Notes

Culture, boredom,
and surprise

Not self help. Not trend reports. Just honest observations on why London can feel overstimulated and still somehow underwhelming.

Start here

London doesn’t need more nights out. It needs better endings.

A short case for why mystery is not cringe, why boredom is not a personal failure, and why your best nights rarely come from a perfectly optimised plan.

There’s a specific kind of London night that looks elite in the group chat and feels… flat in real life. Not bad. Just strangely pre lived.

The problem is not that the city has nothing going on. The problem is that we keep consuming the night before the night. Trailer, review, story, line up, room tour, set times, outfit, caption. By the time you arrive, your brain has already “been there”.

Mystery is not about being exclusive. It’s about restoring contrast. Contrast is what makes moments land. It’s why you remember the unexpected chat, the sudden dancefloor switch, the left turn you did not plan.

And boredom? Boredom is not you being ungrateful. It’s often your nervous system telling you everything is starting to look the same. That’s not a moral issue. It’s an information issue.

Three rules we live by

  • Do not over explain. People are smarter than we pretend.
  • Design for curiosity, not consumption.
  • Make the ending worth telling someone about.

Why this matters: If we keep turning culture into content-first experiences, we will keep showing up physically while mentally checked out. KOABD is a small attempt to reverse that.

Signed,
Dillon

Next read
Research: the case for mystery Upcoming: what’s on next
Sources used (optional)
  • Gruber et al. (2014) Curiosity and memory. PubMed
  • Gruber and Ranganath (2019) Curiosity boosts learning and memory. Open access
  • Cheong et al. (2023) Shared experience and social connection. Nature
  • Chung et al. (2024) Shared experiences and bonding. Open access

More notes

February 2026

The “fine” night out problem

There’s a modern category of night out that is technically decent and emotionally forgettable. It is the cultural equivalent of eating while scrolling.

You did a thing. You took a photo. You got home. You could not tell me one moment that actually surprised you.

Why this matters: When everything is “fine”, nothing becomes a memory. We are building nights with friction, pivots, and payoff.

Signed,
Dillon

Sources used (optional)
January 2026

Stop telling people the whole plot

We’ve confused transparency with overexposure. You can be honest without being exhaustive.

A night can have values, safety, and clear logistics, while still holding back the moment-to-moment. The surprise is not the venue. It’s what happens in the room.

Why this matters: Mystery pulls people into the present. Presence is where connection lives.

Signed,
Dillon

Sources used (optional)
  • Attention and novelty basics. Nature
December 2025

Community is not a follower count

The word “community” has been rinsed. Most brands mean “audience”. We mean people who would actually show up for each other.

If the only time you hear from a project is when it needs you to buy a ticket, that’s not community. That’s marketing.

Why this matters: A stronger London is built by people who feel seen in the room, not targeted on a screen.

Signed,
Dillon

Sources used (optional)
November 2025

Boredom is data

Boredom isn’t always a lack of options. It’s often a lack of stakes.

When you can predict the entire night, your brain downshifts. It saves energy. It stops noticing. You scroll.

Why this matters: We are designing for stakes you can feel, without making it stressful. Curiosity is the sweet spot.

Signed,
Dillon

Sources used (optional)
  • Curiosity state and learning. PubMed

Get the Next Drop

Notes, events, and the odd curveball. No corporate tone.

If you’re reading this, you’re our kind of person.