announcing Tech and Tea
the two dogs in me
words from a private reading i did in Toronto
1st May 2025
words from a private reading i did in Toronto
Adolf Hitler is said to be dead
On 1st September 1939, Friedrich Kellner, a German justice inspector and committed Social Democrat,...
1st May 2023
On 1st September 1939, Friedrich Kellner, a German justice inspector and committed Social Democrat, embarked upon a courageous mission that would continue until 1945. In defiance of the Nazi regime, he secretly documented the brutal realities of life under Hitler’s rule,...
Second-Time Founder Anxiety
Starting a company is hard. Starting a company the second time can be even harder if you let it.
17th Oct 2023
Starting a company is hard. Starting a company the second time can be even harder if you let it.
introducing the what to cook SHOW!!!!
I mentioned earlier this summer that I have been working on something BIG and it’s finally time to...
16th Jul 2026
I mentioned earlier this summer that I have been working on something BIG and it’s finally time to share what that something is:
I’m launching a show here on Substack!!!
What To Cook is (for now!) an eight-episode series that takes you inside our home, right into the dinnertime...
The Illusion of Solitude
Deconstructing the Myth of Wilderness
1st Nov 2024
Deconstructing the Myth of Wilderness
Why An Easier Life Is Not Necessarily Happier
Remembering Albert Borgmann (1937-2023)
10th May 2023
Remembering Albert Borgmann (1937-2023)
Coming 2nd in a Kaggle Competition
How my brother and I came second in a Google Health + AI competition.
31st Mar 2026
How my brother and I came second in a Google Health + AI competition.
Issue 24: How smashing the NIMBYs created modern capitalism
Works in Progress Issue 24 is out today.
1st Jul 2026
Works in Progress Issue 24 is out today.
Record Labels Are Running on Empty
The latest news is ominous
2nd Jul 2025
The latest news is ominous
Is friendship romantic?
:)))
3rd Dec 2025
You Can't Be A Smart Sycophant
Laetitia@Work #97
7th Apr 2026
Maybe there’s a pattern here?
1.
It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine—a gun—which could by its rapidity of fire,...
4th Mar 2026
1.
It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine—a gun—which could by its rapidity of fire, enable one man to do as much battle duty as a hundred, that it would, to a large extent supersede the necessity of large armies, and consequently, exposure to battle and disease...
Do Quests, Not Goals
South Island, New Zealand, a.k.a. Middle-Earth If you were to make a list of what you want to get...
8th Aug 2024
South Island, New Zealand, a.k.a. Middle-Earth If you were to make a list of what you want to get done this week, it would mostly consist of things you have to do. Get groceries. Book a hair appointment. Get back to so-and-so. Read that health and safety thing for work. If you...
Preorder My Sci-Fi Novel, Husk
A limited time, first-edition signed hardcover with bonuses
12th Mar 2025
A limited time, first-edition signed hardcover with bonuses
Uniform
Ever thought of having a personal uniform? Not the typical work attire, but a carefully curated...
3rd Feb 2024
Ever thought of having a personal uniform? Not the typical work attire, but a carefully curated capsule wardrobe that reflects a cohesive style. My interest in fashion is limited, yet the concept of capsule wardrobes has fascinated me for years. I've been chipping away at...
can everyone kindly shut the fuck up about AI
The robots aren't coming, but the people who can't shut the fuck up about them are already here.
5th Jun 2024
The robots aren't coming, but the people who can't shut the fuck up about them are already here.
Alien Intelligence
I regularly commune with an alien intelligence (my cat)
4th Sep 2024
I regularly commune with an alien intelligence (my cat)
being covid cautious is triggering for me but health is precious
I was supposed to do a dental crown after I was finally done with my root canal in may, but as usual...
7th Sep 2025
I was supposed to do a dental crown after I was finally done with my root canal in may, but as usual I procrastinated plus we travelled for a bit in july...
Nuances of Minimalism
Minimalism can be perceived in different ways, as it should be, because there are in fact many...
3rd Aug 2021
Minimalism can be perceived in different ways, as it should be, because there are in fact many nuances to the movement. Is it even a movement? It’s perhaps better described as a guiding principle. Some of these nuances are highly commercial, some are focused on personal wellbeing...
How they made it: The Molehill's Viv Chen on career transitions and fashion writing
creativity, security, and changing careers in your late 20s
4th Mar 2025
creativity, security, and changing careers in your late 20s
Your Communication Leakage Rate
Over 85% of your communication is lost. It is wasted on deaf ears, hidden agendas, wandering minds,...
13th Mar 2017
Over 85% of your communication is lost. It is wasted on deaf ears, hidden agendas, wandering minds, good intentions, and the low fidelity of human memory. I made the 85% number up, but it can't be far off. If you think my guess is unreasonable let me try to distort your reality.
The King and the Hermit
Dear friends, there is a tale, Long ago there lived a king who had two sons. Both children were...
6th Oct 2022
Dear friends, there is a tale, Long ago there lived a king who had two sons. Both children were overindulgent in spending and habits, and the king was much vexed by this careless nature. Being very old, he worried that after his death they would shortly blunder away their...
Attitudes one can take towards people who have behaved badly
Have you ever noticed that reality has some properties that are quite annoying? For example, have...
7th Nov 2024
Have you ever noticed that reality has some properties that are quite annoying? For example, have you noticed that some people do bad things? And yet those same people sometimes have interesting ideas?
Occasionally, I’ll bring up an idea in conversation and someone will gently...
Steep Embankments
My police officer friend (and design mentor) once told me the story of a strange death he...
4th Jun 2016
My police officer friend (and design mentor) once told me the story of a strange death he investigated where a woman was found floating face down next to a shopping cart.
I spent my morning talking to an AI chatbot
A tech "late-adopter" plays around with chat-gpt and other chatbots and is blown away by some use...
1st Jul 2023
A tech "late-adopter" plays around with chat-gpt and other chatbots and is blown away by some use cases and underwhelmed by others.
Out of the Wilderness
In hope
25th Nov 2025
The Wisdom of Daybreak
The Convivial Society: Vol. 5, No. 1
12th Jan 2024
The Convivial Society: Vol. 5, No. 1
What Are We Doing To Ourselves
I do not find it amusing
1st May 2026
Joining the No-Club
Laetitia@Work #51
8th Sep 2022
Why Streaming Subscription Prices Will Continue to Rise
You are a user—so get ready to be used
2nd Nov 2024
You are a user—so get ready to be used
Thoughts on the search for life
Just listened to Lex Fridman and Sara Walker talk about the origins of life, the search for life,...
22nd Jun 2024
Just listened to Lex Fridman and Sara Walker talk about the origins of life, the search for life, what is life, etc. It was a wonderfully refreshing, nourishing conversation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwhTfyX9J34
It made me want to spill out some random thoughts on the...
Hamster Wheel Upgrades
It is either the most beautiful song I have ever heard or something else. It’s one of those rare...
13th Oct 2018
It is either the most beautiful song I have ever heard or something else. It’s one of those rare moments where you shed all the pessimism and your soul fills with peace and clarity until it leaks out of the corner of your eye.
The Route You’re Looking for is Straight Through the Woods
The next time you’re walking down a well-trodden footpath through a wooded area, give a thought to...
1st Aug 2025
The next time you’re walking down a well-trodden footpath through a wooded area, give a thought to the first person (or deer) who took that route. Some determined being came through here when there was no path. They went straight into the woods. They didn’t circle around to try...
Leaning into joy and community
Processing this past week and some joyful things in my life
11th Nov 2024
Processing this past week and some joyful things in my life
The Architecture of Safety
The Foundation That Makes Healing Possible
9th Jun 2025
The Foundation That Makes Healing Possible
Niwa
Recently, Air Canada released its list of the best new restaurants in Canada. One of the places...
2nd Jan 2026
Recently, Air Canada released its list of the best new restaurants in Canada. One of the places mentioned is Niwa out on a strip of great restaurants on Powell Street near Victoria Drive. After great meals at other nominated restaurants such as Le Violon, Elem, June, Linny's...
A Tiny City in the Wilderness
On Urbanism in the Middle of Nowhere
6th Apr 2025
On Urbanism in the Middle of Nowhere
The Hidden Cost of Process: A Guide for Tech Leaders
Building processes is a mechanism for resolving issues fully. But they're also bottlenecks which...
23rd Jun 2025
Building processes is a mechanism for resolving issues fully. But they're also bottlenecks which slow your organization down. How do you navigate this conundrum?
The Feather
"A breathtakingly beautiful book that shows how even a tiny bit of virtue can overcome any...
10th Oct 2024
"A breathtakingly beautiful book that shows how even a tiny bit of virtue can overcome any darkness." —Dustin Brady, author of Superhero for a Day After falling from an angel's wing, a tiny feather drifts past the boundaries of Heaven and into the mortal realm below. No longer...
Easter 2022: A Roman Pilgrimage
This Easter, my wife and I headed to Rome. What follows is a simple journal that records some of the...
5th May 2022
This Easter, my wife and I headed to Rome. What follows is a simple journal that records some of the things that we did, with a selection of photographs from each day.
Ten New Albums I'm Recommending Right Now
Warning: strange soul-stirring sounds ahead!
1st Jun 2026
Warning: strange soul-stirring sounds ahead!
My body is not a temple
My body is a machine.
6th Apr 2025
Amulets Against the Spirits of the Age
The Convivial Society: Vol. 5, No. 12
20th Nov 2024
The Convivial Society: Vol. 5, No. 12
Do you keep your wishes secret?
Have you ever hoped that someone would notice your good work and give you more opportunities? Would...
6th Aug 2023
Have you ever hoped that someone would notice your good work and give you more opportunities? Would that have been even more meaningful than if you asked for what you wanted, and got it?
Is This Anything? 23
Attempting attempts
1st Dec 2025
2024: one pull up
One of my biggest goals last year was to run 10km – for me it is not just a distance goal for the...
7th Jan 2024
One of my biggest goals last year was to run 10km – for me it is not just a distance goal for the sake of having a distance goal, but rather cultivating...
Special Hell 5, Ad-diction
Today I am going to tell you the story of how I used my web design skills to steal from little old...
5th Mar 2016
Today I am going to tell you the story of how I used my web design skills to steal from little old ladies and feed my ad-diction.
Wishing for a Better Outcome Isn't a Mechanism. The COE Approach to Continual Improvement and...
Focus on what you can control, and move past your narrow focus on outcomes. When mistakes happen,...
7th Jul 2025
Focus on what you can control, and move past your narrow focus on outcomes. When mistakes happen, the right question is: Why did your system allow it? How could you have influenced that result?
Quiet People in Meetings Are Incredible
Knowing when not to talk is an art.
3rd Dec 2024
Knowing when not to talk is an art.
What It Means to Be a Married Man in His 30s with Kids
It's not what you think
4th Mar 2025
Castles in the Sky's Seven Most Underrated Essays
A look back to celebrate my son being ~7 days old
3rd Feb 2025
A look back to celebrate my son being ~7 days old
How To Select Shares That Perform
This post contains my notes from the book: Selecting Shares That Perform: 10 ways to beat the stock...
31st Jul 2019
This post contains my notes from the book: Selecting Shares That Perform: 10 ways to beat the stock market by Richard Koch and Leo Gough Historically, over long periods of time, stocks have given the highest return. However there are some risks: Some stocks can go bust. To reduce...
Why I rebuilt this site
The journey of building this site.
31st Oct 2024
The journey of building this site.
on trading potential for something actual
just make a choice
1st Jan 2025
Please consider my own position
The King's Final Plea
2nd Jun 2026
The True Meaning Of Concentration
Q: My sweet beloved Mother, I read in the Conversations: “Concentration alone will lead you to this...
24th Jan 2020
Q: My sweet beloved Mother, I read in the Conversations: “Concentration alone will lead you to this goal.” Should one increase the time of meditation? Concentration does not mean meditation; on the contrary, concentration is a state one must be in continuously, whatever the outer...
Join the Six in '26 Book Club: Read from Don Quixote to Dostoevsky in 12 months
Read six classic novels as part of a group in 2026
10th Feb 2026
Read six classic novels as part of a group in 2026
Remote work and sick days
a double-edged sword
11th Feb 2023
Goal Setting: A Philosophical Guide to Setting and Achieving Goals
“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?” — Epictetus What do the...
28th Apr 2022
“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?” — Epictetus What do the goals we set, whether personal or professional, require? If we hope to accomplish our goals, we need the discipline to hold ourselves accountable. We need the self-control to stay...
The Hardo-Normie Alignment Graph
I don't know how I get invited to anything either
1st Apr 2024
I don't know how I get invited to anything either
Is a Priest Justified in Consulting a Doctor?
We must either love God or hate him; we must either believe everything or deny everything; All or...
18th Jan 2023
We must either love God or hate him; we must either believe everything or deny everything; All or Nothing.
The 5 Whys of Running
If you ask "Why?" five times you can discover the motivation behind anything. At least that is what...
17th Feb 2019
If you ask "Why?" five times you can discover the motivation behind anything. At least that is what this simple interrogation method is supposed to do. It's never worked for me.
Workspace Setup Revisited
I shared my workspace setup last year, but since then, I have changed a few things, so I felt it’s...
31st Dec 2021
I shared my workspace setup last year, but since then, I have changed a few things, so I felt it’s probably time to share an update on my current setup for both hardware and software. Given the continued Covid restrictions here in sunny Scotland, I am now working from home...
The Art of Living
The Convivial Society: Vol. 5, No. 4
1st Mar 2024
The Convivial Society: Vol. 5, No. 4
Under the Old Ginkgo
Everything I’m learning about uselessness, thriving, and not needing to scale from our backyard...
1st Feb 2025
Everything I’m learning about uselessness, thriving, and not needing to scale from our backyard ginkgo tree.
The Heroes Behind Healthcare.gov
The untold story of how a small team of innovators almost fundamentally changed government
1st Dec 2013
The untold story of how a small team of innovators almost fundamentally changed government
The Hottest Drummer You've Never Heard
A new book pays tribute to the amazing Chick Webb, the hardest swinging jazz drummer of his day
3rd Jul 2023
A new book pays tribute to the amazing Chick Webb, the hardest swinging jazz drummer of his day
The book of discoveries
Long before modern science, Europeans learned to see their own time as an age of invention rather...
5th Jan 2026
Long before modern science, Europeans learned to see their own time as an age of invention rather than decline.
Modern Noble Lies
The high price asked for harmony
1st Jan 2025
The high price asked for harmony
happy father's day (the color)
on failures and fathers and color and country
19th Jun 2026
on failures and fathers and color and country
I try to make tea out of dust
Born in 1942 in Schenectady, New York, Lyn Lifshin was an award-winning American poet and feminist...
1st Apr 2023
Born in 1942 in Schenectady, New York, Lyn Lifshin was an award-winning American poet and feminist known for her unique voice and prolific output: over her lifetime, she authored more than 120 books and chapbooks of poetry, edited four anthologies of women’s writing, and...
Utopia Bagels
On our last day in NYC before an evening flight, we made the trek out into midtown searching for...
2nd Aug 2026
On our last day in NYC before an evening flight, we made the trek out into midtown searching for some bagels. The first stop was at Utopia Bagels out on East 34th Street. Founded in 1980 at its original Queens location, Utopia is known for its hand-made bagels. We made it...
Why You’re Always Right
My cat refuses all medicine because she doesn’t understand the benefits. Nothing can make her see...
9th Feb 2026
My cat refuses all medicine because she doesn’t understand the benefits. Nothing can make her see that having bitter liquid squirted into her mouth will prevent her from getting intestinal worms. So I have to force the matter by wrapping her in a towel like a burrito, so that she...
What I Learned From Lifting
Wax on, wax off
1st Sep 2025
When The Writing Is Very Good That Doesn't Matter
The most popular link last time was this list of things that aren't doing the thing, with this piece...
4th Dec 2025
The most popular link last time was this list of things that aren't doing the thing, with this piece wondering if you are Actually Trying second.
Somehow, the most insightful thing I have read/seen about contemporary social media usage is this Google Slides presentation. It's
A Woodchuck's Daydream
In Search of a Swamp
1st Apr 2026
The Resignation Letter I Couldn’t Send
Writing a resignation letter is easy. Knowing whether or not to send it is the hard part.
16th Feb 2015
Writing a resignation letter is easy. Knowing whether or not to send it is the hard part.
099 SPLY
In the spring of 2022, I had a call with Stefan Jandl, who runs Favorit Studio. As we have similar...
3rd Nov 2022
In the spring of 2022, I had a call with Stefan Jandl, who runs Favorit Studio. As we have similar tastes and approach to design, we wanted to collaborate on a project together. Initially, we toyed with the idea of NFT art given its rise in popularity at the time, but it didn't...
Castles in the Sky 33 [May 2023]
Big, Big News!
15th Jun 2023
The View From RSS
What the web looks like when you subscribe to 2,000 RSS feeds.
3rd Mar 2026
What the web looks like when you subscribe to 2,000 RSS feeds.
A rationalist’s guide to manifestation.
Or, how to live a magical life
2nd Jan 2026
Or, how to live a magical life
The Crypto Mania Has Begun. How to Profit & Understand What's Happening
If you missed out last time, this is your opportunity
11th Nov 2024
If you missed out last time, this is your opportunity
SpaceX’s Big Fucking Rocket – The Full Story
It's gonna take you to Mars.
The post SpaceX’s Big Fucking Rocket – The Full Story appeared first on...
28th Sep 2016
It's gonna take you to Mars.
The post SpaceX’s Big Fucking Rocket – The Full Story appeared first on Wait But Why.
How to Know If You're Living in a Doom Loop
Let's look at the warning signs
2nd Aug 2024
Let's look at the warning signs
How to Conquer Your Biggest Fear
What is your biggest fear? What would it mean if you could overcome that fear, once and for all?
In...
9th May 2024
What is your biggest fear? What would it mean if you could overcome that fear, once and for all?
In this article, I'm going to help you do exactly that by teaching you five tactics to conquer anything you might be afraid of. Heights, spiders, small spaces, strangely-shaped...
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Joe Biden?
Why It's Hard and What Will Happen
3rd Jul 2024
Why It's Hard and What Will Happen
How To Cure Anxiety: 9 Stoic Techniques That Work
“We suffer more from imagination than from reality.” — Seneca The 21st century has been described as...
23rd Jun 2022
“We suffer more from imagination than from reality.” — Seneca The 21st century has been described as “The Age of Anxiety,” “The United States of Stress,” “The World of Worry.” The implication is that what we are experiencing—pandemics, terrorism, political and economic turmoil,...
Making Space After Burnout
What to know if you’re considering a sabbatical
2nd Feb 2026
What to know if you’re considering a sabbatical
You Won’t Believe My Morning
A highly unexpected turn of events.
The post You Won’t Believe My Morning appeared first on Wait But...
25th Mar 2020
A highly unexpected turn of events.
The post You Won’t Believe My Morning appeared first on Wait But Why.
30 years old
I remember sitting in the car on the way to drop my brother to preschool.
Being 9 years old and...
9th Sep 2023
I remember sitting in the car on the way to drop my brother to preschool.
Being 9 years old and telling my mum how excited I was to turn ten.
Double digits!
I feel the same way about 29 to 30.
I hardly even got used to saying I’
Hooks, towel bars, and software
Strangely, a recent bathroom renovation crystalized my perspective on product development.
When...
3rd Mar 2024
Strangely, a recent bathroom renovation crystalized my perspective on product development.
When being asked to choose between towel hooks or a towel bar, the choice was obvious: Hooks, of course.
Hooks take up no space. Towel bars suck up space.
Hooks hold towels no matter how...
Making it happen vs. Letting it happen
Make it happen!
You hear it a lot. And it's generally good advice, of course. At least the 'happen'...
14th Nov 2024
Make it happen!
You hear it a lot. And it's generally good advice, of course. At least the 'happen' part.
You definitely want things to happen. But often times, it's the 'make' part that gets confused for progress.
You can push a ball uphill, but should you? Not only does it take...
Make things with your hands
let this season of slowness return you home to yourself
8th Dec 2025
let this season of slowness return you home to yourself
Good Internet Citizenship
Throwing in my two cents to content discovery
26th Oct 2025
Throwing in my two cents to content discovery
Motivation: What It Is, How It Works, and Where to Find It
We all want to be motivated. We want to feel energized and excited about the things we do. We want...
1st Dec 2022
We all want to be motivated. We want to feel energized and excited about the things we do. We want to wake up in the morning with a sense of purpose and drive, ready to tackle the day ahead.
But the truth is, motivation is not always easy to come by.
We tell ourselves lies about...
10 Pointless Facts About Me
This topic has been doing the rounds on the indie web recently, initially prompted by David and...
6th Nov 2025
This topic has been doing the rounds on the indie web recently, initially prompted by David and subsequently by Manu. But instead of using the original template of questions, as many others have done, I’ve decided to create my own pointless series of questions and answers to give...
The Little Book Of Big Weight Loss : Book Notes
Big weight loss is mostly about the food. Exercise is important to a lesser extent. Do not eat...
12th Sep 2020
Big weight loss is mostly about the food. Exercise is important to a lesser extent. Do not eat sugar, especially fructose. Aim for less than 3 added teaspoons per day, which is equal to 12 grams ( 1 teaspoon = 4 grams). Remember there are many names for sugar, so watch out when...
The Mystery of Mastery
Laetitia@Work #64
20th Dec 2023
How Many Visionary Artists Are Mentally Ill?
A surprising number of creative people have visions, hear voices, or have strange encounters in...
6th Oct 2024
A surprising number of creative people have visions, hear voices, or have strange encounters in dreams
The Parable of Anna Akhmatova
Who is more powerful, the artist or the dictator?
4th Jan 2025
Who is more powerful, the artist or the dictator?
How clever and capricious you are
How to take on a troll, 1950s style
14th Apr 2026
How to take on a troll, 1950s style
Owning Our Words: Sounding the Depths of Language
The Convivial Society: Vol. 7, No. 2
7th Feb 2026
The Convivial Society: Vol. 7, No. 2
The Bright Luminosity
On Intimacy, Exposure, and Learning to Stay
18th Jan 2026
On Intimacy, Exposure, and Learning to Stay
The map is clear but the road is bumpy.
Castles in the Sky | October 27 - November 2, 2024
6th Nov 2024
Castles in the Sky | October 27 - November 2, 2024
Stoic advice: can a salesperson be a Stoic?
[Feel free to submit a question for this column, addressing it at massimo at howtobeastoic dot org....
2nd Jul 2018
[Feel free to submit a question for this column, addressing it at massimo at howtobeastoic dot org. However, consider that I have a significant backlog, and I may not get to your question for some time, or at all.] D. writes: How should a practising Stoic ethically approach their...
Precognition
It’s almost impossible to predict the future. But it’s also unnecessary, because most people are...
13th Jun 2021
It’s almost impossible to predict the future. But it’s also unnecessary, because most people are living in the past. All you have to do is see the present before everyone else does.
To be less pithy, but more clear: Most people are slow to notice and accept change. If you can...
Living the Questions, Reading the Clown-Arounds
Embracing the Trivial in a World Obsessed with Takeaways
12th Aug 2024
Embracing the Trivial in a World Obsessed with Takeaways
How To Develop Extreme Resilience
1. There is no destination. Only the journey. Have you ever said something like, “If I had a higher...
18th Nov 2020
1. There is no destination. Only the journey. Have you ever said something like, “If I had a higher salary, then I would be happy”or “I’ll be satisfied when I get this promotion”? Many people don’t find out in time that “when” never comes. Stress appears in our life when we let...
Sweatshop Labor and the Exploitation Problem
Labor faces a coordination problem: the actors involved can’t reach a better moral position via...
23rd Jul 2022
Labor faces a coordination problem: the actors involved can’t reach a better moral position via unilateral action.
Don't delegate your word
As you build your business, you'll end up delegating plenty.
Much of what you did before is now...
20th Feb 2024
As you build your business, you'll end up delegating plenty.
Much of what you did before is now better done by someone else.
To make more progress, you release your grip and allow.
But there’s one thing you should hold tight and never let go. It’s the thing that should never be...
Saying No to what I feel I should do
Navigating the space between should and want, and finding more permission for ease and rest.
7th Apr 2024
Navigating the space between should and want, and finding more permission for ease and rest.
has what you are seeking already arrived?
that void may be filled, actually
21st Jul 2025
that void may be filled, actually
Diaries of Note: 366 Lives, One Day at a Time
A diary is a rare thing: an unfiltered space where a person can meet themselves without judgement,...
1st Jul 2025
A diary is a rare thing: an unfiltered space where a person can meet themselves without judgement, without audience, and (for most, at least) without performance. In an age of constant sharing and curated lives, the diary remains stubbornly private, gloriously unedited. It offers...
nothing will change your life more than saying what you actually want to say
happy new year
6th Jan 2026
knocking on strangers doors
a portrait of erie, PA before the election
8th May 2025
a portrait of erie, PA before the election
Bernie Beigne
While walking to the metro station after our visit to Lester's, we noticed a huge lineup for donuts...
1st Mar 2026
While walking to the metro station after our visit to Lester's, we noticed a huge lineup for donuts at Bernie Beigne. Not only that, we watched where they took freshly fried donuts and hand-dipped them into glaze. Then they hung them for all to see in the window. Wow, if that...
BATWRITE AUGUST DATES ARE LIVE
"omg this is crazy" - every big newspaper
1st Aug 2025
"omg this is crazy" - every big newspaper
Everything is Connected to the Heart
In a modern vehicle you could cross 500 miles of rocky desert in one day, without even getting your...
22nd Sep 2025
In a modern vehicle you could cross 500 miles of rocky desert in one day, without even getting your pants dirty. This is made possible by the many layers of insulation modernity puts between you and the world. The car sits on inflated rubber tires, on top of which sits a chamber...
Car trouble
Some time ago—I’m not sure when exactly—my car started rattling. It would only rattle:
When the...
6th Feb 2025
Some time ago—I’m not sure when exactly—my car started rattling. It would only rattle:
When the engine was on, sitting idle, or
When accelerating with just the right amount of throttle.
This rattle, I did not like it. It sounded like a tiny spoon in a garbage disposal. Which...
What do I want for Christmas?
Letters of Noël
18th Dec 2025
The subtle shade of the clouds
Garlic takes six to seven months to grow.
I’m still working it out.
I planted my garlic too...
27th Nov 2023
Garlic takes six to seven months to grow.
I’m still working it out.
I planted my garlic too late.
Not the farm garlic though.
They’ve had practice.
Over a thousand bulbs this year, maybe more.
Tens of thousands of cloves.
Garlic is the biggest harvest of
Repair Fail
One of the most underappreciated, least talked about aspects of repair is the hierarchy. There are...
6th Dec 2023
One of the most underappreciated, least talked about aspects of repair is the hierarchy. There are repair wizards and there are newbies and there are the rest of us, somewhere between those two poles. This hierarchy of skill and experience requires that you earn your way to the...
on trading potential for something actual
just make a choice
1st Jan 2025
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