Hey, welcome to Slow Builds.

I think we've been taught that if something feels easy, it doesn't count.

And then if you use help, it just means you're cheating.

I don't think that's true anymore.

I cheat all the time.

Not on standards or quality, never on my wife, and definitely never on taxes.

Only on things that cause friction.

Things that slow me down, and almost always on the boring stuff.

Because nobody wants to do that. One place I cheat quite a bit, intentionally and unintentionally in a lot of ways, would be fitness and nutrition.

It's done in a way to keep me motivated, to not burn me out, not to make it feel like a burden all the time.

So one example would be like if you go to the gym, you're going to do your three sets of press and you want to hit 10 to 12 reps per set, but you hit eight and feel like, "I'm done."

You know what? You're there. That's the big win right there. The fact you showed up. You're there and you had a goal. You might not have hit it. That's fine.

Another one is the treadmill. I run on treadmill a lot, and I run outdoors a lot.

But I find that the treadmill and the Apple Watch don't line up all the time.

So it feels like there's kind of a cheat where I can run a little faster, go a little longer when I'm indoors on the treadmill if I only go off the watch.

And I'm fine with that.

Because then when I go outdoors, what happens is it is GPS. It is true. There's no lying on that one.

And when I see that my numbers outdoors are not hitting the same as the treadmill, I feel like, "What's wrong?"

Like, I'm faster than this, so I speed up and I do my best to hit those numbers.

So it's sort of like a little motivational cheat code in that sense.

And same with calorie counting. I've always counted my calories.

Calories in, calories out. That's it.

If you don't care about having a muscular body and you just want to lose weight, it's just about counting your calories.

Don't eat those bags of chips or that double scoop of ice cream. Eat a salad without extra dressing and extra cheese.

Have healthy options. Have your chicken breast with rice and some broccoli, and you're good to go.

Sauce is what kills you.

But anyway, what I mean is you track it, and I work out quite a bit, so I know what everything kind of is.

But I also know that not everything is tracked for what I burn.

If you take the stairs instead of taking the elevator, or use the bathroom downstairs so you take extra steps, or you shovel instead of letting the plow do all of it, that's all movement.

And I find what happens in that situation is I'm allowed to have that croissant or that Polar Bear ice cream.

Sure, on paper it looks like I didn't burn as many as I'm taking in, but there's a little bit of a cheat there and I reward myself with that.

I don't fret about it because I've been through it and I know it.

Another place that cheating really comes into play and makes life easier is special moments.

For gifts and stuff like that, especially Christmas, Valentine's, anniversaries, photo books.

We all have millions of photos. Everything is photographed and everything is backed up in the cloud.

Instead of wasting time trying to figure out the perfect gift that I think is perfect, I throw together a photo book.

Pick a year. If you went on a trip that year, usually that's what I do.

I'll take all the pictures from the trip and make a specific Bahamas book or New York trip book or anything like that that brings it all back and floods the memories.

In the end, people like those gifts the most. They're simple, but more meaningful.

And when we have so many pictures, I just print them all.

Another hack I do with that is I use Instagram.

When we do go on a trip, I post everything to Instagram, and that becomes my photo album that I can go off of, plus all the other ones.

We usually have boxes and envelopes full of pictures just sitting around.

Any other day, it gives us something to do to go look at those pictures.

Another one is handmade cards.

I know that feels cheap to the person making it, like school-grade handmade Valentine's or handmade Christmas cards.

But again, people love those the most.

And this is where AI fits into the picture and where we start moving into useful places we can use AI.

One example: two years ago, it was our 25th anniversary.

As kids, we called ourselves Pooh and Roo.

I gave AI a prompt. I said, "How would Roo ask Pooh, and what would Pooh say when asked how long 25 years is?"

Boom, it came out with the perfect response, like it came right out of Pooh's mouth.

Then I needed an image for this because it was too good.

I asked, "Can you draw an image of Roo and Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood watching the sunset?"

Awesome.

Then you use Canva or Staples, throw it together, and in less than 24 hours you've got a printed card.

You made it yourself, you tweaked it, but you did use AI.

So it's a cheat, but it's the best kind of cheat in my mind, because those are the ones that stick around a long time.

Those are cherished a little more than going down to the grocery store or Hallmark and picking something someone else did.

Sure, AI wrote text for me, but it was my inspiration. It was our history. I picked what went there.

I was able to create it myself.

And that's the way I like it.

I've done examples before where I use AI on a daily basis, and it's sort of like a cheat too.

Before I send texts, if I feel emotional or reactive, emails, text, or even confronting someone, I'll put it in AI.

I'll give it context about the situation and say, "This is what came back, and this is what I'm thinking about responding with."

It helps me slow down and reframe it.

Most times it's spot-on, or it'll ask me: Do you want to be confrontive? Do you want to resolve this or make it worse? What is your end goal?

It helps me revisit what I would say and keeps me out of bad situations.

So it's cheating in a way. It gives me nudges in the right direction.

Another place is recipes.

I use AI for recipes all the time.

I don't like going to the grocery store and then realizing I don't have one expensive ingredient I only need once.

So I use AI for substitutions.

I have this, I want to make this, what goes together, what kind of sauce goes on it, what's good for quick dressings.

I even started tagging recipes in an ongoing ChatGPT project called Food.

It condenses them, puts them together, knows what we like, and gives me quick ideas.

Then I can ask, "I have this in the project, what can I make from the recipes we have?"

And like I mentioned before, and I'll do a deep dive video in the next few, this channel itself is heavily supported by AI.

AI helps with script ideas, ordering, thumbnails, descriptions, comments, and my website workflow.

I say that, but I've learned pure AI scripts don't work best for me because I feel like a robot.

So I get a script and ad-lib off it to make it more me.

AI handles the structure, which takes pressure off.

I don't edit these videos much, and I'm pretty bad at editing.

When we go deeper on cheating, one thing I notice is I "cheat" on one AI with another.

I'll use ChatGPT, then Grok, then Claude, depending on the task.

For recent events, I find Grok often has better current context.

I use ChatGPT for most day-to-day thinking and drafting.

I use Claude for larger code and document tasks that need deeper processing.

Sometimes I use ChatGPT to help generate prompts I then give to Claude.

That's another way I cheat.

As a developer, another cheat is repetitive code.

If I need to check whether an object has name, and whether it's nil, blank, empty, etc., I don't always want to rewrite that pattern.

I'll use Copilot or Codex to scaffold it fast.

That's not breaking standards. That's removing repetition.

Then I ask: should this become a reusable method?

Maybe it already exists in our system.

Claude helps me find similar methods across a large codebase, evaluate whether one can be extended, and avoid breaking other things.

That happens super fast.

Then we have a robust method everybody can use.

Sure, AI helped write it, but it was still my idea and judgment.

Same thing with tests.

AI writes test drafts for me.

I still run them, verify them, and make sure everything passes.

At work, I also use AI for Jira work.

We have Claude connected to Confluence, Jira, code, and Slack.

I can brain-dump messy notes and have it produce clearer tickets and docs that architects, designers, and PMs can review.

That helps me focus on actual implementation.

Right now I'm also testing a personal setup with OpenClaude and agents.

Agents for docs, tests, git, implementation updates, and status reporting.

They run multiple times a day on cron jobs and send Telegram or email updates: what's done, what's blocked, what needs review.

Then I focus on features.

I prompt for a feature idea, we prioritize it, break it into sprints, and agents pick up queued work.

I still approve code, review tests, and decide what ships.

But repetitive orchestration is automated.

That's the ultimate cheat, and I'm excited about it.

So I guess in the end, what I'm saying is: yes, I cheat.

And cheating is okay in this context.

As long as it's not illegal, not harming relationships, and not lowering standards.

I don't want AI to replace my thinking.

I still want authenticity.

I want it to be me.

I just want to outsource the busy work, remove repetition, and reduce friction.

I don't want lower quality in the work, the product, the meal, or the gift.

I want less unnecessary effort around the things that matter.

If something saves me time and helps me stay consistent while I focus on what actually matters, I'm okay with that.

To me that's not cheating. That's being smarter.

I'm not trying to win by cutting corners.

I'm trying to stay in the game long enough to compound.

Thanks for sticking around. Hopefully you enjoy this video.

Hey, welcome to Slow Builds.

Over the years, I have rebuilt my productivity system more times than I can count.
Every time, I am convinced this is the one.

It has that New Year's resolution feeling: new year, new you.
You are excited, motivated, and certain this time will be different.
It feels clean. It feels simple. It feels manageable.
You think, "I figured this out."

And for a while, it works.
Some things do stick.

I find the ones that stick usually have outside pressure:

• you are doing it with other people and do not want to be the one who drops it
• money is tied to it
• there are medical reasons with real consequences
• or there is a hard deadline and no choice

But most of the time, it fades.
Not all at once.
It fails slowly.

Until one day you realize you are just not doing it anymore.

I have fallen for this so many times.
I have failed at most systems I set up.
A few survived.
Some I only finished because the end of the year was close and I wanted to check one resolution box.

Over the years I have tried a lot:

• Getting Things Done by David Allen
• Basecamp
• Monday
• email labels
• notebooks and handwritten lists

I was not casually experimenting. I believed in these systems, and I still do.
They are built for a reason, and they can work.

But for me, most fail around month three.
There is no dramatic crash.
You just quietly abandon them.

There is always that moment at the beginning:
You rebuild everything.
You clean your tools.
You archive old tasks.
You create fresh boards and tags.
You feel empowered.

"This is clean."
"This is manageable."
"This is me now."

And for a week, maybe a few weeks, you are on top of everything.
You are consistent. You check it every day.

Then life shifts a little.
Nothing crazy.
Just enough.

Work gets busier.
More meetings.
Deadlines.
Family stuff comes up.
Long days add up.
You get tired.

You skip one day.
Then another.
Then opening the system feels like work.

Not because tasks are hard.
Because the system itself starts to feel heavy.

You dread opening it because odds are there is nothing you can check off anyway.
So why even look?

All you wanted to do was get simple things done:

• check the air in your tires
• clean the treadmill
• clean the shower

But now you have to "do the system" just to do the thing.

I convinced myself recently I had solved it with Apple Reminders and Apple Notes.
Simple. Clean. Convenient.

I organized tags, smart lists, timed reminders, linked notes.
It felt efficient.

Then one random task popped up and I froze.
Where does it go?
Does it need a new tag?
Does it need a schedule?

Then it became:
Do I need to update everything else too?

Fixing the system became the main task.
That is when it starts to fall apart.

What is interesting is there is rarely a dramatic quitting moment.
You usually do not delete the app.
You do not announce you are done.

You just stop opening it.

The longer you stay away, the harder it feels to return.
Backlog builds.
Missed check-ins.
Overdue tasks.

Then guilt shows up.
You try to use the system not because it helps, but because you feel you owe it.

At that point, it feels like the system is judging you.
Keeping score.
Adding pressure.

That is the part I missed for years:
Most productivity systems do not run on structure.
They run on motivation.

That "new setup" feeling is the fuel.
When it wears off, you see what the system is made of.

At first everything feels clean.
Then every task becomes another decision:

• what tag?
• what time?
• what list?
• does it need a note?

Now the system is not helping you do tasks.
It is asking you to be motivated enough to manage the system.

If it only works when you feel "on," it is not durable.
It is a good mood with a dashboard.

That is why month three matters to me:

• month one is novelty
• month two is momentum
• month three is the test

Does it still work when you are bored?
When life is messy?
When motivation drops?

The thing that keeps a system alive is design.

By design I mean:

• does it make starting easy?
• does it survive missed days?
• does it work when energy is low?

If not, it is not really a system.
It is motivation with extra steps.

What actually survives for me is simple:
Put things where I already know I will look.

There is no perfect system for everyone.
At work, tools like Jira, Basecamp, and Monday make sense.
They exist for projects, deadlines, and coordination.

For personal life, I keep rules simple.

Email:
If it is important and I cannot handle it now, I leave it unread.
I check email all the time, so unread means I will see it.
If days pass with no follow-up, it probably was not urgent.

Reminders:
I use reminders for personal tasks and review once or twice a week.
Not perfect, just predictable.

Calendar:
I am known for missing meetings if I rely on checking the calendar.
So I rely on notifications: one day before, four hours before, ten minutes before.
Email plus device notifications.

I am not trying to build a perfect system.
I am putting things in places I trust.

And this is the key shift:
The goal is not organization for its own sake.
The goal is relief.

When something stays in your head, it loops.
It interrupts you while driving, while relaxing, while trying to focus.
It creates low-grade stress.

My wife does this in her own way.
She writes notes on paper towels with a Sharpie and puts them where she knows she will look: fridge, door, mirror.
Strategic places, based on time.

It is simple, but it works.
Because it gets things out of your head.

Once your brain trusts that a task is parked somewhere reliable, it stops carrying it.
That frees space.

You focus better.
Think better.
Build better.
Create more.

That, to me, is the real win.
Not productivity points.
Not optimization theater.

This also connects to why I am building AI systems right now.
I want AI to carry repetitive, mentally heavy work in software development:

• documentation
• test creation and execution
• merge support
• deploy management

The idea is not to remove responsibility.
The idea is to automate standard busy-work so I can review output and spend more brainpower on product thinking, features, and real use cases.

It is the same principle:
Get mental load out of your head so your best thinking has room.

Another shift for me was pressure.
I used to love last-minute adrenaline.
University, work, side projects.
I would leave things late, sprint, and feel sharp when I pulled it off.

But that is not discipline.
That is adrenaline.
And it is not sustainable.

Then I over-corrected:
Finish early, but hold delivery so I would not get more work.

That also failed.
Because those "free days" were not free.
The unfinished thing still lived in my head.

Now my rule is simple:
Finish it, clear it, then rest for real.

So back to the main point:
If your productivity system fails, it does not always mean you failed.

Maybe it was not discipline.
Maybe it was not consistency.
Maybe the system was fragile.

If a system needs your best self every day, it is not built for real life.
Real life includes tired days, messy weeks, and low motivation.

I am not anti-system.
I just do not want fragile ones.

I do not want systems that become guilt machines.
I do not want systems that require constant optimization to survive.

I want something that blends into life.
Something that still works at 60 percent.
Something that survives boring weeks, because most weeks are boring.

And if you are trying systems, rebuilding them, tweaking setups, starting over, that does not mean you are lazy.
It means you care.

Lazy people do not reflect.
They do not rebuild.
They do not keep trying.

The issue is often not effort.
It is architecture.

This channel is not about optimization for optimization's sake.
It is about building things that survive:

• software
• habits
• money systems
• life systems

Not built for perfect weeks.
Built for real life.
Built for tired days.
Built for when motivation dips.

Built to bend, not break.

And mostly: built to survive past month three.
Because that is the real test.
Not how it feels at the start, but what is still standing when the novelty is gone.

Opening (0:00-0:45)

So before anything...
this isn't a tutorial.
I'm not an expert.
I'm not teaching anything.

(pause)

I'm just going to show you how I'm trying to use AI day to day.

And I'll be honest - I'm not very good at it yet.
It's messy.

(pause)

So this might be... kind of boring.
Because it's not a highlight reel.
It's just one developer - and one person - trying to keep up.

(pause)

This isn't how you should use AI.
It's just how it fits into my life right now.

---

Why I Use It (0:45-2:10)

And I'm not using it because AI is cool...
or because I want to brag about it.

(pause)

Honestly, I don't even talk about it that much in real life.
Because I'm always a little worried people will think I'm becoming reliant on it.

(pause)

But the truth is...
I use it like a backup.
Something that helps me move... when I normally stall out.

And that's actually very "Slow Builds."

(pause)

I'm not using AI to go faster in a hype way.
I'm using it to remove the friction...
so I can slow down where it matters.

(pause)

It makes it look like I'm speeding up...
but what's really happening is it gives me time back.

Time I can put into the parts that actually matter.
And it helps with the parts I struggle with.

(pause)

And sure - for someone else, it might be the opposite.
They might use it differently.
But for me... this is what it is right now.

---

The Speed of Change (2:10-4:15)

And part of why I'm using it...
is because I don't think what we see today is what it's going to be.

(pause)

It's changing fast.
Like... ridiculously fast.

I watched a video the other day where someone tried to explain it like this:

(pause)

We're used to new iPhones once a year.
Maybe every six months.
We at least have time to learn the thing... before the next one shows up.

(pause)

But AI isn't moving like that.

The idea was...
instead of humans iterating on it slowly...
it's the system iterating on itself.

(pause)

So it's not years.
Or months.

It's weeks.
Days.
Hours.
Minutes.

(pause)

And you can feel it.

I have a friend at work who said,
"yeah, I tried this... it wasn't that good."

And I asked him when.

(pause)

It was like three months ago.

And I'm sitting there thinking...
AI this morning is not the same AI it was three months ago.

(pause)

It's already better.

And that scares me.

(pause)

Like... actually scares me.

---

What Scares Me (4:15-6:15)

Not in a sci-fi way.
Not in a Terminator way.

(pause)

Although... who knows.

But what scares me is how unstoppable it feels.

You can't really "cut the cord."
It's distributed.
It's already out there.

(pause)

And I do think governments should be involved somehow...
I just don't know what that looks like right now.

(pause)

And I'm not even thinking about my generation as much.

I'm thinking about what this does over time.
A generation... two generations... down the line.

(pause)

Because right now, a lot of the people holding the keys...
management... leadership...
they're nervous too.

They might not say it.
But you can tell.

(pause)

And they're not going to blindly trust it.

Which is why I think for now...
there's still a place for senior developers, architects, product people...

Because companies still want humans to review.
Humans to decide.
Humans to own responsibility.

(pause)

But the people coming up behind that layer...
they're going to build new things.
And that part is exciting.

(pause)

...okay. I'm getting off topic.

Let me bring it back.

---

Where I'm At Personally (6:15-7:35)

I don't feel like I know what I'm doing at all.

I'm overwhelmed.
I feel behind.

(pause)

Every day it's something new.
New tools. New agents. New "this thing can run your life."

"Give it your credit card. Give it your login. Let it handle everything."

(pause)

That freaks me out.

But it's happening fast.

(pause)

And right now... my focus is building my own setup.
A new server.
A place where I can start running agents... for my projects... for my workflow.

I'm not trying to master AI.

I'm just trying to not be scared of it.

(pause)

I know it's impossible to fully keep up...

I just don't want to fall so far behind that I wake up...
and it feels like I'm in another country.

(pause)

I want to stay sane enough...
to keep moving through it.

---

What I Use It For (7:35-10:30)

Most of the time my AI use starts with confusion.

Messy thoughts.
Half-formed ideas.
Things rattling around in my head.

(pause)

I just dump it in.

And whatever comes back... comes back.

(pause)

Not always for answers...

More like... structure.

Reframing.
Different angles.
Steps forward.

(pause)

Especially for ideas.

Instead of doing hours of research to figure out:
is this feasible?
legal?
ethical?

I can throw the rough idea in...
and get a starting point back.

(pause)

And honestly... I've been pleased with what I get.

---

Prompts + "AI to Prompt Another AI" (10:30-12:30)

One thing I learned pretty fast is... prompts are the whole game.

(pause)

Like... the difference between spending five dollars...
and spending thirty cents...

is often just the prompt.

(pause)

Claude is expensive for coding.

So sometimes I'll use ChatGPT first -
just to build a better prompt for Claude.

I'll use one AI to write the prompt...
then paste it into the other.

(pause)

And that sounds silly...
but it saves money and saves time.

(pause)

I even built a little thing for myself where I can dump messy thoughts...
and it turns them into a structured prompt.

Code prompt.
Research prompt.
Personal prompt.

And it'll even tell me where to use it.

(pause)

Because if the system wants a prompt...
why not use it to help build the prompt?

---

Communication + Work Context (12:30-15:00)

And this part matters to me because...
I've always struggled with communication.

(pause)

I've done consulting for years.
I can figure out what to build.

But translating requirements...
decoding expectations...
turning feedback into something clear...

That's always been hard for me.

(pause)

So now... if I'm confused about a Jira ticket...
or code review feedback...
or what someone actually wants...

I drop it into AI.

(pause)

And it helps me see:

"here's what the manager is expecting."
"here's what the requirement actually says."
"here's what your code is doing."
"here's what the feedback means."

(pause)

That's not magic -
but it's a huge relief.

---

Family + Hard Conversations (15:00-17:00)

I also use AI for communication outside of work.

Texts.
Hard conversations.

(pause)

Not to avoid people.
Not to outsource emotion.

Just to pause.

(pause)

I'll explain the situation...
give a bit of history...
and draft what I want to say.

And I'll ask:
does this sound harsh?
does this escalate?
how would I say this calmer?

(pause)

And a lot of the time the output doesn't sound like me.

I don't copy-paste it.

But it still helps me see the situation clearer...
and respond slower.

---

Close (17:00-18:00)

So yeah... this is how I'm using AI right now.

Messy.
Practical.
Unfinished.

(pause)

I'm not trying to master it.

I'm just trying not to ignore it...
and not be scared of it.

(pause)

And honestly -
the better I get at using it...
the more it lets me slow down in the rest of my life.

(pause)

So... it belongs here.

Hopefully we all get through this...
and AI makes our lives better... not worse.

Hey, welcome to Slow Builds.

So this one's going to be a little bit different.

So this channel was really...

I have an idea to go through what AI told me would be anchors.

So like their family, investing, coding, life.

Just the main topics.

And we have 52 of those queued up, basically.

at least the most...

idea framed. And we had the also the idea of adding in, they called it like a bridge

video, which would be examples of what I'm doing, what I'm working on, how I use the

things that I talk about from time to time, maybe what I'm investing in, especially reading,

there'll be a lot of references to books, almost like little quick book reviews. But

I think that's what we're gonna decide what these are called so they'll come out not

Whatever I feel I want to say something

So at the moment

So

so this one really is gonna be maybe Tesla Elon and what I think I saw might be happening and

When he was at Davos, I noticed

He started commenting about the Sun because he was asking about solar panel solar power

And he was asking about the EVs and the robots and stuff like that

But he can he mentioned like the Sun and how much power

Can be generated and I think he mentioned like enough the power all of China

Which is pretty insane and then he did mention

uninterrupted sunlight

So ding ding

What does he have? He has the rocket ships. He has the satellites

So for him it's not that big a deal so you start thinking about it, it's like he has these plans to

Do satellite to come out for Starlink, which are super powerful

One friend mentioned how he feels the transmission time delays, but I think

At my level and my friends level

There's things that are being developed and changed that we don't know

And I believe Elon has the right people in place to help him figure these things out

So if he's throwing up the rocket ships and then he's throwing up the massive solar panels and he wants to start

He has grok and AI and he wants to start building

These chips and I really believe if he can't find the right supplier. He is going to make him

Himself and it's probably already in the work somewhere

Prototypes and whatever else because he the numbers he's talking are massive

Even taking off the Tesla car to earn in the robots and how many wants to pump out which means he needs the chips

Which means he's the power he needs da I he needs everything. So when you think about it

With the and with the Starlink involved he has it all he has all the pieces in place

Throw up those satellites have him directly pointed at the Sun. They're collecting all the power. He's got

Let's just say what he's going to do data centers in space because what happens free energy

That's one of the biggest cost. The other problem is the heating wall in space. There's no problem with that

So he can have these

Super data centers up in space floating around processing all this data. We're sending up requests and whatever

It's caching everything and then it's star link connected to the car connected to the robots connected to your laptop your computer your phone

Whatever. I still think he is working on a phone

It's just too big and I really believe he I don't think he thinks a little ways down the road

I think he thinks long long term, but hoping it happens faster than it does because he tries to push people which

It comes off

Rude and mean and whatever, but I think his goal is just

Get the Mars

and to make us the smartest

Civilization is possible. I

Believe a lot of what he says. I think a lot of it does come across as I

I don't want to say the crazy word, but it kind of feels that way.

But in the hard-hating time, the crazier the idea, it just seems to be that's what people

are doing and that's why it works.

It's like living in the Jetsons.

So as bad as it is to have one man with all that power, I do believe someday I'm going

to wake up and my Tesla stock is now going to be a combination of all of them.

The biggest company in the world of history.

runs everything, everything runs off of it. It's kind of scary to have that much

power but hopefully there's regulations and things in place. And the other thing

is he wants to get the Mars. He wants to give us a chance to live. He wants

to build civilization right I think or at least in the way he believes it should

be run. I don't think anyone's gonna stop him. I don't think no matter what he does I

I think he's the only one pushing the envelope farther and farther ahead.

He's trying to get there quicker because I think he wants to see it in his life.

And if he's able to do that, then it helps all mankind really.

In many ways, I can't even think about him, so I'm not even going to go there.

But I believe no one's going to stop him.

I believe he's going to be able to keep doing what he's doing.

People want to put up with it.

People want to complain.

People want to buy his products.

Worse comes to worse.

Government funded.

Private funding.

I think people are going to let him run this course in hopes that it turns into what mankind

possibly needs.

This is a true random.

This is a rambling, like the best of them.

It's like sitting around with the guys and just, what could happen?

What's a crazy idea?

And that's what I feel this one's turning into.

And that's okay, like there's no script there.

So hopefully this one, I don't need to edit it.

I haven't edited anything yet.

Everything's been a one shot deal.

And I feel I wanna do more, if I post this,

and I think I might after I rewatch it,

make sure I don't say anything too crazy.

I like doing the random links.

I have like, I have an idea I wanna do,

I really want to do it now, but like with Nike,

I want to pop something out for that.

The autonomous cars.

Why I'm very, very bullish, bullish on Uber right now.

And why my strategy has changed a lot.

Yeah, slow builds.

I think all these are slow, like you invest it, forget it.

It's good volatility is through the roof on these.

But I believe there's missing pieces that make them slow, slow build.

It's like you put the money in and you live with it.

It's like Bitcoin, you know, you just, you kind of ignore the news.

You follow it because you enjoy it and you're, you're invested in it.

But in the end, it's more, you got to go with your gut.

Like another one that I've got my kid to invest in and myself, Rivian.

I honestly believe that they have a great chance, but it all comes down to cash flow.

How long is that runway for them?

Can someone keep them alive?

Do they want to keep them alive?

But again, rambling, which is the purpose of it.

So hopefully you like this.

I would love to do more of these actually because I feel more comfortable doing this.

So we'll see what happens.

All right, thanks.

and leave some comments. I need to know if someone's actually watching this. It's

reaching a point that like I said I wanted to give up but I when I commit

to something I usually try to push through. I am pumping them out a little faster

than I was expecting because new it's new but if I know I'm gonna keep to my

schedule. It gives me a... I don't know, smart goals. I have small little attainable goals

along the way. Smart goals is another one that I want to put out. But yeah, let me know

if this is interesting to anyone. If I'm way off pace, do I even have a chance here? But

thank you.

0:00–0:25 — OPEN (settle in)

The first video was the what.
What this channel is about.
⏸ (2 sec)

The second video was the why.
Why I want to do it.
⏸ (2 sec)

I don’t know if I had to do it —
but I know I want to.
⏸ (3 sec)

So when you put that together —
what, why, when, where, how —
this video is the when, the where, and the how.
⏸ (3 sec)

And just to be clear up front —
I’m still figuring this out.
⏸ (2 sec)

⸻

0:25–1:20 — WHEN (cadence)

So starting with when.
⏸ (2 sec)

The goal is one video a week.
Maybe twice some weeks, if I can.
⏸ (2 sec)

In theory, that’s 52 videos a year.
I actually have about 52 ideas already.
⏸ (2 sec)

I don’t know if they’ll all make it.
⏸ (2 sec)

But the idea here is consistency over quality —
which… you can probably tell already.
⏸ (3 sec)

This isn’t a promise.
⏸ (2 sec)

It’s an intention.
⏸ (3 sec)

⸻

1:20–2:05 — WHEN (origin of the idea)

But when isn’t just about a schedule.
⏸ (2 sec)

This idea didn’t start all at once.
⏸ (2 sec)

It’s been sitting in my head for a while.
⏸ (3 sec)

Watching my kids do their thing.
Watching how fast everything is moving.
⏸ (2 sec)

And noticing what actually seems to matter online right now.
⏸ (3 sec)

⸻

2:05–3:00 — WHERE (physical)

That brings me to where.
⏸ (2 sec)

Physically — it’s this room.
⏸ (2 sec)

I moved things around a bit.
I’m very aware of what’s behind me.
⏸ (2 sec)

The acoustics aren’t great.
The lighting isn’t great.
⏸ (2 sec)

It’s quiet…
⏸ (1 sec)
which is actually kind of scary.
⏸ (3 sec)

I think nobody can hear me.
⏸ (2 sec)
I hope nobody can hear me.
⏸ (3 sec)

I’m not comfortable filming outside yet.
I’m not ready to just grab my phone and talk.
⏸ (2 sec)

So this room isn’t ideal —
⏸ (2 sec)
it’s just the place where I’ll actually show up.
⏸ (3 sec)

⸻

3:00–3:45 — WHERE (mental)

But there’s another where.
⏸ (2 sec)

Mentally, this came from watching my kids.
⏸ (2 sec)

They’re adults now.
⏸ (1 sec)

One is building in public —
trading, YouTube, documenting.
⏸ (2 sec)

The other makes a living from art.
⏸ (2 sec)

Both are putting real work out there.
Not polished.
Not optimized.
⏸ (2 sec)

Just… real.
⏸ (3 sec)

⸻

3:45–4:50 — HOW (AI + stance)

That’s where the how comes in.
⏸ (2 sec)

AI is moving fast.
⏸ (1 sec)

People argue about it constantly.
⏸ (2 sec)

“Is this AI?”
⏸ (1 sec)
“AI is garbage.”
⏸ (2 sec)

It feels a lot like the early internet.
⏸ (3 sec)

Where I land is pretty simple.
⏸ (2 sec)

I use AI.
⏸ (1 sec)

I don’t use it “right.”
⏸ (1 sec)

I’m not an expert.
⏸ (2 sec)

But it helps me move.
⏸ (1 sec)
It helps me think.
⏸ (1 sec)
It helps me build.
⏸ (3 sec)

⸻

4:50–5:40 — HOW (slow vs fast)

I see a lot of people using it to pump things out.
⏸ (2 sec)

Hype.
Flash.
Volume.
⏸ (3 sec)

What I’m interested in is different.
⏸ (2 sec)

Using AI to speed up the parts that don’t matter —
⏸ (2 sec)
so I can move slowly where it does.
⏸ (3 sec)

Structure.
Organization.
The boring parts.
⏸ (2 sec)

It gives me a foundation —
⏸ (2 sec)
and then I decide what actually stays.
⏸ (3 sec)

⸻

5:40–6:20 — WHAT STILL MATTERS

I don’t think AI replaces everything.
⏸ (2 sec)

Doctors still matter — assisted.
⏸ (1 sec)

First responders still matter — assisted.
⏸ (2 sec)

Storytelling still matters.
⏸ (1 sec)

Taste matters.
Perspective matters.
Presence matters.
⏸ (3 sec)

Even if most content becomes generated —
⏸ (2 sec)
people still feel what’s real.
⏸ (3 sec)

⸻

6:20–7:00 — CLOSE (land it)

So this channel is really about
moving slowly in fast times.
⏸ (3 sec)

I don’t know where this goes.
⏸ (2 sec)

I’ve already doubted it.
⏸ (1 sec)
I’ve already lost interest more than once.
⏸ (3 sec)

But if I don’t show up —
⏸ (2 sec)
I’ll never know.
⏸ (3 sec)

So I’m giving it a chance.
⏸ (2 sec)

I’m not promoting it.
I’m not pushing it.
⏸ (2 sec)

I’m just putting it out there —
⏸ (2 sec)
and paying attention while I do.
⏸ (4 sec)

Thanks for being here.

00:01 — Opening

Hey — welcome to Slow Builds.
(pause)

So the first video on the channel was about what this channel is going to be about.
(pause)

This one is going to be the why.
(pause)

And yeah… that last video was my first YouTube video ever.
It was pretty rough.
(pause)

My wife was pretty clear on how rough it was.
(small smile, pause)

For this one I still have a script — but I’m using it more as a guide.
I’m gonna look away. I’ll glance at it.
So there might be some pauses while I re-zone and find my place.
(pause)

That’s just me doing this… as me.
So I can get through it without being too nervous.
(pause)

And listen — I’ve still gotta figure out the lighting,
I’ve gotta figure out the mic,
and I’ve gotta figure out how to get a good flow.
(pause)

But that’s kind of the purpose of this channel.
Building slow. Learning as you go.
(pause)

So yeah — this video is more about why I’m building this… not what it is.
(pause)

⸻

01:20 — Autopilot

To bring it back…
a little while ago, life and work were moving great.
(pause)

Nothing was bad.
No stress.
It was almost like everything was just… autopilot.
Very automatic.
(pause)

Hours would pass.
Days would pass.
Weeks would blow by and you don’t really notice.
(pause)

I keep thinking about that movie Click — the Adam Sandler one —
where he fast forwards through life.
(pause)

Next thing you know, his kids are grown…
his whole life changed…
because he kept skipping the “small stuff.”
And that’s the stuff that matters.
(pause)

And recently, for Christmas, we went on vacation —
and it broke the routine.
(pause)

The workouts.
Waking up early.
Going to the gym.
Going to work.
Doing extra work at night.
Making supper.
All those things.
(pause)

Because everything was on autopilot.
(pause)

But that vacation made me realize something:
I was just moving.
Going through the motions.
(pause)

Not really building anything.
Not really growing.
Just living life and trying to get through it.
(pause)

And honestly… we all are.
(pause)

⸻

02:33 — I’ve always built things

And the thing is… I’ve been building things my whole life.
(pause)

Systems at work.
Systems in my own life.
Just helping out where I can.
(pause)

Building the algorithm.
Habits to stay on track.
(pause)

Some habits are great.
Some aren’t.
And you try to break those.
(pause)

And then apps — big ones, small ones — working with teams.
(pause)

So this wasn’t about not knowing how to build stuff.
(pause)

It was realizing I’d stopped being intentional…
about what I was building.
(pause)

I was just doing it.
(pause)

⸻

03:10 — Software is the clearest example

And I’m going to refer to software a lot on this channel,
because it’s what I do for a living.
(pause)

So it’s easy for me to see things… and explain things.
(pause)

It’s the biggest part of my life.
(pause)

And in code… when you’re deep in it —
shipping features, fixing bugs —
you start optimizing for speed.
(pause)

How fast can you get it out?
How many can you get out?
(pause)

Not like a competition…
but it starts feeling like a race.
(pause)

You know the code so well you don’t even have to think.
You just… push it out.
(pause)

And I really started to notice this when I had to review one of my coworker’s code.
(pause)

Everything worked.
It met the specs.
It had all the requirements.
It did exactly what it was supposed to do.
(pause)

But nobody was slowing down to ask:
(glance)

Are the specs right?
Is this how users really use the system?
What happens when something breaks…
or someone clicks a different button?
(pause)

And that’s when I realized… I do the same thing sometimes.
(pause)

Actually — most of the time.
(pause)

You fix the bug — it works.
You ship the feature — it passes the specs.
(pause)

But then it comes back… because it broke.
(pause)

And it’s like… you’re not making things better.
You’re making them work.
(pause)

You’re putting out what people expect…
but you’re not trying to make it the best it can be,
or cover all the bases.
(pause)

You’re not taking the time to really look at it.
(pause)

⸻

04:51 — What slowing down actually does

Slowing down gives you perspective.
(pause)

It lets you stop assuming…
that this is what everyone does…
or this is how it needs to be fixed.
(pause)

You can actually digest what’s happening.
(pause)

You slow down.
You take your time.
You look at it.
You think about it.
(pause)

And you can reassess.

Like…
“I think a user would do this…”
but what happens if the system goes down… and then that breaks?
(pause)

What should the user see?
What should happen in that case?
(pause)

What’s the best way for someone to click around…
jump around…
find what they need?
(pause)

What makes their life easier…
and in the end makes the software better?
(pause)

And yeah… sometimes I lose my spot.
(reset, small laugh)

So give me a second.
(glance, pause)

Okay.
(pause)

So yeah — it helps you reassess.
(pause)

And by doing all that…
you build a better product.
You build better systems.
(pause)

And if you apply the same mindset to your life…
it’s a better life.
(pause)

⸻

05:50 — What this video is (and isn’t)

So this is not a launch video.
(pause)

This is not a reset from video one.
(pause)

This is Slow Builds… getting into it… figuring it out.
(pause)

And this is really just explaining why I’m doing this.
Not what the channel is about —
but why I feel like I need to do this.
(pause)

Because slowing down forces me to pay attention.
(pause)

To name what I’m working on.
Name what I’m doing.
And why I’m doing it.
(pause)

If nothing else… this becomes a record of showing up —
even when progress is small…
and motivation isn’t consistent.
(pause)

It never is.
(pause)

You work out every day and you don’t see results.
(pause)

You write code all day and you keep hitting bugs.
(pause)

It always happens.
Nobody’s ever satisfied.
(pause)

You’re always gonna hit walls.
But it’s about pushing through… and keeping going.
(pause)

⸻

06:40 — Close

This isn’t about outcomes.
(pause)

This is about continuing.
Always showing up.
(pause)

I didn’t need to build something big.
(pause)

I need to build something honest.
(pause)

So this channel is me trying to do that.
(pause)

I’m gonna show my progress with the things I’m working on,
talk about different stuff as I go…
(pause)

…and this is where we start from here.

What Is Slow Builds?

Opening (0:00–0:45)

Hey — welcome to Slow Builds.

I want to start by saying this isn’t a trailer.
This isn’t a highlight reel.
And it’s definitely not me teaching anything.

I’m not an expert.
I’m not ahead of the curve.

I’m just documenting what I’m building
and what I’m working through
as I go.

(pause)

Most of what you see online is either hype
or hindsight.

This is neither.

This is the middle.

---

What “Slow Builds” Actually Means (0:45–2:00)

When I say slow builds,
I’m talking about long-term work.

Code.
Money.
Habits.
Health.
Responsibility.

Things that compound quietly over time.

(pause)

No shortcuts.
No pretending it’s exciting all the time.

Just showing up —
even when it’s boring,
unclear,
or slower than you’d like.

I’m not trying to optimize life here.
I’m trying to stay consistent
without the noise.

---

What Shows Up on This Channel (2:00–3:30)

I work in software.
I build side projects.
I use AI as a tool — not as hype.

I invest steadily.
Mostly boring stuff.

I train,
try to stay healthy,
and keep some structure in my life.

And sometimes I’ll talk about
family,
trade-offs,
and responsibility —
when it’s relevant.

(pause)

There isn’t a polished content plan behind this.
It’s centered on whatever I’m actively
working through at the time.

---

What This Channel Is Not (3:30–4:20)

This isn’t motivation.
It’s not productivity theater.

I’m not here to perform discipline
or sell outcomes.

(pause)

Some weeks will be useful.
Some weeks will be quiet.
Some weeks I’ll still be figuring things out.

That’s intentional.

---

Who This Is For (4:20–5:05)

This probably isn’t for everyone.

If you’re looking for shortcuts,
big promises,
or fast results —
this channel will feel slow.

(pause)

But if you’re building things quietly,
tired of performance,
and more interested in process
than polish —

there’s probably something here for you.

---

Close (5:05–5:30)

I’m not teaching from a finished place.
I’m documenting while I’m in it.

If that’s useful,
you’re welcome to stick around.

(pause)

Most of what I’m building
doesn’t look impressive —
but it lasts.