Jackson Dahl

@jackson

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Dialectic Ep. 21: Geoffrey Litt - Software You Can Shape I talked to Geoffrey Litt about a world where everyone can enjoy software that is customized to them. Geoffrey has spent his career working to give people more agency in their digital lives by way of the tools they use every day. That starts with his belief that people actually understand their own specific needs. He leads the malleable software track at independent research group Ink & Switch, and writes, prototypes, and explores new ways for software to feel more like spreadsheets: where using and editing a document, app, tool, or environment are one and the same. As more and more of the world is trending toward passive consumption, Geoffrey makes a case for participation in the details of our lives: "popping open the hood" and tinkering with them in service of creating wonderful things. Highlights: - how digital environments could feel more home kitchens or legos - why you should learn to use a chef knife instead of settling for one-job tools like the "avocado slicer" - The "Nightmare Bicycle" and trusting users to learn a system rather than over-designing it - why he's obsessed with spreadsheets and how they embody the "smooth slope" design philosophy - what happens when we have the equivalent of a personal home chef or butler to create software for us (AI) - why we should trust local participants to design for their communities rather than just designers in SF - a case for care, agency, and embracing the details of our lives Transcript & links: https://dialectic.fm/geoffrey-litt Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5B8B6At0i7RWpiToYwFFas?si=cKtu\_-6LR\_ysBfFfj4yXWQ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/21-geoffrey-litt-software-you-can-shape/id1780282402?i=1000713518703 YouTube: https://youtu.be/RromJIXfYyI?si=eA7RVa3wBNdGi5Es

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$dialectic is available on @zora

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/dialectic Ep. 21: Geoffrey Litt - Software You Can Shape https://zora.co/coin/base:0xa47a72f51746d13175e16cafe0999ac39f1bcf7d?referrer=0x4cced345763d40e0328d529c8b6c48e03f092e74

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/dialectic Ep. 21: Geoffrey Litt - Software You Can Shape https://pods.media/dialectic/21-geoffrey-litt-software-you-can-shape?referrer=0x9b902482E62Db8FC486C3f1acAA568006021DbEC

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/dialectic Ep. 20: Yancey Strickler - Constellations of Creativity https://zora.co/coin/base:0xd6589ff0dd9c03f6ea40d56bbe1c0135a295e422?referrer=0x4cced345763d40e0328d529c8b6c48e03f092e74

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/dialectic Ep. 20: Yancey Strickler - Constellations of Creativity https://pods.media/dialectic/20-yancey-strickler-constellations-of-creativity?referrer=0x9b902482E62Db8FC486C3f1acAA568006021DbEC

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I interviewed @yancey about why the 21st is on track to become the creative century. Yancey Strickler co-founded Metalabel and Kickstarter, and has spent his life finding new ways to create and support artistic people. We talked about how the modern world became individualistic and creative, and how the internet is changing how we relate to both. Then, Yancey makes a case for creating in conversation and conspiracy with others, rather than alone—all in service of being a part of something bigger than ourselves. Highlights: - defense department seeding the word "creativity" and it entering the dictionary in the 60s - the emergence of the "self-employed commercial expressor," a job that basically didn't exist 15 years ago - what it looks to be an independent creator *and* be a part of a collective - what it could look like for more people to make a living on the internet, rather than just a few people making a killing - Artist Corps, Yancey's newest effor https://dialectic.fm/yancey-strickler

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Sometimes, things aren't so complicated. When really great—but also, *good*—people work hard, stay focused, and iteratively, humbly, confidently trust the feedback loops the world offers, they win. @henri and co are such a case. What a joy it is to see the good guys win. Happy @privy day!

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/dialectic 19: Henrik Karlsson - Cultivating a Life that Fits https://zora.co/coin/base:0xfe4ab18f7f05e0e14c31e323dc0ce1829bd94878?referrer=0x4cced345763d40e0328d529c8b6c48e03f092e74

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/dialectic 19: Henrik Karlsson - Cultivating a Life that Fits https://pods.media/dialectic/19-henrik-karlsson-cultivating-a-life-that-fits?referrer=0x9b902482E62Db8FC486C3f1acAA568006021DbEC

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/dialectic 19: Henrik Karlsson - Cultivating a Life that Fits A special one for me: I flew across the ocean to interview one of my favorite writers. Henrik Karlsson wrote two essays I've recommended more than nearly any others—one on finding your wife and the other on designing the rest of your life. Henrik lives a dual-life. Half is intimate and slow: a rural farm on a Danish island with his wife and daughters. The other is connected and wide: he writes to tens of thousands and has created his own corner of the internet. Highlights: - the burden of freedom and the challenge of iteratively designing a life that fits you - what focus really means in practice - why strong opinions and looking foolish help you learn - a nudge to do less "not that" and more "maybe this?" in your criticism - why writing online creates a world of serendipity - what it feels like to spend time with people who expand your world - living in concert with your past and future selves https://dialectic.fm/henrik-karlsson

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Need some weekend listening? I'm really proud of the recent conversations I've had on /dialectic, and the feedback has been tremendously rewarding. The latest run has gone in a bunch of different directions: 18: Tom Morgan - curiosity, mystery, and collective consciousness 17: Alex Danco (@stimps) - gift giving & innovation and why podcasts continue to thrive 16: Anjan Katta - human computing and philosophical design at @daylightcomputer 15: D.A. Wallach - bio investing, rock stardom, and serendipity Available on all platforms below.

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/dialectic Ep. 18: Tom Morgan - Wisdom in the Woo https://pods.media/assets/8453/0x2abb294e94e27d1aa8d0e113c92f42c2ee36af0f/19?referrer=0x9b902482E62Db8FC486C3f1acAA568006021DbEC

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/dialectic Ep. 18: Tom Morgan - Wisdom in the Woo https://zora.co/coin/base:0x8dbd60eed304b7ef92b4f6edb141e941787e98a8?referrer=0x4cced345763d40e0328d529c8b6c48e03f092e74

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I interviewed Tom Morgan about why your curiosity is smarter than you. Tom is a writer, community builder, explorer, and former Wall Street mind who surfaces modern and historical ideas about consciousness, emergence, and intelligence greater than ourselves. This conversation straddles practical frameworks for living authentically and ideas that lean more “woo”—like the notion of a force that counters entropy, pushing the universe toward complexity. Highlights: - Why the world is wildly over rotated toward left brain precision and abstraction, rather than right brain intuition and connectedness - what following your energy actually means - how to think about life pivots when you have a mortgage - why openness correlates so highly with wisdom - Joseph Campbell's "follow your bliss" and why stories point at truth - "minimum viable woo" and Tom's rational, but humble approach to crazy ideas Skeptical yet? I hope so—and I hope this convo makes you more curious. https://dialectic.fm/tom-morgan

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/dialectic Ep. 17: Alex Danco - Innovation Begins with Gifts https://zora.co/coin/base:0x6a6ebab88dedac4d76357a22e5f9af61527aac73?referrer=0x4cced345763d40e0328d529c8b6c48e03f092e74

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Dialectic Ep. 17: Alex Danco - Innovation Begins with Gifts https://pods.media/dialectic/17-alex-danco-innovation-begins-with-gifts?referrer=0x9b902482E62Db8FC486C3f1acAA568006021DbEC

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I interviewed Alex Danco (@stimps) about the magical enzyme that catalyzes creativity in silicon valley and beyond — gifts. Alex is a product leader at Shopify and one of the most generative writers at the intersection of markets, technology, business, and culture. I've read Alex for nearly 10 years as he's covered how VC and startups impact each other, what is happening as we move from a world of scarcity to abundance, how culture shapes and is shaped by tech and business, and more. We cover: - why generosity allows us to solve the coordination problems needed to innovate - VC's as priests and founders as kings, endowed with the power to tell stories about the future - why gifts are the opposite of slop - how originality with AI tools may resemble a guitarist finding her or his sound - why podcasts are dominant and will continue to be - why Sam Altman can't copy Phish - how human beings fundamentally change when they're in a crowd - why you should host more dinner parties All platforms below.

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/dialectic Ep. 16: Anjan Katta - A Sunrise Over Computing https://zora.co/coin/base:0x08785e0bb9376991367dfb70250843cbf6057d0c?referrer=0x4cced345763d40e0328d529c8b6c48e03f092e74

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