thoughts on digital wellbeing.
This is a newsletter about digital wellbeing, the project I'm building around it, and where I'm at personally. I'll write it every few days. No agenda beyond getting some thoughts out my head
on digital wellbeing
I heard a fable the other day about smartphone use that stuck with me. It went something like this....
An old lady who lived alone received an unwanted visit from the grim reaper. The reaper warned her that he would return, and that if she opened the door to him, her living days would be over.
A couple of days later, there was a knock. "It's the village doctor, can I come in?"
"Doctor? I never called the doctor," the old lady replied from behind the oak door.
"I hear you've been poorly. Can I come in?"
She remembered her previous visitor, checked the lock, and returned to her affairs.
Two days later, another knock. An insurance salesperson this time, promising savings on her monthly outgoings. As tempting as it sounded, she saw through it, recalled the reaper and declined politely to go back to her affairs.
A week passed. Another knock. A young man's voice, different from the others.
"I'm ill. Can I please come in?"
Her first instinct was right. "Leave me in peace, please. I'm attending to my affairs." She walked away.
"But I'm bleeding. I've lost a lot of blood."
The old lady stopped.
"I don't think I've got long left. Can I please come in?"
She moved back towards the door.
"Please. I'm bleeding."
She turned the lock and opened it ajar.
The door was forced open. The patient was revived. And the old lady's story ended there. No regrets. No mercy. Swift and purposeful.
The fable reminds us of the way we relate to our phones. We always find a reason, a justification or excuse. We don't open the door carelessly. We open it because the reason feels right. It always does. That's the point and their careful design has made it so.
We need to build our resilience so we only open that door when we choose to do so intentionally and not when someone or something tricks us into doing it.
on where we're at with our project
nomp is roughly three weeks from having a solid MVP. This phase, where the technical, design, and product thinking all start coming together, is genuinely exciting. I'm grateful to be building it with Marius and Lucky, who keep raising the bar on what's possible.
The less glamorous side of things - reaching out to potential cohorts, building an audience, getting people to care before there's something to show them is slower and harder. We've sent plenty cold emails in the last few weeks and the responses have been.... cold. We'll get there.
on where I'm at
Good, mostly. I'm getting better at dealing with the naysayers, including the one in my own head. I believe in what we're building and I'm learning to take it one step at a time.
Committing to writing this regularly is part of that. It keeps me honest.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to share.
Iain
