The Move
Bangkok, week one. First impressions, first treatments, and why I didn't stay.
Arriving somewhere with no fixed plan and a carry-on. What I got right, what I got wrong.
The writing.
Two threads. The move — leaving the Netherlands for Southeast Asia. The work — applied AI in serious consulting. Filter below or read both.
The Work
What I actually use Claude for in client work.
Not the demos. The actual daily use — what holds up, what breaks, and what I stopped doing.
The Move
Running in 34-degree heat. Notes on adaptation.
The body adjusts. It takes longer than you expect and less time than you fear.
The Work
Six months of using Claude in client work — what changed.
Where it replaced other tools, where it did not, and the one thing I did not expect.
The Move
Visa paperwork, three countries in. What I know now.
Living without a fixed address. Which documents matter, which ones nobody checks, and where the friction is.
The Work
What I got wrong about prompt engineering.
Three things I taught in the first version of the syllabus that I have since revised.
The Work
Strategic consulting since 1996. Clients across Europe and the US — large corporates, government bodies, firms in structural change.
I started using AI in 2018 as a tool in my own work. I have built client-facing tools, broken them, and written up what I learned.
I am building a body of written work on applied AI: what it can do, what it cannot, and how to use it without embarrassing yourself.
Syllabi
One subject per syllabus. Priced per topic. No bundle, no subscription, no expiry.
Prompt Engineering
Write prompts that do what you need them to do. Understand why they work so you can adapt when the model changes.
8 modules
€149
AI in Strategic Consulting
Know where language models are useful in consulting, where they fail, and how to build client-facing tools that hold up.
10 modules
€199
Building with the OpenAI API
Coming soonTake a prototype to a production tool — with the architecture decisions, failure modes, and cost management the documentation skips.
12 modules
€249
SoonThe community
A paid group for people doing the same work. Not a forum. Not a Slack. The conversation stays practical.
See what's insideWhat this is not
This is not a wellness brand.
This is not a coaching program.
This is not medical advice.
I am documenting my own experiment. I am not prescribing anything.
What I use
Some links are affiliate links. If you buy through them I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Work
MacBook Pro M3 14-inch
The machine I work on — battery life holds through a full day of real work, and the screen is good enough that I do not carry an external monitor.
Notion
Where I keep everything that is not a document: client notes, research, the structure of the syllabi. I have tried to replace it three times and keep coming back.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Noise cancellation in a co-working space is not optional. These are the best I have used. The case is too large. I have not found a better option.
Anker 737 Power Bank
25,600mAh, charges the laptop. Heavy, but I have stopped worrying about power outlets in cafes.
Travel
Aer Travel Pack 3
35 litres, fits in overhead bins, has a laptop compartment that does not require unpacking everything to reach the laptop. Six months in, no complaints.
Airalo eSIM
Data in every country I have been to without a physical SIM swap. The rates are not cheap but the convenience is worth it for the first week in a new country while you sort out a local SIM.
Wise
How I move money between currencies without getting destroyed on exchange rates. I use it for paying contractors and for withdrawing cash abroad.
Training
Garmin Forerunner 265
The watch I train with. Heart rate, pace, recovery tracking. I do not use half of what it does, but the half I use is accurate.
Whoop
I use it to track recovery, not performance. The sleep data changed how I schedule hard training days. The subscription model is annoying. The data is worth it.
AI
Claude (Anthropic)
My primary AI tool for writing, analysis, and client work. Better for long documents and maintaining a consistent voice across a long session. My default — not a fallback.
Claude (Anthropic)
My go-to for writing, analysis, and anything that benefits from nuance. Consistently the model I reach for first — and most often the one I stay with.
Cursor
AI-assisted code editor. I am not a developer. I use this to build tools I would otherwise have to hire someone to build. The learning curve is real. The payoff is real.
Perplexity
For research that requires current information. I use it as a first pass before going to primary sources — faster than a search engine, more reliable than asking a model with a training cutoff.
Follow along.
One email when something is worth saying.