Issue #203 | Subscribe

Last week, I walked into a vinyl records store in Bengaluru called On the Jungle Floor with no expectation of finding records from artists I usually listen to, and I walked out surprised.

Surprised to see many of today's musicians still release their albums in vinyl format.

Now, vinyls were before my time, and we didn't have a vinyl player at home, but I could still feel a nostalgic connection with this media because I grew up with cassettes, CDs and Walkmans.

Holding an album in physical media after decades of streaming and digital music felt good.

There has been a rise in vinyl sales over the years, and I feel we're headed in the right direction.

Spotify and other streaming platforms have boxed us into a “rent everything, own nothing” mindset, where the moment we cancel our subscriptions, our entire playlist disappears — or at least gets riddled with ads.

There's no lesson here, just a happy feeling that analogue things and physical media are slowly making a comeback.

I'm exploring ways to get off this streaming ship, and I'll share more when I have something concrete.

By the way, I'm still playing ping pong with the App Store team to get my iOS app approved and live on the App Store.

I'm hoping for approval next week, and I'll share more about it then.

P.S.:- I've switched from sending this newsletter via MailerLite to my own newsletter service this week. Let me know if you find something broken in this issue.

Now, let's move on to the rest of this newsletter issue:

Your Next Read

Thriving

Antifragile

Antifragile is not about being resilient to chaos, but actually thriving in a disordered world. This book will teach you what it means to be antifragile and how to navigate chaos.

Apps & Services

City Weather Explorer

Compare the weather between cities

This fun project is a fantastic way to compare yearly weather patterns between two or three cities, which can be helpful if you’re planning a move and want to have a feel of the seasons. For example, here’s a comparison between Bengaluru and Tokyo. Available on the Web for free.
GrowPal

Approach good health through tiny goals

I shared this app way back in Issue #39, and it has improved quite a bit while still preserving its playful look. Set your health goals, and this app will help you get there through tiny daily actions. Works best if you use an Apple watch. Available on iOS and is free to start.
Dots

Visualise your progress or countdowns in a grid

Try this app if you’re looking for something to track progress or count down to events. Add your event, choose a colour theme and see the time passed and what’s left as dots on a grid. Available on iOS for free.

Handy Shortcut

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Quickly create a new project in the Things 3 macOS app.

Interesting Reads

The Power of Constraints

8 min read

We usually see constraints as limiting factors that result in a dead end. But constraints have sparked some of the most ingenious solutions for years. In India, we call this “jugaad”, and this has worked wonders for me personally.
AI Companies Will Fail. We Can Salvage Something From The Wreckage

26 min read

One of the well-rounded views of an AI bubble I’ve read. I found the mental model of a “reverse centaur” helpful in understanding the motive behind the excessive push to adoption by the big AI companies.
How Did India Conquer Space?

25 min read

The story is fantastic, but what amazed me here is the article itself. This piece is filled with interactive elements that bring what’s being said to life. Wonderfully done, and one of the best pieces and websites I’ve come across lately.
Why Your Best Ideas Come After Your Worst

8 min read

I've never thought of messy first drafts or ridiculous initial ideas this way. This short piece scientifically explains why wafting through your worst ideas and developing a sense of direction can help you land on your best work in every field.

Watch Next

A quick 5-min introduction to the concept of Bayesian reasoning, which is prevalent in our everyday lives.

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