Geoffrey Litt
@geoffreylitt.com
Malleable software @inkandswitch.com
prev PhD @csail.mit.edu
geoffreylitt.com
🇯🇵🇺🇸
prev PhD @csail.mit.edu
geoffreylitt.com
🇯🇵🇺🇸
Reposted by Geoffrey Litt
Really enjoyed this distillation of the vision of malleable software that drives so much great work in our community today. Important point is that we need tools that titrate in programming continuously, so that users of all skill levels can adapt their tools and expert users can *really* build.
New longform @inkandswitch.com essay! 📜
Malleable Software: Restoring user agency in a world of locked-down apps
by me, @joshuahhh.com, @pvh.ca and @seaofclouds.com
inkandswitch.com/essay/mallea...
It's about why people need agency over their software tools, and how to make that happen.
Malleable Software: Restoring user agency in a world of locked-down apps
by me, @joshuahhh.com, @pvh.ca and @seaofclouds.com
inkandswitch.com/essay/mallea...
It's about why people need agency over their software tools, and how to make that happen.
Malleable software: Restoring user agency in a world of locked-down apps
The original promise of personal computing was a new kind of clay. Instead, we got appliances: built far away, sealed, unchangeable. In this essay, we envision malleable software: tools that users can...
inkandswitch.com
June 11, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Really enjoyed this distillation of the vision of malleable software that drives so much great work in our community today. Important point is that we need tools that titrate in programming continuously, so that users of all skill levels can adapt their tools and expert users can *really* build.
Reposted by Geoffrey Litt
BTW: I'm slowly assembling a LIVE Primer to help folk submitting to LIVE (& others) get the lay of the land. Please take a look and let me know what's missing, what sucks, what's rad, etc.
live-workshop.github.io/primer/
live-workshop.github.io/primer/
The LIVE Primer
The LIVE Primer
live-workshop.github.io
June 13, 2025 at 3:50 AM
BTW: I'm slowly assembling a LIVE Primer to help folk submitting to LIVE (& others) get the lay of the land. Please take a look and let me know what's missing, what sucks, what's rad, etc.
live-workshop.github.io/primer/
live-workshop.github.io/primer/
New longform @inkandswitch.com essay! 📜
Malleable Software: Restoring user agency in a world of locked-down apps
by me, @joshuahhh.com, @pvh.ca and @seaofclouds.com
inkandswitch.com/essay/mallea...
It's about why people need agency over their software tools, and how to make that happen.
Malleable Software: Restoring user agency in a world of locked-down apps
by me, @joshuahhh.com, @pvh.ca and @seaofclouds.com
inkandswitch.com/essay/mallea...
It's about why people need agency over their software tools, and how to make that happen.
Malleable software: Restoring user agency in a world of locked-down apps
The original promise of personal computing was a new kind of clay. Instead, we got appliances: built far away, sealed, unchangeable. In this essay, we envision malleable software: tools that users can...
inkandswitch.com
June 10, 2025 at 2:52 PM
New longform @inkandswitch.com essay! 📜
Malleable Software: Restoring user agency in a world of locked-down apps
by me, @joshuahhh.com, @pvh.ca and @seaofclouds.com
inkandswitch.com/essay/mallea...
It's about why people need agency over their software tools, and how to make that happen.
Malleable Software: Restoring user agency in a world of locked-down apps
by me, @joshuahhh.com, @pvh.ca and @seaofclouds.com
inkandswitch.com/essay/mallea...
It's about why people need agency over their software tools, and how to make that happen.
Reposted by Geoffrey Litt
What if you didn't need git to collaborate on games?
We've been prototyping a new approach to collaboration in Godot: live and async collaborative editing, with branches and diffs, built right into the editor.
We're looking for people to test out an early version, see link in next post:
We've been prototyping a new approach to collaboration in Godot: live and async collaborative editing, with branches and diffs, built right into the editor.
We're looking for people to test out an early version, see link in next post:
May 15, 2025 at 10:12 AM
What if you didn't need git to collaborate on games?
We've been prototyping a new approach to collaboration in Godot: live and async collaborative editing, with branches and diffs, built right into the editor.
We're looking for people to test out an early version, see link in next post:
We've been prototyping a new approach to collaboration in Godot: live and async collaborative editing, with branches and diffs, built right into the editor.
We're looking for people to test out an early version, see link in next post:
Man, this is such a beautiful video series.
Seeing the amount of work it takes to build a good house is awe-inspiring.
youtu.be/d7e6IOdKfVw?...
Seeing the amount of work it takes to build a good house is awe-inspiring.
youtu.be/d7e6IOdKfVw?...
Building a Craftsman House [Start to Finish Timelapse]
YouTube video by Essential Craftsman
youtu.be
April 23, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Man, this is such a beautiful video series.
Seeing the amount of work it takes to build a good house is awe-inspiring.
youtu.be/d7e6IOdKfVw?...
Seeing the amount of work it takes to build a good house is awe-inspiring.
youtu.be/d7e6IOdKfVw?...
what if you could model a problem in a spreadsheet, and then instantly start applying powerful *filters* to explore your space of options?
that's the idea @alexwarth.bsky.social and I have been exploring recently at @inkandswitch.com ... 1/
that's the idea @alexwarth.bsky.social and I have been exploring recently at @inkandswitch.com ... 1/
April 22, 2025 at 9:00 PM
what if you could model a problem in a spreadsheet, and then instantly start applying powerful *filters* to explore your space of options?
that's the idea @alexwarth.bsky.social and I have been exploring recently at @inkandswitch.com ... 1/
that's the idea @alexwarth.bsky.social and I have been exploring recently at @inkandswitch.com ... 1/
Personal news: I’m a dad now! My wife and I are feeling very fortunate 😊
April 10, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Personal news: I’m a dad now! My wife and I are feeling very fortunate 😊
The Deep Research Printer:
Say any question, get a custom printed report.
The calmness of paper. The meditative quality of *actually reading*, not spawning a million tabs.
Combined with the vast knowledge of the Web, answering our most niche curiosities.
Say any question, get a custom printed report.
The calmness of paper. The meditative quality of *actually reading*, not spawning a million tabs.
Combined with the vast knowledge of the Web, answering our most niche curiosities.
March 23, 2025 at 9:44 PM
The Deep Research Printer:
Say any question, get a custom printed report.
The calmness of paper. The meditative quality of *actually reading*, not spawning a million tabs.
Combined with the vast knowledge of the Web, answering our most niche curiosities.
Say any question, get a custom printed report.
The calmness of paper. The meditative quality of *actually reading*, not spawning a million tabs.
Combined with the vast knowledge of the Web, answering our most niche curiosities.
Simple AI agent challenge:
I want a report listing the remaining teams in the NCAA tournament (easy)... *with an embedded image of the mascot for each team*
So far I've failed in Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude. Anyone know a service that can produce this?
I want a report listing the remaining teams in the NCAA tournament (easy)... *with an embedded image of the mascot for each team*
So far I've failed in Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude. Anyone know a service that can produce this?
March 22, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Simple AI agent challenge:
I want a report listing the remaining teams in the NCAA tournament (easy)... *with an embedded image of the mascot for each team*
So far I've failed in Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude. Anyone know a service that can produce this?
I want a report listing the remaining teams in the NCAA tournament (easy)... *with an embedded image of the mascot for each team*
So far I've failed in Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude. Anyone know a service that can produce this?
One of my all-time favorite talks: how to write so people will care what you have to say.
First watched it many years ago and I still think about it constantly.
youtu.be/aFwVf5a3pZM
First watched it many years ago and I still think about it constantly.
youtu.be/aFwVf5a3pZM
LEADERSHIP LAB: Writing Beyond the Academy 1.23.15
YouTube video by UChicago Social Sciences
youtu.be
March 20, 2025 at 9:50 PM
One of my all-time favorite talks: how to write so people will care what you have to say.
First watched it many years ago and I still think about it constantly.
youtu.be/aFwVf5a3pZM
First watched it many years ago and I still think about it constantly.
youtu.be/aFwVf5a3pZM
verbally explaining to someone what to click on a screenshare is such a hilariously terrible experience.
"click on the button in the top right that says... oh no not that one, move down, one more, oooone more.... ah you skipped it, go back to - oh nope, not quite..."
"click on the button in the top right that says... oh no not that one, move down, one more, oooone more.... ah you skipped it, go back to - oh nope, not quite..."
March 18, 2025 at 8:39 PM
verbally explaining to someone what to click on a screenshare is such a hilariously terrible experience.
"click on the button in the top right that says... oh no not that one, move down, one more, oooone more.... ah you skipped it, go back to - oh nope, not quite..."
"click on the button in the top right that says... oh no not that one, move down, one more, oooone more.... ah you skipped it, go back to - oh nope, not quite..."
# avoid the nightmare bicycle
March 3, 2025 at 10:31 PM
# avoid the nightmare bicycle
1/ here's a visual model for how AI support makes me better at UI prototyping
with the surprising conclusion that AI may *improve* code quality in some specific cases!
lets walk thru it step by step...
with the surprising conclusion that AI may *improve* code quality in some specific cases!
lets walk thru it step by step...
February 12, 2025 at 3:28 PM
1/ here's a visual model for how AI support makes me better at UI prototyping
with the surprising conclusion that AI may *improve* code quality in some specific cases!
lets walk thru it step by step...
with the surprising conclusion that AI may *improve* code quality in some specific cases!
lets walk thru it step by step...
a tiny example of how AI speeds up UI prototyping:
just used cursor composer + o3-mini to speed up a huge table with virtualized rendering. took a couple mins, worked on first try.
no detour into math puzzles, no searching for a library. keeps me in flow!
just used cursor composer + o3-mini to speed up a huge table with virtualized rendering. took a couple mins, worked on first try.
no detour into math puzzles, no searching for a library. keeps me in flow!
February 11, 2025 at 6:13 PM
a tiny example of how AI speeds up UI prototyping:
just used cursor composer + o3-mini to speed up a huge table with virtualized rendering. took a couple mins, worked on first try.
no detour into math puzzles, no searching for a library. keeps me in flow!
just used cursor composer + o3-mini to speed up a huge table with virtualized rendering. took a couple mins, worked on first try.
no detour into math puzzles, no searching for a library. keeps me in flow!
pro tip: Claude Projects as executive function assistance
i'm dealing with an international bureaucracy thing that's gonna take months... tedious but has to get done
so i made a Project with docs explaining the process, now Claude tells me exactly what to do next and helps me do it faster 😎
i'm dealing with an international bureaucracy thing that's gonna take months... tedious but has to get done
so i made a Project with docs explaining the process, now Claude tells me exactly what to do next and helps me do it faster 😎
February 11, 2025 at 3:02 AM
pro tip: Claude Projects as executive function assistance
i'm dealing with an international bureaucracy thing that's gonna take months... tedious but has to get done
so i made a Project with docs explaining the process, now Claude tells me exactly what to do next and helps me do it faster 😎
i'm dealing with an international bureaucracy thing that's gonna take months... tedious but has to get done
so i made a Project with docs explaining the process, now Claude tells me exactly what to do next and helps me do it faster 😎
Something new I’ve been hacking on with @alexwarth.bsky.social , check it out!
What if a spreadsheet cell could hold multiple values at the same time?
That's the idea behind Ambsheets, a project I've been working on w/ @geoffreylitt.com at @inkandswitch.com. It's a new spreadsheet that makes it easier for you to explore many possibilities simultaneously.
1/2
That's the idea behind Ambsheets, a project I've been working on w/ @geoffreylitt.com at @inkandswitch.com. It's a new spreadsheet that makes it easier for you to explore many possibilities simultaneously.
1/2
February 4, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Something new I’ve been hacking on with @alexwarth.bsky.social , check it out!
It's riveting seeing how fast the "build vs buy" tradeoff is shifting in software.
This is a perfect example from @randomwalker.bsky.social : he built a little reading app with ChatGPT, rather than trying to find an existing one.
x.com/random_walke...
This is a perfect example from @randomwalker.bsky.social : he built a little reading app with ChatGPT, rather than trying to find an existing one.
x.com/random_walke...
January 26, 2025 at 5:38 PM
It's riveting seeing how fast the "build vs buy" tradeoff is shifting in software.
This is a perfect example from @randomwalker.bsky.social : he built a little reading app with ChatGPT, rather than trying to find an existing one.
x.com/random_walke...
This is a perfect example from @randomwalker.bsky.social : he built a little reading app with ChatGPT, rather than trying to find an existing one.
x.com/random_walke...
Reposted by Geoffrey Litt
Sketchpad running on the iPad!
(This is my plug for the @inkandswitch.com wrapper, check it out at github.com/inkandswitch...)
(This is my plug for the @inkandswitch.com wrapper, check it out at github.com/inkandswitch...)
January 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Sketchpad running on the iPad!
(This is my plug for the @inkandswitch.com wrapper, check it out at github.com/inkandswitch...)
(This is my plug for the @inkandswitch.com wrapper, check it out at github.com/inkandswitch...)
The latest Cursor Composer + Sonnet is accelerating me to a ridiculous degree these days—I'm feeling ~2-3x faster at executing major code changes.
Makes trying new ideas feel so much lighter and worth doing.
Makes trying new ideas feel so much lighter and worth doing.
January 24, 2025 at 2:09 AM
The latest Cursor Composer + Sonnet is accelerating me to a ridiculous degree these days—I'm feeling ~2-3x faster at executing major code changes.
Makes trying new ideas feel so much lighter and worth doing.
Makes trying new ideas feel so much lighter and worth doing.
what are your favorite examples of non-programmers building software using AI, that they wouldn't have been able to produce otherwise? @stevekrouse.com @robhaisfield.com @amasad.bsky.social I bet you'd have some good ones :)
January 22, 2025 at 11:05 PM
what are your favorite examples of non-programmers building software using AI, that they wouldn't have been able to produce otherwise? @stevekrouse.com @robhaisfield.com @amasad.bsky.social I bet you'd have some good ones :)
Not usually an audiobook guy, but I’ve found one genre where they’re incredible: memoirs / first-person nonfiction, narrated by the author.
The story comes alive, and it feels so natural that the person is telling their story.
The story comes alive, and it feels so natural that the person is telling their story.
January 13, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Not usually an audiobook guy, but I’ve found one genre where they’re incredible: memoirs / first-person nonfiction, narrated by the author.
The story comes alive, and it feels so natural that the person is telling their story.
The story comes alive, and it feels so natural that the person is telling their story.
A Montessori office: a calm space where adults of all ages can complete their daily tasks without interruption
January 10, 2025 at 3:05 AM
A Montessori office: a calm space where adults of all ages can complete their daily tasks without interruption
Stuck at a hotel gym with unfamiliar equipment?
Obviously ask Claude for a custom workout plan…
Oh and one more thing: ask for an entire custom workout app that guides you thru the plan 😎
Obviously ask Claude for a custom workout plan…
Oh and one more thing: ask for an entire custom workout app that guides you thru the plan 😎
January 3, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Stuck at a hotel gym with unfamiliar equipment?
Obviously ask Claude for a custom workout plan…
Oh and one more thing: ask for an entire custom workout app that guides you thru the plan 😎
Obviously ask Claude for a custom workout plan…
Oh and one more thing: ask for an entire custom workout app that guides you thru the plan 😎
New blog post! About how using AI to build custom debug views can make it more fun to do the programming ourselves.
www.geoffreylitt.com/2024/12/22/m...
www.geoffreylitt.com/2024/12/22/m...
AI-generated tools can make programming more fun
www.geoffreylitt.com
December 22, 2024 at 9:47 PM
New blog post! About how using AI to build custom debug views can make it more fun to do the programming ourselves.
www.geoffreylitt.com/2024/12/22/m...
www.geoffreylitt.com/2024/12/22/m...