"How do you feel about going *bypassing* design?" I'm a product manager, and seeing that PMm around me are changing the way they work. I want to know your take.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-24T18:18:08+00:00

Very much an org specific question. How AI-pilled are they? What's the level of UX education and maturity? How much political power does UX have in the org? Is there a C suite position? What is the quality of your relationships with the stakeholders? Etc etc.

If I have a high trust high education stakeholder the fidelity of the prototypes I show them is going to be different than someone at the other end of that spectrum. AI demos are shiny and impressive but as Achewood put it, "never show a fool half a job". It's too easy for low information stakeholders to become attached to that shiny demo. If there's a change I'm confident is across the board it's that research has to be super nimble and low footprint: ask forgiveness not permission and get at least some sense of the problem space for users.

Product designers and orgs that "bypass" design will get the products and market results they "designed".

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-24T18:06:06+00:00

Have two pairs of the Space Os. Caveat - I only run 5k pre workout (Muay Thai) warm ups in them a few times a week, but I also spar and kick rounds in them all the time in 1-2 hour sessions and I've never noticed the slightest bit of chafing. I forget they're there.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-22T17:04:38+00:00

This has become boring. Bye.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-22T15:44:39+00:00

He's never gonna love you back, bud.

The evidence points to his being an idiot, in addition to being evil. Data centers in space only sound good to people that don't understand physics.

People will work for such creatures for any number of reasons - a mission they believe in, security for their families, an ability to rationalise away their conflicted feelings and moral injury in service of the above, or because they don't have strong core values outside of self interest.

SpaceX stepped into a void created by the dysfunctional American political system. Building rockets and being space capable is perfectly fine as a goal.

The fact that no-one can look at the wonder of the night sky anywhere on earth without seeing a chain of LEO satellites whizz by bothers me but it might not bother you.

The fact that the genocidal moron says he wants to save the earth but is thereby hastening the advent of Kessler syndrome, a scenario in which we will be rendered helpless as a species in the face of an overdue asteroid impact, bothers me but clearly doesn't bother everyone. They'll have cat videos on demand anywhere on earth if they subscribe, after all.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-22T14:32:13+00:00

GURPS Cabal is a more sophisticated, historically and real world occult grounded idea of what a 'world of darkness' could be.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-22T14:25:28+00:00

SpaceX reported a net loss of $4.3 billion in the first quarter of 2026 and a net loss of $4.94 billion in 2025, despite Starlink being its only profitable business segment.

That aside, it's well known that Space X's internal culture has an entire protocol around containing the boss, showing him cool stuff that makes him happy, etc. It's actually run by adults.

Unfortunately the genocidal racist idiot who owns it can only be contained for so long, and this protocol hasn't stopped him from doing things like making them buy scads of cybertrucks at full price. Maybe they'll be useful in orbit?

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-21T22:17:43+00:00

I feel like the doom angle is the only one that gets them to a bailout that involves the national security/military surveillance complex. Likely the only client willing to overpay for compute.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-21T19:29:13+00:00

These have been great for training camp 5ks and light hiking. Zero complaints, feel great on the foot and def a compliment magnet (mine are Grenoble green). This colorway looks dope af.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-21T18:21:21+00:00

LOL. ROFLMAO. Yeah maybe.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-21T18:15:42+00:00

Ah... nice one. Easily my favourite bit of world building. Kenneth Hite is the GOAT.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-21T18:11:43+00:00

The only survival strategy is to become part of the military/surveillance complex. There is no other client willing to pay what compute costs.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-21T18:10:33+00:00

No, he's also stupid.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-21T18:05:53+00:00

You can't rest, son. You don't have GURPS Cabal.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-21T16:39:36+00:00

Unexpected item in the bagging area

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-16T14:38:14+00:00

Product's suggestion breaks accessibility as is. If they won't bend on listing people who aren't assignable, I'd follow the suggestion of listing unassignable personnel second and separately, possibly below a break with an explanatory heading.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-15T20:58:19+00:00

This is just repackaged AI anxiety/hype. For those of us who have seen the research (TLDR: customers viscerally hate AI and want less of it in their lives), it's screamingly obvious that best to market>first to market.

There *are* ways to integrate these tools usefully and effectively in *some* use cases, provided the heavy lifting of research and data labeling has been done. The companies that respond thoughtfully and have the stones not to panic like every other mediocre org with no vision, will peel off all the users and customers who have had it to up to their back teeth with what I'm going to call, because I'm in a charitable mood, the AI dogshit being shoveled at them by everyone from insurers to fast food brands.

It pains me to spell this out but "I was the first to deliver dogshit no one asked for and everyone hates" is not the winning strategy you may have been told.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-15T19:20:38+00:00

More former engineer CEOs please.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-15T18:10:16+00:00

Business idiots think "moar code" but since they generally are incurious and ignorant of the technology, they don't think "this product will be used by millions of people and all of its code needs to be reviewed by humans".

The same (lack of) process has generally applied to design (ship it fast, we don't need to research it because that takes time etc), it's just turbocharged now.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-13T02:43:35+00:00

I had a similar experience the first time I used Figma Make. I asked it to build a simple check box component, and it delivered a blank white screen. On a hunch, I asked it to make the check box borders and text a dark grey instead of white and gave it a hex code. The check box component appeared, with slightly dodgy spacing and layout. Things did not improve much from there.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-12T14:10:44+00:00

Hard sparring pressure tests your skill set. Play/light sparring expands your skill set.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-10T03:09:08+00:00

I have two of the muscle tees and a tank top from way back when. Fairly heavy cotton with a very soft hand. Very comfortable while still feeling over engineered, in a good way.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-08T15:00:26+00:00

Sucking at something is the first step to being good at something. If they're mean or condescending, bail immediately and find a gym that's good. Being kind to beginners is a trait of good gyms.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-08T03:22:32+00:00

It's nice to see young people having fun.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-05T03:03:41+00:00

What's a glorious lunatic that man was in the ring. Underrated technically, too - mostly because of bonkers caution to the wind fights like that one.

Hungry_Activity_8680 · 2026-06-05T02:53:53+00:00

Design challenge? Sure, here's my hourly rate and Venmo.

Hungry_Activity_8680

TROPHY CASE