Week 09, 2026
This month I curated Vibrance’s newsletter Turning Tides. The theme I built on is a growing feeling that we are approaching the vertical part of the exponential curve. I’m fairly tapped into the software development community, and the mood is at fever pitch. Something really shifted a few months ago — we are now in a world where software can write software, almost perfectly. It still requires human input and oversight, but what’s already possible is truly remarkable.
The central premise of my article is that we need to step up if we are going to safely and successfully steward this next chapter of the human story. This week brought a stoush between the US Department of Defense and Anthropic over the use of AI for autonomous weapons and domestic mass surveillance. Somehow, we are all intertwined in these decisions now.
Writing the article made me think about what a product or service might look like that addresses that need. It’s one thing to call out the gap, but it feels almost hypocritical not to do what I personally can to step up and help address it.
The name I landed on was The New Threshold — drawing on David Whyte vibes, and signalling that this moment requires us all to push through into something new.
I’m still playing with the idea, and considering running an experiment with some people. But I’m mindful of something I heard once: “it’s one thing to like coffee, it’s another thing to run a coffee shop.” I really enjoy being part of communities, and have run several in the past. So I don’t underestimate what’s involved. Either way, it’s fun to play with and see where it goes.
Brunswick St Festival
Nice to be amongst it at the Brunswick Street Festival. A lot less music this year — there were some young bands playing some variant of heavy metal (I’ve never known the genre well enough to say exactly which).
Reading
There’s a great piece called “A blog post is a very long and complex search query to find fascinating people and make them route interesting stuff to your inbox”, which I really believe. Part of my motivation to write more is exactly that. I also appreciate it in the other direction — reading other people’s writing, reaching out, and making internet friendships.
I came across two pieces this week on a similar theme that resonates deeply: let the artists and less conventional people in the room, because they’re the ones most likely to see the system for what it is and bring a different approach. I had some nice chats with both authors after reaching out. I love the internet for this.
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Why your organisation needs someone “unemployable” by Doug Belshaw, heard through The Jaymo
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What if Artists Were Your Strategic Weapon in the Boardroom? by Annalise Lewis, heard through Josie Gibson
