AI
I Told AI I Didn’t Want Another Job
I asked AI to try building a business with minimal help from me. It created a game and secured outside publication. Keeping it moving has been its own kind of work.
Daniel Van Vleet
Personal Finance
The Dangerous Part of Taking Time Off
Taking real time away from work made me realize I don’t necessarily want to stop working. I want the freedom to choose when, why, and how much I work.
Systems
Every Industry Has an Industry Behind It
Every visible organization is supported by a network of specialists, vendors, systems, and accumulated solutions. Looking beyond the visible work reveals not only why change is difficult, but where many of the best opportunities exist.
Leadership
You Cannot Ask People to Own Outcomes They Cannot Influence
Organizations often remove judgment to create consistency, then wonder why employees stop taking ownership of the result. Real agency requires more than encouragement. It requires meaningful influence over outcomes.
Finance
Finance Is Where Dreams Go to Die
For years, I assumed “working with someone” meant helping them succeed. It wasn’t until a joke from a former VP of Finance that I realized many people saw the role very differently.
Essay
I Thought We Had a Data Problem. We Actually Had a Question Problem.
We spent months trying to reconcile the data. It took one unexpected question to realize we were solving the wrong problem.
Leadership
Professionals Are Paid to Bring Judgment, Not Just Information
Professionals are not only paid for what they know. They are also trusted to separate facts from fear, recognize which conclusions have not yet been earned, and remain useful when the answer is still unclear.