Writing
Thinking out loud, mostly on Sundays.
I write weekly at nicebrothers.com about building software, raising kids, coaching hockey and the ideas that show up in all three. Every post below opens there. For studio guides on product design and design systems, see the guides.
September 11, 2026 / Life
Done by Ten
Ever seen a 10-year-old conquer procrastination? Liam did, and all before his new game dropped at 10 a.m.! Curious? Click to read more!
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August 28, 2026 / Life
The Space Between Seasons
Ever notice how summer lingers while fall sneaks in? Life's transitions feel oddly familiar and why embracing them might be the key. Read on!
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August 15, 2026
Recommended, Not Restricted
‘Freedom is only part of the story...’ Ever wondered what an Alaskan adventure feels like beyond the postcard views? Join me as I trade comfort for curiosity.
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July 31, 2026 / Life
Passing the Controller
How a 25-year-old game reminded me that the experiences worth sharing never get old.
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July 17, 2026 / Life
Don’t Let a Bad Call Change You
Ever let frustration derail your game plan? Some of the lesson Liam’s 12U hockey team learned when bad calls turned into life lessons. Click to read more!
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July 3, 2026 / Life
The Person Who Fills the Gaps
When Sarah left for two weeks, I thought I had it all under control… Discover what I learned when my better half was away. Click to read more!
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June 19, 2026 / Life / Dev / Design
The Cost of Possibility
AI has made it easier than ever to build almost anything, which might make focus, not creativity, the real advantage.
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June 5, 2026 / Life
I Wasn’t Ready to Be the Head Coach
I wasn’t planning to be a coach, but sometimes life hands you a whistle when you least expect it... Ever felt unready for a role you stepped into? I share how I'm facing the challenge head-on and creating something meaningful for the kids.
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May 24, 2026 / Dev / Design
The Designer’s Job Was Never the Mockup
Design is evolving beyond aesthetics - AI's reshaping the role, bridging design and code like never before.
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May 9, 2026
You Can’t Drift Into the Life You Say You Want
Ever wonder why the life you dream of feels just out of reach? 'Drift is sneaky,' and it's time to uncover the subtle habits holding you back. Ready for a change?
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April 25, 2026
You Don’t Need Better Ideas. You Need Better Constraints
Feeling stuck amid endless choices? Discover why ‘more’ isn’t always better and how constraints can lead to clarity. Dive into the car dilemma lesson!
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April 18, 2026 / Design
Claude Design Isn’t New, It’s Inevitable
Claude Design isn’t just a tool, it's changing the landscape by removing friction in design. Could this redefine your workflow and productivity?
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March 28, 2026 / Design / Dev
All the Roles Are Dead. Now Kill the Process.
Boosted by AI, yet still stuck? Discover why faster code isn't enough and what truly accelerates software delivery. Ready to rethink your process?"
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March 8, 2026 / Dev / Design
The Hardest Part of Software Isn’t Building It
AI has made coding faster than ever, but what's the real new bottleneck in software development?
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February 14, 2026 / Dev
Less Typing, More Leading
A year with AI: Less typing, more orchestrating. Discover the shift from prompts to management—are you truly leading your digital tools? Dive in now!
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February 1, 2026 / Dev
You’re Not Coding With AI. You’re Choosing a Control Model.
Discover how choosing your AI control model can make or break your coding efficiency. Ready to rethink your approach?
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January 11, 2026 / Life
One More Time Won’t Matter
Ever hear that voice saying, 'One more time won’t matter'? It sounds like no big deal, right? But what happens when it whispers at the wrong time? The truth behind this seductive lie and why it might not be worth the risk.
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January 3, 2026 / Life
You Don’t Value What You Don’t Sacrifice For
Discover why 'cost creates gravity' and how true value often demands sacrifice.
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December 22, 2025 / Life
I’m Not As Consistent As You Think
Discover why the perceived "perfect" isn't a thing and how true growth really happens in imperfect consistency. Dive in!
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December 3, 2025 / Life
The Real Reason You Procrastinate
Procrastination isn’t a discipline problem, it’s an emotional one. When you learn to break the cycle with forgiveness, tiny action, and simple systems, everything in your life gets lighter.
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November 7, 2025 / Life / Dev
When Everyone Becomes QA
Quality means doing it right when no one is looking." Are we trading quality for speed in the AI era? Discover why "care fast" is the new mantra! Read more...
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October 25, 2025 / Design / Dev / Life
Letting Go of Perfect
Perfect is safe. Finished is brave." Discover how ditching perfection leads to real progress. Ready to embrace the next version of you?
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October 11, 2025 / Life
Holding Goals Loosely
"Dream big, hold lightly." Discover the art of ambition without attachment and why "the dream doesn’t define you, the discipline does."
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September 26, 2025 / Dev / Design
AI Can Code, But It Can’t Care
AI can whip up code in minutes, but can it tell you when your product misses the mark? Discover why the real magic is still in human hands. Dive in to explore!
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September 14, 2025 / Dev / Life / Design
Why we are shelving Forever Forward
Ever felt torn between passion and practicality? We just hit pause on Forever Forward. Discover the surprising lesson we learned about building dreams and why it's not goodbye forever. Dive in to find out more!
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July 31, 2025 / Life
Choose Your Hard
Question: Why is life so hard? My Perspective: Short Answer? Because you make life hard…
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July 17, 2025 / Dev / Design
Shipping Isn’t Selling
Question: Why isn’t my product taking off? My Perspective: We’ve Lived This. We built it. It worked. People told us they loved it. And nobody bought it.
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June 27, 2025 / Dev / Design
Level Up
Question: Why is life so hard? My Perspective: Life is hard at every level. Only when you make it to the next can you typically look back and see how much easier
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June 5, 2025 / Dev / Design
Life, Not Lottery
Question: Why is it so easy to chalk up someone else’s success to luck? My Perspective: I used to think I was lucky. And in a way, I am. But not in the scratch-a-ticket, win-the-jackpot kind of way.
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May 28, 2025 / Dev / Design
Shiny Penny Syndrome
Question: Why is it so hard to finish a high quality project? My Perspective: Some of the most meaningful work I’ve done has come down to this: the choice to finish strong. To care just a little more. To go past “good enough.”
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May 15, 2025 / Design / Dev
So I Built a Better One
Question: What happens when the tool you need doesn’t exist, or just kind of sucks? My Perspective: I’d be exaggerating if I said SignUpGenius drove me crazy. But I wouldn’t be far off.
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April 29, 2025 / Life
Your Circle, Your Future
Question: Who should you build your future with? My Perspective: When we talk about growth, we usually talk about effort, discipline, showing up, but there is another factor that is just as important and often overlooked. Proximity, yes, that again.
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April 16, 2025 / Life
I Thought I Was a Good Communicator
Question: Do people feel safe telling you the truth when they think you may disagree? My Perspective: In my world of design, development, and leadership, communication is key. Be clear. Be direct. Say what you mean. Avoid fluff. Move fast. Solve the problem.
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April 2, 2025 / Life
Choose to Show Up
Question: What would you say is one of the most important aspects to success? My Perspective: Some weeks feel productive. Others don’t. And if you’re like most creators, you know what it’s like to want to do the work but just not feel like it. Life gets busy, distractions pile up, energy runs low. It’s easier to plan, to think about starting, or to wait for a better time.
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March 19, 2025 / Life / Design
Garbage IN, Garbage AI
Question: How do you get AI to actually do what you want? My Perspective: AI is like an eager assistant who wants to help but has no clue what you actually want until you tell it. If you ask for a “good design,” you’ll get something generic and uninspired.
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March 5, 2025 / Dev / Design
Stop Planning, Start Building
Question: Why do we get stuck planning? My Perspective: We have all been there. You have an idea, maybe for an app, a design project, or even a business. You start mapping things out, figuring out every possible angle, and making sure everything is perfect before you take the first step. The problem is that the first step keeps getting pushed further away.
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February 20, 2025 / Dev / Design
Built with AI
Question: How should I prepare for AI’s impact on software? My Perspective: AI is shifting who can build software and how quickly ideas come to life. Much like how YouTube gave rise to a new category of creators outside of traditional film and TV, AI is opening the doors for independent developers, designers, and businesses to build software without deep technical expertise.
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January 29, 2025 / Life / Dev / Design
The Truth About Degrees
Question: Do designers and developers really need a degree to succeed? My Perspective: Let me start by being blunt, and maybe a touch confrontational. I don’t believe a degree is necessary to thrive as a designer or developer and in many cases is a waste of time and money.
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January 22, 2025 / Life / Dev / Design
The Secret is Simplicity
Question: What is a key to success? My Perspective: John Wooden is famous for teaching his basketball players something as simple as how to tie their shoes. These weren’t kids learning basketball for the first time, they were some of the most talented athletes in the country.
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January 8, 2025 / Life
Goals That Stick
Question: How do you set goals that don’t fizzle out by February? My Perspective: We’ve all been there. You set a big, ambitious goal—maybe it’s to finally get in shape, learn a new skill, or finish that side project—and for a while, you’re on fire. Then life happens, motivation fades, and that goal quietly joins the graveyard of “I’ll get to it someday.”
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December 18, 2024 / Life
Look Back to Move Forward
Question: How can reflecting on the past year help you set goals that actually matter? My Perspective: The end of the year always sneaks up on us, doesn’t it? One minute, you’re cranking through projects, and the next, you’re staring down January 1st. This is when it’s tempting to scribble out some vague resolutions—“Get in shape,” “Work harder,” “Be better”—and call it a day.
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December 4, 2024 / Life
When Work Isn’t Working
Question: What do you do when life gets in the way of your work? My Perspective: Sometimes, it’s not that you’re not trying hard enough. Your work is stalling because life is messy, unpredictable, and demanding.
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November 20, 2024 / Life / Design
Questions Every Creator Should Ask
Question: What are the essential questions every creator should ask? My Perspective: As creators, we’re constantly expected to solve problems and come up with answers. But sometimes, the most powerful tool in the creative process is asking the right questions.
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November 6, 2024 / Design
Crafting Intuitive Design
Question: How do you create an interface that feels easy and intuitive? My Perspective: Creating intuitive design isn’t about adding more; it’s about clearing the path for users to reach their goals with minimal friction. The best interfaces feel almost invisible, and getting there requires aligning with user expectations, using familiar patterns, and stripping out anything that doesn’t add clear value.
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October 23, 2024 / Life
Learning to Learn
Question: Why is learning how to learn the most important skill you can develop? My Perspective: In first grade, I told my mom, “I’m stupid” after struggling with reading. The school had shifted from a phonics-based approach in kindergarten to sight-reading, and it did not work for me.
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October 9, 2024 / Life
Master the Craft, Not Just the Tools
Question: Why is mastering your craft more important than mastering a specific tool? My Perspective: When new tools are released seemingly every month, it’s easy to get caught up in chasing the latest and greatest software. Whether it’s the latest version of Figma, a new coding framework, or an AI tool promising to save you time, we’re constantly bombarded with things that seem essential to success.
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September 25, 2024 / Life
Beyond the Screen
Question: How can working on yourself outside of your craft make you better at your craft? My Perspective: As creatives and builders, we’re often laser-focused on the craft—staying updated with the latest tools, trends, and frameworks. But in my experience, what truly levels up your career is what happens beyond the screen. It’s about working on yourself as much as you work on your projects.
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September 11, 2024 / Design
The Designer’s Gut Check
Question: How Do I Know If My Design is Actually Good? My Perspective: First off, if you’re asking this question, that’s a good sign. The worst designs I’ve seen are from designers who don’t question themselves or are too prideful to consider that their design might be crap.
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