Archive - Below the Surface

Dive 109: When Activism Becomes a Grift

Modern activism promises change but profits few. Learn about the Activism Industrial Complex and what genuine advocacy looks like. Learn to protect your…

Jun 17 •

Dive 108: How to end envy the healthy way

How do you not covet what others have? Build a Personal Lighthouse. More than a north star, it's a detailed vision of what you value most. Here's how it…

Jun 3 •

May 2025

Dive 107: How Thoughtful Developers are really using AI

Is AI the end of software developers or just the beginning of better software? Here's how the best devs use it.

May 20 •

Dive 106: Should you Hunt or Gather?

Two distinct strategies to get what you want: hunt or gather. Success depends on the tactic you choose. Here's what they are, why it matters, and how to…

May 6 •

April 2025

Dive 105: The Greatest Leaders are Critical Readers

The greatest leaders have goals greater than what's directly in front of them day-to-day. They have a passion for life, the world, and people in it…

Apr 22 •

Dive 104: A good mentor is not a chauffeur

The best mentors let you drive. They let you take chances, make mistakes, and get messy. For the student, it means taking responsibility for freedom…

Apr 8 •

March 2025

Dive 103: Agency in the Age of AI

How do you keep control of your life and gain personal agency? Focus on what matters most to you. And build (rather than replace) your skills with tech…

Mar 25 •

Dive 102: How a handshake leads to self-improvement

A handshake with another is about more than mutual respect. It's a promise to yourself. From an acknowledgement that you can always do better. Here's…

Mar 11 •

February 2025

Dive 101: How happy people resolve conflicts fast

Happy people address conflicts directly with others. It takes courage to reconcile face-to-face in a dedicated setting. Here's how and why.

Feb 25 •

Dive 100: Why I don’t wish I started this sooner

Productivity means not dwelling on what could have been unless you can draw lessons from it for continuous improvement from here on out. Here's why and…

Feb 11 •

January 2025

Dive 99: How X/Twitter shapes human behaviour

Diving into how a popular social media platform influences people from the perspective of a software developer with a background in human-computer…

Jan 28 •

Dive 98: Conformity vs. Rebellion vs. Independence

The opposite of conformity is independence. But many confuse independence with rebellion. Rebellion is as destructive as conformity. Here are the…

Jan 14 •

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts