👋 Hi! I'm Dan. I help makers, artists, entrepreneurs, and creatives find the clarity and motivation to get their work out into the world. If that sounds good, let's go! 🚀

Hi Reader,

Summer is quickly passing us by! Welcome to Q3. Welcome to the heat.

Today, we have some lessons on AI, recent content, and then some favorite things.

Let's get into it!

Lessons Learned

I had a LinkedIn post go semi-viral. It had a great hook (the first two sentences), which is why it got attention. But it also had a ton of value in it about using AI to make hard life decisions.

I'd like to share it, and the comment further on what AI is best at in a non-hype-y way.

Here's the post:

We’re moving to Mexico for the ‘24-‘25 school year.

And I have AI to thank for it.

We’re going for the ’24-’25 school year.
We spent 5 weeks in Colombia last year.
We’re in San Francisco right now for a month.

I’m often asked how it’s possible.
You get more done when you have the right processes and tools.

It goes like this:

1️⃣ Know what you want.
Map out the details.
Finances.
Logistics.
Housing.
School.
Visas.
Etc.

2️⃣ Create a process.
Add AI to speed it up.

Ex:

Our MX trip began with an AI powered search for schools.
We prioritized the countries we were interested.

And features of the cities we wanted.

3️⃣ Run the process.

I built a string of AI agents to research did the research and reported back.

If I can use AI to move to a new country, you can use it to get the less complex and more predictable work done that you do every day.

Most of have more on our plates than we can handle.
We have a life we want to live, but aren’t living it.

Use better processes,
And better tools,
To free you up to live the life you want to live.

For me, that life includes the freedom to travel.

And Mexico is next.
What is it for you?

My AI Take Away

I'm consulting with teams to improve processes and enrich them with AI. This means getting more done with less friction (effort) and in less time.

There are three things that AI is best at in it's current form:

1) Jump starting hard processes.

Whether it's writing a blog post or researching a problem, AI is great at getting you started fast.

The worst AI outcomes are when you take the AI's output and call it done.

The best AI outcomes are when you take the output as your new starting point and improve upon it.

It's faster & easier.

We had AI do the initial batch of research to narrow our list from 50+ possible destinations to just 4.

2) Emotion free perspective.

AI is a fantastic brainstorm partner on emotional topics. Things like:
- Whether or not you should move from your home city
- How to respond to angry emails from coworkers/clients
- Identifying and overcoming your cognitive biases

And so much more!

3) Automating manual work.

There are so many things that we do over and over every day just because they have to get done.

AI is great at taking the rote work and doing it for you.

Our city research process started as a spreadsheet that needed to be filled out with city research.

It would have taken my wife and I 5+ hours to get it all done.

AI did it in 10 minutes.

It's wild.

Your Turn:

I love this stuff and love geeking out on it.

I'd love to know: is this helpful? What questions do you have?

Or do you have other thoughts? Hit reply. I'd love to hear them.

PS - Want to see the AI process in action? Hit reply and let me know. I'll make a video on it if there's enough interest.

Favorites!

I love sharing what I'm into. And I love hearing what you're into as well!

(If you've made it this far, hit reply and tell me some of yours!)

Here's this week's list:

🎧 White noise + Binaural beats

When I have a lot to get done in a distracting environment, nothing helps more than noise canceling headphones playing BOTH white noise and binaural beats.

White noise tunes out the exterior sound.

Binaural beats keeps your brain focused (it's science backed!).

It might be overwhelming at first, but click those two links and let the both play. Adjust the volumes on each video individually to find the right mix.

And for the pro level: right click on the video and select loop so it never stops.

🎹 Chompi & Op1 Sampler

I'm a music nerd with five year Bachelors of Music in Composition 🤓

I don't make music much these days, but when I see some of the beautiful samplers that are being created, I start to drool.

I've been watching Chompi since they launched on Kickstarter. Love the brand, the colors, the sound. It's all so good.

And Teenage Engineering has the OP1. Everything this company creates is incredible.

If your not a geek and have no idea what these things do, watch this video of a loopy sample based piece being created in real time:

🎶 Willow Smith's Symptom of Life

Fellow reader, friend, and music nerd Nick C. shared this:

Willow Smith (daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, I know, but hold on) just released this wild ass pop song in 7/4 with these bananas jazz chords (we’re taking sus add13, maj 9
11-type stuff) and it’s unreal.

Here's the music theory analysis if you want to go deep:

Your turn

Anything great you've been enjoying? Hit reply and send it along! I'd love to know. Seriously.

8,000+ people are getting this email, and I can count on one hand how many responses I usually get. You have the chance to change that! Hit reply. Tell me what's good!

Yours in meaning making,

The Meaning Movement

We’re moving to Mexico. And I have AI to thank for it 😳

Lessons Learned

My AI Take Away

Your Turn:

In Case You Missed it:

From LinkedIn:

From the Newsletter:

Favorites!

🎧 White noise + Binaural beats

🎹 Chompi & Op1 Sampler

🎶 Willow Smith's Symptom of Life

Your turn

Letting go is harder than you think

I'm selling a house to bet on myself (again)

My Unexpected Ally in the Quest for Meaning