I’m fascinated with how the smartest people in the world get their work done. That’s what Superorganizers is about: seeing all of the little habits that make up a great work day and a great life. Artificial intelligence has changed what it means to be productive and efficient at work, so we decided to revisit some of our favorite interview subjects to understand how their routines have changed in the era of AI models. Recently, we spoke to designer Marie Poulin, newsletter writer Polina Pompliano, former Holloway CEO Andy Sparks, and Indistractable author Nir Eyal. Today, we’re back with Kickstarter cofounder Yancey Strickler.—Dan Shipper
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Kickstarter cofounder Yancey Strickler wants you to think for yourself.
When Every last spoke to Strickler in 2020, he told us how he wrote his book This Could Be Our Future by logging off, shutting off his computer, and covering his Chinatown apartment walls with Post-it notes.
Five years later, he’s back working on another startup—Metalabel, a collaborative platform for making and publishing creative work. And, he told us, he’s still finding ways to “intentionally work in offline ways.”
We caught up with Strickler about Metalabel, his online and offline work, and why he uses a physical scroll to think through ideas. We also discussed his evolving views on generative AI, what it’s good for, and how over-reliance can hinder real creative thought.
The Kickstarter cofounder, Yancey Strickler, is working on a new project called Metalabel, which is a fluid hierarchy where different people have the authority to make final calls depending on the domain.
He has continued to use offline techniques to help him with his new venture, including using a physical scroll of butcher paper to map out ideas, a method which he says has been invaluable.
However, he retains some of his views from previous years, stating that although AI can be a useful research tool, it can also hinder your own thought processes if over-relied upon.
He believes that it’s important not to outsource your own thinking, and that it’s all too easy to be dazzled by what AI models can do, without scrutinising the parameters and capitalist values that underpin them.
