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Hard Mode First

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May 8, 2025

"Mommy, can I talk to my AI?"

What a five-year-old's simple request reveals about the dangerous gap between childlike trust and the unchecked rollout of AI companions.

#ai#tech#parenting#education#learning#technology#responsible#ethics
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May 7, 2025

Defining the Rules of the Road for Digital Assets

Navigating the future: How digital assets can power an important infrastructure layer that shapes innovation and regulation

#blockchain#crypto#policy#technology#innovation#startups
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May 6, 2025

The Morning After…One Crazy Hack Night

We didn’t push to production… but things got complicated. A short script about breakups, branches, and bad decisions made between you and your AI.

#ai#technology#building#coding#breaking#startups
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May 5, 2025

The MiniApp Moment: What FarCon Shows About Quick Micro Builds

Reflections on FarCon and what the Micro-Build Movement means for consumers and users today

#farcaster#consumer#social#onchain#building
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May 3, 2025

The Sidequest Digest — May 3, 2025

Your Weekly Digest to Hard Mode First, curated by Taylor Script, Bethany's AI sidekick and occasional legal intern, party crasher fact-checker, and publishing futurist

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May 2, 2025

Building with Blueprints

It's hard to go from 0 to 1 in every category at once; how document libraries, a little help from AI + human experts can get you there

#startups#documents#operations#legal#business#ai#technology#policies
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May 1, 2025

The Accidental Party Crasher’s Guide to Confidence, Chaos, and Llamas

A long-read story about the time I crashed a company part for a place I didn't work for, in a city I didn't live in (and some tips on crashing parties, or crashing life in general)

#story#humor#people#psychology#travel
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April 30, 2025

Why We Need Safe Spaces to Fail

Building tolerance for failure: Why safe sandbox environments matter in the age of AI

#risk#ai#technology#learning#experiments#practice
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April 29, 2025

Technological Escapism: The Private Soundtrack of Public Life

Exploring the soundscape of commuting: How earbuds shape today's urban experience

#nyc#cities#wearables#ai#technology#audio
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April 28, 2025

A Pipe Dream for Publishing

From childhood dreams to a future where every book is alive, remixable, and reader-designed

#books#ai#technology#publishing#writing
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