Bring back the ring — May 9, SoHo

Hey friends,

Quick one: if you’re anywhere near New York City on Saturday, May 9, I would love to see you in real life.

I’m hosting my first-ever IRL pop-up for Physical Phones, in collaboration with Shopify. It’s at the Shopify NY space in SoHo (131 Greene St), 11am to 5pm. The fact that Shopify is handing over their flagship for the day still feels a little surreal to type out.

A note on why this — for those of you who follow me more for the AI / creator economy / build-stuff-in-public side of things than for the phones themselves: this pop-up is that thesis, just in physical form. Physical Phones only exists because the tools to start a hardware brand are now genuinely accessible to a creator with a strong idea and the right AI in their corner. Shopify gets that, and they’re betting on it. The pop-up is a small celebration of that whole shift.

And if you ARE here for the phones — come twirl a cord.

What we’re putting on

• Try out the Physical Phone (our Bluetooth-enabled retro handset)

• A working phone booth — pick it up and someone might be on the other end

• A photo booth

• A postcard-writing station — write someone you love and we’ll mail it

• A barista pulling coffee all day

• Stickers, surprises, vibes

The whole thing is built around one idea: less screen, more time. A 90s-NY-coded analog sanctuary in the middle of SoHo for a single Saturday.

The other reason this matters to me, honestly: as a creator, the IRL part is the part you can’t fake. You’re the most invested slice of my audience — you read my emails — and I want to put faces to inboxes. Even if it’s just to say hi.

RSVP isn’t required (the pop-up is open to everyone), but it helps me get a head count, and I’m watching every name come in:

Saturday, May 9 · 11am–5pm

Hope I get to see some of you there.

— Cat