Thoughts on building things

The Job Posting That Doesn't Exist

That CTO role you're applying for might not be a real job. Here's how to recognize deal flow harvesting disguised as employment.

The Startup Industrial Complex

The startup ecosystem has become a dream factory that profits from founders, not businesses. Here's how to see through it.

Luck Is Real (And It's Not a Strategy)

Success requires luck—but luck isn't random. It compounds on capability. The goal isn't to get lucky. It's to become someone luck can work with.

The Many Hats Hypothesis

The best way to learn your business is to do every job yourself—not forever, but first. Direct experience teaches what delegation can't.

What You Actually Learn from Launching

Product-market fit gets all the attention, but launching teaches you far more: how people actually use your product and why your assumptions were wrong.

Your Startup Doesn't Have to Be Software

The tech startup narrative dominates, but software isn't the answer for everyone. Without a tech background, it might be the hardest path—not the smartest.

The DIY Trade-off: When Building More Makes Sense

Standard MVP advice assumes you're paying developers. When you're building yourself, the calculus changes—and sometimes building more is the smarter move.

When Your MVP Is Too Small

The standard MVP advice can backfire. Sometimes minimum viable isn't minimum valuable—and a too-small product generates noise, not signal.

The Question Nobody Asks: Why You?

Founders obsess over market opportunities but skip the most important question: why are you the right person to build this? Fit matters more than opportunity.

Focus Beats FOMO Every Time

Chasing trends and imitating competitors is a losing strategy. The founders who win choose carefully, commit fully, and compound effort over years.

What Is That Pre-Built WordPress Theme Really Costing You?

The theme looked perfect in the demo. Now your site is slow, your Core Web Vitals are failing, and you're not sure why. Here's what you actually bought.

Why Your WordPress Site is Slow (And What to Do About It)

Your WordPress site is slow despite caching plugins and better hosting. Here's what's actually happening—and why more optimization might not be the answer.

How to Validate Your Startup Idea Without a Technical Partner

Before you look for a developer or cofounder, answer this: do you know if anyone wants what you're building? Are you sure software is the answer?

The Real Cost of the Technical Cofounder Search

The cofounder search costs more than time—it costs optionality and equity. Here's what matchmaking events don't tell you.

How Much Does an MVP Actually Cost?

Real numbers on MVP development costs in 2026. What affects pricing, what you're actually paying for, and how to think about the investment.

The True Cost of Running WordPress in 2026

WordPress powers 40% of the web—but it costs more than most realize. Here's the real accounting of hosting, security, maintenance, and hidden expenses.

You Probably Don't Need a Technical Cofounder (Yet)

The startup ecosystem's advice to find a technical cofounder doesn't work for most founders. Here's why the search fails and what to do instead.

Amazon Listened to Me

Surviving Web Design Projects: Beware the Spoiler

The Impermanence of Modern Communication

Three Pillars of Creative Projects

All Websites are Marketing Projects

The Four Big Questions

Mind the Recoil

How to Buy a WordPress Theme

Eliminate 99.9% of Form Spam in 10 Minutes

How to Hire a Freelancer

The Open-Source Ethos: Paying it Forward

Dear Amazon: Why Doesn't This Exist?

It's Hard to Start

Want To vs Have To

What Are You Not Doing?

2012: The Year of Questionable Upgrades

Ooh, Shiny!

Missing the Micro

You Can't Shrink Your Way Out of a Shrinking Problem

On Quoting High

Responsive Web Design - Rebuilding the Web

Natural Content Marketing

Just Be Decent

Form vs. Substance - Does this Design Matter?

Facebook Timeline as the New QWERTY?

The Importance of Alignment when Showing Data

Embracing Your Preferences

Right Now is Awesome

Personal vs. Interpersonal Interaction Design (IxD)

No One Wants to Ask Jeeves

Just Build the Thing

"Why are We Building this Thing?"

UX Design: Sometimes You Need to Start Before You are Ready

Great UX Design is Never Done

There is No "YOU" in UX

What Makes a Landing Page Work

Bad Design IRL: Anatomy of Bad UX Design