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    Read past dispatches

    Impostor Syndrome: The monster in your head

    Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud.

    Statistically, nobody has used your app

    People spend most of their time on sites and apps other than yours. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know.

    The Aesthetic-Usability Effect

    When building something new, what's more important: that it works, or that it looks good? The Aesthetic-Usability Effect says that users perceive more aesthetically pleasing designs as easier to use than less aesthetically pleasing designs.

    Three things school taught me (and Three things it didn't)

    Too often I see chatter online about how studying computer science in school is the only way to have a successful career at a startup or a big company. That definitely isn't the case.

    Shrimps is Bugs: Red Lobster ate itself to death

    Red Lobster's bankruptcy and the importance of understanding your product's pricing and business model, especially for founders and indiehackers building Saas products.

    The Endowment Effect: why useful trials make for sticky products

    The endowment effect is a psychological phenomenon where people value things more highly simply because they own them. How can you use this to make your product stickier?

    Beyond the walled garden: what Spotify and Substack get wrong

    It's natural for big companies to make mistakes - but when they do, it's a great opportunity for smaller companies to build something better.

    Simple Habits for a Happier Team

    Small changes and management techniques can transform your team's dynamics and boost morale. Explore practices like expressing gratitude, weekly reflections, and eliminating negative behaviors to foster a positive, growing team.

    Designing for hospitality

    "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara outlines how to making customers feel exceptionally special. Let's bring these hospitality principles to tech, by creating memorable experiences, and using hospitality to elevate customer satisfaction in product design, engaging with the people using our products.

    Keep your tools sharp

    The tools we use to get our work done are incredibly important, and taking the time to tune them to work just right can make a huge difference in our productivity and happiness.

    Why new frameworks make better developers

    A look at the cognitive science behind the Hierarchy of Competence, and how dabbling with new frameworks and tools can make you a better developer.

    Take my money! Some of my favorite tools... and why I pay for them

    I'm a huge fan of products that use their a free tier to prove their value, and then convert me to a paying customer. Here are a few tools I pay for, and why I think they're worth it.

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