Ryan McDonough
Founder, Sometime Artist
CFO and co-founder @Accompany, acquired by @Cisco. Turnaround CFO @Ning, sold to Glam Media. Former seed VC. McKinsey trained. @Wharton School and @Haas School of Business.
Cracking it open felt like prying into a Russian nesting doll of empty plastic. Inside?
• Two bite-sized PCBs
• One hefty metal slab (purely for fake gravitas)
• Miles of air
Weight-lifting routine: delete the metal slab, un-stack the boards, and slide everything into a bespoke LEGO Atari 2600 shell—just 18 studs wide (≈ 6″) with a faux-walnut faceplate for that 1977 swagger. Think mini console, maxi nostalgia: cartridge slot venting, working power/toggle switches, and room in back for HDMI and USB-C.
• Plastic shell big enough to park a Hot Wheels collection
• Dead weight metal core
• Hidden PCBs
• LEGO brick body that fits in the palm of your hand
• Feather-light build—no skipped leg day required
• Boards spotlighted under a removable LEGO lid for easy modding
Boot-up time is identical, controller pairing flawless, and the smaller form factor finally makes sense on my already-crowded retro shelf.
Why this matters
Sustainability – fewer dead dinosaurs in the landfill (I know it’s actually algae using off the shelf parts and a tiny footprint
Mod-ready – the brick chassis lets me swap micro-SDs or tack on a tiny OLED score counter without even pulling out a screwdriver.
Conversation fuel – friends see “LEGO + Atari” and instantly ask for high-scores on Yars’ Revenge.
