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Tech Productivity

Issue #342  (AI is Not 10x-ing Engineers) 09/01/25


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Kelly Chan, who works in accessible marketing, recently posted that Sephora, the popular cosmetic retailer, is instituting something called "Quiet Hours" in their stores. As she describes in her post on LinkedIn:
 
"For many disabled shoppers, particularly those who are neurodivergent or have sensory sensitivities, the typical retail environment can be overwhelming. Bright lights, loud music, and crowds can turn what should be an enjoyable experience into a stressful one."
 
Sephora Quiet Hours

This particularly caught my attention because just the other day I was in a clothing store that literally had a DJ spinning records. I can imagine how difficult it would be for some people to shop in that environment.

Generally speaking, offices are supposed to be conducive to quiet concentration and productivity. But I wonder if something similar could be done at certain times to improve the atmosphere even more, promoting more focus and even fewer distractions. An interesting idea that likely may inspire other retailers and businesses.

Now on to this week's hand-picked productivity links!

 

 

Tools & Apps

Secnote — A platform to create and send secure, self-destructing one-time notes, without traces or logs, with an option to add password protection.

InPage AI — A Chrome extension that adds an AI assistant to your browser that automatically understands the context of whatever you're looking at, accessible via a keyboard shortcut with no tab switching.

Meco: Free Your Newsletters From the Inbox — Move your newsletters to a newsletter aggregator built for reading and declutter your inbox in seconds. Offers support for Gmail, Outlook, or your personal Meco email.     sponsor  

Macfleet — A cloud-based, on-demand dedicated Mac mini with the performance and efficiency of Apple silicon chips, as an alternative to a physical machine, accessible remotely.

Fable — A CRM built directly into Gmail, giving you all the tools you need to manage your sales pipeline without switching between platforms.

Coefficient — A suite of data connectors for 100+ business systems, enabling two-way syncing from Google Sheets and Excel, automatic refreshes, and scheduled alerts all powered by AI.

Morgen — A daily planner for Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile, that prioritizes your most important to-dos, events, and projects in one app, with options to schedule manually or via AI-powered recommendations.
 
 

Articles & Resources

No, AI is not Making Engineers 10x as Productive — If you feel like you're left behind because everyone else seems to be '10x-ing' their coding productivity, you'll enjoy this down-to-earth assessment of AI trends in the industry.

Junior Roles Aren’t Going Away — One engineer's current common opinion on the disappearance of junior roles, explaining here that the roles won't go away but they will transform.

Refind: Brain Food, Delivered Daily — Every day the team at Refind analyzes thousands of articles and sends you only the best, tailored to your interests. Loved by 540,000+ curious minds.      sponsor  

The Magic of Showing Up on Your Bad Days — A personal anecdote and a professional sports anecdote as inspiration to excel even on our worst days.

The Business of Balance"Because of our ability to 'work from anywhere,' it became expected and implied that employees respond to work communications on nights, weekends, and holidays because, frankly, they have no excuse not to."

The 25 Micro-Habits of High-Impact Managers — From interviews with members of the community of a venture capital firm on what small habits can make a bid difference.

Career Advice, or Something Like It — While there may be a place for some valid complaints or cynicism in your industry or organization, the advice here is to avoid places where negativity is prevalent.
 

Suggestions?

Have a suggestion for a productivity-related tool, article, or other resource? Send me a direct message via X or chat via Bluesky and I’ll consider including it in a future issue.

Stay productive!

Louis
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