One thing we know about our schedule is that we’ll sleep. More or less, but it has to happen. We can’t live without it. So, what if we treated vacation time the same way?

This week, I was invited to snowboard for a month in Japan. It’s been a dream of mine, on my bucket list for years, and I said, “No thanks.” Why? Because I’ve already planned my vacations for this year—surfing in Mexico, riding motorcycles in South Africa, and maybe a week in Mallorca.

Did you start your year by planning your vacation goals before anything else? If not, why not? It’s like air—you’ll need it. And if you did, where are you headed?

In today's storyletter:

• We are becoming the AI

• Tech stack—Beehiiv

• The content poll

• Building in public

• From the web

  
  

  Let’s go!
  
  

THOUGHTS

Artificial Idiots—or for short, AI

Give people too many options, and they get lost. Give them too many tools, and they become lazy. Overload them with endless information, and they grow dumber.

With the explosion of new bots, agents, automation platforms, and content-creation tools, we’ve convinced ourselves we’re improving. Digest a book in 10 minutes instead of actually reading and learning? Amazing, right? No. We’re becoming artificially smarter, but in reality, we’re growing dumber.

Most people are consuming more but absorbing less. How often have you heard someone say, "Yeah, I heard it somewhere, and I think it goes like this"?

We talk endlessly about tools, but only a handful of people truly implement them. Most people around me are actually getting worse at writing, brainstorming, and even speaking English—yet their polished LinkedIn posts are going viral.

The irony is that all this productivity is making us less productive. We’re overwhelmed by the constant push to catch up with the latest app, agent, or tech craze. What we really need isn’t more noise—it’s less. We’ve become so obsessed with "creating" and "improving" that we’ve forgotten the craft itself. And that’s what really matters.

Another AI event, more networking meetups, another productivity workshop, or a "find your passion" webinar?

STOP. Please, just stop.

Slow down. Close all your tabs. Delete the emails and messages you don’t need. Choose one book. Visit that coffee place you’ve always wanted to try. Meet a friend for 30 minutes without checking your phone. Walk alone in a market or outdoors, and just let it be.

Consume to learn. Consume to enjoy.

Maybe pick one tool that truly enhances your work or quality of life. Implement it slowly and forget about the rest. Trust me, it’ll still be there in a month or two.

If you improve your craft, AI can amplify your skills, enhance your abilities, and help you enjoy your passion more. But right now, it’s causing stress, FOMO, and an endless cycle of doing what everyone else is doing.

Don’t be an artificial idiot. Be better than yesterday.

Tech Stack

Platforms that can save you time

In Short – My Newsletter Platform

What does it do?
Beehiiv is the platform I use to create and manage my newsletter.

Why is it interesting?
In 2025, newsletters remain one of the most effective tools for owning your audience data, connecting with customers, and growing your business. Beehiiv was built by the creators of Morning Brew, who scaled their newsletter into a $100 million business. They’ve now turned that expertise into a platform designed to help others achieve similar success.

Cool features
While there are countless newsletter platforms, Beehiiv stands out with its news-focused design, user-friendly dashboards, and unique features. Each newsletter becomes a webpage on an external website, and you can choose between free or paid subscriptions. Their referral system and automated emails provide an edge for scaling, and the built-in ad platform simplifies selling ad space.

Lacking
The dashboard could use some improvement—some of the data feels repetitive, and the layout isn’t always intuitive. The poll feature is another drawback, as it redirects users outside the platform, which can be frustrating.

Verdict
I’m in my second year using the premium plan (around $1,000 annually) and have grown accustomed to it. While I’m probably not using half of its features, I’m making it a goal to learn at least one or two new tools in the coming weeks to maximize its potential.

Building in public

If you write your goals, you’re 42% more likely to achieve them.
Do you want me to repeat that? Writing your goals down makes you 42% more likely to achieve them.

I think the scary part isn’t writing goals—it’s the fear of failing to achieve them. But i’m learning how to deal with this by defining my goals better: writing more, making slow improvements, and just keeping at it.

My First Week of YouTube

This is so hard! I’ve committed to uploading two videos a week, and you can see my Building in Public video here, which I’m really proud of. The second video is my Educational Thursday series, where I try to share some knowledge. I stayed up until 2:30 a.m. to finish it, and while I’m not happy with the audio, colors, storytelling, or editing, I’m incredibly proud of two things:

1. I said I would do it and followed through, even when I wanted to quit.

2. I created a list of things to improve next time and am now focusing on those small adjustments.

Success – Small Wins?
I need to get better at talking to the camera. So every day after work, I record a short, five-minute improvisation. No script—just me staring at the camera and talking. Imagine how much better I’ll be in 100 days.

I’ve also been posting daily on LinkedIn for the past three weeks. I’m writing mostly for myself and enjoying the process. I already have another dozen posts written. What I love about this process is drafting, letting it sit for a few days, and then revisiting it for editing.

I’m going to the gym. I’m running. I’m writing.
One conversation over coffee with Eve, a Belgian designer here at the coworking space, sparked such a great writing session for me. He had so much feedback on my book idea that I took notes and finally crafted the main topic into a few written paragraphs. Talking to people always helps.

Struggles

I’m a lazy person—always have been. And as a good storyteller, I can sell myself any excuse for why I should postpone, delay, or wait for better lighting or a better time to do things.

Every day, I have to pack my gear, find a room for calls, set up the sound and camera, and then pack it all up again. It’s hard. My biggest struggle right now is going against my nature until this either becomes a habit or I figure out why I don’t enjoy it.

Writing the book is harder than I thought. Unlike a novel, I need to ideate, validate, and sell the idea to branding agencies. It has to be compelling but also easy to follow. I know I’m onto something big, and I enjoy the thinking process, but I keep writing less and finding excuses.

Schedule

I’m becoming more intentional about my time and tasks. To achieve that, and as someone who isn’t naturally good at organization, I’ve started color-coding my calendar:

• Red for YouTube

• Blue for meetings

• Yellow for writing

• Green for everything else

I’m also testing a new system: offering only two days for client work instead of a typical five-day schedule.

Coffee and Routine

I love flat whites and cappuccinos, but I’ve cut down from 21 cups a week to just five. This has been tough.

Another big challenge is leaving my routine. Most of the digital nomad community in Chiang Mai will head to Vietnam in early February to escape the burning season when the air becomes dangerous. I’ve finally settled into a routine, so the main struggle will be rebuilding it once I relocate.

Keep replying, be epic, and let me know what you think. As always, here’s my usual spreadsheet.

My top three priorities are always available. Click here for my updates file

My YouTube channel. Subscribe and support.

Just for Fun

Take a break, enjoy these links

Music
This newsletter was written while listening to this playlist:
YouTube Playlist

In 3,000 years
When Gen Z archeologists uncover the rooms of our time, what will they think?
Watch it here

Unreal Engine Rally
A short action thriller showcasing the incredible quality of virtual movies:
Watch it here

I Wish
This animated online show is both funny and gaining traction online:
Check it out