Ryan Kulp's Blog

lawyers charge $300-infinity per hour or they take a case pro bono, for free.

at some point every craftsman has to make this transition. in 2020 i found myself rejecting phone calls to “pick my brain,” even when the person offered hundreds of dollars. meanwhile i’ve responded at length to 100s of messages from strangers, pro bono.

[trigger warning] no matter how great you are, an hour of your time is probably not worth thousands of dollars. we’re all familiar with the 5 minute “it took a lifetime” Picasso doodle, or the fired IT guy who negotiated $50k to fix a 1-liner critical bug. but the former example was never about time, and the latter is actually a cautionary tale in systems design.

the IT guy is worth about whatever he was paid as an employee, and their manager’s negligence was worth about whatever the IT guy was paid to save the day. that is the lesson. investing energy in extortion scenarios is to fail the business ethics Rorschach test.

pondering my own earnings through this lens reminds me of Derek Sivers’ Hell Yeah or No philosophy. if someone offers $500 to chat about their app idea for an hour but i’m not thrilled to help, it’s unethical to counter at $600. better to say good luck or put a couple thoughtful minutes into a useful email.

so here’s what we’re trying to figure out: how much do we need to earn from our craft to stop thinking about the money?

in college i always had 2-4 jobs and was still broke. if you asked me what the Good Life looked like i probably would have said “able to live alone, go out to eat whenever i want, travel 1-2x per year.” i still think this is a great standard of living.

but as we age we realize: life is kinda long? we plan for the future. suddenly, having enough to cover rent in 3 weeks is not enough. and i don’t mean that in the slippery slope, never enough sense. i mean objectively. what will happen when i’m no longer able to work? how can i survive another 20 years?

the answer to this question dovetails into finding the optimal “hourly rate.” first, calculate how many years we’ll need to cover in the future. next, soberly determine how much fulfillment we get from our craft. if we can keep going for several years, we can subsidize fewer years, charging less along the way.

as an entrepreneur i’ve never said i love what i do because most of it sucks. i don’t enjoy firing people, being “pinged,” meetings, giving the government $100s of thousands in annual taxes lest they put in me in prison. i don’t enjoy working 7 days a week, covering for others, dealing with backseat drivers. i dislike monthly bookkeeping, all species of admin work, reminding people for the 5th time to put their work in the shared folder. entrepreneurship is endless suck in exchange for occasional kind customer emails (jet fuel) and sometimes getting rich (score board). often it’s just a clever way to lose everything.

the problem is i’m good at it. i’ve never lost a single dollar. so i keep going, but i recently began planning my departure. it took all of 2025 to accept that “good at” != “fulfilled by.”

after accepting this nuance and (of course) acknowledging that i’m lucky to even consider not working for a stretch of time, i’m pumped to share that my escape hatch is in good condition.

in 2026 i’m hitting Eject. there is no longer an amount of money that makes me say Hell Yeah.

The post Expensive or free appeared first on Ryan Kulp.

software developers attract 1000s of curious visitors for the mere cost of pasting a link to their work in relevant places.

if some of these people become customers, you’re in business for $0. if something is broken or insufficient you’ll receive a live chat, aka the chance to address it.

new Mexican restaurant

a new spot opened in my town, Spanish name i can’t remember. i went for lunch, had a margarita and burrito. steak was not good, free chips were very thin and not salty. i will probably never go back.

if just a couple hundred locals share my experience, this restaurant may not survive.

offline feedback loops

one time somebody had an idea to fix this. they called it a Suggestion Box. i have not seen one lately and i’m not sure restaurant managers even open their box, much less share notes with their team and make changes.

but people want to express themselves, and they want to help their neighbor. so they write immutable, negative reviews on Yelp or Google. a few months later the restaurant dies, then we wonder why the only burrito option in town is Chipotle.

rethinking iterations

Paul Graham, a once cogent thinker, wrote in Hackers and Painters that masterpieces under x-ray show evidence of multiple iterations before completion.

there is no reason a restaurant shouldn’t be able to iterate on recipes, pricing, service, music, and air conditioning with the same flexibility as a painting or an app.

your next startup

someone should build a solution to this issue, and i might be able to help fund it. let me know if you’re passionate about reducing the entrepreneur failure rate, preventing people from losing their life savings, and slowing the spread of boring franchises.

The post Startup idea for better tacos appeared first on Ryan Kulp.

we are the sum of our experiences. here are a few of mine.

the golden state

i used to live in San Francisco. SoMa’s sidewalk joints jolted me awake as my skateboard thumped over them on my morning commute. at work i learned to compete with colleagues sitting right next to me.

my apartment was bare. bed, desk, monitor, with 4 plastic spoons, forks, knives, plates, and bowls. rent: $3550. from the 19th floor i heard glass shatter when crackheads broke into cars outside.

living in California sucked; it was one of the best decisions of my life.

the empire state

i used to live in Manhattan. i lost 65 pounds jogging in Central Park and subsequently learned anything is possible. during my first winter i accidentally bought counterfeit Timberland’s. they deteriorated into rubber crumbs as i sat at my desk in the Financial District.

apartments stretched from Bushwick to East Harlem, Kips Bay and Murray Hill. i went from 4 roommates to 2, to none, to a loft with a spiral staircase and unlimited disposable income.

after 6 years i couldn’t travel further than 10 blocks from my apartment. no taxis, bus, or train. if my feet didn’t take me i didn’t go. i made daily reservations for lunch alone to avoid 3 minute wait times.

the peach state

i used to live in Atlanta. there i learned the definition of Hipster. in rap capital of the world fashion my car, moped, book bag, and many other belongings were stolen. my house was robbed, he took my Xbox.

in Atlanta i was a broke college student with 3 jobs. i started multiple companies and hired employees before having my first sip of alcohol.

the nomadic state

i used to switch countries every few weeks. i wanted to see if 100s of cafes, bars, restaurants, and TripAdvisor tours could make me happy. i started a travel blog and built an app that helped rank my favorite places.

eventually i grew sick of traveling. today i barely tolerate people talking about traveling. a stamped passport is like wearing Hot Topic — another cheap (expensive) attempt to appear interesting.

the ROK

i used to live in Seoul. a nearby Chinese virus had swept the nation and made life less fun than it should have been. between evading the cops and being sued by startups and board game companies i became a full time entertainment personality.

but i am not a circus monkey, i am a builder. so i bought a couple houses online, put my girlfriend (now wife) in a suitcase, and returned to the land of the free.

the Longhorn state

i used to live in Dallas. from my window i heard country music blaring at next door Katy Trail Ice House. women’s wardrobes were simple: yoga pants. i later moved to Austin. same wardrobe.

in one of these places i attended church, in the other i helped open a spa. both are still around today. if you don’t like rivers and microdosing you’re cooked. if you prefer hanging out with 2 people instead of 30, it’s over for you.

the neutral state

“wherever you go, there you are.” it took me a lot of places to learn this. now i live in the woods. when i observe retarded people mere miles from my bedroom i want to go home.

when people ask for recommendations i have only 1 thing to say: there are seasons to life. cities are for working, suburbs are for kids, wide open spaces are for living.

i’ve worked, i’ve lived, i’m having a daughter, and i’m exactly where i need to be.

The post Places I used to live appeared first on Ryan Kulp.

a common argument in the early days of cannabis lobbying was that it grows organically. this position co-opted the anti processed food movement in the same way pedophiles associate with LGBT.

now that weed is either legalized or essentially unenforced in most of the USA, a quick analysis confirms: cities stink, users are more depressed, drug-related crime is still high.

which begs the question… why did we ever associate “natural” with “OK?”

everything is natural

primitive, instinctual. these are a couple more words that encapsulate what is natural.

when a tribe leader kills a man and takes his wife, that’s only natural. when you’re in church and need to fart, letting her rip is only natural. if you get married and your feelings change, walk away. totally natural bro.

in defense of synthesis

liberals love to pejoratively label things Social Constructs, which means invented (not natural), and therefore no good. sometimes even evil. meanwhile these same people demand lab-grown beef, IVF, and AI girlfriends.

yet a leading indicator of civilization is social contracts, another form of social construction. thanks to these concepts we can safely drive 80 mph on the highway, let a stranger cook our food, and buy things on credit.

laws too are a social contract, which includes welfare programs liberals adore, even though they’re completely unnatural. the bible reminds us “he who does not work, shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

which seems to indicate that man-made invention is itself a natural progression. somewhere in the fabric of reality is a Table of Elements for mankind, we just haven’t found it yet.

duplicitous

when convenient, modernity mocks what is natural. when convenient, modernity preaches what is natural.

evaluating the world around us with binary heuristics is tempting because it is easy, and comfort seeking is natural. but progress is rarely easy, and man-made tools can illuminate the path forward.

The post It’s natural appeared first on Ryan Kulp.

after founding and selling a handful of companies i’m qualified to share a few ways founders (including myself) waste time, money, and effort.

Monday meetings

weekly standup meetings are a great way to maintain momentum, but Monday is the worst day to do it. thanks to the federal government (statutory holidays) you’ll lose 10+ of them annually, not to mention countless other no-shows by team members due to 3 day vacations and “sick” days.

think of each meeting as a cycle, or a round in your chamber. you want all 52 rounds per year.

having patience

regular managers at regular companies may be able to afford the “marathon, not a sprint” ethos, but startups cannot. letting team members repeatedly slip on timelines will create a lax culture of non shipping. one of my portfolio companies deploys 5-10x per day, the other just 3-4x per month. the only difference is that i founded the former and acquired the latter.

one way to increase urgency is to start breaking things yourself. push untested changes directly to master, upload a sub-par design asset in a blog post, and unsubscribe from crutch subscription services. as a bonus, these tactics will also reveal who takes pride in their work.

recruiting rainmakers

this especially plagues founders with funding, either from investors or customers. they’ll decide “i need a killer sales person,” then go looking for a high performing rep from a household brand. but the larger company acquisition strategy is thanks to their system, not their people. a simple analog is McDonald’s, where team members are frequently low IQ yet produce delicious burgers.

if you hire from a large company, get ready to become their b*tch. they will spend 3 months telling you what tools and people they need to succeed. they are incapable of making their own decks, sending their own cold emails, or qualifying leads.

podcasts

when 2 dudes sit on a couch and share “battle stories,” you are not learning. you are mentally masturbating. do not listen to podcasts. read books.

delegating

high leverage roles attract 2 types of people: hard workers, and grifters. it’s easy to spot the latter because they attempt to delegate everything. these people love to say stuff like “my head of X” or “my therapist.” but good founders have a vision, which by definition cannot be assigned.

only delegate the implementation of your vision. if you don’t have a vision, get a job.

strong titles

a lot of cash-strapped startups grant C-Suite designations in lieu of compensation, rationalizing that even if the company fails, each team member’s prestigious title will help in acquiring future roles. but this is not a free exchange. thanks to our zones of competence, one day you’ll need to inject someone new, “above” your early hire, and there will be no room on the org chart.

the same goes with “Director.” at best call people Lead ___ or Senior ____. it’s your company and you do not need to explain yourself with a word salad when someone is no longer the best you can afford. i first voiced this concern 13 years ago.

reserved keywords

programming languages have words that cannot be used as variables or function names, for example if or end. in leadership a few examples include ASAP and #1 Priority. startups have dozens of priorities and everything should be ASAP.

using these words reduces their meaning to zero, which reduces your influence to zero.

publishing strategy

i’m a long time supporter of the Build In Public movement whereby founders share wins, losses, and embarrassing bug fixes to build connections and help other founders. but there is a big difference in sharing “what” vs sharing “how.”

in the past i made the mistake of outlining exactly how we acquired customers, how we built some piece of tech. then after the upvote dopamine wore off a competitor would emerge, sometimes copy-pasting our homepage word for word.

it takes tremendous effort to align yourself with customers and tap into the collective consciousness. do not provide CliffsNotes unless you’ve made your nut, are arrogant, or both.

taking advice

interweaving most of my opinions is an even stronger one to not give or take advice. if this post was interpreted as such, i apologize.

The post Rookie founder mistakes appeared first on Ryan Kulp.

one time someone asked me what it’s like to have more than you need. i said it’s like going to a buffet: you can eat whatever you want, but you might get sick.

putting aside my house, day to day i’m an average spender. i don’t have nice clothes or a watch. i don’t fly first class. i don’t drink premium alcohol. we cook almost every meal.

in 2021 i splurged on a PS5 in a dark alley of Seoul, Korea at a ridiculous 40% markup. i also got 4 or 5 new games, most of which i didn’t open as i only play Battlefield. unwrapping FIFA months later literally made me feel sick.

so duh, consumerism is unfulfilling. we’ve all felt it, even (especially?) if we couldn’t afford to. consumerism leads to nihilism or worse. at a conference last week multiple speakers mentioned falling into a deep depression after selling their companies for millions.

but what if consumerism could match our teenage visions? what if buying a new gadget could make us happy? OK, maybe that’s a stretch. but purchases can grant a bit of fulfillment. and it works by attaching reasons.

bad reasons to buy stuff

impress someoneprocrastination or boredomto fit infear of missing out

good reasons to buy stuff

commemorate a milestoneimprove quality of lifeexpress yourselfincrease creativity

my reasons will be different from yours. what matters is resisting the temptation to cheat yourself with checkouts for bad reasons. only then can spending feel good.

(note: this post is not about charity or giving back. that is something we should do but not talk about)

a few months ago i shared an Apple Note with my wife, Toys for next exit. we added 15 items to the list, from small objects (robot vacuum) to wild projects. but most are attainable today, for example a 20 gauge shotgun, massage chair, and outdoor gym.

except i don’t deserve a new gun; i haven’t earned it. i don’t want a gaming PC, my seldom played PS5 is already great. we don’t need to finish the attic, we don’t have 2 kids yet.

by attaching a milestone or utility or prerequisite to purchases, they represent more than their intrinsic value. they serve as reminders that we saved, we waited, we resisted temptation, we were thoughtful.

to be clear: having a Toys list doesn’t encourage me to set bigger goals. it reminds me that i already have what i need. sometimes the stuff we don’t buy tastes better than the stuff we do.

The post Toys for adults appeared first on Ryan Kulp.

[go here for Part 1]

this month i spoke at 2 conferences and enjoyed the usual flurry of followup conversations with curious listeners. i also met a handful of customers which was flattering.

except the process felt broken. shake hand, receive compliment, attempt to answer a question specific to their business. i’m happy to try, but only a couple responses came through. either i could outline how i handled a similar situation, or i could quote a book. that’s it.

after years of reading, writing, thinking, i’ve had maybe 3 original ideas. everything else is a remix. yet people keep asking for my advice instead of going to the source.

at both conferences this month i shared this concern directly. that i don’t really know, that they should study and experiment. but this answer isn’t good enough.

so let’s fuse some meta-advices into an unstable compound. then you’ll be cured of wanting more.

“advice is what you ask for when you already know what to do.”“advice is just telling someone else how to be you.””never take advice from a salesman.”“it’s better to do things you cannot explain than explain things you cannot do.”“not everyone has what it takes. no amount of advice will fix that.”“there are no more good jobs where you’re told what to do.”

at one conference, 2 keynote speakers and the event organizers pitched paid mentorship programs. these ranged from hundreds to thousands per year. so going to industry events, meeting operators, demo-ing new technology is no longer a competitive edge. that is now a mere sideshow we must endure for the Real Juice – access.

but access to business mentors kinda loses the point. we want customers, not peers. i don’t need a Slack community of founders, i want a Discord community with thousands of paying customers (check).

in a world where people hate you for being straight, white, Christian, male, conservative, American, it feels good to answer earnest questions by up and coming entrepreneurs. but i’m not sure it’s helpful. and lately it’s been perverted by profit.

four years later, today i say again: no more advice.

The post No more advice, Pt 2 appeared first on Ryan Kulp.

i removed Google Analytics from my blog. its only purpose was dopamine delivery after clicking “send” on email newsletters. wow, Finland reads my bullsh*t.

and i’m a bit embarrassed it took so long. a whole 7 years ago my friend David and i articulated the futility during an improvised sketch with zero viewers (fitting).

so i challenged myself: what are some other Google Analytics we can live without?

physical

one time a buddy — who will probably see this post — showed off his glucose monitoring system. a chip embedded in his shoulder that synced with his phone. while eating together he said “yo, my blood sugar is soaring.” a few hours later he said “hey, my blood sugar is down.” he was concerned both times.

some people wake up every day and read a 2-digit number on an app connected to a fake wedding ring that sends heart rate data to India every 30 seconds. this number determines their mood. for non ring wearers, watches produce 3(!)-digit numbers following workouts to achieve the same result.

until recently i looked forward to unwinding on Friday afternoon with a rum & coke. it helped quiet the stress from a busy week of meetings, fire drills, and customer support tickets. this habit may have continued if i didn’t identify 3 root issues solvable only by saying “no,” getting better at my craft, and reducing personal income with delegation.

emotional

we want to feel important, so we count our followers. we want to feel valued, so we ignore unread messages. we want to feel admired, so we check if particular people liked our latest photo.

instead of regulating emotions independently we rely on signals. which could be OK if those signals weren’t trying to sell us something. or sell us. we then compare our signals with someone else’s to create a self worth meta analysis.

mental

here again i’m guilty. i have a 2,045+ day streak on Duolingo and the app is worthless. i learned Korean by living in Korea and grinding in cafes with Anki flash decks. going to tutors. forcing my way into non-English situations. the streak is intellectual masturbation.

every morning i read books before getting on my computer. some of these sessions made me who i am today. many of these books haven’t helped me at all. yet i forced myself to finish each one, another “accomplishment” on my library shelves.

spiritual

perfect church attendance is not a badge of honor if the pastor sucks or the church is called United Methodist. a curated playlist of lo-fi jazz will not calm your heart.

practical

last night we went to dinner without our phones. it was just like 2005 and every day before it. while driving to the restaurant there was nothing good on the radio. while waiting for food we had to stare at each other and talk. while eating we were present.

bleep bloop doom is for hospital beds. for the sentient, 3rd party signals are at best an imitation. i only need to ask myself how i’m doing. i only need to ask customers for sustenance. i only need to talk to God to secure eternity.

the fewer numbers we count, the more values we understand.

The post Random Number Generators appeared first on Ryan Kulp.

for those seeking a modicum of Kirk’s courage i propose a few practical suggestions.

stop code switching

Christian conservatives are experts at blending in with non-believers and Leftists. years in big cities or industries dominated by democrats tends to have that effect.

in an effort to stay employed we learn quickly after graduation that keeping our mouth shut provides plausible deniability. one could even argue we’re being more Christ-like; spending time with Leftists is the 21st century equivalent of hanging out with prostitutes.

but as the years go by, self censorship sums to apathy (at best) or loss of faith itself. maybe nothing does happen when we die. who am i to share un-proven beliefs? maybe everyone can go to heaven by being a good person.

if you’re a Christian conservative, take a step back and realize those times you said nothing were not moments of tolerance, just moments of cowardice. get comfortable saying “blasphemy” even if it creates an awkward situation. to the next friend who shares a spiritual journey update involving questionable substances on a yoga retreat, remind them the only way to heaven is through Christ.

you will probably lose friends. this just means you’re not the one to save them. release non believers back into the wild so someone they respect more can try in your stead.

share opinions publicly

Charlie Kirk wasn’t famous for his opinions. most of what he said is pretty standard doctrine. he made a difference because he had the guts to say things out loud.

when’s the last time you told someone that illegals need to get the hell out of our country, or that kids chopping off their dicks is evil and their parents should be put in prison?

here’s an area where i have always done my duty. i have lost countless sales, relationships, and opportunities for not being a Leftist freak show or conservative pretender. but most of you suck at this because you’re cowards. an opinion only exists insofar as your willingness to state it publicly.

assume the Great Man Theory

it may or may not be true that a few individuals per generation move the world forward (or backward). but we can choose to live like it’s settled science.

to those who gripe “what can i do, i’m a nobody, i’m just 1 person,” recall that so was Charlie Kirk (until he wasn’t). you don’t need a trust fund, 180 IQ, or an apartment in a fancy zip code to make a difference. in reading this you’ve already met the only prerequisites: English and Internet.

the best way i can help you simulate what’s possible is to imagine going viral. we’ve all seen a person or thing or idea go from obscure to mainstream in a matter of weeks, if not days or even hours. and those who take advantage of the spotlight can turn it into a lifelong career of making change.

so don’t worry about writing a volume of books, spending 5 years on a documentary, or memorizing the bible. think about how you could go “viral” and how you would capture the attention and influence it comes with to make a difference.

i’ve had a few viral experiences of my own but on each occasion i pointed the spotlight to something i was selling. i will not make that mistake again. when you garner attention, point it at something bigger than you.

be enviable

one way to attract attention is to piss off people who have an audience, useful idiots. to do this you need to live a life worth coveting. if you’re fat and miserable, even your enemies might pity you.

for men, be more successful and funny and charming than your detractors. for women, be prettier and further along in life (married, kids, house). don’t have crippling debt. be an entrepreneur who can’t be fired when a journalist tries to find your boss on LinkedIn.

mock people when they’re being evil. never apologize for jokes. if Leftists manage to reduce your business revenue, let go of Leftist team members to neutralize the losses. require that they eat their own.

all the while, remember how lucky you are. nobody likes a self-righteous butthole, especially not other Christian conservatives. repeat after me: everything i have is thanks to God, and not how hard i work. but work as hard as you can anyway.

avoid NPCs

to fight the Left you need to read books and synthesize ideas. do not roll in the mud with their “kids in cages” unhinged emotional rants. these are not serious people, they are trying to fill a God-shaped hole with social justice and climate change.

it’s been said “we yell lies, but whisper truths.” last week in Amsterdam i mentioned to a friend on the street that Muslim refugees are ruining the continent and i made sure to say it loud enough for those around us to hear it.

your reputation should precede you. you should know your haters’ arguments better than they do. if you’re in a debate and the other person starts laughing, you won. if they start screaming, you won.

so our goal is to make Leftists cry. not for pure sport, although that is a welcome bonus. but to show them the light. godless Leftists will go to hell if we don’t show them the truth.

have thick skin

let’s rewrite this heading to “be optimistic.” the sooner you get called all the -ists, the sooner you become invincible. the Left has controlled Christian conservatives for a long time with bad words.

not everyone is fortunate to have read thousands of comments about their ideas, appearance, singing voice, products… but i am. and now the only opinion i care about is my own. so skip all the feedback cycles and jump straight to this conclusion yourself.

slander is frustrating, but i’d rather be taken out of context than go to hell. lost revenue is frustrating, but i’d rather be out a few bucks than go to hell. be so good at making money that they cannot destroy you. this might take you a few years to figure out, but it’s worth it. life is long, and Leftists only need a few more years to make things even worse.

find glass houses

none of us are perfect. but isn’t it wild how often a Leftist turns out to be a pedophile? i’m not exactly sure how to productize this investigative effort, but several indie journalists are using tools as simple as online chat and hidden voice recorders to expose people who want you dead and would make celebratory dancing TikToks if you got shot.

(this section is mostly a note to self. i need to figure out how to direct my web hacking skills to successful prosecutions)

wear conversation starters

after Charlie was murdered my wife bought a couple shirts from his merch store. i look forward to wearing them. i also have a Trump shirt, MAGA hat, the usual stuff. but admittedly i keep them in my closet, for fear that a Leftist will spit on me or key my car.

no longer. Leftists are depraved creatures. they cannot be given any power, but we also cannot continue coddling them. all hope is lost when someone loses touch with the Real World. and the real world doesn’t care about pronouns, starving Africans, or indigenous land proclamations. let’s make that clear in how we present ourselves.

find your people

there’s strength in numbers. it’s easier to do the wrong thing when surrounded by evil. it’s easier to do the right thing when surrounded by Christian conservatives. it’s also more difficult to shoot all of us than one of us.

make sure people know you. it’s difficult to hate something we understand. this is probably how i’ve kept a handful of Leftist friends: they have to admit i’m a reasonable person. they know i’m generous and tolerant. they know i want them to succeed, even if we disagree on how or why.

but i will be drawing a deeper line in the sand. it will be more clear going forward that i am not a pushover. i will not tolerate them celebrating murder, i will destroy them for it. and so should you.

The post How to stand for Charlie Kirk appeared first on Ryan Kulp.

there’s a scene in The Office where Dwight calls the internet a fad. we laugh because he’s wrong and out of touch, but he doesn’t have to be.

the most connected people in the world pay good money to “disconnect.” at yoga retreats and Think Week cabin rentals. it’s a trend to leave one’s phone in another room while sleeping. yet nobody states the obvious… if the internet sucks so bad, why not avoid it all the time?

i was born in 1990 and bought my first smart phone 19 years later. so i’ve lived most of my life without the internet in my pocket. i have fond memories of fumbling MapQuest printouts in my ’98 Chevy S10 (extended bed, camper top). setting Friday night plans on Tuesday afternoon was peak living. remember catching up with a friend you haven’t seen in awhile instead of stalking them online?

some may argue it’s worth bifurcating the internet into “digitized content” and “bad ideas by people full of sh*t.” but these days they overlap so much i wonder if that’s a distinction without a difference. and labels aside: do you typically feel better or worse after browsing the internet?

my first child is due in a couple months and it’s difficult to imagine tweeting as a parent. why would i argue with a childless blue haired atheist about Islam’s (in)compatibility with Western values? why would i tolerate The Algorithm showing me prostitutes on my social media feed? have we lost our mind?

so i’m fixing it. but it’s unhelpful to quote The Network State or similar elitist fantasy intellectual porn. i’m not going to buy an island or move to the 3rd world. i’m going to stay where i am, with conscious ignorance of my surroundings. i’m bringing back the 90s.

the plan:

downgrade my X profile to private, later deleteset bills to auto pay (+ hire someone to monitor fraud, overages)downgrade my phone (currently 24/7 do not disturb, ordered a Minimal Phone)use Amazon to buy books (vs Google to query words) when i get curiouswatch movies > shows to avoid the zeitgeistcancel my newsletter tool (this post will be my last email broadcast)

everything above should be easy because i don’t listen to podcasts, watch sports, or know anything about brands or celebrities. i don’t get fomo for events or people. i don’t have a permanent phone number. i don’t care about discovering new nutrition tips or coding languages. i prefer suffering. i prefer using my hands. i prefer the real world.

subscribe to my blog via RSS or visit me IRL. i will continue reading email, Slack, and Discord chat messages until i exit ongoing concerns.

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