Actually Useful

Actually Useful

Why do so many once-beloved internet platforms end up toxic, predatory, and unusable? In an age where tech giants have monopolized our attention, privacy, and livelihoods, how can individuals claw back some agency? Every other Thursday, Actually Useful co-hosts Ariel and AJ talk with creators of radically useful consumer tech to explore what it takes to build and protect the loveliest parts of the internet. If you’re exhausted by parasitic products and feel trapped in an ecosystem of unethical, undelightful tech, this one’s for you.

Episodes

July 2, 2025 38 mins

On our inaugural episode, Ariel and AJ talk about the hazards of managing crappy products, the challenges of living without a smartphone, and the clear-eyed intellectuals from whom we're learning as we carve out a path towards a more useful corner of the internet. Lastly, we introduce Falcon Mode, our listener-submitted segment that's named after a pretty cringe CEO memo that cracked us up.


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