I'm always thinking. While commuting, while eating, while doing nothing, etc. I often think about technology, people, economics, and how it's all tied together. Here are a few things I've been thinking about lately:
1. How do the machines we depend on work?
The internet, digital electronics, automobiles, plumbing all quietly keep the world running. As a software engineer, I already know how software works, but when you get down to hardware, my knowledge gets fuzzy.
I've always struggled to understand electronics - memorizing ohms law and definitions never made sense to me. But recently, I've been learning how electronics really work in a way I would've never expected: I bought some speakers.
How do speakers teach you about electronics?
The speakers I bought are not the plug and play kind. They're "passive" speakers, meaning you need an "amplifier" to make them work. An amplifier takes the output from an AUX cable and a power source, and outputs the low-voltage signal from your AUX cable but at a higher voltage/current to power large speakers.
Understanding this has led to follow-up questions. How do the devices we use convert 120V AC to low-voltage DC to power circuits? How does an amplifier circuit work? How do vacuum tubes and transistors work? How do you build your own amplifier, including the design of the case? How do you make speakers wireless? How do make digital and or analog audio processors?
I've googled for the answers to these questions and found answers - sometimes in forums, sometimes in reddit, sometimes in electronics lecture notes. I'm going to learn more and eventually build up to understanding how a computer works.
I'm also looking to buy my first car, which will involve doing car maintenance, so I've also started looking into how cars work. (but I'll svae that for future blog posts).
2. E-commerce, a whole new world
Speaking of buying a used car - it's a tormenting process. There are so many variables to think about - what kind of car, who's selling it, how old is it, how many miles, will it have any mechanical issues, are you getting ripped off, is the seller hiding something - are you stressed yet?
The internet and mobile phones make it a little easier. Buyers and sellers can find each other on a digital platform like craigslist. Post a pic of your car, some info, and a buyer can find your car in the palm of their hand.
But the issues of the unknown quality - of the car and of the seller - are still there. Airbnb solved the problem of unknown reputation with a comment/review system. Craigslist has no such system - you don't know how the seller's previous sales went. The system could be so much better if, like uber, buyers rated sellers and vice versa.
Ratings aren't perfect though. On amazon, an item with a few unjustified low ratings might drop down in search results and never see the light of day again. An item with a high rating may also not be that good (as I learned the hard way). But ratings are better than no ratings.
With this shift to online purchasing, the role of retailers and distributors is changing - and diminishing. We can now buy direct - from Amazon, from the manufacturer, or from the previous owner of a thing. The concept of retail stores, dealerships, and brokers is being turned upside down. How can a store afford to pay rent, when people don't buy anything from them anymore and instead just tap a button on their phone, get the best price, and have the item shipped in 2 days? Why use a dealership if people can list their cars for sale in a directory? Why go to an apartment broker if you can search craigslist for no-broker-fee apartments?
Our shopping malls should be shuttered by now - why aren't they? Will there be a big crash sometime soon? What kinds of stores will take the place of these retail stores? Will rent prices fall? Will we become more comfortable buying/selling each other's used stuff online, leading to an overall decrease in purchases?
3. What makes comfortable places comfortable?
Coffeeshops are one of my favorite places to think. The interior design, sights and smells, and ambiance make me feel more productive there than anywhere else.
Starbucks used to be my go-to, now other coffeeshops have popped up and grown that I love.
I love the challenge of making a space as comfortable as a coffeeshop. There are so many possibilities - when you design a space, the end-result is utterly unique. I used to dabble with interior design in a program called SketchUp:
Turns out designing in a program is a lot different than the real thing. For example, in reality, you're constrained by the building's existing style, the furniture you have access to, and the lighting that's already there. In my case, I had high ceilings, white walls, dim lighting, and hardwood floors. I scored a deal on craigslist, and here's the end-result:
Pretty close to coffee-shop comfort if you ask me. But alone in my apartment, something is missing. The people shuffling about, the sound of baristas steaming milk, the gossip you can tune-in and tune-out of, the background music you've never heard before. There's no place like a coffeeshop.
4. How do you communicate a complex though/idea?
I'm interested in precise communication of complex ideas, because I'm inspired by people who do it much better than I ever could.
My favorite oral speakers are Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart - I wish I could speak half as clearly as they do:
One of my favorite writers is Ben Thompson. He manages to write about abstract ideas clearly, and his writing is engaging and it flows.
You'll notice the essays transition between topics effortlessly, and the author connects the dots between multiple seemingly unrelated topics. Very impressive.
Technical, academic writing is usually over-complicated and hard to understand. I stumbled upon this writer who manages to write clear academic papers - I think he's the best I've ever read.
https://arxiv.org/pdf/1406.2661.pdf
The writing follows a consistent pattern: noun, transitive verb, 2nd noun. The writing is extremely to the point - not repeating anything more than necessary. It gives you exactly the information you need to know - not more, not less. Must have taken a lot of editing, and years of practice, to get to this level of cleanliness.
That's what I'm usually thinking about - for now!