Async

[Joshua] Hand drawn designs

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Some followup, and then trying out ads and hand drawing design again.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Black & White Opinions

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Joshua – I took the bait.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] The vibes are getting old

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Joshua shares some thoughts on AI vibe design, the (mostly) bad and some good, and shares a new idea he's been working on related to marketing.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Response, Speed, and UI

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 23:00:00 +0000

Centralisation vs. decentralisation, and how I evaluate software and AI assistants.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Vibe coded dragons

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0000

More vibe coding, some delights.

https://stuffstuff.app/

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Effort to Exercise Tradeoff

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 21:00:00 +0000

I guess we're talking about AI again. I enjoyed our break from that topic while it lasted. There's no escaping GenAI in our lines of work!

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Designing less

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Followup and thoughts on vibe designing.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Aliyah

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Saadia discusses his writers deck, being Jewish in Australia, and cognitive atrophy.

CrossPointXT is available here: https://github.com/lukecarbis/CrossPointXT

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Time to build

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:00:00 +0000

I want to make stuff.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Writer Deck

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Saadia discusses the X3 writer deck he put together as part of his latest "de-techifying" phase.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] What do you want?

Wed, 20 May 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Geeking out about writing, X4 as a device, and product design in 2026.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Two Steps Forward

Wed, 20 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000

Discussing responses to Cal Newport, the Xteink X4 ereader, and taking time to just be.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Reversion to the Mean

Tue, 19 May 2026 20:00:00 +0000

I followup on Saadia's last post with thoughts of my own on dumb phones, infinity wells, and I've gone back and forth on the whole concept. Then I talk about a book I'm reading, writing struggles, and my favorite game of the year.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Dumbphones and writerDecks

Tue, 19 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Revisiting simplifying my digital life.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Tired brains

Thu, 07 May 2026 19:00:00 +0000

A little bit more about gen ai and using it as a designer, followed by an update on the X4, software brain, and Age of Empires on the Mac.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] It doesn't feel like you

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:00:00 +0000

More discussion about whether a client should be able to ask their designer not to use AI tools in their design process.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Software Brain

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Async is a podcast where Joshua (a product designer) and Saadia (a software engineer) debate and often argue (as friends!) the merits and challenges of living and building in the world today.

In this episode I reference how I'm feeling about AI, what I've been doing with it, and why I'm yearning for deep work time to just think and create and be.

Also, the title is a reference to a recent piece by Gruber and Patel.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Disclosure

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0000

Would GenAI disclosure would be helpful or is it a waste of time?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] X4

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Hi Saadia! In this episode I talk about AI, and lend a different perspective to your idea of authorship.

Then I talk about some AI classes I've been doing, and finally something not at all AI related (well mostly not): A new gadget I bought, the X4.

I also completely forgot to talk about some of the new projects I've been working on, but there's always more episodes.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Soul

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We're back! Well, I am, at least.

Welcome to Season 2 of Async where we'll probably just keep talking about AI.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Launching Lochy

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Joshua and a friend launched Lochy.org last night, and now Joshua's trying to figure out what happens next.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] For love, growth, or money

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

So much to respond to! I talk mostly about motivation – why commit? And what does "best practice" mean in the age of AI?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Dragonsteel

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Joshua went to Dragonsteel, and he's having thoughts about how careers should be shaped based on passion versus marketplace acceptance.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Quiet Design

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Shh.

In this episode I talk about my experience writing an app from scratch in SwiftUI, and compare that to vibe coding it. I also discuss a lack of technical people in cross-disciplinary positions.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Democratization of product

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:00:00 +0000

Joshua has followup on a bunch of topics, including Figma make, app development, and his own experience with race and privilege. He then follows up on a few topics related to the democratization of product and being kind to yourself.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Privilege

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 03:00:00 +0000

One-push-wonders and white-privilege.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Writing what I'd read

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Followup on Saadia’s AI teaching adventure, along with some of Joshua’s own musings on classroom time.

For topics, Joshua shares about a new perspective he’s gained on writing, using Figma make for design, and shipping an actual app—and what comes next.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] AI in the Classroom

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:00:00 +0000

I'm back! I spent the last four weeks on a school placement. Here's what I learned about using AI in the classroom.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Actually shipping

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 21:00:00 +0000

I'm back!

After some time away (it's been crazy), I've got a lot to followup on, and some things to share about the work I've been doing as a product manager and product designer.

Also, I'm trying to decide on actually shipping something. Hoping for some thoughts from Saadia.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Cognitive Load Theory

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 21:00:00 +0000

How can AI reduce mental overhead and help us to concentrate on what matters most?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Detente and growing the newsletter

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Wrapping up a mini-series where Saadia and Joshua have been discussing whether it's irresponsible to vibe code apps into production.

The next topic Joshua starts off is what to do now that his newsletter has 100 subscribers. What should be the next step?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] What I create, I understand.

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Gatekeeping‽

Richard Feynman: “What I cannot create, I do not understand.”

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Gatekeeping and travel

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 20:00:00 +0000

Joshua follows up on whether it's irresponsible to ship without fulling understanding them, while taking potshots at WordPress. Then he shares about finding peace in travel and figuring out which bags he should carry.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Irresponsible

Sat, 13 Sep 2025 20:00:00 +0000

It doesn’t matter if it works, you should understand how it works.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Vibe coding designers and AirPods Pro 3

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Joshua follows up on two person product teams, designers vibe coding into prod, and his excitement about the latest Apple announcements.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Two Person Product Team

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Product Designer: Uses vibe coding as an immediate feedback design tool.

Product Developer. Uses AI assisted tooling to implement the designs, and product knowledge to build a scalable architecture.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] The end of product managers

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Joshua weighs in on where product managers, product designers, frontend developers, and fullstack developers fit, and how a convergence of all these is happening before our eyes.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] A New Approach to Software Development

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Hypothesis 1: Vibe code tools will always produce better results in the hands of skilled operators.

Hypothesis 2: Vibe code tools are more impactful on the workflow of designers than developers.

I made the mistake of listening to the previous episode while I was driving, and got inspired. I had to record my response straight away, on AirPods in the car. Thank goodness for auphonic!

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Shifting gears

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Joshua's been missing for a few weeks. Well a ton has changed. He's got a new job (sort of), and it's all related to AI (for better or worse!).

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] A bad feeling

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Feeling overwhelmed by the AI hype cycle, politics, and tests!

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Claude vs Replit for a vibe coding designer

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Followup from the last episode

Does Joshua have a bunch of nebulous ideas he struggles to write? [Oh boy yes]
Does Joshua feel there's too many inputs and noise to deal with [Yup, working through it]
How many free subscribers to Joshua get for running an Ad in Dense Discovery?
Higher order thinking vs lower order thinking - Trying to understand it

Topics

Vibe coding and not being able to sleep. Wrestling with whether to learn more coding, and switching from Replit to Claude

https://trailblazerstrivia.com/

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Sometimes Synchronous

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Responsible use of AI, and launching a new product.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] A crazy vibe coding week

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Joshua made an app, a crazy fun week, and some Freeform complaints on the iPad.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Know your tools

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Be true.

Dungeons & Dragons: https://diggingforfire.blog/posts/dungeons-and-teenagers/

James Jameson Used One Finger: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pEpALB3SFTo

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Ghosted fireballs

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 17:00:00 +0000

It's been a massive week for Saadia and Joshua.

Saadia got fireballed, Joshua got ghosted. This episode (and the previous) are why async exists. Friends helping each other push forward in the things they want to create.

If you're curious about the actual topics, we discuss Saadia inviting John Gruber onto his other podcast, and Joshua launching a subscription service for his newsletter.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Cowboy Coding

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Choosing an audience, not a topic. Finding your crew. Platform native design.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Custom illustrations and default designs

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Suggesting to Ben Thompson a way he can tweak his illustration, suggestions to Marco Arment on Overcast, and congratulating Saadia on a fantastic episode with John Gruber.

A bit of a theme here in this episode.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Googly

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Episode 100! Launch, design, and an AI game concept.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Finding a niche

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 22:00:00 +0000

I'm getting closer to landing a niche for my writing. Now I just need to get over the last hurdle.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Ambient AI

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I'm starting to get excited about the LLM-powered tiny quality-of-life features that will soon start appearing in our interfaces.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Writing into the dark again

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Joshua gets inspired on a new breakthrough, has some sadness with the NBA, along with followup on genealogies and Saadia's apps.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Genealogy

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Lots of follow up topics! And a peak at my latest hobby.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] A Playdate hobby

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 23:00:00 +0000

https://joshuawold.com/finding-a-hobby/

Followup on starting a subscription blog, a weird bug in iOS, finding a hobby, and Playdate.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Talk to think

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Tonic is out! https://diggingforfire.blog/posts/tonic/

External vs Internal processing, plus more about just knuckling down and doing the hard work.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Inflate the Patreon balloon

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 22:00:00 +0000

On deciding, dithering, using personal projects to fuel creativity, and thinking through ideas.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Knuckle down

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 22:00:00 +0000

On Patreon, growing an audience, Tonic, compasses, and open-source.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Focus on monetization

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Finding a path toward monetization.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Project Success

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 23:00:00 +0000

How do you free time for directed inspiration?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Diamorphic design

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Async! In this episode Joshua follows up on ways to monetize an audience, diamorphic design, and writing fiction.

New topics include thoughts on WWDC, Freeform in the latest betas, and debating what opportunities to pursue.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Time to think

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

On writing, design, and writing.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Finding Your Writing Muse and Embracing Diamorphic Design

Wed, 28 May 2025 20:00:00 +0000

Followup

AI rubber ducking
Line editing with ChatGPT

Topics

The art of discouragement - finding my writing muse
Writing to one person first
Finding 100 subscribers
Diamorphic design
Having a take

Links

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] AI Ascetic

Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Will AI polarise cognition?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Trusting the process

Thu, 22 May 2025 15:00:00 +0000

In this episode I followup on Saadia's Japan trip, having kids come of age, forced holidays, being overcommitted to work, and using AI to augment our brains.

My topics were cutting sugar followup, trusting the process, and looking for answers on an app idea.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Amputation

Wed, 21 May 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Discussing Marshall McLuhan's idea that "every augmentation is also an amputation", in the context of LLMs.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Travel and Sugar and Wrestling with UX and AI

Wed, 07 May 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Followup

Designing apps for design awards instead of money
Finding a writing angle with technology and education
Travel and stress
Mental health checkins

Topics

Sugar and my voice
AI and UI
Auto layout learnings

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Winging it

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Lofty goals, travel tactics, mental health workouts, and more angles.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Finding an angle

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 02:00:00 +0000

Followup topics:

Road trips in Australia vs. America
Why Joshua wants the Boox palma
Apps - Do they need to make money?
Playing games slowly

New topics:

Writing without a niche—pick an angle instead
Blogging for fun, and finding a Venn diagram with money
Trips an anxiety

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Writing for me

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 22:00:00 +0000

On camping, ebooks, apps that don't make money, and blog that don't have readerships.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Switch 2, Boox Palma, and loving hard problems

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Followup

Passover and away from screen time
iPhone rumors and surprises

Topics

Lightning woes
Starting an app idea
Switch 2, Boox Palma, and anti-glare
Loving the hard problems

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] BBC Shipping Forecast

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

From exercise, to sleep, to iOS 19 rumours!

The BBC Shipping Forecast can be heard at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qfvv/episodes/player

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] New workout methods

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Followup

Anxiety in AI
Screenshots: https://joshuawold.com/screenshots/ and https://joshuawold.com/thinking-with-screenshots/
Apple Magic Mouse ftw
Hard conversations and therapy: https://www.amazon.com/Maybe-You-Should-Talk-Someone/dp/1328662055
Finding restoration
Starting a podcast

Topics

New workouts
White noise tips
Apple’s hide my email: https://joshuawold.com/apples-hide-my-email-is-helps-hide-from-tracking/
Freeform’s send to back https://joshuawold.com/sending-sketches-forward-and-backward-in-freeform/
Book progress

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] AI anxiety

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Climate anxiety for the under-30s. AI anxiety for 30—50s. Total-collapse-of-the-financial-system-as-we-know-it anxiety for the over-50s?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Maybe

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Followup

AI and layoffs
Using ChatGPT to write vs help
Having non-tech enabled conversations with people
Apple Maps vs Google Maps
Fix it or leave it
Saying no

Topics

OPML is king
The isolation of men https://joshuawold.com/the-isolation-of-men/
Skill and luck https://joshuawold.com/skill-and-luck/

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] No?

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 23:00:00 +0000

A few reflections on AI, catching up with friends, and saying no.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Emailing versus texting

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Followup:

AI hype and being replaced by ChatGPT
Simple vs complex apps
Podcasting and talking to friends

Topics

Emailing versus texting
Apple Maps complaints
Annoying dishwashers
My writing style is my own

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Pretty Good

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Blogging, creativity, and AI. Perfect is nice, but pretty good will do.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Finding your secret sauce for creativity

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Followup

Finding the secret sauce for great creativity
Don't have customer feedback loops before shipping version one.
Simple products versus complex products
AI is hyped, but not everywhere

Topics

Disagreeing then changing
Finding new ideas
Perfect versus good

Note: Joshua doesn't have a good back scratcher recommendation. The only good back scratcher is the one available to you in the moment.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Artificial Everything

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Frustration at the current over-the-top obsession with AI. Also, Loofah's.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Writing on convictions

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Async. In this episode Joshua follows up on:

Random versus planned intros
The Johnny Decimal system
Red marker method
Designing apps process
Writing vs publishing

(I feel like I found some new ground here, especially on those last two items)

Topics:

How I felt writing this week
Work is just work
Back scratchers
Dead pixels

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Writing vs Publishing

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Another Johnny Decimal update. MVP, STE, or just DIY? Questions on writing.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Design systems and Webflow

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 21:00:00 +0000

In this episode Joshua follows up on:

Reading later vs reading never
Redlines as a design process
Surviving being sooo busy

Topics

Design systems
Auphonic
Webflow and WordPress
Adding friction to tools

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] It's a chapter

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:00:00 +0000

A Johnny decimal checkin, discussion on the Red Line System (Method? Workflow?). and a desperate plea for help.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] My redline design process never fails

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Followup

D&D and fiction for self-growth
Scheduling calls for a podcast
Freeform and Remarkable Pro
The Johnny Decimal and Jeff Paul system of organization

Topics

RSS and Tapestry vs social media
The redline design process

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] D&D & Identity

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 04:00:00 +0000

How Dungeons & Dragons enables us to play with who we are and who we want to be. Freeform, ReMarkable, and Johnny Decimal.

https://johnnydecimal.com/

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Freeform woes and pirate networks

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 19:00:00 +0000

Followup

Social media outposts
Side projects
D&D

Topics

Office hours podcast
Group chat networks
Freeform woes

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Side Projects and Social Media

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 10:00:00 +0000

An approach to making time for side projects. Maybe we should be on X after all.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Showing up and pushing through

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Followup on items from the previous episode:

Protecting your job from AI
Pushing the Fractional podcast forward
Finding your podcast audience
Finding your voice in writing (my favorite followup topic)
Creating a manifesto for your life/work/things

Topics

Robotics tournament
Between two password managers
Re-energizing myself to start my app again

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Manifesto

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 01:00:00 +0000

Finding your audience, your voice, and your winter jacket.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] The perfect product team

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 02:00:00 +0000

Followup on a bunch of great topics:

AI model collapse
The perfect product team
Pitts in your stomach
Writing for impact

Topics:

Social media and short form video
Othering and understanding
Fractional, keep it going?
Grasping for words

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Indie Founder Zen Venn

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Should we get rid of our Product Managers, or truly enable them by giving them even more trust and ownership? And more reflections on "I want to write, but I also want to be read!" How do you write for impact?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Star Trek Wars, Dealing with Anxiety, Writing for Readers

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Followup on:

Trying out LLMs and getting mixed results for images.
Beats, bears, Battlestar Galactica
IC vs Managers
Dealing with anxiety and aholes

Topic

Writing for readers

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] IC vs Management

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 02:00:00 +0000

What makes a great product manager?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Day job, freelance, side project. Pick 2.

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Followup

AI is everywhere - but not evenly distributed. I'm trying a challenge.
Career transitions - They're hard, but I have some ideas.
Turning down work - I give answers of a sort
TV shows we're watching

Topic

Thoughts on moving between individual contributor and manager roles.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Turning down work

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 02:00:00 +0000

How do you balance income verse stress?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] We're in the endgame now

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 02:00:00 +0000

Followup from the previous episode:

AI design and dev tools - AI image generation is actually valuable.
AI pessimism and DeepSeek - Censorship is overrated.
Design systems - Designers and devs working together beats any system.
Early morning rising - Never going to happen.
Podcast network - The why behind it.

Topics

10x/day AI prompt challenge
Superwhisper vs writing
New podcast idea
The endgame of my career
Tips for starting a blog

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] A dose of AI pessimism

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 01:00:00 +0000

I'm not all that excited about the future of AI tooling, and less excited about DeepSeek. I've been sick too, but now I'm feeling Pretty Good™.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] DeepSeek is the new Apple Silicon

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 23:00:00 +0000

In this episode Joshua followed up on the goals topic and AI design tools from the previous episode.

New topics:

R1 from DeepSeek is like M1 from Apple Silicon
Design systems for designers

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Compass Goals

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 07:00:00 +0000

What even is a goal, anyway?

https://diggingforfire.blog/posts/compasses-over-maps/

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Chasing after goals

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 02:00:00 +0000

Followup from previous episode:

Leaning into my personality so that AI can't take me
Goal setting and why I reject goals

Topics

Running on a bum knee
When should I upgrade my hardware?
AI design tools in 2025

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Uncharted Territory

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 23:00:00 +0000

We still haven't found the killer app for AI.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Focus on your strengths

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 03:00:00 +0000

A blast of an episode.

Followup items:

Trusting your experience
Don't be scared of Git
Writing a book one blog post at a time
FTP and viruses
VR gaming
Auphonic and AI voice replication
Digital frugalism and mac apps

New topics

JoshuaWold.com writing tear
Should I have goals?
Testing AI tools for designers
iCloud Mail for the win
Focusing on your strengths

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Digital Frugalism

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

There's usually a way to make it free.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Writing into the dark

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000

In this episode I talked about:

1. Writing a book - My process for writing into the dark, and how I've found ways to do and ignore my inner critic.

2. Testing Buttondown as an email service.

3. Why I'm now thinking a guide would be better than an everything app.

4. My struggles with Git when trying to build a website.

5. The open web and my thoughts on it, and why I ultimately think it matters.

6. The technical quality of something versus the value it provides regardless of technical quality.

7. Gaming as an adult and what that looks like for me now.

8. Limiting my subscriptions

9. Essentialism - Focusing on less.

Two related articles:
https://joshuawold.com/cheap-is-fine/
https://joshuawold.com/everything-at-once/

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Internal critic

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

So many topics this episode! Mostly, though, it's about blogging and the open web.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] A magical app for blogging and podcasting

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Followup on previous episode:

Comments on a blog
Audio on a blog
Social media
Newsletters
Writing books
Reeder app

Topics

A magical app for blogging and podcasting
Recursive blogging versus original blogging
Incorporating new things into daily life
Twilight Imperium

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Book it

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Writing a book as a career move.

By the way, 42 is my lucky number. Happy forty-second episode.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] RSS for everybody

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Hey everyone! Joshua here, and I'm trying out a new format. In this episode I followed up on a few previous things, such as traveling back in time with an LLM, sharing my thoughts on design as a subscription newsletter, and working remote vs in-office.

The big topic, though, was RSS reeders. Namely that I hope people will really dive into writing more blogs. But the problem we all face is access points where people can't find us. So I talked about that problem as a followup to Saadia's previous episode.

I'd love other thoughts from listeners, feel free to share!

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Codify

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Is trying to promote RSS on the modern web kind of like King Arthur in a Connecticut Yankee's Court?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Unique design processes

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 21:00:00 +0000

In this episode Joshua follow's up on Saadia's question about prepping, and what that looks like in his own life.

Joshua then shares about his unique design process and questions what Saadia's process for development looks like.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Prepared

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 22:00:00 +0000

How could a tech worker be a useful contributor in an apocalypse?

I remember now! The thing Joshua mentioned in the previous episode that reminded me of prepping was Stardew Valley!

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Quake bullet time

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 01:00:00 +0000

Back from the holiday break! Following up on the previous episode where Saadia dived into his geeky background. Then a few new topics on trying out group chat and a lot of blogging.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Lab Rat

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Learning to embrace my cringy teenage self.

Saadia's new blog: http://diggingforfire.blog

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Motivating to action

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Joshua is finally back! After a vacation and disappearing act we're back with a new episode.

Following up on Women's sports in America, testing shorter blog posts, feedback loops (and why I still haven't figured them out), and what it takes to motivate people to action.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Prolific

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 22:00:00 +0000

Is it better to have multiple small apps, or one big one?

Sindre Sorhus: https://sindresorhus.com

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Challenge modified

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 02:00:00 +0000

Joshua follows up on a bunch of items from Saadia then dives into feedback loops and how they're critical for him as a creative.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Writing challenge

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 23:00:00 +0000

Finding space for output.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] What's in my pocket

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 20:00:00 +0000

Joshua follows up on several items from Saadia, including travel without a Mac, and Deep Work.

He then forgot entirely to followup on one of the items related to side projects, but inadvertently transitioned into talking about a side project, so in the end it all worked out.

Checkout Joshua's latest posts at https://joshuawold.com/ for reference.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Macless

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 01:00:00 +0000

Thinking more about our relationship with technology.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Pausing infinity wells

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Joshua follows up on Saadia's questions about Apple Watch Double Tap, Overcast vs Apple Podcasts, wallets, and what he uses to travel.

Joshua then dives into his paused infinity wells month, and he's doing more reading and writing as a result.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Travelling light

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Loving the iPhone + AirPods Pro + Apple Watch trifecta.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] The easiest thing to write

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 23:00:00 +0000

Joshua follows up on the previous episode, shares his struggles with Overcast vs Apple Podcasts and shares an idea that inspired him to write.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] How much more efficient is it, really?

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Do you use any sort of custom launcher on your Mac? Plus, a peak behind the curtain.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] I'm not old yet

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 20:00:00 +0000

Joshua shares how he's staying healthy at a desk, some career thoughts, and his favorite tools for note taking.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] If not at a desk, then where?

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 02:00:00 +0000

Have you ever taken the time to think about what sort of job you'd like if you ever got tired of sitting behind a screen?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Turning up the world

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 23:00:00 +0000

Joshua follows up on finding positive feedback loops in creation and shares an exciting experience with AirPods.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Falling into infinity wells

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 03:00:00 +0000

How can creators engage with and grow their communities without subjecting themselves to dark pattern psychology?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Making tiny progress

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 01:00:00 +0000

Joshua is making a small amount of progress on his app idea.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Offline time

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 22:00:00 +0000

Can an iOS dev get by with a dumb phone?

The apps I mentioned:

https://tideguide.com/
https://flighty.com/

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Scratched iPhones and hearing the music

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 02:00:00 +0000

Joshua's new iPhone got its first scratch, and that's a good thing!

Also, followup on the previous episode, and sharing about the tension between audiobook time and music time while creating.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Art wants to be experienced

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 23:00:00 +0000

Kit's art can be seen on Instagram under the account `iopred`. Is there beauty in art that goes unnoticed?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Birds and cars

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 01:00:00 +0000

Followup on Saadia’s new app name, 3D printing, finding motivation, and why we create.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Saadia] Like baby names

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 22:00:00 +0000

Can you hear the whip birds in the background? I am so nervous to tell people the name of my app! What if they don't like it!?

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.

[Joshua] Polishing cloth and finding motivation

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 01:00:00 +0000

Joshua shares his initial impressions of the Apple Polishing Cloth and follows up on the previous episode with his takes on Saadia's switch into apps and thoughts on transitioning from WordPress. Joshua starts a new topic on his passion for apps and finding motivation to design when life is busy.

An async podcast by Saadia Carbis and Joshua Wold.

A Pretty Good podcast.