A working record of what happened, what I expected, what changed my mind, and what someone else might be able to use.
Experience first. Facts before interpretation. Useful conclusions without pretending every question has been settled.
The story date records when the experience happened. The publication date records when the writing joined this library.
11 articles · ordered by when the story happened
Military organizations measure activity well. They are less practiced at measuring when the marginal value of another sortie, weapon, or mission no longer justifies its cost and risk.
Andrew DeRamus examines workplace criticism, persuasion, manipulation, and the evidence needed to evaluate leadership beyond charisma and online attention.
Direct supervision can create order. Enduring leadership creates judgment, ownership, and action without constant oversight.
A known outcome, an uncertain path, and the trust required to let another leader own the work.
Hiring, organizational memory, and the expensive difference between escalating a problem and owning it.
We spent roughly $15,000 experimenting with digital billboards across Oklahoma City. People noticed us, but I don’t think the value we received justified the expense.
The people who advance in organizations are sometimes accused of being yes-men. In my experience, the best of them are something very different: they tell leaders the truth, solve problems, support decisions, and know how to encourage upward.
Ending an employment relationship with humanity, clarity, and a firm standard.
What 25 hires taught me about the distance between saying the right words and owning the work.
A shopping-center redesign, a $600,000 decision, and why expert advice should inform—not replace—the owner’s judgment.
One of my earliest real estate investments became my first complicated renovation—and my first six-figure loss. It also became one of the most formative projects of my investing career.
Each lane begins with experience and asks what can be understood more clearly, improved, or shared.
Seeing the situation clearly, making sound decisions, developing people, and building organizations that can act without constant supervision.
Explore this lane →Lessons from acquiring, operating, managing, and improving real assets and businesses—with attention to both returns and responsible stewardship.
Explore this lane →Using AI to remove friction, expand capability, and improve the work without outsourcing judgment or original thought.
Explore this lane →The practical work of helping people grow through leadership, mentoring, hiring, encouragement, parenting, and discipleship.
Explore this lane →