I am an avid cyclist. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of moving fast through beautiful countryside, smelling the lemon blossoms, spotting wildlife, and having the freedom to explore off the beaten path. The challenge of a big climb is exhilarating, and the sense of flying down the other side is pure joy. What I love most, though, is the sense of community—sharing rides with fellow cyclists as we challenge each other and revel in the adventure.

In today’s digital world, information is scattered across countless devices, apps, and cloud services, making it difficult to find what you need when you need it. You’ve likely experienced the frustration of searching for that one important document, photo, or message buried in a sea of files. Or perhaps you’ve worried about how to keep cherished memories—like family photos and videos—safe from disappearing into the void or being compromised by hackers.

Decay

Eli and I noticed a troubling pattern in our digital lives—a cycle that many of you might recognize. You find a new app that solves a problem, and it quickly becomes a part of your daily routine. But over time, it starts to change. Features you relied on vanish, ads become more intrusive, or the app demands more of your data. Eventually, it feels like the app is taking more than it’s giving, and you’re forced to find something else. This is so common there’s even a term for it (pardon the bluntness): “enshitification.” It’s the inevitable decay of services caused by the need to maximize profit at your expense.

In today’s digital age, nearly every aspect of our lives is connected to technology. While these connections offer unparalleled convenience, they also come with a hidden cost: our privacy, autonomy, and freedom of choice. Big tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon have built their fortunes by collecting vast amounts of data from us—often without our full understanding or consent. This practice, known as surveillance capitalism, goes far beyond targeted ads. It’s about creating detailed behavioral profiles that predict—and manipulate—our behavior.