Erik’s Newsletter: AI Agents, Exploding Kittens, and the Return of the Dire Wolf
Issue #78
🗓️ Today at a Glance:
Quote: "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." – James Clear
Reading: But What If I Really Want a Faster Horse?
Podcast: The Board Game Billionaire (Exploding Kittens)
Tweet: Taste is the foundation – and it's becoming everything
Product: Manus – AI agents are here
Idea: AI Accountability Buddy – your habit twin
The seasons are shifting and so are the tools we use to think, work, and create. This month, I've been experimenting with AI more deeply in my daily life. From voice-driven brainstorming to exploring early-stage AI agents, I can feel the future creeping closer.
Also on my mind: whether to finally pull the trigger on a Tesla (FSD at $8K!?), how to scale myself with a personal AI chief of staff, and the question that won’t go away—what happens to software engineers when AI gets really good? My take: we uplevel, just like elevator operators became elevator mechanics.
💬 Quote I’m Pondering…
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” — James Clear
Most people overestimate motivation and underestimate systems. This quote reminds me that excellence isn’t about grand ambition—it’s about daily execution. Especially in an age of AI, the systems you build around you (human or machine) are what actually move the needle.
🧠 What I’m thinking about…
MAHA: Make America Healthy Again: A cultural health movement that focuses on food, sleep, fitness, and community.
Talk to ChatGPT every day: I’ve found daily voice chats with ChatGPT unlock ideas I didn’t even know were in my head. It’s become my personal Socratic coach.
Content is king, more than ever: In a world where AI is the interface, content is the input. Owning your own text, voice, or visuals gives you leverage.
How to always be “on” without burning out?: I’m trying to figure out how to stay creatively energized while still building rest into my systems.
My dream tool: AI Chief of Staff: Someone (or something) that knows my calendar, nudges my goals, preps my docs, filters my inbox, and tells me when I’m off track. Not far off now.
Should I buy a Tesla?: With prices dipping and FSD still at $8K, it’s tempting. But is it a leap forward or just a shiny toy?
AI Podcast Summarizer: I want an AI that can “listen” to a podcast on 2x and give me the 10 nuggets I actually care about. Why isn’t this mainstream yet? I guess I could transcribe and then summarize.
The job curve: People laughed when I said truck drivers would disappear. Now they worry about engineers. The reality: automation shifts the landscape. Elevator operators were replaced by buttons, but we needed technicians. Jobs evolve.
Marc Andreessen’s productivity guide: Especially love his take on no meetings and no schedule—radical, but compelling.
📚 What I'm Reading
But what if I really want a faster horse?
//exotext
Companies often evolve until they all look like TikTok. Why is sameness so attractive? Innovation dies when the hivemind takes over.
The average college student today
//hilariusbookbinder
We’re facing an attention crisis. Goldfish-level focus is undermining learning, and anxiety is skyrocketing. Idiocracy might be closer than we think.
🧬 Something I Learned
//time
Dire wolves, extinct for 12,500 years, are back—at least genetically. Thanks to modern science (and a bit of Jurassic Park energy), we now have woolly mice, cloned pets, and yes, adorable howling wolf puppies (see video).
🎧 Podcasts Worth Your Time
🧨 The Board Game Billionaire – My First Million
The story behind Exploding Kittens: a $10K Kickstarter turned into a $100M empire. Loved his nuggets on iteration and simplicity.
📦 A Better Way to Plan and Build Products – Lenny’s Podcast w/ Ryan Singer
A must-listen for anyone building things. "Shape Up" methodology is a breath of fresh air. Read the book too.
💸 Build a $1,000/Day Newsletter on Beehiiv – The Startup Ideas Podcast
Clickbait title, but real insight. First-party text is the most durable currency in the AI age.
🗣️ Become a Better Communicator – Lenny’s Podcast w/ Wes Kao
Clear frameworks to improve how you speak and influence. Always room to level up here.
🐦 Tweets That Made Me Stop and Think
Start building these things, especially taste.
Team sizes are shrinking (link)
AI can automatically create help docs for your company (link)
If Snapchat existed back then… (link). Worth a look, it is amazing.
Analogy between AI and the goldrush era (link)
😂 (link)
🛠️ Product I’m Loving
One of the best early explorations of AI agents as teammates. Try it once and you’ll glimpse where we’re headed—one year from now, I bet ChatGPT has something like this natively built in.
💡 Idea I Can't Get Out Of My Head
AI Accountability Buddy
A habit-specific AI text thread that checks in on your goals. Want to floss, write, stretch, or meditate daily? Have an AI buddy for each. Zero judgment, infinite consistency.
