🗃️ You’re viewing the latest issue of our newsletter, The Pipette. View all issues.
Bringing back reading in the smartphone era, distraction-free writing devices, and the Big Freeze
Mar, 2025
$.00 PER COPY
👋 This is The Pipette – a monthly newsletter for product builders with links so good their ideas warrant a reply, a forward, or even a discussion in real life.
- Product – Despite being a household name, relatively little is known about YouTube’s product stats. Researchers uncovered its secrets by “drunk dialing” billions of video URLs at random, eventually building a sample big enough to be reliable. They discovered that the well-produced, popular YouTube videos most of us watch are a tiny slice of what’s out there. Most of its 14 billion videos get 500 views or less, 4% are never viewed, and 74% have no comments or likes.
- Artificial Intelligence – In January 2025, 23% of IT jobs required AI skills, an all-time high. This data comes from a project that uses LLMs to accurately label AI jobs and track where they are being created and in which sector. Geographically, the data shows a concentration in states with tech hubs, and huge disparities between them (tech hubs post thousands of AI jobs a month, compared to dozens in low-tech areas).
- Writing – A Japanese stationery company is launching a distraction-free digital typewriter soon in the US. The foldable device, with a black-and-white screen and a physical keyboard, is designed purely for typing. You can start typing within seconds of booting it up and for up to 20 hours without charging. It’s expected to ship this month for early crowdfunding backers.
- Design – Color wheels have been around since the early 1800s and are still used today. A modern designer painstakingly created a digital reproduction of the original color wheels, including an accurate feel for the watercolor used. He even used a tool called Rebelle to digitally “dry” the paint, giving it a true-to-life quality. 📽️ Here’s a demo of the paint drying!
- Psychology (Podcast 🎧) – If you feel like reading books has become increasingly difficult, you’re not alone. A 2022 survey found that Americans were reading the lowest number of books per year ever. Phones seem to be the main culprit, between apps providing cheap dopamine and being so accessible. Add delegating reading comprehension tasks to AI and less investment in public education, and you have a bad combo. Want to change the trend? Start small (even 15 minutes a day) and be patient with yourself! 📖 P.S. Here’s a transcript of the podcast episode if you prefer to read along.
- Social Media – A new app aims to replace doomscrolling with an infinite Wikipedia feed. With no ads and no algorithm (it shows a random article every swipe), it’s the antithesis of how most of us spend our time online and a great way to learn something new.
- Artificial Intelligence – AI is supposed to be replacing the jobs it displaces. Or at least that’s what AI startup founders tend to say. One VC thinks more pressure should be put on the tech industry to hold that promise. He wants to see more startups that help small businesses adapt, or even leverage technology to train displaced job seekers looking to land high-paying trade positions as electricians or commercial plumbers.
- Workforce – In an economic moment dubbed “The Big Freeze,” a combination of low unemployment rates and Great-Recession-level low hiring is causing widespread stagnation. Experts predict that we will see improvement once corporations feel that the political and economic future has settled down and can confidently invest in new hires.