Peter Kalafatis
Philosopher · Craftsman · Artist
Peter grew up in 1980s Brooklyn, inside a restaurant family, and he never really left the work. His graduate work in media studies explains why he keeps asking what a tool is for before he builds it, and what a medium does to the message once it ships.
Peter earned his bachelor’s degree at LIU Post (C.W. Post) and a master’s in Media Studies at The New School. His academic work ran through the philosophy of science, human behavior, religion, evolution, new technology, AI, and memetics: how ideas travel, mutate, and take hold of people. For one semester he taught a business course at Queensborough Community College, built on decades of running a restaurant. The college asked him back, but the business needed him more. x9m8 sits where those threads meet. It’s software made by someone who has spent a career watching how people actually behave.
He is the author of the memoir A Rebel Life (2007), a guitarist, and an expert leather craftsman who still stitches by hand. By trade he runs businesses that other people can walk into or order from. At night he builds apps.
The common thread is simple. Good work shows its care, whether it’s a plate of food, a briefcase, a paragraph, or a page that opens in under a second.
What I Stand For
Four habits, applied everywhere
Curiosity
Ask the next question. Then the one underneath it.
Craft
Handmade beats templated. Details are the product.
Clarity
Plain words, fast pages, nothing hidden in the fine print.
Independence
Small, owned, and answerable to the people who use it.
The Other Work
Where Peter spends the rest of his hours
- Heritage Diner Family‑owned in Mount Sinai, NY since 2000. Sourdough baked from scratch, steaks trimmed to order, and a blog that wanders from food to culture.
- Marcellino NY Handmade English bridle leather briefcases, since 2010. Pick a signature style or commission something made to your needs.
- Maison Pawli A boutique real estate practice on Long Island’s North Shore.
Say hello
Questions, ideas, or a project worth building? Write to x9m8x7@gmail.com.
