Hi. I’m Stepa Mitaki. I’m a product person and an entrepreneur. I’ve been working in 🏙 govtech for eight years and currently building a new company in 👩🏼⚕️ health tech while maintaining a day job at a UK-based 🏦 fintech startup.
Morning Walk is a personal weekly newsletter where I share some musings on tech, digital healthcare, working on startups, productivity, some nerdy stuff and an occasional share of reflections on the war and how it feels being Russian at this moment in history.
This issue was sent out to 109 subscribers (+2 from the previous week). Last week’s issue received 207 views.
📝 Spotting Apple's long-term strategy from their software updates
Last week Apple introduced updated versions of their software lineup: iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, macOS Ventura, and tvOS 16. I especially enjoy watching their software keynotes since these are the products I truly use every single day, and some of my daily rituals, habits and ways of working might change drastically based on what they'll come up with.
But most of the updates are just minor incremental product improvements. Some are quite obvious, some are not, but this is still a tactical product evolution. But I'm especially interested in figuring out some long-term strategic moves Apple is making based on their software updates.
They might be tricky to spot from time to time, but once you find something, you can't turn away.
Take spatial audio, for example. Apple introduced support for spatial audio last year. Since then, they've been pushing updates in this direction every couple of months. iOS 16 now even includes a setting to tailor the Spatial Audio profile specifically to your ears using the TrueDepth camera (what!? 🤯)
There are two new settings I've noticed when using AirPods. The first is a new personalized Spatial Audio profile tailored specifically to you that uses the TrueDepth camera to analyze the geometry of your ears (not kidding). Think of this process as Face ID setup, but for your ears: first, you'll be asked to scan your face by tilting your head slowly, just like Face ID setup; then, you'll have to place the iPhone by the right side of your head, within a few inches of your ears, so the camera can scan it. You'll hear and feel feedback as you do that and when the process completes. Repeat the same step for the left side of your head and your left ear, and you're all set. I looked a bit ridiculous when doing this, but thankfully no one was home when I tried.
You have got to really like Spatial Audio to go for this kind of innovation. But why?
When I first tried Spatial Audio with my AirPods Pro, I thought it was a dumb feature. I'm watching a video on my iPad, I turn my head sideways, and the audio comes from only one of the earbuds. At first, I thought my AirPods had lost connection, and audio came from iPad's speakers. It felt super weird and off. But no, I tweaked around, and it turned out it was a feature, not a bug.
I've tried plenty of 3D audio experiences before, and it was nothing like this. I was hoping they would add some spatial effect to music and videos that would allow you to feel like you're inside of the event. But no, you felt is that you are simply watching this from a nearby device.
But now I see why Apple keeps pushing in this direction, and it seems more and more evident to me. It's part of their AR strategy. It looks like they a laying up a foundation to build upon for truly spatial experiences once they have AR glasses (or something). Some of it may seem off right now, but these are necessary steps towards it. Adding new settings and adding support for more and more content, this is just the beginning.
👩🏼⚕️ Health tech things
Addressing employee burnout: Are you solving the right problem?
Turns out, toxic workplace behaviour is the biggest driver of negative workplace outcomes, such as burnout and intent to leave. By far! Think about that when you're designing your next mental health webinar at your company.
Health Tech Nerds
Private communities might be the best source of knowledge I know, aside from 1-to-1 talks with founders. The more difficult it is to get there, the better. I haven't been to YCombinator but heard many things about their Bookface. The same goes for any niche market or field. Joined this Slack community on health tech last week, and I was amazed at the level of discussion happening there.
🌏 Other interests and world affairs
The Great VC Pullback of 2022
Excellent summary of what's happening in the venture capital market these days and how it affects your seed or Series A rounds.
The Age of the Essay
I continue catching up on the old essays from Paul Graham, and this one struck a chord in me. The whole piece is fantastic, but this beat on surprises has stuck in my mind. What surprised you the most last month?
So what's interesting? For me, interesting means surprise. Interfaces, as Geoffrey James has said, should follow the principle of least astonishment. A button that looks like it will make a machine stop should make it stop, not speed up. Essays should do the opposite. Essays should aim for maximum surprise.
Slow down, it’s what your brain has been begging for
Something all of us need to remind ourselves of from time to time.
Laziness is not something we need to fix or overcome with caffeine or longer hours, but a sign that you need to slow down
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Until next week 👋🏻
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