What coffee taught me about building products?
You have probably been asked about your hobbies at some point. I never had a good answer to that question. Tbh, I still don't. A few years ago, while reading Designing Your Life, I realised something slightly uncomfortable. I did very little just for joy. Most things I spent
The Golden Rule for Becoming a Better Writer - T.R Napper
I’m obsessed with the craft of writing. I write every day, I read about the craft often, and in my...
Finding Fulfillment
What creates a fulfilling existence? Exploration leads to a framework I've used for years for myself and the people around me. I hope it helps you too.
Why Build Toys
I first wrote this essay a few years ago. A founder mentioned it to me over the weekend, and so I decided to re-publish it here. One thing that's bothered me in the time since I wrote it is the way...
The Case for Lowering Your Expectations
It may be the key to happiness and sustainable performance
why do we assume progress should feel good?
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve achieved something and genuinely felt lasting satisfaction.
In 2026, I’m no longer interested in ‘working on myself’
We think of ourselves as full-time projects, but what if doing so much inner work does more harm than good?
Build the thing you wish to see in the world
For most of my career, I've been confusing building products with building businesses—and that confusion kept me from pursuing a lot of ideas. Two weeks off helped me realize that not everything needs to be a startup, and some of the best things we build are the ones we build just because we want them to exist.
A psychologically rich life: Beyond happiness and meaning.
Make It Work vs. Make It Good
Writing about the big beautiful mess that is making things for the world wide web.
Great creative work is usually the product of a single person
AI, I tried to love you – Writings and rehearsals by Nathan Schneider
Among my peers who study the cultures and economies surrounding technology, I often find myself more tech-positive than most. On the whole I like computers, like the internet, and like in general the emergent human creativity that these things have enabled and revealed. A source of my appreciation is that I expend a lot of effort on the practice of “slow computing,” which is to say, choosing tools and technical communities that I can feel in right relationship with. I tend to approach new socio-technologies (like gig economies, blockchains, and social media) not from a perspective of why is this so bad? so much as asking how could we do this right?
How to balance full-time work with creative projects – The Creative Independent
A guide to finding the right day job, protecting your time, and building creative habits by Jeffrey Silverstein. Illustrated by Sunny Eckerle.
I Don't Make Content - Fernando Gros
I’ve been putting stuff online since way before anyone was called a content creator. So, if we aren’t just making content, what are we doing?
