
# The Big Idea

It's not divine intervention; it's just someone who did a damn good job.

<a href="https://www.paddle.com/events/webinars/web-revenue-labs-what-to-do-in-this-post-apple-ruling-landscape?utm_medium=website&utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=webinars_fy2025_q2_apples_app_store_ruling&utm_content=tiny-improvements" className="text-xs lg:text-xs xl:text-xs">
  Brought to you by Paddle
</a>

## Go on, put your back into it

North Carolina summers are like being slowly baked inside a damp sock. Triple-digit heat. Humidity so thick you could bottle it and sell it as soup. It’s the kind of weather that makes you question your life choices.

But the moment you step into a perfectly air-conditioned room: one that hits you with that crisp, fresh chill on a blistering day - that is what salvation feels like. Not just relief, but a stark, physical reminder of the incredible effort that has gone into the built environment.

Now and then, I get the same feeling from software, too. When someone really puts every bit of their intellectual might into making something that feels _alive_.


### Creative works that just feel different

**[Blue Prince](https://www.blueprincegame.com/)** and **[Animal Well](https://www.animalwell.net/)** are two recent games that twist themselves into meta-puzzles, daring you to notice every pixel. I hardly play games at all nowadays, but I can feel the love in every corner of these worlds. It’s intoxicating.

**Small touches added to Android** - instant translation of any text on any screen (even from an image!), no app-switching needed. Spam calls? Silenced. Texts from bots? Blocked. It feels like magic, but it’s just good design.

<Image
  publicId="newsletters/passion-and-the-hand-of-the-creator/google-translate"
  alt="Translation feature on Android"
  caption="Translation in-app is such a thoughtful feature."
/>

[PostHog's new AI Wizard](https://posthog.com/docs/getting-started/install?tab=wizard) - I ran a single npx command and it read my codebase, set up analytics, and configured AI suggestions like it knew exactly what was needed for Craftwork's specific architecture. That’s not a fluke - that’s care, craftsmanship, and context-awareness built into the bones.

<small clasName="text-xs italic text-gray-500">
(side note: posthog is a past sponsor of Tiny Improvements - but this is not a sponsored message. I'm just that damn impressed..)
</small>


### Now go do the damn thing

These examples are more than just little features. They’re evidence of effort, of risk, of someone pushing past “good enough.”

And that’s the work that sticks with me; because it has a **pulse**.

Recreating that sensation... the feeling of a blast of AC on a boiling day - is what I want to do with every product I work on.

**What will it take** to give your work a pulse?

## Mobile app revolution: What to do in this post-Apple ruling landscape

In the latest turn in the Epic Games v Apple legal saga, Apple is now required to allow developers to link to external payment options without imposing additional fees or restrictions. With the freedom and the complexities of taking payments for your app on the web, the real question is: what to do next? Join Paddle as they answer your burning questions and give practical advice you can execute today.

📆 Live Webinar: May 13, 12–1pm EDT
[Register now](https://www.paddle.com/events/webinars/web-revenue-labs-what-to-do-in-this-post-apple-ruling-landscape?utm_medium=website&utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=webinars_fy2025_q2_apples_app_store_ruling&utm_content=tiny-improvements) - it's free!

## Links plucked from my gray matter

One of the things I like most about my job is being able to take inspiration from all over the place. These are some of the things that have stuck with me recently:

- [Unreasonable Hospitality](https://amzn.to/4idMvHZ) is The best book I've read in the past year, hands down. I liked it so much I read it twice, [wrote a newsletter about it](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/unreasonable-hospitality-and-design), and bought copies for friends and teammates.
- The [Besties Podcast on Blue Prince](https://thebesties.substack.com/p/blue-prince-is-the-first-must-play) is what convinced me that there was something special in the source code for the game. Host Justin McElroy's quote about "feeling the hand of the creator" sold me on it. What a masterpiece.


I want to feel the hand of the f%#king creator

Mobile app revolution: What to do in this post-Apple ruling landscape


## The Big Idea

<a href="https://www.paddle.com/events/webinars/lessons-from-saas-founders-whove-done-it?utm_medium=website&utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=webinars_fy2025_q2_core_fireside_founder_chat_30apr&utm_content=tiny-improvements" className="text-xs lg:text-xs xl:text-xs">
  Brought to you by Paddle
</a>

Opportunities don't "just happen" - they come from staying connected, helping others generously, and trusting your instincts when the right path shows up.

## Serendipity isn't magic

Opportunities don't "just happen" - they come from staying connected, helping others generously, and trusting your instincts when the right path shows up.

Years ago, when I was fresh out of college and living on my own for the first time, I read a book called _Never Eat Alone,_ by Keith Ferrazzi.

I don’t agree with everything in it - the title alone feels a little over the top - but the core idea stuck with me: Stay connected. Help when you can. Introduce people who can help each other.

I've carried that theme with me ever since.

Whether it’s friends, colleagues, or online pals (like the [developer community](https://apisyouaonthate.com) I run with two people I've never met in person), I try to be helpful when I can - without keeping score.


## Choosing to be helpful

Around 2018, I had the opportunity to watch some friends complete the Techstars startup accelerator, where I picked up another mantra:

_Give without the expectation of receiving._

Many people people are doing mental accounting all the time - who owes who what, who's "worth it." It's exhausting. For me, it misses the point.

The people I've encountered who seem to have endless opportunity around them are the ones who _help_ first, without asking what’s in it for them.

## Some people do suck

This is important - **you don't owe everyone your time.**

If someone makes a habit of taking advantage, wasting your energy, or treating you poorly, you are not obligated to stay engaged. Good faith should be earned - and kept.

Trust your internal barometer, use your powers for good.

### A framework for building your own luck

- Help people when you can. Make intros. Cheer people on. Share what you genuinely admire.
- Be open to new people and ideas. Take introductions seriously - you never know which one will change your life.
- Trust your instincts. Only you know the full context of your life and goals. When something feels right, follow it.

Most of all, **protect your time**. Being generous doesn’t mean being a doormat.

Serendipity isn’t magic. It’s built by your choices and actions over a longer period of time than you might expect.

---

## From Idea to Exit: SaaS Founders Spill Their Secrets

Why do some SaaS ideas soar while others stall? Paddle's panel of seasoned SaaS founders will talk on idea validation, bootstrapping vs VC funding, scaling tactics & hard-won lessons. It’s a founder therapy session disguised as a webinar.

**📆 Live Webinar**: April 30, 12–1pm EDT

[Save your seat](https://www.paddle.com/events/webinars/lessons-from-saas-founders-whove-done-it?utm_medium=website&utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=webinars_fy2025_q2_core_fireside_founder_chat_30apr&utm_content=tiny-improvements)

---

## What I'm reading

**[Never Eat Alone](https://amzn.to/4cSy23f)** by Keith Ferrazzi, helped forge my outlook on building a strong network, as a bright eyed college grad.

I just finished **[Careless People](https://amzn.to/3GubN7A)**, a memoir by Facebook's first Director of Public Policy. It is a gut-punch of a book, divulging some serious details about the casual relationship that Zuck and company had with ethics as they grew to an incomprehensibly large company. The book had me doing karate kicks in my living room.

A while back, I published a treatise on hiring called **[Your Resume Sucks](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/your-resume-sucks)**. A reader this week reached out with a great example of someone going the distance to stand out from other applicants: check out [The unhinged application I used to get a job at a fast-growing startup](https://userobsession.substack.com/p/the-unhinged-application-i-used-to) from Finn Lobsien.

Shout out to Rusty in Seattle for sharing!



Serendipity isn't an accident

From Idea to Exit: SaaS Founders Spill Their Secrets


## Communication is everything

Many products stumble, or fail to take off because builders don't incorporate feedback, missing the mark on real user needs. If your success depends on real people paying for it, you need to listen to them, to make sure your product resonates and delivers value. This doesn't mean blindly following every request, instead you need to interpret it through the lens of your product vision to make meaningful change.

If you haven't done this before, it can be intimidating to start. Here's a few tips to get you started:

### User Interviews

User interviews are a powerful tool for collecting in-depth insights into the needs and behaviors of the real people who are either using your product, or who you think might be part of your target demographic. These are real conversations with real people, and they require you to take the time to talk to them. One of the most important things taught at Y Combinator is that not enough founders talk to users _before_ starting to build products.

The best user interviews are conducted with open-ended, inquisitive questions. The aim is to explore peoples' perspectives, without leading them to a specific answer. A common pitfall is to be too focused on the result you want to hear, instead of truly understanding the peoples's perspective.

Good user interviews, especially early ones, can have meaningful and significant effects on the early direction of your product. The goal is not to have one or two interviews, but to talk to as many people as you can, until you have a good understanding of the landscape.

### Open channels for feedback

There are countless ways to collect feedback from people while they are using your apps. Surveys, contact forms, and feature suggestion tools give customers a way to share their desires, problems, and feature requests proactively. You've heard me talk about this before - I've had success using everything from a simple email address to surveys with [PostHog](https://posthog.com/mikebifulco). Other channels, such as chat interface tools like Intercom and Drift can also be incredibly effective for real-time feedback and support.

The real magic here lies in human connection - people will trust you more and become more attached to the product you're building when they feel like they're being heard. In the early days, it's the best way to turn casual users into loyal advocates who not only provide feedback, but actively promote your product.

### Telemetry

Telemetry is an unobtrusive way to collect data on how users interact with the features of your product. By measuring user actions and behaviors, you can identify patterns, detect frustration and issues, and make informed decisions on how to improve the product. Telemetry doesn't need to be creepy; it can be done anonymously, providing valuable feedback without compromising user privacy.

This way, you can gain insights and improve your product while respecting boundaries.

Telemetry can be used to monitor the success of new features, system performance, and proactively address bugs before customers churn.

## Don't forget about the vision

Every product founder should build with a believe in the vision that sparked their journey. It's this vision that should guide you through the feedback you're getting, ensuring that you remain true to your long term goals, and delivers a product that is truly useful, even if it evolves over time.

As you gather feedback through user interviews, feedback channels, and telemetry, it's easy to get lost in the sauce. It's important to remember that feedback is a tool, and not a rulebook. By interpreting requests through the lens of your product vision, you ensure that changes align with the long term goals of your product, and deliver features are both useful and valuable to your customers.

---

## Some more resources for listening

Don't take my word for it - here are some great resources for getting better at listening:

### Supercommunicators

People are complex. Every conversation you have with someone is the product of many factors in their life (and yours). In [Supercommunicators](https://hardcover.app/books/supercommunicators), author Charles Duhigg goes deep on the psychology and science of great communication, and how to truly listen to those around you. After a close friend recommended it to me (s/o to Tom!),I've found myself going deep on this one.

_Side note: I keep a list of books I've read on a service called Hardcover - if you dig this one, you'll appreciate my [Product Design reading list](https://hardcover.app/@irreverentmike/lists/product-design-community-building-and-go-to-market_).

### UX Design courses from Gymnasium

My pals over at Gymnasium are always hard at work curating great learning materials for designers. Their [UX Design curriculum](https://thegymnasium.com/ux-design) is _free,_ and has helped thousands of designers sharpen their skills. If you're building a product, you're a designer - you won't regret giving this a look.

--

## Go vote

For my 🇺🇸 American pals, _please_ double check your voter registration, and make a plan to vote this November. This may be the most important election of your lifetime - and the privilege of voting is one that shouldn't be taken for granted.

My favorite voter resource is [Vote.org](https://vote.org/). You can check your registration status, register to vote, see what's on your ballot, and make a plan to vote, all in one place. If you're already on top of it, do me a favor and check in with your friends to make sure they're getting out there and voting too.


Don't just listen. Interpret feedback wisely.


# Contrast Elevates Perception

We often think the quality of our work speaks for itself, but in reality, _perception_ often plays an even bigger role.

The <dfn>contrast effect</dfn> shows how **presenting options in a particular way can dramatically change how they're viewed** - even more than the options themselves.

Here's why this matters for designers, developers, and product builders:

## Brand Perception is Reality

At [Craftwork](https://craftwork.com?utm_source=mikebifulco-com), we work hard to provide a seamless, well-branded experience for getting your home painted - in an industry where the bar for customer service is pretty low.

Cynically speaking, the _end result_ for our customers is essentially the same as what all of our competitors offer: a freshly painted home.

However, we have spent _countless_ hours refining the experience our customers have. From the moment they get in touch with us to the final brush stroke, we've designed every touchpoint to be as thoughtful, modern, and smooth as possible.

<Image
  publicId="newsletters/contrast-effect-cognitive-psychology/craftwork"
  alt="Craftwork"
/>

Because we've built our service with customer journey in mind, our customers _feel_ the difference when comparing our offering to other companies in their neighborhood. If you've ever tried to get a quote from a home services company, you know how frustrating the process can be.

We've worked hard to make it feel _just like it should_ - easy, transparent, and professional.

The end result? Pure magic. Our customer reviews talk about how easy it is to work with us, how professional our team was, and how much they love the final product.

The contrast between our service and _the usual experience_ is stark, and it's all because of the experience we've built.

## Job-seekers need to stand out

The Contrast Effect is also an invaluable tool for people who are struggling to stand out in the job market.

<Image
  publicId="newsletters/contrast-effect-cognitive-psychology/job-hunt"
  alt="Threads post about a developer who applied to 961 jobs without landing a gig"
  caption="The job market is extremely challenging for developers, even those with impressive resumes."
/>

I've seen developers with resumes boasting experience at top companies like Google or Facebook, yet they struggle to get hired.

So, what ultimately helps people with their job hunt?

Adding **personality** to their resume, to stand out from the rest of the stack - everything from thoughtful design elements to memorable facts about themselves to a mission-driven portfolio of personal projects.

You'd be _shocked_ how many incredible resumes sound _identical_ to one another. By adding a little contrast, these developers were able to stand out in a sea of sameness.

This contrast from the usual templates makes their applications pop, even though their qualifications were already impressive. It's a perfect example of how [a little design can make all the difference](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/your-resume-sucks).

## Pricing and Product Design

Another powerful use of the contrast effect is something you see all the time for SaaS products: pricing tables.

<Image
  publicId="newsletters/contrast-effect-cognitive-psychology/pricing-table"
  alt="Pricing table for a SaaS product"
/>

This design effectively compares three pricing options - causing the middle one to be seen as a _reasonable_ choice. This happens because it's strategically positioned between a high-end, feature-rich plan and a low-cost, bare-bones option.

Going a step further, [Comparing monthly and yearly plans](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/use-annual-pricing-build-loyalty) can enhance this effect. Highlighting clear savings on the yearly option encourages users to choose the plan you're aiming for. The psychology of pricing is an art in itself.

---

## More on cognitive psychology

- For more on how subtle design choices can shape perception, check out my article on ["Wabi-Sabi - Embracing Imperfection for Tech Teams"](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/tech-product-growth-wabi-sabi), where I talk about the power of accepting imperfections in tech.

- ["Why Liquid Death's Branding Is Murderously Effective"](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/naming-your-product-kiki-bouba) for a some thoughts on branding and design

- If you're interested in how design decisions affect interaction, my piece on ["The Math Behind Why Cafes Should Have Round Tables"](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/design-decisions-cafe-tables) explores how physical design can change experiences.

Ultimately, the way something is presented often matters as much as the thing itself. Whether you're building a product, presenting yourself to employers, or structuring pricing for customers, _contrast_ can turn a good experience into a great one.

## What are you working on?

I'd love to hear about your projects and how you're using design to elevate your work. Hit reply and let me know what you're building! I read and reply to every response - and I can't wait to hear from you.


How Contrast Elevates Perception


We've all felt it: you're working on something new. It may be a job interview, or a creative project, or a new role at work. You're excited, but there's a nagging voice in the back of your head.

It whispers in your ear -- quietly at first, then louder and louder until it's all you can hear.

Maybe you're not good enough. Maybe you're a fraud. Maybe you don't deserve this. What's worse -- maybe _everyone_ else already knows.

**Impostor syndrome** is a psychological pattern in which a person doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud. It's a monster that lives in your head, whispering lies and sowing doubt.

Impostor syndrome is a common experience, especially among people who do creative work, are in high-pressure roles, or are in a new environment. It can be debilitating, holding you back from taking risks or pursuing new opportunities.

We all feel imposter syndrome at some point. That nagging doubt that we're not good enough, despite evidence to the contrary. It's a universal experience that transcends industries and roles.

Imposter syndrome comes and goes, often rearing its head during times of growth or new challenges. In many ways, it's a sign that you're pushing your boundaries and stepping into new territory. It's both a curse and a signal of your ambition.

## Head down, power through

Friends, I feel it too.

It is a monster I am always beating back. My latest hit of imposter syndrome centers around a YouTube video I filmed and edited but never released. There's just _something_ keeping me from hitting `publish`.

Frustratingly, some of getting over imposter syndrome is just... getting over it. It's about recognizing that feeling this way is normal and pushing through the discomfort. It's a fun consequence of being human, and it's a sign that you're growing and challenging yourself.

## 3 simple steps to beat the monster

1. **Recognize it**: The first step to overcoming imposter syndrome is recognizing it for what it is -- a psychological pattern, not a reflection of reality. When you feel that doubt creeping in, take a step back and remind yourself that it's just your brain playing tricks on you.

2. **Talk about it**: Imposter syndrome thrives in silence. When you keep those feelings bottled up, it will grow and fester. Talk to a friend, a mentor, or a therapist about what you're feeling. You'll be surprised at how common this experience is and how much better you'll feel when you share it with someone else.

3. **Take action**: The best way to beat imposter syndrome is to take action. Do the thing that scares you. Apply for the job, start the project, hit `publish` on that video. The more you push through the discomfort, the easier it becomes.

<small>

(Don't just take my word for it: [Cleveland Clinic](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/a-psychologist-explains-how-to-deal-with-imposter-syndrome), [Psychology Today](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/neuroscience-in-everyday-life/202308/overcoming-imposter-syndrome-6-evidence-based-strategies), and [BetterUp](https://www.betterup.com/blog/what-is-imposter-syndrome-and-how-to-avoid-it) all have great, science-based advice on overcoming imposter syndrome.)

</small>

## Go do it

One of the greatest gifts this newsletter has given me is the opportunity to meet and talk to so many people who are in the early days of their journey. Tiny Improvements readers include creators, developers, and startup founders (and more) who all share a common thread: we're pushing ourselves to grow, to learn, and to create.

Overwhelmingly, I feel like so many of the people I talk to are teetering on the very edge of _doing the thing they want to do_. Consider this your sign to hit the `publish` button: you've waited long enough, and you'll only get better if you _do the thing._

Oh, and by the way - [I hit publish this morning](https://youtu.be/Q7ZMlgbrZxQ).

---

## The push you need to get started

My **favorite blog post of all time** is Chris Coyier's [There is no bar](https://chriscoyier.net/2022/06/27/there-is-no-bar/). It's true -- when you're at the wheel as a creator, there is no bar to clear. You set the bar by doing the work, and the only way to get better is to keep doing it.

You may also enjoy my previous newsletter [There's no right way to do it](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/no-right-way-to-do-it) - a reminder that a change in perspective can be the push you need.

I've also writren a treatise on [The trick to publishing online](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/today-is-your-day-to-start). You'll be surprised how simple it is.

---

<Image
  publicId="newsletters/impostor-syndrome-is-a-monster/show-us-your-songs"
  alt="Show us your songs"
/>

## Send me your projects

I want to see what you're working on! [Hit me up on Threads @irreverentmike](https://threads.net/@irreverentmike), and send me a link to your latest project, article, video, whatever it is - I'd love to give your work a signal boost by sharing it with my network.

Go on, show me what you've got!


Impostor Syndrome: The monster in your head


Have you ever felt that you've seen a design that just makes sense to you, but you couldn't quite put your finger on why?

---

At some point, we are all faced with the challenge of creating a design that works intuitively _and_ looks great. When building a new interface, there's a temptation to lean heavily on obvious design elements like color or shape, or to use cards and borders to hold bits of UI. It makes sense: these are easily visible to person using your app.

What you may not realize is why these elements are so effective.

The people who use our designs are silently and subconsciously navigating questions like: _What's the most important thing on this page?_, _What's the relationship between these elements?_, and _What's the best way to navigate this interface?_

Enter **Gestalt** principles, a set of psychological concepts that go beyond aesthetics to form the foundation of how we see and interpret user interfaces. This is the bit of our mind that guides us to parse the whole picture by understanding the relationships between its parts.

The gist of understanding Gestalt principles for design is this: our brains are used to grouping things together based on a few basic patterns. These patterns are the foundation of how we perceive the world around us. By understanding these patterns, we can create designs that are easy to understand and navigate. Additionally, by _breaking_ these patterns, we can intentionally draw attention to specific elements in our designs.

## Some of the basic gestalt principles, in short:

- **Past Experience**: Our brains use our past experiences to interpret new information.
- **Proximity**: Elements that are close together are perceived as a group.
- **Similarity**: Elements that look similar are perceived as a group.
- **Figure and Ground**: Our brains separate elements into the background and the foreground.
- **Symmetry and Order**: Our brains perceive objects as symmetrical shapes that form around their center.

There are a few more principles, and they are all worth understanding. But for now, let's focus on how these principles can be applied to create better designs.

### Past Experience: the power of familiarity

In your mind, picture a web form used to collect someone's mailing address. You probably see a series of fields, each labeled with a specific piece of information: street address, city, state, and zip code. Where do each of these fields go? If you're like most people, you probably see the street address at the top, followed by the city, state, and zip code.

This is a perfect example of how past experience influences our perception of new information. We've seen this pattern so many times that we instantly recognize it and know how to interact with it.

<Image
  publicId="newsletters/gestalt-design-principles-for-developers/gestalt-layout"
  alt="Gestalt layout"
  caption="One of these should feel natural."
/>

On the left, the form is laid out in a way that feels familiar. On the right, complete unhinged madness. It's not _technically_ in violation of the geneva convention, but it's close.

### Proximity and Similarity: the power of grouping

Proximity and similarity are two of the most powerful tools in a designer's toolbox. They allow us to group elements together in a way that makes sense to the user. This is why one of the fundamental building blocks of most CSS design systems includes a grid system. It's a way to ensure that the space in your design is consistent and harmonious, guiding the user's eye and creating a sense of order and structure.

What does this mean? It means that the space around and between elements is just as important as the elements themselves. It's the difference between a cluttered, confusing design and a clean, intuitive one. Consistency is critical here: spacing between related elements should be consistent, and the space between unrelated elements should be distinct.

Take a look at this example:

<Image
  publicId="newsletters/gestalt-design-principles-for-developers/gestalt-proximity"
  alt="Gestalt proximity"
  caption="Without thinking too hard, you can probably tell which elements are related to each other."
/>

How many groups of rubber ducks do you see on each side?

If you're like most people, you probably see two groups in side A, and one group in side B.

With no other guide, your mind has grouped the ducks together for you. You can do the same thing when building interfaces: by using proximity and similarity, you can guide the user's eye and create a sense of hierarchy.

## Figure and Ground: the power of contrast

The Gestalt principle of figure and ground is all about contrast. It's the idea that our brains separate elements into the background and the foreground. This is a powerful tool for creating designs that are easy to understand and navigate. By using contrast, you can make elements stand out from their surroundings and draw attention to specific parts of your design.

<Image
  publicId="newsletters/gestalt-design-principles-for-developers/gestalt-figure-ground"
  alt="Gestalt figure and ground"
  caption="The figure and ground principle is a powerful tool for creating designs that are easy to understand and navigate."
/>

No doubt you can see the difference between side A and B this time. If this were a list of products in an ecommerce app, which one do you think would call the most attention to itself?

A slightly different display treatment turned one lucky ducky into a golden goose.

## Using color: A little can help, too much is a problem

Next, let's look at color. It's a powerful tool in any designer's arsenal, but it's also a double-edged sword. Relying too much on color can lead to designs that fail for a variety of reasons.

For instance, colorblind users may struggle to distinguish between different elements. As a reminder, **something like 10% of all men have color deficient vision** - more than you might think!

Conversely, too much use of color can make it difficult for people to understand what colors are meant to convey.

When I was working as a UX designer at Microsoft, it was common practice to design interfaces in black and white first. This was a way to ensure that the design was strong enough to stand on its own, without relying on color to convey meaning. Once the design was solid, we'd add color to enhance the experience, not define it. A truly successful design maintains its integrity even in black and white. This is a testament to the strength of its structure, spacing, and the overall harmony of elements - principles rooted deeply in Gestalt theory.

When color isn't the primary means of conveying information, it can be used to draw attention to specific elements. This is where the Gestalt principle of similarity comes into play. By using color to make certain elements stand out, you can guide the user's eye and create a sense of hierarchy.

As a last example, let's look at these two groups of rubber duckies again:

<Image
  publicId="newsletters/gestalt-design-principles-for-developers/gestalt-color"
  alt="Gestalt color"
  caption="Color can be used to draw attention to specific elements."
/>

If I told you that on **Side A**, every different color of duck has a specific meaning - would that be helpful? If you're like most people, you'd probably say no. There's just too many colors to keep track of.

Now take a look at **Side B**. What if I told you that different colors have a meaning here, and that there's a problem with one of the ducks...?

Exactly.

## Conclusion

Gestalt principles are a powerful tool for designers. They help us understand how people perceive and interpret the world around them, and they provide a framework for creating designs that are intuitive and easy to use. By understanding these principles, we can create designs that are not only visually appealing but also functional and effective.

I'm sure you've heard the old trope about how "breaking the rules" is the key to great design. In truth, it's hard to break the rules in a useful way if you don't understand them in the first place. Gestalt principles provide a solid foundation for understanding how people perceive and interpret the world around them, and they can help you create designs that are both visually appealing and easy to use.

---

## Further reading

- I keep a handy list of books devs interested in design called [The Designer's Reading List](https://hardcover.app/@irreverentmike/lists/the-designers-reading-list). It's worth a look if any of this has made your brain tingle.

- The Wikipedia entry for [Gestalt Psychology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestalt_psychology) is a fantastic jump-off point for more gestalt basics.

- File this one under miscellaneous tools for prototyping: I used Vercel's AI tool [v0.dev](https://v0.dev/) to generate the address forms in this article. It can be a really helpful way to _get started_ building an interface, but it's not a replacement for thoughtful design.

---

## Designers you should follow

This is a call to action for all of my developer friends: follow some designers! Design not just about making things pretty - it is primarily about making things work. Here's a few to get you started:

- [Dan Mall](https://danmall.com/) quite literally wrote the book on [Design that scaless](https://amzn.to/48hj7fc). He's currently working on Design System University, a course and community to help you build better design systems.

- [Carly Ayres](https://www.carlyayres.com/) is a designer who writes, currently working on the Conent and Editorial team at Figma. The perspective she brings to her work is fascinating and evocative (seriously, check out her website), and her writing is [nothing short of incredible](https://www.figma.com/blog/the-new-vernacular-of-work/).

- Matt Smith, aka [@whale](https://www.threads.net/@whale) on Threads, runs a design agency called Bunsen Studio. I appreciate his perspective on bringing design to the forefront of the development process, and his ability to distill some seriously complex concepts into digestible interfaces.

---

## One other thing: please vote!

It's an election year, and it is going to be a damn important one. I'm not going to tell you who to vote for here, but I am going to tell you to vote. If you're in the US, you can find out how to register and vote at [Vote.org](https://vote.org). We're in the midst of primary season, and it's a great time to get involved in the process.

If you're not in the US, I encourage you to get involved in your local politics. It's important, and it's a great way to make a difference in your community.


Gestalt: Design principles every developer should know

Some of the basic gestalt principles, in short:

Past Experience: the power of familiarity

Proximity and Similarity: the power of grouping

Using color: A little can help, too much is a problem


There have been _lots_ of interesting announcements from creators and startups this month. Many apps and services that once felt like they were here to stay are now shutting down. Similarly, many creators are announcing big changes to their strategy, or even stepping down from their roles entirely.

Seems like it's all happening at once, right? Well, in a sense -- it is. And there are a few reasons why that might be the case:

- For **creators**, December and January are the slowest months of the year. Advertisers' budgets are spent, and people are spending time with their families. As a result, many creators use this time to reflect on the past year, and plan for the next.
- For **startups**, the new year is often tied to intense budgeting and planning. The new year is a time when they need to show their investors that they're on track to meet their goals. If they're not, they may need to pivot, or even shut down.

Have you felt it? I've certainly seen a good number of surprising announcements. Here's an incomplete list of companies and creators who have announced big changes since the start of the new year:

### Companies making big changes

- A few days ago, Artifact, the news aggregator app created by the founders of Instagram, shared that they're [shutting down](https://medium.com/artifact-news/shutting-down-artifact-1e70de46d419) their services, after failing to find product-market fit.
- [Mint](https://www.mint.com), the personal finance app, is shutting down completely. Their orphaned users have been desperately searching for alternatives.
- [Prism Bills & Money](https://prism.com), a finance app used for automating bill payments, is also shutting down.

### Creators

- **Matpat**, Host of the YouTube channel _The Game Theorists_ [announced he's stepping down as the face of the channel](https://youtu.be/8R1_TqU68yo?si=1PQEWufTl_letIcO). TGT has **18.7M subscribers** on YouTube.
- **Tom Scott** posted a video explaining that after 10 years of videos every week, he's [taking a break](https://youtu.be/7DKv5H5Frt0?si=2W-72NhfIviI0TI5) for an undetermined amount of time. Tom has **6.4M subscribers** on YouTube.

### Sort of both, and kind of neither

You may have seen recently that Substack is bleeding creators left and right over their [spineless content moderation policy decisions](https://mashable.com/article/why-are-people-leaving-substack-content-moderation-controversy) (or lack thereof). Newsletter creators are jumping ship to other platforms left and right.

[Patreon](https://news.patreon.com/articles/patreon-reimagined) announced a major change to their business model, which will affect creators and patrons alike. Patreon has been the place where fans can support creators they love, by pledging a monthly amount to them. Patreon takes a cut of the pledge (though a much smaller cut than YouTube might, for example), and the rest goes to the creator.

With their new pivot, they are now hoping to become the place where fans can go to see what creators are making without being subject to _the algorithm._ In short, Patreon itself is trying to become a social network.

Will it work? Who knows. But it's a big change -- and while this announcement happened back in October, Patreon has been steadily rolling out changes to align with their new vision since then.

## These changes create opportunities

This, dear reader, is where you come in - as the market shifts with these changes, there are opportunities for you to make your mark. If you're looking for inspiration, here are a few examples:

- Derek Gaston ([@Friedmud on Threads](https://threads.net/@friedmud)), is an indiehacker who has been building a personal finance app called [Splurge Budget](https://splurgebudget.com/). He's been building out in the open and sharing his progress and learnings on Threads.

- Developer-focused email platform Resend just announced feature called [Broadcasts](https://resend.com/blog/send-marketing-emails-with-resend-broadcasts), which suddenly allows them to compete with Existing newsletter platforms and email marketing tools like Mailchimp and ConvertKit. I'm planning to give Resend's newsletter feature a shot - and hopefully livestream my experience building with it on my YouTube Channel [@mikebifulco](https://youtube.com/@mikebifulco).

As ever, if you've been working on building something, now is the time to step on the gas, particularly if you're building something that suddenly fills a void which once felt permanent. Use the momentum of these changes to your advantage, and find places where you can make your mark.

---

Here's some things I've worked on recently:

- We released a fresh interview over at APIs You Won't Hate - my cofounder Phil spoke with Darrel Miller and Vincent Biret from Microsoft about [🎙️ Kiota, Microsoft's product for manging an API with 20,000 endpoints](https://apisyouwonthate.com/podcast/microsoft-kiota-graph-api-darrel-miller-vincent-biret/)
- We also released a series of articles about [Low Code and No-Code APIs](https://apisyouwonthate.com/newsletter/low-code-no-code-apis/). [Getting devs to adopt low code tools](https://mikebifulco.com/posts/devs-its-okay-to-use-no-code-tools) is a topic near and dear to my heart, and it's great to see API tools moving into this world.
- I also started recording mini-podcasts of some Tiny Improvements newsletters. If, paradoxically, you've read this far but you'd _also_ prefer to hear me read this newsletter to you, you can listen and subscribe to here:[Tiny Improvements (the podcast)](https://tinyimprovements.transistor.fm/)


Why your favorite apps and creators all pivot in January


Have you ever come across a brand whose name or visual design didn't seem to match the product? Maybe a company with a playful, colorful logo that sells something serious and professional, or a brand with a dull and generic name that markets a trendy and innovative product?

These mismatches carve out spots in our mind, but... why did they choose that name? Why does their logo look like that? What were they thinking?

Humans have a natural tendency to associate certain shapes and sounds with specific meanings. This phenomenon is known as the Bouba/kiki effect, which refers to the fact that most people associate the round, curvy shape of the word "bouba" with a soft, gentle object, and the sharp, jagged shape of the word "kiki" with a hard, spiky object. This effect is not limited to word-sounds, but also applies to visual cues, such as colors, fonts, and images.

Sounds crazy, no? This was the conclusion of a study conducted by Wolfgang Köhler in 1929 - who asked people to to associate nonsense words like [Kiki and Bouba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouba/kiki_effect) to round or soft shapes. Research concluded that this phenomenon was repeatable, and is called **sound symbolism**. This ability was once essential for survival, as it allows us to quickly identify and avoid dangerous objects.

> **tl;dr: pointy thing scary, round thing soft.**

Cultural expectations shape our perceptions of what certain things should be branded. For instance, we expect a luxury car brand to have a sophisticated and elegant name, a fast-food chain to have a short and catchy name, and a children's toy brand to have a fun and playful name. These expectations are not absolute, but they provide a useful framework for designing and naming brands that resonate with their target audiences.

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## It's not a hard and fast rule

Sometimes, defying these expectations can be a smart strategy for creating a unique and memorable product or brand. Enter Liquid Death, a company that sells one of the most mundane products imaginable, canned water. Where 99% of companies in the world take the same beige market strategy for _canned water_, Liquid Death's approach is anything but dull. The company's name, logo, and packaging are edgy, irreverent (hi), and unexpected, with an unhinged aesthetic that appeals to a young, rebellious audience.

Their slogan is damn memorable, too: **Murder your thirst**.

This brand strategy allows Liquid Death to stand out from other water By challenging the conventions of what bottled water should look and sound like, Liquid Death has become an outright success, with a loyal following and a rapidly growing business.

<Image
  publicId="newsletters/naming-your-product-kiki-bouba/liquid-death"
  alt="screenshot of liquid death's instagram feed"
  caption="Liquid death's instagram feed does NOT look like a typical water brand."
/>

So, what can we learn from this? When designing a brand, it's important to consider the industry and cultural expectations, but also to be willing to take risks and stand out from the crowd. By understanding the Bouba/kiki effect and using it to your advantage, you can create a visual and linguistic identity that resonates with your audience and sets you apart from the competition.

Who knows, you might just create the next Liquid Death.

## Obliterate your curiosity

- 👨‍🚀 [Creating a "similar posts" component in Astro](https://www.joshfinnie.com/blog/creating-a-similar-posts-component-in-astrojs/). My pal Josh Finnie put together a super tidy tutorial for building a "similar posts" component in Astro. It's a great example of how Astro's simplicity-first approach makes it easy to build components.
- 🗺️ [What3Words](https://what3words.com/clip.apples.leap) is a great example of a memorable product built by taking a fundamentally different approach to something we're all familiar with. The company's name is a reference to the fact that their service labels each location on Earth with a 3-word address. The words are chosen to be easy to remember, and are not associated with any particular meaning. For example, the most cursed place I've ever been to is `///hacker.plausible.bookshelf`.
- 🎥 Youtube channel LearnVue did a great [video about regexp.dev](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_k198mrGL8), the library returns the humanity to regular expressions. It's a great example of how a simple, well-designed API can make a complex topic more accessible to a wider audience.

## Blast your brain with these links

...or, put another way - here's some of the things from my corner of the internet this week

- A new [APIs You Won't Hate Podcast](https://share.transistor.fm/s/494ca018) with Anton Zagrebelny from [Stigg](https://stigg.io). We had a great discussion about pricing strategy and structures for SaaS products, and the API that Stigg provides to make it easier for developers to experiment.
- I had the opportunity to interview [Matt Biilmann from Netlify on Software Engineering Daily](https://softwareengineeringdaily.com/2023/03/02/netlify/). We got into some of Netlify's announcements from the end of last year, and the company's approach to product development, and the future of the web.
- A new article from [Craftwork: 8 Questions to Help Select Paint Colors](https://craftwork.com/articles/questions-to-help-select-paint-colors). In a world with too many colors to choose from, it's no surprise that picking a color for your bathroom can be a crippling experience. We can help.


Why Liquid Death's branding is murderously effective


Hi there,

I hope you're well.

This week we remember the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., just days before the inauguration of America's 46th President, Joe Biden. As the inauguration draws nearer, I hope you're able to take some time to sit with the importance of this week in the context of history, of the past four years, the past year, and within the context of your own life.

I'll leave you with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that a friend shared:

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

This is the time to step up and do your part. I'm proud of you for the hard work you put in, and I understand if you feel tattered and exhausted from the past year. Do what you can to stand up for the things you believe in, and use your voice and your actions to amplify the people that are making this world a better place.

✊ We're all in this together.

## This stuff has been living in my brain rent free...

- ⏲️ **Temporal illusions** are like optical illusions... but for time. (Note: Very 2019 metaphor incoming) Ever wonder why a delay at the airport on your way to vacation (I know, I know) feels so damn long? [Check out this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHL9GP_B30E) from YouTube channel Vsauce for a stretchy explanation of our trippy perception of time.
- 💃 About a week ago, the **Great Gatsby lost copyright protection in the US** (the life of the author plus 70 years). That means it is now in the public domain, and we may start seeing some interesting works based on Gatsby.. What an appropriate time for it, too! Check out this really cool [Graphic Novel version of The Great Gatsby](https://www.woodmanmaynard.com/the-great-gatsby-graphic-novel), by K. Woodman-Maynard.
- 🤙 If you're an American, [5Calls.org](https://5calls.org/) is a super easy way for you make 5 quick calls to people who represent you in congress. Tell them you're a constituent, what city you live in, and a brief message about what you support. For example: "Hey, this is Mike, a citizen from Charlotte, and I'm calling to voice support for removing president Trump from office." That's all it takes!
- 🎵 Ever wonder what goes into **designing a font for musicians** to use? Did you know that sheet music used to be freaking hand engraved?! Honestly, neither did I! That didn't stop me from going deep on this fantastic [video from Tantacrul](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGo4PJd1lng) about his work on the matter. Get in there and learn a bit - it's fascinating, even if you're not a musician.
- 🏞️ In green-ness news, the city of Paris has approved plans to **turn the iconic Champs-Élysées into a giant city park**. I have fond memories of meandering the Champs with two dear friends during a work trip in 2016. Freeing that area of car traffic will be absolutely transcendent. Check out this [article from The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/10/paris-approves-plan-to-turn-champs-elysees-into-extraordinary-garden-anne-hidalgo) discussing the project.

If you enjoy my musings, I'd love it if you'd share _Tiny Improvements_ with a friend. Feel free to forward this to them, or shuttle them directly over to [newsletter signup on my website](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter). Thanks in advance - it means the world.

Do yourself a favor and take an extra moment to be kind to yourself this week. While you're at it, be excellent to each other.

<hr />

Talk soon!

Mike


Has it been four years already?

This stuff has been living in my brain rent free...


Hey there,

I hope you're well.

Autumn has flown by at a crawl this year. I'm doing my best to focus on the little glimmers of light shining through for me right now, and I hope you can do the same.

Speaking of which, here it is - a big change for me! I recently started a new job at Google as a Developer Advocate for Google Assistant. You know the one - “hey google, what's the weather?” - I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity to work on such a wildly cool product. The interview process was intimidating, long, and challenging, but I did it! To say I'm standing on the shoulders of giants is an understatement. (I'll also be adding a disclaimer to my newsletters from here in: the things I discuss here are my own thoughts and opinions, and not those of my employer.)

## The brain is a strange place

Cognitive Psychology is the study of attention, perception, creativity, and other mental functions. Great software design takes advantage of cognitive biases to anticipate your behavior. For example, the [framing effect](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framing_effect_(psychology)>) is when people are able to draw two distinct conclusions from the same set of data, depending on how it's presented. Forex: I have 200 unread emails in my inbox. Should I panic? Nah, they're marked "To Do" -- I'll get to it later.

## Working in Public (OSS!)

If you're interested in Open Source Software, you should check out the book Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software, by Nadia Eghbal (link). I just finished reading through it with a book club I was invited to, and I enjoyed the read. I plan on [publishing my book notes to my website soon](https://mikebifulco.com/posts/working-in-public), as well.

## Kicking around in the old domepiece

These are a few of the things I've found on the web lately. I thought you might benefit from them as well:

- 🇪🇸 I've been brushing up on my Spanish. It's a relaxing couple-minute ritual in my day. I enjoy it so much that I've been sprinkling in some Japanese here and there, too! I've been using Duolingo's free plan - my referral link is [here](https://invite.duolingo.com/BDHTZTB5CWWKSRQUQARVC6SFNU) if you want to give it a shot.
- 👨‍🏫 How much do online courses make? Have you ever taken a course online, or thought about making one yourself as a side hustle? [This is a tool](https://revenue.sixfigureinstructor.com/) that lets you peruse the aggregate statistics of various course topics across Udemy. Did you know that on average, courses on Next.js make $40/day? Pretty wild!
- 🌳 Planting trees can make a difference. In the past, I've mentioned my love for [Ecologi](https://ecologi.com/irreverentmike?r=5d386c6667bad5001010ffae) (that's a referral link), which was previously called offset.earth. I'm excited to share that my good friend Phil Sturgeon has embarked on a carbon offsetting project of his own - he's on a mission to plant a forest of trees on farmland near his home in the UK this winter. Check out his work at [protect.earth](https://www.protect.earth/) , and donate if you're able!

Thanks for reading Tiny Improvements. If you've got any feedback, my inbox is always open: [hello@mikebifulco.com](mailto:hello@mikebifulco.com). If you've found this useful, I would love it if you shared it with a friend!

Be excellent to each other - talk soon.

- Mike

_Disclaimer: Tiny Improvements are my own thoughts an opinions, and not necessarily those of my employer._


On seasonal change, open source, and carbon offsets


<Aside type="warning">

## The bottom line: It's time to leave Twitter

As Twitter changes, ask yourself: Are you willing to follow any authority, even at the expense of your values? Before your next tweet, consider what staying truly costs-and explore new spaces that reflect your integrity.

</Aside>

## The Milgram Experiment

In 1961, a Yale University researcher named Stanley Milgram conducted a series of experiments as a part of his research on behavioral psychology. The goal of the experiment was to test participants' tendency to obey authority figures when under pressure.

The experiment was conducted on 40 volunteers -- all men between the ages of 20 and 50, from a variety of educational and economic backgrounds.

Milgram later summarized findings from the experiment in an essay titled _The Perils of Obedience_.

The results were breathtaking.

### The Experiment: Setup

Each study was guided by an _Experimenter_ dressed in a lab coat, who explained to participants that they'd be doing a "scientific study on memory and learning." When they arrived, participants were paired with an actor who they were _told_ was another participant in the study.

The actor was secretly working with the researcher, and during the experiment was instructed to play the role of a _Learner_.

The volunteer participant was given the role of _Teacher_. The Experimenter then explained that the study would involve the Teacher asking the Learner a series of questions. For each incorrect answer, the Teacher would be asked to hit a button which would administer an electric shock to the Learner. Subsequent incorrect answers would result in a shock of increasing intensity, from 15V to 450V.

The Learner was strapped into a device that looked like an electric chair, and then separated from the Teacher so that they could not see one-another.

<Image
  publicId="posts/twitter-and-the-perils-of-obedience/experiment-setup"
  alt="Diagram of the setup used for the Milgram Experiment, with the Experimenter and Teacher on one side of a wall, and the Learner on the other."
  caption="Credit: diagram of the Milgram experiment from Wikipedia"
/>

In reality, there were no shocks being administered, but this was unknown to the study participant playing the role of the Teacher. The actor playing the role of the Learner was instructed to pretend to be in pain, and recordings of increasingly alarming cries of pain were played when shocks were administered.

When the highest shock level was reached, the Learner fell completely silent.

During the experiment, if the Teacher showed hesitation to continue, the Experimenter gave them a series of specific instructions:

1. Please go on.
1. The experiment requires that you continue.
1. It is _absolutely essential_ that you continue.
1. You have no other choice; you _must_ go on.

These "prods" were given in order, and the second was only given if the Teacher refused to continue after the first (and so on).

The experiment was halted when the Teacher refused to continue despite all four prods, or when the Teacher reached the highest shock level three times in a row.

<Image
  publicId="posts/twitter-and-the-perils-of-obedience/experiment-photos"
  alt="Photos from the original Milgram experiment, credit Stanley Milgram."
  caption="Photos from the original Milgram experiment, credit Stanley Milgram"
/>

### What would you do?

Let's take a minute to pause here - put yourself in the shoes of the Teacher. You're in a lab, and you're told that you're taking part in a study on learning and memory. Everything you're seeing and hearing seems to be controlled, official, and legitimate.

Do you think you would continue to administer shocks to the Learner, even when they were clearly in pain?

What do you think the average person would do?

<span className="mb-8 flex items-center justify-center text-2xl">
  <Colophon />
</span>

### The Experiment: Results

As you might expect, every participant in the study indicated a desire to stop the experiment at least once. Many were visibly upset by the experience, and despite this, carried on following the Experimenter's instructions.

Before conducting the experiment, researchers surveyed a cohort of students and fellow researchers, to get a sense of what they thought the average person would do. In aggregate, they estimated that 1.2% of people would continue the experiment through the full 450V shock.

<Image
  publicId="posts/twitter-and-the-perils-of-obedience/predicted-results"
  alt="Predicted Results: 1.8% complete the full series of shocks, 98.2% refuse to continue at some point"
  caption="Surveys predicted that very few participants would carry out the full series of shocks"
/>

However, the actual results of the experiment revealed a disturbing truth about human behavior:

<Image
  publicId="posts/twitter-and-the-perils-of-obedience/actual-results"
  alt="Actual Results: 59.1% completed the full series of shocks, 40.9% refused to continue at some point"
  caption="The experimental results were much more grim."
/>

Very nearly 60% of participants carried out the full series of shocks, carrying the study to its conclusion -- even when the Learner sounded like they were clearly in pain, and until they fell silent.

Recreations of this experiment have produced similar results, [as recently as 2009](https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2008/12/replicating-milgram).

Milgram's experiment revealed the ease with which people obey authority figures - even when it conflicts with their morals. Twitter, under Musk, can feel like a modern replication of this phenomenon. With reduced moderation and authority shifting dramatically, users face their own “shock button”: Do they accept increasingly extreme content and directives, or walk away?

Like Milgram's participants, twitter users are nudged to compromise their ethics - creating a tension that asks: _how far will you go?_

## Obedience and the Perils of Twitter

I can't help but draw a connection between the Milgram experiment and the current state of Twitter since its acquisition by Elon Musk. Twitter has turned into a public experiment, testing our willingness to obey rules set by an authority figure, despite many less damaging alternatives.

Since Elon purchased the company, we've seen the voltage knob get turned up steadily and swiftly.

Under Musk's leadership, Twitter's employee base has been slashed from 7,500 to approximately 2,000, in an attempt to make the company profitable. It appears that Musk may be trying to avoid paying severance to these now-former employees. There are already [several lawsuits pending](https://www.reuters.com/technology/twitter-says-lawsuit-over-layoffs-lacks-merit-has-delayed-severance-pay-2022-11-22/) against the company.

A recent tweet from Musk included a poll which resulted in the reinstatement of former (and twice-impeached) president Trump's account.

For me, this was the final straw.

<Tweet align="center" tweetLink="irreverentmike/status/1594455660040572928" />

Since then, another poll from Musk has resulted in an abhorrent policy change: virtually all accounts that were previously suspended for violating Twitter's rules will be reinstated.

<Tweet align="center" tweetLink="elonmusk/status/1595473875847942146" />

Pandora's box is open, and the monsters are flooding in. Twitter has already seen a spike in hate speech, harassment, and abuse. Without significant and drastic changes in moderation, it will become a breeding ground for countless nightmares and real-world dangers. This will worsen the echo chamber effect for far-right conspiracy theorists, like those who participated in the January 6th, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol.

This is a very real, very observable truth: racists, abusers, and other dangerous people are being given "amnesty" to come back the platform.

Legions of [advertisers have pulled their ad spend](https://www.npr.org/2022/11/25/1139180002/twitter-loses-50-top-advertisers-elon-musk) from Twitter as a result of Musk's takeover. I've seen many individuals abandon their Twitter accounts in the wake of these changes, moving to Mastodon or LinkedIn.

## We must build bridges

Why are so many people still active on Twitter, despite the steady stream of bad news? I can think of at least a few things:

### Career

Some have built a career around their Twitter presence and following. Heck, my personal Twitter account was a big part of my job [until recently](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/leaving-stripe-going-viral) - it's certainly much easier for me to abandon ship now that my job no longer relies on Twitter for outreach.

I can understand a deep hesitancy to abandon a platform that has been so central to your life, especially without a clear "winner" as an alternative. Embracing a new platform like Mastodon, Threads, or Bluesky requires starting from zero. It can be exhausting to build a new following, and it's hard to know if you'll ever reach the same level of engagement.

### Community Support

There are incredible communites on Twitter like `#BlackTechTwitter`, which has grown to be a critical resource for many people of color in tech. The logistics of getting hundreds-of-thousands of people to move to a new platform is staggering. The LA times recently published [an interview](https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-11-07/black-twitter-influencers-others-debate-leaving-twitter) with Pariss Chandler, the founder of [Black Tech Pipeline](https://blacktechpipeline.com/) and creator of the `#BlackTechTwitter` hashtag, discussing the challenges associated with leaving the platform.

It is encumbent on all of us to provide space and time for communities like these to find a new home. Moreover, it's critical that the new homes we create are _at least as valuable_ as Twitter was at its peak. There is a complex cost-benefit analysis for every community member to consider, and we must be mindful of that.

### News and Information

Some use Twitter as a way to keep up with relevant news in their industry. This feels like a solvable problem to me, but it faces a challenge of momentum. Until enough industry experts are sharing news elsewhere, these people will remain on twitter out of habit and convenience.

So -- if you find yourself using twitter and another platform for news, consider sharing useful information on the other platform. It's a small step, but it can make a big difference.

### Lack of social pressure

When it came down to it, even I was hesitating to leave twitter without _seeing someone else do it_ first.

In my first job after undergrad, I had a boss who frequently used the phrase "You are far more influential than you think". Those have proven to be very wise words.

Social pressure will be a necessary component of the transition away from a Twitter run by Elon Musk. I'm hopeful that we'll see more people leave the platform, and that the momentum will build. If and when you decide to consider greener pastures, use your influence and make it known to your community.

## Learning from the Milgram Experiment

Years after the experiment was complete, in his book _Obedience to Authority,_ Stanley Milgram ruminated the results of his now-infamous experiment:

> Ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process. Moreover, even when the destructive effects of their work become patently clear, and they are asked to carry out actions incompatible with fundamental standards of morality, relatively **few people have the resources needed to resist authority.**

This is not the time to be complacent. We must build a bridge to a better future, and we must do it together.

## If not now, when?

Friends, it's time to start leaving Twitter. Move your news and discussions elsewhere, and bring your people with you. When you're ready, shutter your accounts, delete the app, and move on. I know it's hard, but it's time. Every moment we spend on Twitter is feeding legitimacy to a platform that is enabling abusers, endangering global politics, and destroying the fabric of our society.

Do not allow the voltage to rise by relying on Twitter as your primary social platform.

Perhaps most importantly, make it clear to your friends and neighbors from marginalized groups that their voices are valuable, and welcomed on the platforms you move to.

Bring your voice and your conversations elsewhere, and send the message that with its current leadership, Twitter is no longer a place for you.

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## Footnote: on the ethics of the Milgram Experiment

It's important to note that in the years since Milgram Experiment was conducted, it has been criticized for its methodology. [Research Ethics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research#Research_ethics) is a complex and nuanced topic, and I don't believe that the experiment would be approved by modern ethics boards in its original form. However, I believe that the results of the experiment are still relevant, and that the experiment itself is still a valuable tool for understanding human behavior.

The experiment _has_ been recreated in a more ethical manner, with the same results. [This article](https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2008/12/replicating-milgram) from the American Psychological Association summarizes the results of a 2008 replication of the experiment, which was conducted by a team of researchers at Yale University. In this version of the study, participants were screened to ensure that they were not at risk of being harmed by the experiment, and were given the option to withdraw from the study at any time. The maximum simulated voltage level for the Learner was decreased to 150V, and a test shock was given to participants at 15V, as compared to 45V in Milgram's original study.

The results of the 2009 study were the similar to the original experiment.

## References

Information about the Milgram experiment can be found from the following resources:

- [APA Psych Net - Behavioral Study of obedience.](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1964-03472-001)
- [Obedience to Authority](https://hardcover.app/books/obedience-to-authority) by Stanley Milgram
- [Internet archive - Obedience to authority: an experimental view](https://archive.org/details/obedien_mil_1974_00_3145)
- [Wikipedia entry for the Milgram experiment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment)
- [APA - Replicating Milgram: Researcher Finds Most Will Administer Shocks to Others When Prodded by ‘Authority Figure’](https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2008/12/replicating-milgram)
- [APA - Replicating Milgram (pdf)](https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/amp-64-1-1.pdf)

### More perspective on leaving twitter

In my research for this post, I came across a few other articles about leaving Twitter, and I wanted to share them here:

- [Black Twitter influencers, other thought leaders debate leaving Twitter. But for what?](https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-11-07/black-twitter-influencers-others-debate-leaving-twitter) Alexandra Olson and Maryclaire Dale, LA Times via AP
- [“A double-edged sword”: 4 women of color on Elon’s Twitter takeover](https://www.mic.com/impact/elon-musk-twitter-women-leaving)
- [Why I Quit Elon Musk's Twitter](https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/why-i-quit-elon-musks-twitter) by Jelani Cobb, New Yorker

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_Note: The photo used for the cover of this article is from [john elfes](https://unsplash.com/@johnelfes?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText)_

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Twitter and the Perils of Obedience

The bottom line: It's time to leave Twitter

Footnote: on the ethics of the Milgram Experiment

#psychology: 11 posts tagged