Personal archive

Older essays and notes, kept for the record.

Writing from 2007 on: product strategy, design, startups, and the occasional personal note. None of it is linked from the rest of the site.

Everything, newest first

2026The Benchmark That Matters Is Your Own WorkPublic model benchmarks measure someone else's problem. A weekend spent building a private test bench turned up three things no leaderboard would have shown.
2026The Loop Isn't NewThe AI industry just discovered that loops are the secret to building intelligent systems. Builders have known this for years.
2026What Happens When AI Replaces the Middle Class?If AI takes over office jobs, what will people do? Where will they work? The honest answer is nobody knows for sure — but restaurants might be part of it.
2026The Interface Is Dead. Now What?Why the companies closest to the problem will win the AI era — and why that might finally include yours.
2026Stop Waiting for the Super-App — Your Business Needs to Become OneThe super-app isn't arriving as a single product from Silicon Valley. It's being assembled by every business willing to ask: where is the friction?
2019Not Every New Idea Is a Good IdeaSomeone on your team has a great idea. Maybe it is great. But how do you know? Here's how to test new ideas without betting the business on them.
2016The Next Social NetworkWhere the next dominant social network will emerge — and why the current incumbents will probably miss it.
2016Can Microsoft leverage LinkedIn's Platform?Microsoft just bought LinkedIn. Whether that's a bargain or a boondoggle depends on something most acquirers ignore — the user experience.
2015Redesign our Design ThinkingDesign thinking has drifted toward aesthetics. The case for redirecting it back to outcomes the user actually feels.
2015LemonadeWhat every entrepreneur can learn from a kid's lemonade stand — and why you should always stop and buy a cup.
2015A Dangerous GrooveFind your line: why staying just outside the comfort zone is where the best work happens — and how a groove becomes a rut.
2015JerkOn the loss of the personal web — and why authentic publishing on a site of your own still matters.
2015Presentation TipsPractical advice for sharper, more memorable presentations — from a speaker who's done a lot of them.
2014Non-Disclosure AgreementsWhy most NDAs are more friction than protection — and a simple, one-page alternative that actually works.
2014Swim LanesTwo meters is much narrower than you think. Why disciplined focus — and respect for everyone else's — is how teams actually win.
2014DepositsWhy a deposit on professional services isn't negotiable — and what it says about a client who won't pay one.
2014A Place to Call HomeWhy creative communities need a home of their own — and what it really takes to build one in a major city.
20148 DaysA short note about why the Atlanta Web Design Group needed a home of its own — and how to build one.
2014Freelancer or Agency?The line between freelancer and agency isn't as clean as it sounds — and the way you define yourself shapes how others define your work.
2014On SpeakingWithout great speakers, you just have a trade show. A few thoughts for anyone organizing an event on a budget.
2014RenegadeReal change in stagnant industries comes from one of two places — and neither of them is the corner office.
201440 in 240Pragmatism kills more dreams than failure does. The case for following the voice of passion — even into a 'real' career.
2014UnlabelMarc Ecko's hard-earned wisdom on building a brand that delivers on its promises — and why visions should start small.
2010The Upside of FailureMost quitting happens in the mind before the muscles give out. Why pushing past your perceived limits is where real growth lives.
2010LacerationsA bloody reminder that distraction has a real cost — and that clarity might be the cheapest, most valuable thing we can give ourselves.
2010ResolutionsPublic accountability for a short list of resolutions: focus on the positive, listen, and never stop learning.
2009The Speed of DreamsWhy goals aren't the same as dreams — and what it costs to wait too long to chase the things that actually matter.
2009Don't Be EvilGoogle's mantra is well known. As they collect more of our data, the question is whether their grip on privacy will hold under shareholder pressure.
2009Consider the SourceEvery message we encounter came from an agenda. Why the source matters as much as the message itself.
2007Monotony Breeds CreativityWhy streamlining the small decisions frees up your best thinking for the things that actually matter.
2007TV is Changing ForeverHow shifting distribution power on the web is reshaping the broadcast networks — and what happens when the old gatekeepers stop being gatekeepers.