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People seek validation. But they need accountability to better themselves.
By Ben Laughter
In earlier posts, I've talked about some lofty ideals about why we're building this thing. What are our motivations, ethics, techniques, and values? I've discussed why we think it's important to bring tech into the world with an always-on ethical mindset. So, dear reader, I hope you're bought into the fact that, when we place Struggle Buddy into your hand and ask what you think, that our hearts are in the right place.
With all that motivation established, however, you're still probably not super clear on what the hell we're building! There's been some background amidst the motivation. But there hasn't been a concrete explanation. Well, I hope Elon doesn't read this and steal our idea! I totally had the SpaceX idea first. But let's dive in a little bit and talk about why we're excited about Struggle Buddy and what it can do for someone you love.
Struggle Buddy aims to help people improve themselves and society by enabling the adoption of health habits. That's it. That's the goal. And in a world of failed New Year's Resolutions, pants that don't fit anymore, unread books, and dusty bicycles, there's a real problem to solve.
And we have an enemy. His name is Ted Lasso.
It isn't enough to build tech and solve a problem.
It's important that we introduce something objectively good into the world.
By Ben Laughter
“There are only two industries that call their customers ‘users’: illegal drugs and software.”
Edward Tufte
“There are only two industries that call their customers ‘users’: illegal drugs and software.”
Edward Tufte
As we've discussed in earlier posts, Mike and I got excited and started working on Struggle Buddy because of a few factors. First, we're friends with complimentary skill sets and the desire to build something together. Second, we were starting to take better care of ourselves through diet and exercise and had decided to team up and hold each other accountable. But finally, we both had a desire to build something that isn't just profitable or useful. We want to create something good.
Now, "good" is subjective, though. Facebook is good in a lot of ways. It connects me to friends and family all over the world. But it does this while also acting as a vehicle of manipulation, polarization, and social retardation. The profit model is anchored on addicting the user to drive attention to advertisers. Same thing with Google. It puts an incredible amount of information at my fingertips on this laptop and the phone in my pocket. At the same time, it seems to be built around creating echo chambers through selective algorithms who are more aware of my own biases than I am myself. This list goes on and on and has been documented in books and documentaries far more eloquently than I can here.
Understanding the world in which we're playing, the causes and effects, the ins and outs, and the power of sticky notes.
By Ben Laughter
So, we had a startup idea. Several really, but this is the one that got us excited. We're putting something positive out there that we'll be proud of as dads, entrepreneurs, partners, and technologists. But an idea isn't a solution. A solution needs to be built. And to build a thing, one must understand that thing and the world in which it lives.
Any time you're creating a technical solution, you're eventually forced into logical statements. This happens, which causes that to happen, which results in that over there. It's typically very linear and logical. The best technology is great at making logic intuitive. It guides people to do the right thing next to extract maximum value. Think of the last time you called an Uber. How many steps was it? How many opportunities were there for you to deviate from the path that led to calling a car? Not many, right? They're absolute ninjas at understanding the relationships between cause, effect, and desire.
By Ben Laughter
Let's work out every Sunday morning
Let's work out every Sunday morning
Somewhere mid 2020, right in the midst of the still looming Coronavirus Pandemic, two dudes who worked together at an Atlanta tech company decided to start having beers together every other Thursday. An Irish pub was selected. It was quickly learned that Mike's drink of choice is a Jack & Coke. Mine is either a neat bourbon or a scotch ale.
Being guys who work together, we of course talked about work. What was going well. What wasn't. What the other wished they could accomplish, and so on.
4 Billion Years Ago - The Formation of the Earth
4 Billion Years Ago - The Formation of the Earth
By Ben Laughter
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