Leah Reich
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leahreich.com
Leah Reich
@leahreich.com
4.6K followers 280 following 3.6K posts
I write about humans, tech, and culture, and about what I learned working for Slack, Spotify, and Instagram. But you’re probably here for photos of my cat Lumpy.

You should go read my newsletter at www.leahreich.com
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leahreich.com
Do you know anyone in UX at Reddit? If so can you tell them:

1. If I block someone I don't want to see "blocked user" in a feed, which I can then expand. I want to FORGET THEY EXIST. Maybe you were thinking of mute?

2. This is depressing, I don't care about comment performance insights, pls stop
a screenshot of my notifications on Reddit that are just full of "Amazing! Your comment got 2 upvotes and 1 replies! Dig deeper on your comment's performance insights!"
November 17, 2025 at 9:55 PM
leahreich.com
One thing I love about living with a cat is sometimes having a pile of garbage on the floor in the middle of the apartment for days or even weeks without a second thought because it's like "well but that's Lumpy's special crinkle paper"
A photo of a very large gray and white fluffy cat with green eyes sitting on green tissue paper on a brown floor, near his bowl, turning to look at me and complain about how it's not dinner yet, becausewhile it is only 4:15 pm, it's my fault for not having more imagination about the flexible nature of time
November 17, 2025 at 9:16 PM
leahreich.com
Mostly social media is so terrible and I want OFF, but then I go on TikTok or Instagram and see something like this and it’s like, no wonder it’s so hard to quit
November 14, 2025 at 12:51 AM
leahreich.com
Does Lemon also have a surprisingly large butt? Here are his model poses
November 14, 2025 at 12:34 AM
leahreich.com
Absolutely related
November 14, 2025 at 12:25 AM
leahreich.com
Last night I took this photo of Lumpy, who actually hates having his picture taken. SO MAD AT CAMERA
A photo of a large fluffy gray and white cat in profile looking extremely annoyed that the mamarazzi dared try to take his photo. Also he looks like a dapper 1920s man wearing an overcoat with a big shawl collar made of fur
November 13, 2025 at 11:38 PM
leahreich.com
My phone reminded me of this photo I took 2.5 years ago, a few days after I got laid off from Instagram & a week after Lumpy came home from being very sick in the hospital (you can see his lil shaved arm). I was sick too and then we lost our apartment. 2023 tried to kill me.

Perhaps you will enjoy
a photo of a fluffy grey and white cat with green eyes and long white whiskers. He has a shaved patch on one arm from being sick in the hospital. He has a toy clenched between his teeth and is staring right at the camera
November 12, 2025 at 3:34 AM
leahreich.com
The news about Olivia Nuzzi's forthcoming memoir AMERICAN CANTO sent me down a Reddit rabbit hole, first about Ezra Pound, then Dante, then this, thanks to a commenter who mentioned a Goodreads review that criticized Kafka for his "lack of a clear magic system" in The Metamorphosis. Please enjoy
November 11, 2025 at 3:37 PM
leahreich.com
I realize I should find this upsetting but honestly I'm disappointed that this is the level of insult we have to contend with. Like, give me something to work with here besides "you can't spell Jew without ew"
A screenshot of a neo-Nazi named Isabella Moody from the neo-Nazi incubator that says "I want to film a video of me reacting to jewish names because every time I see one on here, I die from laughter. Please tag the j(ew)s down below so I can put together a list😈😈"
November 11, 2025 at 2:09 AM
leahreich.com
Happy Friday everyone, I hope you're all being at least as much of a genius today as I am
A screenshot of text messages. The sender says: Not all writers are geniuses, but almost all of us are geniuses at making it harder than it needs to be to get things done Our brains are finely tuned precision machines Designed purely to get in our way and then I reply: I was about to say “not all writers are geniuses? Speak for yourself” but then I sat on my toast
November 7, 2025 at 3:43 PM
leahreich.com
At first I felt a little corny writing my newsletter this week, but if the Mamdani campaign showed us anything, it's that there's actually nothing corny about want to build a better future, online or off

www.leahreich.com/the-big-moon...
A screenshot that reads: I don't have the technological answers. I don't yet know what specific solutions or innovations we need to make this better. We can't come up with the answers until we start asking different—better—questions. Not just of the tech itself, or the industry, or the new entities that might be able to do this work, but of ourselves as individuals and as a society. Can we redirect our anger, muzzle our egos, and channel our energy? Will we step out of these performative spaces and figure out how to reconnect with each other? Is it time for us to stop looking to technology to do the work for us, and instead do the work ourselves, facilitated by these tools? Are we willing to put humans first, and technology second?
November 6, 2025 at 4:27 PM
leahreich.com
Late to this but
a spectacularly beautiful grey and white cat crossing his giant paws and looking directly at you with green eyes, considering if you're worthy of his attention
November 6, 2025 at 3:48 PM
leahreich.com
cat
a large fluffy gray & white cat sleeping on a curved cardboard scratcher bed in a wedge of sunlight
November 4, 2025 at 9:32 PM
leahreich.com
If anyone needs some cozy photos to get them through this first Monday after stupid daylight savings, Lumpy has generously provided these
a photo of a large, fluffy, grey and white cat lying on a grey sofa next to a lap with a laptop on it. The cat is doing biiiiiiiiig stretchies a photo of a large, fluffy, grey and white cat on a grey sofa next to a lap with a laptop on it. a photo of a large, fluffy, grey and white cat on a grey sofa next to a lap with a laptop on it. The cat has rolled over and tucked his paws in so he looks like a big cat log
November 3, 2025 at 5:47 PM
leahreich.com
I shared this comment a reader left me a few weeks ago but sharing again because I reread the newsletter she mentioned, That's What The Humans Are For – if it helped her talk to people about AI, maybe it will help you too.

www.leahreich.com/thats-what-t...
I think what makes it my favorite is the vulnerability you showed, and how relatable it is for me. You are someone I have respected for years, largely because of your very logical and thoughtful perspectives on complex issues that I often struggle to verbalize my opinions on. "That's What the Humans Are For" was particularly helpful for me recently, giving me ideas for how to talk to others about Al in general and in research specifically. Reading this week's essay was reassuring in two ways: seeing that you struggle with the same feelings of confusion and frustration that I do (not to mention the chronic pain that I also experience), and that you're still able to produce really insightful work week after week despite all that. Kind of makes the internet feel a little less lonely and garbagey and hopeless.
November 3, 2025 at 5:22 PM
leahreich.com
While I’m doing baseball posts, Ohtani looks like Lumpy. They both look like little boys trapped in big boy bodies. Small head big body gang
November 2, 2025 at 1:55 AM
leahreich.com
To be clear, I didn't actually write about her, I wrote about how we need to stop using big shitty platforms and do the work of building a better internet

www.leahreich.com/feeds-and-fo...
How can we undo our need for virality and unsustainable success? How can we build opportunities for people to make a living without having to kill themselves doing it? Do we all have to have hundreds of thousands of subscribers? Is it success only about big numbers or is it also okay to have smaller groups of truly devoted readers and followers? I don't have the answer to this one, and I wish I did. I don't want to long for blockbuster success, because what's fundamentally most important to me is that we find a way out of this hollow, godless, bullshit Ponzi scheme, where I have to pay for the benefit of having an influencer share an affiliate link that earns them additional money in a chat room they pass off as community. What if it's time to do the hard work of being a human being in the world?
October 29, 2025 at 11:00 PM
leahreich.com
I regret to report that I wrote about Anne Helen Petersen leaving Substack for Patreon, and why does not in fact make the internet better for anyone, despite what people may think. Please stop building giant platforms and embrace decentralization.

www.leahreich.com/feeds-and-fo...
A screenshot that reads: The problem with Substack is not simply that Substack platforms and profits from Nazis. It sounds crazy to say this, because Nazis are bad, but the problem with Substack is actually much bigger, much deeper, much more foundational. The problem with Substack is also the problem with Patreon, with Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X. I've said this before and it's the hill I will probably die on: Centralized, proprietary platforms beholden to venture capital and to shareholders are bad for the internet and for society. They're bad for us. They offer short term benefits at long term loss.
October 29, 2025 at 10:47 PM
leahreich.com
May I offer Lumpy Space Prince?
October 29, 2025 at 10:29 PM
leahreich.com
Fun fact: I have a piece by this artist hanging on my wall, that is pretty neat
A photo of artwork by Alton Pickens hanging above a dining room table. On the table are flowers and candlesticks. The artwork has three sketched figures on it in front of a red background and is framed in gold.
October 27, 2025 at 10:07 PM
leahreich.com
Again may I remind you of this face? How could I not
October 27, 2025 at 11:55 AM
leahreich.com
This is maybe the most accurate review my writing has ever received
A screenshot of three Bluesky posts
October 24, 2025 at 3:15 PM
leahreich.com
I am trying!!! But also lol clearly this person would not buy a copy
October 24, 2025 at 3:09 PM
leahreich.com
I don't know about you guys, but this sort of steady conviction really gives me confidence

Also love to see that lower-level people lost their jobs so Meta can keep paying the $100 million salaries. Incredible work here

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/t...
A screenshot of a push notification that reads: LinkedIn News Meta to lay off AI staff The new cuts come right on the heels of a restructuring over the summer
October 22, 2025 at 7:22 PM
leahreich.com
Imagine being this blissfully unaware of literally everything besides demanding snacks and being brushed
A photo of a very large fluffy grey and white cat sprawled on his back in front of a bookshelf
October 22, 2025 at 1:49 AM