Influences
Orbit didn’t come from nowhere. Here’s who it came from.
A relationship instrument built on a century of other people’s thinking — the science of how many we can hold, the case for a second brain, the habits that make follow-through stick, and the argument that our tools should serve us first.
Core influencesThe five
Dunbar · the 150Robin DunbarDunbar's number & the layers of friendshipYour social brain has a carrying capacity.Layers · the whole premise Forte · second brainTiago ForteBuilding a Second BrainYour mind is for having ideas, not holding them.Dossier · Insights Abdaal · feel-goodAli AbdaalFeel-Good ProductivityThe most consistent people aren't the busiest — they feel good doing it.Pulse · the calm, no-badge tone Sinek · why & trustSimon SinekStart With Why · Leaders Eat LastA tool should serve the person using it before anything else.Local-first · the product ethic Clear · systems & identityJames ClearAtomic HabitsYou fall to the level of your systems.The four laws → four features
Further influencesThe wider reading
Allen · open loopsDavid AllenGetting Things DoneA held-open loop rents space in your mind until you close it.Open Loops Fogg · tiny & promptedBJ FoggTiny Habits (B = MAP)Behavior = Motivation × Ability × Prompt.Pulse prompt · two-tap actions Ferrazzi · keep in touchKeith FerrazziNever Eat AloneTend relationships before you need them.Pulse cadence Newport · digital minimalismCal NewportDigital Minimalism · Deep WorkChoose tools that serve values you actually hold.The calm, feed-free design Turkle · reclaiming conversationSherry TurkleReclaiming Conversation · Alone TogetherWe came to expect more from technology and less from each other.The problem it pushes against Ink & Switch · local-firstMartin Kleppmann & Ink & Switch"Local-first software"Your data lives on your device, and it stays yours.Local-first architecture Putnam · social capitalRobert PutnamBowling AloneSocial capital is real wealth, and it has been draining away.Why it matters, at scale Hari · stolen focusJohann HariStolen FocusFractured attention is engineered, not a personal failing.Designed for a distracted mind Carnegie · genuine interestDale CarnegieHow to Win Friends and Influence PeopleTake a sincere interest, and remember the details.Dossier Bush · the MemexVannevar Bush"As We May Think" (1945)An external, associative extension of memory.The lineage of the idea
Every idea here is someone else’s; the arrangement is Orbit’s. If one of these sends you to the source, it did its job.