Go Touch Grass

Last week, I wrote about a question that is increasingly top-of-mind for many residents of Startupland™: is agentic programming addictive?

I’ve received as many responses to my post asserting that, “this is normal…if you’re a founder you should have some level of addiction…” as I did emails expressing some form of, “thank you for writing this…it describes exactly how I’ve been feeling as of late,” (which to me is a pretty good indication that I’m on to something).

As someone who’s founded a number of startups over the years, I have some experience when it comes to late night coding binges. I personally feel like there are some real differences at play now that AI is in the mix. Of course, it could just be that I’m a boomer past my prime…

I will say this: as a parent, I find myself increasingly motivated to be thoughtful and intentional when it comes to our current AI-driven obsession. The question of “how much screen time is appropriate?” existed long before I was born. With the addition of AI — and its productive and addictive possibilities — that question seems even more prudent.

For both adults and kids alike, I think that it’s essential to maintain a connection to activities that are not impacted by AI. That’s why I concluded my post on the potential addictiveness of agentic programming with the following suggestion:

“…taking time away from your agents is important not only for your general health and well-being, but because our ability to think, create and invent depends on it.

So take a break. Make a point each day to step out of the AI- and social media-driven dopamine loops and touch grass. Not only is it okay to go outside, it’s essential.”

I thought that this week I would share some of the small but meaningful ways that my family and I “slow things down” in order to take a break from the dopamine-driven cycles of Startupland™:

1. No Technology at the Dinner Table

I’m a big believer in family dinners. It’s not always easy to pull off, but establishing a daily or weekly ritual with family or friends provides time for everyone to catch up, share stories and build connection.

One change we made in the Neumann household (that was harder than it seemed when we started) was to ban technology at the dinner table. That means no cell phones, no Apple Watches, and no questions to “Google”, “Siri” or “Alexa” (we actually unplug our Google Home before eating dinner because we are so used to interacting with it).

Remember the days when someone had a question and you actually discussed and debated the answer…? Turns out, you can still do that.

2. Listening to Vinyl Records

The resurgence of vinyl has been on the upswing for awhile. But that was mostly for audiophiles who couldn’t shut up about how much better their sound system was than yours. We jumped on the vinyl bandwagon for an entirely different reason: in order to stop our kids from skipping around when listening to music.

We noticed that, at a young age, our kids often struggled to listen to entire songs, much less albums. In some cases they would skip ahead. In others, they would restart a song multiple times before it finished. This isn’t anything particularly new, but it’s a lot more prevalent with digital music. As our kids got older, the frequency with which the soundtrack of our lives became measured in 15 second increments became unbearable.

Our solution: to buy a record player and give everyone in the family “credits” to buy their favorite albums.

Now, the only music we have on during dinner comes from a record player. We take turns picking music and, once someone puts on a particular record, it cannot be changed until it’s done. Not only has it given our children a better appreciation for music (they’ve had to learn how to handle and change vinyl records), everyone has gained/regained an appreciation for albums as a distinct work of art.

(Bonus points: there are no vinyl “brain rot” albums 😉).

3. Gardening

Another hobby that we’ve increased the amount of family time we spend on is gardening. As a kid, I spend countless hours learning to garden with my grandfather, who dedicated much of his retirement to meticulously tending one of the most fantastic vegetable gardens you could possibly imagine (the rest of his time was focused on fly fishing).

In today’s era of farm-to-table groceries, it’s hard to justify economically the time and effort that goes into growing vegetables in an urban setting, but the practice itself is both calming and centering.

And AI isn’t going to make those cherry tomatoes grow any faster.

4. Cooking

It’s no secret that I love to cook. In fact, it’s one of the things that recharges me. I cook multiple times each week, whether I’m by myself, with my family or when hosting a dinner party.

I’ve long-since learned to not try to multitask whilst cooking (no better way to burn dinner than by accidentally falling down an AI rabbit hole). Moreover, it’s a skill that very much can only be perfected through practice. The internet might give you the perfect recipe for pan-seared duck breast, but chances are you won’t get it right the first time. Or the 10th…

5. Board Game Night

Video games are fun, but it’s hard to beat the energy and laughter that comes from playing board games.

We try to find at least one night each week to play board games with our kids. Some nights it’s old faithfuls like chess or Monopoly. Other nights it’s strategy games like Ticket to Ride or Carcassonne.

It doesn’t matter if it’s 15 minutes or 3 hours, putting down the screens to play a game while sitting around the table provides a type of dopamine hit that AI simply can’t deliver.

6. Playing / Coaching Sports

Speaking of games, playing and/or coaching sports is one of the best ways I know of to disconnect.

I’m the type of person who desperately needs regular exercise (I workout almost every morning), but going to the gym and/or working out with my trainer is more like a daily routine than it is a true disconnect. For me, the competitiveness and camaraderie of sports is where the magic happens.

As a parent, I love coaching my kids’ sports teams. I also love playing sports. Whether it’s team sports like soccer, hockey and baseball or individual sports like skiing, swimming or rock climbing, the combination of physicality, competitiveness and disconnect provides an effective mental and physical reset.

There are plenty of other ways to “touch grass”, from reading a book to camping (and fly fishing!) to playing a musical instrument. Whatever you do, try to find 20 minutes a day to disconnect from all of your agents, breath deeply, and relax.

I promise you’ll have more energy, more stamina and more focus.

And, as I said last week, those agents aren’t going anywhere 😉.