Looking Back Before Moving Forward
I started this blog back in 2018.
The plan was simple: write more. Think in public. Share ideas.
And for a little while, I did. A handful of posts, some momentum. It felt good.
Then… nothing. Four years of silence.
It wasn’t intentional. Life got busier. I moved around a few countries, had a period of feeling a bit lost. I threw myself into startups—Lowdown came and went. Then Stora happened, and it quickly became a big focus due to demand. My day-to-day became about so much more than making software - growing a team, jumping into sales, success, marketing and beyond.
In the middle of all that, I met Vera, got married and bought a house.
I did try to return to the blog. Multiple times. As experience tends to do, I was feeling like I had more and more unique perspectives to share.
But the website was years out of date and I didn’t like it anymore. So what’s a builder like me going to do but start again?
I got stuck in designer perfectionism, I’d try ideas, leave them for a few months before coming back to them and not liking them anymore. Nothing got published. What’s more in the middle of it all, generative AI became a thing, and I had way too much fun utilising it to explore more easily accessible creative ideas. But as a result the site became a graveyard of half-finished ideas.
No regrets
It would be easy to feel guilt about all of this, but I don’t. This creative exploration regardless of if it’s in private or public is all part of the creative journey. Now that I’ve finally pushed this site live, that journey will recommence in public. And with that fresh start, I find myself looking back at where it all began before moving forward.
Looking back
When I first started this blog, I had a lot of ideas and ambitions. Looking back at those early posts, I can see how my thinking has evolved over time. Some of those initial thoughts still feel relevant today, while others have shifted as I’ve grown and changed. It’s interesting to reflect on how my perspectives have developed, what I’ve held onto, and what I’ve let go of along the way.
I wrote about accountability—something I’ve internalised now. I set non-negotiables, hit deadlines. I may even have done too far in the opposite direction.
I worried about sitting too much. Still do. I’ve found ways to help, no rocket science — lots of steps, lift weights, the usual.
I wanted to help prevent climate breakdown. Still do.
But honestly? It’s hard to stay hopeful. The inaction is exhausting. The problem feels too big for individual effort, and too slow for headlines. I know I don’t do enough myself, and I’m not pretending I do.
My last post was about remote working around Ireland in a campervan. This is something I still love.
I’ve completed several trips since 2021 with a better van. I took it to the next level travelling around mainland Europe for 2 months.
Looking forward
I’m more excited than ever to be a creator on the internet. AI is opening up new ways to think, write, build, and express ideas—but it’s also raising real questions about authorship, originality, and where creativity goes next. I’m interested in all of it—the potential and the tension. Here I hope to explore those ideas, share what I’m learning, and work out the messy parts in public.
If any of it resonates, reach out. I’m always up for an honest conversation.