Alt title: Why can’t I stop making jokes?

Each day, I speak with founders building the world of tomorrow. The one trait they all seem to share is relentless optimism.

While I see the enormous positive possibilities of tech and our future, I also see the opposite.

In fact, I see both the incredible and the dystopian together, at the same time.

On platforms like LinkedIn, this makes me weird. Intouchable.

Why can’t I just be a builder? Why can’t I just cheer people on and show them how to use the tech I use every day? Why can’t I claim to be an optimist and nothing else?

When I point out the absurd, some say this is “doom and gloom”. But I don’t see it that way.

Humor is how I process the craziness of the world, and that will never change. And I tend to gravitate towards the cracks, the inconsistencies, and the logic that points somewhere potentially undesirable.

And then I go and am blown away by the magic of what technology can do for me, daily.

It’s not either / or. It’s both + and.

But don’t worry! If you want nothing but sugar-coated optimism, the entry below this will probably be about AI saving unicorn kittens and how everything’s fine, so you’re covered either way.

As we age, isn’t it funny what pieces of art from 20 years ago still seem incredible, and which seem horribly dated/absurd/cringe?

There’s no way of knowing what we’ll be proud of in 30 years, of the things we’re making today.

But this much is certain: If we don’t at least try to make things that can stand the test of time, they never will.

• Biometric login
• Real-time universal translation
• Lost a phone or computer? NBD, just instantly restore from a cloud backup
• Can tune out a plane full of loudly coughing human beings and watch a noise-cancelled, 200-foot-tall 3D movie on the moon

Step one: Notice the mindless tasks you’re doing, and automate them with AI.

Step two: Figure out ways of using AI to exceed what you would have done, not just replicate.

Never interrupt the flow.

When the desire to experiment with new platforms strikes, stay up late. Keep it fun, keep it light.

When the ideas are flowing, write until they stop.

And when you’re at a stand-still? Do mindless chores while watching a stupid show, or go outside.

Each feeling has its own utility.