RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

I've been really interested in machine learning, particularly its creative applications, and how it can transform the economy and interact with words, pictures, and sounds.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

Audiobooks are growing rapidly in popularity, and when I ask audiences how many listen to them, nearly everyone's hand goes up.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

Audiobook producers are demanding unique content, not just a recitation of the printed book, which led me to explore creative ways to enhance the audiobook experience for my novel, Sourdough.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

In Sourdough, the story revolves around a sourdough starter with strange properties, and I wanted to include the music described in the book in the audiobook to enhance the experience.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

I used machine learning to generate fictional music for the audiobook, which is the first time a machine learning system's creative output has been included in an audiobook.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

I have models that continuously process different bodies of text and music to see what interesting outputs emerge, sometimes resulting in messy garbles and sometimes in intriguing sounds.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

The book Sourdough was inspired by my experiences in the Bay Area, where I became more involved in the food world and discovered many stories and mysteries within it.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

I find it nonsensical when the old and new are framed as adversarial; instead, they should coexist and enrich each other, as my books aim to show.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

I want my characters to be relatable and enjoyable, creating a positive sense about the world rather than focusing on brokenness.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

The recent scholarship on microbes and the microbiome inspired me to include microbial characters in Sourdough, giving them personality on the page.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

I believe that the next app I create will come from an impulse specific to app development, just as Sourdough emerged from a book-shaped impulse.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

Digital creations can be ephemeral; unlike printed books, they can become obsolete with platform changes, which is a challenge for creators. By 2060, I believe a lot of our digital information will be gone, and it's hard to imagine that everything we have now will still exist.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

I still love Twitter, even though it's complicated. I started using it around 2009/2010, and it was a time of pure fun and casual interaction.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

I think of Twitter as an ongoing conversation in a cafe, where bold claims are made and then fade away, rather than a permanent record like a congressional hearing.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

To counter the permanence of Twitter, I delete my tweets regularly, which feels refreshing and helps maintain a casual atmosphere.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

It's healthy to let go of vanity metrics on social media; holding onto them can be detrimental to your self-image.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

The rise and fall of blogs can be attributed to the shift in how people consume content, with many moving to platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

Writing a blog was a way to force yourself to write publicly every day, even if your thoughts weren't fully formed.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

The decline of blogging is linked to the rise of social media, which changed how people engage with content and each other.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

I think the creative applications of machine learning are fascinating and present opportunities for artists to explore new forms of expression.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

I'm working on a novel that incorporates text generated by machine learning systems, aiming to create something worthwhile and interesting.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

The character in my new novel starts in a darker place, working at a robot factory that aims to change the world but is also intense and frustrating.

RS

Robin Sloan

11/30/17

@ Y Combinator

I wanted to depict Silicon Valley today without resorting to the common narrative of just burning it all down; I aim for a more nuanced perspective.

Microbes, Robots, and Ambition - Robin Sloan on His Novel Sourdough

Takeaways