Here’s a fun thing we made. The Studioworks Library is a collection of free interactive tools and resources for everything from bookkeeping and tax prep to writing tricky client emails. It’s your small business spirit guide. Go play → library.studioworks.app

Per tradition, my first blog post of the year is a recap of 2025. It was a hard year in some ways, a meaningful one in others. Writing it helped me make sense of it. shiflett.org/blog/2026/20...

Thanks for sharing, Emmett! Lowering the bar to creating your own thing (and making it seem less intimidating) is one of the goals. I’d love to see more creatives doing their own thing, but I know it’s not for everyone. We’re trying to help by making simpler tools that make you look (and feel) good.

only @shoptalkshow.com can make an episode about invoicing interesting. Learning about Studioworks makes the thought of starting my own thing seem a lot easier!

Now that Studioworks is a lot more than pretty invoicing, we wanted to update the website to show off some new features and tell a richer story about who we are, what we’re building, and what a Studioworks membership gets you. studioworks.app

Our new (and still WIP) marketing site has some fun interactions, too, including some of the design customizations we use in the product. studioworks.app

Today is launch day! We’ve been working on Studioworks all year, and I think it’s already the best invoicing platform out there, with the lowest fees, most design customizations, and simplest UI. If you’re curious to try it out, here’s a referral link for a free month: studioworks.app/join/chris

You know phones have gotten way too big when one of the new featured accessories is a carrying strap.

Pretty wild that a group of 3 indie developers managed to make a game so popular that it took down the Nintendo eShop, Steam, and Xbox.

Does the person responsible for HBO → HBO Max → Max work at MSNBC now? Sorry, I mean NOW.

It has been more than 20 years since Steve Jobs gave the Stanford Commencement Address. 20 years before that, he was fired from Apple. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8u...

This post by @eev.ee is so good, and it’s honestly reassuring to see someone saying things that make sense right now (about AI or anything, really). eev.ee/blog/2025/07...

If you get an email from Google telling you your Google Workspace subscription is scheduled for cancellation, it’s a lie. They’re just trying to trick you into paying for their AI add-on, Gemini Business.

Pretty happy about Boulder having a Creative Mornings (finally): creativemornings.com/cities/BOU

Katie Ledecky has not lost the 1500m in the last 15 years. She was only 13 years old when she last lost (she came in third), and only because her swim cap came off. She has won ever since. Unbelievable dominance. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5saY...

Indigo Girls at Red Rocks were great as always. Probably their best show in the last few years, and the place was packed with people singing along. We all needed that.

RIP Diogo Jota. His last goal was a stunner. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S69...

“Less, but better” sounds a lot like our philosophy at Studioworks. tomgreenwood.substack.com/p/what-if-th...

That’s a lot of protests. www.nokings.org

In case you haven’t read that Apple paper on AI, @christophniemann.bsky.social already made a summary: www.newyorker.com/culture/cove...

Watching the Canva Create keynote: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lupw...

RIP Iceman.

Yesterday, we launched studioworks.community, a free community for Studioworks members. I already love it so much. Join us!

Wired is the new Teen Vogue.

Today is the last day to sign up as a Founding Member of @studioworks.app. You won’t be billed until we launch, and you’ll pay a discounted rate for as long as you’re a customer. Thank you so much to all of you who have signed up already. Your support means the world to us. studioworks.app

I finally took some time to write a recap of 2024. shiflett.org/blog/2025/20...

I’ve only recently started to experience the hellscape of schools designed around cars that make it unsafe for kids to get to school. It’s really upsetting. shanetrotter.substack.com/p/why-car-li...

This quote from the latest Dense Discovery is on point: “Perhaps it’s because our tech oligarchs have shown their true colours. (Mostly orange, it turns out!)”

Questlove’s video mashup of 50 years of SNL music is pretty great, and of course he paired Under Pressure with Ice Ice Baby. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDxY...

Recipes crack me up when they read like a movie script. “Meanwhile, heat cream sauce base.”

Boulder friends, a lot of the bike paths are currently impassable thanks to the high winds creating massive snow drifts.

If you’re in the Boulder area, we’re hosting a Studioworks happy hour here at Roost on Wednesday. We’re trying to keep it small, so please sign up if you can make it. www.eventbrite.com/e/studiowork...

We’re doing another AMA this morning (at 11 MT). Hope to see you there. :-) bit.ly/studioworksA...

I love when talented people redesign their personal websites. This is a good one. henry.codes

This must be so embarrassing. I would die.

I’m doing a Studioworks AMA with Jessica tomorrow at 1 MT. Please register if you’re interested: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Yesterday was a big day! We announced a new company called Studioworks, a business management platform for creative studios. As a pre-launch treat, we’re giving lifetime discounts to anyone who signs up before the end of January. Thanks for your support. It means the world to us. studioworks.app

I went down two rabbit holes this week: favicons and social cards. I’m sure I have more to learn, but I’ve learned a lot already. As soon as I come up for air, I’m going to blog about it.

Is anyone here really good at favicons? I usually just use one of the generators, but I’d love to do an especially good job this time. Tips and pointers much appreciated!

I thought it was just my kids (and their friends) who were really into Imagine Dragons, but I keep seeing other people talking about it. Is this a worldwide phenomenon?

I see people talking about Spotify Wrapped again. Maybe this will be the year my #1 song is not white noise.

Does anyone here have experience launching a website that uses Stripe? I’m curious how you manage to satisfy the Stripe activation requirements before you launch, specifically the business website requirements. Publish quietly and hope no one but Stripe notices?

Happy Unsubscribe Monday to all who celebrate.

Can’t wait to make (and eat) broccoli casserole tomorrow. shifle.tt/XzFxS6HbSw.j...

A logo is how someone looks. A brand is what you think of them.

@mikekus.bsky.social Welcome!

Where do I learn more about labels in Bluesky? The docs seem overly technical (more “how to build” than “how to use”). The Private School Labeller (@daddys.cash) people are talking about is especially interesting. I can imagine a similar thing for NRA contributions.

Hearing that we lost Enrique was shocking and sad. He was one of the earliest and most enthusiastic supporters of Brooklyn Beta. This tribute from Ben is heartbreaking but lovely. “Enrique’s everlasting presence the wind at our backs.” www.designerfund.com/page/Remembe...

Only 24 hours to go! www.kickstarter.com/projects/kel...

There’s even more to the WordPress drama than I realized. joshcollinsworth.com/blog/fire-matt