This is the post from the “Anti-Gadgets” Series

I’m convinced that phones, computers, smartwatches and social media have crawled too deep into our lives and minds. The product teams behind these platforms are dreaming day and night about how to extend our sessions, how to make sure we never leave.

The problem is: they’re succeeding.

I’m learning to live and work more in the real world — not the digital one.

The first “anti-gadget” I want to talk about is an A4 notebook.

When I need to find the answer to a question about AJTBD framework [this is the product creation framework that I've created] or dive deep into any complex topic, I switch off my phone and computer, take this notebook, and disappear into a quiet place for a couple of hours.

I write down the question and start free-associating everything I know about it. One thought leads to another, sparking new questions and ideas. Connections form. And without fail, a powerful new insight emerges.

All of the most important parts of the AJTBD methodology were born in notebooks like this one — [the one in the photo is the second I’ve filled over time].

When I work in my RoamResearch knowledge base, insights come far less often. Maybe it’s the physical act of handwriting, or maybe it’s the spatial thinking involved. Maybe it’s the freedom of drawing ideas across two-dimensional space.

Yes, the notebook is big and heavy.

But the depth of focus and immersion is absolutely worth carrying it around.

Drawing on an iPad is also fine — but it’s way too easy to get sucked into social media again.

My personal favorite notebooks: Leuchtturm1917 Notizbuch Classic Master A4, 100g.

If karma’s real, every bit of evil I ship to my customers boomerangs back—with compound interest. So, I’m steering clear of dark patterns, client mind games, and outright lies. No products built on the seven deadly sins: lust-clicks, envy-loops, dopamine slot machines.

If I push good through, that same leverage scales the upside across thousands and returns to me with equal force. The better I get at my craft, the stronger the karmic feedback.

Manipulating and scamming your customers is like trading on margin while stoned.

Learn not to take yourself and your self-image too seriously.

When you take yourself seriously and cherish sacred identities such as "I'm great," "I'm smart," or "I'm successful," any criticism aimed at these images causes pain, anxiety, and a desperate urge to protect your carefully constructed self-image.

We all wear masks and create personas.

We become so identified with these personas—"I'm a successful entrepreneur," "I'm a responsible employee," "I'm a loving daughter," "I'm a strict father"—that we completely forget they’re merely masks, personas, or roles.

By refusing to take yourself seriously and cultivating the ability to laugh at yourself, you develop immunity to external influence. Suddenly, it doesn’t matter what people think, because even you don't take yourself seriously.

Now, if someone laughs at you, you can join them in laughter and genuinely have fun.

Self-irony is the strongest defense against outside influences.

But there’s a catch: achieving freedom from the influence of others' opinions and gaining the ability to laugh at yourself requires monumental inner work. You’ll need to meticulously examine and reprogram your ego, heal the wounds that cause exaggerated reactions to criticism and judgment, cultivate self-worth, and build internal resilience to remain steady amidst any storm.