A message for the people behind the moment

For the work nobody sees—and everybody depends on.

Thanks for Keeping the Lights On is a deck of messages for the engineers, operators, technicians, and crews whose work happens quietly behind the scenes.

Founder’s first-run priceS$39

Planned regular price ~~S$49~~
45 cards · printed in Singapore

Reserve at the founder’s priceNo payment today. We’ll email before production.

45 messages

small first run

Finished card artwork · shown at actual proportions

The quiet truth

Some work is only noticed when it stops.

It is there in the overnight maintenance window, the handover that catches one detail, and the fault traced before anyone else knows there was a problem.

This deck is a way to say what often goes unsaid: the ordinary days worked because you did.

Written with the details intact

From control rooms to sound booths.

Different rooms. The same responsibility: make sure the thing everyone relies on is ready when it matters.

A four-panel campaign scene showing grid, data-centre, and rail workers holding Messages To Me cards — Recognition, made visible
A card placed directly into the hands of someone whose steady work kept the system, service, or shift moving.

Control rooms

Alarms, checklists, judgement calls, and the calm behind a steady supply.

Depots & workshops

Signal faults, worn parts, engineering hours, and the first train out.

Server rooms & data centres

Deployments, alerts, redundancy, and the maintenance nobody wakes up for.

Backstage & operations floors

Sound checks, cue sheets, last-minute fixes, and a show that simply begins.

Inside the first edition

Messages that sound like the work.

Not generic encouragement. Each card begins with a recognisable moment and ends with the appreciation it deserves.

Mushin card mu03: Clear the noise. Read the signal. — Mushin · how you act · mu03

Ikigai card ik09: A reason to show up doesn’t have to be a big one. — Ikigai · why you act · ik09

Wabi-sabi card ws02: The best procedures are written in the margins of old mistakes. — Wabi-sabi · how you hold the outcome · ws02

Three finished cards from the 45-card first edition.

The finished first edition

The whole deck, ready to be held.

Forty-five messages brought together as one tactile set: 15 Mushin, 15 Ikigai, and 15 Wabi-sabi cards, each with its own shared QR memory page on the back.

45finished cards
3perspectives
1deck of thanks

The finished Thanks for Keeping the Lights On deck, wrapped as a complete set — Limited Edition Founders Deck

Three perspectives, one way of seeing the work

For the moment, the reason, and what remains.

The Japanese ideas behind the deck are used in their quieter, practical sense—not as a formula for self-improvement, but as language for work already being done.

Mushin

No-mind

How you act

Trained skill moving clearly when there is no time for doubt.

Ikigai

A reason for being

Why you act

The quiet purpose underneath the ordinary act of showing up.

Wabi-sabi

Beauty in imperfection

How you hold the outcome

Repaired, weathered, incomplete—and still worth taking care of.

The card keeps listening

Every message has a memory page.

A small QR code on the back leads to a shared page for that exact card. Leave a note, then discover the words others have added before you.

Read the wall of thanks →

1
Read
Read the card
A specific message of recognition, made for the work.
2
Scan its code
Each card number opens its own shared page.
3
Leave a message
Add your own words for someone who understands.
4
Find the others
The page grows richer as more decks find their homes.

003

009

Printed, checked, and packed in small batches

Made personally in Singapore

A small first run, made with care.

I started Messages To Me because the best work I knew was rarely the loudest. This first deck is my way of making that work visible, one morning at a time.

The pilot will be printed, cut, checked, and packed in small batches. Reserving a copy helps me validate real demand before committing paper and ink to production.

— Alvin, founder of Messages To Me

The founder’s first edition

Keep a place in the first run.

Reserve at S$39, before the planned regular price of S$49. There is no payment today. I’ll email you with the final card designs and production date before asking you to confirm an order.

45 message cards across three perspectives
A shared QR memory page for every card
A blank dedication card for your own words
Printed and packed in Singapore

The practical details

A few things you may be wondering.

What is included in the first edition?

The pilot contains 45 message cards—15 each inspired by Mushin, Ikigai, and Wabi-sabi—plus a blank dedication card. Final dimensions, materials, and packaging will be shared before orders are confirmed.

Who is the deck for?

It is for the people who keep essential things working behind the scenes: engineers, operators, technicians, maintainers, production crews, and others whose best days are often the days nobody notices.

How do the QR memory pages work?

Every copy of the same card links to one shared page. Anyone who scans it can leave a short message and read what others connected with. The page grows over time rather than resetting for each deck.

When will it be available?

This first run is currently being validated before production. People on the reservation list will see the finished designs and proposed timeline first, with no obligation to buy.

Where will the deck be made and shipped?

The pilot will be printed and packed in Singapore. Initial shipping details and costs will be confirmed before payment is requested.

Can I add a personal dedication?

Yes. The first edition includes a blank dedication card. A printed, personalised dedication may be offered later once the pilot workflow is proven.

Messages To Me

For the people who keep everything running.

Reserve the first edition →