Hi there,
So, this is the first issue of my newsletter.
Couple years ago I created my blog with the objective of documenting and sharing my learning. So far, I haven’t been very active …
The thing is, I’ve always run into the same problem. There are many things I’m interested in learning and, at the same time, lots of things happening in my life outside the niche of content I was trying to write about.
Trying to be focused on a niche, I limited my curiosity. This made it harder to continue.
But recently, I noticed a that there is a common thread on everything I’m doing: the pursue of freedom.
It’s what I’ve been chasing all along, even when I couldn’t name it.
Freedom
Freedom means different things to different people, but for me, two aspects have become the most important: freedom of mind and freedom of choice.
Freedom of mind is about learning to think independently — to see clearly, to resist mass narratives, and to truly own your thoughts.
Freedom of choice is about being able to live on your own terms: what you want, when you want, where you want — and yes, financial freedom plays a big part in making that real.
Finally understanding that, I decided to take a turn on my content (and perhaps my career):
I’m now sharing what I’m learning, building, and exploring on building personal freedom.
It’s my contribution to others who feel the same pull toward a freer, more independent life.
If that resonates with you, I’m grateful to have you here for the journey.
Signals & Systems: two ways to build freedom
Signals are about learning to think clearly.
They are the mental models, concepts, frameworks, and perspectives that help you cut through noise, question assumptions, and see opportunities others miss.
In a world full of distractions and manipulation, strong signals help you build a mind that is independent, focused, and resilient.
You will learn:
- What drives people actions
- How to make decisions
- How to read the world
A good example is this post here on: We’re Forming Opinions Based on Outliers
Systems, on the other hand, are about building leverage.
They are workflows, automation, digital products, productivity hacks, and habits that free your time, amplify your impact, and give you more choices over how you live and work.
Systems turn ideas into reality — they are the invisible engines that support a freer life.
I believe in entrepreneurship and that current technology developments (aka. Artificial Intelligence) now make it possible to ANYONE to build and deliver digital products
You will learn:
- A lot about AI
- How to build digital products and promote them
- How to build workflows with AI and automation software
- How to organize your productivity system
A good example is this post here: A Complete Guide to Prompting
Two very different content blocks, but the same objective: build your freedom.
My promise with Signals & Systems is simple: every issue will either sharpen the way you think or show you a smarter way to build freedom. Sometimes both.
I Know It All
Just kidding, I have no idea, just like you (perhaps).
To be clear, this is a journey I’m in and I believe many people find themselves in the same path.
I don’t claim to know the right way to do things — far from it.
But here I’m sharing my learning and experiences in this journey with the hopes of helping others.
Thank you,
Latest Highlights
Curated News
1) Leaked Email from Shopify’s CEO
Lots of posts on Linkedin about this one (check original source on Gregs Isenbergs). A leaked email from Shopify’s CEO on AI and what are the directives to the whole company with the technology.
In my opinion, the most interesting things are there:
- Hire an AI before hiring a person
This validates the trend I see and believe.
AI is not a hype or a trend, its a paradigm shift, just like the internet was in early 2000s or the mobile app stores.
It will reshape companies and work life, and products and media going forward, and there is no return.
- 2. AI in performance evaluation
Trying to add AI as a tool in my company has educated me with this: adoption by the team will be a problem. I don’t mean as a layer to the products, that is easier to do because tech teams are able to deploy AI solutions in the product.
I mean in the workflow of people.
Just because it is a new technology and requires people to adapt the way they work, it will be a challenge to educate people on how to use it properly.
Specially because most people will adopt it a chat without knowing that prompting does not work as searching, and therefore results will be limited.
2) The Ghibli image generation discussion
OpenAI has introduced a new feature in GPT-4o that can “Ghiblify” any photo, turning selfies, memes, and even historical moments into art styled like a Ghibli movie.
It’s gone viral — but not without controversy.
I’ve joined the trend, of course. This is a photo of my son and I, and a Ghibi version
It is insanely good, detailed and fun to do.
But, critics are asking: did OpenAI train on Ghibli’s work without permission? What does it mean for the future of creativity? A machine can mimic something as human and painstaking as Ghibli’s art.
The ethical debate surrounding AI-generated Ghibli-style art centers on copyright issues and the broader implications for creativity.
While copyright laws generally allow mimicking visual styles, they do not allow direct replication of copyrighted works. Critics argue that AI tools undermine original artistry by profiting from creative expressions without proper attribution or consent.
Miyazaki himself (the founder of Studio Ghibli) has publicly condemned AI-generated art as an “insult to life itself,” highlighting the existential threat it poses to human creativity.
To me, AI regulation is waaaay too late to the party.
The ethical discussion around using people’s work on training data started with the launch of Chat GPT. When they showed image generation capabilities, people questioned if designers’ works were used to train the model.
As most innovations in the digital world goes, they outspeed regulation bureacracy. This will only change if a big government, political structure, or company’s pocket or ego faces risk.
My Posts and Insights
Last weeks post on Linkedin was about the article about “We’re Forming Opinions Based on Outliers“. I do have much more the share about this theme, but I’m leaving for a next one.
Check it out.
Thanks for reaching the end of this edition.
You are amazing!