Writing

Essays on habits, routines, and building tools that get out of the way.

  1. Why Patter has no streaksA streak is a motivation device, and motivation devices are for things you have to be motivated to do. A true habit doesn't need one.
  2. Why Patter uses Apple's on-device AIThe model runs on your iPhone. Nothing leaves. It costs us nothing to use, so it costs you nothing either.
  3. What has to be true before we add AI to an appThree rules. Most ideas don't pass. The list exists to say no with.
  4. On not taking the free thingApple is giving small developers free access to its servers. Being eligible turned out to be the harder problem.
  5. Thirty years of tweaking the systemAll that time I believed I was getting more productive. The system was the thing I did. The work it was supposed to serve sat in an inbox, waiting.