Kevin Lewandowski, who founded Discogs twenty-five years ago, says his AeroPress coffee maker is the device he could not do without. In an interview with The Verge, Lewandowski said he uses the AeroPress several times a day and had just made a cup with it before speaking. Discogs began as a marketplace for buying and selling records and has grown into a large database of albums, singles, and their many versions and pressings.
Lewandowski described Discogs as part eBay, part Reddit, and part IMDB, but built specifically for music. The site has expanded beyond trading rare records to include forums, groups, and user-created lists. The interview comes as more people turn away from recommendation algorithms and return to physical media.
The Discogs founder also discussed his computing habits. He said he keeps about 30 browser tabs open on his work computer and that his personal computer is worse, with perhaps 40 or 50. His favorite gadget is one he built himself: he has been experimenting with Home Assistant software and assembled a setup that controls his garage door and outdoor lights.
Asked about a favorite game, Lewandowski pointed to Rez, a rhythm game released around 2000 in which the player is nearly controlling the music while playing. He compared it to DJing and said he has an idea for his own game with a similar concept, though it remains only an idea. When he needs to focus, he said he either clears everything off his desk or moves to a different location, such as a coffee shop or outdoors.
Lewandowski also said records remain a personal pursuit. He picked up four at Mint Gallery in Portland last week and still enjoys visiting a record store to find something to take home. He recently bought three reissues from the Moodsville and Acoustic Sounds series.
On internet culture, Lewandowski said he rarely uses memes, but he was proud of one he made that placed a Discogs screen into a photo of a North Korean war room. He said he was advised that it might not belong in the company chat.
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