Excited to share: after 13 years building from within startups, I’m moving into freelance/fractional product work. My favorite part of the journey has always been turning early ideas into growth-ready products, and I'm now focusing my energy there full-time. #product #startups.

New in my newsletter: a road test of AI-enhanced strategic planning. Key takeaway: AI's ability to maintain creative momentum. Asking Claude to question ME about my strategy pulled crucial unstructured thoughts from my brain for collaborative refinement.

I’ve been working on a “1-week MVP” to road-test an AI-enhanced product dev workflow. A coffee this week spawned a new idea for the app, and I outlined the prototype sprint with Claude. This week’s Studio Notes has more from the session.

“Soft ambition” might be my new favorite term. We’re conditioned to think that the only way to be ambitious is to be crazy enough to try building a unicorn. It's way simpler: ambition is just wanting to thrive. (h/t Nicole Antoinette + @thecreativeindp).

Seems the sweet spot is using AI for initial data synthesis, while keeping the crucial steps of prioritization and scheduling in human hands. Still figuring it out.

Experimenting with AI in strategic planning lately. It's impressive at synthesizing info and surfacing potential objectives, but struggles with prioritization and creating cohesive execution schedules.

A good reminder to keep checking in on our core value proposition as we navigate different projects and career phases.

Not a new concept in tech or product development, but Beckham's example reinforced how impactful this principle can be when applied consistently over time.

It's not about rigidly sticking to one path, but finding new, unexpected ways to deliver on that core value.

There's something powerful about finding that one thing that drives you, that central problem you're solving, and letting it guide decisions across seemingly unrelated projects.

Got me thinking about the power of a core idea in product development. We talk about staying true to our central value proposition, but seeing it play out across Beckham's career really drives it home.

It wasn't just about developing American soccer. This thread ran through everything - from his fashion ambassadorship to ensuring young people have better access to nature.

Been mulling over a recent Beckham interview on SmartLess. Throughout the chat, his passion for nurturing new talent kept surfacing in unexpected ways.

Introducing "Studio Notes" - a weekly peek into my product workbench. This week:. • The power of strategic pauses.• Starting a new content strategy.• Lessons from David Beckham's career. Sometimes, stepping back moves you forward.

It's an ongoing balancing act with 'hustle' culture, yet I'm continually amazed at how these moments enhance creativity and long-term output. An ever-evolving practice.

But these aren't procrastination. They're intentional rest or 'background' tasks, creating space for ideas to percolate and insights to emerge.

I've long experimented with strategic pauses in my work. Even now, it feels counterintuitive - that voice asking 'shouldn't you be doing X?'.

AI updates every ~3 months. Web3 moves in 'crypto time'. As tech accelerates, focus on outcomes over outputs. With rapid shifts, prioritize solving problems, not just adding features. How can new tech meet enduring human needs? Tech evolves; core user problems often remain.

Tinkering with AI for strategy is like having a tireless, data-crunching intern. It excels at finding themes in notes, but the real skill lies in guiding it to nuance, weaving themes into a cohesive plan, and crafting an actionable strategy. Some things change; some don't.

Embrace the process and let the outcomes take care of themselves.

One of my favorite things about the Stevens organization is his emphasis on process over outcomes. If you focus too much of your time and attention on the results, you’re in trouble. 📉🚨.