~/now

This is a now page, inspired by Derek Sivers. It’s a snapshot of what I’m focused on at this point in my life.

Time with my family

This is an enduring entry on my ~/now page. I always prioritise time spent with my family and especially with my children as they enter their teens. I practice answering with a resounding, “yes” when they want to do something together, when they want to talk, whatever. Yes. These are precious moments together.

Where am I?

Otautahi, Christchurch. Aotearoa, New Zealand. It’s summer time, and school is done, and my family is chillin after a pretty big year, with a really hectic past few weeks. I’m wrapping up a few work engagements. Working on a new product with a great friend. Climbing. Walk-running. Cooking. Catching up with my friends before the end of the year.

Volunteering

• Clothed in Love: I’m the Board Chair of a little and mighty charitable organisation which collects high quality donations of children’s clothing and distributes these items to children in need, for free as a gift. This is an amazing opportunity to give back, and I am deeply respectful of the two co founders and all the volunteeers / donors who make this organisation so effective…
• School Foundation Board: I serve as a Trustee. I was asked to join so as to bring a new perspective with a view to instigate new approaches that ultimately lead to better educational and experiential outcomes. Learning a lot and giving my time / effort / experience. Early days. Great mix of people.
• ATP Coaching Practice: I’m coaching my coach. Ahem. We have a great reciprocal initiative going, where I coach / mentor my friend Lee to help define and develop his ongoing business strategy. In return, he coaches / mentors me on my return to rock climbing. We also climb together, and hang as friends.

Technology Focus

• Deep dive into AI: I’m still at a shallow level, and learning about AI so that I can:
  • Advise and guide my kids (and others) as they grow and learn in an age where people are handing over opportunities of cognitive challenge and development
  • Improve my ability as a technologist, applying evolving skills to product development and in my consulting work.
  • I’m working on a new product with a good friend of mine. We’re about to publicly announce it. We’ve built it using Claude Code, and developed our own kit which is composed of agents and commands which enable our feature development process.
  • Next up, I’m going to complete a previous hobby project called 3pillars. This is an app I created to support a reductive / less is more mindset.
• Waitaha Canterbury Museum: Recently, I led the hiring process and selection of a great new Head of Technology. Right now, I’m supporting Eion Robb as he settles in. We’re working on a 5 year long game plan that lines up with the opening of a fabulous new / old Museum. We’re also working together to find the right technology partners to support the Museum in it’s journey. This is a fractional advisory role, with numerous focus areas: resilient and performant systems, system integration, data architecture, cybersecurity, growing a high performing technology team, automation | workflow | efficiency & efficacy, product mindset & development, new/emerging technologies … all in service of the long term evolution of the Museum and the New Visitor Experience programme of work.
• Antarctic Heritage Trust: This is a fractional advisory role, with an initial focus on helping this amazing organisation to explore their ambitions, goals and objectives all with a “technology lens”. I’m so humbled to be involved and to support their mission of conservation, sustainability, inspiration for younger generations to explore and connect with some of the most remote regions of the world.
• Clarinspect: I support the Founder and CEO of this remarkable company as he charts a course of nuanced evolution and continued company growth in an expanding market. My former company built the first version of this SaaS product. Humbled to return and help take things to a new level!

Adventures

• Rock Climbing: Beginning again. Really hard, and very very much fun. I’m really enjoying the journey to return to something that I loved with a deep passion. I’m finding my broader life experience to be invaluable as I climb now with a different mindset and needs. I’m getting stronger, and have some fun goals ahead.

Reading & Learning

• Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
• The Rock Warrior’s Way by Arno Ilgner
• Things Become Other Things: A Memoir of Walking Japan
• Many things on the Waking Up app.

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Last updated: 20251213