The final trap isn’t money or status—it’s the rice in the monkey trap: sunk costs, identity, and the illusion of meaning.

In Part III, we explore why people stay in environments they’ve long outgrown, clutching rewards they can’t use and identities they didn’t choose. Freedom requires value elasticity, the courage to reprice what mattered yesterday against what matters now. Letting go feels like loss, but it’s the only way to reclaim your time, purpose, and self.

This chapter shows why leaving is so hard—and why leaving is often the first real act of autonomy you’ll make.

Blog Post: How They Keep You - Part III: Why You’ll Stay

When money stops motivating, companies don’t lose power—they just switch currencies.

Titles, recognition, access, belonging: these are the subtler, more potent levers that keep people striving long after their paychecks stop mattering.

From Cheers to President’s Club to “Emerging Leaders,” Part II shows how status and affiliation infiltrate our identity, how they blur the line between reward and manipulation, and why even smart, ambitious people fall for the trap. Because once you’re seen, once you’re included, the fear of dropping in status—or losing your place—keeps you bound tighter than any bonus ever could.

Blog Post: How They Keep You - Part II: Status and Affiliation

We like to think we choose our jobs, but much of the time our jobs choose us. From billion-dollar pay packages to corporate KPIs, the game isn’t about money—it’s about control. Value rigidity keeps even the richest and most powerful people locked into systems they can’t leave, and we’re no different. We learn to love the rope the longer we’re tied to it. Part I unpacks the hidden strings companies pull, the currencies they use to keep you in place, and why it’s so hard to recognize the pull until you’re already deep inside the machine.

Blog Post: How They Keep You - Part I: Strings Attached

We all do it—round up a story, polish an answer, hide the rough edges. Not to deceive, but to belong. From Chris Rock and Ice Cube to Seinfeld and a writer named Vicky Ball, You Ain’t Gotta Lie Ta Kick It looks at how performance and authenticity overlap until even honesty becomes an act. What happens when we see the performance for what it is? Can we ever be truly real—or just more aware of the mask we wear?

Blog Post: You Ain’t Gotta Lie Ta Kick It

Even the most talented players struggle against their own nature. When Julio Rodríguez struck out to end the Mariners’ season, it wasn’t just bad luck—it was a lesson in the cost of chasing the wrong pitch. From Ted Williams’ disciplined strike-zone approach to Josh Waitzkin’s “power of empty space” in chess, and even Roy McAvoy’s aggressive mindset in Tin Cup, success often comes from making fewer mistakes, not taking bigger swings. In this piece, discover how recognizing your opportunities, running a blunder check, and resisting instinctive aggression can compound into real advantage—on the field and in life.

Blog Post: Becoming Blunderless

Why doesn’t the best product always win? Because we confuse solicitation with solutions.

Elizabeth Holmes sold billionaires on promises of revolutionary blood testing that never worked. Even Apple stumbled, hyping AI features that didn’t exist. Meanwhile, Palantir bets on building software that actually solves problems.

The difference? Solicitation creates “trust-lite”—influence masquerading as credibility. Solutions create real trust through results.

In a world of steak dinners and slick presentations, it’s easy to mistake the menu for the meal. But solicitation only gets you in the door. Solutions are what keep you there.

Because trust isn’t built on charm—it’s built on results.

Blog Post: We Play Software

We talk about what’s “better” like it’s obvious. But better for whom? In Better, How?, a lesson in music, memory, and movies reveals that context and audience matter as much as product.

Blog Post: Better, How?

Seth Godin has shaped my thinking more than almost anyone else. This week's post dives into the lessons that have transformed how I approach work, creativity, and life.

The biggest insight? Flying too low is just as dangerous as flying too high. We've been conditioned to fear standing out so much that we've guaranteed ourselves less than we're capable of. "Being safe is risky," as Godin puts it.

I explore his "marathon mindset"—entering races you know you won't win but running anyway, why failure isn't fatal (it's the toll you pay for discovery), and the difference between following maps versus venturing into the wilderness where the real rewards lie.

These aren't just business lessons—they're life lessons about choosing freedom, creativity, and responsibility every day.

The cage door is open. Will you walk through?

Blog Post: What I've Learned From Seth Godin

From Seth Godin: The World's Worst Boss, Stop Stealing Dreams