Lateral Thinking Using Withered Technology

"You're better off picking a cheap technology ('withered') and using it in a new way ('lateral') rather than going for the predictable, cutting-edge next step." — Nintendo's Philosophy

Frugality Is a Strategy

Nintendo had a name for its design philosophy: lateral thinking with withered technology. Instead of chasing the cutting edge, you take a cheap, proven, well-understood technology and use it in a way nobody expected.

We build the same way. We'd rather solve a real problem at a price people can actually afford than reach for the newest, most expensive thing on the shelf. We lean on validated, abundant tech wherever we can, and pick cost-effective materials that don't cost us quality. When we have to choose, we optimize for accessibility over perfection.

Ten Years and Beyond

AI is in a rapid innovation phase, and it's easy to be distracted by whatever's loudest or shiniest that week. Most of what's hyped now won't matter in a month. We aim to be relevant in 10 years and beyond, so that's what we build and invest for.

Accessibility Is the Whole Point

Resources are limited, but creativity isn't. Smart choices let us do more with less, and frugality is what lets us last. We build for people, not for accolades, so getting more accessible technology to more of them is critical.

• Fail cheaply
• Launch early
• Iterate often
• Lower experimentation costs
• Prioritize global accessibility through cost-efficiency
• Focus on essential product features