I was on a Zoom call with a young tech founder recently, nodding along while he used the word "signal" in a way my analog brain couldn't quite map.

I use signal to describe a strong wireless connection or the flow of audio or video through a studio. To him, in 2026, "signal" is something different. To me, it felt like a version of the 1980s “The Bottom Line,” or “The Message,” or “The Takeaway” (which looks like its use has peaked).

Signal is the linguistic "vibe-check" of this era. What separates the noise of a million apps and feeds and channels, from the one thing that actually matters? That’s the signal.

And it’s not the same as those buzzwords from decades gone by. But it is their cousin. Because while the words change, the puzzle remains: how do we cut through the noise and create meaningful connections? These days, it’s signal.

When Mayor John Whitmire asks if you want to serve, there’s only one correct answer: Let’s get to work!

I’m honored to work with the Mayor’s team to launch his new podcast. As I told the Houston Chronicle last week:

“It’s an opportunity for the mayor to speak at length and give more context to important issues.  Sound bites and social media videos often limit the conversation.  The Mayor wants to be sure the public has accurate information about his initiatives and priorities.  I enjoy the forum, the conversation, and learning something new each time we sit down.”

The most interesting thing for me is seeing life behind the scenes, in between meetings and public appearances. I was in the Mayor’s office one day waiting to meet with him while he took a call with a Houston woman. She was worried about her safety in her neighborhood, that squatters were bringing trouble. The mayor gave her his undivided attention, listened to her whole story and then put her in touch with someone at HPD to take it from there. I had heard the Mayor was accessible, but I didn’t realize how much time he gives to anyone who needs it. True story.

Anyway, the pilot episode is out now. Raw. Unedited. Take one.

Baseball season is back. Astros have won 5 in a row!

A few key questions for you this week…

Pro Tip: Save some trades for the playoffs! Playoffs?! Playoffs!

I've been thinking a lot about our parents’ generation (I’m assuming you’re Gen-X like me or close to it). I always worry about them answering the phone and giving the wrong people the right information that ends up draining their bank account. They’re all susceptible to scam artists. It’s happened to my own family members, and recently. So this is a reminder for you to talk to your folks. And here are a few rules to live by. Tell ‘em the old news guy said so! They can email me if they want. 🤣

Source: U.S. Federal Trade Commission Report 👉 Protecting Older Consumers

I wasn’t "anti-AI" in the early days; I was just uninterested. The models felt buggy. There was too much "ghosting," too many artifacts, and a lot of plain-old wrong information. They weren't stupid, exactly, but they weren't intelligent yet either.

That has clearly changed. I’d be lying if I said Anthropic’s Claude hasn't been life-changing for my daily workflow. With Claude Code (a plugin) paired with Visual Studio Code (coding software), I’m able to build tools to help me work. I’ll share them with you in a future newsletter.

When I ran my first business, the biggest challenge was the "one-person show" grind. I was the CEO, marketing director, sales manager, and lead engineer all at once. It was frustrating and disorganized. Today? I get an automatic briefing every morning on all my projects. It’s like having a chief of staff ensuring everything is right in front of me.

If you’ve been holding back, I get it. But if you have mundane, repetitive tasks you absolutely hate? It’s time to find your signal in the machine. 😉

I found the Anthropic lessons incredibly helpful, by the way.

Download Claude | Check out the Lessons | Get Visual Studio Code

My quads were sore for three days after this. And it was worth every second.

My oldest son, Nate, turned 17 this week. His junior year includes a father-son retreat at a camp near Lake Livingston. The goal was simple: get away from the routine, drop the technology, and just bond. It’s something I never got to do with my own dads, so it was special for a dozen different reasons.

The dads there shared a universal struggle: we work to provide, but the work often becomes the distraction that pulls us away. Finding that balance feels like hunting for a unicorn. We also agreed that while technology has its benefits, its influence on our teens has been overwhelmingly negative. And there’s no putting the toothpaste back in the tube now, so to speak.

The thing that stood out most? The average father and son spend only 30 minutes a week truly bonding. For a high school junior, that’s only about 36 days total left until they potentially head out on their own. 😭

Nate is gracious; he agrees we spend much more than 30 minutes together, but we also know it’ll never be enough. So, we make the most of it, like when presented with the rock wall challenge!

I’m in decent shape, but I’m not a climber. By the time the above photo was taken, my fingers were burning and my core was giving out. But I knew my boy was watching. I had to push through to show him his old man still has it. I didn’t care how much it was going to hurt tomorrow... or the next few days! 😂

But the real signal—the bottom line—was getting away from the noise to tell him how much I love him and how proud I am of him. That was the most important connection I made all month. I wish all dads the same.

Link: Camp Cho-Yeh in Livingston, TX