Stealing like an artist, Micro habits, AI-native, & More
Issue #73
Today at a Glance:
Quote: don't copy, steal
Reading: premium products command an outsized willingness to pay
Podcast: creating a swipe file
Tweet: cloning SaaS
Product: the best lifting app
#QUOTE
Quote I'm pondering...
"Good artists copy; great artists steal." – Pablo Picasso
True creativity isn’t about duplicating—it’s about deeply understanding, internalizing, and reimagining. When you "steal," you’re taking an idea and making it your own, integrating it so seamlessly into your work that it transforms into something new. It’s a powerful principle for product development, storytelling, or even daily work: draw from the best sources, but don’t stop at replication—remix, adapt, and innovate until it feels like it’s always belonged to you.
#THOUGHTS
What I'm thinking about...
Premium products incrementally better (~25%) typically command 3-10X willingness to pay in most markets. You'll need to be 3X+ better if there are any switching costs involved. There is an arbitrage in many markets in you take this principle; e.g. Waymo is a 50% better experience compared to Uber/Lyft for a similar price (if not cheaper price, since no tips!)
Is the effort of managing an FSA worth it? Seems like more effort than it’s worth, tbh.
Micro habits for gaining back time (e.g., using voice dictation instead of typing)
Becoming "AI-native" at work by using AI as an assistant for everything I do (e.g., meeting transcript summaries)
#READING
What I'm reading...
//matthewdicks
Homework for Life is about spotting and recording interesting stories from your life rather than trying to recount them in the future. Neil Gaiman called a similar thing "compost." I've also heard of the term "Huge Pile of Crap" or HPOC, which is similar.
#PODCASTS
My favorite listens...
How to Build a Swipe File and Steal Like an Artist
//startupideaspodcast
I have lots of swipe files scattered around—one for interesting ads in Pinterest, copywriting in Notes, ideas in OmniFocus. This podcast changed the way I think about swipe files, not only from a product perspective but also what to capture. Two actionable recommendations:
Download MyMind
Mindmind is the baby of Pinterest + Notes + Pocket. It is an AI-powered workspace that organizes your notes, bookmarks, images, and ideas automatically—no manual effort required.
Read "Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon
Not explicitly mentioned in this podcast, but it made me think about it. This is one of my favorite books and will take you <1h to read. Just read it!
#TWEET
Social media that made me stop and think...
We've transitioned from homegrown solutions to SaaS and now back to homegrown. AI and open-source tools make creating and maintaining in-house products (1) easier to build and (2) easier to sustain. Combined with the increasing challenges of purchasing software, this will drive more companies to develop their own solutions.
My Learnings from Lenny & Friends conference
Sounds like a wonderful exercise preparing for your demise.
Superintelligent AI by 2026-2027, conservatively.
We need the falcon wing SUV.
#PRODUCT
A product that I've been loving...
I tried Ladder this month while traveling, and it was incredible. I ended up replacing most of my workouts with their programs. Ladder is hands down the best strength training app I’ve ever used—it’s like Peloton, but for fitness. It felt just like being in a CrossFit class, but from the comfort of my own gym. We'll see if I stick with it or go back to my own programming.
Also they just raised $105M and are growing 3X YoY, so they must be doing something right.