DEV Community: Roman Marshanski

What Makes a Supernatural Thriller Impossible to Forget

Roman Marshanski — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 11:15:56 +0000

Not every supernatural thriller leaves a lasting impression.

Many stories introduce ghosts, demons, or mysterious forces, but only a few stay with readers long after the final page.

What separates a memorable supernatural thriller from a forgettable one is not simply the presence of supernatural elements. Instead, it is the balance between mystery, atmosphere, and psychological tension.

Suspense Before Spectacle

One common mistake in supernatural thrillers is relying too heavily on spectacle.

Explosions of supernatural power and constant action may be entertaining—but they rarely create lasting tension.

Memorable thrillers focus instead on suspense.

They ask questions and delay the answers:

What is really happening?
Who is behind the events?
Are the supernatural elements real—or something else entirely?

By pacing these questions carefully, the story pulls the reader deeper into the mystery.

Atmosphere Creates Immersion

Atmosphere is one of the most powerful tools in supernatural fiction.

A compelling setting can transform an ordinary scene into something unforgettable.

This might include:

abandoned buildings
ancient texts
mysterious organizations
isolated locations
quiet moments of discovery

The goal is not simply to frighten the reader, but to create a world where the supernatural feels plausible.

The Importance of Mystery

A supernatural thriller should always maintain a sense of investigation.

The protagonist is often trying to uncover something:

the nature of a supernatural force
the history of a hidden system
the identity of those controlling events

This investigative structure transforms the story into more than a horror narrative. It becomes a puzzle.

Readers experience the story as a process of discovery.

If you're looking for books that combine suspense, mystery, and supernatural elements, this curated list of
➡ Best Supernatural Thriller Books
highlights several stories that blend these ingredients effectively.

Psychological Conflict

Another defining trait of memorable supernatural thrillers is psychological depth.

Characters are not simply reacting to external dangers. They also deal with internal conflict.

They question:

their beliefs
their understanding of reality
their trust in others
the consequences of their discoveries

This psychological dimension makes supernatural elements more meaningful.

Power, Knowledge, and Consequences

Many supernatural thrillers revolve around forbidden knowledge.

Someone discovers something that was meant to remain hidden:

ancient rituals
supernatural hierarchies
secret organizations
mysterious texts

But knowledge always comes with consequences.

The deeper characters investigate, the more they risk becoming part of the system they are studying.

Final Thoughts

A great supernatural thriller is not defined solely by its supernatural elements.

Instead, it succeeds through a combination of:

carefully built atmosphere
investigative mystery
psychological conflict
lingering uncertainty

When these elements come together, the result is more than entertainment.

It becomes a story that stays with the reader long after the final chapter.

Why Readers Love Stories Where Evil Hides Behind Order

Roman Marshanski — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 11:01:31 +0000

Fear in fiction is rarely about monsters alone.

The most unsettling stories are often the ones where evil hides behind structure, hierarchy, and order. Instead of chaos, readers encounter carefully organized systems—institutions, secret groups, or supernatural hierarchies—where power operates quietly and almost invisibly.

That is one reason why stories involving demons, occult systems, and supernatural authority structures continue to fascinate readers. These stories are not just about creatures from another realm. They are about power, temptation, obedience, and the consequences of hidden control.

In modern fiction, demons often represent something deeper than simple horror. They symbolize systems that manipulate individuals, reward obedience, and punish resistance.

When Fear Looks Organized

Traditional horror often shows monsters emerging from darkness or chaos. But some of the most powerful narratives invert that expectation.

Instead of chaos, the threat comes from order itself.

A secret hierarchy.
A rigid supernatural system.
A hidden structure of power that appears logical but serves something sinister.

This kind of storytelling taps into a deeply human fear: the idea that something powerful may already exist within the systems we rely on.

Readers instinctively recognize the tension between:

authority and freedom
order and corruption
structure and hidden control

When demons appear in such stories, they are rarely random forces. Instead, they are often portrayed as agents of a system.

Why Demon-Centered Stories Still Work

Demons have appeared in literature for centuries, but their meaning continues to evolve.

In many modern stories, demons are no longer just supernatural villains. Instead, they represent:

corrupted authority
forbidden knowledge
manipulation of power structures
the consequences of ambition

Rather than simple monsters, demons often function as symbols of hidden influence—forces operating beneath visible institutions.

If you're interested in books that explore this theme more deeply, this curated list of
➡ Books About Demons
highlights several stories where supernatural power and human ambition intersect.

The Appeal of Hidden Hierarchies

Human societies are built around structures:

governments
organizations
religious systems
corporate hierarchies

We rely on them for stability.

But fiction often asks a disturbing question:

What if the structure itself is part of the problem?

Supernatural thrillers amplify this tension. Instead of ordinary institutions, they introduce supernatural hierarchies—orders of demons, hidden councils, secret rituals, or ancient forces operating through human institutions.

Readers are not just asking “what happens next?”

They are asking:

Who is really in control?
What forces shape the world behind the scenes?
What happens when someone discovers the truth?

Psychological Tension vs Pure Horror

Stories about demons can easily become simple horror. But the most compelling ones lean toward psychological tension instead.

Instead of constant violence or spectacle, they emphasize:

investigation
discovery
intellectual conflict
moral dilemmas

The supernatural elements become part of a larger puzzle.

Readers follow characters who slowly uncover hidden systems, piece together clues, and realize that the world is not as simple as it appeared.

The Role of Power in Supernatural Fiction

Many demon-centered stories explore one question:

What happens when someone tries to control forces greater than themselves?

Sometimes the answer is ambition.
Sometimes it is temptation.
Sometimes it is desperation.

But the result is always tension.

Characters who seek forbidden knowledge often discover that power comes with a cost. The deeper they go, the more they become entangled in systems they cannot escape.

Final Thoughts

Stories where evil hides behind order combine two powerful elements:

intellectual curiosity
emotional tension

Readers are not only afraid of supernatural forces. They are intrigued by the systems those forces create.

That mixture of mystery, power, and psychological tension is what makes supernatural fiction so compelling.

And as long as readers remain fascinated by hidden systems of authority, these stories will continue to evolve in new and surprising ways.

Return-to-Office Isn’t About Collaboration — It’s About Trust

Roman Marshanski — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 02:55:00 +0000

For a brief, shining moment, work was judged by outcomes.

Then someone noticed the office lights were still off.

And thus began The Great Return-to-Office Rebellion — a corporate movement powered by calendar invites, badge swipes, and the quiet belief that productivity is most visible when it’s sitting in traffic.

Sounds crazy?

The official story: culture, collaboration, creativity

The return-to-office memo always starts the same way:

“We miss the energy.”
“Innovation happens in hallways.”
“Culture can’t be built on Zoom.”

Which is fascinating, because culture somehow survived:

global teams
async work
major launches
and (in some industries) record revenue

But now, culture apparently requires assigned seating and a $19 salad.

The unofficial story: trust didn’t survive remote work

RTO isn’t really about productivity.

It’s about control.

Remote work quietly broke an old management assumption:

presence = performance.

Once work became output-based, some leaders realized they didn’t actually know:

who was effective
who was coasting
or how to measure either without counting chairs

So instead of upgrading management systems, many companies upgraded… the commute.

Employees noticed. They’re not rebelling loudly — they’re rebelling quietly.

This isn’t a strike.

It’s a slow, elegant resistance.

Top performers update LinkedIn “just in case”
Middle managers enforce rules they don’t believe in
Offices fill up Tuesdays and Thursdays — magically empty Mondays and Fridays

Compliance is happening. Commitment is not.

The contradiction: “future of work” rhetoric… with old instincts

Many organizations pushing RTO are the same ones who:

sell AI-driven efficiency
preach agility
sponsor “future of work” panels

Yet struggle to imagine:

distributed leadership
trust-based accountability
management without proximity

The future, it turns out, is welcome — as long as it sits in assigned seating.

What executives should actually ask (but rarely do)

If RTO is about performance, here are the real questions:

What problem are we actually solving?
Do our best people want to be here — or are they just complying?
Are we measuring output, or enforcing habits?
What signal does this send to talent with options?

Because in a market where skill travels faster than policy, mandates don’t retain — meaning does.

Why this isn’t just satire

Behind the jokes, this debate is real—and measurable. Research across industries has found that rigid RTO mandates don’t automatically improve performance, and can create second-order costs: lower morale, higher attrition risk, and reduced flexibility for high-performing teams that learned to execute remotely. Meanwhile, hybrid models tend to work best when they’re built around specific collaboration needs rather than blanket attendance targets. In other words: the “best” work model usually isn’t ideological — it’s operational.

The unexpected conclusion

The Great Return-to-Office Rebellion won’t end with a dramatic walkout.

It will end quietly.

One day, leadership will notice that everyone is technically “back” — yet the best ideas are elsewhere, the most ambitious people are gone, and productivity looks suspiciously like it did before… just with more meetings.

And sometime around 2032, a company will proudly announce a breakthrough solution:

AI-Powered Presence Verification™ — software that confirms you’re physically at your desk while doing absolutely nothing of value.

Progress.

👉 Full version is on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/great-return-to-office-rebellion-roman-marshanski-yipjc

Am I wrong about any of this? What do you think?

Let’s Connect

If you like this article and want to know more about the future of technology, please follow me on LinkedIn today.

AI After the Hype: We Spent Billions — Now, Where’s the ROI?

Roman Marshanski — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 03:38:38 +0000

The AI era had a predictable storyline:

Invest fast. Announce louder. Measure later.

Now it’s later.

And suddenly, the board’s favorite question isn’t

“What can AI do?”

It’s “What did we actually get?”

Sounds crazy?

The KPI problem: we measured vibes

A lot of AI “success” reporting sounds like this:

number of prompts written
number of pilots launched
time saved (estimated by someone who loves optimism)

But ROI isn’t a motivational poster.

It’s either:

cost reduced
revenue increased
time saved in a real workflow
risk reduced with documented impact

If finance can’t tie AI spend to one of those, the board won’t either.

The chatbot twist: it became a salesperson

The most common AI deliverable is the chatbot — and too often it’s “helpful” in the same way a pop-up ad is helpful.

You ask about a refund. It offers an upgrade.

You ask for support. It gives you a product brochure.

When AI is optimized for conversion instead of resolution, you might get short-term revenue — and long-term resentment.

Congratulations. You didn’t build intelligence.

You built a very polite upsell machine.

The future nobody pitched: AI audits the humans

Here’s the dystopian punchline:

AI may finally deliver ROI…

by auditing us.

scoring meetings for “decision density”
flagging organizational bloat
recommending which approval layers quietly disappear

That’s not the future we asked for — but it is what happens when AI is treated as a cost-cutting shortcut instead of a value-creation system.

What executives should actually ask

If you want ROI without the hangover, start here:

Which workflows are we improving — specifically?
What’s the operational cost when AI is wrong?
Who owns the outcome metric?
What did we stop doing because of AI?
Are we building trust — or just output?

Why this isn’t just satire

Behind the humor, the AI ROI question is very real.

Multiple reports already show that while companies are spending aggressively on AI, measurable productivity gains remain uneven.

McKinsey has found that most organizations still struggle to translate AI pilots into real business impact. Gartner has warned that generative AI is moving past peak hype into a painful phase of expectation resets.

In other words, the math is catching up with the marketing.

If this trend continues, the most profitable AI product by 2030 may not be a model at all — it’ll be an algorithm that automatically explains to the board why the ROI slide is still “coming next quarter.”

Sources

McKinsey — Beyond the hype: Unlocking value from the AI revolution https://www.mckinsey.com/cn/our-insights/our-insights/beyond-the-hype-unlocking-value-from-the-ai-revolution
Gartner — Generative AI and the Peak of Inflated Expectations https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-08-16-gartner-places-generative-ai-on-the-peak-of-inflated-expectations-on-the-2023-hype-cycle-for-emerging-technologies

👉 Full version (with deeper satire + executive takeaway) is on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/we-spent-billions-aiwheres-roi-roman-marshanski-wxilc/

Am I wrong about any of this? What do you think?

Let’s Connect

If you like this article and want to know more about the future of technology, please follow me on LinkedIn today.

# We’re live on Product Hunt: Humoropedia 🚀

Roman Marshanski — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 04:20:54 +0000

It’s live. 🚀 Humoropedia GPT – Story & Image Generator just launched on Product Hunt.

👉 Product Hunt: https://www.producthunt.com/products/humoropedia
👉 Main site: https://humoropedia.com/

Humoropedia GPT is a humor-first AI creative tool that generates:

funny short stories (yes, including “Mark Twain energy”)
absurd dictionary-style definitions of normal words
short video scripts for TikTok / Reels / Shorts
surreal image prompts + “image stories”

Why I built it

I’ve always liked humor that feels slightly wrong on purpose — not “setup → punchline,” but a failure of expectations that seemed almost completely right. I wanted a tool that could take one spark and reliably turn it into something shareable (story, script, definition, image idea) without flattening the tone into generic AI mush.

What makes it different

Most AI tools generate content and it dies in a chat window.

✅ Humoropedia is a GPT + a publishing website, so your favorite outputs can be published on Humoropedia.com for other humans to read, react, and share.

How it works (in one line):

Prompt → pick a mode → generate → publish (optional)

Try it in under 10 seconds

Prompt #1 (fast dopamine):

“Generate a short video script for social media about Mondays and coffee.”

Prompt #2 (social pain, distilled):

“Define ‘networking’ with humor.”

Prompt #3 (classic voice, modern chaos):

“Write a short story in the style of Mark Twain about AI and coffee.”

Tiny vibe sample (what it’s like when it’s behaving badly in the right way):

“I write humor by hiding the joke.

I never point at it.

I pretend nothing is happening.”

Optional instant try (inside ChatGPT):

https://chatgpt.com/g/g-LonJsyPin-humoropedia-gpt-story-image-generator

If you want to help today (small actions that actually matter)

1) Upvote on Product Hunt

2) Leave a comment (even one sentence)

3) Bonus: try one prompt and comment what happened (or paste the output)

If you want “comment templates” (no shame, we’re all busy), here are a few:

“Tried the Monday/coffee prompt. Weirdly good.”
“This GPT actually has a sense of humor. Dangerous.”
“I expected cringe. I got surprisingly usable scripts.”

If it doesn’t work for you, that’s still helpful — tell me what fell flat.

If it does work, tell me what made you laugh, because that’s the whole experiment:

Thank you for being a part of the launch 🙏.

Why I Moved the Humoropedia GPT Launch to Jan 10 (and the Product Hunt Timing Tips I’m Using)

Roman Marshanski — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 07:12:31 +0000

I’m a solo maker, and I just changed my Product Hunt launch date for Humoropedia GPT to January 10.

Not because the product isn’t ready.

Because attention isn’t ready.

And if your goal is Day-1 upvotes + comments (mine is), attention is the whole game.

The “holiday attention fog” is real (and postponing is a strategic choice)

Between Christmas and New Year, a lot of people are physically online… but mentally in another tab.

They’re traveling. They’re with family. They’re “just checking email.” They’re half-working. Half-napping. Fully distracted.

That week can feel active because feeds are moving — but launches often get less committed engagement.

So I made a strategic choice: I’d rather launch when the same number of people are online and actually willing to click, comment, and upvote.

January 10 isn’t magic. It’s just closer to the moment when routines return and “I’ll check that later” turns into “okay, let me actually look.”

My constraint: I’m a team of one

If you’re a solo maker, a Product Hunt launch is basically a one-day festival where you are also:

the performer
the stage crew
the sound engineer
the person handing out flyers outside

Launching during holiday fog makes that harder, because you can’t rely on momentum. You have to brute-force every click.

So I moved the date to Jan 10 to give myself a better shot at the thing Product Hunt rewards most:

sustained attention across the whole day.

What I’m doing differently now (my Jan 10 checklist)

I’m using the extra time for three things:

1) I’m turning outreach into “micro-commitments”

Instead of “Can you support my launch?”, I’m aiming for:

“Want to be one of the first 20 commenters?”
“If you try it, can you reply with the funniest output you got?”

Small yes-es beat big vague maybes.

2) I’m preparing comment bait (in a good way)

People comment when you hand them a prompt.

So I’m pre-writing a few “steal these” prompts that are fast and fun, like:

“Explain my job like it’s a fantasy novel.”
“Write a video script where coffee negotiates my employment contract.”
“Define ‘deadline’ like a haunted object.”

On launch day, I’ll paste these directly into the thread to seed interaction.

3) I’m making it painfully easy to try the product immediately

If someone clicks and has to think, you lose them.

So I’m focusing the entire launch flow around one action:

Click → try → laugh → comment.

Here’s the product link (it’s live already; the launch is just the spotlight):
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-LonJsyPin-humoropedia-gpt-story-image-generator

A note for other makers: timing is part of the product

This is the part nobody wants to admit:

A launch isn’t only “is the product good?”

It’s also:

“Is the audience awake?”
“Are they in decision mode?”
“Are they clicking for fun or doomscrolling to survive?”
“Do they have the bandwidth to leave a comment?”

That’s why big tech rarely drops major announcements in the Christmas → New Year gap.
It’s not superstition — it’s a strategic choice.

If you’re launching soon, steal this rule of thumb

If you need a lot of Day-1 engagement, avoid windows where people are:

traveling,
decompressing,
or telling themselves they’ll “start fresh next week.”

(Your product may still be great — but attention is finite.)

What’s next

I’m launching on January 10.

If you’re building something too, I hope this helps you choose a date like a marketer, not like a gambler.

And if you want to play with Humoropedia GPT early (and tell me what broke, what surprised you, or what made you laugh), the link is above.

Why I Changed Humoropedia GPT Launch Date, Or Product Hunt Launch Tips You Can Use

Roman Marshanski — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 06:21:51 +0000

I’m a solo creator, and I built Humoropedia GPT — a ChatGPT-based tool for generating jokes, short stories, definitions, and short social scripts.

I originally planned to launch it on Product Hunt in late December.

Then I looked at the calendar… and realized I was about to do the indie-maker equivalent of releasing a new iPhone inside an elevator while everyone is wearing earbuds.

So I made a strategic choice: I postponed the Product Hunt launch to early January.

This post explains why that decision makes sense (especially for solo makers who need momentum), and it includes launch timing tips you can steal for your own Product Hunt launch.

The product is already live to try: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-LonJsyPin-humoropedia-gpt-story-image-generator

Why late December is a trap (even if competition looks lower)

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: between Christmas and New Year, attention gets weird.

People aren’t in their normal patterns. They’re traveling, recovering, cooking, bingeing, doomscrolling… and mostly not doing the kind of intentional “click → read → comment → upvote” behavior you need on Product Hunt.

Even if some people have free time, the type of attention is different:

Short bursts
Low follow-through
Less commenting
Less “let me log in and support this maker” energy

If your primary goal is Day-1 upvotes + comments, you want the opposite:

predictable routines
work browsers open
maker communities active
people willing to click and do the extra step (comment, upvote, share)

Late December can absolutely work for some launches — especially if:

you already have a large audience that will show up no matter what
your product is directly holiday-relevant
you’re fine with “quiet but steady” instead of “spiky and viral”

But if you’re solo and trying to manufacture momentum, the holiday window is risky.

“But big tech doesn’t launch then either.” Exactly.

One reason I stopped trusting my late-December plan: major players tend to time announcements when media and users are paying attention.

You’ll notice a pattern:

lots of big announcements before the holiday break
a lull during Christmas → New Year
a noticeable ramp after people return

This isn’t a coincidence. It’s a strategic choice.

When attention fragments, coverage fragments.
When coverage fragments, momentum fragments.

And momentum is the currency of Product Hunt.

I’m not claiming I’m Apple. I’m saying I’m borrowing the logic Apple uses: launch when attention is concentrated, not scattered.

The Product Hunt reality: you’re competing for attention, not just rank

A lot of Product Hunt advice is framed like a sports bracket:

“Launch on a day with less competition!”
“Pick a quiet day and you’ll rank higher!”

That can be true if your goal is the leaderboard position itself.

But my goal is more specific:

maximize Day-1 upvotes
maximize Day-1 comments
trigger a “people are talking about this” loop

That requires traffic + engagement, not just a quieter lane.

In other words:

“Less competition” isn’t automatically good
“More attention” often wins

Late December gives you “less competition” and also “less attention.”
That’s not the best trade if you’re chasing viral momentum.

Why I chose early January

There’s an argument that the second week of January is best because people are fully back in routine. It's mostly right. That's why I chose January 10th as the launch day.

Humoropedia GPT aside: why this matters more for a “fun” product

Humor products live and die on shareability.

If people see something funny, they don’t just upvote — they comment, tag, repost, DM it.

But that only happens if people are actually in “I’m online and participating” mode.

Holiday attention is often “passive consumption.”

Product Hunt rewards “active participation.”

So for Humoropedia GPT, timing matters extra.

Product Hunt Launch Timing Tips (for solo makers who need Day-1 energy)

Below are the practical tips I’m using for the rescheduled launch.

Some are obvious.
The point is to stack them until they’re unfair.

Tip 1: Choose a date when your supporters are awake and at their keyboards

This sounds silly until you remember:

an upvote requires effort
a comment requires effort
sharing requires effort

You want people in “work-mode” or “maker-mode,” not “holiday couch mode.”

If you have a mostly US-based network, early January weekdays tend to beat the late-December window.

Tip 2: The first hours matter more than the last half of the day

Product Hunt is a 24-hour race.

The early hours set the tone:

early upvotes help visibility
visibility drives more organic upvotes
early comments make the launch look alive (which attracts more comments)

So instead of thinking “I have all day,” think:
“I have a few hours to build a snowball.”

Tip 3: Don’t try to be clever with timing — lean into the platform’s structure

There’s a temptation to “outsmart the system” by launching later in the day.

But Product Hunt has a fixed daily cycle.

The smarter move isn’t a sneaky time.
The smarter move is:

show up prepared
rally supporters early
respond fast
keep the comment thread alive

Tip 4: Write your Product Hunt copy like a movie trailer, not a README

A lot of launches read like:

“Here are features. Here are more features.”

Instead, write like:

what problem does this solve?
what’s surprising about it?
why should I care today?

For Humoropedia GPT, the hook isn’t “it generates text.”
The hook is:
“it produces publishable absurdity fast — stories, definitions, and social scripts — and it’s designed to be shared.”

Tip 5: Give people a ridiculously easy way to help

People want to support makers.

They just don’t want homework.

So the outreach ask should be:

short
clear
one action

Examples:

“If you like it, leave a quick comment — even ‘Congrats!’ helps a lot.”
“If you try it, reply with the funniest output you got.”

The simpler the action, the more likely they do it.

Tip 6: Pre-write “comment starters” for your own thread

If you’re solo, you can’t rely on a team to keep the thread alive.

So pre-plan a few discussion sparks you can post during the day, like:

“What’s the funniest use case you’ve seen for AI so far?”
“If you could generate one ‘absurd definition’ for a tech word, what would it be?”
“Should AI tools optimize for productivity… or for creativity?”

This turns your launch into a conversation, not a billboard.

Tip 7: Outreach timing: don’t DM everyone at once

If you blast 50 messages in a single hour, you get:

delayed replies
clumped engagement
and you burn your own energy

Better approach:

send in waves
prioritize the warmest contacts early
keep a few “likely responders” in reserve for later

That way you can create multiple mini-surges throughout the day.

Tip 8: Treat “comment quality” as a growth lever

A Product Hunt thread where the maker is present and funny is a different product.

For a humor tool, I’m leaning into:

playful replies
short jokes
quick gratitude
screenshots of strange outputs (where appropriate)

The vibe matters.

Tip 9: Your launch goal should be a behavior, not a number

Numbers are motivating, but they’re lagging indicators.

The behavior goal is:

get people to try the product
get them to comment a real reaction
get them to share one funny output

If you get that loop going, upvotes usually follow.

The real reason I postponed: I want a fair test

If Humoropedia GPT wins or fails, I want it to be because:

the idea resonated (or didn’t)
the positioning worked (or didn’t)
the execution was strong (or wasn’t)

Not because I launched in the week where half my potential supporters were eating cookies and forgetting what day it is.

So yes — the delay is a strategic choice.

And if you’re planning your own Product Hunt launch, I’d argue the same:
don’t launch when attention is scattered. launch when attention is concentrated.

Humoropedia GPT launches on Product Hunt Dec 27 — an AI that writes jokes, stories, and social scripts

Roman Marshanski — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 05:17:52 +0000

It’s 2025.

AI can code. AI can summarize. AI can “optimize synergy.”

But here’s the real test of intelligence:

Can it generate absurdity that makes you laugh… and then immediately question your life choices?

Sounds crazy?

That’s why I built Humoropedia GPT – Story & Image Generator — and I’m launching it on Product Hunt on December 27th, 2025.

What is Humoropedia GPT?

Humoropedia GPT is a ChatGPT-based creative tool that helps anyone generate:

Funny short stories (yes, including “write it like Mark Twain” energy)
Surreal image prompts / image-story ideas
Absurd dictionary definitions of normal words
Short video scripts for TikTok / Reels / Shorts-style posts

If you’re a builder, creator, or a professional procrastinator… this tool is for you.

Try it here (this is the main thing):

Humoropedia GPT: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-LonJsyPin-humoropedia-gpt-story-image-generator

Why launch this when there are a million GPTs?

Because most AI tools try to sound helpful.

I wanted one that sounds fun.

Humor is the differentiator.

Also: humor is brutally honest feedback.

If a tool can reliably turn a simple prompt into something funny, surprising, and shareable, then it’s not just “AI writing.” It’s a creative engine.

And Product Hunt is the fastest reality check I know:

Do strangers “get it” in 10 seconds?
Do they smile?
Do they try it?
Do they come back?

What you can do with it (the fast mental model)

Think:

Prompt → punchline → publishable output

Not “enterprise tone.”

Not “Dear valued stakeholder.”

More like: “Your coffee mug is applying for dental insurance because Monday exists.”

Prompts to try (to see the personality immediately)

Copy/paste any of these into Humoropedia GPT:

“Write a short story in the style of Mark Twain about AI and coffee.”
“Generate an image story: a friendly alien becomes a barista.”
“Define ‘networking’ with humor.”
“Generate a short video script for social media about Mondays and coffee.”

If the output makes you laugh, I want to hear it.

If the output makes you uncomfortable, I also want to hear it.

How I built it (high level, no secret sauce)

I designed Humoropedia GPT around a few principles that matter for creative tools:

A clear creative identity

Instead of trying to be “everything,” it leans into humor-first outputs: witty definitions, short surreal scenes, and punchy scripts.
Structured outputs, not rambles

Many AI outputs fail because they don’t land. I tuned it to produce content in formats people actually use: short scripts, compact stories, and definitions that hit quickly.
Repeatable creativity

The goal isn’t one lucky result — it’s consistent weirdness. If you ask for five variations, you should get five different kinds of funny (not the same joke wearing a different hat).
A path from generation to publishing

I’m building this as a real content workflow, not a “chat-only toy.” If you like the result, the idea is that you can publish and share it instead of losing it in a tab graveyard.

(If you’re curious where publishing lives: it’s part of my Humoropedia ecosystem — https://humoropedia.com/ — but the GPT link above is the core product.)

Launch details

I’m launching Humoropedia GPT on Product Hunt on December 27, 2025.

If you want to help, the best support is simple:

Try it
Upvote on Product Hunt
Leave a comment (even one sentence helps more than people realize)

And if you’re the kind of person who likes breaking tools:

tell me what confused you, what felt boring, and what made you laugh.

Because that’s the journey: building weird things, watching the internet react, and improving the tool until it becomes the kind of creative sidekick you actually come back to.

Am I wrong about any of this? What do you think?

Let’s Connect

If you like this article and want to know more about the future of technology, please follow me on LinkedIn today.

Nordstrom’s Debt and the Future Where the Sun is Banned

Roman Marshanski — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 04:54:34 +0000

What if retail giants didn’t just sell products but controlled our entire reality? With Nordstrom’s recent $2 billion debt acquisition, it seems like buying financial burdens is the new corporate hobby. But what if it doesn't stop there?

Imagine a future where stepping outside is obsolete, the sun is erased from existence, and AI-driven chatbots won’t stop upselling you “Happiness Subscriptions.” Sounds crazy? Maybe. But in a world where debt is more valuable than customers, we might be closer to this reality than we think.

A World Where Chatbots Rule

In this dystopian future, chatbots have evolved beyond customer service. They don't just assist; they upsell you at every emotional moment.

Feeling lonely? “Try our premium friendship package!”
Need a little motivation? “Upgrade to our personal AI life coach!”
Thinking about stepping outside? “Outdoor activity is now a premium feature. Subscribe now.”

Every interaction is an opportunity—for them, not for you. Meanwhile, corporations like Nordstrom become more like governments, shaping our lives through algorithms and data-driven control.

The Future Where the Sun is Banned

Fast-forward a bit, and leaving the house becomes... a relic of the past. The sun? Gone. Amazon and other corporate giants have deemed it unnecessary—after all, why go outside when everything you need is just one click away?

Ray Bradbury’s dystopian visions? They were mere fairy tales compared to the corporate-controlled future we might be heading toward.

Want to dive deeper into this satirical take on our tech-driven world?

👉 Read the full article on LinkedIn and join the conversation!

Let’s Connect

If you enjoyed this article and want to explore more absurd visions of the future, follow me on LinkedIn today! Let's laugh, connect, and discuss the bizarre trajectory of modern tech together.

Techie Limericks: A Humorous Dive into Code, APIs, and Neural Networks

Roman Marshanski — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 10:44:07 +0000

What do you get when you combine the timeless charm of limericks with the complex, quirky world of technology? A creative explosion of rhyme and reason! Limericks, known for their whimsical five-line structure and clever wordplay, originated in Limerick, Ireland, and have since evolved into a versatile form of humor and storytelling.

So why not craft limericks with a technical twist, blending the comedic rhythm of poetry with the intricate beats of web development, API design, and neural networks? I think it's a pretty fun, yet somewhat poetical idea.

So if you’re a techie who appreciates a good laugh, you’re in for a treat. And if you're on the hunt for even more humor, don’t forget to check out the Ultimate List of 35+ Absurdly Funny Limericks To Spark Joy.

What Makes a Limerick?

A limerick is a five-line poem with a distinct rhythm and rhyme scheme (AABBA). The first, second, and fifth lines share the same rhyme and length, while the shorter third and fourth lines form a rhyming couplet. The resulting cadence is both playful and memorable, making limericks ideal for delivering punchlines and surprising twists.

For example:

A developer stared at their screen,
Debugging a function unseen.
With a typo in code,
The logic implodes,
And now they’re stuck in a routine.

History of Limericks

Limericks have traveled a fascinating journey from their humble beginnings in Limerick, Ireland, to becoming a beloved form of humorous poetry worldwide. First popularized in the 18th century, limericks were known for their catchy rhythm and playful wit, making them a favorite for both casual gatherings and literary circles. Over time, they evolved from oral traditions to printed collections, finding a place in English literature alongside the works of Edward Lear, who famously popularized the form with his whimsical verses.

Limericks in the Context of Technology

As technology permeates every aspect of modern life, it provides endless fodder for creative expression. Below are original limericks that explore web development, API intricacies, and neural network conundrums. These limericks blend humor and insight, offering a lighthearted look at the tech world.

Web Development Limericks

Just two humble limericks are below - don't be mean to them.

1 How About Cascades?
In the land of cascading styles,
A developer ran into trials.
With divs all askew,
And functions untrue,
Debugging took hours, not miles.

2 How About Arrays?
A frontend dev loved their array,
“I’ll fix it tomorrow,” they’d say.
But with bugs in their code,
The backlog just growed,
And deadlines kept slipping away.

API Development Limericks

Well, how about some APIs that didn't like the good old limericks but couldn't help rhyming?

1
An API once, RESTful and neat,
Faced a bug it just couldn't beat.
With POSTs in a loop,
And GETs in a group,
The endpoints conceded defeat.

2
A dev tried to build an endpoint,
But the specs were as vague as a drunk before his first step.
With patchy details,
And countless emails,
A dev's patience jumped over the endpoint to its own endpoint.

Neural Network Limericks

1
A neural net, deep in its thought,
Solved problems that humans could not.
But when asked to play chess,
It created a mess,
And tied all its nodes in a knot.

2
AI once tried to write prose,
“What rhymes with data?” It froze.
Its logic went awry,
It couldn’t say why,
And outputted “Hello, who knows?”

Conclusion

From cascading styles to neural network knots, the world of technology offers endless inspiration for the creation of limericks. After all, crafting limericks is a playful way to explore and celebrate the quirks of tech.

Want to read more limericks that’ll make you chuckle? Check out the Ultimate List of 35+ Absurdly Funny Limericks To Spark Joy. Let your journey into rhyme and reason continue! And if you’re curious about the future of technology, let’s connect on LinkedIn today!

The OpenAI Whistleblower: Secrets, Cyber Generals, and a Mysterious End

Roman Marshanski — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 02:44:22 +0000

What really happened to Suchir Balaji, the whistleblower who stood at the center of some of the most controversial questions about OpenAI? His untimely death has sparked countless theories about corporate power, ethics, and the future of artificial intelligence.

The Whistleblower

Balaji wasn’t just another engineer at OpenAI. He played a pivotal role in projects like GPT-4 and later became an outspoken critic of the very practices that made these innovations possible. He raised alarms about copyright violations and the ethics of training AI on publicly available data—concerns that resonated far beyond the tech world.

The Mystery Deepens

Shortly after being named as a potential witness in high-stakes lawsuits against OpenAI, Balaji was found dead. The official ruling? Suicide. But conspiracy theorists have pointed to the timing, the stakes, and the power dynamics involved, asking: Could there be more to the story?

Meanwhile, OpenAI recently added former NSA chief Paul Nakasone to its board, raising eyebrows about the company’s shifting priorities. Nakasone’s cybersecurity credentials are unmatched, but his presence also fuels speculation about what OpenAI is really planning.

If you’re as intrigued by this story as I was, there’s much more to uncover. I explore the twists, turns, and what this might mean for the future of AI in my full article.

👉 Read the full story on LinkedIn, where it was originally published under the title OpenAI Whistleblower’s Death: Cyber Generals and the Secrets They Took.

Let’s Connect

If you enjoy thought-provoking stories about AI, ethics, and the future of technology, please follow me on LinkedIn today.

Custom GPTs: Revolutionizing Tech Integration

Roman Marshanski — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 04:21:49 +0000

The tech landscape is built on one foundational principle: interaction. From APIs enabling seamless app integration to tools that connect diverse systems, innovation thrives when technologies work together.

Now, a new wave of technology is emerging: custom GPTs that leverage external API calls. These tools have the potential to disrupt the way we automate workflows and analyze data by offering unparalleled adaptability.

Why Custom GPTs Are Game-Changing

Here’s what custom GPTs can do that sets them apart:

Instantly analyze real-time data.
Synthesize information from multiple sources into coherent, actionable insights.
Execute intelligent tasks based on natural language inputs.

This adaptability positions custom GPTs as a game-changer. Thus, they have the potential to challenge platforms like Zapier and even reshaping something as fundamental as the Internet itself.

This article's full version was first shared under the title The Integration Revolution: Why Custom GPTs Might Be the Future of Tech.

Among other things, the full version mentions something you probably already know: Zapier's "pricing model is built around task steps." Custom GPTs pricing model isn't. In other words, there's a clear advantage.

Am I wrong about any of this? What do you think?

Let’s Connect

If you like this article and want to know more about the future of technology, please follow me on LinkedIn today.