_{Day 203/100}

Hey—It's Tim. 

I’m in the Air Canada lounge in Toronto, bouncing to Atlanta, and remembering the last time I wrote Penfriend emails in an airport - two weeks before our first launch, boarding a flight to Portugal.

Maybe airports are my launchpads.

Or maybe I only notice the pattern when I’m caffeinated and delayed.

A lot us travel.
A lot of work remotely.
And you wanna keep the show on the road.

Keep things going. Keep writing. Making. Creating.

The kit that keeps me shipping

Laptop

I’m a desktop-first guy. I tried the “tablet + Bluetooth keyboard” life until Screaming Frog said: absolutely not.

I bought a laptop in duty free and never looked back.

Bonus points if it charges over USB-C so you’re not lugging a brick the size of a bungalow.

Second screen on demand.

I have a samsung laptop, and samsung tablet and I can use the tablet as another screen, or better yet as a tablet that I can control with the same mouse. For the tablet drawing needs, and the second screen needs it's literally been a life saver many many times.

Mouse supremacy.

I do not understand you trackpad people. Precision = speed

It comes from years of cranking 360 no-scopes.
I need that pixel perfect accuracy.

Battery sanity.

Carry a chunky power bank (airlines typically allow up to ~100Wh—check yours). Power equals permission to ignore bad outlets, crowded gates, and the cursed “low power mode” brain.

Noise control.

Good ANC headphones turn an airport into a study hall.

Pass-through mode for when you want to eavesdrop on the world’s best soap opera:

“I can’t believe she said that… to her own mother? Scandalous.”

If you want the full loadout, reply with “TIM WHAT’S IN THE BAG?” and I’ll send the entire checklist.

Build a kit you can deploy on a tray table in under two minutes. If it takes longer, it won’t happen when you’re tired, late, or gate-hopping.

Back to writing.

See you tomorrow.

✌️ Tim "USB- C or Bust" Hanson
CMO @Penfriend.ai

Same brain, different platforms: X, Threads, LinkedIn.

P.S. Anyone else stack up on the drinks from the lounge? I usually get a good 3-4 cans in the bags. Feels sooooooo naughty.

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