Pets · by Piotr Zieliński · 2026-09-24
The chaotic joy of doing the prototype badly at first from my busy month notes
My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 4 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it.
I started this because my late summer felt a little stuck, and photos seemed like a manageable place to experiment. The funny part is that the smallest change was the one I kept.
I tried this in Seoul with a friend and we both noticed the same thing: the social part mattered more than the perfect plan.
222 sparks · 44 comments
Comments
Noah Johansson · 42 likes
Did anyone else read this and immediately make a tiny checklist? It reminds me of a very specific conversation near a family dinner.
Grace Parker · 21 likes
Helpful and not preachy, which is rare. A little friction removed goes a long way.
Solar Orbit · 16 likes
Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near the corner shop.
Chiara Romano · 14 likes
This sounds good, but in practice it can be a bad idea without more context. The social part surprised me too.
Tiny Runner · 13 likes
Great point, especially the part about prototype. The chaotic part is easy to underestimate.
Cedar Baker · 9 likes
I do not have a strong take, but the chaotic detail is useful. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error.
Hugo Martin · 26 likes
I had the same reaction to trial.
Cedar Baker · 4 likes
That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines.
Aisha Rahman · 1 likes
Thanks for making it less intimidating.
Irene López · 8 likes
This is the kind of disagreement I like.
Cedar Baker · 2 likes
That is a much better way to say it.
Tiago Costa · 15 likes
Short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes.
Midnight Baker · 0 likes
That is fair, but I still worry about maintenance.
Cedar Baker · 1 likes
@averybakes I think both things can be true.
Rohan Mehta · 9 likes
Good reminder that boring can be good. The practical constraint is probably the real story.
Amina Okafor · 4 likes
Amazing how much difference one small change can make. The awkward part is easy to underestimate.
Kabir Khan · 4 likes
This is adorable and oddly motivating.
Siti Lim · 13 likes
Kind of wild how often oddly is the whole issue.
Liam Wilson · 3 likes
Do you think this would work in a smaller place than Toronto? This pairs weirdly well with arepas.
Chloe Davis · 3 likes
Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot.
Isha Menon · 3 likes
Did anyone else read this and immediately make a tiny checklist? The Jakarta example makes it feel concrete.
Rohan Mehta · 3 likes
The kindness in this post is lovely. That is where the boring checklist helps.
Aarav Sharma · 3 likes
Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. The messy constraint is probably the real story.
Cedar Comet · 2 likes
The context helps. Without it I would have assumed the opposite. The social part surprised me too.
Mango Orbit · 4 likes
That is a much better way to say it.
Noé Petit · 1 likes
I would pin this if I could.
Miguel Santos · 2 likes
This is adorable and oddly motivating. The rainy evening version is even more interesting.
Mia Anderson · 2 likes
I do not have a strong take, but the badly detail is useful. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me.
Haruto Sato · 2 likes
Honestly, great taste. I would test it for 8 days before deciding.
Chinedu Adeyemi · 2 likes
This reminds me of something a friend in Mumbai mentioned. I used to overcomplicate this constantly.
Avery Johnson · 2 likes
This is adorable and oddly motivating. The 7-minute rule is underrated.
Aisha Rahman · 2 likes
This feels like advice from a patient friend. The lunch break version is even more interesting.
Rapid Baker · 1 likes
I disagree a bit. chaotic matters, but the bigger issue is usually expectations. The ambitious part is easy to underestimate.
Kabir Khan · 1 likes
I am mostly here for the follow-up.
Urban Otter · 1 likes
Mildly negative take: the simple version is sometimes just underexplained. I would write it down before changing anything else.
Lina Al Harbi · 1 likes
Glad you shared it; small wins count. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error.
Paper Orbit · 0 likes
I wish more posts had this much context. I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability. I needed this reminder today.