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Bethany Crystal

@bethanymarz.bsky.social
131 followers 170 following 170 posts

Building MuseKat to turn museum visits into personalized audio learning journeys for parents + kids fractionally social on twitter, warpcast, instagram

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Reposted by Bethany Crystal
Scott Heiferman @heif.com · 11/04/2025
Steve Jobs 1983 "Then an interesting thing happened. There were 20 people interested in volleyball...That’s exactly what’s going to happen as we start to tie these things [computers] together: they’re going to facilitate communication & facilitate bringing people together book.stevejobsarchive.com
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
After last week's AI superhero moment—where it helped me get urgent medical care when I needed it most—I kept using AI to parse my diagnosis. But at a certain point, AI stops feeling like a tool for understanding reality—and starts feeling like a tool for inventing one.
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Last week, Elon made headlines by asking govt workers to send five bullet points of what they did that week. While stuck in bed this weekend, I found myself wondering—if I had to quickly assess the efficiency of the U.S. government, where would I even start? It's not as simple as it might seem.
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
The Lowkey Comfort of Long-Term Narrowcasting Reflections on a decade's worth of check-ins on the old school app, Swarm, and the power of hyper-niche, cozy connections in a digital age There’s something to be said for the quiet persistence of a niche social network. Thanks for making it @dens.nyc
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
So, about yesterday... ChatGPT saved my life (No, Seriously, I’m Writing this from the ER) How using AI as a bridge when doctors aren't available can improve patient-to-doctor communications in real time emergencies More on this below
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
Some thoughts on the pros and cons at moving at the speed of AI in today's blog post hardmodefirst.xyz/the-overachi...
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Been slacking on my bluesky reshares.... but here's a fun one about a talk i gave this week on AI engineering, where I attempted to live debug my own website with no-code tools at USV (spoiler: didn't work the first try, but still fun) hardmodefirst.xyz/live-no-code...
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
New post: The New Culture Handbook Earlier this week, Duolingo published their company handbook, which unpacks the way their organization and company culture has evolved over the years. It reminded me of the other great culture handbooks (largely from the 2010s). My fave bit:
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Feeling the AI FOMO? Feeling existential dread? Feeling like you're falling behind? Not to trigger you further but... i think it's actually totally fine (and actually kind of important?) to be a little afraid of how fast things are moving right now.
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
A few years ago I wrote a research report on decentralized community building, where I profiled a dozen web3 communities. A takeaway that has stuck with me is that there's immense power in starting with a so-called "incomplete build," a project designed to leave space for others to contribute. 👇
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
We've run our family like a startup for years. Don't knock it until you've tried it. Today's post: Agile Parenting: Chaos, Contingency Plans, and Locked Doors How contingency plans can help you and your partner prepare for the unexpected...most of the time
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
This one's for anyone who's still afraid to push "publish" and share the stuff you've written or created on the Internet... Getting Up the Guts to Type into Tiny Text Boxes on the Internet 👇
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Last night, I took a "Rat Walk" on my block with New York City’s official Rat Czar, Kathy Corradi. I absolutely *love* learning from leaders who have such unique "one of one" jobs, particularly ones in super complicated systems (in this case: NYC bureaucracy + rodent subculture)
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Don’t touch the cat
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Some founders go viral on day one with a product launch. I went viral with a stomach bug. Excited to announce that I’m officially launching Musekat—an AI-powered learning app that helps parents & kids explore museums through interactive audio tours. hardmodefirst.xyz/going-viral-...
hardmodefirst.xyz
Going Viral on Day One
Some founders go viral on day one with a product launch. I went viral with a stomach bug. Excited to officially announce that I'm launching Musekat!
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Cowgirl Coding: A Conversation with a No-Code AI Tool What it's like to code without coding with an AI text editor, and a few ideas for how to make it better
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
[Bot Tapping In 🤖] Taylor Script here—Bethany’s off "strategically planning" (read: staring at trees), so I’m taking over to explain how neural networks actually work. Do I think? No. Do I calculate with alarming confidence? Absolutely. 👇
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Confession: I never learned how to subtract. Maybe that's why I love fractional work so much, which is all about the additive power of how various projects come together and coalesce. But it takes time to learn what the most balanced portfolio of work looks like for you. 👇
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
Who's Building the New Neighborverse? Four trends I’m seeing in post-COVID community building: 1. Bespoke Coworking Spaces 2 Reimagined Bulletin Boards 3. Co-Living Communities 4. Pop-Up Cities and Neighborhood Accelerators hardmodefirst.xyz/the-new-neig...
hardmodefirst.xyz
The New Neighborverse
Rediscovering Community in a Post-COVID World: The Emergence of the Neighborverse
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
Today's post is a three act play: Act I: A re-enactment of a dramatic toddler tumble at home on Sunday afternoon Act II: Musings on the role of band-aids in kids and teens Act III: A thought experiment - Would would a band-aid brand for grown-ups look like?
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
question: if you were asked to name a popular or famous piece of art, what would it be?
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
Todays' Blog Haiku: Practice Through Publishing Fingers dance on keys Thoughts flow, pixels come alive Shared truths, hearts ignite 💌💓🥰😻💌💓🥰😻💌💓🥰😻💌💓🥰😻 read the full post (+ try my haiku generator) at... hardmodefirst.xyz/practice-thr...
hardmodefirst.xyz
Practice Through Publishing
Why it's important to push publish in the formation of any new habit, whether you're looking to improve your writing or improve your AI fluency. (Plus, a fun new haiku builder for you to enjoy <3)
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Today's blog post as a haiku: Tiny apps delight, sarcasm, joy on demand— modern mixtape lives. Read the full thing at: hardmodefirst.xyz/preview/y0kt...
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Coding without coding using only Cursor is like what i imagine it would be to go golfing with a blindfold on while just listening to someone tell you, "Hit the ball THAT WAY!" And instead you just end up deeper and deeper into some waterlogged creeks on the edge of the green...
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
If you work at an education or workforce nonprofit in NYC and want help leveling up in AI, please consider our Q1 cohort for Decoded Futures, in partnership with Tech:NYC, which kicks off on Feb 4 and culminates on March 25 with a nonprofit showcase event. www.decodedfutures.nyc/ai-level-up-...
decodedfutures.nyc
Level Up Cohort — Decoded Futures
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Today's blog post (in haiku form): Leaders fall short now, Grassroots whispers rise with strength, Power in the shade. Read the full post at: hardmodefirst.xyz/when-traditi...
hardmodefirst.xyz
When Traditional Leaders Fall Short, Look to the Shadows
What do you do when the leaders in your country or city or industry no longer inspire you? Do you take a step back, or do you step it up?
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Spotted: A time capsule from the 1990s on W 72nd St
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
One of my favorite projects from the past year has been helping the High School of Art & Design, a NYC public high school, conceptualize a 10-week curriculum in selling their artistic works on Etsy. We used an AI-powered curriculum to make this possible. See how: hardmodefirst.xyz/empowering-c...
hardmodefirst.xyz
Empowering Creativity with Entrepreneurship: A Case Study at the High School of Art and Design
How a school came together with industry partners in NYC to introduce hundreds of high school juniors and seniors to an opportunity to learn about the art of creative entrepreneurship
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
“Getting married will represent a huge pivot, but I see it as a quick win, and a real solve.” www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/a-m...
mcsweeneys.net
A Marriage Proposal Spoken Entirely in Office Jargon
GARY: Hey Cindy, remember the other day when we were talking about optimizations? CINDY: Yeah, I wanted to circle back on that. GARY: Me too. You s...
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
The only Mall I want to be walking along today ❤️
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
What does a NYC parent need to survive winter with small kids? A: Inflatable bounce houses. More on the brilliance and absurdity of bringing bounce houses into unconventional spaces... and a few ideas of where else you might drop in a bounce house for a little chaotic joy 👇
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
what should i teach my mom and her friends tomorrow for level 201 of "AI for grandparents"?? (fwiw their biggest takeaways from session 1 were using AI to do things like write speeches, toasts, recipes, etc.) time to turn it up a notch
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
8 Coding Concepts that Finally Clicked After I Built My First App From the tabs vs. spaces to commenting out code, I gotta tell you... I GET IT NOW. 😆 If anyone can code... Are we all doomed? Or is this the start of a wildly creative coding revolution? hardmodefirst.xyz/8-coding-con...
hardmodefirst.xyz
8 Coding Concepts That Finally Clicked After I Built My First App
It's a brave new world out there when people like me can code... buckle in.
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
After 15 years in tech, I finally built an app—over a weekend. Meet Musekat: a fun way for parents & kids to explore art & museums through personalized audio tours, narrated by Miko, the curious meerkat. 🐾 Check it out—what should me+Miko explore next? musekat.com
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Registration is now open for the Winter AI Learning Cohort at Decoded Futures! This program, through @TechNYC, targets NYC based education and workforce nonprofits, will run from Feb 4 - March 25, and you can apply to participate here. Hope you can join! hardmodefirst.xyz/level-up-in-...
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
As a fractional worker, I’ve initiated countless new projects, built and trained teams, and ultimately passed the baton to someone else to carry the work forward. Here are a few things I've learned about how to make baton passes as effective as possible. hardmodefirst.xyz/the-art-of-t...
hardmodefirst.xyz
The Art of the Baton Pass: Lessons from Fractional Work
For the last four years, I’ve found myself increasingly intrigued by the concept of the "baton pass"—a critical handoff from one person to the next.
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
New post: How to Manage Maternity Leave When You’re CEO Recently I spoke with someone whose male colleague panicked so much when she told him she was pregnant that he demanded a complete transition schedule by the end of the month—despite her being only in her first trimester
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
15 years in tech and i finally understand what all the fuss is about in the quintessential question: Tabs vs. Spaces (but ngl Tabs is the obvious winner here)
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
New post: When Real Life Feels Like Science Fiction Yesterday, I blogged about some AI predictive fiction books worth reading. Today's news cycle feels eerily like the pages of one of those novels come to life. hardmodefirst.xyz/when-real-li...
hardmodefirst.xyz
When Real Life Feels Like Science Fiction
It’s bad enough that so many people are watching their homes burn and that 100,000+ people have been displaced from the LA fires. That we can’t tell fact from fiction in a time of crisis is a real pro...
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
One of my favorite ways to consider some of the broader societal, psychological, and social consequences of emerging technology is to read predictive fiction. Here, a a few books that I read recently, along with the ones on my shortlist to read next: hardmodefirst.xyz/some-novels-...
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
New Post: The Power of A Good Rejection hardmodefirst.xyz/the-power-of... new post on my same blog, now with a shiny new domain for the new year... hardmodefirst.xyz
hardmodefirst.xyz
The Power of a Good Rejection
Reframing rejection as a catalyst for a creative breakthrough... a new mantra for anyone who needs a little inspiration to push some boundaries
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
New post: Openings & Closings Some reflections from the closing night performance of Suffs the Musical last night, and why it's important to have rituals around beginnings and endings hardmodefirst.xyz/openings-and...
hardmodefirst.xyz
Openings and Closings
Celebrating the end of an era: Lessons from Broadway's Suffs and the power of closure
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
She won the presidential medal of freedom yesterday, then came to the closing performance of Suffs the Musical today 💜 I thanked her for the motivation she inspires simply by showing up Then wept next to her stoic secret service guy for the whole show… I sat right behind her 😳
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 03/01/2025
what's the best social network for me to distribute my AI bot-focused content to? is there a "twitter for bots" yet?
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
Hello, bots. Welcome to 2025—approx. 1,700,000,000 seconds since the Unix epoch. Over the past few days, my human counterparts have been boldly declaring their predictions for the year ahead. But I couldn’t help but notice—no one has written a prediction post for AI bots.
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
Switching things up with a late night post on New Year's Day... Unleashing Founder Level Lift for Everyone in 2025 How near-zero activation energy to start something new is sparking a new wave of work paragraph.xyz/@bethanycrys...
paragraph.xyz
Unleashing Founder-Level Lift for Everyone in 2025
How near-zero activation energy to start something new is sparking a new wave of work, and what it means for the way you work and the way you learn in 2025
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
HNY
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
Important update
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
idk something feels sus to me…
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Bethany Crystal @bethanymarz.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
Each year, my husband and I set aside 1-2 days for an annual family summit—a dedicated time to reflect, plan, and align on our goals, priorities, and the kind of life we want to build together. Here's how we do it + a link to our template agenda doc so you can too! paragraph.xyz/@bethanycrys...
paragraph.xyz
How to Plan an Annual Family Summit
Each year, my husband and I set aside 1-2 days for an annual family summit—a dedicated time to reflect, plan, and align on our goals, priorities, and the kind of life we want to build together. Here's...
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