The creative output will never justify the price tag — I watched every second of the first half of Super Bowl LVII without leaving my seat. Not because I wanted to watch the commercials — I was on a plane. In the age of digital, Super Bowl spots are painfully scripted and often ask viewers to do something on their…

A dangerous convergence of trends signals a grim future for this rapidly growing industry — One weekend in high school, a classmate and I found ourselves involved in an amateur sports betting ring. My friend convinced me to place a wager on five different NFL teams with him, but the bet wouldn’t payout unless we correctly picked all five games. Also known as a parlay…

Creativity doesn’t have to serve any particular purpose, but it still comes from the same place as all great ideas — the mind. This short video is an attempt to combine several of my creative interests into a single piece of art, which I’ve never really tried before. I produced the track in Logic Pro based on a random tune that I had been humming to myself one day, and I enjoyed being able to translate this fleeting thought into something permanent. As someone who constantly struggles with writer’s block and procrastination when it comes to creative endeavors, I’m all too familiar with the intimidating feeling of staring at a blank page or canvas. But once we commit to the process of creating and stop doubting/questioning/critiquing, the outcome is almost always something unique, personal and meaningful.

Our five-year-old’s recent obsession with drawing has inspired me to pursue this hobby alongside him. As a young adolescent, I wanted to become a cartoonist and worked at honing my craft daily. By high school, however, this passion quickly faded away and has been abandoned ever since. I never thought it would be an easy career path at the time, but it’s a shame that we often lose sight of these artistic interests once we face the pressure of finding a more “realistic” profession. Today I’m a parent of two young children and there is nothing more satisfying than seeing my boys smile about something I’ve created for them (even if it’s just a simple cartoon dinosaur). Whether you’re a parent or not, I want this drawing to serve as a personal reminder that children everywhere have a profound ability to foster creativity, curiosity and inspiration in adults.

I just sold all of my Facebook stock. Apple’s upcoming iOS 14 update represents a serious threat to Facebook’s core business. This new feature, which gives people an easier way to opt out of ad tracking, could have a major impact on the efficacy of Facebook’s advertising platform. In response…

A small holiday promotion reveals a major long-term strategy — Over the holidays, Amazon introduced a limited-time promotion where you could buy their $24.99 Smart Plug for 80% off. The catch? You were only able to redeem this offer through Alexa.

Originally published on SoundCloud (January 15, 2021)

A story of hope and kindness during uncertain times — The weather was perfect in Nashville. Mid 70s. Not a cloud in the sky. My four-year-old and I setup a pretend restaurant inside, but soon after he suggested something much better on a day like this: a lemonade stand. As an alternative to charging people for lemonade in the middle…

A look inside the heart of his digital reelection strategy. — Whenever you encounter a feature online intended to deceive or trick the end user, this is known as a dark pattern. It might be a button you can’t avoid, an intentionally hidden feature, a “limited time” discount with no end date. …