Satellite route replay of the Santa Monica coast run. Muted looping video. Click, tap, or press Space or Enter to pause or play. The route cannot be rotated in this view.
this is one of my actual runs. i turned the GPX route into the 3D miniature above and paired it with a video replay. the route endpoints are filtered for privacy, and the distance here comes from that same route.this week’s run count and mileage come from the Strava API, with a 30-minute cache. my week starts on monday, Los Angeles time. i update the featured replay by hand.
explorer of the universe
i design, build, and bring ambitious ideas to life.
A running record of improvements to the site, projects, and the details around them.
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v.2026.10.22
Pulse Heart kudos
Visitors can now save appreciation with a compact, persistent heart that remembers their support and keeps community totals up to date.
v.2026.10.20
Balanced 3D map framing
Improved the floating 3D map so it fills the canvas more evenly and stays better framed across different viewport sizes.
v.2026.10.20
Fixed case-study logo background
Removed an unnecessary background behind case-study logos so headers display as a clean, continuous surface.
v.2026.10.20
Larger homepage 3D map
Expanded the homepage 3D map for a larger, cleaner view while keeping the responsive layout and mobile reading experience intact.
v.2026.10.20
Strava stats stay private by default
Public pages no longer show Strava totals until sharing is explicitly enabled, keeping athlete activity data hidden from visitors and shared site metadata.
v.2026.10.20
Featured run context
The featured run now includes a clearer caption and live weekly mileage and run count when Strava data is available, while gracefully hiding the weekly line if it isn’t.
v.2026.10.20
Latest sidequest details tooltip
Added a tooltip that explains the latest sidequest with the route, replay, and privacy details for visitors.
v.2026.10.20
Homepage media spacing improved
Improved the homepage layout so media and biography sit more naturally on taller desktop screens, while keeping mobile viewing comfortable and readable.
v.2026.10.17
Contribution calendar: loading state, accessible day details, and retry
Calendar starts with a loading state; each day is a keyboard- and touch-accessible button that shows count/date tooltips (Escape dismisses them); Retry is placed beside calendar errors so visitors can easily retry fetching activity.
v.2026.10.17
Compact run format toggle
Replaces the homepage’s video/3D selector with a single accessible 44px icon button that toggles between video and a 3D map (cube), preserving loading, fallbacks, transitions, and keyboard/touch behavior.
v.2026.10.17
Natural scrolling for short mobile homepages
On narrow or very short phones the homepage now scrolls naturally so the full biography remains readable while media fills the content width at a 16:9 ratio; desktop composition is unchanged.
v.2026.10.17
Polished homepage links and media previews
Sidequest community link now opens the application form. Portfolio previews reveal videos only after decoding, preserve paused playback between visits, use an MP4-derived still for reduced-motion, and lazily prepare 3D scenes during idle for faster, smoother switching.
v.2026.10.16
Cleaner focus outlines and consistent SVG link arrows
Keyboard users keep visible focus while touch interactions no longer leave dark outlines; link arrows now use a small SVG for consistent, color-inheriting icons site-wide.
v.2026.10.15
A new portfolio experience
A focused video-first homepage with an optional interactive 3D run, contextual project previews, and a shared Work, About, Changelog and Notes sheet. Existing case-study links, themes, DOOM, Kudos and integrations are preserved, with lighter loading and obsolete media removed.
v.2026.09.22
Interactive Imgur case study with explorable logo directions
View the complete Imgur brand and product evolution with an interactive 82-direction logo explorer, image sequences, and responsive design across desktop and mobile.
v.2026.09.20
Restored spark kudos feature
The spark kudos button now works reliably with a streamlined design that displays the community count more prominently.
v.2026.09.18
Smoother sheet interactions for Projects
The Projects Builds sheet now opens only through explicit clicks, keyboard, or drag gestures—keeping your footer visible above a subtle dock, with improved motion handling on mobile.
v.2026.09.18
Playable DOOM Easter egg
Added an interactive, fullscreen-capable DOOM shareware Easter egg to the footer with keyboard and mouse controls.
v.2026.09.16
A more consistent case study experience
Manhattan Venture Partners and Korpus now share a refined editorial system, responsive light and dark themes, clearer project navigation, and a complete case-study filter.
v.2026.09.16
Korpus case study published
New case study showcasing Korpus, an AI safety product that helps families identify suspicious messages and scams with explainable results.
v.2026.09.15
Section navigation for case studies
A left-edge navigation rail now appears on desktop case studies, helping readers track their current section and jump between sections with click or keyboard navigation.
v.2026.09.15
RecurPal now showcases video preview
Replaced the static image preview with an interactive video, giving visitors a better look at the product in action.
v.2026.09.14
Subtle animations for builds and controls
Build cards now fade in on load and the Load more button, filter chips, and listen toggle provide tactile press feedback; reduced-motion alternatives are included for accessibility.
v.2026.09.13
Korpus case study now available
Explore the Korpus scam detection platform in the new case study experience, featuring product overview, design process, user feedback, and impact metrics.
v.2026.09.13
Improved page load performance
Analytics and interactive media now load more efficiently, delivering faster initial page rendering and visual responsiveness.
v.2026.09.13
Faster portfolio with optimized media loading
Portfolio now loads faster with optimized media assets, improved lazy loading, and viewport-aware playback. Case study navigation and several UI issues have also been refined for a better browsing experience.
v.2026.09.13
New interactive case studies and project showcase
Added detailed case study experiences with interactive galleries, comparison sliders, and video playback, starting with Manhattan Venture Partners—viewable in the new enhanced Builds section with filtering and navigation.
v.2026.09.10
Builds reveal on scroll
As you scroll down the homepage, a teaser for your Builds appears smoothly. Click to explore your projects, or continue scrolling to dismiss it.
v.2026.08.30
Builds overlay and restored project navigation
Adds a responsive Builds overlay with media previews and smooth open/close interactions, plus light/dark styling and safer back-navigation that preserves the homepage state and scroll position when viewing project case studies.
v.2026.08.29
Faster project previews with skeleton loading
Project previews now show a subtle skeleton while media loads, preload on hover/focus for snappier interactions, and fade in smoothly to avoid layout shift and speed up repeat hovers.
v.2026.08.14
Live footer stats (Strava & Swarm)
Footer now displays live Strava weekly distance and Swarm check‑ins with tooltips and a Foursquare OAuth callback; safe fallbacks are used when APIs or tokens are unavailable.
v.2026.08.14
GitHub activity, at a glance
The changelog now displays your GitHub contribution activity with a visual heatmap showing the last 12 months of contributions, including activity stats and detailed tooltips.
v.2026.08.12
Programs & Fellowships
Added a dedicated history of founder programs and fellowships, including OnDeck, Antler, Buildspace, Pioneer, and YC Startup School. Each entry includes its role, context, and visual preview.
v.2026.08.06
Work history, reorganized
Rebuilt the portfolio history around Career, Ventures, and Work With Me. Added clearer roles, descriptions, outcomes, links, and responsive previews across projects and prior companies.
v.2026.07.29
Site status, live
Added a responsive transmission banner for sharing what is currently being built. It includes a direct feedback link, theme-aware colors, mobile-safe copy, keyboard focus treatment, and reduced-motion support.
v.2026.06.04
Korpus project page
Published a complete Korpus project story with product context, results, user feedback, scam data, product media, and an interactive portfolio preview.
Added an interactive particle portrait to the homepage. Its colors adapt to the active theme, with mobile overflow protection and a quieter experience when reduced motion is preferred.
v.2026.05.22
Listen mode
Added browser-powered narration for the homepage, including play and pause controls, estimated listening time, active-section highlighting, and the ability to start from a selected passage.
v.2026.05.21
A more responsive kudos button
Added a lightweight way for visitors to leave kudos, with clearer interaction feedback, synchronized counts, and theme-aware hover and completion states.
v.2026.05.20
Project previews
Made the project history more visual with interactive rows and media previews for portfolio work. Desktop visitors can inspect images, video, and animated product captures without leaving the page.
v.2026.05.20
Navigation across every screen
Completed the new desktop drawer and mobile navigation system with avatar triggers, clearer hover feedback, light and dark theme support, and protection against mobile overflow.
v.2026.05.20
Live site metadata
Added live GitHub commit counts, contextual tooltips for portfolio statistics, and an automatically generated build version in the footer.
v.2026.05.19
A small wave hello
Made the hand beside Philip's name respond to hover, focus, click, and tap. Also improved light-mode link contrast and preserved reduced-motion behavior.
v.2026.05.17
A fuller personal story
Expanded the homepage biography with more context on Philip's design history, current projects, founder communities, education, and prior work. Added working links throughout the story.
v.2026.05.14
A more alive introduction
Added a short loading sequence and streaming text treatment to the homepage introduction and live context. The experience respects reduced-motion preferences.
v.2026.04.26
Live context at a glance
Added the Now bar with local time, location, and weather. Theme behavior was also updated to follow local time while keeping manual light and dark controls available.
v.2026.04.26
More context without leaving the page
Added lightweight hover previews to current projects and links, giving visitors extra context without expanding the main homepage copy.
v.2026.04.24
Portfolio, distilled
Moved the homepage to a focused single-column structure and rewrote the introduction around Philip's work as a designer, builder, founder, and advisor. Content also moved into a Git-tracked Markdown source.
v.2026.04.15
A new portfolio home
Replaced the starter page with Philip's portfolio homepage, project history, responsive layout, theme controls, and the initial light and dark visual system.