diff --git a/my/core/hpi_compat.py b/my/core/hpi_compat.py
index 9ef103a..61121de 100644
--- a/my/core/hpi_compat.py
+++ b/my/core/hpi_compat.py
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ import os
 import inspect
 import re
 from types import ModuleType
-from typing import List
+from typing import Iterator, List, Optional, TypeVar
 
-from my.core import warnings
+from . import warnings
 
 
 def handle_legacy_import(
@@ -108,3 +108,40 @@ def _get_dal(cfg, module_name: str):
         from importlib import import_module
 
         return import_module(f'my.config.repos.{module_name}.dal')
+
+
+V = TypeVar('V')
+
+
+# named to be kinda consistent with more_itertools, e.g. more_itertools.always_iterable
+class always_supports_sequence(Iterator[V]):
+    """
+    Helper to make migration from Sequence/List to Iterable/Iterator type backwards compatible
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, it: Iterator[V]) -> None:
+        self.it = it
+        self._list: Optional[List] = None
+
+    def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[V]:
+        return self.it.__iter__()
+
+    def __next__(self) -> V:
+        return self.it.__next__()
+
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        return getattr(self.it, name)
+
+    @property
+    def aslist(self) -> List[V]:
+        if self._list is None:
+            qualname = getattr(self.it, '__qualname__', '<no qualname>')  # defensive just in case
+            warnings.medium(f'Using {qualname} as list is deprecated. Migrate to iterative processing or call list() explicitly.')
+            self._list = list(self.it)
+        return self._list
+
+    def __len__(self) -> int:
+        return len(self.aslist)
+
+    def __getitem__(self, i: int) -> V:
+        return self.aslist[i]
diff --git a/my/hypothesis.py b/my/hypothesis.py
index 822fe9d..257e739 100644
--- a/my/hypothesis.py
+++ b/my/hypothesis.py
@@ -5,21 +5,23 @@ REQUIRES = [
     'git+https://github.com/karlicoss/hypexport',
 ]
 from dataclasses import dataclass
-from datetime import datetime
-from typing import Callable
-
-from .core import Paths
-
-from my.config import hypothesis as user_config
-
-REQUIRES = [
-    'git+https://github.com/karlicoss/hypexport',
-]
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Iterator, Sequence
 
+from my.core import (
+    get_files,
+    stat,
+    Paths,
+    Res,
+    Stats,
+)
+from my.core.cfg import make_config
+from my.core.hpi_compat import always_supports_sequence
+import my.config
 
 
 @dataclass
-class hypothesis(user_config):
+class hypothesis(my.config.hypothesis):
     '''
     Uses [[https://github.com/karlicoss/hypexport][hypexport]] outputs
     '''
@@ -28,7 +30,6 @@ class hypothesis(user_config):
     export_path: Paths
 
 
-from .core.cfg import make_config
 config = make_config(hypothesis)
 
 
@@ -39,37 +40,28 @@ except ModuleNotFoundError as e:
 
     dal = pre_pip_dal_handler('hypexport', e, config, requires=REQUIRES)
 
-############################
-
-from typing import List
-from .core.error import Res, sort_res_by
 
 Highlight = dal.Highlight
-Page      = dal.Page
+Page = dal.Page
+
+
+def inputs() -> Sequence[Path]:
+    return get_files(config.export_path)
 
 
 def _dal() -> dal.DAL:
-    from .core import get_files
-    sources = get_files(config.export_path)
-    return dal.DAL(sources)
+    return dal.DAL(inputs())
 
 
 # TODO they are in reverse chronological order...
-def highlights() -> List[Res[Highlight]]:
-    # todo hmm. otherwise mypy complans
-    key: Callable[[Highlight], datetime] = lambda h: h.created
-    return sort_res_by(_dal().highlights(), key=key)
+def highlights() -> Iterator[Res[Highlight]]:
+    return always_supports_sequence(_dal().highlights())
 
 
-# TODO eh. always provide iterators? although sort_res_by could be neat too...
-def pages() -> List[Res[Page]]:
-    # note: mypy report shows "No Anys on this line here", apparently a bug with type aliases
-    # https://github.com/python/mypy/issues/8594
-    key: Callable[[Page], datetime] = lambda h: h.created
-    return sort_res_by(_dal().pages(), key=key)
+def pages() -> Iterator[Res[Page]]:
+    return always_supports_sequence(_dal().pages())
 
 
-from .core import stat, Stats
 def stats() -> Stats:
     return {
         **stat(highlights),
@@ -77,12 +69,5 @@ def stats() -> Stats:
     }
 
 
-def _main() -> None:
-    for page in get_pages():
-        print(page)
-
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    _main()
-
-get_highlights = highlights # todo deprecate
-get_pages = pages # todo deprecate
+get_highlights = highlights  # todo deprecate
+get_pages = pages  # todo deprecate