Twenty-five years after launching Discogs, Discogs founder Kevin Lewandowski remains a devoted vinyl hunter and a serious coffee drinker. In a recent interview, he talked about the tools and habits that keep him going, from a simple brewer to a homemade smart-home setup, and about the records he still brings home.
The AeroPress That Never Leaves the Counter
Asked to name the one item he could not do without, Lewandowski pointed to his AeroPress. He said he uses it several times a day, and he was sipping a cup made with it during the conversation. For the founder of a site built for music obsessives, the answer was refreshingly analog.
A Collector’s Site, Still Growing
Discogs began 25 years ago as a destination for vinyl collectors and music fans. It has since become a marketplace for buying and selling records, but its reach goes further: the database catalogs albums, singles, and the many different versions and pressings that collectors chase. Users can also take part in forums, join groups, and build lists. Lewandowski’s creation has grown into a place that blends commerce, community, and reference material for music lovers.
With more people stepping away from algorithmic feeds and returning to physical media, the timing was right to ask Lewandowski about his own routines and preferences.
Too Many Tabs, Not Enough Posts
Lewandowski’s browsing habits are as cluttered as any modern worker’s. He estimated that his work computer usually has about 30 tabs open, while his personal computer is worse, with somewhere between 40 and 50. On social media, he said he occasionally looks at X and Instagram but does not really post.
A Gadget He Built Himself
When asked about his favorite gadget, Lewandowski hesitated to call it a gadget at all. He enjoys tinkering, and lately he has been experimenting with Home Assistant software. He built his own setup to control things such as the garage door and outdoor lights. In the end, his favorite device is one he made himself.
An Idea He Wishes He Had
Lewandowski named Rez, the rhythm game released around 2000, as something he wishes he had created. He described it as a game where the player is almost controlling the music while playing, calling it about as close to DJing as a video game can get. He said he has had an idea for his own version with a similar concept, though it remains only an idea.
Finding Focus by Changing the Scene
To concentrate, Lewandowski either clears everything off his desk or changes locations entirely. He might go to a coffee shop or sit outside. Sometimes, he said, he just needs a different environment.
Records Still Come Home
The last physical media he bought were records. During a visit to Mint Gallery in Portland the previous week, he picked up four. He said he still enjoys going into a record store and finding something to bring home. He also recently acquired three reissues from the Moodsville / Acoustic Sounds series.
A Biopic Tagline and a Meme
If a film were made about his life, Lewandowski suggested “The Secret Weapon” as the tagline. As for memes, he said he does not use them often, but he was somewhat proud of one he made by placing a Discogs screen into a of a North Korean war room. He noted that he was advised it might not be appropriate for the company chat.
