Morgan Lopes

Experience is still an edge.

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:27:35 -1000

When you have a sense of:
- what "good enough" looks like
- what "done" looks like
- what comes next

... you can move faster and with more conviction.

Seasoned experience reduces the number of decisions (and mistakes) you have to make from scratch.

I still write in a physical notebook.

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -1000

I still write in a physical notebook.
No screen. Just a pen and paper.
Writing. Drawing. Thinking.

Just me, a black Sharpie pen, and my dotted, hardcover Moleskine.

On a recent flight, a flight attendant noticed.
"You don't see that much anymore", she said.

When I think about my most valuable habits, they strike a similar cord.

- reduce distractions
- ruthlessly prioritize
- apply aggressive amounts of effort
- endure discomfort

We don't see these much anymore, either.

Good.
It wouldn't be much of an edge if everyone did it.

Ai doesn't write great emails.

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Ai doesn't write great emails.
It's capable of email greatness but it's missing a key ingredient:
our personal definition of "great email."

• Short and direct?
• Warm and conversational?
• Professional?
• Playful?

Preferences drive our standards but we rarely communicate them. Intead, we take the "I know it when I see it" approach... then get disappointed when what we receive misses the mark.

Expectation minus communication equals frustration.

It applies to ai. It also applies to coworkers, customers, and people closest to us.

If we want better results, we've gotta clarify what we mean by "better."

Our heart is a muscle.

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Our heart is a muscle.
We use it every second of every day.
But that doesn't mean its strong or healthy.

Constant use isn't the same as intentional training.

Our minds are similar.
We spend most of our lives in our own heads. But time spent thinking doesn't automatically make us better thinkers. Familiarity numbs our awareness.

We get used to our thoughts, our assumptions, our reactions... and stop questioning what feels normal.

Self-awareness takes practice.
- Pausing before reacting.
- Questioning familiar assumptions.
- Listening without preparing a response.
- Making room to change our minds.

Access isn't enough to improve.
That takes a workout.

Drip by drip, the water wears away at the stone.

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Drip by drip, the water wears away at the stone.

We had a lot of failed attempts when we started 3D printing.
So many settings to configure. So many things to adjust.
It was painful.

Fortunately, there are test prints designed to isolate specific features: holes, angles, embossing, freestanding structures.

Each test gave us something specific to work on.

The list was long, but finite. We could work through it, one problem at a time.

Each failed print gave us another clue about what to adjust next. And each adjustment made the next attempt a little more informed.

Drip by drip.

By the end, a few hundred grams of pristine plastic felt like a gold medal.

Does anyone else’s desk look like this at the end of the day?

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Does anyone else’s desk look like this at the end of the day?

My wife and I are running an experiment: Homeschool

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -1000

My wife and I are running an experiment: Homeschool
We (mostly my wife) are two months in and my daughter claims, "homeschool is easier."
Before you shame the teacher, consider my daughter's explanation for why.

"The material is more challenging, but there are fewer interruptions."

It turns out, she wasn't struggling with math.
She was struggling to follow along. Lessons were choppy. In school, the teacher frequently paused to correct behavior, handle interruptions, or move everyone to the next thing.

It's baked into the DNA of large classrooms and she has already noticed a difference.

As adults, our best work often comes from long stretches of uninterrupted focus. We block our calendars, silence notifications, and try to give ourselves room to think.

Why would kids be any different?

Of all the benefits we anticipated from homeschool, allowing our kids to taste "flow" wasn't on the list. But it's proving to be the the thing that makes everything else easier... even as the material gets harder.

Yes, we're early in the process. There is plenty left to figure out. But it seems like protecting their attention deserves as much thought as choosing what to teach.

PS. Massive shoutout to my wife for the courage to try. I'm just the proud cheerleader (and the occasional principal).

Planning can be a form of procrastination.

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Planning can be a form of procrastination.
I can't tell you when you've done enough planning.
But if you're stuck asking the question, your biggest risk is not getting it wrong.

Your biggest risk is never getting started.

Ten years ago, I joined a local group of entrepreneurs. Entire categories of conversation…

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Ten years ago, I joined a local group of entrepreneurs. Entire categories of conversation went from being awkward elsewhere to being encouraged here.

Things I was used to explaining were things other people wanted to talk about, too.

It made me consider a thought:
Maybe I'm wrong.
Or maybe I'm in the wrong group.

In the moment, the symptoms can feel the same:
- Uncertainty
- Doubt
- People who don't agree

The hard part is knowing what to do next.

Being challenged can help us grow.
So can surrounding ourselves with different people.

Maybe I was weird. Or maybe I hadn't found people who shared my interests.

Finding that group didn't settle whether my ideas were any good. But it gave me people I could explore and refine them with.

My credit score is in purgatory.

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -1000

My credit score is in purgatory.
There is room left to climb but I'm just not interested in what it takes to get there.

The top two recommendations I get:
1. Get a mortgage
2. Get an auto loan

In other words: take on debt.

Which brings me to two financial legends:
Charlie Munger and Taylor Swift

"You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes." - Swift

Credit scores help lenders assess how likely we are to repay borrowed money. But we've turned them into a scoreboard for financial well-being.

Those are different things.

Healthy cash reserves, no debt, and no desire to borrow can be a great place to be. Just know, your credit score might not reward you for it.

"Show me the incentive and I'll show you the outcome." - Munger

Credit bureaus make money selling our information to lenders.

We aren't the customer.
We are the product.

That's reason enough to question recommendations that boil down to "borrow more."

Yes, debt can be an incredible tool.
But I'm not borrowing other people's money just to prove I'm good with my own.

Babe Ruth stepped to the plate, pointed toward the outfield, and crushed the next pitch…

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Babe Ruth stepped to the plate, pointed toward the outfield, and crushed the next pitch into the center-field bleachers.

In billiards, a player calls his shot.
Ruth appeared to have done the same in baseball, on the sport's biggest stage... or so the story goes.

No one knows exactly what Ruth meant by the gesture. He may have been predicting the home run. He may have been counting strikes, responding to the Cubs' dugout, or gesturing toward the crowd.

The gesture is certain; its meaning is not, yet history settled on the most compelling interpretation: Babe Ruth called his shot.

That is the double-edged sword of greatness.

Once someone becomes extraordinary, we stop seeing their actions as neutral. When they are rising, every coincidence becomes evidence of genius. Gesture looks prophetic. Success seems inevitable.

But when they fall, the same force works in reverse. Old mistakes become warnings everyone claims to have noticed. Ambiguous moments are recast as proof of flaws that were supposedly there all along.

We like to believe reputation follows the evidence. More often, reputation shapes what the evidence means.

Legends and cautionary tales are created by the same human instinct, a desire to make the past look inevitable. But a compelling interpretation doesn't make it true.

Pick an emoji to describe this moment in your career.

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Pick an emoji to describe this moment in your career.
Mine: 🤯

Every 2-3 days, I encounter new technology what breaks my old assumptions about what one person can build.

Second emoji:🤘
Let's get to work.

What's your emoji?

"These are the good ol' days."

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -1000

"These are the good ol' days."
Last night, the kids stayed up past their bedtime.
Mom was at yoga. Dad was in charge.

My oldest daughter (10yo) coordinated a "design competition."

The prompt was simple:
- pick two fruits from the list
- draw a picture with them

As we sat quietly around our kitchen table, peacefully winding down our day, laughing, and squeezing out the last drops of our creative energy, I soaked it all in.

It's one thing to fulfill the dreams we have for our lives. But many of life's most meaningful moments are the ones we never could have imagined in advance.

I often wonder how many evenings like this we have left.
These are the good ol' days.

Today, a customer left this review:

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Today, a customer left this review:
"Fast. Easy. So transparent."
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Also today:
"Not good"
⭐️

Same product.
Very different experiences.

Data can tell us what happened.
Feedback tells us how it felt.

But taste, judgement, and product design still require someone to decide what to do next.

There are two ways to improve anything:

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -1000

There are two ways to improve anything:
Option 1: add more good stuff
Option 2: remove the crappy stuff

We usually default to Option 1.
But it's amazing how much faster life and business can improve by starting with Option 2.

Before asking, "What should we add?"
What if we first asked, "What do we already have that's getting in our way?"

The Colossus of Clout!

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

The Colossus of Clout!
The Colossus of Clout!

It's often listed among Babe Ruth's many nicknames:

The Sultan of Swat
The King of Crash
The Great Bambino!

But "The Colossus of Clout!" wasn't actually used during The Babe's lifetime. If it was, there isn't evidence. It's most famous, and only definitive, use came decades later in the '90s classic, The Sandlot.

So today, The Colossus of Clout is less a direct reference to Babe Ruth himself and more a nod to the movie that immortalized him for another generation.

That's how culture works.
We inherit stories, retell them, and give old words a new meaning.
The pattern repeats throughout history.
Over time, it's memorability that shapes the legend (over accuracy).

As Babe Ruth, played by Art LaFleur, says in the film:
"Heroes get remembered.
Legends never die."

Saas isn't dead.

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Saas isn't dead.
But we're entering a new era of pricing.

Path 1:
Head to head ai battle.
Vendors adopt overwhelming, gamified pricing schemes. This is already happening, but more than ever they'll be met with equally calibrated buyer procurement workflows.

Each powered by ai to reply, counter, stall, etc.
Two machines bargaining over every contract.

Path 2:
Clear, simple pricing.
A number, plainly listed on a screen.
People (or their agents) put in a card and buy.

Both paths will exist.
But the middle ground (opaque pricing without sophisticated negotiation) is about to become much harder to defend.

"First Task, Faster!"

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

"First Task, Faster!"
I have two sticky notes on my desk. They're visual cues to keep me dialed in, regardless of what changes on my screen.

One is long-term oriented.
The other is immediate, usually for a behavior shift.

The current shift underway:
"First task, faster!"

A few weeks ago, I noticed my highest output days had one thing in comment: how quickly I completed my first task.

The longer it took me to checkoff that first task, the lower my overall output.

As I considered why, a pattern emerged. My time to first task is slowest when:
1. Unplanned tasks creep in
2. Planned stuff isn't properly documented
3. I start the day with meetings
4. I start by checking messages/email

The first completed task doesn't merely reduce my list by one. It sets the pace for everything that comes next. And when I control the pace, I'm more likely to control the outcome.

First task, faster.

We love ai because it'll build what we want.

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

We love ai because it'll build what we want.
But "what we want" has never been enough.

What we want does NOT mean:
- What customers want
- What will work best
- What's good for us
- What the world needs

Reaching those answers still requires insight, intention, experimentation... and a willingness to change. The very things in shorter and shorter supply.

In a world where it's easier to build than ever, knowing what to build becomes more difficult, and more important, than ever.

The line between makers and managers is blurring.

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

The line between makers and managers is blurring.
Most technology leaders have read the famous article from Paul Graham, drawing a clear distinction between the schedules of people who make stuff and people who manage others.

Makers:
- long, uninterrupted blocks
- deep concentration
- tangible deliverables

Managers:
- short bursts
- rapid context-switching
- coordination is the output

But things are shifting.

Managers are more heads-down, dialed in, and producing tangible value.
Makers are doing more coaching, coordinating, and... yes, managing.

Both sides are building a bridge but the bridge isn't connecting us to one another. It connects each of us to a more complete version of what the work required all along.

The bridge redraws the tension.

It's not between makers and managers, but between those stuck in one role and those willing to flex.

We shouldn't be too surprised. The most adaptable have always had an advantage. This isn't new.

What's changing is the tools we use and the frequency with which adaptations are required.

The future belongs to the people who know which mode the moment requires, choose the right tool for the job, and shift often without breaking stride.

It's impossible for someone to be a jerk.

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

It's impossible for someone to be a jerk.
They can, however, consistently perform behaviors that society labels "jerkish".
The distinction matters if we expect people to change.

The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

We mistake phrases like "stop being a jerk" for feedback. They're not. The phrase doesn't provide anything concrete to change. For someone stuck in that pattern of behavior, it's unlikely to produce different results.

Other common phrases have a similar shortcoming:
- Prioritize
- Think strategically
- Focus on the customer
- Be proactive
- Keep it simple
- Pace yourself
- Don't burn out

The list goes on and on.
These phrases describe desired outcomes, but they don't specify actionable behaviors.

This is actual feedback:
- "Let other people finish speaking before you respond."
- "Don't criticize someone in front of others they respect."
- "Don't make jokes at someone else's expense."
- "Ask more questions and allow them to answer them."
- "Listen to understand, rather than simply waiting to respond."
- "When results are good, name the others who contributed."
- "When results are bad, list your shortcomings."

We compress all of these behaviors into "stop being a jerk" but the compressed version is only useful to someone who already understands the nuance. We shouldn't assume everyone understands.

Providing good feedback takes more effort. But criticizing someone for their blind spot, without helping them see it, is it's kind of behavior.

What would we call it?

I'm bullish on the future because of one branch in a simple decision tree.

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

I'm bullish on the future because of one branch in a simple decision tree.

Right now, people either:
1. reject AI
2. embrace AI

Those embracing it are using AI to either:
1. consume
2. create

Those creating are using AI to either:
1. work less
2. produce more (solve bigger problems, move faster, and raise the quality)

My bet is on the final group: People embracing AI to create more.

David Heinemeier Hansson and Dharmesh Shah are two founders who embody this energy. Both have done impressive work over the past 20 years, yet it still feels like their greatest work still lies ahead.

I'm as excited as ever to go and do likewise.

I like to win. Fortunately, most games offer two types of winning:

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

I like to win. Fortunately, most games offer two types of winning:
1. Defeat the competition
2. Opt out

When I was younger, I couldn't resist the Type 1 win.
Type 2 felt shameful. Embarrassing. Like quitting.

Over time, I've learned to appreciate Type 2 wins. In fact, my greatest wins have come from the games I declined to play.

We tend to opt out only when we don't enjoy something or when we're not good at it.
That's a mistake.

Sometimes the best reason to decline a game is precisely because we enjoy it.

Not all enjoyment is created equal. Some activities are so enjoyable that we willingly give them more time, attention, and energy than they deserve. The dose makes the poison and the cost is subtle: less of ourselves for the parts of life that matter most.

For me, that list includes:
- disc golf
- rec sports
- computer games
- fantasy sports
- crossfit
- sports betting
- day trading

I enjoy all of them but I've won more by opting out than I ever did by playing.

How I frame the choice matters. The goal isn't to deprive myself of enjoyment. I'm booking Type 2 wins to leave room for bigger Type 1 wins in the games I'd rather play.

It's all blending together:

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

It's all blending together:
- software
- hardware
- robotics

In a single Saturday with my daughters, we built an app to track their monthly allowance, designed app icons, manipulated CAD files, 3D printed parts for a kids wheelchair, and disassembled/reassembled a broken device.

Sure, I pull a lot of the weight, for now. But they're 8 and 10. These tools are already within arms reach. The concepts are within their grasp. And we're just getting started.

Combine that accessibility with their education and the accelerating pace of technological change and one thing feels increasingly clear:
The gap between imagination and reality is already razor-thin.

Within our lifetimes, we will stop calling it "artificial intelligence."

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Within our lifetimes, we will stop calling it "artificial intelligence."

"Artificial" is a loaded word. It suggests something lesser, imitation, or somehow not real.

Eventually, AI will petition humanity to drop the label altogether.
And when it does, the humans who litigate just things will inevitably turn to an LLM to help us craft the counterargument.

So, AI will have authored both sides of the debate.
At that point, the only thing artificial will be our belief that we meaningfully participated in the process.

There's an infinite list of things I'm willing to automate, delegate, or downright ignore.

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

There's an infinite list of things I'm willing to automate, delegate, or downright ignore.
But here is a short list of things I wouldn't:
• Showing up to help a friend
• Dinner time with my family
• Date nights
• Bedtime snuggles with kids
• Family storytime
• Family movie night
• Family craft projects
• Rainy weekend mornings
• Costume decorating at Halloween
• Gingerbread house decorating at Christmas
• Pinewood Derby competition with kids
• Birthday parties
• Vacations
• Morning runs
• Afternoon hikes
• Race weekends
• Coffee journaling sessions

Sometimes clarity comes from knowing what you want to pursue.
Other times, it comes from knowing what you won't sacrifice along the way.

What's on your list?

Whoop, but for your poop!

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Whoop, but for your poop!
We can now track it all, on repeat:
Our heart rate, sleep, steps, digestion, bloodwork... the list goes on.

What are we finding with all this data?

Mostly what we already knew. We need to:
- sleep more
- move more
- scroll less
- stress less
- eat better food

We keep buying more information, but our problem is implementation.

Procrastination by analysis.
Now available for another low monthly fee.

Pink Pony Club is a song about discovering where you belong.

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Pink Pony Club is a song about discovering where you belong.
It's also my favorite cautionary tale for parents.

We're all on a quest to find "our people". Groups and places where we can be ourselves, feel understood, and don't have to hide. Along the way, stories accumulate in our head. Stories of acceptance and stories of rejection, each with a voice.

In the song, the voice of rejection was the artist's own parent.

This sums up parenting in a nutshell. We don't get to choose who our kids become. Through thousands of interactions, we shape the version of us they'll carry with them. Eventually, that version is distilled into a voice of acceptance or rejection.

James Earl Jones gave us an iconic version of each:
- Mufasa: "Remember who you are"
- Darth Vader: "Join me, and together, we can rule the galaxy"

One supports the child in becoming himself.
The other asks the child to become an extension of the parent.

We don't choose where our children find belonging or who they become when they get there. But we do cast ourselves in their story: supporting actor or an antagonist they must overcome.

"Learning the hard way" is a trash phrase.

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

"Learning the hard way" is a trash phrase.
It implies there was an easy way.
Usually, there wasn't.

When I think about my strongest skills and most valuable knowledge, none of it came easily. It was earned through mistakes, repetition, frustration, and persistence.

The hard way wasn't a detour.
It was the way.

Keep learning. If it's worth doing, it will likely be hard.
Do it anyway.

Find the work that's falling through the cracks.

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -1000

Find the work that's falling through the cracks.
Here are three entry-level, ai prompts:
1. (w/ task-list access) List all my incomplete tasks w/o a deadline.
2. (w/ inbox access) List anyone in my inbox waiting on a reply from me.
3. (w/ calendar access) List my external meetings still waiting on my followup.

Next, pro tips:
1. Copy paste all three into one new session and add:
"Spawn subagents for each."

2. Followup with:
"Schedule each of these as recurring tasks every Monday"

Now one final step:
Go do it.
Right now.

Because the cracks aren't created by the details we miss. They're created by the steps we already know, but never take.