Hardcore Software by Steven Sinofsky
@hardcoresoftware.skystack.xyz
Personal stories and lessons from inside the rise and fall of the PC revolution
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2025 Books: Reading, Learning, Thinking (235) • Books I read in 2025 and capsule reviews. Reading is good. Read more.
2025 Books: Reading, Learning, Thinking (235)
Books I read in 2025 and capsule reviews. Reading is good. Read more.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:34 PM
2025 Books: Reading, Learning, Thinking (235) • Books I read in 2025 and capsule reviews. Reading is good. Read more.
234. If Writing is Thinking… • …then what happens if AI is doing the writing and reading?
234. If Writing is Thinking…
…then what happens if AI is doing the writing and reading?
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
234. If Writing is Thinking… • …then what happens if AI is doing the writing and reading?
233. "The Illusion of Thinking" — Thoughts on This Important Paper • This is a fantastic paper. I just love it. tl;dr AI is not human. Anthropomorphization has been bad for AI, LLMs, and Chat. Clippy walked so today's AI could run.
233. "The Illusion of Thinking" — Thoughts on This Important Paper
This is a fantastic paper. I just love it. tl;dr AI is not human. Anthropomorphization has been bad for AI, LLMs, and Chat. Clippy walked so today's AI could run.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
233. "The Illusion of Thinking" — Thoughts on This Important Paper • This is a fantastic paper. I just love it. tl;dr AI is not human. Anthropomorphization has been bad for AI, LLMs, and Chat. Clippy walked so today's AI could run.
232. From Typewriters to Transformers: AI is Just the Next Tools Abstraction • AI is a tool-driven revolution. That’s why it unnerves people. Freeman Dyson said in 1993, “Scientific revolutions are more often driven by new tools than by new concepts.” That’s AI.
232. From Typewriters to Transformers: AI is Just the Next Tools Abstraction
AI is a tool-driven revolution. That’s why it unnerves people. Freeman Dyson said in 1993, “Scientific revolutions are more often driven by new tools than by new concepts.” That’s AI.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
232. From Typewriters to Transformers: AI is Just the Next Tools Abstraction • AI is a tool-driven revolution. That’s why it unnerves people. Freeman Dyson said in 1993, “Scientific revolutions are more often driven by new tools than by new concepts.” That’s AI.
231. When It Comes to Tariffs, China is Different • Much has been made of tariffs, but few have talked about the myriad of soft costs when it comes to international trade. Sharing my personal experience of Microsoft and the China market.
231. When It Comes to Tariffs, China is Different
Much has been made of tariffs, but few have talked about the myriad of soft costs when it comes to international trade. Sharing my personal experience of Microsoft and the China market.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
231. When It Comes to Tariffs, China is Different • Much has been made of tariffs, but few have talked about the myriad of soft costs when it comes to international trade. Sharing my personal experience of Microsoft and the China market.
230. MCP - It's Hot, But Will It Win? • There's a long history of "middleware" in our industry. Everyone wants it. There's always a hot one, but it rarely makes to the finish line and often disappoints.
230. MCP - It's Hot, But Will It Win?
There's a long history of "middleware" in our industry. Everyone wants it. There's always a hot one, but it rarely makes to the finish line and often disappoints.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
230. MCP - It's Hot, But Will It Win? • There's a long history of "middleware" in our industry. Everyone wants it. There's always a hot one, but it rarely makes to the finish line and often disappoints.
229. "Tech Goes Hardcore" ... Again. • Our industry is cyclic but the latest wave of efficiency harkens back to the time when companies told us not to be penny wise v. pound foolish. It didn't seem realistic to me then but was competitive.
229. "Tech Goes Hardcore" ... Again.
Our industry is cyclic but the latest wave of efficiency harkens back to the time when companies told us not to be penny wise v. pound foolish. It didn't seem realistic to me then but was competitive.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
229. "Tech Goes Hardcore" ... Again. • Our industry is cyclic but the latest wave of efficiency harkens back to the time when companies told us not to be penny wise v. pound foolish. It didn't seem realistic to me then but was competitive.
227. CES 2025: An Abundance of (AI) Experimentation • CES proved a transition year with many established product lines showing incremental improvements or focusing on B2B areas and new product lines showing a rush to demonstrate their relevancy to AI.
227. CES 2025: An Abundance of (AI) Experimentation
CES proved a transition year with many established product lines showing incremental improvements or focusing on B2B areas and new product lines showing a rush to demonstrate their relevancy to AI.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
227. CES 2025: An Abundance of (AI) Experimentation • CES proved a transition year with many established product lines showing incremental improvements or focusing on B2B areas and new product lines showing a rush to demonstrate their relevancy to AI.
Remembering Mike Maples, Sr. • The computer industry lost a legendary executive this week with the passing of Mike Maples, Sr.
Remembering Mike Maples, Sr.
The computer industry lost a legendary executive this week with the passing of Mike Maples, Sr.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Remembering Mike Maples, Sr. • The computer industry lost a legendary executive this week with the passing of Mike Maples, Sr.
225. Systems Ideas that Sound Good But Almost Never Work—"Let's just…" • Some engineering patterns that sound good but almost never work as intended
225. Systems Ideas that Sound Good But Almost Never Work—"Let's just…"
Some engineering patterns that sound good but almost never work as intended
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
225. Systems Ideas that Sound Good But Almost Never Work—"Let's just…" • Some engineering patterns that sound good but almost never work as intended
224. Books to Read and Gift (2024 EoY Edition) • A Books I Read in 2024 list. Some of them I enjoyed. Some of them drove me bonkers. I like that part of reading. Hope you enjoy this list.
224. Books to Read and Gift (2024 EoY Edition)
A Books I Read in 2024 list. Some of them I enjoyed. Some of them drove me bonkers. I like that part of reading. Hope you enjoy this list.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
224. Books to Read and Gift (2024 EoY Edition) • A Books I Read in 2024 list. Some of them I enjoyed. Some of them drove me bonkers. I like that part of reading. Hope you enjoy this list.
223. On the Toll of Being a Disruptor • It is very easy to be disruptive, but being a disruptor is enormously difficult technically and emotionally
223. On the Toll of Being a Disruptor
It is very easy to be disruptive, but being a disruptor is enormously difficult technically and emotionally
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
223. On the Toll of Being a Disruptor • It is very easy to be disruptive, but being a disruptor is enormously difficult technically and emotionally
222. Automating Processes with Software is HARD • We have decades of experience trying to automate processes. My biggest lesson is that automation is not about the easy and known flow, but about exception handling.
222. Automating Processes with Software is HARD
We have decades of experience trying to automate processes. My biggest lesson is that automation is not about the easy and known flow, but about exception handling.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
222. Automating Processes with Software is HARD • We have decades of experience trying to automate processes. My biggest lesson is that automation is not about the easy and known flow, but about exception handling.
221. Using AI for School is NOT Cheating • The use of AI is causing some in universities to freak out. I would worry more about NOT using AI, if history is any indication.
221. Using AI for School is NOT Cheating
The use of AI is causing some in universities to freak out. I would worry more about NOT using AI, if history is any indication.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
221. Using AI for School is NOT Cheating • The use of AI is causing some in universities to freak out. I would worry more about NOT using AI, if history is any indication.
220. Are AI Expectations Too High or Misplaced? • Have expectations for AI been getting too high? Not high enough? Thinking about how AI has evolved in past boom/bust cycles.
220. Are AI Expectations Too High or Misplaced?
Have expectations for AI been getting too high? Not high enough? Thinking about how AI has evolved in past boom/bust cycles.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
220. Are AI Expectations Too High or Misplaced? • Have expectations for AI been getting too high? Not high enough? Thinking about how AI has evolved in past boom/bust cycles.
219. On AI Requiring a New OS • Not every platform shift yields a new OS or does it?
219. On AI Requiring a New OS
Not every platform shift yields a new OS or does it?
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
219. On AI Requiring a New OS • Not every platform shift yields a new OS or does it?
218. Announcing: Hardcore Software, the Print Edition • Due to reader demand...
218. Announcing: Hardcore Software, the Print Edition
Due to reader demand...
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
218. Announcing: Hardcore Software, the Print Edition • Due to reader demand...
217. Doing a UX/API Redesign? Here are 12 Rules of Thumb • Redesigning the UX or API of a product seems to always be in the plans. No product is perfect and customer feedback abounds. Some things you might think of if you embark on such a journey.
217. Doing a UX/API Redesign? Here are 12 Rules of Thumb
Redesigning the UX or API of a product seems to always be in the plans. No product is perfect and customer feedback abounds. Some things you might think of if you embark on such a journey.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
217. Doing a UX/API Redesign? Here are 12 Rules of Thumb • Redesigning the UX or API of a product seems to always be in the plans. No product is perfect and customer feedback abounds. Some things you might think of if you embark on such a journey.
216. United States v. Apple (Complaint) • March 21, 2024 the United States filed an antitrust complaint against Apple. The filing is a new approach to antitrust and hinges on mostly how Apple chose to design the iPhone from the very start.
216. United States v. Apple (Complaint)
March 21, 2024 the United States filed an antitrust complaint against Apple. The filing is a new approach to antitrust and hinges on mostly how Apple chose to design the iPhone from the very start.
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
216. United States v. Apple (Complaint) • March 21, 2024 the United States filed an antitrust complaint against Apple. The filing is a new approach to antitrust and hinges on mostly how Apple chose to design the iPhone from the very start.
215. Building Under Regulation • An essay on the EU Digital Markets Act and Apple’s "Update on apps distributed in the European Union" (and some personal history)
215. Building Under Regulation
An essay on the EU Digital Markets Act and Apple’s "Update on apps distributed in the European Union" (and some personal history)
hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
215. Building Under Regulation • An essay on the EU Digital Markets Act and Apple’s "Update on apps distributed in the European Union" (and some personal history)