2 min read
March: Fixed Sleep, Fewer Tabs, More Focus
February felt dense—lots of ideas, lots of output, slightly scattered. March is going to feel tighter.
Personal
26 articles
3 min read
February 2026: Month in Review
Made four commitments at the start of February. Here's the honest accounting. Twenty-eight posts in twenty-eight days. The streak continues—fifty-six days…
3 min read
Fifty-Five Days of Daily Writing
I started this in January as an experiment. I keep doing it because it's become something I didn't expect.
3 min read
The Code Review That Rewired How I Think
Seven years ago, a senior engineer reviewed my code and said nothing about the code. I've thought about that review almost every week since.
2 min read
Second No-Tech Sunday: What Changed
Last time I reached for my phone four times in the first hour. This time, twice. Progress. Small, but real.
2 min read
What My Son Taught Me About Debugging
My son Andriel is nine. Last weekend he was building a LEGO set and got stuck. I watched him work through it for twenty minutes without knowing he was…
2 min read
Love in the Age of Always-On
Two years ago, my wife and I were at dinner. A rare date night. Kids with grandparents. Fancy restaurant.
2 min read
The Art of Saying No to Projects
Two years ago, I would have said yes without thinking. Here's what changed. Early in my consulting career, I said yes to everything. Every project. Every…
2 min read
Writing as Thinking
Forty-one days of daily blogging. Here's what I've discovered: I don't write to share ideas. I write to find them.
2 min read
Teaching My Kids About Technology
Andriel asked me what I do at work. "I work with computers" wasn't cutting it anymore. So I tried to explain AI to a kid who thinks Siri is magic.
2 min read
Our First No-Tech Sunday
I promised in my January retrospective: one no-tech day per month with the family. Today was the first one.
2 min read
February: A Fresh Start
Writing daily for 31 days straight taught me something: consistency beats intensity. I didn't write masterpieces every day. Some posts were short. Some were…
2 min read
January 2026: Month in Review
Made several commitments at the start of the month. Time to be honest about how I did. Only worked one Saturday. Actual production emergency. Otherwise…
2 min read
An Honest Retrospective
January's almost over. Time for an honest look at how I'm doing with those commitments I made.
1 min read
The Five-Minute Father
Andriel showed me his new Pokemon drawing. I was looking at my phone. "Mm-hmm, that's great, bud."
1 min read
Managing Meltdowns: What We've Learned
Remove triggers. Leave the situation when possible. Reduce stimulation. Quiet, dim, calm environment.
1 min read
The Myth of Continuous Learning
New framework every month. New AI model every week. "10x developers" learning constantly. The message: If you're not learning something new constantly…
4 min read
The Weekend I Finally Said No
Saturday morning. My phone buzzed. Slack message: "Hey MJ, quick question about the deployment..."
4 min read
Why I Still Blog in 2026
Someone asked me why I still maintain a blog. "Doesn't everyone just use LinkedIn or Twitter now?"
3 min read
What Autism Taught Me About Systems Design
Andriel needs structure. Not wants—needs. His autism means unpredictability causes genuine distress. Over the years, I've realized he's taught me more about…
3 min read
The Tech Parent's Dilemma
My son asked me today why I'm always on my computer. Fair question from a seven-year-old who doesn't understand why Dad's work doesn't end when he leaves…
3 min read
Teaching My Son About AI (The Non-Technical Version)
Archael asked me yesterday what I do for work. I told him I help computers think. He looked at me like I was pulling his leg. "Dad, computers can't think."
2 min read
New Year, Same Foundation
Another year begins, and I find myself less excited about "new year, new me" proclamations. Maybe it's age, or maybe it's finally understanding that real…
1 min read
My Tech List 2022
Here is a list of all the relevant technology set up that I use personally at work, home, and everything in between. I grouped them on different groups…
6 min read
Message to the young
I recently gave a graduation speech to my high school alma matter. Compared to my usual technical talks, this time it's about inspiring the younger…