Espresso Shots 7-13-25

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.

Reading 📚

I had the pleasure of getting an advanced copy of Greg Storey's new book, Creative Intelligence.

What I found fascinating (and re-affirming) about Greg's book is that it offers a fresh perspective on how to utilize AI as a tool to augment thinking, rather than what the snake oil sales-driven approach, where many are treating this technology like 'a fancy vending machine. Push button, get output. Rinse, repeat.'

In his own words:

Creative Intelligence: Don't Ask AI, Think With It provides a system of perspectives, proven frameworks, and new approaches created specifically for collaborating with AI—all designed to help you create more engaging collaboration, meaningful outcomes, and distinctive work.

The book provides a system of perspectives, proven frameworks, and new approaches created specifically for collaborating with AI—all designed to help you create more meaningful, engaging, and distinctive work. I used almost all of them while writing this book: constant cycles of divergent and convergent thinking, tapping into the depth and breadth of human knowledge across sciences and academic research, and deconstructing bias in constructive ways.

Buy it here.

The Latest Drippings ☕️

• Why It's OK to Live an Average Life. My read of the week. 'Now as adults, we chase everything from promotions to social media likes in our quest to rise above being average.' What an excellent reflection on what is essential, and how the term average simply means being halfway between extremes, and why it has no correlation to mediocrity. Also, a shoutout to this remarkable post from Oliver Burkeman, on the idea of cosmic insignificance therapy: 'The realization that 99% of what you worry about isn't worth the worry. The universe will trundle on its way regardless of what you do or don't do.'
• How to Keep on the Sunny Side of Life. Thanks to a conversation a few weeks back with the amazing Sarah Bayliss whom I had the pleasure meeting in person back at Do Wales 2023 (and is the author of Do Nourish), I've been paying way more attention to my daily sunlight exposure. And, in just two weeks of paying more attention to my gut health and circadian rhythm, I have already noticed a tremendous boost to my happiness.
• The Obsessive Need to Track Everything. Guilty as charged. Lots of things to rethink about my quantified self life.
• The First Time I Was Almost Fired From Apple. I enjoy reading these inside tales of what goes on at companies when spirited engineers hide easter eggs inside the apps they have so much passion about. A lot of this creative spirit is often lost in most of the engineering work today. Highly recommend checking out this fun one about something hidden in the Mac color picker.
• Mark Frost Confirms' Twin Peaks' Won't Continue Without David Lynch. Not unexpected, but still sad in a way that Twin Peaks is officially 'done' after the passing of David Lynch.
• The Three Piles of Life. Since I've been following Scott for some time, I'm excited about his next project. 'There are only three piles in life. 1. Things that are important. 2. Things that are unimportant. 3. Things that are unimportant but distract you from what is important. The dangerous pile is #3: it's the pile of misplaced energy.'
• Not Rocket Science. Despite most of my hours being spent with technology teams, I do try to steer clear of technical jargon with Makoism. Still, I enjoyed the idea of the Not Rocket Science Rule: 'automatically maintain a repository of code that always passes all the tests.'
• A Remarkable, Unremarkable Thing. A similar observation to what I've been trying to be more conscious of: 'We often talk about how people can't put their phones down while in line at the market, but what about during moments of joy?' While I understand wanting to 'capture' the moment of a beautiful sunset, or an event with your child - I'm finding that there's more value in just experiencing it.
• AI Coders Think They're 20% Faster — but They're Actually 19% Slower. I'm quickly getting over the AI is good vs AI is bad debate; it's a tool. Just because you give someone a hammer doesn't mean they know how to build a piece of furniture. Use tools wisely.
• 3 Favorite Apps. While I already use Parcel to track packages, a new app on this list I found was PoolSuite FM. It's a crazy fun 'pixel-soaked' internet radio service that you can check out on web or iOS.
• Intellectual Self-Doubt: The Psychology Behind Questioning Your Competence. I always find people's reactions funny when I talk about my self-doubt, and I always feel better when I read posts like this, reaffirming that I'm not the only one who thinks like this. 'I constantly felt like someone would discover I didn't belong there. Everyone around me seemed so much smarter. Then one day, I found an internal group called "The Impostors" filled with anonymous posts from colleagues sharing the exact same fears. It was somehow a relief to find out that I wasn't the only one.'
• Infinite Monkey. Want to use a legacy Mac and have it automated with an AI? This is a super fun project that 'taps into the OpenAI Computer Use and Claude Computer Use APIs using your own API keys and uses them to remote control the emulated Mac.'
• What My Nine-Year-Old Nephew Taught Me About the Future of Creativity.
• WeatherStar 4000+. 'This project aims to bring back the feel of the 90s with a weather forecast that has the look and feel of The Weather Channel at that time but available in a modern way.' Super fun - check it out!

Amor Fati ✌🏻