Blog
The Story of Add Yours, Vol. 1
A few weeks ago, in a conversation with a friend who knows a lot more about tech than I ever will, I told him about what I actually did at Instagram. Not because he doesn't know what user research is, or because he was unfamiliar with the companies
Moving Day
Hello! When you receive this missive, I will be in the true throes of moving. I've done a lot of work leading up to this day, but today is when the movers come to take all the furniture and boxes I couldn't schlep over myself. Today
The Stupidest Timeline
A few weeks ago, I wrote the best research proposal of my career. I normally do not look forward to writing proposals at all, as evinced in part by the book proposal I'm still staring down. To be honest, I don't love most documentation or paperwork.
Why Did I Leave Substack, Anyway?
Last week, my friends at Scratch reached out to ask if I'd be interesting in answering questions about why I moved my newsletter off Substack. Of course I would! I've written some about it here, as you know, but I'm always game to talk
I Don't Think These People Would Taste Good
Earlier this week, I remembered that I currently set my own work schedule, so I took Monday off. First I had lunch with a dear friend at a beloved establishment that's sadly closing, and then I meandered over to The Frick to see a fantastic exhibit before it,
Silicon Valley is a Black Hole Waiting to Collapse in on Itself
One of the most challenging things for me about doing a newsletter is that I feel like I have to come up with a new topic every week. It's a funny thing to admit because I always have a million ideas romping around in my brain, and there&
I Think I Figured Out Why AI Sucks So Much
Did I promise to write a specific newsletter last week? Does anyone remember? (Please don't go check.) Yes, I did, and I should know better. Chris, my apologies, but I won't be writing about your comment this week because—like a total jerk—I'm
Everyone's An Expert Now
If I were to be completely honest with you, there were a lot of things I disliked about being a user experience researcher. Don't get me wrong, it was often a good and interesting job. It was just frustrating one. As a user researcher, you have a lot
My Whole Thing is Everyone's Whole Thing Now
Many (oh god, so many) years ago, when I was in my late 20s and was finally taking therapy seriously, I had a truly wonderful therapist. To this day, he was one of the best therapists I've ever known. During a session, he looked at me and said,
I Promise I'm Not Insane
Will you be disappointed if we don't spend this week's newsletter on the angle of the sun? I know, I promised, and I'm sure you were all wildly eager—edges of your seats no doubt—to see these images. Some of you really understood
