Commentary

The Uncomfortable Truth About Why Your Side Project Isn't Taking Off

10 January 2026

You shipped it. It works. The code is clean. The architecture is solid. And nobody cares. You're refreshing your analytics. Posting on Hacker News. Wondering if you should add that one feature. Maybe the landing page needs work. Maybe you should try Product Hunt again. Here's what's actually happening: you've moved your biggest risk into […]

Take the luck and try not to rely on it

22 December 2019

"Take the luck, appreciate it and try not to make it a habit to rely on it"™ . . Some questionable deecisions and deescent of the Dee. A happy and enjoyable day with Caro and Harry a few months ago. ˜„ Probably also quite a lucky day – a sketchy swim at Town Falls going […]

Do stronger climbers feel welcome at the Climbing Clan?

14 December 2019

Occasionally people hear that the Climbing Clan is welcoming and supportive and ask me if stronger climbers are welcome. Everyone is welcome. Everyone is supported. If you were new to climbing, you might see someone like Debbie climbing the bigger walls and feel like she is a world away from you. But Debbie is also […]

What do your employers think about you living in a van?

17 September 2019

A few weeks ago my 100yro gran asked me: "What do your employer's think about you living in a van?" You often see me sharing photos of my van, and stories of my outdoor adventures, but you don't often see much about what it is like to run a business from my van… until now. […]

It is ok to talk about mental health

30 May 2019

It's ok to talk. A few years ago, I was happy with life, and then my girlfriend unexpectedly broke up with me. I was devastated. Heartbroken. Destroyed. I was struggling to think about anything else, my work suffered, the rest of my life suffered, I fell and I fell hard. Breakups are tough, but somehow […]

A safety reminder about the silent danger in fields

9 September 2018

A reminder of a risk we all should remember. They won't give a warning bark. They won't come bearing an olive branch. They will come from behind… So when you're reversing, try to avoid pronging tree branches the same height as your windows. Getting the glass out of your bed is a right faff! Originally […]

This one time I screwed up leadership and communication

8 December 2016

When I was 18, I lead a team of young people into a 12 hour sailing race. I was relying on the support of a bunch of their parents, but because we'd all done it before the previous year without a hitch, I assumed I didn't need to communicate directly with these key team members. […]

My thoughts on Scotland

17 September 2014

I support self determination of the people of Scotland. I think it's great that we can have an open and democratic conversation about it, in a civilised and peaceful manner. I'm delighted by the level of engagement and thoughts people have on it, north and south of the border If Scotland does become independence, I'm […]

Understanding Julian Huppert MP's support of Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill

11 July 2014

Of all the things I might say about Julian Huppert MP, stupid is not one of them – he's consistently informed, reasoned and principled. Pretty good qualities of an MP, as I think you'd agree. This makes his support of the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill… surprising. It seems to be a broadly unpopular […]

A Blue Ocean business plan for you: The Carrot Soup Company

7 July 2014

I've been reading Blue Ocean Strategy over the past week. I'll write up my thoughts on the book in due course – I've not quite finished it yet. Clara & I were throwing around the main premise of the book – about how to create Blue Ocean markets – and break away from the existing […]

What purpose do religions serve in society? (A pragmatic view)

29 April 2014

I sometimes feel it's unfair to criticise early religions within the context of the highly developed, 21st century, welfare state that I live in. Given a rural village in the 1500s Britain, religions were probably quite an effective way of keeping people motivated and providing a basic community support network and structure. If you take the […]

If I was an atheist, man.

28 April 2014

Every so often, I see atheists having a bonfire party, religious people getting upset, or religious people having a bonfire party and atheists getting upset. Given my beliefs and thoughts on religion, I find this quite saddening. A degree of understanding and respect, even for people you deeply disagree with, can be very beneficial to you. […]