I’m Arun Venkatesan, and this is the arun.is newsletter, where I share my current obsessions, inspiration from around the web, behind-the-scenes content, and more. 

In this week’s issue:

• What’s new
• The browser reborn
• Three recommendations from around the web

What's new 

Since the last newsletter, I’ve continued working on the little side project with a certain team. I still cannot say much, but I think we’ll launch before the following newsletter.

Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time for the blog between that project and my other focus, figuring out what I’ll be doing next. I’ve had countless casual chats with others in the industry, gone through grueling final-round interviews, and received some offers to join teams. Yet, I still feel the need to explore and find the right thing. Perhaps I need to figure out my decision-making framework.

On that topic, I plan to check out How to Decide and Split the Pie to learn more about decision-making and negotiating, respectively. How have you gone about this process?

The browser reborn

I’ve been noticing a lot of buzz and excitement about the web. No, I don’t mean web3; I’m talking about the good old browser. 

It’s the gateway to so much of what we do, yet little has changed in how it works. A bunch of new startups are out to reinvent the formula.

Mighty: what if the browser was in the cloud?

First of all, is Mighty. The basic premise is a browser in a data center accessed remotely. In use, it feels even faster than a standard browser since the data center has a multi-gigabit connection. 

The downstream effects of a browser in the cloud are numerous: better battery life, persistent tabs accessed from anywhere, and better security. If you use taxing apps like Figma, you’ll like Mighty.

Arc: what if the browser is the OS?

Arc takes a different approach. What if the browser is the OS? Drag tabs around for side-by-side layouts. Capture anything from images to interactive sections of websites. Arrange captures in easels. Organize tabs into spaces that are cleaned at the end of the day.

After a few months of testing, I couldn’t see myself returning.

Switchboard: what if the browser is multiplayer on an infinite canvas?

Imagine a chat app like Slack. You have a sidebar with one-on-one chats and channels with multiple teammates. Click one. Instead of a linear text chat on the right side, you’re greeted with an infinite canvas with browser windows. 

Switchboard makes all web apps and websites multiplayer. Yet, your personal information is secure. So, when you aren’t in a room, all your tabs go dark. 

After playing with it, I believe it’s the most effective instance of a “virtual office” that I’ve ever seen. 

Recommendations

Before I let you go, I have some recommendations from around the web.

Marcin Wichary

First is a person, Marcin Wichary. I was first introduced to his work at XOXO and instantly became his fan. Read some writing. Check out a few talks. All his work is inspirational and worth consuming.

Make sure to subscribe to the updates for Shift happens, his upcoming book about keyboards. Each update is a little gem.

Build

I’ve been a fan of Tony Fadell as long as I’ve been a fan of the iPod. When I saw he wrote a book, I held back, thinking it was yet another memoir like the others. After a few close friends pressed me to read it, I did. I was wrong. 

Build may be one of the best books on navigating product design and building a company. Each chapter is short and self-contained. If you don’t already have it, this handbook will serve you well for years. 

a journey... by Hinako Omori

I’ve been listening to Hinako Omori’s ambient music for some time, but this album from earlier in the year takes the cake. I won’t say too much for fear of ruining the experience. Put on some good headphones, sit on a comfortable chair, and enjoy a journey....

That's it for this issue. As always, this is my personal email, so feel free to respond directly.

Stay curious,
Arun Venkatesan