If you're writing about or covering any of these projects - first of all, thanks for being a journalist in 2026. I appreciate you!
I've made this page to try to set you up with a few resources that should make your job easier - please get in touch if there's anything else you need. I really appreciate your time!
One-liner: Steven Makes Things is a one-person product studio building focused, fairly-priced tools for actual human beings.
Short bio: Steven is an entrepreneur, writer, and artist. He's founded and cofounded companies, served as CTO, architect, janitor, and one of those unicorn engineers people say aren't real. He's built and open-sourced real libraries and tools, created AI reasoning systems that could solve genuinely tough problems. He has started, tried, and failed so many times that he actually gave a TEDx talk about it.
In 2026, he quit his job as an AI working on artificial reasoning to go indie, making tools for human beings. Steven Makes Things is his product studio, where he ships focused tools that respect people's time, attention, privacy, and wallets.
The answer to the "Should I quit my job and..." question you've been kicking around for years. Users are walked through a deep discovery interview about the idea they're considering, their skills, what success looks like to them, and their broader life. It then does real-world research, deep analysis and gives a report card - including suggestions on next steps and pages of research, all cited. It's built on the same type of AI smarts that I developed in helping companies predict and mitigate against high-risk events, and I'm so delighted to put that power in the hands of the rest of us. $20 per idea, takes about 20 minutes. frontofthenapkin.com
Good Years Left is a free, research-backed tool that shows you how many healthy years you likely have ahead of you, and how your choices could change that number. What if you worked out more? What if you drank less? What if you spent more time with family and friends? Good Years Left will show you what would change. Because we all deserve to make informed decisions about our days. goodyearsleft.com
A friendly, research-backed field guide to depression. Beloved by thousands, it has saved some lives, and changed many, many more. Inspired by a viral post that was read by millions, world-wide. $10. Free, if folks need it. inkandfeet.com/nobullshit
A free, open-source Chrome extension that gently interrupts addictive browsing habits and gets you back to the things you love. mindfulbrowsing.org
For press inquiries: press@stevenmakesthings.com