Author of the article here — thanks for all the thoughtful comments and personal experiences! I thought I'd add a couple clarifications:
1. I'm not saying your product needs to look like Craigslist all the way up until the end, just that it's a key test in early stage concept validation. Yes, later on, once VALUE is proven, by all means consider design polish to make the experience even better!
2. Yes, this idea is not unique or brand new (I'm an old Balsamiq fan, Basecamp fan, etc) —— the post is just a direct response to the increase in AI-generated interface mockups. Trying to get people to think a bit more deeply about those.
I have noticed that when I am in a lonely or sad phase, I start to fixate on it more, so it then becomes more of a thing, a la William James “My experience is what I agree to attend to.”
Trying to figure out the WHY (which is unanswerable, and our minds hate an open question) and the HOW TO FIX is still fixating on it and reinforcing it. So I had to stop that (after enough therapy to understand my basic wiring).
What helps me is guided meditations on first relaxing any tension and then imagining the way I want to feel. Sprouting those connections instead of re-running the neural ruts related to the way I don't want to feel.
I feel that, I've spent thousands. What finally got it under control: strength training (coached by a physical therapist), finding/releasing the spasms (trigger point massage + trigger point acupuncture), consistent good posture (sitting, standing, sleeping). It was an education! Good luck, keep going, it's worth it.
