David Pierce

So Brick was created by these two friends who were college friends at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Their names are TJ and Zach. They have... grown up in the iPhone world in a way that, like, I'm 36, and I think I'm about the last person who remembers the world before smartphones. For them, like, if you're in your 20s now, everyone has had it the whole time. And

So Brick was created by these two friends who were college friends at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Their names are TJ and Zach. They have... grown up in the iPhone world in a way that, like, I'm 36, and I think I'm about the last person who remembers the world before smartphones. For them, like, if you're in your 20s now, everyone has had it the whole time. And

So Brick was created by these two friends who were college friends at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Their names are TJ and Zach. They have... grown up in the iPhone world in a way that, like, I'm 36, and I think I'm about the last person who remembers the world before smartphones. For them, like, if you're in your 20s now, everyone has had it the whole time. And

They had essentially the same problem that I did with the screen time limits, which is that they're too easy to get past and you can just ignore them. So they pretty quickly came to this idea that what they needed was some kind of separate physical blocker. And there are things out there. Have you ever seen the Yonder case? This is the thing you get at like concerts.

They had essentially the same problem that I did with the screen time limits, which is that they're too easy to get past and you can just ignore them. So they pretty quickly came to this idea that what they needed was some kind of separate physical blocker. And there are things out there. Have you ever seen the Yonder case? This is the thing you get at like concerts.

They had essentially the same problem that I did with the screen time limits, which is that they're too easy to get past and you can just ignore them. So they pretty quickly came to this idea that what they needed was some kind of separate physical blocker. And there are things out there. Have you ever seen the Yonder case? This is the thing you get at like concerts.

Yeah, that's right. So the Yonder case is one of the things out there, but that's mostly, like you said, used at events and stuff. They wanted something that you can just have in your house. The brick is not some hugely complicated piece of technology. It's this two-inch by two-inch cube. It's gray, it's super boring, and then it's a magnet underneath. And it is...

Yeah, that's right. So the Yonder case is one of the things out there, but that's mostly, like you said, used at events and stuff. They wanted something that you can just have in your house. The brick is not some hugely complicated piece of technology. It's this two-inch by two-inch cube. It's gray, it's super boring, and then it's a magnet underneath. And it is...

Yeah, that's right. So the Yonder case is one of the things out there, but that's mostly, like you said, used at events and stuff. They wanted something that you can just have in your house. The brick is not some hugely complicated piece of technology. It's this two-inch by two-inch cube. It's gray, it's super boring, and then it's a magnet underneath. And it is...

basically designed to be stuck somewhere, like on the side of your fridge or, you know, on your desk or something like that. And you tap it and it quote unquote bricks your phone.

basically designed to be stuck somewhere, like on the side of your fridge or, you know, on your desk or something like that. And you tap it and it quote unquote bricks your phone.

basically designed to be stuck somewhere, like on the side of your fridge or, you know, on your desk or something like that. And you tap it and it quote unquote bricks your phone.

There's just enough friction there. And it also makes it a thing I have to stand up and go do. Like now, if I'm sitting here and looking at my phone and I want to use Instagram, I have to go upstairs, tap my phone on the thing, and then come back downstairs and look at Instagram. And there's something really powerful in just that moment of, I have to have said out loud that I want to do this.

There's just enough friction there. And it also makes it a thing I have to stand up and go do. Like now, if I'm sitting here and looking at my phone and I want to use Instagram, I have to go upstairs, tap my phone on the thing, and then come back downstairs and look at Instagram. And there's something really powerful in just that moment of, I have to have said out loud that I want to do this.

There's just enough friction there. And it also makes it a thing I have to stand up and go do. Like now, if I'm sitting here and looking at my phone and I want to use Instagram, I have to go upstairs, tap my phone on the thing, and then come back downstairs and look at Instagram. And there's something really powerful in just that moment of, I have to have said out loud that I want to do this.

that really works.

that really works.

that really works.

So one is it's very expensive. Each of those little tiny readers that don't really do anything is $59. Oh, wow. And so the idea of having a few of these adds up fast. The other thing is it's really, sort of a blunt instrument, right?

So one is it's very expensive. Each of those little tiny readers that don't really do anything is $59. Oh, wow. And so the idea of having a few of these adds up fast. The other thing is it's really, sort of a blunt instrument, right?