In his seminal 2010 article on responsive design, Ethan Marcotte described a new way of thinking about web user interfaces that moved beyond a fixed frame. Reacting to his clients’ requests for an “iPhone version” of their websites, he suggested instead a single experience that could respond to the user’s device. Page elements could use a different set of design properties for large screens and small, transforming their form to match the capabilities of the hardware. Crucially, on simpler devices, elements could be hidden entirely if deemed non-essential.
This morning as I walked to the cafe my phone alerted me that I’d left my luggage at home. This and other bugs have been happening off and on since I upgraded to iOS 26. My AirTags are randomly forgetting where they are. Some of my friends are showing up as mere phone numbers in iMessage. Nothing terribly bad, just a string of little paper cuts.
Earlier this year, we brought the entrepreneurs from our portfolio companies together at Founder Camp, a gathering designed around the premise of the ‘unconference’: that the audience will connect and self-organize into conversations that are most relevant to them. More facilitation, less programming. For startup founders, we’ve found this is intensely valuable. The nature of what they’re struggling with is, by definition, out ahead of where conventional advice can help. The best solution is to connect with others who are at the coalface with them.