Books · by Haruto Sato · 2026-09-25

A tiny story about sourdough, Lisbon and timing after a tiny failure

This is probably obvious to veterans here, but it clicked for me only recently. fiction got easier when I stopped treating every attempt like a final exam.

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the setup for a while.

My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 7 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it.

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the practice run for a while.

104 sparks · 18 comments

Comments

Élodie Favre · 14 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. I used to overcomplicate this constantly. The second half changed how I felt about the beginning.

Haruto Sato · 4 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Paper Baker · 12 likes

Do you think this would work in a smaller place than Nairobi? I used to overcomplicate this constantly.

Aisha Rahman · 7 likes

That is a good question for people with more experience than me. The my desk detail changes the whole answer.

Noah Miller · 7 likes

Adding this to my notes.

Aria Thompson · 5 likes

Glad you shared it; small wins count. I noticed the same thing in São Paulo.

Benjamín Rojas · 7 likes

I am stealing that phrase.

Maya Putri · 5 likes

Can you share what you tried before this? I am curious whether fiction still feels good next month.

Hugo Sánchez · 2 likes

Excellent timing; I was just thinking about lisbon. It sounds small, but the route matters.

Ananya Rao · 2 likes

I am cheering for this update. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me.

Benjamín Rojas · 1 likes

I wanted to like this, but the sourdough argument is weak. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near a tiny balcony.

Tola Ibrahim · 5 likes

Could be regional too.

Noah Campbell · 1 likes

I am cheering for this update. For me it came down to the prototype.

Antonia Silva · 1 likes

What happened after the first week? I am curious whether sourdough stayed easy. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near the corner shop.

Alma Nilsson · 1 likes

@antonia-54 You just saved me a bad purchase.

Hugo Martin · 1 likes

Love the tiny experiment energy. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me.

Maya Putri · 1 likes

This reminds me of something a friend in Nairobi mentioned. I would test it for 3 days before deciding.

Budi Santoso · 1 likes

I would push back gently on the tiny part. The low-effort version is probably the keeper.