On leadership, engineering & STEAM.
What AI Can't Fake
The entry-level job that used to train new graduates is being automated away. Here's what actually gets you hired in AI now — from someone who reviews engineers and mentors the kids who'll replace us.
Before It Was a Headline
The human-in-the-loop idea I write about every week isn't new to me — I've been teaching it, from a school robotics bench to a data-science course, since long before it was a headline.
The AI Competition That Ran on Spreadsheets
We rebuilt the system a world-class AI competition runs on — with agentic AI and a human who never let go of the wheel.
What the Footage Doesn't Show
For anyone deciding what to build, buy or study in robotics: people estimate humanoid capability from highlight reels, and the number that actually predicts useful work never trends.
The Prompt Is Overrated
The clever prompt is a rounding error. The boring infrastructure — memory, guardrails, a review skill — is what makes an AI agent safe at pace.
The Model Was Never the Point
I wrote a thesis on AI value in 2023. The agentic era proved the value was never the model — it's the judgment and governance around it.
The Pipeline That Feeds 2050
RoboCupJunior isn't a side program — it's the educational pipeline for the robots meant to beat the World Cup champions.
Review Is the Product
Generation is cheap; trust is the bottleneck. How a two-person team ships multiple times a day — safely.
You Can't Mandate an AI Transformation
What 700 volunteers taught me about rolling out AI: adoption is distributed leadership, not a top-down mandate.
A Small Kick for a Human
The first 11-a-side humanoid match, a pickup game against robots, and what a fifty-year moonshot looks like at its exact midpoint.
From Vibe Coding to AI Engineering
AI accelerates execution, not thinking — so the engineer's real job just moved to planning and review.
The Registration Line That Became an Awards Finalist
…What a Cvent Awards finalist run taught me about trust over headcount
Your Passion Won't Block Your Career — It'll Accelerate It
How I juggled two demanding roles and somehow got promoted in both
The Best Engineers Fail Spectacularly (And That's How You Know They'll Lead)
Years ago I built a beautiful competition robot that looked like museum-quality engineering. It failed spectacularly — and that failure is how you learn to spot the engineers who will lead.
Join the Next Generation of Innovators
Why You Should Start a RoboCupJunior Team
Leveling Up: How JPMorgan Chase's Expert Engineer (E2) Program Forged a New Kind of Leader
Technology careers now demand more than deep technical mastery — they require adaptability, strategic vision, and the ability to drive real change across complex organizations.
Making the Most of Your RoboCupJunior Journey
A Veteran's Guide
Reflections on RoboCup: A Decade Later
Enthusiast to Leader: My RoboCup Journey
What Defines a True RoboCupper?
The Technical Edge and Transformational Spirit
RoboCupJunior at 25
A Living History of Innovation and Inclusion in STEAM
RoboCupJunior Simulation League Development — Stage 2
Stage 2 of an accepted RoboCup Federation league-development proposal
RoboCupJunior Simulation League Development
An accepted RoboCup Federation league-development proposal