DP: Dude, I love Theo Von. He is my single biggest inspiration for interviews. My friend, Brie Wolfson showed me that in the world of cooking, the most high-end chefs at 11 Madison or French Laundry, after the day is done, they’ll like to have Cheetos or something. Like the bell curve meme of high and low. And I think it’s really nice when you have... See more

In the 18th and 19th centuries, writing was often maximalist, full of prose and metaphors. Then Hemingway came along. He was a genius who wrote very simply, but with an intentional depth. He knew what came before him, but chose a different approach.

The same thing happened with minimalism and companies like Apple and Blue Bottle. They absolutely... See more

We think of aesthetics as superficial, but style is an external expression of a culture’s inner spirit. What we make is who we are.

I use AI every day. I would be so sad if I didn’t have it. I’ve probably prompted it 12 times today and it’s 1:25 in the afternoon. It’s my right hand. I talk to o3 more than I talk to any individual human being. That’s crazy.

I talk to o3 more than I talk to any individual human being. That’s crazy.

And if it went away today, I’d be devastated. And... See more

AD: I want to talk about your decision to stop Write of Passage. You tweeted that AI played a role in that. Talk me through that decision.

DP: AI is part of a bigger story which is that the internet is in a new era. Write of Passage was based on a simple idea: write consistently, get a following on social media, build an email newsletter, and your... See more

anyone just by virtue of being a citizen should be able to experience beautiful things as they go about their day to day.

There’s so much of this “crap” and “slop” that passes for minimalism.

We’re gonna reach beyond utility and we’re gonna make this space a celebration of the American spirit.

AD: What advice would you give to people, new graduates, people mid-career, who want to write and are afraid or worried about AI?

DP: Yeah, super simple. This is gonna be terse, because I think it’s just clear. Pay for the best models, use them every day, and hold yourself to a standard where using them makes your work better rather than worse.... See more