Espresso Shots 6-1-25

Here's my weekly update with a few interesting random findings that I came across the last week or two. I am going to try to make sure they're here in time for you to enjoy with your morning coffee (or beverage of choice) every Saturday or Sunday, and include some of my thoughts around them.

The Latest Drippings ☕️

• Make Life Possible. If there's one word to describe 2025, it's likely uncertainty. But, as this piece reminds us, 'uncertainty is also the only thing that makes life possible.' There are some great strategies for shifting context in this post, but I particularly liked: 'Trust in creativity. A basic condition of life is the creative adaptation to changing conditions—and you, my friend, are alive and living. Trust in your own (and others) ability to respond to unforeseen circumstances with inventiveness, playfulness, and ingenuity.'
• The Idea Bucket. What a great idea - the idea bucket. 'A shared, persistent, frequently glanced-at space where your team stores and sees its ideas — together, in one place.' I am going to start one for my team this month.
• pico-mac-nano: A Tiny Macintosh Replica. Instant purchase for me.
• 5 Ways to Come Up with Tiny Experiments. It is a superb 'mini-protocol for personal personal experimentation, you just need to make a simple, actionable pact.' I will [action] for [duration].
• I Am Disappointed in the AI Discourse. I promised not to put too much tech in these posts, but I liked this post on the current polarization of AI: either you're for it or against it. I agree with the author's take: I'm neither. It has some powerful uses, and there's a ton of snake oil around it. Using it wisely and approaching it with curiosity is a path I'm (personally) happy and productive with.
• The Most Important Decision. Just a great reminder from the legendary Seth Godin that 'these millions of tiny decisions become the life we've chosen. One next at a time.'
• Personal Ambient Computing. I've always been tinkering around what's the next evolution of computing. Back in 2023, I wrote: 'What if I start at the end, apply inversion theory, and work backward to get me to that new place? I'm doing this again with the Apple Watch as a device to drive 'personal' computing. I'm forcing myself to go out without a phone, just the AirPods and a Watch, and see what happens. As I think of new software, I sometimes start with: okay, let's do this JUST with the watch and a pair of smart earbuds.' So I instantly liked the premise of this article where the author wonders if 'the next evolution of personal computing won't replace your phone — it will free computing from any single device.'
• Ephemeral Taskforce. Oooooo.. I like the idea of an ETF: 'The Ephemeral Task Force (ETF) is a selected group of people with cross-functional knowledge, mandate, and responsibility who are assembled for a specific delivery with a clear end in mind. The group is dismantle after the objective is accomplished..'
• Happy When Curious Podcast. What a great podcast from Brady Ryan, who is a sea salt farmer here on San Juan Island. I've been spending a lot of time lately thinking about curiosity and critical thinking, so when I read the show description of this podcast being his 'attempt to rediscover curiosity through conversation and contemplation,' I was sold. And yes, their sea salt carmels are just INSANE. Treat yourself!
• Toolmen. Another post from Mandy Brown this week focused on the ideology (not technology) of AI and how dangerous the narrative is around 'deskilling and devaluation of human labor rather than liberation or enhancement of creativity.'
• How Tech Workers Really Feel About Work Right Now. Without reading this, many people are likely to be burned out and miserable right now. Okay, I looked, and 84% of tech workers report some form of burnout. Meanwhile, AI CEOs are talking about knowledge workers facing a bloodbath.
• You Don't Always Have to Publish. 'It's actually what you don't publish that defines your brand.' Wonderful read on restraint being a strategy.
• If Nothing Is Curated, How Do We Find Things?. Social media generally has killed individuals curating content, which is, oddly enough, one of the reasons why I'm still putting out curated content weekly.
• Penguin Poop May Help Preserve Antarctic Climate. 'A new study finds that ammonia aerosols from penguin guano likely play an important part in the formation of heat-shielding clouds around the frozen continent.' Perfect - penguin poop to the rescue!
• Designing a Life. One of the significant drivers on my Life 2.0 journey was to figure out how I wanted my days to look like: where I lived, how I lived, who I spent time with, etc. Om Malik has an excellent post here on what helped him architect and design the life he wants. Love it.

Amor Fati ✌🏻