“You” are the next trend
Hey, it’s Matt.
Coding used to be a competitive edge. Now it’s table stakes. (Thanks, Cursor, Bolt, Copilot.) So what’s next?
Personal everything.
And I don’t mean “slap-your-logo-on-it” personal. I mean truly personal—software that fits like it was made for one person: you.
I think that’s where the next real opportunities are. More creativity. Better workflows. New businesses born from ideas that couldn’t exist in a one-size-fits-all mold.
The tools are here. As founders, it’s our job to keep up.
In this edition of Digital Native:
- Celebrate the Mac’s 40th with a retro rewind, featuring insider tales from Steve Wozniak and crew—it’s all nostalgia and geeky goodness.
- Discover how data-driven beauty unleashes creativity like never before.
- Custom apps for anyone, not just devs! Dive into the future of truly personal software tailored to you.
- Did you know a stunning 63% of web traffic comes from AI chatbots?
- And more…
Enjoy issue #93—see you next week!
— Matt (@mattdowney)
P.S. If this was forwarded to you, you can sign up here.
Most interesting
A trip down memory lane: 40 years of Mac
The Computer History Museum just threw a nostalgic bash for the Mac’s 40th birthday, mixing pop-up vibes with panels of OG Mac visionaries like Steve Wozniak. It’s a must-see for your inner geek. (arun.is)
Why beauty is mathematical, not mystical
Marcus du Sautoy argues that beauty is deeply intertwined with mathematics, unraveling art through its numerical essence. Founders might find that leveraging data and structures can unlock new dimensions in creative projects. (Big Think)
The dawn of (truly) personal software
Forget those bloated, one-size-fits-all apps. Lee Robinson reveals how anyone can whip up apps that hit their exact needs—not just devs. Custom solutions are easier than ever, sparking a whole era of personal creativity. (Lee Robinson)
Top resources
The ultimate sidekick for productivity hackers
Tool Finder is your personal cheat sheet for scouting top-notch productivity tools. They’ve curated the cream of the crop, from top project management tools to AI-powered note-takers—perfect for founders looking to finally get rid of productivity bottlenecks. (Tool Finder)
Three’s company, not a crowd
Speaking of productivity, 3goals is a minimalist app that helps you win your day with just three goals: one high-impact goal, one long-pending to-do, and one quick house chore. No getting overwhelmed. No endless to-do lists. Just three focused goals to help you feel accomplished every day. (3goals.today)
Master the art of homepage design with these 5 essentials
The web OG’s, Nielsen Norman Group, lay out the five non-negotiables for crafting a homepage that hooks and keeps users. (NNG)
What’s trending
UI-less design is a myth—and here’s why
Christopher Butler throws shade on the UI-less trend, declaring that interfaces aren’t going anywhere—they’re just evolving. (Christopher Butler)
Meet nim: your next beautifully simple portfolio
Nim offers designers (and anyone really) a cutting-edge template with seamless animations built on Next.js 15, React 19, and Motion-Primitives. This free, customizable site allows you to create engaging personal websites with fluid, modern effects. (Nim)
Is your site secretly an AI favorite?
A new study reveals that 63% of websites receive traffic from AI chatbots, with ChatGPT alone driving 50% of that traffic. For founders, understanding this can transform how you approach digital strategies and partnerships. Definitely something to keep an eye on. (Ahrefs)
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