Cover photo for Philip I. Thomas

Philip I. Thomas

Founder of Contraption Company - a product studio crafting tools for online work like Booklet, FRCTNL, and Postcard.

Based in NYC, I enjoy traveling to find interesting cafes and restaurants. Instead of social media, I choose to share my updates here through a monthly newsletter.

You can contact me at mail@philipithomas.com, and find me on LinkedIn.
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What I'm up to - September 2023

I'm Philip, and this is my monthly newsletter about what I'm up to, which I send in place of social media. ✨ What I was up to in August• Launched FRCTNL, a community of fractional tech workers. • Continued building Booklet, which is the software powering FRCTNL. • Returned to Mexico City, where Quintonil reaffirmed its rank as my #2 favorite restaurant in the world. • Ate a lot of tsukemen. • Graded at a crossword puzzle tournament. 🤔 Things to share• Articles: Do you avoid the news? You’re in growing company. (See "News Minimalist" below). Walk for the Boredom of it All. Scans of coffee equipment.  • Books: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (re-reading after a decade). Cold Start Problem (again), Hacker and Painters.  • Podcast: Frank Slootman on The Knowledge Project (a refreshing take on high-performance cultures). • Apps: News Minimalist (now the only news I'm reading). • Video: Tunnel Vision: An Unauthorized BART Ride • Other: Noma Projects finally ships to the USA. Once, a new project from 37Signals.Thinking about Eichler homes. "Where founders live matters again." • Trend:  PE for startups (such as Third South Capital and Tiny). • Coffees I'm drinking: La Cabra Elida. 📫 What I'm up to in September• Making a couple of brief trips for weddings • Hoping to open Booklet access more broadly 📍 Where I'll be • Sept 21-25: Stockholm 🇸🇪 • Sept 29-Oct 1: Chicago 🏢 (Let me know if we overlap) 📸 Photo
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