Whatever be the nature of business, fundamentally it has all been started in the interest of the wellbeing of human beings. The business of human wellbeing is the only real business. - Sadhguru

I sign off today for a much needed holiday. ⛱️

Using this week’s heatwave as acclimatisation. 🥵

I can't believe we're already at the end of June. The year's flying by, but there have already been many wonderful achievements, memories, and people who've entered my life for the better.

I've spent a great deal of time evaluating what I care about, what inspires me, and what drives me. I have come to appreciate just how much I value community, simple living, and a preference for the small where possible. I am not interested in technology for its own sake, but how it can be leveraged in thoughtful, beautiful, and humanist ways to make people smile.

Sustainability is often positioned with a focus on environment, and of course that matters. But it's also about sustainable living at a human level. Are we burning out? Are we frustrated? Are we hopeless? Are we anxious? If so, that's unsustainable.

Moments become memories. Our most visceral memories are typically about the people, and the places we experienced with them. Striving for better, delivering projects under tough conditions, supporting one another in challenging times, and giving your peers opportunities for recognition and growth are all people-centric activities and they're often the most memorable.

A lot is changing in the world today. We're all re-evaluating what work means, what the future holds, and our position in it. The foundations are moving everyday, and we find ourselves sprinting just to keep up. This all feels quite unsustainable and I can see people struggling with the pressure that the media and influencers are placing on them to go 'AI-first', to learn this new tool, to try this hot new model, etc. etc.

The truth is that despite this technological evolution and the noise we're hearing everywhere about it, we do have a choice. We can decide to live differently, to push back on rote advice that's ill-meaning, to focus on ourselves, on building lives we love, on opting for smaller as a lifestyle choice, and recognising that no achievement will ever feel enough, and work will never 'finish'. Allow yourself to be human. Give yourself some space. We're all in this together and we're rooting for one another.

Technology may be moving fast right now, but you don't have to keep up with every minor improvement. Software Engineers learned a long time ago that trying to keep up-to-date with every new framework, tool, and design pattern was a recipe for burnout. Instead, mature Software Engineers famously choose 'boring tech' because it works, it's stable, it gets the job done, and it doesn't fall over each week.

Yes, some people work at the frontier. Some people are defining 'a' future. But it needn't be everyone's future. In an abundant world, there's breathing space for us all to choose a path that actually resonates with us.

Playing big might feed your ego.
But playing small will feed your soul.

Be kind. Be happy. Be human.

And enjoy an ice-cream! 🍦

Stay thoughtful.

James.

Cast your mind back to when you first applied for your job. This may have been an exciting and nerve-wracking time. The role sounded interesting, the company was attractive, and the package was enticing. You invested your evenings and weekends to polish your CV, draft your cover letter, and sell your unique sk…

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