True Grit: 2025 in Review
Window-Sill, Lugano, Winifred Nicholson, 1923
2025 was one of the more interesting years of my life. I focused wholeheartedly on my company, and I’m happy with the results, but I learned a lot about myself and how I need to change. The human capacity to change and improve is unique and a cherished gift, something I deeply believe in and am putting into practice this year. Before I get into how I'm changing, I wanted to talk about some of the successes I had this year.
Growing my team.
Building the company in year one was about grit and the ability to work on my own. This year, I focused on hiring the best people I could find for the job. The team members that we've been able to hire and retain have been amazing. They have genuinely helped push the company forward and helped me see things in a way I couldn't before. They are individually excellent and collectively cohesive and brilliant. They make me, and I am better because of them.
Husband and Parent.
These are the two most sacred responsibilities I have, and my family has supported me throughout my journey creating Parakeet. It hasn't been easy. I've had to make a lot of sacrifices, and they've had to make countless sacrifices, but we've done it together, and it's been a meaningful experience. Finding work-life harmony was a key decision for me in 2025. Finding ways to attend the key moments of my children's lives while being on the road and working nonstop was not
Favorite Things
Here are a few things that made 2025 easier for me as I traveled and spent countless hours selling, recruiting, and building.
Snipd. I listened to a crazy amount of podcasts, and Snipd makes it an absolute delight to listen to and save knowledge from Podcasts.
AirPods Pro. The iPhone is Apple's best creation, but this has to be second—the noise cancellation, the battery life, the touch controls. Nothing comes close to these.
Conductor. While sales is my main job at the company, I still write some code and contribute. I learned about Conductor pretty late, but it has changed the game for me in a meaningful way. By natively integrating Git worktrees into the product, I can focus on what I want to contribute and do it in parallel. It’s a highly polished product and a joy to use every time.
2026 Goals
I will ride my bike 3,000 miles. At the peak, I rode 5,000 miles before I started the company, and before my accident a few years ago. While the amount of time it took to ride 5,000 miles isn’t possible at this stage in life, 3,000 is undoubtedly feasible. I’ve spoken at length about how much I love cycling, and I hope this is a stepping stone to more big years on the bike.
Secondly, I will be more thoughtful. I spent some time this year in Grit mode. Grit mode is where I'm always pushing, always striving for the next dollar. The strategy and execution at a higher order weren't there. I see the error of my ways, and I’m willing to cut against the grain, do things that may not mean a short-term win but will be a long-term success. I’m going to be direct and honest, going to say no more often when it doesn’t make sense.
Finally, I'll find a little bit more time for me: finding some time to fly fish, which is one of my favorite hobbies; finding time to take my daughters to the park, push them on the swing; finding monthly time to take my wife out on a date; and finding time to be a good neighbor, church goer and friend. Saying yes to a lunch with a friend I haven’t talked to in a while and cancelling a recurring meeting to do something fun.
I am learning deeply that I am the only one in control of how things go, how well I spend my time, and how intently I focus, and it's time to bring all that to fruition. I'm deeply excited for 2026. Happy New Year.
