The Real Unlock

I shared a small project yesterday. Not because it is impressive or polished, but because of what it represents for anyone who has ever had an idea and stopped short of building it.

The unlock was not that I could build something. I've been talking about this shift for months.

The real unlock was that I could think of a question I cared about, like how well I communicate in meetings, and I could turn that question into software that teaches me something.

With a bit of effort and a clear conversation with ChatGPT about the problem, I ended up with a real system.

A tool that reads my meeting transcripts, shows me patterns, tracks how trust is being built with people, and helps me improve how I show up.

The surprising part was not the build. It was the process.

I spent an hour defining the system—schemas, prompts, flows. Work that used to require a team.

Then I went and built it.

That is the part I cannot get over.

You don't need permission.
You don't need a co-founder who "gets it."
You don't need to prove the idea is worth building before you start.

The tools are mature enough that you can build systems that get smarter as you use them. Not one-off scripts in ChatGPT. Not quick fixes in Claude. Actual software that solves ongoing problems in your work and life.

This is the thing I wish more people understood. Software has become accessible in a way that changes everything.

If you have a friction point, you can build your own solution. If you want to learn something about yourself, you can build a tool that teaches you. If you want leverage, this is where it starts.

If this is what a couple of hours produces, imagine what you could do if you went all in on these things.