Adam Notes

cleaned up by AIStudio.google.com: This is a cleaned-up and restructured version of your dictated notes for Adam. I have organized them into logical sections—**Strategy, Toolstack, Learning Roadmap, and Productivity**—to make the advice more actionable and less overwhelming.

Mentorship & Development Roadmap: Adam

1. Core Philosophy: “The AI-First Developer”

The landscape of software development is changing. To succeed in 2026 and beyond, you don’t just need to write code; you need to orchestrate it.

Manual Experience First: Do not automate too early. Get significant manual experience using AI tools effectively before trying to build complex autonomous agents.
Iterative Development: Start small. Get a “Hello World” version working, then upgrade slowly.
Use the Best Models: For difficult debugging, strategic planning, or deep research, always use the highest-tier models (e.g., Claude 4.5 Opus, GPT-5.2).
Scratch Your Own Itch: Build things you actually want to use. Whether it’s a simple game or a personal utility, the cycle of testing is more fun when the result matters to you.

2. The AI Dev Toolstack

Focus on mastering these tools first. They will do the “heavy lifting” while you learn the logic.

IDEs & Coding Assistants

Cursor: Currently the gold standard. It is a fork of VS Code that integrates AI at its core.
Claude Code: A terminal-based tool that is state-of-the-art for app development. High learning curve, but worth it for power users.
Google IDX (formerly Anti-gravity): Great for accessing powerful models for free (within daily limits) and works well for web projects.

Documentation & Knowledge Management

Obsidian: Your “Second Brain.” Because files are Markdown-based, it is easy to version-control with Git.
Git: Essential for backups and versioning. Learn the basics early so you never lose work.
Jupyter Notebooks / Google Colab: The best environment for learning Python and Data Science. It allows you to combine live code with notes and immediate visual results.

3. Software Skill Roadmap

Developing skills in the right order prevents burnout.

AI Workflow Mastery: Learn to prompt, debug, and iterate using Cursor and Claude Code.
Web Foundations (The “Shell”): Learn enough HTML/CSS/JavaScript to understand how the web works.
- Recommended Modern Stack: Astro for websites; SvelteKit for web apps. (Note: React is popular but more complex/dated).
Python (Learn Last!): While Python is foundational for AI, modern tools allow you to build before you are a syntax expert. Focus on Python for automation and data analysis once you understand the logic of building apps.
AI Agents (Much Later): Don’t build agents yet; build skills. Use simpler frameworks like n8n or Crew AI when you are ready, but remember: a well-written English instruction to a strong AI is often more effective than a complex agent.

4. Productivity & “Life Hacks”

Efficiency isn’t just about how fast you type; it’s about how fast you consume and process information.

Voice Dictation: Use it for drafting notes and code comments. It is 3–5x faster than typing.
Information Curation:
- Medium.com: Subscribe ($50/year) to follow AI, marketing, and startup trends. Use the daily digest to stay current.
- Perplexity + Comet Browser: Use the Alt+S shortcut to summarize articles and YouTube videos in seconds.
Speed Up Consumption:
- YouTube: Use a playback speed extension. Watch tutorials (and NHL summaries!) at 1.5x or 2x speed.
- Podcasts: Use an app like Podcast Addict to listen at 1.2x–1.4x speed.
Capture Tools:
- Dynalist: A free, markdown-based outliner. Use it for “Inbox” ideas, travel checklists, and structured notes you need to access on any device.

5. Recommended Resources

Video: Most Developers Aren’t Ready for 2026 (Web Dev Cody)
Video: Don’t Build Agents, Build Skills Instead
Article: Why I Run 10 AI Coding Agents at Once

These articles are behind a Medium.com paywall, but I have added them to my knowledge base clippings folder. I will attach them in the email.

6. Mentor’s Note & The “Pledge”

I want to share my Smart Debt Coach Pledge, copied directly from my KB (created with aistudio after 10+ iterations) …

The $MART DEBT Coach Pledge

Deeply grateful for my survival of stage 4 cancer, at least 50% of all $MART DEBT Coach profits are pledged to advance cancer research. The goal is to not only save lives, but to champion a win-win-win business model that accelerates both financial and society benefits.

— Talbot Stevens, The $MART DEBT Coach

Success in tech and business is most rewarding when it is tied to a greater purpose. I’m asking you to consider this: once you achieve your first significant net worth milestone, consider a donation (perhaps 5–10% of the additional value gained through my mentoring) toward cancer research. I am simply seeding the idea, and not asking for a commitment. My Smart Debt Coach Pledge is real, and one way to accelerate that in a win-win way, is to help you achieve your financial goals.

My pledge was born after incubating on this …

Charlie Munger story about Les Schwab

from https://fs.blog/brain-food/july-20-2025/
Charlie Munger once asked me: ‘How can someone give away fifty percent of profits and make billions more than if he’d kept it all?’ Before I could answer, he told me about Les Schwab, a tire shop owner who understood incentives better than almost anyone.
What Schwab discovered will change how you think about business and life. Here are a few of his lessons:
Win Win, The Math of Generosity: Les discovered that splitting profits 50/50 with store managers didn’t cut his wealth in half, it multiplied it. His reasoning was pure math: “If I share half the profits, I still have half. And if Frank makes more money, he’ll work harder to make the store successful. If the store is more successful, my half is worth more than my whole used to be.” You get rich by making others rich.