The Lost Art of the Easter Egg
Can you find the one in this piece?
(Ironically, this post about Easter eggs is unintentionally dropping exactly one week after Easter. Completely accidental but also somehow fitting?)
As we enter the age of AI-generated slop, the personal touch from creators is becoming harder and harder to find.
With design decisions increasingly delegated to algorithms, we lose the subtle fingerprints of human craft throughout our favorite products.
We lose the tiny details that spark deep dives, obsessive fandom, and genuine emotional and intellectual engagement.
The Lost Art of Easter Eggs
For decades, creators—most famously video game developers—have left playful secrets and subtle nods to pop culture in their work.
Collectively, we call them easter eggs.
These seemingly trivial details aren't for everyone. They’re small rewards for those paying close attention—appreciation from creators to those obsessive enough to look for them.
But as art, technology, and consumer products move towards slop, these tiny hidden gems often vanish first.
There's less incentive to craft details few will see, less reason to include intentional design decisions purely for delight for a small few.
Yet, paradoxically, as mass-market slop floods every corner of life, the need and opportunity for handcrafted details grows stronger than ever.
Craft in a World of Convenience
I recently read a great interview by writer
with indie game developer Neal Agarwal, who perfectly captured this sentiment.When asked if AI-generated content would make it harder to make good work, he responded beautifully:
I do think it might actually have the opposite effect. In a world of AI slop, something hand-crafted and made with care stands out like a sore thumb. It’s like seeing a home-cooked meal on the McDonald’s menu. It might actually be easier to stand out in that world.
His "home-cooked meal at McDonald's" analogy struck me hard.
If slop becomes the standard, it’ll likely achieve massive commercial success and be widely consumed like fast food.
But it also means there will always be an innate yearning for something better, more thoughtfully designed, and authentic. Something homemade.
In that world, creators dedicated to detail, originality, and their own quirky flair will always have an audience. Not just any audience, but one that seeks something deeper than convenience. An audience hungry for intention, care, and delight.
Aside: I recommend checking out Neal’s site and Anu’s writing. Both really excellent at what they do.
Easter Eggs: Beyond Games
Historically, video games have been masters of this. Recent franchises like the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series are famous for placing easter eggs in corners of their massive open world games for players to find in their hours long journeys exploring these worlds.
But this art form isn't exclusive to gaming:
Fashion: Legendary designer Alexander McQueen famously left small, often provocative messages hidden inside the linings of his clothing. (One infamous example: it's rumored he once stitched I am a cunt inside a suit for Prince Charles.)
Hardware: The original Macintosh 128K, released in 1984, featured the signatures of the entire development team molded into the inside of the case.
Movies & Art: Pixar films embed hidden references to other franchises, characters, or even their office's studio number ("A113"), turning passive viewing into playful treasure hunts for dedicated fans.
These aren’t features for everyone—they’re subtle signals for those who care enough to seek them out.
And for that reason, it’s why many of those products have withstood the test of time and the work have become embedded in the fabric of our culture.
A recent example is the show Severance.
Without spoiling anything, choosing the deliberate, weekly rollout of episodes in an era of binge-watching entire seasons overnight created space for obsessive fans to dive into every single frame.
The writers and set designers meticulously embedded subtle clues and hidden details, turning the show into something far deeper than a passive viewing experience.
Fans took to Twitter, Reddit, and other outlets to dissect tiny visual hints, decode symbols, and debate theories into the early hours.
That intentional, almost painstaking attention to detail with each Easter Egg didn’t just build a dedicated fandom—it transformed a great show into a cultural phenomenon.
In a world of instantly-forgotten, algorithmically-recommended streaming content, Severance stands out by reminding us of the unmatched power of deliberate craftsmanship and carefully placed secrets.
Ahoy: Crafting for the Long Game
At the heart of my latest app, Ahoy, is this easter egg ethos.
Hidden touches, secret nods, and playful references—small treasures rewarding users who look deeper.
Over time, this isn’t just a stylistic flourish—it’s a long-term competitive advantage.
Yearning for deeper engagement, I deliberately embed these details into Ahoy and other projects, weaving personality into the work rather than releasing just another app.
It invites an engaged, thoughtful community who actively anticipates new releases and explores my work.
Not every hidden detail will land perfectly. Some may be so subtle they're never discovered. Others might spark unexpected intrigue from the most loyal of users.
But that’s precisely the beauty of craft: it creates room to experiment, evolve, and surprise your audience (and even yourself) over time.
It builds a long-term following in lieu of some short-term conveniences.
What I Did This Week — Ahoy & Motion Art
This week was primarily focused on building the tech enabled live show I have mentioned in the past couple of updates as we get ready to debut in a few weeks in New York.
Aside from that, I shipped a few updates to Ahoy including a new share feature and set of widgets.
I also had the opportunity to experiment with a new piece of motion art.
A fun study — something I am looking forward to exploring more in the coming weeks with more than just a few blobs of color.
Something Beautiful — Shiny Dimes
I had the chance to meet and chat with
this week. We chatted about his microsite, Shiny Dimes, a project that elevates the core of essays from their one core quote.
The site is as elegant and simple as the idea itself. I love this Shiny Dime from today: “People aren’t dumb. The world is hard.” (link to full essay here)
If you’re interested in the project or have an essay’s whose shiny dime you’d like to share, you can submit yours directly on the site!
(and big thanks to for the introduction)
Thanks for sharing Pete! That's one of my favorite dimes. This one is also humbling: "No matter how great your idea is, no one cares." 😂 Thank you for caring sir! Lol.
I'm excited to follow your work, will definitely be in touch.