# Past Lives ## Content **YouTube (2021-2023)** I used pop music as a lens for reflecting on the human condition. Just as the YouTube algorithm started blessing me—after 2 years of weekly uploads—I decided to stop the channel. I didn't like how being a content creator changed the way I saw the world, where every private moment or personal interaction was now potential material for content. <br> **Needle (2017)** After the 2016 election, I started "a newsletter for bursting your bubble" to tackle the problem of echo chambers. Each Tuesday, I curated diverse perspectives on last week's news from a wide range of sources. A few months in, I realized consuming so much news wasn't good for my mental health and stopped the project. *One reader said that Needle sparked an hour-long discussion with their co-worker; for a side project, it doesn't get better than that.* ## Code **Genre Weekly (2019-2020)** Long before Spotify launched the Release Radar feature, me and a friend built it ourselves. Every week, our app would go through the Spotify New Releases page and add each song to our playlist for its genre, giving you one easy place to keep up with the latest in rap, R&B, pop, and more. My favorite part of this project was designing playlist art that could be generated dynamically based on the week's releases. *2.5K playlist followers · #1 post on r/hiphopheads the day I shared it* <br> **HVRGLX (2015)** Experimental app concept that turns your phone into an hourglass: set how long you'd like to focus for, then flip your phone over to hide notifications–you'll hear a distinct sound when time is up. *4K downloads · Featured on BGR, Brit + Co, and more*