Analog wisdom +
digital capability
I'm Kelsey Ruger. I write about what happens when smart people build the right environments — and what goes wrong when they don't. Twenty-five years of building products, leading teams, and learning that the technical challenges are rarely the hard part. The human systems underneath are.
Kenzie Notes
A weekly essay about the patterns hiding inside how we lead, build, and work. Most issues start with a story and end up somewhere I didn't expect.
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Curated Ideas
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The Bottleneck Was Never Your Hands
What becomes possible when the only thing left is what you actually know
People Are People
Most product failures aren't about features. They're about forgetting that users are people, empathy has limits, and every small decision compounds.
My Hollywood Mentors
Three fictional characters showed me what matters when building products, leading teams, and thinking creatively
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Ways to Work Together
From the Workshop
Frameworks and projects I'm building and refining.
Minimum Lovable Products
While MVP asks what's the least you can build to be viable, MLP flips the script: what's the least you can build for someone to love it? Seven principles for creating products that forge emotional connections.
Metaskills
Six fundamental human capabilities—Exploring, Creating, Feeling, Imagining, Innovating, and Adapting—that help you learn, adapt, and apply knowledge across contexts. The connective tissue that makes learning any new skill easier.
Organic Systems
Organizations are living systems, not machines. The best leaders aren't mechanics who optimize—they're farmers who create the conditions where growth happens naturally, then get out of the way.
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Join leaders and builders who get clear thinking on systems, technology, and the craft of doing work that matters.