Lode Notes
High-density field guides for building systems that don't break when theirs do.
In my childhood, we had a cherished book called "The American Boy's Handy Book: What to Do and How to Do It" — packed with practical wisdom for building things that worked, written for children in 1882. It was from a time when knowledge meant capability, not credentials.
Lode Notes are compact, high-density field guides—each one a tactical dispatch of principle, pattern, and precision—designed for building leverage in an uncertain world.
These notes represent what I've learned over 38 years about building systems that don't break when theirs do. Each note is a concentrated vein of insight for those who refuse to be dependent on systems they don't control.
Read The System
Most system failures aren’t from bad parts—they’re from blind structure. Builders focus on components, not relations. They see snapshots, not sequences. They miss the flows,...
system literacy
structural blindness
Maintaining An Organized Property
A property falls out of order slowly. Not from neglect, but from drift. Tools left out because they’ll be used again soon. Supplies bought twice...
system drift
property organization
Deploying Income
Income is not wealth. It’s rented time. You earn it, you spend it, it’s gone. No matter how much comes in, it doesn’t move you...
financial independence
autonomy
Bitcoin As A Hedge
Bitcoin is designed for breakdown. When institutions stretch the truth, stall withdrawals, or selectively enforce the law, most systems bend with them. Bitcoin doesn’t. It’s...
exit from fragility
autonomy
When Talent Refuses To Lead
The capable are walking away. Promotions go unclaimed. Boards fill seats with placeholders. Local councils run unopposed. Not for lack of talent—there is talent everywhere—but...
collapse of competence
leadership
Chainsaw Maintenance
Whether gas or battery, chainsaws fail in the same places—dull chains, jammed bars, overheating, and neglected systems. The difference isn’t power source, it’s whether the...
gear discipline
woodworking
Heimskur
Comfort zones breed decay. A man who never leaves his village rots from the inside out. His bones may stay strong, his hands still useful,...
conviction drift
ritual erosion
Building A Workbench
Every home project begins at the bench. Cut, weld, wire, glue—it all happens here. And yet many workbenches are built quickly, with uneven joints, soft...
woodworking
building
Creating A Home Fund
A home fund isn’t just savings. It’s a dual-purpose system: access now, yield later. The goal is to hold liquid capital for maintenance and projects,...
cash flow discipline
debt management
financial independence
AI, Agency, And Entropy
Every modern language model—like the ones that power search engines, chatbots, and writing tools—learns by consuming massive amounts of text. Ideally, this text comes from...
AI
Human Agency
Informatica
Kill Switch
Persistence is idolized. Quitting is shamed. This cultural bias traps people in dead systems—projects with no traction, relationships that erode, strategies that misfire. They keep...
failure discipline
failing is learning
One Way Doors
Most planning dies in loops. Too many options. Too much reversibility. People debate, tweak, revise—because they can . As long as the door can swing...
decision superiority
analysis paralysis
Say Less, Mean More
Most speech wastes itself. People talk to soothe discomfort, to fill air, to be seen. Not to deliver force. In groups, they perform. Alone, they...
verbal restraint
clear mind
Creativity Only Works When It’s Cornered
Abundance is the new scarcity. Infinite tools, channels, formats. Anyone can start anything at any time. The creative problem isn’t access, it’s collapse—of coherence, identity,...
constraint design
focus engineering
The Real Jack Of All Trades
“Jack of all trades” is often misunderstood as a euphemism for general interest or half-skill. It’s thrown around to describe anyone with curiosity, a résumé...
skills competency
adaptive mindset
Real Decisions Cost Something
Teams aligned on surface harmony often make quietly catastrophic decisions. The need to belong, to avoid conflict, or to move fast produces manufactured consensus. Dissent...
decision fatigue
groupthink
autonomy
Don't Self-Select
Most people don’t get rejected. They reject themselves. They don’t apply, don’t ask, don’t try. Not because the gate is locked— but because they assume...
self-selection bias
permission fallacy
Truth Has No Owner
The phrase “my truth” is a linguistic retreat. It allows people to avoid the weight of being wrong. It’s a shield against contradiction, a bypass...
experience worship
emotional authority
Autonomy Requires Conversion Not More Cash
High income doesn’t mean high control. Most people earn more, spend more, and stay just as dependent. Hustle rewards movement, not retention. The result: financial...
burn rate
wealth building
financial independence
Truth, Risk, and Timing in Preference Falsification
People say what they must, not what they mean. Social life runs on concealed dissent. Careers, reputations, and safety depend on showing loyalty. The result...
silent alignment
soft power enforcement
Clean Lines, Sharp Thought
Modern systems fracture the mind. They are built to capture, not clarify. From algorithmic feeds to rapid news cycles, the inputs come faster than thought....
attention economics
input discipline
You Didn’t Make Time
Everyone says they’re busy. Calendars are packed. Tasks pile up. The pace feels unrelenting. But most of it isn’t real work—it’s motion. Meetings that fix...
attention cconomy
relational density
Build Direction or Manage the Decline
The post-WWII order felt final. Total war was won. Industry surged. Suburbs sprawled. But within a generation, the seams tore. Inflation spiked. Trust collapsed. Assassinations,...
collapse of competence
time sovereignty
exit from fragility
The BIND Filter: Deciding What Gear Deserves You
Builders, operators, and creatives drown in gear. Every problem becomes a reason to upgrade: better camera, sharper knife, new app, premium pen. Tools become proxies...
gear discipline
constraint mastery