Journal

Notes from building HAOT.

Field notes, research, and arguments on what social infrastructure looks like when you build it from scratch.

May 22, 2026

Why we removed profile photos from discovery

The cognitive system decides at 100 milliseconds. Three decades of behavioral research show what that means for any product whose discovery feed leads with the face.

Why five cities, day one

The default marketplace playbook says start in one city, prove, then expand. For social, that geometry is wrong.

Reading the WHO Commission on Social Connection report

A first-person walkthrough of the June 2025 report from the product builder side. What changes operationally when you read it as a founder.

Anti-dating is architecture, not policy

Every friendship app has failed at keeping romantic intent out. The solution is structural, not moderation.

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