Archive of posts from August 2025

I don’t care much about most things.

I don’t care what car we drive so long as it’s reliable.

I don’t care what phone we use so long as it’s maintained.

I don’t care what computers we use so long as they’re compatible.

I don’t care what we have for dinner so long as it’s good for us.

I don’t care what we do on the weekend so long as my family likes it.

It makes more space in my consideration, emotional investment, and continued study for the things I care a lot about.

Like my family and its wellbeing.
Like my craft and how I master it.

Maybe we don’t need more time for what matters.
Maybe we just need more space for what matters.

Fragile, brittle systems are no fun.

They’re unlikely to last for a long time.

They break, and never when you want them to.

They require your concern, care, and emotional labour.

So how do we make systems less fragile, less brittle?

Easy.

Simplify, test, and over-compensate.

Simplify: less will go wrong if less can go wrong.

Test: less will go wrong if you fix what goes wrong.

Over-compensate: if <10 means failure, give it >20.

The wonderful thing about setbacks is…

Even the REALLY big ones, soften with time.

And the lessons we need to learn?

They come in time too.

Really puts “time is on our side” in a new light.

How it looks VS How it works & feels:

Most designers focus just on the former.

The reaon ones know it was always about the latter.

Good designers create good designs.

Good leaders create good leaders.

I wonder if we should judge leaders less by what they say, and more by what the middle-management beneath them looks like!

We should obsess more about our “relationship stack” than our “tech stack”.

Brand builders love to compare tools, watch reviews, deliberate on the objects they’ll use to create their work.

When in reality, that time would be far better suited to simply getting to know our people better.

The reward is so much greater.

Underrated skill:

Tear the work down, while lifting the person up.

What do your customers feel when they buy your product or service?

It’s funny how, “My life is getting better and I’m having a blast in the process”, is a real feeling you can create in every person who buys from you, methodically, if you want it to. So powerful, yet so rare.

Often, it’s the most important part that gets the least attention from most brands, most of the time.

Post-sale customer success. Going the extra mile for your chosen few. Sending presents once in a while. Picking up the phone to see how they’re doing.

The seemingly-little things are often the most important things.

We sometimes freak out when things don’t go our way.

Even when our trees lose their leaves, we still freak out a bit.

At least, I do. Sometimes.

I planted six big tall new trees on our property earlier this year and three of them have been really struggling with the heat.

But y know what?

Most of them will be fine. Heck, they’re better equipped to stand out there than I am.

We shouldn’t worry about the heat or the weather or the deer (okay, maybe a little bit about the deer)…

We should simply concern ourselve with watering what matters, and letting go of the rest.

Post every day?

Send more emails?

Make more calls?

People debate whether or not there can be “too much of a good thing”, but it’s not actually the reality at all…

Usually, people aren’t deliberating “too much of a good thing”. They’re deliberating “too much drawn-out shallow pithy faffery” that switches us off, erodes our trust, and tires us of your voice.

Maybe slow it down a bit and find quality first.

I’m not sure I felt ready for anything I’ve done.
I’m not sure it’s necessary.

You don’t have to ‘be ready’ to be a parent, for instance…
You just have to show up fully for them every day.

You don’t have to ‘be ready’ to be a business owner either…
You just have to show up fully for it every day.

You don’t have to ‘be ready’ to be fit and healthy…
You just have to show up fully for it every day.

Funny how that works.

Does that idea not really light you up? Say no thanks.

Does that project sound like it might be drag? Say no thanks.

Does saying yes mean you have to say no to something special? Say no thanks.

“Yes” is a great response to things that are a great fit for you.

“No” is a great response to things that aren’t.

It’s “maybe” that’ll really get you.

I once thought it’d be useful to write and publish something every day.

An idea. A thought. Something worth thinking about. Something worth sharing.

I thought it’d be awesome if I could keep it up for over 7 days.

I’ve done it for over 7 years.

And the benefits?

I think clearer, write faster, and drown in ideas daily.

What if you wrote just one today… just one the next day… and see where it takes you?

Think it’d be cool to learn that new skill? Just start learning it.

Think it’d be beneficial to try that campaign? Just start trying it.

Think it’d be great to make that product idea? Just start making it.

Think it’d be fun to start a daily blog? Just start writing it.

Think it’d be neat to be able to draw. Just start drawing.

Overthinking is the enemy.

Just start.

Focus on tactics (Google SERPs, AI prompt visibility, etc) and you’ll just be forever chasing tactics.

Or, build something worth talking about, and the fruits of any tactical pursuits have a nasty habit of coming along for the ride.

Your choice!

There are only two book sales strategies:

1: People pay to read your mind.

2: People read your mind to see if they want to pay you.

Papers do not dictate worth.

Not grades.
Not dollars.
Not certificates.
None of them.

We’re all capable of making great things, if we choose to.

No permission required.

If a shelf has 10,000 toys on it for $10 each…

9,999 of them are generic white cats…

1 of them is an original Hello Kitty…

Which will sell first? 😄

“Write faster!”

Notice how it never promotes “write better” or “write more thoughtfully for those in your care”.

No. It’s just “faster”.

But is “faster” what we’re really looking for?

Is speed the goal?

Or is it resonance and relational equity we’re after?

Is AI ruining the internet?

The internet has always feel full of empty twaddle.

It’s AI today, but it was “content spinners” before that.

And before that, it was created by young overseas talent who, bless them, could barely speak the language.

It’s always been this way.

Most radio shows aren’t worth listening to.
Most TV shows aren’t worth watching.
Most books aren’t worth reading.

The media didn’t get better. Our ability to discern got better.

And that will happen again.

I had a client tell me writing felt hard.

That maybe AI could help, but it was missing the mark on their ideas, their personality, their leadership style.

So I recommended they write every day, just like I do here.

It’s hard, the words have no direct business function, they’re not written to be seen nor promoted.

They’re written because they help me process my thoughts, and maybe—just maybe—they can help someone else process theirs.

I told him that years of practice will sharpen his thinking, speed up his ideas, and indirectly grow his business.

But that writing would always feel hard. Because it’s supposed to.

We’ll see if he picks up the habit.

Certainly, if he wants to share his thoughts online through writing, he could do much worse than simply learning how to write.

I was trying a product recently.

It seemed good. Seemed powerful. Seemed like it’d maybe be useful.

Then it put on a show — made the learning experience enjoyable, and added unnecessary experiential niceties that moved me from “this seems useful” to “Oh I really like this thing”.

A great product isn’t enough.

A great product with a great experience is everything.

Because we’re messy emotional creatures that value connection and experience over logical, pragmatic decision-making.

Just how it works.

AI chatbots are efficient.

But 64% of folks said they’d prefer companies not replace customer service with AI, and 53% said they’d think about moving to a competitor about it.

What if efficient was never the goal?

Good, compassionate, committed people are better than AI.
AI is better than Bad, lazy, selfish people.

AI isn’t replacing people…
It’s filling the gap between Good and Bad.

I’d rather work with Good people than AI.
I’d rather work with AI than Bad people.

There are lots of toy unicorns in the toy store.

But there’s only ONE your kid actually wants to buy:

The one they formed a connection with through the tv cartoon.

AI will just add more toy unicorns to the shelf that your kid doesn’t want to buy.

It changes nothing if you’re in the connection business.

When we were kids…

Firing up Sonic The Hedgehog for the first time…

Getting killed by the first ‘badnick’…

We didn’t say, “Right screw this I’m not cut out for this I’m suck a freaking loser omg what even is my life”…

We’d just go again.

We were wrapped up in “just playing the game”, not “winning vs losing”.

You’re not failing.

You’re just play the game.

The role of a leader:

Sell your team, and the world, on your quirky take on the future.

So that your team, and the world, can sell others on it, too.

It’s harder than ever, and easier than ever, to connect with others your work can help.

Harder, because everyone’s doing it, and using pithy AI personalization to make it sound like they give a hoot. We’re all seeing it, and we’re all very skeptical now.

Easier, because for those who want to actually put in the work and really show up for people in a meaningful way, they’re a literal breath of fresh air in the DMs compared to the rest.

It’s just a matter of perspective.

The largest viable audience is everybody. Target that and you’ll attract no one.

The smlalest viable audience is miniscule. Target that and you’ll attract a wonderful tribe who will help you spread the word.

Which sounds better?

If you’re going to be brand-loyal, consider choosing wisely:

Your brand (or the one you work with/for), and what is best for it, over your favorite vendors or tool makers.

Your family (or the one you belong to), and the future you want for it, over your favorite sports teams.

These are ‘brands’ - groups of people under one standard, with a shared identity, operating in the world bearing such.

Worth choosing them first?