> *I love tech just a little more than I hate it.*

I used to say that line often.

> *I play the keys, so I can write the codes.*

That's another fun one.

Digital tech has enabled us to do far more than we ever imagined, but I believe it's also negatively impacted us far more than we ever imagined.

From 2008 forward, if you ever had any issues, well... there's an app for that.

Needed to check your email more often in the day? There's an app for that. Feeling lonely and want a significant other? There's an app for that. Wanting to keep up with your friends but not have to go through the effort of seeing them in person? There's an app for that.

Back in the day, apps could just send you notifications without you allowing them to or not. And, there was no do not disturb mode. So, at any point in time, you'd get a buzz in your pocket and no real way to stop it. It became notification hell.

All I remember was feeling a deep well of stress within me at most times in the day. I felt like I couldn't keep up with everything.

I remember getting so stressed with how many passwords a person has to remember *(This was before password managers got more popular)*. But, I was like... *"how did all my ancestors remember all these passwords and yet I can't?"*

Oh, wait... they didn't have to.

Yet, they turned out fine.

It was the fall of 2015 when I started college. This was maybe around the beginning of people starting to realize that maybe the phones that promised to solve all our problems and make us happy wasn't delivering on its promise.

I randomly stumbled upon a company that was creating the [Minium phone](https://www.producthunt.com/products/minium), the first modern minimalist phone.

*Maybe that was the answer to the weirdness I was feeling in my chest regarding my smartphone.*

I reached out to them, and to my surprise they sent me a Nokia candy bar phone to test it out for a week and take extensive notes on my learnings.

Going from being constantly stimulated to used a device that did barely anything was weird, hard, and yet freeing.

Texting was hard, really hard. Instead, I ended up calling more. It didn't have group chats or emojis. It didn't have maps.

It just had simple phone features, like calling and the occasional texting.

At some point, it became too hard because I did need some apps for communication and tasks in college. So, I gave up the dumb phone but gained an experience that I've held onto for years.

I've tried to experiment more and more over the years with simple phones. Another Nokia, a simplified iPhone, a Light Phone II, a Humane Ai Pin, but... the Nokia wasn't even really a dumb phone, it had apps and all the notifications and ads. The iPhone was awesome, but I kept just re-installing everything and falling into distraction again. The Light Phone II was wonderful. I loved it and used it for months. However, the maps feature lacked, I didn't have my group chat app, and having to check my email to see MMS media caused me to check my email more often and thus brought anxiety. And, the Humane Ai Pin, the newest kid on the block. I also loved it, but returned it because I couldn't shake how awkward I felt when wearing it next to someone who's never seen one before. So many people thought I was recording them, and my awkwardness about that didn't make any situation better.

Back to the Light Phone II. Even with any of its flaws, I had such a great experience with it. I felt far more rested, free, and had so much more time with my thoughts and to pay attention with those around me. It felt serene.

But part of me felt guilty.

You see, I was designer and software engineer. How could I run away from what I was devoting my career towards? Not everyone can just up and leave every app. If I was to make an impact in this space, I had to go back to the smartphone. I had to go back to where most people are. I wanted to feel the stress of the constant notifications, social media endless scrolling, and mindlessly going from app to app because a notification told me to.

God called me to OurTechnology from YouVersion.

Then, he called me to Techless from OurTechnology. *(More on that soon.)*

After taking some time to reflect, I began to see a pattern arise with phones. You can have one of the extremes. On one side is the standard smartphone with all the notifications, pings, dings, and an app for everything you could ever imagine for. Or, you could go to the other side that cuts out all the existing apps and leaves you with the bare minimum, a dialer, a messaging tool, a calculator, and so forth.

But... what if I needed an app for my bank? Or, to receive updates from my child's daycare? Or, to get an Uber or access my Airbnb?

Just get a smartphone, but make it simpler. Haha, I've heard that one before.

While it may seem the logical thing to do, we often forget how easy it is to get sucked into apps that were psychologically designed to hijack our attention. The more attention we give, the more data and money they get.

It's easier than ever to add complexity to your life. Add it with a single tap of your finger on the screen.

Back to what I said earlier, you can have one of the two extremes. But... what if there was a middle option? What if there was a simple, focused device that allows you to stay connected and also check your bank app, or your favorite Bible app? What if it just allowed tools that help you get a job done versus apps that are meant to suck you in? And, what if it was so secure that there's no way to really make it complex or go around the guardrails?

That's what we're creating at Techless.

One thing I've learned in life is that boundaries are meant to help you, not constrain you and detain you.

Drawing the line can lead to freedom.

What if you had more time and weren't sucked into your phone all the time? What would you do with that time?

What if you spent time on tech-less, so that you could live fully and have a healthy relationship with tech?

Consider this. I learned this from a wise author and pastor, Dr. Henry Cloud. You can't just have truth, without grace. Why?

If you have someone who's just all about the rules, they'll be a tyrant and very controlling. You'll have a grasp on what is right, but you won't feel cared for.

If you have someone who's all about grace, then you may feel cared for and seen, but you will continue to repeat the same mistake over and over again because no one ever told you that what you're doing is destructive.

But! If you have truth and grace, you get healthy direction in life and deep connection through the process.

I see all truth in this situation to be a sort of a really dumb phone situation. No third-party apps. We don't want any distractions and all these apps were designed in a way to keep you hooked and make money off of your time and anxiety.

I see the all grace in this situation to be the modern day smartphone. Any app imaginable. All the notifications you could ever want. No restrictions or boundaries by default. Anxiety, insomnia, and FOMO built in.

But... truth and grace could be that not all apps are bad, but you want to be mindful of the apps you do choose. It's the truth that we fall into distraction, and it happens to everyone, but what if falling into distraction got harder and harder? What if there was a phone that allowed third-party apps that were tools that get a job done, but didn't allow doom-scrolling social media or one the web browser?

That's what I believe we're creating at Techless.

And, as an app and website developer, that's something I could get behind. I'm not forsaking the beauty and wonder of how apps can make our lives better and more convenient, and I'm staying mindful and having guardrails, knowing that I'm more prone to distraction and being manipulated by tech than I have the self-control on my own to stop.

And that is why...

> *I love tech ~~just a little~~ more than I hate it.*

Smart Phone & Dumb Phone Anxiety

## What if there was a phone that:

* was affordable?

* was aligned with your Christian beliefs and values?

* was focused and guarded from distracting apps?

* was impossible to stumble upon or find illicit or harmful content?

* gave you the ability to install the non-distracting apps and tools that you need to function on a day to day basis?

  * like... your banking app

  * or your favorite Bible app

  * or that app you need for the Roomba vacuum to work

  * or a chat app like WhatsApp?

* lets you be more present in society but not disconnected from society?

I believe that is the [Wisephone II from Techless](https://techless.com/faithtools?ref=faith.tools), so much so that I joined the team to help them build that very thing. 

*(That link is an affiliate link, but if you want, just google "Wisephone II")*

My dream phone

Product Manager

Discover Christian product designers, developers, brand designers, marketers, etc., who love the Lord. Find like-minded followers of Jesus who geek out on things like code, pixel-pushing, and digital strategy.

Kingdom Creators & Freelancers

The easiest and fastest way to make a church website, free.

melos.church

The best place to discover and distribute apps for Christians.

faith.tools

A full-stack boilerplate that feels freeing, built with Astro, Alpine.js, HTMX, Astro DB, Lucia Auth, Preline UI, & daisyUI.

Freedom Stack

Helped implement a brand new church management software, with a focus on the check-in experience, signing up for LifeGroups, and the entire theme of the internal tool.

Software Engineer Intern

Helped create a mobile app and website that is akin to Google Maps for homeless resources. Helped with our initial branding and design systems. 

Full-Stack Design Engineer

Helped revamp how we approached internal tools by putting deep intentional care in every single detail. One tool I'm very proud of creating was the Stories CMS, where we curated Verse of the Day Stories that are experienced by millions every month. Then, I helped standardize our web component libraries. 

Software Engineer, Design Engineer, Product Designer

Helping people live fully through healthy technology. Creating digital experiences that lead to freedom

Cameron Pak

2024