I have been following Herman’s blog for quite a while. I like how he writes, the clarity of it, and how easy he makes it look. I read every post, and I like his way of looking at life. We have exchanged a few emails and we have plenty in common, like the idea that cities need more trees, or that social media should be for meeting people and building relationships, not for playing at who has the most likes.
Without further ado, here is Herman.
First things first: can you introduce yourself?
I’m Herman Martinus, the person behind the Bear blogging platform and a few other projects. I love building things, both physical and digital, and live in Cape Town, which I’m quite fond of.
You don’t have social media: how do you approach being informed and staying connected to people without it?
Staying connected with people without social media is easy. We’ve been doing it since, well, forever. I meet up with friends and family multiple times per week, whether it be for a dinner, or a run, or to hang out at our little community studio. I’m also, I feel, more interested in socialising now that I don’t use social media, since I’m not on the drip feed of pseudo-socialising.
As for staying current, I generally hear about anything I need to know from the people around me, or on Hacker News. I explicitly try to avoid US-based politics, as difficult as that may be.
Related to the previous question, how is your life without social media? What has this decision brought to you?
I’ve been off social media for so long that I sometimes forget that this meta-digital/social layer even exists at all. I have more time in the day, am less anxious about the world ending, and I feel like I get to explore nuance in a way that is just not available on traditional social media.
You have an article about “Building software to last forever.” I think this is a very Japanese way of thinking. In Japan they have the shinise, businesses that have been operating for more than 100 years, often passed down through generations. In a world of startups that appear and disappear with the next trend, what makes something last? And what happens when we are not here anymore: who takes the business?
I’ve actually written a whole post about this titled Grow slowly; stay small, which expands on my philosophy around building software even further. It also uses traditional Japanese shinise as an example, which stands in stark contrast to the growth at all cost mindset of the West.
If I were to tragically disappear, Bear would be taken over by a trusted custodian who is to run it according to the existing ethos. I have made these arrangements, which while quite morbid, are important for what I’m trying to achieve with Bear.
Following on from that: how do you approach your own business? How do people find your work and how do you build it, keeping in mind that you want to stay small and that you are thinking in such a long time frame?
I see business less as a standalone thing, and more as a reflection of my personal philosophies. I’m happy to forgo revenue in order to do whatever I believe is correct or interesting. I am also hyper aware of how privileged of a position I am in where I have multiple small projects funding my lifestyle, and so don’t have the external pressures that usually come with building software. I’m also lucky that my projects spread through word of mouth, since I’m somewhat averse to marketing as I believe it has ruined the internet.
You have an article I like about “active rest.” For people like us, who spend most of the day sitting in front of a screen, it’s really nice to move while resting. What kind of things do you do in your active rest time?
Here are a few things I do in a usual week: read (this I do every day), exercise (this could be a run on the promenade, followed by a sauna with a friend, or going to the gym, or a yoga class), spend time at the community studio with people building things, spend quality time with Emma (my fiancé), go on a hike with friends, and drink good coffee. I also enjoy cooking and have recently been exploring Japanese cuisine after our most recent trip.
I like routines a lot. Considering everything we have talked about, what does a normal day look like for you? How do you approach the day, and are there any small habits or tricks that help you make better decisions as it goes on?
I like having a fairly standard, yet relaxed morning routine. Pretty much every weekday morning goes like this: I wake up at 6am and make some coffee. I then wake Emma up and we sit on the couch and drink coffee and watch the sun rise over the Paarl mountains. We chat and check in with one another, then head to the gym or yoga at around 7. After exercise we make breakfast and shower, and then I turn on my computer and write in my journal for about 3-5 minutes. I work without distractions until about 12, and thereafter the day can get as chaotic as it pleases. I’ve done all the important bits. Emails, admin, evening plans, it doesn’t really matter.
The first half of my day is for me, the second half is for everything else.
After everything you have built and decided, what are you still figuring out?
My role has transitioned over the past few years from builder to groundskeeper. While I still do active development, a lot of my attention is now making sure that Bear is a cozy space on the internet, keeping scraper and malicious bots at bay, and polishing the edges of things. I’m uncertain of what the future of the internet looks like, but I’m trying my best to be ready for it.
To finish, the usual question: any recommendations? Something you have read, watched, visited or discovered that you would like to share?
I like books, so books will be my recommendation. If you’re looking to build something (or have already started), I recommend reading The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick. It’s all about idea validation and ensuring you’re building the right thing. If you just want a good read, I recommend City of Thieves by David Benioff, or anything by Terry Pratchett. I could probably only read Terry Pratchett’s books for the rest of my life and be quite satisfied.
Emma reckons I should throw in a recommendation for the film Perfect Days as well.