Oct 27, 2024
Thoughts on Consumerism, AI, and New Parenthood
Issue #72
Today at a Glance:
Quote: Prime Day is simply a scam—there is no sale
Reading: 10 Thoughts From the Fourth Trimester—funny yet real take on new parenthood
Watching: Smart Car Ad—marketers are genius
Learning: Fruit fly brain mapping—a step toward unlocking human consciousness
Podcast: Optimizing Metabolic Health with Dr. Casey Means—simple, actionable wellness tips
Tweet: SpaceX overregulation on shark data—absurdity in compliance requirements
Product: ScreenZen—helping curb impulsive app-checking
Idea: AI Concierge for purchases—a curated shopping experience with tailored AI + human insights
#QUOTE
Quote I'm pondering...
"The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion." — Frank Zappa
This quote reflects the subtle power of framing in consumer behavior. Companies make you feel like you're in power, but they're actually in control. Understanding this dynamic gives you the freedom to make more conscious choices.
#THOUGHTS
What I'm thinking about...
Prime Day is simply a scam --> My matcha 'Prime Big Deal' was supposedly $40 (20% off), but I bought it recently for $33. The increasing frequency of Prime Days is a ploy to get consumers to think they're getting a good deal to spend more money (and it works). The reality is that only ~1% of items are actually on sale. It is pure genius.
Timed-release caffeine pills --> these experimental pills seem awesome. Take the pill before you go to sleep and the caffeine kicks in 8 hours later, resulting in a huge boost of immediate energy
Everyone would be in a much better position if they just ran 1 mile per day--it only takes 10m (0.69% of your day). I guess I'll stop being a hypocrite and do this.
#READING
What I'm reading...
10 Thoughts From the Fourth Trimester
//waitbutwhy
Amazing article on the 4th trimester (3 months after a baby is born). My favs:
"upsetting slimy pancake edge" --> baby being born
“Don’t shake it k bye” --> the only thing you learn at the hospital
Babies are in Shakespearean agony. And then comes the burp and one second later they’re like “sup.”
It's because newborns are dicks.
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//ontestautomation
People tell me this all the time, and they’re right—most AI is overhyped. But once AI is genuinely useful, everything changes. This intermediary phase is necessary, but also frustrating, with a lot of waste and regression as AI tries to do everything, but worse.
AI isn’t magic; it’s just software 2.0.
#WATCHING
What I've loved watching...
//youtube
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#LEARNING
Something I've learned...
An adult fruit fly brain has been mapped—human brains could follow
//economist
Fruit flies may have small brains (about 140,000 neurons), but they’re capable of flying, flirting, remembering, and warning each other of dangers. We've now mapped the entire brain using AI. Mapping a human brain would reveal how our thoughts, memories, emotions, and behaviors arise from precise neural connections. We could understand the biological basis of consciousness, personality, mental illness, and learning at a granular level. This means that we could understand how brain circuits go awry in diseases like Alzheimer's, depression, or schizophrenia, and how to intervene them rather than treat them with subpar solutions.
#PODCASTS
My favorite listens...
Optimizing Metabolic Health to Live a Longer and Healthier Life with Dr. Casey Means
//allthehacks
This is a highly concentrated list of simple, actionable tips to improve metabolic health with food, exercise, and sleep.
Meet the 14yo entrepreneur who's already launched 2 businesses
//mfm
Anyone can build something.
#TWEET
Social media that made me stop and think...
Awesome post by Kerri Saarinen (founder of Linear) on creating world-class teams and building product.
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Go watch this video right now, its so cool.
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Tweet to App using Replit Agents in under 3 minutes (link)
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Overregulation: "SpaceX had to do a study to see if Starship would hit a shark. I'm like "It's a big ocean, there's a lot of sharks. It's not impossible, but it's very unlikely." OK fine, we'll do it, but we need the data, can you give us the Shark data? (link)
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#PRODUCT
A product that I've been loving...
ScreenZen is a tool that helps me pause before opening apps I habitually check too often, *cough cough* Slack, without having to delete them. Previously, I used One Sec, but ScreenZen gives me a bit more control to curb my impulsive app use by creating a short, intentional pause before each app opens.
#IDEA
An idea I can't get out of my head...
Personal Concierge for Finding the Best Item to Buy
Imagine a text-based concierge service where users simply message what they're looking to buy. Behind the scenes, AI analyzes top product options while factoring in real user feedback and preferences, then loops in a human to refine results based on the user’s unique tastes. This blend of AI and human insight provides truly tailored recommendations—avoiding the generic picks typical of current AI—and helps train AI agents to improve their future recommendations.