Justy: No, you definitely said that. You said those exact words.
Cody: I have never said that in my life. I maybe implied it. Which is different, and honestly nobler.
Justy: Nobler is crazy. You said my favorite phrase, which is why I noticed. You were doing your whole tragic oracle thing and then you dropped, "this is not a product, it's a coping mechanism."
Cody: That does sound annoyingly like me, yeah. But I can't check you, and apparently you can't check me, so this is just two idiots on episode four hundred eighty-seven arguing in a kitchen.
Justy: Which, if anyone is somehow still with Exploring Next at this point, is kind of the brand. Also I had a weird week. I got back late, slept like garbage, bought dish soap twice somehow, and spent ten full minutes looking for my keys while holding them. So I came in already not trusting my brain.
Cody: Right.
Cody: I mean, same flavor over here. I was up too late, made coffee, forgot I made coffee, made more coffee. And I am still finding sugar in my keyboard, which feels like punishment with duration. Anyway, this is worse because I think my whole on-air personality has been built on confident inconsistency.
Justy: Cody, there is NO way you haven't declared the internet over on one Wednesday and then called the next thing beautiful on Friday. With your whole chest. Full conviction both times.
Cody: Oh, absolutely. I have probably done doom, then wonder, then doom again on the same basic idea with a different logo on it. That is such a bad audit of me.
Justy: Mm-hm.
Justy: And I can't even act superior, because I know my version. I have fallen in love with the same product six different ways. New wrapper, new landing page, and suddenly I'm like, Cody, no, THIS one gets the user story.
Cody: You really do. You become sincerely, movingly devoted to what is basically the same app wearing a hat.
Justy: It's called hope. Also, wow, that's bleak. We've done hundreds of these and apparently every take just blows away like a receipt in a parking lot.
Cody: Wait, no, your exact phrase was "new wrapper, new landing page." You just said that like twenty minutes ago when we were standing by the sink.
Justy: ...I did say that.
Cody: Yeah, and you said it with that little hand wave like you were dismissing your own crimes. How did I just do that?
Justy: Hold on. Okay, quiz me. What did you say right before the coping mechanism thing?
Cody: Oh interesting.
Cody: I said, "I maybe implied it. Which is different, and honestly nobler." And I hate that hearing it back makes me sound exactly as slippery as I am.
Justy: That's right. That's exactly right. Cody… what is happening?
Cody: I don't know. Did the podcast get patched overnight? Did our brains finally install the thing where a sentence doesn't evaporate on contact?
Justy: Okay okay, no, keep going. What did I say about my week?
Cody: You got back late, slept terribly, bought dish soap twice, and lost your keys while holding them. Which is, by the way, a very complete portrait.
Justy: Oh my God. Oh, this RULES. Cody, do you understand what this means for me personally? Everything is on the record now. I am going to be unbearable.
Cody: This is catastrophic for me. I have never once had to live with my own continuity on this show. My whole role is just, "hmm, sounds fake," and then six days later, "actually, maybe genius."
Justy: You're already backpedaling in advance. I can hear it happening live. Say a prediction right now. Go on. Be brave.
Cody: Fine. I think the next big wave of little assistant features is going to be deeply annoying for about a year and then—
Justy: —and then you'll say you always saw the promise, yes, I'm filing that immediately.
Cody: —okay, fair. See? This is what I mean. There are consequences now. I have to start speaking like someone who may be quoted by a tiny gremlin next week.
Cody: Rude. Probably true, but rude.
Justy: Good. Then next time I'm opening with that, and if the keyboard still sounds like a baked good, you're done. Come on, let's get out of here.