Stamina beats talent every time
Hey, it’s Matt.
Well, we made it-issue #100 of Digital Native.
You probably don’t remember the first one you read. Honestly, I barely remember the first one I sent. But 100 weeks later, you’re still here-still curious, still building, still figuring it out (like we all are).
If you’ve ever opened, clicked, replied, or forwarded-thank you. Here’s to a hundred more.
In this week’s edition:
- Going all-in on obsessions: How fixations can fuel your deepest creative streak
- A weird A/B test: Crisp screenshots replaced with blurry teasers-conversion rate soared
- White-collar layoffs: Starbucks slices 1,000 corporate gigs, proving no job is bulletproof
- And more…
Enjoy issue #100-see you next week!
– Matt (@mattdowney)
P.S. If this was forwarded to you, you can sign up here.
MOST INTERESTING
Obsession isn’t a bug. It’s the whole operating system.
A designer followed their weirdest fixations-snakes, treadmills, antique signage-and built a wildly original career around them. This piece nails why chasing interests beats chasing productivity. (It’s Nice That)
Stamina > Talent
Kupajo’s essay is a quiet gut-punch: consistency is more powerful than brilliance, but harder to notice. If you’re tired of being underestimated, this one will light a fire. (Kupajo)
One of the weirdest A/B tests I’ve seen (but it worked)
Tom blurred part of his product screenshot-and conversions jumped. The lesson? Sometimes curiosity is more interesting than clarity, at least for first impressions. It’s dumb, effective, and very internet. (Marketing Ideas)
TOP RESOURCES
Screenshot exports still look like garbage? Here’s the fix.
Max Burnside explains how to stop Figma’s color profile bugs from ruining your exports. If your UI looks washed out on Twitter, this is why. (Max Burnside)
AI-driven color matching is now a thing
Polarr’s new tool lets you upload any photo and generate matching filters or palettes. It’s like having a moodboard that builds itself. (Polarr ColorMatch)
High Agency: Rethinking limits through bold, creative action
A great piece by George Mack. If you read one article in this week’s newsletter, this should be it. (High Agency)
What’s TRENDING
Is knowledge work headed for a permanent decline?
Starbucks cuts over 1,000 corporate gigs as white-collar job losses spike. Rising unemployment, flat wages, and AI shifts unsettle how office work operates. (NYT)
Disruption isn’t always the “big bang” we think it is
Uber didn’t kill taxis. Airbnb didn’t kill hotels. Benedict Evans explains how “disruption” really happens: one local inefficiency at a time. (Benedict Evans)
Browse no more
Paul Stamatiou says we’re done clicking around. With AI interfaces answering for us, the whole premise of “surfing” is on the decline. (Paul Stamatiou)
My stack
These are the tools that help me run my business every day. I happily pay for each of them-they’re worth every penny. I hope you find them useful, too.
- Beehiiv → How I send this newsletter every week. 10/10 would recommend.
- Brain.fm → How I kickstart my productivity and find flow-state.
- Figma → How I quickly go from idea to design to product.
- Mercury → The best business banking I’ve ever used.
- Screen Studio → How I record engaging videos.
- Typefully → How I post content to my socials.
- Kick → My bookkeeping on auto-pilot.
And that’s a wrap!
Thanks for reading today’s issue. If you have any ideas for what you’d like me to cover in future issues, just hit reply and let me know.
And if you found today’s newsletter useful, please share it with your friends!
Matt Downey
Founder, Digital Native
@mattdowney