Apps I Can Live Without
#132 - From idea to Series A - Weekly Newsletter
Dear reader,
In early June, seawater got into my phone. Dead. Tired of continually feeding Apple's coffers, I questioned what phone to buy next. My choice: a second-hand Nokia with Android installed that cost me £75 with a few crazy crazier choices.
The Apps I Installed
4 Banking Apps: Amex, Wise, Lloyds, Monzo
3 Tool Apps: Google Calendar, Todoist for the to do list, 1Password for the passwords
3 Transport Apps: Lime, Maps, Uber
4 Essentials: Spotify for music, Kindle for books, Chrome for web browsing, and Claude for AI
The Apps I Didn't Install
Two apps will surprise you by their absence: Email and WhatsApp. I have both installed on my PC, Mac, and tablet. When I want to access them, I can.
At first, it felt strange, but eventually I started treating WhatsApp like I treat email. Every 3-4 hours, I take a moment and process all messages in one go. Task done, work completed. I'm back in control of my time.
Extra Setup
I changed two phone settings:
Black and white mode – zero desire to look at it
Installed a launcher that shows the homepage as simple text instead of icons
The Cherry on Top
The fact that it cost £75 shows – I've dropped it three times and the screen is shattered. Two benefits of this cracked screen: I'm slightly embarrassed to pull my phone out of my pocket, and it's uncomfortable to scroll with my finger, giving me a reminder not to use it.
Is This Excessive?
Excessive? Probably.
Will I continue this for the rest of my life? I think so. (I'm setting a reminder for one year from now to give you an update.)
Why this decision, Simone?
I'm at a phase in life where I take every commitment very seriously. I don't want constraints – I want to feel free. Not having the compulsion to open my phone 1000+ times a day makes me feel liberated, and I really like that feeling.
Have a great weekend,
Simone