Ariel Butters and Josh Stretten-Carlson

Actually Useful

Technology EN ↓ 26 episodes

Why do so many once-beloved internet platforms end up toxic, predatory, and unusable? In an age where tech giants have monopolized our attention, privacy, and livelihoods, how can individuals claw back some agency? Every other Thursday, Actually Useful co-hosts Ariel and Josh talk with creators of radically useful consumer tech to explore what it takes to build and protect the loveliest parts of the internet. If you’re exhausted by parasitic products and feel trapped in an ecosystem of unethical, undelightful tech, this one’s for you.

Author

Ariel Butters and Josh Stretten-Carlson

Episodes

Introducing Actually Useful 03.07.2025 38:41

On our inaugural episode, Ariel and AJ talk about the hazards of managing crappy products, the challenges of living without a smartphone, and the clear-eyed intellectuals from whom we're learning as we carve out a path towards a more useful corner of the internet. Lastly, we introduce Falcon Mode, our listener-submitted segment that's named after a pretty cringe CEO memo that cracked us up...