Let’s get this out of the way: motivation is mostly bullsh*t. It’s unreliable. It’s emotional. It vanishes the second things get inconvenient.
You don’t build companies, families, or legacies on motivation. You build them on discipline.
Every founder I know who’s actually made it, who's built something real, didn’t do it because they were “inspired.” They did it because they showed up when it sucked. They made the hard call when no one clapped. They held the line when everything screamed for compromise.
Do you think I get out of bed fired up every day? No. But I’ve trained myself to execute whether I feel like it or not. That’s discipline.
We’re in a world addicted to dopamine and "hacks." 90% of people don’t need another app. They need to stop lying to themselves.
They need to get up, make their bed, do the work, and shut up about how hard it is.
Want to know what’s harder? Being 40 and realizing you built nothing because you waited to “feel aligned.”
Discipline is walking away from a shiny opportunity because it isn’t aligned with what you said you’re building. It’s choosing your wife over your ego. It’s choosing your kid’s game over another meeting you don’t need to take.
It’s doing the same small things, daily, that no one will praise, but everyone will feel the impact of.
Motivation is for tourists. Builders train discipline like it’s a muscle.
Don’t wait to feel ready. Decide. Move. Repeat. That’s how you build.
3 Things Worth Sharing
1. Bitcoin Breaks $100K, Again
Bitcoin surged past $100,000 for the first time since February, reaching as high as $103,000. This rally coincided with a broader upturn in global equity markets, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 1.3%. Some attribute this to a Uk - USA trade deal that’s incoming?
2. New Tech Releases This Week
Apple's Foldable iPhone: Apple is developing a foldable iPhone featuring a new type of display panel developed by Samsung that has never been used in a foldable product.
DJI's Mavic 4 Pro Drone: DJI is teasing its Mavic 4 Pro, likely launching May 13, 2025. The standout feature is a spinning triple camera, promising unmatched aerial flexibility.
Lenovo Legion 9i (18”): Lenovo announced the Legion 9i (18”, 10), a high-performance gaming laptop available starting June 2025. An 18 inch laptop? Might as well carry around wide screen at this point.
3. A Tragic Loss at Simola Hillclimb
We were at the Simola Hillclimb all weekend, supporting friends, catching runs, and soaking in what’s become one of our favorite family traditions. It’s one of those rare events that combines adrenaline with deep community.
This year, it ended in tragedy.
During a warm up run on Sunday, veteran racer Pieter Joubert lost control of his Lotus Exige and crashed fatally. He was a respected competitor, and his family, present at the track, asked that the race continue in his honor.
The paddock was shaken. The air changed. But what stood out most was the collective respect, the silence, the tears, the nods from other drivers who knew exactly what kind of risk comes with this kind of love.
We remember Pieter not just for his skill, but for his presence in a sport that asks everything from you and rewards it with moments of greatness few get to feel.
What I’m Reading
Surrounded by Idiots – Thomas Erikson—Breaks down human behavior into color-coded types: red, yellow, green, and blue. If you lead people, hire people, or get frustrated by people, this book is a cheat code for managing different minds without losing yours.
Amazon’s “Enhance My Listing” —New AI tool for sellers that rewrites and optimizes product listings using Bedrock. Smarter listings = more sales.
ServiceNow AI Agent Fabric —A multi-agent platform for enterprise automation. Think task bots that talk to each other across systems.
Google NotebookLM Mobile Apps—NotebookLM is going mobile. AI-powered note-taking and source summaries are now in your pocket, and they will launch on May 20.
Azion’s Edge AI Upgrades— Edge-deployed models (Mistral, Florence, Qwen) with lower latency, better privacy, and lower cost. Real AI at the edge is here.
