How popular is 刘惜君 (Liu Xijun)? What happened to her career? I listen to random Chinese songs on Youtube and stumbled across her live performances on MangoTV. I'm very impressed by her singing, especially with her Cantonese songs. Seriously, she seems to be comparable to 王菲 (Faye Wong) in technical skills and might even be more consistent live. Her Cantonese is fluent also (unlike Faye who kind of went downhill since ~2004). She sings with confidence and flare reminiscent of female HK singers during the golden age of Cantopop. Personally I'm not impressed with many female Canto singers since the 2000s (GEM being a notable exception). I'm most familiar with the HK scene and I feel like she would have no competition if she pivoted to that market.
Unfortunately when I look up her own songs I haven't found much hits nor does she seem to have big concerts. I feel like maybe marketing failed her (if she's not considered an A list singer). I believe she also had a brief pause in a her career, which is a shame. Then again, I don't follow the Chinese scene at all or keep up with the pulse of the community so she could be a top singer for all I know--I just couldn't find much than a handful of live performances on MangoTV that are of any good quality.
If anyone can suggest similar singers or performances I'm all for it.

T-Minus 1 week until the next edition of the very contest we all love and enjoy. We are approaching the best of the best that this contest has to offer, as we are in the top 20! These countries represent 40 of the 50 highest ranked songs since 1975, which just shows how much all of these countries have contributed to the longest running singing competition.

The Countries

Placement	Country	Score
16	Malta	140231.278
17	Spain	138804.573
18	Austria	125761.301
19	Finland	120225.116
20	Turkey	118659.853

We are getting some big hitters now! At #20, we have Turkey, who first participated at the start of this time period and is really a late bloomer to this competition, as they started to get consistently great results in the 2000s, the last full decade they would participate in. Coming in in front of Turkey is our second Nordic nation in Finland, who like Turkey really struggled to place well at this competition until their Magnum opus arrived, which really shook the foundation of who could win at this contest, and since then have really started to come into their own, embracing their wacky nature. Above them is Austria, who is the oldest ESC nation on this list so far, getting their start in only the contest’s second year, 1957. They actually had one of the longest winless streaks in Eurovision since their first win in 1966, taking 48 tries after that to claim their second crown. Our first “Big Five” nation comes up at #17, with Spain, as they are part of some of the wackiest results ever at this contest, and in back to back years as well! The reason why they are the lowest ranked “Big Five” nation is because they really bottomed out in the 2000s and 2010s, only recently finding redemption in the early 2020s. And at #16 on our list is Malta, who have participated in every edition of ESC since ‘91, and is the best performing country to never win Eurovision, considering that they are the only country in the top 20 to not have one ESC crown on their resume, which is a big shame, considering the bangers they have given us over the years.
Some Notable Artists: Athena (Turkey), Blind Channel (Finland), Bravo (Spain), Chanel (Spain), Chiara (Malta), Anabel Conde (Spain), Sergio Dalma (Spain), Destiny (Malta), Sertab Erener (Turkey), Thomas Forstner (Austria), Grup Etnik (Turkey), Hadise (Turkey), Käärijä (Finland), Lordi (Finland), Ira Losco (Malta), Manga (Turkey), Betty Missiego (Spain), Şebnem Paker (Turkey), Pihasoittajat (Finland), Alf Poier (Austria), Anneli Saaristo (Finland), Cesár Sampson (Austria), Mary Spiteri (Malta), Conchita Wurst (Austria), Zoë (Austria)

The Worst Years

Austria 2015 The Makemakes - I Am Yours

Contest Ranking: 26th (last, 0 pts) My Ranking: 39th (last, -3.9)
What a difference a year makes! Coming off high from their win in 2014, their first in almost 50 years, Austria was set to host this year’s edition. As such, they had a free pass to the Grand Final, with their song “I Am Yours” performed by The Makemakes, an Austrian pop rock band. I didn’t think much of this song when I initially heard it, so imagine my shock when I saw that it didn’t receive a single point on the final scoreboard. I actually don’t know why this got last place, maybe this entry is an example of the douze points system rearing its ugly head, or maybe no one remembered to vote for this song at the end. Either way, this is a confusing entry in the Hall of nul points. And because there were so many countries that year, this song sinks far to the depths of this club.

Turkey 1987 Seyyal Taner and Grup Lokomotif - Şarkım Sevgi Üstüne

Contest Ranking: 22nd (last, 0 pts) My Ranking: 22nd (last, -2.1)
A common theme you will see here for countries like Turkey or Finland or any non Western European Country (besides Portugal), is that with the language rules, they would struggle to do well at all, especially in the 80’s and 90’s, where English was overtaking French as the dominant language of Eurovision. It would take some time for these countries to find a formula that transcends language (see Turkey 1997 for more details), but for now it would be rough sailing for Turkey and these other countries to appeal the juries. That doesn’t mean that bangers weren’t being sent in though! This song seems like it would be the opening for a space odyssey or something, it just has that feel. Unfortunately, a little nervousness would doom this performance, scoring zero points** in Belgium.

Spain 1983 Remedios Amaya - Quién maneja mi barca

Contest Ranking: 19th (last, 0 pts) My Ranking: 19th (last, -1.9)
Ok, so I kind of take back what I said about only Western European countries doing well in this era of ESC. Spain, like Portugal, struggled mightily when they entered in 1961. They already had two last place, nul point entries by the year 1968, where they would pull off one of the most infamous wins in Eurovision history, pipping the United Kingdom by a singular point. The year after they would have another infamous win at this contest, sharing the win with the UK, France, and The Netherlands. Since then, it would be alright for Spain… until this year, where they would have *another last place, nul point entry. This one probably didn’t deserve the honor, and I say “probably” because after listening to this song, I’m confused on where it should place. Probably not last though. People say that ESC was not ready for this type of music, which I probably agree with, I just don’t know when ESC would be ready for this type of music though.
** Turkey only has two entries that have scored nul points at ESC, with the other one being in 1983

Finland 1982 Kojo - Nuku pommiin

Contest Ranking: 18th (last, 0 pts) My Ranking: 22nd (last, -1.7)
Like I said, tough sledding for the non Western European Countries, especially tough for the Nordic nations, who really were seen as jokes at this competition for the longest time (really until Sweden and Norway went back to back in ‘84 and ‘85). Fortunately for Finland, this time period gets rid of two other last place, nil point performances in 1963 and 1965. This also doesn’t count their 1 point performance in 1968, but I think you get the point. They have finished last six** Other times since 1975 however, and since they do not have as many hits as their Nordic contemporaries (sans Iceland), they are only 19th. Anyway, while Germany ran away with the contest singing a song about peace (another ESC staple), Finland would obtain last place with a song about peace, in particular a song about protesting nuclear bombs. While Germany’s song was a neatly composed song that was nice on the ears, this one is the complete opposite, so it’s fitting that this one finished last. I would say more but I don’t want to listen to this song again, so…
** Six last place performances in the Grand Final, they have an additional two last place finishes in the semifinals.

Malta 2017 Claudia Faniello - Breathlessly

Contest Ranking: DNQ (16th 2nd Semifinal , 55 pts) My Ranking: 22nd (41st, 0.062)
Malta surprisingly has not had an entry receiving nul points (though 2016 and 2023 are very, very close). But they have struggled to qualify in the last 8 years, only qualifying twice in that span. This entry was one that did not make the cut, a decent ballad that just didn’t work with enough people, which is unfortunate. Malta used to rule with dramatic ballads, in fact, all of their top 3 finishes (sans 2002), were ballads, so they do know what they are doing in this department. Maybe like Ireland, their type of ballads just don’t work anymore in modern Eurovision, which is sad to say, but maybe Malta can reinvent themselves and be back on top one day!

The Best Years

Malta 2021 Destiny - Je me casse

Contest Ranking: 7th (255 pts) My Ranking: 6th (398.4*)
Surprised? Like I said earlier Malta have sent in some classics to this competition, this one included. Despite the fact that there are at least 3 other songs with higher placements, none of them were able to outperform Destiny, our second COVID participant! Before this entry, she was more well known for winning Eurovision for Malta! Well, it was actually Junior Eurovision, but still, that is a heck of an achievement to have in your locker. She has also appeared on Britain’s Got Talent, and she has also won the X Factor in Malta, so safe to say she definitely has the talent to compete! From the ESC website, she says that her dream was to represent Malta and obtain that first victory for her country, and with the support of former Maltese entrant Ira Losco, she would get the chance to do so with her song “All of My Soul” for ESC 2020… and well you know what happened after that. But for 2021, she will have another opportunity to achieve her dream with her new song “Je Me Casse”. This song is just energy personified. Destiny said that her influences for singing were Lizzo, Beyonce, Aretha Franklin, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion, women who are known for their energy that they bring to every performance. She definitely brings it here, with her song about empowerment and breaking free. Destiny has a powerful voice as well, which really helps bring out the emotion in this song, commanding the attention of everyone who watched it! When I heard this song for the first time, I immediately thought she would win, the song just has that winning energy surrounding it, and Destiny is the main reason why. Unfortunately for Destiny and for Malta, while this song would finish in the top 10, it would not be the one for the country, as they end up 7th, which is pretty respectable considering the stacked lineup for this year. Even more unfortunately for Malta, they haven’t qualified to the Grand Final since that year (even though it’s only been two years). Who knows, maybe in the future Destiny can come back for Malta to get the elusive crown, if Portugal can win one, anything is possible.

• This song is ranked 68th of all entries since 1975

Turkey 2004 Athena - For Real

Contest Ranking: 4th (195 pts) My Ranking: 4th (401.842*)
The most points Turkey has ever received at Eurovision, which is crazy to say considering the renaissance they were going through at the time. No it’s not their only win that takes the top spot (3 way battles tend to make the winner’s score weaker, and according to my formula Turkey didn’t even win this year), but rather the entry after it, that does. Meet the rock/ska band Athena, regarded as one of the best rock bands in Turkey. The band got their start in 1987, formed by twin brothers Gökhan Özoğuz and Hakan Özoğuz. After releasing their first album, they switched their style from rock centered to ska centered, which is like a fusion of punk rock and ska music (basically there are a lot of trumpets, trombones, and woodwind instruments). Once they switched their style they caught fire in Turkey, which culminated in a large tour of their country as well as opening for the Rolling Stones(!). They were selected by the Turkish broadcaster to be the host’s act for ESC 2004. I was wondering what this song was, considering that I didn’t recognize it when I started writing this piece. But then the song started, and I was like “Oh, this song”, which is nothing against the band, because this song is pretty decent! The ska influence still rings large in this entry, with the horns blaring throughout the song. Songs like this tend to be really catchy, with this one being no exception. Other examples of songs like this that I can name off the top of my head are “Alcohol is Free” in 2013 and Turkey’s future entry in “We Could Be The Same” in 2010. While "For Real" may not have been immediately recognizable to some compared to the other two, its infectious charm quickly captures attention. It finished 4th, showcasing the future promise of songs from this region, while continuing Turkey’s strong period that would disappointingly end with their withdrawal in the early 2010s.
This entry is ranked 65th of all songs since 1975.

Spain 2022 Chanel - SloMo

Contest Ranking: 3rd (459 pts) My Ranking: 3rd (481.959**)
Their best result in decades, and it is in the most sexy Spanish way! After a turbulent 2010s, which included several finishes in the 20s, a last place finish (which contained a legendary voice crack), it seemed to be more of the same in the 2020s, as their 2021 entry only received 6 measly points and a 24th placement. Then Chanel appeared. Born in Cuba, Chanel Terrero Martínez moved to Spain at the age of 6. Once she moved to Spain, she began taking acting, singing, and ballet classes, culminating in her beginning her musical theater journey when she was 16. Chanel featured in many Spanish shows and musical productions, and she almost got the part of the musical West Side Story, directed by Steven Spilburg. Notice how I haven’t mentioned much about her singing, it’s because her musical career started very recently! Chanel decided to participate in Benidorm Fest 2022, with her debut single called “SloMo”. This song had a lot of hands in production, as Chanel worked with stars like Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, among others. The effort would be worth it, as she won the Festival, claiming her ticket to Turin for ESC 2022. The last time Spain finished in the Top 5, you would have to go all the way back to the year 1995, with Anabel Conde delivering a Eurovision classic with the song "Vuelve conmigo", which finished 2nd to Norway’s entry. That song was a slow, methodical ballad, this song is the complete opposite, it leaves almost everyone (including the singer) breathless! Like with Destiny, this song is pure energy, but this entry falls in line with the typical “sexy Spanish energy”, and when you look at the performance (this link is for the Benidorm version), I mean, the woman literally says “booty hypnotic” about 6 times! Singing wise, it’s nothing special, but the performance really takes this to another level. It’s like Spain got the memo that Latvia sent out about how performance really drives an entry about 20 years too late. But they definitely got the message alright! It must be difficult to be a fan of Spain at Eurovision, considering that the country has been swimming in mediocrity along with its fellow Big Five brethren (except for Italy and sometimes France/UK, but definitely with Germany). But when the stars align, this is what Spain can do, and it’s so amazing when they do it! Spain in this contest's history really surprises you when they do well, and then you wonder why they can’t do this more often, only to disappear until the next great performance, rinse and repeat. Maybe after this entry and last year’s one (which got robbed of a better placement), Spain can finally flex their might at this competition, and one day we may go back to Spain for an ESC!
** This song is one of the Top 50 ESC songs since 1975.

Austria 2014 Conchita Wurst - Rise Like a Phoenix

Contest Ranking: 1st (290 pts) My Ranking: 1st (602.765**)
48 years between podium finishes, but what a way to do it! Austria occupies an interesting place within ESC lore. At the beginning of their journey, they weren’t much of anything, and it took a certain Udo Jürgens performing three times in back to back to back years to finally take the crown for the country. Since then, nothing much, just wading in the ESC waters, with the occasional decent tune once in a while. Then comes 2014. Austria up to this point were not known to be that influential in Eurovision, but then there was Conchita Wurst, who changed that perception in about 3 minutes. But first, some backstory. Conchita Wurst is the drag persona of Tom Neuwirth, who had a long career before joining the ESC stage. He was the founding member of a boy band in the early 2010s, and before that embarked on his singing career through an Austrian casting show. In 2011, Tom would start appearing as Conchita Wurst, a name literally meaning “Vagina (Spanish slang) Penis (German slang)” Conchita is also well noted for having a beard, a decision consciously made because as Tom/Conchita put it, “you can achieve anything, no matter who you are or how you look”. In 2012, Conchita almost became the representative for Austria at Eurovision, but narrowly lost out to Trackshittaz by 2% of the vote. In 2014, Conchita would not need a vote, as the national broadcaster would select Wurst and the song “Rise Like A Phoenix” to perform in Copenhagen. Now Conchita’s inclusion in ESC did not come without its outroar of disapproval, specifically from conservative groups in Eastern Europe. There were even petitions made for the local broadcasters to cut out Conchita’s performance entirely. Of course there were comparisons made between Conchita and Dana International, not only because of the LGBT likeness but also because of the threats and disapproval they both received prior to the contest. This disapproval would extend onto the ESC stage, as Armenia’s representative that year would make various remarks about how Conchita wasn’t living a “natural life”. That wouldn’t stop the drag queen however, as Wurst would go on to deliver a stunning ballad, appropriately about how she would rise from the ashes of her haters to become stronger. It reminds me of James Bond music, just with the horns and the overall vibe of the song. The entry was meant to be serious and on that note it succeeded, and overall it just has the commanding energy that so many winning songs demonstrate. This entry would not only win for Austria, breaking a nearly 50 year drought*, but would become one of the most iconic ESC entries of the 21st century, maybe even ever! Like with 1998, this would open the door for LGBT visibility in this contest, something that would only be embraced more and more in the years since this song took gold.
** This song is one of the Top 50 ESC songs since 1975. *** He would say that those comments were a joke, but you get the picture **** The 2010’s (and some of the 2020s) overall were really an era of breaking droughts. You got Germany (first since 1982), Azerbaijan (first ever), Sweden (first since 1999), Denmark (first since 2001), Austria (first since 1966), Sweden (first since 2012 lol), Ukraine (first since 2004), Portugal (first ever), Israel (first since 1998), and the Netherlands (first since 1975) all winning. Maybe countries like France (1977), Spain (1969) the UK (1998), even Ireland (1997, and who am I kidding, this drought will not be broken for a long time) could break their droughts as well?

Finland 2023 Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha

Contest Ranking: 2nd (526 pts) My Ranking: 1st (732.848**)
All of the songs on this list have surprised me, sans Austria and Spain. Finland’s best ever performing entry prior to 2023 was Lordi’s “Hard Rock Halleujah”, an entry that broke the barrier on what type of entries could win at this competition. Lordi’s song will forever remain in ESC lore, and for Finland it would be at the top of a surprisingly lackluster list. Outside of Lordi,there is only one other entry that has a score of over 150 (basically Top 7ish) prior to 2023, which was Blind Channel’s song “Dark Side” in 2021. Finland when it comes to the power of Scandinavia at this contest are really only above Iceland when it comes to performance and impact. The other three countries are loaded with iconic songs and impact to this competition, something that Finland has been lacking, until recently. Of course there’s Lordi and in 2021 there was Blind Channel, but both of those songs demonstrate what Finland can bring to this competition, which is hard party rock, and that is perfectly demonstrated with the song many people thought should have won, “Cha Cha Cha”, performed by Käärijä. Käärijä, or Jere Mikael Pöyhönen is a rapper and songwriter, known for his bowl cut and his shirtlessness, with the ladder having a nice sentiment driving it.*** There are many more things that he is known for and has done, from how his name is a play on the word for gambling in Finnish, to how he mostly performed shirtless due to the fact that his original yellow suit would get too hot, but you are all here for me to talk about the song, so let’s get to it. There are many similarities between this song and “Hard Rock Hallejah”, but the similarity that matters most is the fact that these songs are so unapologetically themselves. They both invite you to join their worlds, promising a hell of a time if one were to accept the invitation. While Lordi’s song involved the “acrocoplis” this song involves a party, a crazy party, nonetheless. I think what works the best for this song is that despite the fact that all of the lyrics are in Finnish, the first time that has happened for Finland since 2010, the chorus is where everyone can let loose, and boy does it let you. The roars you hear when the audience says “CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA EY” are really a testament to how much energy this song has (I feel like I’ve said this a lot today). This song is pure fun, and it’s such a joy to go through all of the acts with Käärijä. Did this song deserve to win? Well… yes and no. This song did get the highest televoting percentage of any entry not named “Stefania”, even surpassing Portugal’s entry in 2017. And if you see my contest ranking, according to my formula it placed first. On those fronts, it deserved to win. Does this song carry more winning energy than Sweden? Yes, but then I’m reminded of 2007, and how the more serious song (“Molitva”) won over the more campy fun song ("Dancing Lasha Tumbai"). From the history of ESC, the more serious songs win out most of the time, so I can see why this song didn’t surpass Sweden. Do I think this song deserved to win? Well I’m torn. Both songs have the potential to win, and I love both of them for different reasons. I could talk about it more, but this is a Finland post, and this song could have the impact of Ukraine 2007, even if it didn’t win. What this song has done is raise Finland’s profile in ESC and in my rankings, because without this song Finland may be below Iceland in the rankings.
** This song is one of the Top 50 ESC songs since 1975. *** Basically Käärijä said that going topless should be more accepted, no matter what size you are, which is a pretty cool message if you ask me.

Final Thoughts

So what do you think? Do you believe that Finland deserved to win last year? Which country here has delivered the biggest impact to ESC? Will Malta ever join the winner’s circle at Eurovision? And who will be next?

[TRIGGER WARNING: DISCUSSION OF THE SEXUAL ASSAULT AND MURDER OF A CHILD]
For anybody who knows about the Moors Murders case (I.e. the murders of five children in Britain in the 1960s), you will know that this particular murder involved Brady and Hindley capturing part of the preceding events on a tape recording.
Yesterday somebody - it wasn’t me - shared the awful transcript on this subreddit in a now-deleted post and was widely criticised for it. Lesley’s bereaved mother, Ann West, allowed this transcript to be released to the public so that the world could understand what Brady and Hindley did to her daughter. At the time of this (I believe it was first released in full in 1973 in Jonathan Goodman’s book The Trial of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, which was essentially an abridged version of the transcript from the 1966 trial), Hindley was campaigning for parole and pleading both innocence and ignorance.
I’m not going to be reposting the transcript here just for the sake of keeping focus - I posted it once a couple of years ago, but with full context as to what was happening, and onto a smaller subreddit. It’s also an incredibly upsetting read, and I don’t want to needlessly curse everybody’s eyes and minds with it just for the sake of getting some karma from a big subreddit like this. It deserves to be placed into full context and not exploited for clicks and karma. I know this post is going to be locked here anyway because of the subject matter, which is fine.
But I do want to use this post to clear up some misconceptions people might have about what was happening, because yesterday’s post provided basically zero context, and though the context is no better it is important. The details of Lesley’s murder are often misreported and so I want to leave people in no doubt about just how terrible Brady and Hindley were towards Lesley and the rest of the children they murdered too.

Context

On the evening of 26th December 1964, Lesley was at a fairground when she was approached by Myra Hindley (who was either with or without Ian Brady - it depends on whose account you believe, if either, because they both lied as much as each other, as you will surely figure out as you continue reading). Hindley’s account ran that she and Brady purposefully dropped some boxes of groceries and managed to coerce Lesley into helping them lug them to Hindley’s van, and then into their house in Hattersley, Hyde.
Some time after reaching the house, Brady went into the spare bedroom and switched on a tape recorder. The first thing that was heard was him telling off their two dogs, Lassie and Puppet, and telling them to get in their basket. there were a few minutes of mostly-indecipherable noises - including whispering (Hindley voice was clearly identified, though it is not known what she was saying) and both near and distant footsteps. Then, Lesley was heard screaming and begging God to help her. Hindley urged her to shush in a whispered voice, but this didn't calm her down and Lesley continued to protest. Hindley had a hold on her neck.
For much of the rest of the tape recording (about thirteen minutes left), Brady and Hindley were trying to undress the child and force a gag into her mouth. Lesley cried and repeatedly begged for her mother. Hindley’s behaviour on this tape can be described as incredibly and persistently cruel, urgently and repeatedly telling Lesley to be quiet and even threatening to hit her at one point. Brady was very short-spoken and direct, but his comments towards Lesley were truly horrifying and were perhaps the hardest part of that transcript for me to read. [Graphic] He stated his intent to take pornographic photos of the child, asked her for her full name and threatened to cut her throat at one point if she didn’t stop protesting what was going on.
The last few minutes of the tape consisted of no dialogue, several unspecified noises and the most infamous detail of all - background music. The song in question was “Jolly Old St. Nicholas / The Little Drummer Boy” (remember that this was the day after Christmas) by the Ray Conniff Singers. The tape recording ended somewhat abruptly, and Hindley would later claim that this was probably because Brady needed to plug in his photography light. Lesley was still alive at this time, and was about to be subjected to even worse torture than she already had been.
Brady took nine pornographic photos of Lesley in a variety of utterly degrading poses. What happened next depends on whose account you believe, and both accounts contain blatant lies.
Hindley claimed that she was running a bath whilst Brady raped and murdered Lesley. Brady claimed that Hindley was fully involved in both of these abhorrent acts, and that it was she who strangled Lesley with a silk cord. However, Lesley’s eventual autopsy ruled out strangulation as a cause of death, and her true cause of death is unknown.
Brady and Hindley bathed Lesley’s corpse to remove forensic, and buried her on Saddleworth Moor the next morning. Not only was she buried with absolutely no dignity in a shallow grave, but her body was naked with the clothes she was wearing that night at her feet.
Perhaps the worst detail of all in this case is that when the tape and photos were eventually discovered a year later, Lesley’s mother had to listen to part of that tape, and see the two least but still graphic photos, to identify her daughter’s voice and face.

Throwaway because I don't want this post connected to my main.
A few months ago a certain guy moved into a freshly vacated room. Initially I thought he is just a little weird - I'm a bit weird too, happens. First he proposed to watch some movies together, so I decided on one Netflix session. Which ended up with him thinking it would be appropiate and funny to tickle me, 'pretending to be Miles Morales using his electricity powers'. Now I absolutely HATE being tickled, I'm very easily startled and tickling feels painful to me. This or randomly jabbing me in the ribs because that was so funny to him, I suppose. He stopped when I told him off but I hoped that other that this maybe we could become some sort of acquaintances at least. Nope. He came into my room as I was drawing and asked me if he could borrow a stylus for my graphic tablet. Sure, it's under my supervision. Then he proceeded to draw a muscled angel with some massive, quote, 'thing that makes a man different from a woman'. Which later somehow came up as we were talking about school sports of all things when he made a joke about the lost balls under the roof being, well, said angel's ones. Later he would keep randomly knocking at my door just to ask me: 'How are you?' or 'Do you think everything's going to be OK?" I kept giving him noncommital, boring answers and shutting the door in his face quickly - which I already think was too rude but at least it made him stop knocking?
He thinks jokes about pee are the funniest thing ever. This or completely nonsensical turns of conversation. He washes himself yet he keeps stinking of stale food and pickled man. He keeps leaving the sink full and asks me about the most seemingly common things as if I were supposed to be his parent. Though maybe I shouldn't assume it's so common to know what a fuse box is. He thought it was entirely appropiate to shoot his shot at proposing sex point blank to me TWICE after a very awkward night of noises from another flatmate. At this point I refuse to come to the kitchen if I hear him there, hunger be damned. I get angry whenever I hear his weird laugh that sounds like fake sobbing. I dread seeing him close to my door because I get an anxiety response at his way of knocking. Even his singing training, while objectively rather good on technique (he is a singer several years in training) is starting to grate on my nerves with the same 3 songs in the last 4 months. Yesterday he asked me to help localize his phone by phoning him. We didn't hear a thing so he said - it's probably muted, maybe it's under the sheets, thanks. My paranoia is screaming at me that he got my phone number this way but maybe he is too dumb for this kind of scheming. My friends were telling me he is very clearly interested in me as a partner way before I realized it myself. I was even told to close the door at night so he wouldn't be able to... hurt me in my sleep - I still dount he will. We tend to be both up late at night anyway.
He clearly tries to connect, asking me about my job search or plans for long weekend or favorite music but I don't even want this kind of small talk. I don't want to talk to him, I don't want to see him, I want him gone from my eyes and nose entirely. I can't exactly move since I'm not really in a position to do so until I get a new job and the rent is rather cheap for the localization. I keep to my "noncommital, boring answer" bit but it becomes increasingly clear that he won't understand at all that it's disinterest. But... He's most certainly not neurotypical but I'm not either so it feels REALLY wrong to tell him something that would destroy me inside from rejection if I heard it myself. Even if that has the highest chance of him stopping, I feel like I'm not allowed to act on my feelings for this very reason. But I also think I'm going to smother my friends with rants about that guy if I don't do anything... Classic, I'd rather destroy my nerves and boil in my growing resentment bordering on hatred than bring someone else an unpredictable amount of discomfort/pain. So I'm just pouring my brain out here. Ehhhhhh.

Hey everyone! Im the foundemod of this community and have been a fan of Ava Max since 2018. As such ive picked up information over the years and thought it would be cool to have a safe and friendly community to discuss Ava Max's dating life, and seriously like what famous celebrity does not have a website into gossip about there love life?! Its about time someone made one for Ava!
So here is the information I know related to her dating life
Her first kiss was between ages 8-14 with a guy behind her childhood home in Virginia. The reason I know the age range is she only lived in Virginia starting age 8 after moving due to severe bullying (something which continued through highschool). SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=RyA1Nf-OAqE
At age 17 she moved to LA with her brother trying to start her music carrier. During this time she worked many small jobs including a failed stint as a hairdresser. During this time she spiraled down a dark path having to survive on $20.00 a week which led her to intense drinking - though thankfully she had support from her two girlfriends, she also had to deal with sexual harassment during this time. From her comments about this point in time in her life it seems as she was not in a relationship or having sex during this time, though this is unverifiable.
SOURCE 1: https://vmagazine.com/article/ava-max-talks-debut-album-heaven-hell SOURCE 2:https://news.yahoo.com/ava-max-relatability-dating-dark-080000666.html
Her major break happened in 2014 three years later when she met Cirkut at a party and sang happy birthday to him. They then briefly dated after that but remained friends afterward.
SOURCE: https://www.iheartradio.ca/en/music-news/ava-max-opens-up-about-haters-her-canadian-ex-1.19307503.html
For the next six years she worked on her carrier, finally getting her big break with the release of Sweet but Psycho in 2018, four years later.
On Dec 18, 2020 her view on love was that it was a great thing and hinted she was with a special someone. Note - this was after the release of Heaven & Hell but before the release of Diamonds & Dancefloors.
SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JoWHhuo0LQ
However, just after the release of Diamonds & Dancefloors she mentioned that it was a rough time in her life when she wrote the album, and that she had two breakups within the last three years.
SOURCE: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/ava-max-interview-diamonds-dancefloors-heartbreak-1234666692/
On Feb 23, 2023 a reporter wrote that she was making out with at least one person (though she had done this in some of her music videos, this seemed to be in a casual setting.)
SOURCE: https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/ava-max-diamonds-and-dancefloors
Her relational life has been filled with heartbreak as seen when she revealed she has been cheated on, gaslighted and that she hates "all" her exes (I am unsure whether she counts Cirkut in that category).
SOURCE: https://news.amomama.com/407467-ava-maxs-boyfriend-the-singer-was.html#:~:text=Although%20the%20pop%20singer%20has%20been%20private%20about,at%20Chateau%20Marmont%20in%20Los%20Angeles%20in%202014.
Her view on relationships seems to be searching for love as seen throughout many interviews. One thing I will note is she believes in getting to know someone before hooking up. She also loves romance, intrigue, duality, spice and adventure.
SOURCE: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY4T8WVT7Ww
Body Count: 2+ (References to sex and heartbreak are in her songs and she mentions at least two serious relationships, considering she is the person to date I would say the number of people she has been with is most likely within ten of that, though this is merely speculation based upon her personality type and values she has stated.)
Speculation: I am writing this section just as a sample to show what I expect from any articles that speculate on her past relationships, hookups etc. Unverifiable sources should ONLY be included in speculation articles.
There are places online saying she has dated Vanessa Kirby, though no photos, evidence or even testimonies have been found.
SOURCE: https://www.whosdatedwho.com/dating/ava-max
It is possible she could have been in a relationship with Madison Love as they had a major falling out and were at least close friends until Madison betrayed her (being the person who most likely leaked Diamonds & Dancefloors).
SOURCE: https://ava-max.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000000426689
I have tried to source information best I could from online and label speculation as such. Should any of you have additional information feel free to message me or request permission to post your own article. I hope everyone reading this has an amazing day or night! Stay awesome AVAtars!

I have years of experience with GERD, have an official diagnosis and it is caused by my hypermobility. If you have hypermobility, please contact me for any help. I can confidently teach singers with hypermobility. https://www.wikihow.com/Know-if-You%27re-Double-Jointed https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21763-joint-hypermobility-syndrome
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• From an osteopath:

Massage the two bones on the back of your skull/bottom of your head/upper half of your neck
+
massage your ileocecal valve (google how to, try different things, see what works for you) https://youtu.be/e4skK4ygK0w
= if you did both right (separately), you'll feel instant relief and you'll feel some things in your esophagus as well (even from just the neck/head bones alone)
This fixes it for a short while.

• What to do for it to happen less and eventually combining both for a permanent fix, yet you've to keep doing these things (and ofc the previous ones):

Since everything in the body is VERY connected, you want to look at your posture and do exercises for up to 30 minutes every day - you will see improvements by the end of the week - you might start sleeping better and stop waking up multiple times during the night.
https://www.posturedirect.com/forward-head-posture-correction/
https://www.posturedirect.com/how-to-fix-rounded-shoulders/
https://www.posturedirect.com/how-to-fix-a-hunchback-posture/
https://www.posturedirect.com/fix-anterior-pelvic-tilt/
https://youtu.be/vZA31GMOtZE
​

• Also look at how you swallow - do the sides of your jaw engage when swallowing? (they should be relaxed instead) and you might be swallowing air too - do NOT fill up your cheeks when swallowing liquids - take smaller sips instead. Make sure you've good tongue posture and the back of your tongue is touching the top of your mouth (mewing) - yes, mewing has helped me
  
• AND daily neck stretches
  

https://youtu.be/uZm2eC-TLFc
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• I had been doing these things here for years:

https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/shortness-of-breath#_noHeaderPrefixedContent
Yet I've stopped thanks to doing the things above. I COULD NOT eat tomatoes or pizza, my stomach would hurt and I'd think I'm dying, I'd have to lay down for 2 hours with severe stomach pain. Now I can eat them NO PROBLEM. I get burps here and there while eating (rarely) and when that happens I massage the back of my head (those lower bones) and they stop completely.
​

• My voice does sometimes randomly get some rasp in it/mucus on the folds and that's because the stomach irritates the nose and the nose drips back down on the folds (post-nasal drip). FOR THAT I cleanse my nose with a neti pot or a saline solution nasal spray (I recommend the bottle shape by NeilMed, NOT the blue pot for the neti-pot cleanse)

​

• More useful links:

https://jamiekoufman.com/singers-how-to-save-your-voices/?_kx=BEVgPOJXCfARID4WUtb2aAGCeQfb7fX69WGjkaoVqmIoSHhZR_1fsvPobKr1NgP8.XryL7S

I’ve been thinking a lot about closure lately. It’s coming up on two years since the night things ended so horribly with Clive, and I still don’t feel like I’ve gotten closure, despite having been in therapy for a year and a half trying to heal and find peace.
What would closure look like? I think back to past traumas and how I got closure in the past.

• CSA when I was 5 years old. I think I got closure about this after I finally started therapy at age 25, and saw the therapist for two years, until I was 27. I could finally talk openly with someone about how it had affected me all those years, and that helped me process it at long last, instead of just taking it out on myself with self-harm and suicidal ideation.
• BH ghosting me, after the summer I was 19. It was such an abandonment. For years afterward, I felt like the world had lost its color, and I was breathing stale air in a sealed box. I think when I finally left the Mormon church five years later, when I was 24, I realized BH had been right about so many things, and I kind of understood a little how frustrating it must have been for him to care about me and see me clinging on to a false belief system; it was the belief system that was shutting me up in a sealed box where I could only breathe stale air.

And 20 years after that, I wrote a bad novel that was essentially a thinly veiled memoir about it, and that really finally helped me lay that ghost to rest. I actually looked up BH and found him on LinkedIn of all places - I reached out, and he responded, and later I sent him the novel I had written. It was a terrible novel, of course. I found a photo of him in an online search, and he had grown fat and bald, and was working for a big, ethically questionable corporation. I was a little embarrassed to think I had been so passionately in love with him that summer. I haven’t really thought of him since.

• The traumatic breakup with PK, which also happened when I was 25 years old, and was the trigger for my first round of acute PTSD symptoms, which in turn was the impetus for me starting therapy. PK was the first intimate relationship I ever had; we got together right after I left the Mormon church. I was woefully naive and unprepared for relationships, and he treated me like dirt, and broke up with me with breathtaking cruelty, telling me he had deliberately made me fall in love with him without any thought, idea, or intention of ever loving me back. I was so naive, I was a complete and total doormat and didn’t realize I deserved better than being treated like dirt.

Therapy helped me learn a lot of coping mechanisms for the PTSD symptoms, but I think a couple of things besides that helped me get closure. There was one day when I ran into him with his new girlfriend in the park. And I screamed at him, at the top of my lungs. I screamed at him that he was a monster, that what he had done to me was horrible. I screamed and screamed at him. It was so long ago, I don’t remember it very well, but I think in the end he actually turned around and ran away. It also helped that I dropped out of grad school and moved far away, across the country, and started a new job and a new life, in a city where I didn’t know a soul and had to make entirely new friends.

• Then there was Kai. He was unhappily married, and an alcoholic, and a big flirt. He flirted with me, and I took it too seriously, and fell in love with him. He may have been in love with me too. There were several years when there was rarely a day when we didn’t chat with each other online. But our romantic friendship (we never got together physically at all) dragged on for maybe 7 years and caused me a lot of unhappiness and lonely pining.

I gradually understood that he was a very passive person with a lot of learned helplessness, and that I was being codependent trying to help someone who needed to do his own work to help himself. I started detaching myself and stepping back, and setting better boundaries with him, and educating myself about alcoholism and how to talk about it with him. Eventually, he quit drinking and got a job he actually liked, which made him a much happier and healthier person. He said I helped him a lot, and I was glad, but in a qualified kind of way. I know that helping him, if I really did help him, came at a high cost in terms of the harm I did to myself in the process. There was no particular moment when I got closure, I just fell out of love with him. We are actually still friends, and he is very sweet and devoted, sending me books and cards and little stickers and whimsies, even when I don’t write him for months at a time.
***
But with Clive, it’s hard to say what closure would look like. It feels like none of the skills or knowledge I had gained from all the hard things I went through in the past are helping me now. I thought I had learned resilience. I thought I knew a lot of healthy ways to cope. But where is my resilience and where are my coping skills now? I’m glad I have my nice therapist and can talk openly with someone about it. But still, I have felt frustrated that therapy hasn’t been more helpful, that it seems I keep ruminating and going around and around and around in circles about everything. I have good spells and bad, and I’m still terribly vulnerable to triggers. I might just be too impatient with my own healing process?
With BH, I went through a deep thinking and learning process about religion and faith and love and trust, and even though I suffered terribly, it ended up feeling like on some higher level the pain had a purpose because of all the wisdom and knowledge I gained. With Clive, yes, in trying to process it, I’ve learned a ton about personality disorders, the science and psychology of them and how they can look in the real world. I’ve turned myself into a relatively knowledgeable person when it comes to abuse, psycopathy, sociopathy, and pathological narcissism. It’s been somewhat helpful to understand how some of the baffling things that Clive said and did could be explained by elements of those disorders. But understanding the scientific explanations hasn’t helped me get closure as much as I hoped it would. It doesn’t change the horror that I really thought I’d found a wonderful friend and lover in Clive, and then he turned out to be a nightmare, and I alone of our friend group have seen his mask slip often enough to know what a cold person he really is underneath.
Would writing a novel about it help me get closure? I kind of started one, a Jane Austen-esque novel where Clive would be the Willoughly-Wickham-Crawford style villain. Clive loved Jane Austen, and one of our dates was spent in a long conversation all about Mansfield Park, which we both were reading at the same time. Clive said his favorite character was Edmund. I was like, “Edmund is awful, he hates fun!” And he said, “That’s why I like him, because I also hate fun.” But in retrospect, if only on some subconscious level, I think the reason why he loved Austen so much was that in every one of her books, there is a creep like Clive who doesn’t have a conscience, who trifles with women’s feelings for the sake of his own vanity, and feels no qualms about manipulating and exploiting women to gain some advantage, and then coldly discards them when their usefulness diminishes.
But I didn’t get very far with the novel draft, and set it aside after only a couple of chapters. My concentration isn’t good these days, and with how busy I am between work and exercising and taking care of my daughter and keeping up friendships, and lately also contemplating possibly trying to throw my hat into the online dating ring again, it feels impossible to get into any kind of regular rhythm of working on a creative project. Maybe when I retire or when my daughter is graduated from high school, then I’ll have time, but I just don’t seem to have the bandwidth for now.
Could I get closure like with PK, by yelling and screaming at Clive in a public park? I think that’s something part of me really wants to do - to confront him publicly, or to send out a message to all our mutual friends, like my unsent letter from yesterday. In fact, I sometimes think that is the only thing that can truly give me closure. That, or some kind of revenge. I try to think of things that could make me feel like some justice was done, that would be legal and not count as harassment or lead to me being shamed and condemned. Like those glitter bombs and poop boxes that people send to each other. But all those things are basically harassment in my book, which is illegal for good reasons, and would rightfully put me at risk of getting into big trouble.
Of course, if I did something like that and got found out, or even was suspected of doing it, I would lose the esteem of my friends forever, for sure. It’s bad enough that they already think badly of me for not just “getting over it.” I told LIesl that I was sexually abused as a kid, so I don’t know how to “just get over it” that someone I trusted so much as a friend in adulthood took advantage of me sexually and made me feel used and lied to. I told her it made me feel like back when I was 5 years old. I don’t know if she really understood, or if she gets it that Clive objectively did lie and abuse my trust, and it wasn’t just my subjective view of what happened. But she must have told Tofer what I said, because the next time I saw Tofer, he folded me into a big, tender bear hug and held me close for a long time. Even if Tofer can’t believe that Clive would really be such a creep to me, at least I think he grasps now that, one way or another, I have been through hell.
And what if I took all the risks of a public confrontation, or some illegal type of revenge, or legal-but-crazy-seeming type of revenge, and then I still didn’t feel I had closure? Would closure do me much good if I went to jail for it? Would it do me much good if I ended up shunned and ostracized by most of the people I socialize with? It just doesn’t seem like the risks are worth it.
I think it would help me get closure (a healthy kind of closure that I could feel unambiguously good about, as opposed to shameful revenge-closure), if I could just feel believed and supported and validated by friends like Tofer and Javier and Valentina and Liesl. The problem is that if I try to talk to them about it, I can only either make big sweeping statements, or go through all the small details I noticed over time that contributed to my big sweeping judgment that Clive lacks a well-functioning moral compass and can’t be trusted. If I just summarize with the sweeping judgments and leave out the details, they won’t believe me. If I go through all the details, it’s too much, because I have spent two years processing the details and fitting them together and arriving at a coherent explanation from reading and researching.
And I don’t really want to move to a new state where I don’t know anyone and start and new life and start from scratch making friends.
How else do people get closure? Maybe it’s just more time that's needed to heal this wound. Maybe there are just no shortcuts to living through the hell of it and going on doing my best to survive, day after day.

So last night I was listening to LUCAS - Renegade which I really like and I decided to go to the comments section to see what everyone was thinking and I got shocked by how much hatred he was getting.
I dont really follow kpop rumors, drama or scandal so I didn't know what happened, so I read a few articles and I still dont get the hate.
Like I live by the principal that you dont need to like an actor or singer to appreciate their works, I differentiate the two because I really dont care about their personal lives.
So I find it interesting when fan stop listening to someone or refuse to watch a show because of an actor or actress.
Am I the only one who thinks you can enjoy the music and dislike the artist?(or really not give a damn about the artist, in the end they are just people not someone to worship)

Some albums have grown on me, and others I really liked upon first listen but didn't end up sticking with me. I think I may have been overly harsh with the Nirvana album, which I have revisted since then. And while I thought happy monday's was awesome the first time I heard them, I feel almost no desire to listen to them now.
Worst to best
Oar - Alexender spence- 1
Can't help but feel this album made the list due to the mentally unstable- genius romanticism. But this isn't Brian Wilson making Smile.
There are moments that album show's some potential, but it is so half-assed in it's production and performance that it makes it very difficult to listen to.
I don't enjoy listening to someone having a mental breakdown, it's just sad
Cheap Thrills Big Brother & The Holding Company 2
Average sounding blues/rock band with a singer who stands out.
Listening to a song or 2 with can be enjoyable given the sheer power of Janis Joplin, but can't make up for songwriting and instrumentation which doesn't sound particularly good.
Listened to about half the album, before I got tired of it.
Cross Justice 2
Found this grating to listen to, was disappointed because I expected more from this album
The Bones Of What You Believe CHVRCHES 2
Catchy, well done pop.
The voice sounds so neutral, that it doesn't express any emotion at all to me, the music has it moments but tires fast as it doesn't swing. Ultimately it's well done but sounds sterile to me.
Dare! The Human League 2
Not offensive but not memorable, which I think is among the worst things an album can be. Other albums might be harder to listen to, but have interesting moments that stick with me.
Bat Out Of Hell Meat Loaf 2
I respect the ambition to create this, but don't enjoy listening to it
2. Rem Automatic For The People R.E.M. 2
While I really like some of REM's songs, I found to chord progressions to be relatively uninteresting, and the album doesn't have the attitude or transcendent performance to make up for it.
I have to admit though, that I don't think I gave it a deep listen, and that my opinion might change if I do
Siamese Dream The Smashing Pumpkins 2
Instantly recognizable as a band. They found their space in the scene and I understand their popularity. The songwriting is alright, and the band also sounds tight.But I just can't tune into their music, stylistically the production sounds too crisp. Corrigan's voice is grating and the songs don't stick with me. I appreciate the fact that the lyrical themes are dark, in a way that seems genuine. But it's easier to relate to that if you dig the music (which I experience when I listen to Alice in Chains)
The Colour Of Spring Talk Talk 3
Interesting elements, but couldn't really get into it
A Little Deeper Ms. Dynamite 3
Decent album, first artist I hadn't heard of at all from the generator. When I heard "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" I thought I might be in for a banger of an album. But it turned out to be the best song on the album.Very of it's era, both in it's production/performance and lyrical themes.There are occasionally pretty original arrangements and Ms.Dynamite is a very good singer, I can understand why it resonated at the time it was released but can also understand why it isn't viewed as a classic album all these years.
The Village Green Preservation Society The Kinks 3
Global reviews
Good melodies and guitar-work, with at times clever lyrics.
Also interesting that each song is a character study.However this nostalgia for all things traditionally english (which I and most people can't relate to at all) , and it clearly taking place in it's time gives it character but also dates it.(The Beatles have kind of similar themes in songs like Penny Lane, but the visuals / story-telling and central themes are so good that it makes it universal and timeless)
To me the album is imaginative and upbeat but simply sounds kind of dated, and doesn't transcend in such a way that I feel really compelled to revisit it again beyond a couple songs.Would give it 3.5 stars as I thought it was pretty good, but not amazing
Hotel California Eagles 3
While the Eagles are one of the best selling bands of all time, it's notable that they aren't really loved by the younger generations. Certainly not at all the way Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin or of course The Beatles are
They do almost everything very well; they all are very strong instrumentalists, the harmonies are on point, they have good musical chemistry and occasionally can churn out a strong lyric. Morever if the rest of the album was as strong as the first two songs the album would merit a really high rating, but the album decreases in quality (mostly songwritingwise) after that. And exposes the fact that The Eagles can be cheesy and boring at times. Still "New kid in town" and particularly Hotel California are fantastic songs fully deserving of being classics. Try and love is alright as well.
25 Home Is Where The Music Is Hugh Masekela 3
I appreciate his influence in South Africa as a jazz pioneer, but I didn't find the album particularly inspiring. The playing is solid and grooves, and there are high moments but I don't have the feeling that this is something I have to revisit
From Elvis In Memphis Elvis Presley 3
By 1969, Elvis had lost a lot of his cultural relevancy. With the Beatles and psychedelia taking over.Just as Sinatra wasn't welcoming to Elvis, when Elvis became huge. Elvis put down the Beatles (remarking to Nixon that they were a bad influence)His move to las vegas where his act was once too risqué is an indication that he was no longer the cool rebel but rather a symbol of times past.Still Elvis, rather than change stylistically to keep with the times sticks with what he knows .Vocally he sounds fantastic and the backing band sounds great too.The album does drag a little bit though, and doesn't seem to acknowledge the incredibly interesting changes happening at the time in popular music. At times it swings but at others it sounds dated. The guitar's bass and drums sound earthy and great but the string arrangements sound cheesy.Rather than listening to the whole album, I might re-visit specific songs.
Daydream Nation Sonic Youth 3
I admit I went into this with a bias against Sonic Youth.
They seemed to me to be the definition of style over substance, and they seemed like they viewed themselves as the coolest people ever. (See their interview with Nardwuar) Already in the first song I could hear that they were pretty innovative, as they sound like a 90s band despite the fact the album was made in the 80s. I could hear how the instrumentation(particularly the guitars) influenced great bands and albums (Loveless, The Bends) I would say they sound like an assortment of important 90s bands, but in reality I guess many 90s bands sound like them. Despite that, listening to the album confirmed some of my prejudices; the spoken word sections are meaningless and pretentious. The social critiques (lyrically) sound really basic and the album is excessively long. Still there are really interesting moments musically, particularly in the instrumental sections. The music sounds raw and at the same time very clear and layered. It sounds DIY but sophisticated and even when it's noisy and wild they create an interesting atmosphere.
3.5/5 because while it's innovative and interesting, it has it's drawbacks and to my ear's doesn't have that much replay value.
MTV Unplugged In New York Nirvana 3
Was expecting more from this, based on the couple songs I had heard in the past.Part of the appeal of Nirvana is the fact that they combine really catchy almost pop-ish melodies with explosive instrumentation that has a genuine edge. Kurt Cobain can sing the living hell out of a song, and his voice has a yearning, an anger and delicateness which puts all of Nirvana's elements together.The issue I have with the unplugged, is that a lot of songs don't hold up as well in the acoustic format. Songs like "Come as you Are" "I'm on a plain" lose of all their thrill factor and don't hold up well enough as compositions to excel in that context. Others though, like "All Apologies and Something in the way" lend themselves better to an acoustic format. The stand out of the show is Leadbelly's "Where do you sleep at night" where Kurt Cobain delivers an incredibly heart-felt vocal.The album attained a legendary status, in part because seeing the top grunge icons of the day (especially one so punky) playing acoustic with a really beautiful setting was no doubt really interesting at the time, and Kurt Cobain's pre-mature death gives seeing such an intimate performance an added dimension.If you take out Nirvana's status as grunge legends and all the mystique that exists around them, what you have is a band with an exceptional singer that doesn't sound it's best in an acoustic format.
8 Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches Happy Mondays 4
Very funky and original.Well performed and produced, even though its at times deeply layered you can hear every element clearly and it's never overloaded.The lyrics are fun and catchy too.Particularly excellent guitar playing and bass playing. Lastly, making good happy music isn't easy, and they really pull it off so there's that too
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs Marty Robbins 4
Global reviews
Very good storyteller, the songs are basically like short stories.And the music is really enjoyable to listen too also
Third Portishead 4
A very hard album to rate.Full of dissonant chord changes and melodies, hypnotic arrangements/loops. The singer captures isolation and trauma almost uncomfortably well.
The lack of emotional diversity (it almost all sounds isolated/alienated to me) hurts the replay value of it, this is an album to listen to when in a specific mood. I also think it's a very good album to listen to in small doses. There's a ton of interesting ideas and arrangements and they certainly accomplish what it is they seemed to be going for (capturing said isolation)
3.5 stars for the many fresh interesting ideas, I don't feel good giving the album 3 stars (seems to low for such a well executed album) but 4 seems excessive given that I didn't enjoy listening to the whole album much.
Going to give it 4
Do check out individual songs though
Machine head, Nylon Smile, We Carry on
Surrealistic Pillow Jefferson Airplane 4
Somewhat inconsistent album, and sometimes to hippy-ish.
But the standout tracks are really amazing.
I love the poetry of Today and particularly of Comin Back to Me, just beautiful songwriting.
As well as the power of Grace Slick and catchiness of Somebody to Love.
Interesting production choices too, what an insane amount of reverb on the drums. Sounds like someone is playing far in the distance.
The band plays well, has two very good singers (who compliment each other perfectly) and the songwriting is at times amazing. That trascends any weaknessess the album may have
Joan Armatrading Joan Armatrading 4
Really good songwriting, which in my mind is one of the most valuable and hardest things to find in music.
Younger Than Yesterday The Byrds 4
A rare example of an album who's second half is much stronger than the first.
The Byrds are at their best when they go introspective and personal. Everybody's Been Burned is beautiful and mysterious song with a lyric that reflects on the nature of love. Crosby's odd phrasing works perfectly in the song making it sound like he has deeply meditated both emotionally/spiritually on whether it is worth it to become vulnerable in the face of love with inevitable brevity and pain that certainly comes with it. Mind Gardens is also a fantastic song with with reflects on coping mechanisms in a very fresh and different way. The song builds perfectly along with the lyric, holding you the whole time.
There are times where the Byrds can sound just pleasant and not particularly interesting or deep, but Crosby's compositions elevate the album and give it a different dimension. It's a shame the album consists mostly of other writer's compositions. Most of the album is a 3, but because it has a couple incredible songs I'm going to round up to 4
Best songs: (in order)
Everybody's been burned
Mind Gardens
My Back Pages
Renaissance Fair
Highway 61 Revisited Bob Dylan 4
Bob Dylan goes electric, with a fantastic backing band (The Band)
What's interesting about Bob Dylan (from a lyrical perspective) is how the lyrics seem at once polished while simultaneously seeming like a total stream of consciousness. The lyrics sound good, the story-telling is amazing (and at many times funny) and yet something about his delivery and perhaps his willingness of veer off course narratively (though he always finds his way back) make it seems fresh.It's an interesting contrast with Leonard Cohen, who's lyrics sound totally perfect and thought-out. Dylan instead comes across as kind of wild and unpredictable (Cohen can be unpredictable too in his words, but everything seems pre-meditated) While with Dylan it's like fuck it, "the sun's not yellow it's chicken!"
The first song is a masterpiece, just incredible story-telling. Every line is piercing, and often clever and devastating. You feel mixed about the once-rich main character who was fucked over by a diplomat with a siamese cat, yet was oblivious to inequality and suffering when they were well off.
Tombstone blues is fantastic too, so fun and stimulating.
Musically the album has it's high points but is less interesting than it's lyrics with some songs in my opinion being almost a little boring. The Band sounds better playing their own songs.
However the high points are awesome, so I think 4 stars make sense. 5 stars lyrically, 3 stars musically.
Vol. 4 Black Sabbath 4
Black Sabbath are one of the central pioneers in the metal genre, while
Beatle song's such as Helter Skelter or I want you or Jimi Hendrix's Manic depression were also very heavy it's Black Sabbath that puts the whole package together. The low end heavy and at times dissonant riffs, the iconic imagery, the often times dark lyrical themes. What sets Sabbath apart though from other metal icons is their versatility, the drummer's funkiness, the authentic vulnerability of Ozzy's lyrics on songs like changes. The riffage of Tony Iommi sometimes leading the way to beautiful almost celtic sounding ballads. This is pure metal, darkness explored in a way that is meaningful and real. Not the cartoonish "edgy-ness" of later bands, nor the dick-measuring contest of who can shred faster or play louder. Heavy, funky and at times beautiful
4.5 stars
Ellington at Newport Duke Ellington 5
The band sounds so crisp, sharp and sexy. So full of life, big band music at it's best
42 The Dark Side Of The Moon Pink Floyd 5
Pink Floyd's greatest album.
I also gave Exodus by Bob Marley a 5—
And didn’t review Sade- Diamond life but really liked it too.

https://www.ilmessaggero.it/televisione/angelina_mango_eurovision_spoiler_rai_performance-8091952.html
Google translated
Angelina Mango, the Eurovision performance released in an internal email. The embarrassment of Rai: «Checks in progress» The deputy director of Rai speaks of «a very serious matter»
Chaos at Rai after the release of an internal email would have spoiled Rai's performance Angelina Mango at the next Eurovision Song Contest. A violation of cyber security has been "absolutely ruled out", but "we have checks underway and we don't know why this spoiler occurred. We asked internally to take action, the Eurovision leaders were involved." The director of Rai Radio2, Simona Sala, says this, answering journalists' questions regarding the spoiler on Angelina Mango's performance at the Eurovision Song Contest after the diffusion of an internal email which reveals some details of the artist's performance on the stage of Malmo: the singer-songwriter was not present but there was a stunt double on stage. «It was impossible to block the thing on social media - Sala continues -. In reality they are stunt doubles, but there were actually elements that were revealed."
INSIGHTS The gravity Claudio Fasulo, deputy director of prime time entertainment for Rai and responsible for Italian shipping, also intervenes in the case: «It's not something comparable to the release of an unreleased song in Sanremo - he underlines -. The standing rears is the rehearsal that is done by some skilled and good-willed guys, some dancers, who sing in place of the artists of the various nationalities. It has no artistic value comparable to what we will see on stage. Of course though - he observes - that is something that shouldn't happen. It was an email for internal use that had eight recipients." According to the Rai deputy director, this is "a very serious thing that must not happen because it should have been a document that remains among the experts". Finally, the invitation from the host Gabriele Corsi to avoid risks: «I invite everyone not to repost these images. I understand that we live in a social era, but if possible, delete these images", he urges

The Undraftables: Week 4 Update (Going into/during Week 5)
I initially undertook this challenge with the NBA and decided to extend it to MLB as well. The rules are simple: I cannot select any player who has an Average Draft Position (ADP), regardless of how high or low it may be. Even if a player's ADP is 250+, they are off-limits if they have any average draft position. My draft took place on Sunday, April 7th. Admittedly, this was after the start of the season, but my focus had been primarily on the NBA season, leaving me with limited time to prepare for baseball. Nevertheless, I managed to squeeze in most of my MLB prep work within a few days/week. This is a standard 12 team head to head category league on yahoo with 6 adds per week. The buy-in was lower than my usual, but not free (inactivity and too easy).
Here was the draft results:

1. (6) Lance McCullers Jr. (HOU - SP)
2. (19) Drew Rasmussen (TB - SP)
3. (30) Dustin May (LAD - SP)
4. (43) Ronel Blanco (HOU - SP,RP)
5. (54) Brady Singer (KC - SP)
6. (67) Paul Blackburn (OAK - SP)
7. (78) Cody Bradford (TEX - SP,RP)
8. (91) Chad Green (TOR - RP)
9. (102) Steven Matz (STL - SP,RP)
10. (115) Tanner Houck (BOS - SP)
11. (126) Tyler Anderson (LAA - SP)
12. (139) Spencer Turnbull (PHI - SP)
13. (150) Connor Joe (PIT - 1B,OF)
14. (163) José Caballero (TB - 2B,SS)
15. (174) Gio Urshela (DET - 1B,3B,SS)
16. (187) Will Brennan (CLE - OF)
17. (198) Jake McCarthy (AZ - OF)
18. (211) Jorge Mateo (BAL - SS)
19. (222) Dairon Blanco (KC - OF)
20. (235) Jacob Young (WSH - OF)
21. (246) Bubba Thompson (CIN - OF)
22. (259) Trevor Williams (WSH - SP)
23. (270) Reese McGuire (BOS - C)

Recent Additions from Last Week:

• Luis Campusano (1 FAAB) APR 23
• Nolan Jones (3 FAAB) APR 24
• Maikel Garcia (6 FAAB) APR 25
• Hector Neris (3 FAAB) APR 26

Recent Additions for this Week Mon to Thurs:

• Bailey Falter (1 FAAB) APR 29 (two starts)
• Jon Gray APR 29 (two starts)
• Jameson Taillon APR 29 (two starts)
• Garret Crochet APR 29 (two starts)
• Yandy Diaz (4 FAAB)
• Erick Fedde (2 FAAB)

Recent Drops Last Week and This Week:

• Will Brennan
• Connor Joe (sorta regret)
• Reese McGuire
• Jonatan Clase
• Jorge Mateo

Trades that I performed since my last update last MON:

• Traded away Jordan Hicks and Martin Perez Received George Kirby
• Traded away Tanner Houck, Seth Lugo, Spencer Turnbull Received Kevin Gauseman, Bobby Miller
• Traded away Javier Assad, Brady Singer, Paul Blackburn Received Cole Ragans
• Traded Away Bryce Elder Received Chris Bassitt

Current Roster and why I choose to own them:

• C: Luis Campusano (for AVG)
• 1B: Yandy Diaz (Runs, AVG) (even though he struggled so far)
• 2B: Ahmed Rosario (SB, AVG)
• 3B: Maikel Garcia (SB, Runs, maybe AVG, somehow RBI?)
• SS: Jose Caballero (SB, maybe AVG)
• OF: Sal Frelick (Runs, AVG, SB)
• OF: Jake McCarthy (AVG, SB)
• OF: Jacob Young (AVG, SB) (underrated and WAS runs a lot)
• UTL: (currently empty waiting for next week more adds)
• UTL: (currently empty waiting for next week more adds)
• SP: George Kirby (Aces Gonna Ace, I bought while struggled)
• SP: Kevin Gauseman (Aces Gonna Ace, He was struggling)
• RP: James McAurthur (closer)
• RP: Kirby Yates (closer)
• P: Kevin Ginkel (closer for now)
• P: Hector Neris (closer)
• P: Cole Ragans (Ace? Was struggling when I traded for him)
• P: Chris Bassit (Again been struggling, track record solid?)
• Bench: Ronel Blanco (no-hitter, and keeps pitching well)
• Bench: Jon Gray (2 start, plus possible sell high asset)
• Bench: Jameson Taillon (2 start, plus possible sell high asset)
• Bench: Garret Crochet (2 start streamer, may hold, huge K)
• Bench: Bailey Falter (2 start streamer with good matchups)
• Bench: Bobby Miller (Ace? Still hurt tho on bench)
• Bench: Erick Fedde (Numbers look elite like in Japan)
• IL: Jacob Degrom (ELITE when healthy)
• IL: Max Scherzer (ELITE when healthy)
• IL: Drew Rasmussen (almost ELITE when healthy, bit underrated)
• IL: Nolan Jones (Now that I have Yandy, possibly expendable?)

So here we are! I made it through another week with this "bad team". I would like to talk about last week's matchup: I pulled off a useful 5-5 TIE! I hit .272 and had 8 SB for winning two offensive categories. I won saves barely 5-4. Extremely close strikeouts battle where I won 71 to 68, then had an ERA of 2.38. The pitching was in large part due to guys like Kirby, Gauseman, Blanco, Elder, Assad, Houck, Turnbull, even Singer with his 11k was helpful! On offense I was carried by Maikel Garcia, Jacob Young and Jake McCarthy (high avg), Nolan Jones too went .500 in 6 at bats. I"m now 18-12 overall and in 2nd place!
I would like to discuss my trades for a bit. I send out a very high volume of trade offers which is why I have been able to get so many trades done here. There is much communication and sometimes back and forth that happens. I type very much to my fellow managers. I been lucky they have worked with me and communicated back and forth. I could write another very long piece about "The art of the fantasy trade", but that's a different topic or post. (Coming soon someday). If you look at the trades I was able to make you can see that I took a risk to buy low on every single SP that I received. In addition to selling high on SP that were overperforming. (Classic buy low, sell high) I played on the fears of fantasy managers and the early struggles the SP were having and banked that they would turn it around to what their track record usually is. The only guy who doesn't have that major track record is Cole Ragans, but I'm still happy to have him. There is significant stuff metrics he has and Royals are a better team than we thought they would be. In addition, there appears to be quite a major following, making him a high value trade asset I think? I will miss Tanner Houck who has been marvelous! Same with Seth Lugo, Javier Assad, Spencer Turnbull and Jordan Hicks, (Bryce Elder in 2 starts) who have all continued to be awesome! So it's not entirely certain yet if I "won every trade" even though I'm sure many of you would freak out that I pulled off some of these? There might be arguments to be made that I should have focused my upgrades on hitters instead of obtaining more pitching? Discuss if you wish? (But to that I sorta say that the waiver wire have some useful assets with sneaky value to my team build). The issue I sort of have ran into though is "Running out of adds" by performing these bulk trades.
My matchup for this current week features an opponent with many starting pitchers. So again it will be a difficult one for those pitching counting stats like wins and strikeouts, yet keeping the ratios low!!! For the rest of the week, they have 5 more SP going, but I have 8 more SP scheduled to start. They only have 2 closers vs my 4 closers. So I like my odds! I'm ahead in wins 2-1. We are tied in strikeouts and ratios are very low for both of us. 2.79era, 0.76whip for me and 1.95era, 0.87 for them!!! Offensively I will likely win SB and AVG since I already have the leads and those are my strong skills. I want to address why I chose to currently ride with 2 empty hitter spots. It is because my opponent has so many SP and our pitching numbers are too close! I needed to prioritize my adds based on the matchup. It's a bit more of a "short term focus" but it has been proven to win matchups in past. I may not need to start all my SP on Sunday though, well see how it goes!
In terms of my future moves for next week, (out of adds for this week) I'm still targeting more strong SP that is still available that I would like on my team, but obviously I may need to fill those hitter positions. It will depend on my matchup. I wanted Tyler Black quite badly, but because I traded away so many pitchers I needed to replace them and add those 2 start SP that I added on Monday morning) I just didn't have enough adds! (especially with Yandy and Fedde out there) I will try trading for Mr. Black. His contact skills and speed are exactly the things that are appealing to me. (His grades were ranked a 60 grade hit tool and 60 grade speed tool according to MLB top 100 prospects list). I am shocked the brewers are batting him 4th in the lineup. We shall see if that remains. I view him more as a 2 or 3 hitter. Also Jung Hoo Lee was available and I strongly debated adding him because his expected very high average (like in the KBO) and maybe strong runs batting leadoff. That might be something for next week. Plenty of bats are still intriguing to me and truly with this style of build it's easier to find AVG, SB types. (Eventually I want to be competitive in RUNS too, but highly unlikely with current team. Yandy Diaz certainly could help in that regard if he gets it going!). Will Benson on radar.
As far as my drops it would be those SP streamers like Falter, Gray, Taillon, however if Taillon does well this week will be a higher trade asset and I might even hold onto him. (Cubs team context, fairly solid track record 2022 and before). Jon Gray would also become a higher asset trade piece or I could just hold and enjoy his services on a strong TEX offense. I do regret dropping Connor Joe because he has been just fine (and since Nolan Jones got hurt) where I may look to re-add him later in the season. Will Brennan is another useful contact bat that I still have my eye on and miss on my team. Jorge Mateo will be missed only for his speed skills, (3sb last week) but also doesn't get many at bats and limited upside so he was expendable.
The strategy here is punting HR, RBI (punt power). I have won with it in many head to head leagues for over 3 years now and because of that success I decided to employ it here with an "Undraftables" team!!! Appears to be working well so far! (I did also run a few mock drafts for "power versions" of the Undraftables type team. I wish I would have done that build too!) If you look back at the end of the year there will be an extremely high amount of strong players that were all waiver wire pickups or undrafted! (I made a post last year about it). Anyhow, the goal of a punt power build is to win 2 offensive categories (Ideally 3 eventually, by winning runs) and win 4-5 pitching categories. (If you are able to obtain closers you have upside to win 5 pitching cats, if you punt saves then your upside is 4 and you would be more consistently likely to win WINS and K categories) I technically currently have the upside to win all 5 pitching and 2 hitting categories. (If I gain runs value I would even have maximum upside of 8 categories! 5+3=8) Remember that in category leagues you ONLY NEED TO WIN 6 categories folks! This is the benefit of punting! (And technically in h2h playoffs you can have a tie 5-5 and still advance to next round due to season standings and matchup ranking!) I think punting gives you less variance than other builds? Or maybe this less variance is just from having high AVG contact hitters? Discuss?
Of course, I'm also aware that I have been benefited by being very active on the waiver wire (and bidding the correct amount of FAAB to win players) as well as some advantageous trades. I'm aware that some of you may not be able to pull off these kinds of trades in your leagues. I guess it is easier to pull off more trades in yahoo public money leagues than various private leagues? That is a whole other discussion though. I do send out MANY OFFERS and communicate very much to help make a trade occur. (Even though this exact team is on the lower priority of my time devotion, because I have 9 other more important leagues inside yahoo as well as a few on other sites) I typically spend between 2-5 hours per day managing my teams.
Overall, I'm quite happy with my team's performance and strategy, even though it's considered a tougher challenge. As mentioned my goal is to win by a score of 6-4 or tie 5-5, but eventually will have upside to win 7-3 or even 8-2. I'm willing to make adjustments for each week and consider player recommendations to achieve that goal. So far, this has gone better than I expected (whereas this was tougher in the NBA)! One of the bigger takeaways you can glean from this strategy is that there are numerous ways to win a category league. (Notate that this punt power strategy has NOT been tested in Roto YET. I plan to test that next year. Is this the best way to "punt power"? No, remember this was an "extra challenge" that I set forth upon myself.) Also another takeaway here is that you don't necessarily "need" superstars, but instead to have the right build or combination of players and a focus on matchups. (In fantasy and MLB) There are various "useful" players with skill sets that are still worthy. You don't need "The best player" in everything. (At least NOT IN A CATEGORY LEAGUE) If you have suffered severe injuries to some power hitters (like Trout, Casas, Royce Lewis, Josh Jung) you could transition and/or trade into a "punt power build" to try it out? (Or that could be something you consider further down the road in the season too) If you need help on how to do it, I'm your guy!
I'll provide weekly updates on Monday mornings (sorry, I was too busy this week) on the team's progress, so let me know if you'd like to follow along or have any suggestions! Thoughts on the team? If you want the previous updates on the team with "How I ended up here" and each week breakdown you can find them in a FB group or I can send them to you in a message. (I wasn't able to post early in season because I changed reddit profiles (hated my username) from last year which had bunches of karma!) (Can't post if you don't have enough karma) Additionally, I'm recruiting for next year, (although this is NOT the central goal of this post) where this unique drafting strategy will be the league's standard for each owner.

👋 Hello, Idris here! Each week, I feature tips and stories from successful self-made founders, share insights on building great products. This week I want to share a summarised version of the product lessons we can learn from Figma
You can find the full case study here
This week, we're spotlighting one of my all-time favourite design tools that's revolutionised our approach to design and collaboration: Figma.
Figma, conceived by Dylan, stands out as a collaborative cloud-based web application tailored for designing user interfaces. It made waves when it announced its $20B merger with Adobe in September 2022. However, this union was short-lived, lasting only 15 months, as regulatory concerns in the EU and the United Kingdom prompted its abandonment.
Recently, I stumbled upon an article featuring interviews with Dylan regarding the fallout of Figma's merger acquisition, along with his insights and future plans. I found it crucial to shed light on their journey, from the inception of Figma to what lies ahead. Here are some key takeaways that can enhance your product development journey...
Software is eating the world
You heard it correctly: software is truly revolutionising our world. I first encountered this concept from Gary Tan of YC, and it still astonishes me. Witnessing a small startup and its tool, created just 5-6 years ago from the ground up, surpass established leaders like InVision and Sketch, and even challenge industry behemoths like Adobe, is remarkable. The emergence of Figma demonstrates the profound influence of exceptional software on our work practices. Just half a decade ago, Figma was nonexistent, highlighting the transformative power of innovative technology
Staying True to Vision and Values
Despite the tumultuous aftermath of the Figma acquisition fallout, Dylan Field remained steadfast in upholding Figma’s fundamental values and mission. He reiterated the significance of prioritising user experience, nurturing a culture of innovation, and empowering designers globally. By unwaveringly adhering to these guiding principles, Figma not only endured but also flourished amidst adversity.
Revenue matters a lot
In the article, Dylan revealed that Figma had amassed a staggering $600 million in revenue, along with an additional $1 billion windfall from the fallout with Adobe – an astonishing sum indeed! 😮. Figma's billing strategy has become quite intense lately; even users on the free plan find themselves nudged towards upgrading. Initially, they adopted a strategy of offering low prices to attract a large user base and gather feedback. However, as they rolled out more features, they began to restrict access to some unless users upgraded. This shift essentially compels users, including small businesses, to pay for access to unlock the platform's full potential. Figma's journey underscores the importance of both creating an outstanding product and strategically developing revenue streams along the way.
It’s okay to start with small pricing
From the outset, pricing served as a pivotal differentiator for Figma, setting it apart from competing tools and establishing a foundation of trust. Their affordability from the beginning fostered a strong bond with the community and solidified their reputation. By offering accessible pricing, Figma effectively lowered the barrier to entry for aspiring and novice designers, enabling them to learn the fundamentals of interface design and embark on a journey of career growth and skill development.
Be innovative and conquer
A standout feature that set Figma apart was its cloud collaboration functionality accessible directly from the browser. This meant you could access Figma from anywhere in the world without relying on your personal laptop, which was a game-changer for me. Unlike Adobe, Sketch, and InVision, who struggled to achieve this for a considerable time, Figma succeeded in providing seamless browser-based collaboration. This capability served as a crucial differentiator, emphasising the importance of identifying and leveraging unique strengths when building a product.
M&A deals all the way
With a substantial reserve of funds, Figma has been strategically acquiring products to enhance their workflows and processes, aiming to complete the value chain of software development from gaining buy-in to shipping and measuring. Their implementation of AI into their product began after acquiring Diagram, a small company founded by Jordan Singer, which utilised GPT-3 to generate design ideas with minimal input. This acquisition appears to be a promising addition from a product perspective, and it wouldn't be surprising if they pursued further acquisitions. Personally, I'm intrigued by the potential of tools that simplify coding, such as Framer for web design, or those with motion capabilities like ProtoPie, as well as the emergence of no-code tools that integrate design and development. The future holds much anticipation, and I'm curious to witness how it unfolds.
Communication is key always
You need to always communicate with your team and make them aligned about what’s happening always, Dylan Field prioritised transparency with figma employees, stakeholders, and the design community. By keeping lines of communication open and honest, Figma fostered trust and unity, strengthening its position in the market.
Learning from Setbacks
Field viewed the failed sale of the fallout as a valuable learning experience. He emphasized the importance of resilience in the face of adversity and the need to embrace failure as a catalyst for growth. By analysing the reasons behind the setback and learning from their mistakes, He characterised this as keeping your foot on the gas always at any point in time.
The in-depth version of the product lessons was posted here
Pls comment on your best product tip from Figma, I’d love to hear from you. I also try to feature indie tips and exciting product stuff
Looking forward to hearing from you

👋 Hello, Idris here! Each week, I feature tips and stories from successful self-made founders, share insights on building great products. This week I want to share a summarised version of the product lessons we can learn from Figma
You can find the full case study here
This week, we're spotlighting one of my all-time favourite design tools that's revolutionised our approach to design and collaboration: Figma.
Figma, conceived by Dylan, stands out as a collaborative cloud-based web application tailored for designing user interfaces. It made waves when it announced its $20B merger with Adobe in September 2022. However, this union was short-lived, lasting only 15 months, as regulatory concerns in the EU and the United Kingdom prompted its abandonment.
Recently, I stumbled upon an article featuring interviews with Dylan regarding the fallout of Figma's merger acquisition, along with his insights and future plans. I found it crucial to shed light on their journey, from the inception of Figma to what lies ahead. Here are some key takeaways that can enhance your product development journey...
Software is eating the world
You heard it correctly: software is truly revolutionising our world. I first encountered this concept from Gary Tan of YC, and it still astonishes me. Witnessing a small startup and its tool, created just 5-6 years ago from the ground up, surpass established leaders like InVision and Sketch, and even challenge industry behemoths like Adobe, is remarkable. The emergence of Figma demonstrates the profound influence of exceptional software on our work practices. Just half a decade ago, Figma was nonexistent, highlighting the transformative power of innovative technology
Staying True to Vision and Values
Despite the tumultuous aftermath of the Figma acquisition fallout, Dylan Field remained steadfast in upholding Figma’s fundamental values and mission. He reiterated the significance of prioritising user experience, nurturing a culture of innovation, and empowering designers globally. By unwaveringly adhering to these guiding principles, Figma not only endured but also flourished amidst adversity.
Revenue matters a lot
In the article, Dylan revealed that Figma had amassed a staggering $600 million in revenue, along with an additional $1 billion windfall from the fallout with Adobe – an astonishing sum indeed! 😮. Figma's billing strategy has become quite intense lately; even users on the free plan find themselves nudged towards upgrading. Initially, they adopted a strategy of offering low prices to attract a large user base and gather feedback. However, as they rolled out more features, they began to restrict access to some unless users upgraded. This shift essentially compels users, including small businesses, to pay for access to unlock the platform's full potential. Figma's journey underscores the importance of both creating an outstanding product and strategically developing revenue streams along the way.
It’s okay to start with small pricing
From the outset, pricing served as a pivotal differentiator for Figma, setting it apart from competing tools and establishing a foundation of trust. Their affordability from the beginning fostered a strong bond with the community and solidified their reputation. By offering accessible pricing, Figma effectively lowered the barrier to entry for aspiring and novice designers, enabling them to learn the fundamentals of interface design and embark on a journey of career growth and skill development.
Be innovative and conquer
A standout feature that set Figma apart was its cloud collaboration functionality accessible directly from the browser. This meant you could access Figma from anywhere in the world without relying on your personal laptop, which was a game-changer for me. Unlike Adobe, Sketch, and InVision, who struggled to achieve this for a considerable time, Figma succeeded in providing seamless browser-based collaboration. This capability served as a crucial differentiator, emphasising the importance of identifying and leveraging unique strengths when building a product.
M&A deals all the way
With a substantial reserve of funds, Figma has been strategically acquiring products to enhance their workflows and processes, aiming to complete the value chain of software development from gaining buy-in to shipping and measuring. Their implementation of AI into their product began after acquiring Diagram, a small company founded by Jordan Singer, which utilised GPT-3 to generate design ideas with minimal input. This acquisition appears to be a promising addition from a product perspective, and it wouldn't be surprising if they pursued further acquisitions. Personally, I'm intrigued by the potential of tools that simplify coding, such as Framer for web design, or those with motion capabilities like ProtoPie, as well as the emergence of no-code tools that integrate design and development. The future holds much anticipation, and I'm curious to witness how it unfolds.
Communication is key always
You need to always communicate with your team and make them aligned about what’s happening always, Dylan Field prioritised transparency with figma employees, stakeholders, and the design community. By keeping lines of communication open and honest, Figma fostered trust and unity, strengthening its position in the market.
Learning from Setbacks
Field viewed the failed sale of the fallout as a valuable learning experience. He emphasized the importance of resilience in the face of adversity and the need to embrace failure as a catalyst for growth. By analysing the reasons behind the setback and learning from their mistakes, He characterised this as keeping your foot on the gas always at any point in time.
The in-depth version of the product lessons was posted here
Pls comment on your best product tip from Figma, I’d love to hear from you. I also try to feature indie tips and exciting product stuff
Looking forward to hearing from you

👋 Hello, Idris here! Each week, I feature tips and stories from successful self-made founders, share insights on building great products. This week I want to share a summarised version of the product lessons we can learn from Figma
You can find the full case study here
This week, we're spotlighting one of my all-time favourite design tools that's revolutionised our approach to design and collaboration: Figma.
Figma, conceived by Dylan, stands out as a collaborative cloud-based web application tailored for designing user interfaces. It made waves when it announced its $20B merger with Adobe in September 2022. However, this union was short-lived, lasting only 15 months, as regulatory concerns in the EU and the United Kingdom prompted its abandonment.
Recently, I stumbled upon an article featuring interviews with Dylan regarding the fallout of Figma's merger acquisition, along with his insights and future plans. I found it crucial to shed light on their journey, from the inception of Figma to what lies ahead. Here are some key takeaways that can enhance your product development journey...
Software is eating the world
You heard it correctly: software is truly revolutionising our world. I first encountered this concept from Gary Tan of YC, and it still astonishes me. Witnessing a small startup and its tool, created just 5-6 years ago from the ground up, surpass established leaders like InVision and Sketch, and even challenge industry behemoths like Adobe, is remarkable. The emergence of Figma demonstrates the profound influence of exceptional software on our work practices. Just half a decade ago, Figma was nonexistent, highlighting the transformative power of innovative technology
Staying True to Vision and Values
Despite the tumultuous aftermath of the Figma acquisition fallout, Dylan Field remained steadfast in upholding Figma’s fundamental values and mission. He reiterated the significance of prioritising user experience, nurturing a culture of innovation, and empowering designers globally. By unwaveringly adhering to these guiding principles, Figma not only endured but also flourished amidst adversity.
Revenue matters a lot
In the article, Dylan revealed that Figma had amassed a staggering $600 million in revenue, along with an additional $1 billion windfall from the fallout with Adobe – an astonishing sum indeed! 😮. Figma's billing strategy has become quite intense lately; even users on the free plan find themselves nudged towards upgrading. Initially, they adopted a strategy of offering low prices to attract a large user base and gather feedback. However, as they rolled out more features, they began to restrict access to some unless users upgraded. This shift essentially compels users, including small businesses, to pay for access to unlock the platform's full potential. Figma's journey underscores the importance of both creating an outstanding product and strategically developing revenue streams along the way.
It’s okay to start with small pricing
From the outset, pricing served as a pivotal differentiator for Figma, setting it apart from competing tools and establishing a foundation of trust. Their affordability from the beginning fostered a strong bond with the community and solidified their reputation. By offering accessible pricing, Figma effectively lowered the barrier to entry for aspiring and novice designers, enabling them to learn the fundamentals of interface design and embark on a journey of career growth and skill development.
Be innovative and conquer
A standout feature that set Figma apart was its cloud collaboration functionality accessible directly from the browser. This meant you could access Figma from anywhere in the world without relying on your personal laptop, which was a game-changer for me. Unlike Adobe, Sketch, and InVision, who struggled to achieve this for a considerable time, Figma succeeded in providing seamless browser-based collaboration. This capability served as a crucial differentiator, emphasising the importance of identifying and leveraging unique strengths when building a product.
M&A deals all the way
With a substantial reserve of funds, Figma has been strategically acquiring products to enhance their workflows and processes, aiming to complete the value chain of software development from gaining buy-in to shipping and measuring. Their implementation of AI into their product began after acquiring Diagram, a small company founded by Jordan Singer, which utilised GPT-3 to generate design ideas with minimal input. This acquisition appears to be a promising addition from a product perspective, and it wouldn't be surprising if they pursued further acquisitions. Personally, I'm intrigued by the potential of tools that simplify coding, such as Framer for web design, or those with motion capabilities like ProtoPie, as well as the emergence of no-code tools that integrate design and development. The future holds much anticipation, and I'm curious to witness how it unfolds.
Communication is key always
You need to always communicate with your team and make them aligned about what’s happening always, Dylan Field prioritised transparency with figma employees, stakeholders, and the design community. By keeping lines of communication open and honest, Figma fostered trust and unity, strengthening its position in the market.
Learning from Setbacks
Field viewed the failed sale of the fallout as a valuable learning experience. He emphasized the importance of resilience in the face of adversity and the need to embrace failure as a catalyst for growth. By analysing the reasons behind the setback and learning from their mistakes, He characterised this as keeping your foot on the gas always at any point in time.
The in-depth version of the product lessons was posted here
Pls comment on your best product tip from Figma, I’d love to hear from you. I also try to feature indie tips and exciting product stuff
Looking forward to hearing from you

👋 Hello, Idris here! Each week, I feature tips and stories from successful self-made founders, share insights on building great products. This week I want to share a summarised version of the product lessons we can learn from Figma
You can find the full case study here
This week, we're spotlighting one of my all-time favourite design tools that's revolutionised our approach to design and collaboration: Figma.
Figma, conceived by Dylan, stands out as a collaborative cloud-based web application tailored for designing user interfaces. It made waves when it announced its $20B merger with Adobe in September 2022. However, this union was short-lived, lasting only 15 months, as regulatory concerns in the EU and the United Kingdom prompted its abandonment.
Recently, I stumbled upon an article featuring interviews with Dylan regarding the fallout of Figma's merger acquisition, along with his insights and future plans. I found it crucial to shed light on their journey, from the inception of Figma to what lies ahead. Here are some key takeaways that can enhance your product development journey...
Software is eating the world
You heard it correctly: software is truly revolutionising our world. I first encountered this concept from Gary Tan of YC, and it still astonishes me. Witnessing a small startup and its tool, created just 5-6 years ago from the ground up, surpass established leaders like InVision and Sketch, and even challenge industry behemoths like Adobe, is remarkable. The emergence of Figma demonstrates the profound influence of exceptional software on our work practices. Just half a decade ago, Figma was nonexistent, highlighting the transformative power of innovative technology
Staying True to Vision and Values
Despite the tumultuous aftermath of the Figma acquisition fallout, Dylan Field remained steadfast in upholding Figma’s fundamental values and mission. He reiterated the significance of prioritising user experience, nurturing a culture of innovation, and empowering designers globally. By unwaveringly adhering to these guiding principles, Figma not only endured but also flourished amidst adversity.
Revenue matters a lot
In the article, Dylan revealed that Figma had amassed a staggering $600 million in revenue, along with an additional $1 billion windfall from the fallout with Adobe – an astonishing sum indeed! 😮. Figma's billing strategy has become quite intense lately; even users on the free plan find themselves nudged towards upgrading. Initially, they adopted a strategy of offering low prices to attract a large user base and gather feedback. However, as they rolled out more features, they began to restrict access to some unless users upgraded. This shift essentially compels users, including small businesses, to pay for access to unlock the platform's full potential. Figma's journey underscores the importance of both creating an outstanding product and strategically developing revenue streams along the way.
It’s okay to start with small pricing
From the outset, pricing served as a pivotal differentiator for Figma, setting it apart from competing tools and establishing a foundation of trust. Their affordability from the beginning fostered a strong bond with the community and solidified their reputation. By offering accessible pricing, Figma effectively lowered the barrier to entry for aspiring and novice designers, enabling them to learn the fundamentals of interface design and embark on a journey of career growth and skill development.
Be innovative and conquer
A standout feature that set Figma apart was its cloud collaboration functionality accessible directly from the browser. This meant you could access Figma from anywhere in the world without relying on your personal laptop, which was a game-changer for me. Unlike Adobe, Sketch, and InVision, who struggled to achieve this for a considerable time, Figma succeeded in providing seamless browser-based collaboration. This capability served as a crucial differentiator, emphasising the importance of identifying and leveraging unique strengths when building a product.
M&A deals all the way
With a substantial reserve of funds, Figma has been strategically acquiring products to enhance their workflows and processes, aiming to complete the value chain of software development from gaining buy-in to shipping and measuring. Their implementation of AI into their product began after acquiring Diagram, a small company founded by Jordan Singer, which utilised GPT-3 to generate design ideas with minimal input. This acquisition appears to be a promising addition from a product perspective, and it wouldn't be surprising if they pursued further acquisitions. Personally, I'm intrigued by the potential of tools that simplify coding, such as Framer for web design, or those with motion capabilities like ProtoPie, as well as the emergence of no-code tools that integrate design and development. The future holds much anticipation, and I'm curious to witness how it unfolds.
Communication is key always
You need to always communicate with your team and make them aligned about what’s happening always, Dylan Field prioritised transparency with figma employees, stakeholders, and the design community. By keeping lines of communication open and honest, Figma fostered trust and unity, strengthening its position in the market.
Learning from Setbacks
Field viewed the failed sale of the fallout as a valuable learning experience. He emphasized the importance of resilience in the face of adversity and the need to embrace failure as a catalyst for growth. By analysing the reasons behind the setback and learning from their mistakes, He characterised this as keeping your foot on the gas always at any point in time.
The in-depth version of the product lessons was posted here
Pls comment on your best product tip from Figma, I’d love to hear from you. I also try to feature indie tips and exciting product stuff
Looking forward to hearing from you

👋 Hello, Idris here! Each week, I feature tips and stories from successful self-made founders, share insights on building great products. This week I want to share a summarised version of the product lessons we can learn from Figma
You can find the full case study here
This week, we're spotlighting one of my all-time favourite design tools that's revolutionised our approach to design and collaboration: Figma.
Figma, conceived by Dylan, stands out as a collaborative cloud-based web application tailored for designing user interfaces. It made waves when it announced its $20B merger with Adobe in September 2022. However, this union was short-lived, lasting only 15 months, as regulatory concerns in the EU and the United Kingdom prompted its abandonment.
Recently, I stumbled upon an article featuring interviews with Dylan regarding the fallout of Figma's merger acquisition, along with his insights and future plans. I found it crucial to shed light on their journey, from the inception of Figma to what lies ahead. Here are some key takeaways that can enhance your product development journey...
Software is eating the world
You heard it correctly: software is truly revolutionising our world. I first encountered this concept from Gary Tan of YC, and it still astonishes me. Witnessing a small startup and its tool, created just 5-6 years ago from the ground up, surpass established leaders like InVision and Sketch, and even challenge industry behemoths like Adobe, is remarkable. The emergence of Figma demonstrates the profound influence of exceptional software on our work practices. Just half a decade ago, Figma was nonexistent, highlighting the transformative power of innovative technology
Staying True to Vision and Values
Despite the tumultuous aftermath of the Figma acquisition fallout, Dylan Field remained steadfast in upholding Figma’s fundamental values and mission. He reiterated the significance of prioritising user experience, nurturing a culture of innovation, and empowering designers globally. By unwaveringly adhering to these guiding principles, Figma not only endured but also flourished amidst adversity.
Revenue matters a lot
In the article, Dylan revealed that Figma had amassed a staggering $600 million in revenue, along with an additional $1 billion windfall from the fallout with Adobe – an astonishing sum indeed! 😮. Figma's billing strategy has become quite intense lately; even users on the free plan find themselves nudged towards upgrading. Initially, they adopted a strategy of offering low prices to attract a large user base and gather feedback. However, as they rolled out more features, they began to restrict access to some unless users upgraded. This shift essentially compels users, including small businesses, to pay for access to unlock the platform's full potential. Figma's journey underscores the importance of both creating an outstanding product and strategically developing revenue streams along the way.
It’s okay to start with small pricing
From the outset, pricing served as a pivotal differentiator for Figma, setting it apart from competing tools and establishing a foundation of trust. Their affordability from the beginning fostered a strong bond with the community and solidified their reputation. By offering accessible pricing, Figma effectively lowered the barrier to entry for aspiring and novice designers, enabling them to learn the fundamentals of interface design and embark on a journey of career growth and skill development.
Be innovative and conquer
A standout feature that set Figma apart was its cloud collaboration functionality accessible directly from the browser. This meant you could access Figma from anywhere in the world without relying on your personal laptop, which was a game-changer for me. Unlike Adobe, Sketch, and InVision, who struggled to achieve this for a considerable time, Figma succeeded in providing seamless browser-based collaboration. This capability served as a crucial differentiator, emphasising the importance of identifying and leveraging unique strengths when building a product.
M&A deals all the way
With a substantial reserve of funds, Figma has been strategically acquiring products to enhance their workflows and processes, aiming to complete the value chain of software development from gaining buy-in to shipping and measuring. Their implementation of AI into their product began after acquiring Diagram, a small company founded by Jordan Singer, which utilised GPT-3 to generate design ideas with minimal input. This acquisition appears to be a promising addition from a product perspective, and it wouldn't be surprising if they pursued further acquisitions. Personally, I'm intrigued by the potential of tools that simplify coding, such as Framer for web design, or those with motion capabilities like ProtoPie, as well as the emergence of no-code tools that integrate design and development. The future holds much anticipation, and I'm curious to witness how it unfolds.
Communication is key always
You need to always communicate with your team and make them aligned about what’s happening always, Dylan Field prioritised transparency with figma employees, stakeholders, and the design community. By keeping lines of communication open and honest, Figma fostered trust and unity, strengthening its position in the market.
Learning from Setbacks
Field viewed the failed sale of the fallout as a valuable learning experience. He emphasized the importance of resilience in the face of adversity and the need to embrace failure as a catalyst for growth. By analysing the reasons behind the setback and learning from their mistakes, He characterised this as keeping your foot on the gas always at any point in time.
The in-depth version of the product lessons was posted here
Pls comment on your best product tip from Figma, I’d love to hear from you. I also try to feature indie tips and exciting product stuff
Looking forward to hearing from you

👋 Hello, Idris here! Each week, I feature tips and stories from successful self-made founders, share insights on building great products. This week I want to share a summarised version of the product lessons we can learn from Figma
You can find the full case study here
This week, we're spotlighting one of my all-time favourite design tools that's revolutionised our approach to design and collaboration: Figma.
Figma, conceived by Dylan, stands out as a collaborative cloud-based web application tailored for designing user interfaces. It made waves when it announced its $20B merger with Adobe in September 2022. However, this union was short-lived, lasting only 15 months, as regulatory concerns in the EU and the United Kingdom prompted its abandonment.
Recently, I stumbled upon an article featuring interviews with Dylan regarding the fallout of Figma's merger acquisition, along with his insights and future plans. I found it crucial to shed light on their journey, from the inception of Figma to what lies ahead. Here are some key takeaways that can enhance your product development journey...
Software is eating the world
You heard it correctly: software is truly revolutionising our world. I first encountered this concept from Gary Tan of YC, and it still astonishes me. Witnessing a small startup and its tool, created just 5-6 years ago from the ground up, surpass established leaders like InVision and Sketch, and even challenge industry behemoths like Adobe, is remarkable. The emergence of Figma demonstrates the profound influence of exceptional software on our work practices. Just half a decade ago, Figma was nonexistent, highlighting the transformative power of innovative technology
Staying True to Vision and Values
Despite the tumultuous aftermath of the Figma acquisition fallout, Dylan Field remained steadfast in upholding Figma’s fundamental values and mission. He reiterated the significance of prioritising user experience, nurturing a culture of innovation, and empowering designers globally. By unwaveringly adhering to these guiding principles, Figma not only endured but also flourished amidst adversity.
Revenue matters a lot
In the article, Dylan revealed that Figma had amassed a staggering $600 million in revenue, along with an additional $1 billion windfall from the fallout with Adobe – an astonishing sum indeed! 😮. Figma's billing strategy has become quite intense lately; even users on the free plan find themselves nudged towards upgrading. Initially, they adopted a strategy of offering low prices to attract a large user base and gather feedback. However, as they rolled out more features, they began to restrict access to some unless users upgraded. This shift essentially compels users, including small businesses, to pay for access to unlock the platform's full potential. Figma's journey underscores the importance of both creating an outstanding product and strategically developing revenue streams along the way.
It’s okay to start with small pricing
From the outset, pricing served as a pivotal differentiator for Figma, setting it apart from competing tools and establishing a foundation of trust. Their affordability from the beginning fostered a strong bond with the community and solidified their reputation. By offering accessible pricing, Figma effectively lowered the barrier to entry for aspiring and novice designers, enabling them to learn the fundamentals of interface design and embark on a journey of career growth and skill development.
Be innovative and conquer
A standout feature that set Figma apart was its cloud collaboration functionality accessible directly from the browser. This meant you could access Figma from anywhere in the world without relying on your personal laptop, which was a game-changer for me. Unlike Adobe, Sketch, and InVision, who struggled to achieve this for a considerable time, Figma succeeded in providing seamless browser-based collaboration. This capability served as a crucial differentiator, emphasising the importance of identifying and leveraging unique strengths when building a product.
M&A deals all the way
With a substantial reserve of funds, Figma has been strategically acquiring products to enhance their workflows and processes, aiming to complete the value chain of software development from gaining buy-in to shipping and measuring. Their implementation of AI into their product began after acquiring Diagram, a small company founded by Jordan Singer, which utilised GPT-3 to generate design ideas with minimal input. This acquisition appears to be a promising addition from a product perspective, and it wouldn't be surprising if they pursued further acquisitions. Personally, I'm intrigued by the potential of tools that simplify coding, such as Framer for web design, or those with motion capabilities like ProtoPie, as well as the emergence of no-code tools that integrate design and development. The future holds much anticipation, and I'm curious to witness how it unfolds.
Communication is key always
You need to always communicate with your team and make them aligned about what’s happening always, Dylan Field prioritised transparency with figma employees, stakeholders, and the design community. By keeping lines of communication open and honest, Figma fostered trust and unity, strengthening its position in the market.
Learning from Setbacks
Field viewed the failed sale of the fallout as a valuable learning experience. He emphasized the importance of resilience in the face of adversity and the need to embrace failure as a catalyst for growth. By analysing the reasons behind the setback and learning from their mistakes, He characterised this as keeping your foot on the gas always at any point in time.
The in-depth version of the product lessons was posted here
Pls comment on your best product tip from Figma, I’d love to hear from you. I also try to feature indie tips and exciting product stuff
Looking forward to hearing from you

👋 Hello, Idris here! Each week, I feature tips and stories from successful self-made founders, share insights on building great products. This week I want to share a summarised version of the product lessons we can learn from Figma
You can find the full case study here
This week, we're spotlighting one of my all-time favourite design tools that's revolutionised our approach to design and collaboration: Figma.
Figma, conceived by Dylan, stands out as a collaborative cloud-based web application tailored for designing user interfaces. It made waves when it announced its $20B merger with Adobe in September 2022. However, this union was short-lived, lasting only 15 months, as regulatory concerns in the EU and the United Kingdom prompted its abandonment.
Recently, I stumbled upon an article featuring interviews with Dylan regarding the fallout of Figma's merger acquisition, along with his insights and future plans. I found it crucial to shed light on their journey, from the inception of Figma to what lies ahead. Here are some key takeaways that can enhance your product development journey...
Software is eating the world
You heard it correctly: software is truly revolutionising our world. I first encountered this concept from Gary Tan of YC, and it still astonishes me. Witnessing a small startup and its tool, created just 5-6 years ago from the ground up, surpass established leaders like InVision and Sketch, and even challenge industry behemoths like Adobe, is remarkable. The emergence of Figma demonstrates the profound influence of exceptional software on our work practices. Just half a decade ago, Figma was nonexistent, highlighting the transformative power of innovative technology
Staying True to Vision and Values
Despite the tumultuous aftermath of the Figma acquisition fallout, Dylan Field remained steadfast in upholding Figma’s fundamental values and mission. He reiterated the significance of prioritising user experience, nurturing a culture of innovation, and empowering designers globally. By unwaveringly adhering to these guiding principles, Figma not only endured but also flourished amidst adversity.
Revenue matters a lot
In the article, Dylan revealed that Figma had amassed a staggering $600 million in revenue, along with an additional $1 billion windfall from the fallout with Adobe – an astonishing sum indeed! 😮. Figma's billing strategy has become quite intense lately; even users on the free plan find themselves nudged towards upgrading. Initially, they adopted a strategy of offering low prices to attract a large user base and gather feedback. However, as they rolled out more features, they began to restrict access to some unless users upgraded. This shift essentially compels users, including small businesses, to pay for access to unlock the platform's full potential. Figma's journey underscores the importance of both creating an outstanding product and strategically developing revenue streams along the way.
It’s okay to start with small pricing
From the outset, pricing served as a pivotal differentiator for Figma, setting it apart from competing tools and establishing a foundation of trust. Their affordability from the beginning fostered a strong bond with the community and solidified their reputation. By offering accessible pricing, Figma effectively lowered the barrier to entry for aspiring and novice designers, enabling them to learn the fundamentals of interface design and embark on a journey of career growth and skill development.
Be innovative and conquer
A standout feature that set Figma apart was its cloud collaboration functionality accessible directly from the browser. This meant you could access Figma from anywhere in the world without relying on your personal laptop, which was a game-changer for me. Unlike Adobe, Sketch, and InVision, who struggled to achieve this for a considerable time, Figma succeeded in providing seamless browser-based collaboration. This capability served as a crucial differentiator, emphasising the importance of identifying and leveraging unique strengths when building a product.
M&A deals all the way
With a substantial reserve of funds, Figma has been strategically acquiring products to enhance their workflows and processes, aiming to complete the value chain of software development from gaining buy-in to shipping and measuring. Their implementation of AI into their product began after acquiring Diagram, a small company founded by Jordan Singer, which utilised GPT-3 to generate design ideas with minimal input. This acquisition appears to be a promising addition from a product perspective, and it wouldn't be surprising if they pursued further acquisitions. Personally, I'm intrigued by the potential of tools that simplify coding, such as Framer for web design, or those with motion capabilities like ProtoPie, as well as the emergence of no-code tools that integrate design and development. The future holds much anticipation, and I'm curious to witness how it unfolds.
Communication is key always
You need to always communicate with your team and make them aligned about what’s happening always, Dylan Field prioritised transparency with figma employees, stakeholders, and the design community. By keeping lines of communication open and honest, Figma fostered trust and unity, strengthening its position in the market.
Learning from Setbacks
Field viewed the failed sale of the fallout as a valuable learning experience. He emphasized the importance of resilience in the face of adversity and the need to embrace failure as a catalyst for growth. By analysing the reasons behind the setback and learning from their mistakes, He characterised this as keeping your foot on the gas always at any point in time.
The in-depth version of the product lessons was posted here
Pls comment on your best product tip from Figma, I’d love to hear from you. I also try to feature indie tips and exciting product stuff
Looking forward to hearing from you