Snack Plate 001: Mostly critiques of what's happening under the hood

Plus, design-forward dimmer switches, American-made forks, and try-before-you-buy implants

👋 Hi. Almost every time I chat with someone who I’ve met through this newsletter, my conspicuous absence is called out. I’ve had a hard time breaking from my own self-imposed template despite knowing that the existing Chips + Dips format was holding me back.

At long last, I’m allowing myself to do something new. We still have an assortment of chips and a real dip, but instead of an essay exploring a single topic, you’ll find five things I’ve been thinking about in life and in work.

This enables me to explore things that maybe didn’t feel “big” or “important” enough to warrant a full newsletter and to dig into half-baked and emerging ideas.

As I’ve moved into freelance work (hi, yes, hire me!), the way I engage with brands and businesses has evolved. This newsletter still serves as a public-facing diary of sorts, and this new format responds to my own evolution.

As always, respond with questions, comments, or thoughts about anything you read here.

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The Chips 🎈

• Dimwit is making design-forward dimmer switches…

• …and Fittes makes seamless vent covers.

• Forks Plus is an experiment in small-scale, American-made manufacturing.

• Tin Can is a landline for the smartphone era.

• Nymzo runs chess through a streetwear lens.

• Responding to the rise of inclusive hiking and running clubs, Conscious Gear makes size-inclusive hydration vests.

• Oh So Easy! is launching baking mixes with a global flavor profile.

• Auggie sells and rents implant sizers for people considering breast augmentations.

• Boom takes a dignified approach to otherwise stigmatized medical supplies.

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5-Layer Dip 💌

1. A few months ago, Labucq sent an email spotlighting a write-up in The Strategist. The email specifically noted that they don’t participate in affiliate programs. Over the last year, I’ve grown more skeptical of products tagged with an affiliate link. While it’s true that products featured in a round-up or best-of list may be included because the writer does love them, it’s also true that products are included specifically because they’re eligible for affiliate payouts. I’m interested in “affiliate-free” as a marketing message.

2. Zebra Growth’s “Go-To-Ecosystem Framework” is interesting to me as a more durable, sustainable approach to marketing and business operations. More often than not, marketing efforts are fragmented between paid and owned, awareness and conversion. In an ideal world, they’d be more symbiotic, or regenerative, as Zebra Growth frames it.

3. Entireworld (RIP) used to be my go-to for quality basics. I stocked up on the Type B, Version 4 t-shirt before they went out of business and it remains my perfect t-shirt. More recently, Le Bon Shoppe has been creeping into my closet. While the brand has long been known for its socks, it has expanded its clothing line and the quality and fits are very, very good. (Please don’t tell me that private equity is behind this…)

4. I’ve been thinking about the visibility and invisibility of under-the-hood algorithms and AI. What’s interesting to me is that algorithms feel bad when you can recognize that you’re being manipulated but are good when you can see yourself manipulating the algorithm. Take TikTok as an example: its algorithm acts more like a copilot than a captain. As we see more conversational AI tools embedded into platforms, I’m eager to see how the artifice of it all is made visible.

5. I’m always interested in companies that find unexpected uses for products or technologies. Ember, best known for a mug that keeps coffee hot, has adapted its product to baby bottles and medical transport. The latter stands out to me as a major revenue driver: contracts with healthcare companies are significant and the TAM is almost certainly larger than the market for a self-heating mug.

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Real Dip 📟

Carrot-y romesco.

Start by roasting an equal number of carrots and red bell peppers, plus one white onion, at over 400 degrees. They’re done cooking when you see some char on the edges.

Let everything cool to room temperature, then blitz it in a food processor with some salt and a big glug of red wine vinegar. Drizzle in olive oil and mix until everything is smooth.

Pair it with a grilled cheese, some grilled broccoli, or seasonal crudité.

Thanks for snacking,

— Emily ⏱️

PS: My phone line is open and I have room for new clients! Schedule a call with me and see how we might be able to work together.