Observations

Just a reminder, building the wrong thing faster still gets you nowhere.

The OG meme

As the cost of writing code trends toward zero, the backlog explodes. Every feature becomes rent you have to pay.

After more than 10 years of building online products as a product person, here's what I've learned:

Everyone is making guesses. The CEO is making guesses about the vision and strategy. Salespeople are guessing what people want. Investors are making guesses about scale. You guess how big an impact it will have and what should be built next.

TAM models, the ICE framework, roadmaps and discovery sprints all sound sophisticated, but they're still just a bet.

Your mentor doesn't know if your feature will improve retention. The 'expert' on LinkedIn can't tell you if your market is big enough. You don't know if this sprint will make customers behave differently.

The only way is to keep shipping and keep the build cost low.

You don't start out building dystopia.

You start with a dream. To help someone. Maybe save a life. Not growth. Not virality. Just impact.

It begins with something human. “I want to help people.” Real pain. Real need. Strong emotional pull.

So you build. Scrappy MVPs. Test empathy. Pitch it as perspective-shifting. Maybe even healing.

Early adopters rave. Investors lean in. Retention climbs. Virality kicks. So you optimise.

Empathy turns to entertainment. Immersion becomes addiction. Exploration turns into extraction.

“Total immersion” becomes your edge. Richer data. Deeper sync. Sharper fidelity. The product gets better. But better for who?

Then come the tiers. Free. Plus. Premium. Ultra. More access. More control. More fun.

Lower tiers don't get less. They just get worse. Ads. Friction. Withdrawal.

The customer's life becomes content. Their pain becomes product.

Then the customer disappears. No roadmap. No experience tracking. No consent. Because they're not the customer. They're the cost.

You're not evil. You're just in growth mode. The sprint is full. The metrics are green. Legal said yes. And besides - it's working.

Dystopia doesn't crash through the door. It slips in quietly… while the dashboard stays green.

Didn't know this!

The Balmoral tram line in Sydney operated from 1922 to 1958. It was a branch of the larger North Shore tram network, designed to bring people from the city and surrounding suburbs to Balmoral Beach. The tram line played a significant role in making Balmoral Beach a popular destination during its operation.

Sometimes I walk past the Sydney General Post Office - it's a cool spot right in the centre of Sydney.

Underneath it, there's this whole network of tunnels and basements (not sure if the public has access to it). Back in the day, they were used for postal operations and deliveries.

These days, though, it's now there: the Fullerton Hotel Sydney, shops and restaurants.

Caught the UFC at on of the pubs in Manly. I was supporting the Russian fighters, Umar and Islam. Absolute machines. They're incredible athletes, sharp and relentless.

Watching with my mate, we couldn't get over how insanely well they understand movement - both their own and their opponent's. Every single move is calculated and lethal.

Me in the cage? I wouldn't last 10 seconds.

One of my posts on LinkedIn went viral'ish. It wasn't exactly groundbreaking or full of deep insights.

But it's certainly a topic that has two completely opposite camps and no one in between.

I've written better and more helpful content (at least in my opinion), but LinkedIn's algorithm doesn't promote it because it doesn't drive engagement.

That's why I don't like algorithms. Instead of promoting good content, they push controversial or clickbaity posts that spark engagement.

Thoughtful and insightful content stays invisible.

When I'm trying to solve a problem and my brain starts running around in circles like a headless chicken, I like to smash the "I'm going to bed to let it marinate" button.

At that point, there's no way to push my stubborn brain to explore other ideas. The brain is tired and moody.

Stepping away is progress because you trust your brain to do its thing while you sleep. Don't do this during the day, though; your colleagues won't appreciate it.

I know when I wake up, I'll have a dozen (okay, maybe a couple) fresh angles and new ways to tackle the problem. Magic!

It's not working harder. It's stepping back.

The answer isn't hidden. It's waiting for a moment of space, when the mind quietly connects what was already there. That's the brilliance of stepping away.

When it clicks, everything changes.

One realisation I had was that I want to create and share a “manual of me.” Something to help others understand how I work and how best to collaborate with me. So, I went ahead and drafted the first version.

The other realisation was about how our product teams operate in the context of our market. We can move faster. We should move faster. And we will.

Big day!

Returning to the office with New Year energy, you spot two packages waiting on your desk.

A gourmet hamper and a bottle of fine wine spark instant excitement - this is your moment.

Then you see the label. The label says it all: not yours.

The year's first reality check. Fresh challenges are ahead in 2025. Let's go! 🚀

Just wrapped up my first gym session of 2025 and even snagged a badge for it in Garmin. Apparently, you can earn that kind of badge up to 250 times. Can't imagine anyone ever maxing that out!

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](https://x.com/nikitabier/status/1873498633536167953) While on a trip to Japan with my wife, we got talking about how much of what we do in life is shaped by movies - everything from beauty standards to how people are judged by their wealth, even to our ideas about who the "bad guys" in the world are.

Personally, I prefer sitting side-by-side. It feels more intimate and it's so much easier to share food that way. But it's funny how the default seating arrangement is almost always face-to-face.