Stop Chasing Balance. Start Chasing the Edge.
Everyone wants greatness until they realize what it demands. The edge isn't found in comfort, it's in the obsession, discipline, and relentless focus that transforms potential into reality.
Excellence
The Philosophy of Excellence
Excellence is not a destination, it's a way of being. Rooted in the ancient Greek concept of arete, true excellence is the relentless pursuit of becoming the best version of yourself in every aspect of life, work, and relationships. It's about refusing mediocrity and embracing the discipline required for mastery.
94
Articles on Excellence
Featured Articles
Guard the Circle: Why Leaders Must Invite Dissent to Stay Effective
In fast-moving tech cultures, dissent feels like friction. And friction feels like delay. But a team that agrees too easily is already halfway to failure.
The Discipline of Arete: Trust the Work, Not the Moment
Frustration comes when we judge ourselves by a single moment. But true growth—true excellence—comes from trusting the work, not the moment.
The Path to Excellence and Fulfillment: Areté and Eudaimonia in Modern Life
True success isn't about external achievements—it's about mastering yourself. Learn how to integrate Areté and Eudaimonia into your daily life for deep fulfillment.
All Excellence Articles
The Long Way Back
The mountain had other plans. What started as a simple run became a journey back to who I've always been—buried under survival, responsibility, and the slow drift of adulthood.
Alignment: 4/5
Why Clean Test Output Matters: A Developer's Guide to Noise-Free Testing
Clean test output isn't just about aesthetics, it's about developer productivity, debugging efficiency, and maintaining code quality. When your test suite runs quietly and only speaks up when something's wrong, you can focus on what matters: building great software.
Alignment: 4/5
Stop Chasing Balance. Start Chasing the Edge.
Everyone wants greatness until they realize what it demands. The edge isn't found in comfort, it's in the obsession, discipline, and relentless focus that transforms potential into reality.
Alignment: 5/5
The Return Is the Resistance
It's not about the run or the miles. It's about returning to the place where your resolve gets sharpened, your personal forge where growth happens through resistance.
Alignment: 4/5
Intent-Aware, or Nowhere: Building for Cognition in the Age of AI
Everyone's racing to build Model Context Protocols, but they're solving the wrong problem. You're not building for operators—you're building for agents that interpret, decide, and act.
Alignment: 4/5
Broken Windows Don't Fix Themselves. Neither Do Broken Coders.
You're in the file. You see the broken code. If you walk past it without fixing it, you're not just part of the problem, you are the problem.
Alignment: 4/5
Choose Your Circle Wisely: The Key to Unlocking Greatness and Momentum
The people around you influence your mindset, shape your habits, and often determine your trajectory. And the right ones don't just support you—they sharpen you, steady you, and accelerate you.
Alignment: 4/5
The Silent Burden: Fueling Leadership's Lonely Flame
In the quiet hours when decisions weigh heaviest, leadership can feel like a solitary journey. But it's in these moments that both leaders and their teams can transform pressure into power. Here's how to keep the flame alive.
Alignment: 4/5
The Faux-Aligned Manipulator: When Theater Replaces Execution
They're relentlessly positive. They say yes to everything. They talk about collaboration constantly. But underneath the performance, real execution never happens.
Alignment: 4/5
Guard the Circle: Why Leaders Must Invite Dissent to Stay Effective
In fast-moving tech cultures, dissent feels like friction. And friction feels like delay. But a team that agrees too easily is already halfway to failure.
Alignment: 5/5
😵 When ActiveRecord::Relation Fails You (and Your Test Isn't Broken... Until It Is)
Your test looks fine. The records match. But sometimes it passes, sometimes it fails. Uncover the hidden gotchas of comparing ActiveRecord Relations in Rails tests.
Alignment: 4/5
Protect Your Spark: Beat the Idea Assassins
Your best ideas are vulnerable to creativity hit jobs. Learn to guard your spark, select the right team, and keep innovation flowing despite the critics.
Alignment: 4/5
Unleashing Innovation: A Leader's Guide to First Principles Thinking
First principles thinking strips away the bullshit and starts with what's undeniably true. It's how leaders transform organizations and build the future.
Alignment: 4/5
The Discipline of Arete: Trust the Work, Not the Moment
Frustration comes when we judge ourselves by a single moment. But true growth—true excellence—comes from trusting the work, not the moment.
Alignment: 5/5
Micromanaging AI Is a Terrible Strategy
AI isn't a code monkey. Treat it like a thinking partner, not a servant. Here's how to navigate AI-assisted development without micromanaging.
Alignment: 4/5
Leadership is Jazz: Set the Tempo, Let the Band Play
The best leaders don't micromanage every note—they create the groove and let their team play. Here's how to lead with rhythm, trust, and improvisation.
Alignment: 4/5
The Reset Walk: Train for Gratitude Before the Grind Breaks You
Most people wait for struggle to humble them. The best train for it. The Reset Walk is a simple practice to build resilience before stress takes over.
Alignment: 4/5
Speed Without Direction is Wasted Energy
Speed isn't the goal—winning is. Learn how the fastest teams avoid wasted motion by solving the right problem before they execute.
Alignment: 4/5
The Path to Excellence and Fulfillment: Areté and Eudaimonia in Modern Life
True success isn't about external achievements—it's about mastering yourself. Learn how to integrate Areté and Eudaimonia into your daily life for deep fulfillment.
Alignment: 5/5
The Future of Education is Here, and Parents Are Taking Charge
Discover how AI-driven, adaptive learning is reshaping education. Parents no longer have to wait for change—they can take charge today.
Alignment: 4/5
Stop Complaining About Technical Debt If You Keep Creating More
Cleaning up old messes is meaningless if you're still making new ones. The best teams don't ask for permission to fix tech debt—they stop creating it in the first place.
Alignment: 4/5
The Power of Conflict: Fuel for Greatness or Sign of Dysfunction?
Great teams don't avoid conflict—they process it efficiently. The key to success isn't eliminating conflict, but resolving it quickly and productively.
Alignment: 4/5
If AI Isn't Making You Uncomfortable, You're Not Using It Enough
The biggest AI problem right now? A lack of imagination. The chatbot era was training wheels—it's time to take them off. If AI isn't rewiring how you think, you're not using it enough.
Alignment: 4/5
7 Game-Changing Lessons Every Junior Developer Needs to Learn
Most developers spend years learning these lessons the hard way. You don't have to. Master these principles now and take control of your dev career.
Alignment: 4/5
Private Class Methods in Ruby
Dive into the world of private class methods in Ruby. Understand their purpose, implementation, and when they're the right choice for your code.
Alignment: 4/5
When to Use Concerns vs Service Objects in Rails
Struggling to decide between concerns and service objects in Rails? This guide dives into the pros and cons of each approach, helping you choose the right tool for clean, scalable, and testable code.
Alignment: 4/5
ChatGPT vs Human Tutors: The Future of Learning
Discover how ChatGPT is changing the landscape of education and tutoring, while understanding the unique value that human tutors bring to the learning experience.
Alignment: 4/5
Flipping the Switch: How to Turn On and Off Your Abilities
Discover the art of mental switching - how to activate and deactivate different aspects of your personality and skills to excel in various contexts.
Alignment: 4/5
Reasons vs. Excuses in Software Development: The Key to Personal Responsibility and Team Success
Dive into the world of personal responsibility and team success in software development by distinguishing between reasons and excuses. Explore the vital role of accountability, examine real-world examples, and uncover five effective strategies designed to help you and your team conquer excuses and take command of your professional journey.
Alignment: 4/5
Boost Your Productivity with Three Daily Habits
Discover three game-changing daily habits that can significantly boost your productivity and help you achieve more in both your professional and personal life.
Alignment: 4/5
Finding Time for Innovation
Discover practical approaches to balance daily responsibilities with innovation initiatives, ensuring your organization stays competitive and forward-thinking.
Alignment: 4/5
The Importance of the Enforcer and Nurturer in a Team Dynamic
Explore the crucial roles of enforcers and nurturers in team dynamics, and discover how their complementary strengths create high-performing teams.
Alignment: 4/5
Syncing Work and Personal Calendars
Discover practical solutions for maintaining a balanced schedule by effectively syncing your work and personal calendars.
Alignment: 2/5
How a Sense of Humor Helps Us Deal with Criticism
Learn why maintaining a sense of humor is crucial for processing criticism constructively and using it as a tool for personal growth.
Alignment: 3/5
Ten Biographies Worth Reading
Explore a curated selection of biographies that provide powerful lessons in leadership, resilience, and success through the lives of remarkable individuals.
Alignment: 3/5
Push Mind Past Body Reality
Discover how to train your mind to overcome physical barriers and unlock your true potential through mental conditioning.
Alignment: 4/5
Visualizing Accountability
Discover practical approaches to make accountability visible and actionable within your team and organization.
Alignment: 4/5
Live versus Recorded Demos
Explore the advantages and challenges of both live and recorded product demos, and learn when to use each approach effectively.
Alignment: 3/5
Company Changes Every Time It Doubles in Size
Learn about the critical changes and challenges organizations face during different growth stages, particularly when doubling in size.
Alignment: 4/5
Product Organizations and the Most Important Work
Discover how high-performing product organizations balance team autonomy with organizational alignment to consistently deliver the most impactful work.
Alignment: 3/5
Pushing Too Hard Too Early
Understand the risks of pushing too hard too early, and discover how to pace yourself for long-term success.
Alignment: 3/5
BUDs and Sports: Radically Different Than Software
Explore how software development differs from intense physical training programs, and what we can learn from these contrasts.
Alignment: 3/5
Who You Surround Yourself With Matters
Discover the profound impact of your social connections on your personal and professional development.
Alignment: 4/5
Embracing the Suck
Discover how accepting and working through challenging situations can lead to significant personal and professional growth.
Alignment: 3/5
10 Questions To Ask Ourselves Every Week to Continue Improving
Are you looking to make self-improvements in your life? These 10 questions can help guide your reflection and introspection to better understand your values, strengths, weaknesses, and goals. From identifying what led to your biggest achievements to examining your responses to challenges, these questions can help you better understand yourself and your path towards personal growth. Take a moment to ask yourself these questions and discover what you can learn about yourself and your journey to self-improvement.
Alignment: 4/5
My Daily Standup Is Keeping Me from Being Awesome
Discover why traditional daily standups might be holding your team back, and how to make them more effective.
Alignment: 4/5
7 Tips For Getting Value Out of Networking Events
If you are an introvert like me the last thing you want to do is spend time "networking". Even if you are an extrovert your time is valuable and just mingling isn't going to cut the mustard if you want to get any kind of meaningful results. So what is the best strategy when attending an event with intention of networking?
Alignment: 4/5
6 Tips for Scaling A Business
Building an idea is hard. Turning it into a business is even harder. Scaling that business is another level of hard. This is a list of tips to help you get there.
Alignment: 4/5
Seeking Courage
I struggle with what level of disclosure to give in public forums, because vulnerability is a hard. I don't care for writing and know a path to getting better at something is to do a lot of it. At least that is the excuse I hide behind when it comes to sharing more freely. A while back during a long period of seeking self awareness it became apparent that I didn't really believe in myself very much. Other people believe in me. I believe I am able to get results, but I haven't been able to really believe in me. I was smacked in the face on this topic looking in the mirror and seeing myself over 250 pounds and utterly out of shape and control.
Alignment: 4/5
3 Rules for Dealing with Trolls
Dealing with trolls is an art form. Being on the internet requires you master it.
Alignment: 3/5
MailChimp Christmas Gift (Minion Handbook)
MailChimp knocked it out of the park with stunning Christmas gift.
Alignment: 2/5
Path to Immediate and Unanimous Team Decisions
The Decider Protocol is the fastest path to get immediate and unanimous team decisions.
Alignment: 4/5
5 Principles of Life Seen Through an El Pollo Loco Birthday Lunch
How redeeming my El Pollo Loco birthday reward points revealed powerful life principles through exceptional customer service.
Alignment: 3/5
The Difference Between Influence and Manipulation
The difference between influence and manipulation can be pretty subtle. However, the outcomes they produce can massive. How are they different to you?
Alignment: 4/5
Asking For Help
What about asking for help is so difficult? What expectations do we put on ourselves and others that could be avoided if only we asked for help more frequently?
Alignment: 3/5
Face to Face For Remote Team Members
Dealing with hybrid work environments where some one is remote full time.
Alignment: 3/5
What is the Difference Between Scrum vs Kanban?
I see a lot of new teams search endlessly for the best process for to use. They tend to ask what is best for us? Which usually devolves into Scrum vs Kanban. I am firm believer in experiencing them to understand, but one could argue you have to start somewhere. For those seeking here is a very brief quick side by side view.
Alignment: 3/5
How Do You Define Your Bootedness
Using metaphors to describe being booted with the Core Protocols.
Alignment: 4/5
Customer Service While Traveling. Fly Classy! Thanks GoGo
What does exceptional service at 10,000ft look like?
Alignment: 3/5
Calculating Lead Times While Waiting at the Motor Vehicle Department
How to estimate everyday things.
Alignment: 3/5
Gangplank Connecting Citizens
The future we want has to be created by us. Creating the Arizona we want.
Alignment: 4/5
Creating The Arizona We Want
The future we want has to be created by us. Creating the Arizona we want.
Alignment: 4/5
Arizona Art Project - Influx AZ Comes to Chandler Arizona
AZ Art Project Influx AZ coming to Chandler, AZ.
Alignment: 2/5
Agile Open Southwest Recap
Open Spaces always tend to amaze me. They really are the right people in the right place at the right time. When we kicked off Agile Open Southwest, I was a little bit nervous about what might come out. As always, I was left absolutely amazed. It was great seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Finding everyone was a different place on their journey yet still able to be find common ground and learn from one another.
Alignment: 3/5
Productivity Wednesday #6 : Share Digital Content on Social Media with Buffer
If you read a lot of digital content, you should share a lot. The problem is that you probably read in spurts. If you shared in spurts, you would probably annoy your friends. Buffer helps fix that problem.
Alignment: 2/5
Don't Make Your Retrospectives Confusing
If explaining an activity in a retrospective takes more than a minute or two it probably isn't very effective. Don't fall into the trap of making things too complex. Activities shouldn't be complicated they should be fluid. Giving participants too many options and being unclear with instructions makes it difficult to fluid with sharing thoughts.
Alignment: 4/5
Retrospectives. When Facilitating. Facilitate. Don't Participate.
As a ScrumMaster when you are "running" a retrospective it is easy to fall into the trap of actively participating in it. It is extremely difficult to do this well (if not impossible), because your role should be as a facilitator not a participant. The minute you start participating you are no longer neutral and severely impact your ability to effectively facilitate.
Alignment: 4/5
Shirky's Sharing Model : Personal, Communal, Public and Civic
Clay Shirky enlightens us in Cognitive Surplus that, the organization of sharing has many forms and that those forms have varying output values. He gives us a way we can identify four essential points on the spectrum
Alignment: 4/5
Productivity Wednesday #5 : Boomerang for GMail
Sometimes when Getting Things Done, you need a little more power in your inbox than the default. Boomerang for GMail is the extra horsepower you need.
Alignment: 3/5
What Makes Gangplank Magical?
Gangplank is a community of creators that fuses family life, civic life, creating and earning a living into this unique blend where anything is possible. The support and tenderness offered is counter balanced by a gruff and forceful exterior making participation daunting to most.
Alignment: 3/5
Transform a Relationship, Be Fully Present
People need to be understood that they matter. We are wired to belong. It doesn't matter if it is your spouse, child, employee or coworker every relationship you wish to maintain requires your attention. Most people consider attention to be measured in time. Time is in short supply and high demand in our connected and fast paced world.
Alignment: 4/5
When It Comes to Community Building, It is the Small Things
Changing a community is slow work. Paying attention to the details and working with discipline over time with patience is required to get real results.
Alignment: 3/5
Hierarchy of Reading
Abraham Maslow made the concept of hierarchies of progression in systems popular via his work on a hierarchy of needs. Here is a theory about the hierarchy of different types of readers.
Alignment: 4/5
15 Things You Should Teach Your Kids To Prepare Them For the Future
Be the best parent you can. Prepare your children for the future.
Alignment: 4/5
10 Steps for Planning a Great Event
Planning events is difficult. The hardest part is starting. Here is a quick 10 step guide to get you planning for that perfect event you have been dreaming about.
Alignment: 3/5
Restore the Balance of Humanity. Create.
Consumption is rampant. What does is it mean to create?
Alignment: 3/5
Call to Volunteer at Arizona State Parks
I love Arizona. It's natural resources are one of it's greatest assets. I have been encouraging people to get out and ExploreAZ. If you didn't know our State Parks have become seriously under funded and need our help. So how can you help?
Alignment: 3/5
Top 10 Ways To Become More Resilient
Resilience refers to the ability of a person to effectively cope with and recover from adversity or stress. This concept has been studied in psychology and neuroscience, and various strategies and techniques have been developed to build resilience, such as mindfulness, cognitive reframing, and social support. Building resilience can help individuals better handle life's greatest challenges and maintain their mental and emotional well-being. Here are ten ways to increase your resiliency.
Alignment: 4/5
Essence of Humanity is Helping Other People Feel Safe
In Andre Agassi's Open he shows the authentic and human side of himself. He talks about giving a friend named Frankie the money he needs to put his children through school. He reflects on it in the following way:
Alignment: 4/5
Reminding Yourself Where You Are Going
I generally keep voice memos or written journals around as outlets for my thoughts when I am not regularly able to connect with people to share what is on my mind. I try to purge them into a digital format fairly quickly to prevent clutter. I don't recall why I recorded this segment, but I ran across it today and it made me smile.
Alignment: 3/5
Ruby Revolution Rebuttal
In a blog post, Mark Turner has responded to the claim that Ruby is just a bunch of tools by stating that it is actually about making developers happy. I believe that the Ruby community is too focused on creating tools and lacks creativity and true innovation. Regional Ruby events have become more about showcasing tools and less about sharing cutting-edge ideas.
Alignment: 3/5
Ruby is Just a Bunch of Tools
I have always liked Unix because of it's mentality that lots of small tools chained together could be more than an opaque larger tool. In this instance. I mean Rubyists are a bunch of Tools not of the useful kind. Maybe Zed is right an Rails is a Ghetto.
Alignment: 2/5
Rituals Help Us Form Emotional Connections
Whatever our exact ritual, the social act of eating together is important; it reunites us with our tribe. Transforming us from solitary beings to members of a group.
Alignment: 3/5
Joe Kalt on Arizona Economy
Notes from Joe Kalt talking about Arizona's economy from Arizona's 96th Town Hall on Building Arizona's Future: Jobs, Innovation & Competitiveness.
Alignment: 3/5
Flashback on Arizona's 96th Town Hall
Random notes from the Arizona's 96th Town Hall on Building Arizona's Future: Jobs, Innovation & Competitiveness.
Alignment: 3/5
The Effects of Shifting or Resetting on Society
If you are listening. A lot of people are talking about a "new norm", a "reset" or a "shift". Largely this discussion is around economics and growing concerns of debt. In reality it is about a lot more than that.
Alignment: 3/5
Sometimes Team Perspective Is Needed
The benefit about working on a high performing team is that everyone expects excellence. There is always a drive that it could be better. Nail a perfect 10 and then ask how it could be an 11.
Alignment: 4/5
It's About People. Companies Saying Right Wage. Wrong Skill Set.
Why do we keep doing 1950 economic development? Capital first, then innovation and then people. Yet, companies wanting to be here say that it's lack of skilled people that keeps them out. What are we doing to invest in people? Keep and attract the best and brightest?
Alignment: 3/5
Four Principles of Collaborative Consumption
The basis of the 'Sharing Economy' operates on principles. How are you seeing them applied in the world around you? What can you learn from them? How are you applying them?
Alignment: 3/5
Great Service Requires Constant Attention
I am a fan of great service. When I see it exemplified I try to share it. For example, QuikTrip does a great job #winning. Another company that has always impressed me is Discount Tire. They always greet me right away. They fix my tires for free when repairable. They give me a free air check when my tires are low. All of this even on tires not purchased from them. WOW! They never give me problems when I need tires rotated or tires replaced under warranty that I did purchase from them.
Alignment: 3/5
Coworking Space vs Collaborative Workspace
When talking about Gangplank I always struggle to consider it to have anything to do with coworking. After doing some reading on collaborative learning vs. cooperative learning, I believe I can better articulate the difference between collaborative workspaces and coworking spaces.
Alignment: 3/5
Skysong: Helping Cement Phoenix as the Place for Mediocre People
The Greater Phoenix Economic Council released a report touting that Skysong actually is exceeding expectations and has been underestimated. Citing a $113 million impact which is largely calculated using salaries of people that have worked there over the last five years.
Alignment: 2/5
Opening Lines From Great Minds
It is no secret, I love books. One of my favorite things to read is autobiographies. I enjoy them because I love to hear the authors reflect back on how they got started. A glimpse of what made them who they became.
Alignment: 3/5
Microsoft Kinect Exceeding Expectations. Adopted More Quickly Than iPad.
I see a lot of new technology. Not very often am I impressed. Microsoft has a winner on their hands with Kinect. I completely ignored it at launch. Gangplank even had Kinect setup at the Chandler Block Party with tons of kids playing it. It looked stupid to me. The Wii had already won my heart.
Alignment: 2/5
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