Working with Russell. We started out in doing some documentation of the API stuff. Russell was working with his phone and AI to build out a new starter project for the API package product. Fun to watch the interactions. As a note, Russell and I were talking during a two-hour AI running session and project build. We were watching it, chatting, and approving steps and phases. This might seem personal, but Russell and I ended up having a multi-hour peptalk and discussion about vision and future. Here are some of my other notes:

- Figuring out the pace... able to go on for years. If God is supporting you, keep going in that way. if not, you may be creating your own pain.

- From Russell... God, do you want me to stay at adilas? Be direct... when, why, for how long?

- Sometimes it feels like you are being broken down or breaking so that righteous outcomes and adjustments are made. You almost have to break it in order to create new. Breaking and finding limits. It sometimes helps things to adjust and change.

- Experimenting with bigger things... like the AI project that we are working on. By the time we were done, it had created 180 files and over 20,000+ lines of code. We then have to go in and see if we even like any of it. That's a new experiment for both Russell and I.

- Getting AI to help with a progress document to keep track of what has been done. Have the AI update it and keep track of the progress.

- If you take that (whatever that is... discussion topics), you won't grow as much... - We were talking about escaping to our own imaginary world.

- Speaking out loud... vocalizing things... get it out of your head

- Being afraid of things... remedies... read your scriptures, talk to people, communicate, find peace and hope - choose the one that is brighter.

- I need Him - the answer is Jesus

- Reminding ourselves of lessons already learned... needed, but still be nice to yourself. We go in cycles, most likely, it will come back around.

- How are you comparing things... we shouldn't compare against others... thinking about states and statuses vs trying to be better than someone else. Comparisons... the thief of gratitude. I don't have to be placed above others, I need to look at life with the lens of gratitude.

- Being grateful and finding the good for self and others. Help others succeed, grow, and thrive. Gratitude creates energy.

- Balance - input and output of good things - trying to balance the inputs and outputs

- Talking about people and skills... paying for a senior developer vs a couple of juniors

- Commitment size... how big of a commitment are we looking for... drips and chips... think about timelines... are drips okay? Scriptures and the drip affect. Sometimes it helps to do things in drips and chips (little tiny pieces - over and over again).

- Doing some research while waiting... figuring out the pace of some of these new games...

- Shepards and hirelings... who cares about what? Ownership levels? Loyalty levels? Investing in who you care for - users/customers/internal, etc.

- Trust the Lord and take time to ponder the path of your feet

- Get some good feedback from possible investors - put yourself in their shoes? What would you require? What would you want? What would make you okay with the situation or relationship? Parable of the talents... doubling - intense pressure - what other options are available? What are the plans that are in place that will get me a good return? How are you going to pay me back? They want to make money off of giving us money? They want proof that their investment will payoff. Selling the sizzle (what do they want). Pretend that you have a certain amount of money, what is it going to take to make your wife comfortable about spending it? - good test... :)

- If you are staying... how can you help save the ship?

- Pick a direction and go for that direction

- How can you support your current customers? Deal with that first. What will support us through the current phase? What do we need to do to become stable?

- Stepping stones

- There is no race... suffient is good enough... build slow and steady - build on the solid foundation

- This is direct from Russell - "Regardless of what Russell says... choose what the Lord says - trust the Lord - just keep at it."

Anyways, a fun meeting. This was a small peptalk for me, a chance to experiment with some AI stuff, and talk about the future. Good stuff.