Introducing the Contribution Engine
The current map of business – the income statement, the balance sheet and the cash flow statement – was first documented in 1494 by Luca
The Right Way To Look At Your Shopify Business
Summary While building Assembled Brands and Weekly Accounting, we have seen the financials from over 3,000 Shopify businesses in the last 8 years and invested
Despair / Not-Despair
Despair Society is crumblingI know you see it tooThe war machine is rumblingOur leaders gone coo coo. Lives better over centuriesBut optimism’s poppedSupreme court taking
Zen and the Art of [Weekly Accounting]: An Inquiry into Systems
“Zen and the Art of Weekly Accounting” is a transformative approach to business finance. It’s designed for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and anyone interested in a more intuitive, real-time approach to financial management. This book is a call to rethink how we interact with our business’s financial health, turning it into a more agile, transparent, and effective process.
Sidewalk Salt
I sent a poem to my friend Dan in Syracuse, He wrote back “thanks for the poem… retirement… lol. I have a sinus infection… on
Old
GPT summarizes this poem in a few sentences.
The poem “Old” speaks of a journey from ignorance to self-awareness. It depicts a persona moving beyond societal expectations and predefined paths, embracing their true, unadorned self. The poem resonates with themes of authenticity, acceptance, and the realization that sometimes there is ‘nothing new’ to discover, only the self to understand.
A Maybe Dream
People think things matter. People think they’re right.100 years, then nothing’s left?Even banks will shatter.
BrightZen Systems: Year in Review 2023
Zen and the Art of Weekly Accounting: An Inquiry Into Systems Part 3 of an Infinite Series I can be whatever the system needs
CoAuthor Proposal
CoAuthor.one offers to collaboratively craft and capture your personal tales through weekly storytelling sessions. This refined system organizes and transcribes stories, likened to the fluidity of mercury. Participants receive a unique not-a-book and pen for personal reflections. The final product is a high-quality printed notebook, ideal as a family gift. This process is therapeutic, helping individuals articulate their essence. The project concludes either by budget or time, leaving a legacy of stories in verse.
Deep and Brief
To John Zdanowski, for your belated birthday, a memory of our journey, brief yet profound: —- Deep and Brief From Beyul to Denver, our roads
Tomorrow, Let it Be
The poem “Tomorrow Let It Be” is a heartfelt reflection from a father’s perspective on the fleeting nature of time and the deep desire to leave a lasting legacy. He acknowledges the limited years ahead, contrasting his current age with his youth. Dreams of sailing with friends serve as metaphors for his life’s aspirations. A central theme of the poem is his contemplation of his role in the lives of his four children, ranging from thirteen to twenty years old. He imagines creating a lasting system or story, a contribution that extends beyond his and his children’s lifetimes, symbolizing the enduring impact of his actions. This is likened to generations of gardeners nurturing plants to create the fruits we enjoy today. The poem culminates with the father’s wishes for his final day, tomorrow, as a prayer for how to be every day.”
Subtle Choice
Subtle Choice Assume Garden of EdenHow would you behave?Would you be the foolish one?Or would you be the knave Would you fight for all our
A Room of Creation
A Room of Creation I sit in a room of my own re-creation I think of the rooms Lived since my creation I see the room
Beyond Conception
“Beyond Conception” is a philosophical poem that compares human existence to nature, emphasizing the importance of stories and words in our growth. It explores the idea of an unknown, expansive realm beyond conventional understanding. The poem reflects on individual uniqueness, the remarkable chance of our existence, and the transcendence of creativity over logic. It concludes by questioning the nature of truth and the limitations of formal knowledge, suggesting a deeper, more simpler reality.
That or Not That
General Semantics is a branch of philosophy that explores the role of language in shaping thoughts and experiences. Words enable the formation of thoughts, allowing individuals to narrate experiences internally and to share their experience with others in story. Nature’s ability to transmit information through generations was severely limited before words and stories. I read and reread Korzybski’s 1937 General Semantics Seminar Series recorded and transcribed at Olivet College. I could feel myself sitting in the audience. I drafted a few bullet points about what I learned from the book. It turned into this Not-a-Poem.
Shark Beneath the Waves
A man grapples with his inner fury, likening his younger self to a shark ready to burst from its confines. As he matures, he finds himself more grounded, like sand, no longer driven by the need to unleash his anger. He questions the purpose of his anger, which seems pointless and without a target. He spends time in contemplation, observing the calm after his emotional storm. Eventually, he finds peace, symbolized by the once-threatening shark now asleep and harmless.
The Process
Implementing Weekly Accounting is like watching sausage get made – messy but necessary. Start by building a Weekly Data Warehouse, then refine the data sets continually, focusing on anomalies that shift talks from data to business. Stay curious, avoid knee-jerk reactions, and prioritize understanding reality. Old business views and stories? Toss ’em – focus on the now and let the past be yada yada yada.
DataLinks
Datalinks is a deceivingly simple service. It is designed to be responsive to this simple prompt:”Hey Datalinks please get the [App Name] data from [Company Name] and put it into the Weekly Data Warehouse”
BrightZen Systems Backstory
BrightZen Systems is a partnership to level each other up. This memo puts the visible data to day into the perspective of the bigger story.
Focus
A few years ago when we were just getting the business going, I visited Rochester to see my family. My brother and I were talking about
A New Story
This poem summarizes the inception of BrightZen Systems a partnership between an Uncle and a Nephew.
The Nomad – Damon Bruce
Damon Bruce joined Sightly in 2011 and now contributes to Zen Accounting Systems and CoAuthor’s platform while serving as the Director of Software Engineering at MagnaFlow. Outside work, he’s an avid marathon runner and lives in a sizable RV, towed by an impressively large truck, despite having a mailbox in Murietta, California. A poem titled “The Poet and The Nomad” depicts a tale of two individuals living off-grid, sharing their stories, and journeying through life. Over time, they rediscover their bond, with the Poet imagining adventures and the Nomad meticulously planning them. Damon’s professional accolades include pushing software boundaries, leading by example, and effectively translating business needs into technological solutions.