36 Dishes, CEO Simulator, Grocery Lists & Finding DIY

#62 of 10+1 Things | Abu Dhabi

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This week went by swiftly as usual, with a few friends coming over for the weekend. On Sunday, I spent the whole day on the couch watching the India vs. Pakistan cricket match, a game that never fails to bring excitement. While cricket is limited to a handful of nations, I was surprised to learn that the match drew a staggering 600 million viewers online. That’s probably more than the EPL or even the NFL!

Midweek, I decided to switch things up and work from M39 workspace in Abu Dhabi. A change of scenery always helps, and I ended up getting more done than on a regular work-from-home day. Later, I visited MAKE Abu Dhabi, a space for makers, artists, and engineers to bring ideas to life. I was really impressed by the setup, which had almost everything I’d want in my ultimate maker space. I saw people working with wood, assembling circuits, 3D printing parts, crafting ceramics and pottery, and even designing custom apparel in the sewing section.

Walking through the space and seeing people deep in their craft made me think about my own plans. I’m working on designing, building, and launching a small product this quarter together with someone. It’s still in the ideation phase, with a few tweaks to figure out, but being in that space made it all feel more tangible. If everything comes together as planned, I’ll definitely be back, not just as a visitor but as a maker.

This visit wasn’t planned at all. It was a completely random stop on the way back from lunch. But sometimes, the most unexpected moments remind us that we’re on the right path, nudging us toward what we’ve been meaning to do all along.

Without further ado, here are 10+1 things I thought were worth sharing this week:

💡 36 Dishes

I loved reading this article by Shraddha Chowdhury on India's incredible food diversity. As an Indian, it breaks my heart when people abroad think Indian food is just naan, butter chicken, or biryani. There’s so much more! I haven’t tried everything on this list, but some of my favorites are pork vindaloo, rogan josh, and fish moilee (I might be biased here!). Chettinad chicken, galouti kebab, and vada pav also make the cut. Every region has its own unique flavors and stories - some influenced by royal kitchens, others shaped by local traditions. Definitely worth a read if you love food and travel!

Have you tried any from the list? If not, what's your favourite Indian food?

🧾 Grocery Lists

I found this cool website which is a collection of almost 4,000 discarded grocery lists people have found. It was started by a guy named Bill Keaggy in 1997 who found it fascinating to glimpse into strangers' lives through their shopping lists. He even wrote a weirdly titled book about it called "Milk Eggs Vodka: Grocery Lists Lost & Found." The site shows how people often misspell words like "mayonnaise" and "banana," and sometimes buy weird combinations of things. Anyone can contribute lists they find, and there's even a downloadable grocery list template you can use.

🕴 CEO Simulator

I found this interesting browser-based game called CEO Simulator, where you play as a startup CEO managing team morale, tech debt, funding, MVP development, and your own mental health over 14 days. Each day, you draw event cards that introduce challenges, and you must strategically decide how to spend your limited working hours. If meetings take up too much time, you can work overtime, but that risks your mental health. The goal is to max out funding and MVP progress before time runs out, while avoiding any metric dropping too low. It’s a fast-paced solo game that captures the real struggles of running a startup in a fun way.

💬 Most Hated Company

I had second thoughts about sharing this Lemmy thread where people discussed the companies they hate the most, but the insights were too interesting to ignore. Elon Musk’s companies were a common choice, while one user had a thought-provoking take on Apple, saying they shifted corporate profits from real-world economics to pure marketing. Nestlé was another big target for exploiting water resources and unethical practices. Google, Microsoft, and Meta were criticized for ruining their own products, while Amazon and Comcast were called out for anti-consumer behavior. Even lesser-known offenders like Pearson made the list for overpriced, broken digital products. A very interesting thread to read!

While reading this, I also gave it some thought, and purely from a UX perspective, the two companies I hate the most and never click any links from are Medium and Glassdoor. What are some companies you hate the most?

📱 Kompakt

I'm a big fan of small phones and I'm dreading the day when my dear compact iPhone 13 Mini dies. As someone who loves E Ink displays and switches my iPhone to grayscale mode to reduce screen addiction, the Mudita Kompakt felt like a perfect device when I saw it on Indiegogo a few days back. It’s a 4.3-inch minimalist phone with just the basics. No social media, no endless notifications, just calls, texts, and essential tools. It runs on MuditaOS K, a custom-built privacy-focused system with no Google services, meaning no tracking or data sharing. The E Ink screen is easy on the eyes, and it even has an Offline+ Mode for complete disconnection. It’s built to last with dust and splash resistance (IP54), and there’s even a desktop app for managing contacts and backups. If you are a fan of dumb minimal phones, this is an interesting one to watch for.

⚖️ The Kilogram

I came across this interesting piece about how the kilogram was redefined. For a long time, its standard was based on a metal cylinder stored in Paris, but over the years, it lost a tiny bit of weight, which made it unreliable. To solve this, scientists replaced it with a method using electromagnetic forces, specifically a device called the Kibble balance. This method defines the kilogram based on Planck’s constant, a fundamental number in physics, making it a fixed and unchanging measurement. Unlike the old metal cylinder, this new definition will always stay the same, no matter where or when it is used. It is fascinating how something as simple as weight is now tied to the laws of physics instead of a physical object.

📚 How to Walk and Talk

I'm still finishing last week's read, but in between, I enjoyed this 21-page piece by Kevin Kelly & Craig Mod on how to walk and talk. It is about small groups walking 100 km over a week, having deep conversations during the day and structured discussions over dinner. The idea is to keep things simple with light packs, local meals, and no distractions so the focus stays on conversations and connections. They prefer new participants each time to keep things fresh and encourage unexpected friendships. The piece also has practical tips on routes, logistics, and gear. A great read if you like the idea of walking and thinking with interesting people.

“You’d be shocked how few people have ever done such a thing before, and how transformative it can be for their self-worth / understanding of physical possibilities. We’ve had many walkers leave going: Whoa, I didn’t know I could do that, and it feels great..”

~ As always, resurfaced by Readwise. If you’re interested, read my review of Readwise.

Not this long, but last month, I did a 40km, 12-hour walk in Abu Dhabi. Read more about it here if you’re interested.

📖 Kombucha Visuals

Not really a visualization but this design by Bedow for Swee Kombucha caught my eye for how it turns something as basic as an ingredient list into a visual system. Each ingredient gets its own color and pattern, and together they form a unique graphic that shows what is inside each drink. The design balances structure and organic elements, reflecting how kombucha is both carefully crafted and naturally fermented. The logo follows the same idea, using shifting shapes to represent the live cultures inside the drink. It is a smart way to make the packaging feel more connected to the product itself while keeping it visually interesting. Read the case study to know more about the approach!

🛠️ Finding DIY

I came across this interesting search engine called FindingDIY, which is dedicated to DIY projects. Instead of digging through cluttered search results, it helps you find high-quality, free guides for things like woodworking, electronics, crafting, and even more advanced stuff like IoT and machine learning. The cool part is that it is designed specifically for DIYers, so the results are actually useful instead of being buried under random junk. If you are into making things, it is a pretty handy tool to explore.

📸 Antique Calculators

Credits: Kevin Twomey

This week I'm exploring a cool photography project called Calculators by Kevin Twomey. He takes apart old calculators and captures their intricate insides, which are full of gears, levers, and springs. It is completely different from today's devices that just have simple microchips. The project started when a collector named Mark Glusker (his collection is also amazing!) asked him to photograph his collection. Once they removed the covers, Twomey realized the real beauty was inside. He uses dramatic lighting and special focus techniques to bring out the details and make these old machines look like pieces of art. If you love old-school gadgets, this is definitely worth checking out.

🎬 Tower Cranes

So I have this 17-storey apartment near my home under construction, and I see this crane almost every day. I never really knew how these cranes grow taller along with the buildings. Ended up searching for it and had so much fun watching this interesting video on how tower cranes climb on their own by adding mast sections as the building rises. The process requires precise balancing since even a small mistake could cause serious consequences, making it one of the riskiest operations in construction. Definitely worth watching if you have ever wondered how these massive machines seem to appear out of nowhere!

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That’s 10+1 Things for the week!

Which one was your favourite this week?
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Rishi

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