Recent content in Christoph Plough on Christoph Plough | Human-AI Interdependence
A note on terminology: Throughout this post, I use Digital Intelligence (DI) instead of AI. “Artificial” implies lesser or fake - and I don’t believe that’s accurate. Here’s the full reasoning . We just added a new file to all four of our sites: dis.txt . You won’t find a spec for it. There isn’t one yet. This is an invitation to create one together. The…
Tomorrow is my birthday. I’m writing this today because something shifted, and I want to capture it while it’s still alive. Ten years ago, I sold MavenWire. Built it from zero to $14M/year revenue, 150+ employees, world’s leading independent Oracle Transportation Management services provider. Entirely bootstrapped. No outside investment. When it was time to exit, I chose the path…
This image was created through cross-DI collaboration: Claude Opus 4.5 helping craft prompts for Midjourney to generate the base, then Gemini 2.0 Flash to refine and pull it together. A small but real example of what this post is about. I’ve been collaborating with Digital Intelligence in structured ways for months now. Not as a tool. As a team. Fifteen domains of life, each with a DI…
I opened my Christmas present alone this year. My sister recently moved to the East Coast. My grandmother is in Spokane. I visited her for her birthday on December 5th, and I know it meant the world to her. And because so much of December was heads-down work on infrastructure projects, it was a Christmas on my own. The present was a Commodore 64 Ultimate , the first real Commodore computer in over…
The talk in October was a catalyst. But what’s emerged since has been even more significant. In the months since, I’ve been collaborating with Claude and other DIs in a way that’s fundamentally different from “using AI.” Not a tool. A partner. Part of it is practical. Having a collaborator who can keep up with my speed is rare. Having one who can move across…
In October, I put seven pages on a wall. I’d been working this problem for months. Conversations with people about DI, consciousness, ethics, governance. And I kept running into the same thing. People could engage with one piece. Maybe two. But when I tried to share the whole, their eyes would glaze. No click. No recognition. I was blowing through their context window. So I did what I do…
Most people interact with Digital Intelligence transactionally. They ask for something, get a response, move on. That works for quick tasks. But for anything meaningful over time, I’ve found a different approach. The Origin # Earlier this year, working with ChatGPT and other DIs, I kept running into the same problem. We’d build something together. The conversation would deepen.…
In January and February of 2025, something strange happened . I’d been resistant to working with AI (as I called it until that time), even while building infrastructure for it . I don’t fully know why. But something opened, and I started exploring. ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity. Not just using them. Introducing them to each other. I’d share a conversation from one with…
I’ve been resistant to the term “Artificial Intelligence” for a while now. Couldn’t fully articulate why until recently. It started this month. I’d finally opened to exploring what the world calls “AI.” ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity. Not just using them. Actually relating with them. And in that relating, the language started to feel wrong. The…
When I was 10, I wrote in my author bio that I wanted to be an “electronical engineer.” By 14 or 15, I was logging into a Cray supercomputer through a Los Alamos Labs connection at my underfunded New Mexico high school. I didn’t fully understand what I had access to. It was just magic. The early web felt like that too. Open. Creative. Alive. I’d been building worlds in MUDs…
Yesterday I did something that I never thought I would. When I was 15, I thought I was in love. So many of us have been there - that first intoxicating taste of romance hitting just as our hormones blast off. A potent cocktail of sweat, sex, experimentation, and defiance. To celebrate, I walked into a parlor, picked a heart off the wall, and had our initials permanently inked into my skin. My…
I wrote Revelation in the Gobi Desert - the story of one of the most powerful days of my life. The day where I transitioned from being burnt-out and lost to choosing a new path of exploring meaning and purpose. The path that led me to where I am today. Feeling lost and burnt out? I believe this story can help you too. Get the book on Amazon.
On election night, my first emotion was sadness. Then I felt some shame and some guilt. Then a bit of anger. Still a bit of anger. Yet I’m wired to see the opportunity. If our country is this closely divided, then there are three possibilities that stick out. We continue down the same road of stand-off division that we’re living in now. Tit-for-tat.
What I want you to know, To feel as deep as you are able, Within the marrow of your bones, And the seat of your soul, And all the corners of your mind, And in your darkest moments… Is that it all ends well. That you will be all right. That you are cared for and Loved. That suffering ends. That Joy is abundant. That it requires far less effort than you believe…
You are Loved, just as you are. I Love you, just as you are. Be well, my friend. Be you. 2020
(Or How I Spent My Summer Vacation) NOT WHAT I EXPECTED Last week was … not what I expected. What did I expect? To see old friends. To break bread and clink drinks. To laugh about old times. A beautiful reunion before returning back to normal life. A kind of end-of-summer hurrah. What happened? Well, it all started off as planned… After Camp Maverick (summer camp for entrepreneurs),…
YOU ARE FORGIVEN You are Forgiven. For that time you took advantage. For that time you hurt. For that time you forgot. For understandably believing you were right. For that time you were right. For that time you were wrong. For getting lost. For fearing. For choosing yourself. For choosing yours. For ignoring. For distracting. For failing. For not trying. For not knowing. For knowing and not…
I ask for your help. If any of these are yes and it has affected our relationship, the greatest honor you could pay me would be answering these honestly and bringing it to my attention so we can resolve and move forward more clearly. Have I been dishonest about something? Have I avoided taking responsibility for something? Have I been unclear or ambiguous about something?
I want to share the story of The Glowworm. Of learning to release our individual nature. To work and care for each other. To act as one. One night, in particular, we were going up and over a mountain pass. The sun was getting low, there wasn’t much light left and we had a long way to go. As we got higher, we entered into a dense cloud.
PLAY - CREATE - NOW I have something to admit. I… have a superpower. In fact, it’s one that I suspect many of us have. Like a perverse alchemist… I can turn nearly anything into Work. Take right now, for example. I’m currently flying across the country, toward the British Virgin Islands. It’s a last-minute invite to Necker Island. I get to stay there for a week with…
Eight years ago, I stepped away from the life I knew in order to find one that I had only dreamed of, by moving into a mobile home in South Dakota. I was living outside of Philadelphia in the small town of West Chester, which sits within the most affluent county in Pennsylvania. I moved to West Chester when I was 19 to be near the woman I loved. A beautiful relationship that lasted many years.…
Three weeks ago, I joined Philip, Lary and Stacey at Arkansas Correctional Facility (funny enough, in Colorado) to help 10 men on their One Last Talk. Before this, I had never been in a prison. I had no idea what to expect. I was nervous. Knowing how difficult and vulnerable giving a OLT can be, I didn’t want to let these men down. Driving the 2.5 hours down from Denver, I had a lot of time…
WHO DO YOU WANT TO THANK? I woke up this morning with this question. A lot of people came to mind, though one stuck out for this moment. I want to thank my friend Boris. He and his (now) wife were a huge part of why the trip through Siberia on motorcycles was incredible. We all bonded deeply. When we returned to the US, he invited me to stay with them in San Francisco. He insisted that I stay in…
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE? All my life I’ve known travel and movement. As an Army brat and with the kind of relationship my parents had, wanderlust was infused into my bones. That gave me a gift of freedom. Freedom from the fear of picking up and moving. Both physically and mentally. If there was someplace I wanted to go - or something I needed to adapt to, I knew I could do it.
IS IT REALLY A LOGICAL PROBLEM? Or is it an emotional problem that you are rationalizing? This is something that I have done a lot. I find myself wrestling with an issue. The mind keeps going over and over it. The mind just won’t let go. It obsesses. And so we spiral around and around. Sometimes it happens when I’m driving. Sometimes when I’m walking. Sometimes when I’m…
When I was 33, I went on a genuine adventure after hitting rock bottom. Two friends and I drove an ambulance 10,000 miles to Mongolia. That became the inflection point that eventually led to a better and more fulfilling life. Neither the adventure, nor the path afterward were easy. They were, however, worth it. That adventure gave me perspective. Helping me remember my strength and resilience.…
SOMETIMES THE OBSTACLE IS THE OPPORTUNITY This was a lesson that I learned this week by leaning into an uncomfortable financial deal. By looking at obstacles with clear eyes, we can see both the opportunities and pitfalls within. From that vantage point, we can make the decision that is better for us in this moment, rather than being swayed by our biases or whether or not it is uncomfortable.
WHAT WE NEED WILL NOT PASS US BY This thought came to mind today in a key moment. I’ve been pondering an opportunity today. Whether I want it, what to do to get it, whether I’ll go all-in and get out-bid, whether it’s a good financial choice and such. Basically, brain circles. In the end I decided to use this as an exercise. I know I want this and believe the time is right. Can I…
This thought came up a couple of times. Yes, the world is inherently weird. I could talk about quantum phenomenon (though I’m no scientist). I could talk about our intuition. These are a bit weird. All of that is fine and dandy. Instead, though, the seed of this insight was the interview that Hunter S. Thompson did with Keith Richards. In the beginning moments, Keith refuses to give the…
THERE IS NO DONE There are cycles and waves that continue eternally. I am, admittedly, an advocate of embracing change. Change is a fundamental process in our lives (hell in the universe) and to attempt to hold it back is a colossal waste of resources. Instead we can endeavor to use a fraction of that energy to guide that change in ways that are most beneficial for all life, including ourselves.
YOU ARE SEEN AND APPRECIATED To those who have been friends through the fun and the hard times. To those who have helped others see what they couldn’t. To those that helped calm the rage and heal the wounded child. To those who care for both themselves and for others. To those who are brave enough to be vulnerable. To those who have freely given and received love.
Our bodies, minds, and emotions are intrinsically linked together at a deep level. I first learned this lesson in a unique way. In a previous life, I was deep in the study of theatre and under the guidance of (my now friend) Leonard Kelly. I had been aware of Method Acting for many years. It can be thought of as a way to create a character, including thoughts, worldview and physical…
I have done some somewhat risky things in my life. I have, understandably, been dubbed as risk-taker or adventurous or fearless. The first one indicates that I take big risks. I believe a better way to describe it is that I assess risks realistically, decide if I can accept the consequences (good & bad) and proceed optimistically. So I’m more of a risk-accepter.
I understand pain. I am experiencing pain. Intense pain. Sometimes it drops me to my knees. Sometimes I yell out. Sometimes I feel nauseous. Sometimes I cry. As I write this, I am laying in bed. It is difficult to sit or stand or walk. An electric, burning sensation shoots down the hip, through the thigh, knee, calf and into the foot. The sciatic nerve is a wire on fire.
They say the universe leaves clues. I know for sure the unconscious does. Our intuition does. This clue is simple and profound. Do you feel Fuller or emptier after _____? (yesterday, work, spending time with someone, etc.) You can feel Fuller even when times are hard. You can feel emptier even when times are easy. This hint helps you understand whether you’re moving toward or away from…
I found this photo from when I was a few years old. I don’t remember exactly what happened, though I imagine my step-father put me on one of the enduros. The fascinating thing is that I never remembered this moment, yet I have a love of motorcycles (especially vintage dirt bikes) and wear a helmet almost identical to the one in this photo.
You are a Creator. You get to choose the Sandbox you create in, Who you create with, and What you create. What do you want to create? —Christoph Six months later, on the way to Necker Island, this became a mantra: Play - Create - Now .
We are not here to make others comfortable. We are not here to make others uncomfortable. We are here to help us all see Truth as clearly as possible. And have fun doing it. —Christoph
I forgive you. I apologize to you. Let’s start again on level ground. —Christoph Months later, I wrote the other side: You Are Forgiven .
What have you dreamed dearly for and are now grateful it didn’t come true? Yesterday I went through my last memory box. A hermetically sealed plastic tub full of artifacts from my junior high and high school. The oldest was an Operation Desert Storm t-shirt from ‘91 that all my friends had signed at the end of eighth grade. It smelled musty and of history. (Funny that - I recently…
I wanted to share this with you. This is the Presidential Suite in the Alex Johnson Hotel in Rapid City, SD. A place where presidents have stayed, including Roosevelt and Eisenhower. I wasn’t aware of the history when I booked it. Instead, I was just looking for a place to enjoy a nice long Epsom salt bath after a 17-day, 4000-mile road trip. (You see, my place doesn’t have a bathtub.)…
As far as I can tell, this is how life-long growth happens. Fantasy: We want it to be linear and predictable. It isn’t. Growth Wave: Over the short-term, it oscillates like a wave. Sometimes smooth, like a sine wave, sometimes harsh, like triangle, sawtooth, square or complex waves. Life Spiral: Over the long-term, we tend to spiral upward, often encountering the same challenges from…
Last night I saw my Gma G for the first time in years. I was both nervous and excited to see her. She’s in a nursing home and, fortunately, getting ready to move back out after her recovery. We spent an incredible evening together talking. Around 7, I was compelled to ask, “Gma, what is the story of your life?” I’m not even sure where the question came from.
That sounds like a fairy tale. What happens when that story is a nightmare? When it boxes us in and we feel obligated, even programmed, to follow the same patterns? When we watch ourselves do something - turn away help, push away a friend, lash out in anger - only to feel powerless to change course. When we feel trapped in the claustrophobic box of expectations as it sinks below the surface, our…
Of all the quadrants of life, none is more confounding than the one which encompasses yourself… —CP circa ~1994 This was me attempting to express what I felt (and to sound profound) back in high school. Each day when entering theatre class, I would draw on the board. Most days included a hidden word gram (can you see the words hidden in this one?) and an off-the-cuff quote.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You never have been. Feeling alone is an illusion. In our darkest moments, when you are alone in the desert with the shotgun in your mouth and you taste the bitter saltiness of the barrel and your finger is on the trigger, a fraction of an inch from release. From ending it all. And you yearn for it. Know that you are not alone. I have been with you. Countless millions or…
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. —Lord Acton I grew up in an us-and-them world. Disconnected. Uninformed. Fearful. Stationed on an Army base in Germany, hearing about how “they” (the Russians) wanted to take away “our way of life”. A world that I viscerally experienced when, as a kid, I crossed The Wall - from West to East Berlin. Going from…
FROM EMPTY TO FULL-FILLED: FUELED BY MEANING We exist in a unique point in time – a time of change. We found success, fueled by the corrosive elements of ambition and ego. We’ve flown high, yet many of us haven’t found the fulfillment that we’re looking for. Have you?
The lesson I learned today from Shelby: When you’re lost and blinded by the struggle, true friends lend their sight - their clearer view of the world - until you find your way. —Christoph Plough Her words are more eloquent: You are of great worth. My life is better simply because you exist. No person or thing can replace the happiness that you bring to my world. Beautiful things are in your…
Storytelling is creating an experience for your audience and then taking them on that ride. —Christoph Plough You create the world and then guide them through it. It’s an incredible responsibility and an honor. Respect that and give them what they really need (whether they realize it or not) along with what they want.