Good tokens 2025-05-16
New around here
In an attempt to make my writing more LLM friendly I’ve added an llms.txt file and a /llms feature where anyone — you included — can copy ~all of my writing for use in your chatbot of choice. Like most things around here, I built this for myself, but perhaps it will be useful to you too!
Worth your time
- Four SeasonsRecomposed by Max Richter. Bewitching.
- Slightly rude notes on writing.
- How the tomato came to be.
- Reforming Naval shipbuilding.
- “The key thing to internalise is that the customer does not care about your writing, or about your product. A customer does not buy your product because they like your product. A customer buys your product because they believe it will turn them into a more awesome version of themselves. From Speedrunning the Skill of Demand. I also appreciated the insight that some detachment is needed to make great products. If it’s too personal, you can’t see it clearly.
- The best customer lead generation idea ever: personalized samurai swords.
- Long live prompt engineering.
- Using low roads by Veknkatesh Rao. Via my friend Robinson.
- A massive list of pricing tactics. Self reminder to reference this next time I have something I need to price. Via The Browser.
Things I learned
- Male snakes have two penises. From Nautilus .
- Non-linear ethnic niches: 90% of grocery stores in Detroit are owned by Chaldeans. 95% of Dunkin Donuts stores in the Midwest are owned by Indians, mostly Gujarati Patels. In New England and New York, 60% of Dunkin’ Donuts stores are operated by Portuguese immigrants. 90% of the liquor stores in Baltimore are owned by Koreans. Via Aporia Magazine.
Musings
“Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets” — Arthur Miller (via The Browser)
2025-05-16