sparks

Productivity, for me, is a natural outgrowth of passion. If I need to think about “productivity” as a separate discipline from “doing the thing,” something has gone wrong.

When Abraham Maslow did clinical studies of people who self-actualized, one thing that set them apart from others was, he wrote, that they lived “more in the real world of nature than in the man-made mass of concepts, abstractions, expectations, beliefs, and stereotypes that most people confuse with the world.” They were, to put it simply, more per... See more

Stop chasing miracles.

Miracles, by definition, are things that happen outside of your control.

Of course the thing about beginning again — about starting over midway through is that you have to be willing to watch yourself die.

I learned that from writing this newsletter.

Next week, it will be three years since I launched the cereal aisle, and I think the most important thing I have learned in the time since is that rebirth is on the other sid... See more

the way to get outside myself was to go further in

Jesper tells a story about how he is currently working on designing a new type of organ. In preparation for this, he’s been playing an organ he bought, it in house… for the past 5 years.

Shortly later in conversation Dylan asks, “do you believe in user research?” To which Jesper immediately says, “uhh… no.”

MY BROTHER, DID YOU NOT HEAR THIS MAN’S PRO... See more

How has writing online affected the relationships in your life?

I like this question because the answer is yes but probably not for the reason you’d think. There might be this idea that writing personally online could create more depth in your relationships, but I have actually found the opposite to the extent that when you share a lot online it so... See more

Trust and attention are in a long dance, but only trust wins in the long run.

have no training in design, I have only ideas and opinions.

My design approach is rooted in two principals:

1. Things that make sense please me.

2. Things that are beautiful please me.

Sometimes those are the same thing, and sometimes they are not (which can be a source of great displeasure).

Context, problem-solving, gestures, pleasure—these topic... See more