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Web 1.0 is still out there (if you know where to look)How a small but growing group of people keep the old internet alive in the era of slop.
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- How to buy gifts that people actually want 26 Nov 2020
We buy more bad gifts than we realise... and nobody tells us. How to use psychology to stop wasting money on gifts people don't want.
Online gurus promise health, wealth and happiness, but their expensive courses deliver little more than recycled advice. How the hell did we get here?
- Notes from a Flat Earth Conference 19 Aug 2020
I attended a flat earth conference to take portraits. I thought it would be a simple photography project. What I found was more complicated.
The easiest way to become someone is to do something. Here's why, and how you can begin the process as early as today.
- You've never manifested anything 13 Aug 2020
Sorry to break it to you. Here's an explanation of what's really going on, and why 'manifesting' is such a misleading concept.
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How a small but growing group of people keep the old internet alive in the era of slop.
- Does this machine make life easier? 23 Aug 2026
Will it happen soon, do you think? A short piece about using, or not using, AI.
- $24,000 for 1020 shitty blogposts 25 Jul 2024
There are two ways to see a bubble: either you study the numbers, or you find something that just doesn't feel right.
- Compartmentalized decoy optimization 6 Jul 2024
On the tendency to optimise for proxies instead of outcomes, and how easy it is to mistake frantic activity for actual progress.
- The joy of owning crap stuff 29 Nov 2023
It's not absolutely crap, it's relatively crap. And it's liberating. On the underrated freedom of not caring about the things you own.
- How I rate the books I read 8 Nov 2023
Every book note on this site gets a rating from 1 to 10. Here's the system behind those ratings, why I use it, and how it shapes what I read.
- Why I take notes when I read books 12 Sep 2023
Taking notes while reading is slower, but it improves recall, makes books easier to reference, and deepens understanding. Here's why I do it.
- Writing online is a serendipity engine 30 Jan 2023
Writing online introduced me to people who changed my life. On the unexpected, compounding value of putting your ideas on the internet.
Online gurus promise health, wealth and happiness, but their expensive courses deliver little more than recycled advice. How the hell did we get here?
- Optimising for deck chairs 10 Dec 2020
It's easy to mistake busyness for progress. Here's how to slow down, identify the real problem, and stop optimising for the wrong things.
- How to buy gifts that people actually want 26 Nov 2020
We buy more bad gifts than we realise... and nobody tells us. How to use psychology to stop wasting money on gifts people don't want.
The easiest way to become someone is to do something. Here's why, and how you can begin the process as early as today.
Good ideas are worthless without execution. A framework for understanding what happens to ideas and how to turn them into something real.
- The anatomy of a viral blog post 30 Sep 2020
One of my articles went viral. I kept detailed notes as it happened: this is my analysis of why it spread and what I learned from the experience.
In which I discuss the *totally weird* life-changing benefits of consistently sitting down and doing the work, every day, until it is finished.
- Building a creativity kanban 14 Sep 2020
To get more creative work done, think like a car manufacturer. A system for optimising the creative process and breaking through your barriers.
Are you having enough fun? Forget always trying to 'crush your goals' 24/7, try goofing off once in a while. You might surprise yourself.
- The tyranny of the popcorn post 3 Sep 2020
Popcorn Posts—listicles with empty content—are clogging up the internet. Why this is bad, and how writers can do better.
- The ultimate guide to safety razor shaving 25 Aug 2020
Safety razor shaving is cheaper, better for the environment, and gives a closer shave. A complete guide to switching from cartridge razors.
- Notes from a Flat Earth Conference 19 Aug 2020
I attended a flat earth conference to take portraits. I thought it would be a simple photography project. What I found was more complicated.
- You've never manifested anything 13 Aug 2020
Sorry to break it to you. Here's an explanation of what's really going on, and why 'manifesting' is such a misleading concept.
- The lightbulb obsession 6 Aug 2020
An exploration of our obsession with the idea-as-lightbulb narrative. If you want to have amazing ideas, don't just sit there, do something.
Life isn't linear: it follows S-curves of growth, plateau, and disruption. Stuck in a rut or not sure what to do next? It's time to get wobbly.
We often expend a lot of energy avoiding mistakes. But with any error comes opportunity, depending on how you approach it.
- How to learn online for free 3 Jun 2020
You can learn almost anything online for free... if you know where to look. A practical guide to self-directed online learning.
- Are you in it for the learning? 2 Jun 2020
You don't need an education to learn, but you do need to learn to succeed. On the difference between credentials and genuine understanding.
- The ethics of teaching online 1 Jun 2020
It's never been easier to begin teaching online. But just because you can, doesn't mean you should. And if you do, are you sure you're acting ethically?
- Is it too late? No. Start now. 18 May 2020
Sometimes it feels like it's too late to start. Luckily, it's not. Here's why it's so important to get started today, and how to go about doing exactly that.
- There's no such thing as multitasking 6 May 2020
The greatest myth about multitasking... is that it even exists. Here's why, and how you can break out of the trap.
Having a great productivity system will help you to get a lot done. But it might be doing more damage than you think.
- You don't have to be 'a creative' to be creative 28 Apr 2020
It's a common misconception that only certain people get to be creative. The truth is that we all are, and it's the most important thing we can be.