There’s a special kind of panic that comes when you realize you might have just broken something that really matters. Mine started with one small file — a cryptographic key used to publish a client’s Android apps on the Play Store. We were hours away from handing everything back after years of collaboration with a major client. The transition needed to be clean and professional. And then I couldn’t find the key. See, a few years earlier I had made what I thought was the responsible choice: I...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Most people think the magic of AI is in the answers. But the real magic? It’s in the questions — and how you write them. Because let’s be honest. Asking AI for something then getting a sloppy answer really kills the mood. Makes a person think it’s not worth the hype. But who has time to research and learn “effective prompting” from the army of AI bros on social media? Not me. So here’s the shortcut almost nobody talks about: You can use AI to help you talk to AI. I know, it sounds a bit like...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
The other day, I caught myself setting the same alarm. Again. "Pick up Jeremy from school - 2:45pm" I wasn't going to forget my kid exists. But I would get absorbed in a project, look up at 2:43pm, and have to sprint out the door. So every morning I'd think, "Right, need to set that reminder later." And half the time... I wouldn't. Here's the ridiculous part: I literally teach automation for a living. Yet there I was, acting as my own unreliable notification system. A human cron job that kept...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
For years I’ve been fascinated by typing speed. I’ve used every shortcut, text replacement, and expansion trick imaginable to squeeze a few more words per minute out of my fingers. But at some point, I realised that no matter how fast I type, I can’t type as fast as I can think. Recently, I’ve been using Wispr Flow on both my Mac and iPhone, and it’s quietly changed how I capture ideas. Instead of forcing thoughts through my keyboard, I just… talk. It’s brilliant for rough ideas, notes to...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Why Automate (and Why I Call It Wizardry) When I first started automating my own work, it wasn’t about saving time. It was about something simpler: it felt like magic. I’d click a button or say a command, and suddenly files moved, notes synced, emails sent, tasks appeared— all without me lifting another finger. It was as if I’d whispered an incantation and the world moved on its own. That’s still why I do this. Automation isn’t just efficiency. It’s techno-magic—real-world spells you design...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hey there, I want to make progress but I feel like I'm getting in my own way a lot, the following is going to seem like a lot of procrastinating and in a way it is. I think the difference this time is that I'm sharing it all and I can see the value longer term and that's what I'm thinking of now, things that will sustain and help me longer term, especially with income and security. Building My AI Council Been experimenting with something slightly unhinged this week — planning to create AI...
5 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, So here we are — first proper newsletter back, and I'm already breaking my own rules by writing this the day before posting with an emptied cappuccino. Some things never change. But here's what has changed: I'm finally practicing what I've been preaching. 🤖 Automation Wizard (Coming Soon) I've spent the last few weeks setting up my automation consultancy properly. Not just the business side, but actually using every tool I recommend to clients. I'll be really leaning into an...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, You may have signed up to Incantations recently or a while ago. If you need a reminder it was on [SIGNUP_DATE GOES HERE]. Either way, thank you. Things have been very quiet here for a long time (almost 2 years) — life got a bit chaotic — but I’m finally bringing the newsletter back. If you're still here, I really appreciate your patience. 🧙 What is Incantations now? It’s a behind-the-scenes look at what I’m working on, thinking about, and building — across creativity, tech, and...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Incantations 89 - Back Next Week Hello there, [NICKNAME GOES HERE], I've been pretty busy this week, not to mention being in a 6.3 earthquake on Thursday so I'll let this be really short to assure you I'll be sending a full newsletter out in the next week or so when I've stopped travelling and settled back home. The earthquake made me realise how unprepared I was (especially while travelling). I'll be setting up backup and emergency plans in the future. Something I can ask ChatGPT to help me...
over 2 years ago • 1 min read