Tools for a Hybrid Mind
Bridging the analog and digital worlds with intention. A shift in focus, tools, and messaging for the free with tech journey ahead.
Since January, I’ve been consistently creating weekly blog posts and YouTube videos on self-awareness, digital minimalism and tech independence. But recently, something deeper has emerged — a realization that free with tech is more than just an escape from digital slavery. It’s a bridge.
Not just from analog to digital — but also from digital back to analog.
You can also watch the video:
Two Kinds of People I’m Speaking To
Some of you are analog-first. You write by hand, use paper planners, and avoid screens when you can. But you're curious how digital tools — maybe even AI — could support your thinking without overwhelming you.
Others are deep in the digital world. You live online. Maybe you've even forgotten what it feels like to plan or reflect with pen and paper. But something inside is craving stillness, depth, and a return to tactile creation.
I’m speaking to both of you. Because both worlds have something powerful to offer.
Why I Still Use Paper
Since early 2023, I’ve been using the Bullet Journal method. Not as a productivity hack — but as a way to slow down, reflect, and plan my life intentionally.
Paper gives me something digital never has: privacy, focus, and the freedom to think without an algorithm watching.
But I’m also a technologist — and I see potential in digital tools too.
What Digital Still Gets Right
Today’s devices are insanely powerful. We have access to search, automation, and generative AI at our fingertips. I’m not against that — I use those capabilities every day.
The problem isn’t tech. It’s unconscious tech. Mindless scrolling, constant input, algorithmic loops.
I’m here to explore what happens when you bring intention into both spaces — and create tools that serve your goals instead of stealing your time.
free with tech = The Bridge
So here’s the shift:
From now on, free with tech is about bridging the analog and digital worlds.
It’s about helping:
Analog-first people bring their thinking into digital to gain leverage.
Digitally immersed people rediscover the clarity and peace of analog methods.
It’s not one or the other. It’s both — used consciously.
Building for the Hybrid Mind
As a software engineer, I’m not just theorizing — I’m building. Tools like axis and joex are born from my own need to bridge these two worlds.
axis helps bring analog notes into a searchable, AI-assisted digital space.
Joex was built to extend journaling into iOS — and I’ll be rebuilding it this year to work as a companion to axis.
This is real. This is personal.
From Broad Exploration to Focused Vision
Back in March, I gave a talk at a Slovak Tatry IT meetup about my transformation from digital slavery to freedom (watch in Slovak). It was part of a wider search for what free with tech really means.
During that talk, someone in the audience asked me a surprisingly insightful question:
“How do you search your paper journal without giving up privacy?”
At the time, I had a simple answer:
“I’ve only been journaling for a short time, and with five notebooks, it’s still manageable to flip through manually.”
But that question stuck with me.
Because it pointed to a real tension:
Analog gives you privacy and reflection — but digital gives you search and scale.
What if you could have both?
That moment helped clarify something I’d been circling around with all my content — this isn’t just about minimalism or tech boundaries.
It’s about building a meaningful bridge between paper and machines.
Not for Everyone — And That’s the Point
If you’re here just for productivity hacks, tech reviews, or generic minimalism tips — this probably isn’t the right space for you.
If you want to escape tech entirely, or believe analog is the only “pure” way to live — you might not resonate with what’s coming next.
That’s okay.
This shift isn’t about casting the widest net. It’s about being honest — and building something meaningful for a specific kind of person.
This is for people who:
Are digital-native but feel burnt out, scattered, and overstimulated
Are analog-first but curious how to safely bring parts of their workflow into digital
If that sounds like you — welcome.
You’re in the right place.
Let’s walk the bridge together.
What’s Next
Weekly blog posts + videos continue
I’ll share the evolution of axis and joex
This isn’t a pivot. It’s an alignment.
The mission stays the same:
To help people break free from digital slavery to freedom.
The only difference now is that the message is clearer.
Let’s build this bridge — together.
See you next week.
—Samuel