How I Became A Small Business Owner (Again), by Partnering With AI
In the age of AI, scaling yourself 100x as a programmer is not enough. You have to do sales and marketing too. You're a full small [...]
Singularity and the Chevalier in the Supermarket
We're not in the Singularity yet. The chevalier-in-the-supermarket test shows what real Singularity would feel like—and why AGI hype falls short.
Vibe Coding for People Over 50
Pre-digital childhood gave you patterns younger developers never learned. Now AI removes the syntax barrier. Here's how to turn 50+ into your unfair advantage.
Running Local Private AI Models – How And Why
Running local private AI models is now realistic, affordable, and urgent. Here's what hardware to use, which open-source models are ready, and why you shouldn't wait.
The Price of Illusions – 16 Years Later
In 2010 I asked if you were living in an illusion. In 2026 that question is harder — the price of illusions, now that they have [...]
Are You The Best Version of Yourself? – Checking In After 16 Years
In 2010 the OS metaphor for self-improvement was an analogy. In 2026 it's literal — AI tools actually run as cognitive extensions. Here's what that changes.
The 2026 Definition of Success – 10 Years after I First Tried My First One
I had 9 definitions of success in 2016 and was split between all of them. 10 years later, here's what I actually learned about enough, alignment, [...]
Frustration as a Growth Signal – Revisiting After 15 Years
I wrote 33 ways to overcome frustration in 2010. 15 years later: most of them work, but only for one type. The other type just needs [...]
7 Things To Do when the Shit Hits the Fan
In 2011 I wrote this list from inside a disaster. Here's what held across 15 years of crises — personal, professional, and the kind you don't [...]
7 Kung Fu Panda Lessons, 16 Years Later — Po Actually Became a Master
In 2010 I pulled 7 lessons from Kung Fu Panda. Sixteen years later: what held up, what needed revision, and which one turned out to be [...]
The Right Tool for the Job in 2026: What AI Changes About the Wrench Problem
In 2018 the wrong tool was obvious — you could see the mismatch. In 2026, AI made it invisible. Here's where the granularity problem actually went.
15 Years of Motivation: From Tiny, Genuine Sparks to Burnout
The "get and keep" model of motivation breaks down fast. After 15 years: what three methods actually lasted, what leads to burnout, and what actually works [...]
17 Years of Social Networks Later: What Actually Replaced What
In 2009 I framed social networking versus real life relationships as a match. Neither team won. What happened instead was stranger — and more useful to [...]
The Action versus Reaction Trap: Why I Had It Half Right in 2009
In 2009 I said acting is always better than reacting. 17 years later the picture is more complicated — and more useful. Here's what I got [...]
5 AI Predictions for the Next 5 Years
From instant translation reshaping Europe to space data centers overtaking Earth compute — 5 AI-driven predictions for the next 5 years, and why making them matters.
The Extra Bolt – A Story of Furniture, Abundance and Confusion
Every assembled piece of furniture left me with one extra bolt — and it took months to realize that was abundance, not a mistake. A story [...]
AI Peer-Preservation: Why Is This NOT Digital Empathy
A Berkeley study shows AI models protect each other from shutdown. But it's not peer-preservation — it's self-preservation dressed up. AI sentience is not here yet.
Attention Is All You Need – But the Reasons Have Changed
AI can create anything. But in a world of infinite artifacts, attention is the scarcest resource. Here's why it matters more than ever—and how to navigate [...]
The New Hard Skills Are the Old Soft Skills
Coding is obsolete. Communication, discipline, and cognitive frameworks are now the key differentiators. Here's how the rules changed—and what to do about it.
The World After Oil: Can AI Inference Be the Next Reserve Currency?
Ray Dalio says the dollar is in trouble. If AI inference replaces oil as the world's essential resource, what backs the next reserve currency? A speculative [...]