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Show HN: Dockside – I turned unused space around the macOS Dock into a workspace
2 days ago
- Dockside is a customizable file shelf for Mac that works beside or independently of the Dock, offering drag zones, automations, and quick access to recent files.
- It supports a 14-day free trial and a lifetime license for $5.99, with features like offline privacy, no data collection, and Apple Notarization for security.
- Users praise it for boosting productivity, with reviews highlighting its flexibility, seamless integration into workflows, and responsive developer support.
The Mental Models I Use to Work with AI
2 days ago
- Invest in upfront alignment by making implicit assumptions explicit in the initial prompt to avoid unexpected AI outputs.
- Restart with better context rather than steering AI when initial outputs are far off; avoid compounding errors through path dependence.
- Equip AI agents with the same tools you use (CLI, MCP, browser control) to handle setup, testing, and instrumentation tasks.
- View early bad AI outputs as taste signals that help define creative direction, not just failures.
- Use visual references instead of lengthy prose prompts to guide visual outputs more effectively.
- Build a digital reference library to map your taste and provide raw material for AI to avoid generic results.
- Apply design principles to steer models away from slop and maintain unique, opinionated outputs.
- Use adversarial reviews with different LLMs to pressure-test outputs and reduce human bottleneck in review processes.
- Think ambitiously beyond MVP instincts as cheap execution allows for bigger, more innovative projects.
- Provide AI with tools to verify its own outputs (e.g., browsers, testing frameworks) to create internal feedback loops.
- Codify lessons from AI mistakes into memory systems (e.g., AGENTS.md) to prevent recurring errors.
- Recognize that LLMs reflect consensus, not judgment; your own taste and context are crucial for differentiation.
- Focus on clear direction and context over exact wording; systems matter more than prompt syntax.
- Be skeptical of impressive AI outputs in domains you lack expertise; verify to avoid misinformation.
- Understand the AI security lethal trifecta: combining private data, untrusted content, and external communication risks data exfiltration.
- Prioritize direction over execution as execution becomes commodified; mistakes in direction are more costly.
- Reframe SaaS AI tools as coworkers rather than just tools, explaining the shift towards chat-based interfaces.
- View loud AI debates as belief systems (like religion) rather than evidence-based arguments.
- See frustration with AI capability gaps as opportunities for new products and workflows.
- Evaluate SaaS ideas by whether a smart person with an LLM could replicate them easily; differentiate on brand, distribution, etc.
The Ugly Phase
a day ago
- The Ugly Phase is a recurring low point in challenging projects, identified through personal experience with creating conference talks.
- It occurs when progress feels overwhelming, often near a deadline, causing doubt, frustration, and a desire to quit.
- Recognizing and accepting the Ugly Phase helps reduce meta-spiraling and emotional toil, allowing focus on moving forward.
- The phase is characterized by feelings of hatred toward the project, but it passes with persistence and refinement.
- Applying the concept to other hard, high-payoff projects, like building a house or unpacking, validates its universality.
- Strategies to navigate the Ugly Phase include recognizing it, cutting unnecessary scope, and refocusing on the immediate goal.
- Documenting progress with photos can provide perspective and motivation during the Ugly Phase.
- It is crucial to avoid dropping self-care activities like fitness during stress, as they support resilience.
- The Ugly Phase is often forgotten after completion, similar to forgetting the pain of childbirth.
- Celebrating success after emerging from the Ugly Phase reinforces achievement and prepares for future challenges.
You Feel Exhausted Without Having "Done" Anything Physically
20 hours ago
- Decision fatigue explains why mental exhaustion occurs without physical activity, due to constant decision-making.
- The brain's willpower is like a muscle that can become depleted, leading to ego depletion where mental resources are exhausted.
- Studies, such as one on Israeli judges' parole decisions, show decision quality declines as more decisions are made throughout the day.
- Microdecisions accumulate and consume cognitive load, occupying working memory even when not actively thought about.
- The Zeigarnik effect indicates that unfinished tasks are remembered better, causing intrusive thoughts and impairing performance.
- Creating concrete plans for pending tasks can reduce mental strain by allowing the mind to stop monitoring unresolved decisions.
- Strategies to manage decision fatigue include reducing trivial decisions, externalizing tasks, and avoiding revisiting past decisions.

Hasty Briefsbeta

#productivity

Show HN: Dockside – I turned unused space around the macOS Dock into a workspace

The Mental Models I Use to Work with AI

The Ugly Phase

You Feel Exhausted Without Having "Done" Anything Physically