People are building AI when nobody's looking.

Hi everyone,

October 29 is Republic Day in Turkey, where I live. It marks the day in 1923 when Atatürk declared the Republic.

I don't like to get political, so I'll leave it there. It did make me think about why I live here, though.

I dictated this while looking at the sea. The sea was blue, the sky was blue, and it was a beautiful day. In summer, our small town on the coast is the place everyone wants to be. In winter, it's quiet and calm.

For my family, it feels safer and calmer than most places right now. That's why we live here.

The more I do this work, the clearer my mission gets. I want AI for better lives. That's why I started AI for Better Lives, and I really do mean it.

I want AI for better work, better learning and a better society. I think we need help as humans. We should be OK saying that, too. This technology can help, because we can work with it and do some incredible things.

In the last year, we've worked with over 20 companies. You start to see the culture inside each one and you see how happy people are, too.

Then there are the patterns you only see from the inside. In some companies, people build AI tools quietly. They don't tell IT, because they're scared the project gets shut down. In others, people plug in their own tools and personal accounts. They do it even after they've been asked not to.

Both tell you the same thing. People want to work with AI. If the official path is too slow, they find their own.

So here's a question for your desk. Do you know what your team is building when nobody's looking?

I'm getting closer to 40, and here’s a little life lesson I’ve learned.

The people who chase money rarely make it. The people who focus on value deliver it, and they get paid for it.

Almost 90% of our growth comes from referrals, and I think that says enough. I'm here to solve real problems and to help people.

I wouldn't focus on value just to get paid, though. Focus on it because you enjoy the work. When you enjoy it, it doesn't feel like work. The rest works out somehow.

Right now, our cohorts are for companies. In Q1, that changes. We're building a new way in. You won't need to be a company to join.

If you want a spot, hit reply and I'll put you on the waiting list. I'll share more as it takes shape.

Last week I said I was building a visual company OS. Here's a first look.

It runs on a long touch screen under my monitor. When I step away, it keeps track. When I come back, one screen shows what needs me. It also shows what the team said on Slack and what's left today. Everything private is blurred here.

The machines behind it changed this month, too. A new Mac Mini with 64 GB of RAM is now my main desktop. My old 16 GB Mac Mini, which I bought for OpenClaw, became the Agent Mini. It runs sessions, agents and scheduled tasks, all day.

Next up is my laptop. I've been on an M2 MacBook Pro for a while, and sometimes it's not enough. On October 28, Apple announced a new MacBook Pro. It has an OLED touch screen and up to 128 GB of memory. The touch screen looks a bit gimmicky to me. The next one could be a year away, though, and I do want 128 GB. What do you think of the touch screen?

I'm also getting into 3D printing. I want to build accessories for my Mac Minis and my music gear. I'd also make things for the house and the kids. Part of the reason is Claude Opus 5.5, which is great at 3D modelling. Bambu Lab shows its H3C on November 3. I'm waiting for that before I buy.

I have no clue about 3D printing yet.

Anyone got any tips?

Claude Duet is the one I'm waiting for. Anthropic launched it on October 21. It's a separate app where Claude works for you on its own. It sends a morning brief and watches your connected apps. It messages you when something needs you. It asks before it sends, pays, signs or deletes anything. It's US only for now, on Pro and Max, by waitlist.

Your ChatGPT dot can text you now. I use my dots a lot. Since October 28, a dot can text you over iMessage or RCS. It can also message you first with updates. It's a beta for Pro users in the US. To set it up, open the dot's profile and pick Texting. For my personal stuff, I still love Instinct.

Copilot can copy the look of a deck you already have. In PowerPoint, attach an existing deck. Copilot then uses its theme and styles for the new one. You can attach images for it to use, too. It's in Microsoft's October 27 release notes, on Windows and the web. If your team rebuilds the same deck every month, try this first.

Claude Enterprise now shows leaders where the work goes. On October 28, Anthropic added smart reports. An admin picks a team and dates. Claude groups the team's work. Then it shows spend, what got made and where people got stuck. Missing connectors are one example. Anthropic says the reports aren't for judging individual people.

I was a guest on Building the Premier Accounting Firm. Thanks for having me!

The full video is up now: Stop Using AI, Start WORKING With It. It's made for accounting firms.

I'm running a live webinar called Build Your Own Terminal Company on Wednesday, November 18. That's 9:30 AM ET, 2:30 PM GMT and 5:30 PM in Turkey. Hold the time in your calendar. The sign-up link is coming soon.

AI Marketing Campaigns: The Three Layers Most Teams Skip

Who should read it: marketing leads whose content went up while results stayed flat.

TLDR: Most teams stop at AI-written content. The guide adds two more layers: research and a weekly feedback loop. It also shows the order to build them in.

Want a spot on the individual cohorts waiting list? Hit reply and say so. While you’re there, I’d love to hear what you made of this week’s issue. I read every reply.

Thanks for reading.
Tim