It begins the moment you sit down. You look around the table and realize the faces are polite, but the decision is already tilting away from you. No one says it outright, yet you can feel the drift. Questions come that aren’t really questions. Support feels soft. And when the meeting ends, your … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2025
Why Ottawa is Home
The canal is quiet at dawn. The water stands still, carrying the first blush of sunlight like a secret it isn’t ready to share. My breath feels amazing in the cool morning air, and the only sound is the soft rhythm of my footsteps along the path. It’s in moments like this - unplanned, unhurried - … [Read more...]
Intelligence in Pieces: Mapping the Mind of the Machine
It was the fall of 2000, and I remember sitting in a computer lab in Chicago. I was deep into my master’s program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, taking an advanced course in Neural Networks. At the time, it felt a bit like standing at the edge of something enormous but unfinished- … [Read more...]
The Disappearing User Researcher in the Age of AI
It began with a simple, powerful LinkedIn post by Urooj: a raw provocation about the evolving role of user research. He asked, what happens to traditional user research in a world where behavioural data is available instantly and at scale? What role do researchers play when insights are … [Read more...]
The Funnel is Gone. Your Brand is the Algorithm.
Obaid was in Ottawa this past weekend, and of course we met. These days the core emphasis of our in-person conversations is for me to get a download from him on what is happening in the Valley. In our chat, he described something that felt small at first. It was just a reflection on how … [Read more...]
Staying in the Room Where Decisions Are Made
Every so often, you come across a piece of writing that doesn’t just make you nod in agreement - it takes thoughts you’ve been circling for some time and gives them a clean, sharp frame. That happened for me this week when I read a Linkedin post by Solon Angel. Solon not only crystallized the … [Read more...]
From Digital First to AI First
For over two decades, “digital first” has been the rallying cry. It meant building online before offline, designing for the screen before the storefront, making data and devices the backbone of every customer interaction. It was the promise of efficiency, scale, and reach - and for many … [Read more...]
Order in the Middle of Chaos
Most people think productivity is a byproduct of structure. They imagine that if the schedule is airtight, the instructions are precise, and the motivation is flowing from the right sources, the work will take care of itself. But that’s the trap. If your performance depends on perfect … [Read more...]
When the Light Is On but the Door Is Closed
There’s a quiet grief that accompanies the moment you realise your investment in someone’s growth is no longer lifting them. Not because they’re incapable. Not because they’re unworthy. But because they’ve stopped showing up for themselves. You haven’t given up on them. But you’ve stopped … [Read more...]