# Howard Gray
> Howard Gray writes about how people get good at the parts of the job nobody scripted. Founder of Wavetable, creator of the Groove Theory newsletter.
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. Use `/llms-full.txt` for consolidated page and post context.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).

## Pages
- [About Me](https://www.howardgray.net/about.md) - I'm a teacher, writer, and experience designer, based between London and New York. People keep asking which one I actually live in. Before any of this, I spent a decade in music and talent, running my own companies - DJing, putting on events, then representing artists around the world. Somewhere al…
- [Adventures... newsletter](https://www.howardgray.net/adventures.md) - Actionable and unexpected inspiration for creative humans Subscribe Free "There's something wrong." Great! Check your inbox and click the link to confirm your subscription. We've all been on exciting adventures. They offer that tantalising possibility of magical, eye-opening, and even life-changing…
- [Writing (archive)](https://www.howardgray.net/blog-old.md) - On this page you can find my best articles to read on topics like the future of learning, entrepreneurship, media & entertainment, coaching, and creativity. I started writing here in 2015, and there are now over 350 articles on these pages, as well as various videos, slide decks, mixtapes, diagrams…
- [Courses](https://www.howardgray.net/courses.md) - You can find most of my stuff online for free, but for a more in-depth and focused approach you might want to try out my online courses: Workshop Creator, and Client Magic. 1) Workshop Creator Build the skills to design and facilitate educational workshops, courses and programs of all flavors. Over…
- [Gear](https://www.howardgray.net/gear.md) - Here are some of the technologies and tools I use in my work: * Design & Production: Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Milanote, Descript * Video Production: iPhone 14, Boya lavalier mic, Premiere Pro, mmhmm Studio * Podcasting: eCamm Recorder, Skype, Audio Technica mics, Zoom H5 recorder, Audacity * Co…
- [👋 Hello, I'm Howard.](https://www.howardgray.net/home.md) - I'm a teacher, writer, and experience designer - amongst other things
- [Workshop Creator - Lesson #1 - Who's it (really) for?](https://www.howardgray.net/lesson-1-do-you-know-who-its-really-for.md) - Before we get into building content and thinking about delivery, there’s a question you want to ask yourself. > ‘Who is this for?’ It’s a simple question, but not always an easy one to answer. > ‘Who is this really for?’ One of the most commons pitfalls I see workshop creators fall into is not havi…
- [Workshop Creator - Lesson #2: Learning Outcomes](https://www.howardgray.net/lesson-2-what-are-they-going-to-learn.md) - In this lesson we’re going to focus on the why and the what: * Why you’re putting this together for your audience * What you want them to take away from your session You can encapsulate this through a small number of well-defined learning outcomes. Learning outcomes get you focused on the purpose a…
- [Workshop Creator - Lesson #3: Really Simple Structure](https://www.howardgray.net/lesson-3-really-simple-structure.md) - You’ve identified your audience and learned how to define clear learning outcomes. Let’s get further into design. When it comes to workshops, a surprising amount of the work (and resulting success) comes in the design phase. Good design? You’re well-placed to smoothly handle any issues that may pre…
- [Workshop Creator - Lesson #4: Cornerstone Content](https://www.howardgray.net/lesson-4-cornerstone-content.md) - If you work in media, marketing, or have a personal blog, you may be familiar with the term ‘cornerstone content’. Cornerstone content is made up of the best, most important articles on your site; the pages or posts you want to rank highest in the search engines. This concept also applies when thin…
- [Workshop Creator - Lesson #5: Facilitation Essentials](https://www.howardgray.net/lesson-5-facilitation-essentials.md) - The first four lessons in this series have focused on design: from defining who your workshop is for, to creating clear learning outcomes, building a structure for your session, and bringing in cornerstone content. Now you have the key elements of your design in place, it’s time to move into delive…
- [Workshop Creator - Lesson #6: Delivering on the day](https://www.howardgray.net/lesson-6-delivering-on-the-day.md) - As we’ve seen throughout this course, preparation is key for success, but in the end, you’ve still got to show up and deliver for your audience on the day. Facilitating a workshop session can be nerve-wracking. It can feel like there’s so much to remember: from specific content details; to transiti…
- [Workshop Creator - Lesson #7: Further resources for workshop success](https://www.howardgray.net/lesson-7-further-resources-for-workshop-success.md) - You’re here! It’s the last lesson in this 7-part series. As promised, here’s a quick cheat sheet to help avoid common pitfalls, plus some more resources to dive into. Workshop Creator Cheat Sheet In the design phase, don’t… * Overpack: humans are generally pretty bad at estimating time. If in any d…
- [What I'm doing now](https://www.howardgray.net/now.md) - What I’m working on right now. What I’m looking for. What I’m currently learning and other things I’m up to… (inspired by Derek Sivers’ ‘NowNowNow‘)
- [Podcasts](https://www.howardgray.net/podcasts.md) - Original podcasts I produce and host, plus links to interviews where I’ve appeared as a guest
- [Recommendations](https://www.howardgray.net/recommendations.md) - A few of my favourite books, blogs, podcasts, tools, playlists, and mixtapes. Podcasts * The Moment: hosted by Billions showrunner Brian Koppelman, an interview series with creative people on the moments that defined their careers * Pivot: I find myself drawn to this, despite finding the hosts a li…
- [Sketches](https://www.howardgray.net/sketches.md) - This is a home for riffs, bits and other things that are in the early stages of development. It's scrappy, but way less noisy than a Twitter feed. Feel feel to copy, remix or steal anything here.
- [Speaking & Teaching](https://www.howardgray.net/speaking.md) - Keynotes, workshops and expert residencies on AI and how people get good at things.
- [Under the Current: a podcast](https://www.howardgray.net/under-the-current.md) - To be human in the information age is to experience deep-seated tension. We exist in a constant overdose of information. And yet, we’re starving for meaningful engagement. We experience constant pressure to iterate, ideate and innovate. Lifting the curtain on other people’s ideas, successes and ide…
- [Workshop Creator Online Course](https://www.howardgray.net/workshop-creator-online-course.md) - How do you create workshops that... work? One morning in late 2015, I was standing in an empty room, waiting for the fun to start. I’d signed up to lead a 1-day workshop, and I was excited. I’d memorised all the stuff I wanted to talk about. I had a bunch of fun, interactive activities planned. I k…

## Posts
- [The Fortune Cookie Test](https://www.howardgray.net/the-fortune-cookie-test.md) - If your feedback would fit anyone, it's a fortune cookie. Six rules from a few weeks inside the research on feedback.
- [When everyone hates your best work](https://www.howardgray.net/when-everyone-hates-your-best-work.md) - The people who made Walk This Way thought it was rubbish. Somebody had to be certain anyway - and outside music, that job has no name.
- [Groove Theory #32 - The Hum They Took Out](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-32-the-hum-they-took-out.md) - She played every character on Argentina's Friday night comedy show. Then she left to make a record, and a very good producer took the strangest thing out of it.
- [Why Me?](https://www.howardgray.net/why-me.md) - When someone introduces me to a new contact, I ask them why they thought of me. The answers are rarely what I'd have guessed.
- [Cereal Is a Soup](https://www.howardgray.net/cereal-is-a-soup.md) - A professor told me her students weren't checking whether their evidence held up. So we turned a librarian's checklist into a game, and gave it a research intern who can't tell gold from junk.
- [120 Questions With Correct Answers](https://www.howardgray.net/120-questions-with-correct-answers.md) - Mexico's most prestigious university has cancelled around 3,000 entrance exams over suspected AI cheating. Everyone's arguing about the detection. I'd look at the exam.
- [Now - 4 Aug 2026](https://www.howardgray.net/now-4-aug-2026.md) - Star date: 4 Aug 2026. * Building a suite of playable business case studies - rondo.wavetable.net/play * Enjoying summer holidays with my son (who's just turned 5 - much Lego play afoot) * Coming back to writing again - and trying to make space for more Slices of Life in the mix * Feeling ever more…
- [Utah to Vegas, via Norway](https://www.howardgray.net/utah-to-vegas-via-norway.md) - How one of the world's biggest bands got their first international gig: a tourist, a CD, and a festival in Norway.
- [Thirty Years of Hating Television](https://www.howardgray.net/thirty-years-of-hating-television.md) - David Chase spent almost thirty years in network television wanting to be somewhere else. Then, at 53, he made The Sopranos.
- [Groove Theory #31 - Joker Poker](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-31-joker-poker.md) - Five million copies. Nominated for Game of the Year. Built by refusing to look at anyone else.
- [Just in Time Experience Design](https://www.howardgray.net/just-in-time-experience-design.md) - The seven months weren't wasted. Leaving it seven months before showing anyone was.
- [The Game](https://www.howardgray.net/the-game.md) - You can't tell people to pretend something is real. Something in the design has to make them forget to ask.
- [Groove Theory #30: Barrilete Cósmico](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-30-barrilete-cosmico.md) - The World Cup is full of composed commentary. The moments we remember are when someone forgets to be.
- [Forget Quiet Quitting. We're Now in the Era of Quiet Compromising](https://www.howardgray.net/forget-quiet-quitting-were-now-in-the-era-of-quiet-compromising.md) - Nobody planned their current setup. Most people have quietly made peace with it anyway.
- [Who explains the thing?](https://www.howardgray.net/who-explains-the-thing.md) - Companies have never had more to explain, and there's no job title for the person who does it.
- [Groove Theory #29: Minimum Viable Bedroom](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-29-minimum-viable-bedroom.md) - How a 1940s design principle explains a 6 square metre hotel room in Copenhagen
- [The Feral Hope](https://www.howardgray.net/the-feral-hope.md) - The Knicks just ended 53 years of hurt. England's at 60 and counting. Two fanbases, same affliction.
- [1,500 greatest song intros](https://www.howardgray.net/1-500-greatest-song-intros.md) - An algorithm can tell you what's popular. It can't tell you what's great.
- [Clear Fountain, Population 26](https://www.howardgray.net/clear-fountain-population-26.md) - France released their World Cup squad announcement as a slice of Americana. Population: 26.
- [Groove Theory #28 - Carlito's Run Time](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-28-carlitos-run-time.md) - The studio told Brian De Palma to cut the scene. He made it longer. They didn't notice.
- [Choose life. Choose Scotland](https://www.howardgray.net/choose-life-choose-scotland.md) - Adidas' new ad featuring Scott Tominay is a delight
- [Duck Tales at SXSW London](https://www.howardgray.net/duck-tales-at-sxsw-london.md) - Making a duck out of Lego is harder than you'd think, especially when you're a Duplo kinda guy. At least that was my excuse. The LEGO Foundation ran a session at SXSW London on play-based learning and it was rather lovely. Within 2 minutes they had all of us building ducks from scratch. QR code, di…
- [Groove Theory #27: The 32-Page Life](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-27-the-32-page-life.md) - 150 biographies of remarkable people were all written by an advertising copywriter in Barcelona
- [The Thick of A.I.](https://www.howardgray.net/the-thick-of-a-i.md) - Introducing Malcolm, my new editor
- [Stephen J. Canell's memorable motif](https://www.howardgray.net/stephen-j-canells-memorable-motif.md) - At the end of every A-Team episode, after the credits, there's a mysterious motif. A writer, typing. A musical riff. It's one of the smartest signature moves I've seen. The writer is Stephen J. Cannell. The guy who created the show. In 1979, Cannell was a successful writer at Universal - he'd just…
- [Groove Theory #26 - Two Random Dudes](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-26-two-random-dudes.md) - A masked duo from outer space may just be your new favourite band
- [The Right Wrong Fix](https://www.howardgray.net/the-right-wrong-fix.md) - Brian De Palma got notes to cut a scene. He did the opposite. The studio thanked him for making it shorter.
- [Voiceover for 20,000 people](https://www.howardgray.net/voiceover-for-20-000-people.md) - Reflections on how to write for a global audience
- [Several Futures](https://www.howardgray.net/several-futures.md) - A scenario isn't a prediction. It's a coherent mini-world you can ask questions of. That's how you stay ready when many futures are possible.
- [The tricky bit about LinkedIn riffing](https://www.howardgray.net/the-tricky-bit-about-linkedin-riffing.md) - Stuck in the middle. With you?
- [Most Podcasts Just... End. Why?](https://www.howardgray.net/most-podcasts-just-end-why.md) - Podcasts intend to inform, inspire, educate - but most skip one essential element.
- [The A.I. Bridge](https://www.howardgray.net/the-a-i-bridge.md) - What if the middle aren't so squeezed, after all?
- [Groove Theory #25 - The Woman with the Moog](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-25-the-woman-with-the-moog.md) - How Kubrick's composer made a million-selling album - one note at a time.
- [The Inside Intro](https://www.howardgray.net/the-inside-intro.md) - How to get buy-in during any workshop or live session
- [How to open a Primary School](https://www.howardgray.net/how-to-open-a-primary-school.md) - A commodities trader wanted to open primary schools in forgotten coastal towns. He bought a football club instead. Here's what happened next.
- [Playtesting](https://www.howardgray.net/playtesting.md) - What I learned at the fringe bit of London Games Festival.
- [Three Music Revolutions](https://www.howardgray.net/three-music-revolutions.md) - And why true innovations are surprisingly rare
- [Pressure is a Privilege - but not because it's rare](https://www.howardgray.net/pressure-is-a-privilege-but-not-because-its-rare.md) - Tom Hiddleston says pressure is breathing rare air. He's right - kinda.
- [Groove Theory #24 - The Black Bean Sauce](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-24-the-black-bean-sauce.md) - When a Michelin-starred chef went back to school in a tent camp - and built something that's fed 130 million people
- [PlexCon](https://www.howardgray.net/plexcon.md) - A $500k retreat in Honduras, a porcupine through the shower ceiling, and a team that bonded for years.
- [The Right Bakery](https://www.howardgray.net/the-right-bakery.md) - In France's most prestigious bread competition, the winners keep coming from somewhere unexpected.
- [Groove Theory #23 - Dance Like No One's Watching (Because They Aren't)](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-23-dance-like-no-ones-watching-because-they-arent.md) - A breakup, a car park, and what happens when you stop waiting to be good enough
- [The Fork](https://www.howardgray.net/the-fork.md) - The gap between AI-native and everyone else is widening. I'm not sure anyone knows how to close it.
- [Interconnected Agency](https://www.howardgray.net/interconnected-agency.md) - Agency is a real word. It means something - or it used to. And now Silicon Valley has it.
- [Saturday mornings](https://www.howardgray.net/saturday-mornings.md) - The loop that builds senior judgment is closing. The institutions can't move fast enough. So what happens in the gaps?
- [What A.I. quietly undoes](https://www.howardgray.net/what-a-i-quietly-undoes.md) - A.I. doesn't replace collaboration - it makes it optional. And optional things have a way of disappearing.
- [The Merchant's Stall](https://www.howardgray.net/the-merchants-stall.md) - Merchant.dev's shop looks like a Studio Ghibli market stall. Nothing's stopping anyone from building something that feels like a place.
- [Madri: A Beer from Nowhere](https://www.howardgray.net/madri-a-beer-from-nowhere.md) - A "Spanish" beer brewed in Burton-on-Trent is now the UK's fourth most popular. How did they figure this out?
- [Groove Theory #22 - A Narrow Corridor on La Rive Gauche](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-22-a-narrow-corridor-on-la-rive-gauche.md) - A keynote brief, two weeks on the clock, and a question: how much of yourself fits through someone else's frame?
- [Your Other Language Skills](https://www.howardgray.net/your-other-language-skills.md) - Your language skills matter more than ever - but not the ones you think. Industries, sectors, scenes. The jargon, the rhythm, the sub-sub-sub of it all. Which ones do you speak?
- [What Do You Do?](https://www.howardgray.net/what-do-you-do.md) - How do you explain what you do in two sentences? Your career, your side project, the thing you still can't describe to your parents?
- [Piano for the Office](https://www.howardgray.net/piano-for-the-office.md) - In 1906, typing was marketed to women as "piano for the office." Safe. Respectable. Those same roles are now most exposed to AI automation.
- [The Jetpack That Doesn't Work](https://www.howardgray.net/the-jetpack-that-doesnt-work.md) - Citymapper lets you choose a jetpack, hoverboard, or catapult to get across town. None of them work. And that might be exactly the point.
- [The Garage](https://www.howardgray.net/the-garage.md) - Most startup origin stories start where the founder wants them to. Ask what came before the garage. What's not in the story?
- [Chicken or Egg?](https://www.howardgray.net/chicken-or-egg.md) - A touch of Grafitti wisdom
- [The Mistake Picnic](https://www.howardgray.net/the-mistake-picnic.md) - Patrick Collison spent three hours going through every mistake in Michael Ovitz's memoir. There's something unfashionable about that. And something worth noticing.
- [Taste the Soup](https://www.howardgray.net/taste-the-soup.md) - In 'Ratatouille', anyone can cook - but a great chef has to taste the soup. This applies to AI too. The skill now is judgment, not production.
- [Three Big A.I. Bets - keynote](https://www.howardgray.net/three-big-a-i-bets.md) - A 25-minute talk on the three bets every services business is already making - whether they've named them or not. Talent, model, positioning. Recorded in Paris.
- [The Mirror](https://www.howardgray.net/the-mirror.md) - Different AIs have different tendencies - and so do we. The Mirror is a 2-minute game that matches you to the AI that decides like you do.
- [Groove Theory #21 - The Fourteen Hour Queue](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-22-dubplate-drama.md) - What a '90s London music scene reveals about the audiences that actually matter
- [Boredom created Bond](https://www.howardgray.net/boredom-created-bond.md) - Ian Fleming wrote his Bond novels at a villa with no hot water and no glass in the windows. I think I've found my equivalent.
- [I'd love to work with you](https://www.howardgray.net/id-love-to-work-with-you.md) - Someone offered to help without showing they'd read what I sent. One detail would have been enough. Which makes it stranger when it's missing.
- [The Sphere Wasn't Built for Rock Bands](https://www.howardgray.net/the-sphere-wasnt-built-for-rock-bands.md) - A side project from an Italian techno duo is now selling out 18,000-seat venues with robotic cellos and an AI character rendered across a 16K dome.
- [Groove Theory #20 - The Little Green Arrow](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-20-the-little-green-arrow.md) - Guide or operator? Citymapper tried both. What happened matters for anyone in the advice business.
- [Claude reaches for the Skills](https://www.howardgray.net/claude-reaches-for-the-skills.md) - A small shift - seemingly
- [So... what happens next?](https://www.howardgray.net/so-what-happens-next.md) - Don't ask the AI boosters. Or the doomers. Can someone else help me understand?
- [Don't Interrupt the Game](https://www.howardgray.net/dont-interrupt-the-game.md) - Two cultures. Same century. Same invention. Both driven by gamblers who refused to stop playing.
- [Futsal](https://www.howardgray.net/futsal.md) - Brazil's reputation for producing incredible footballers isn't just climate or culture. It's a smaller pitch and a ball that doesn't bounce.
- [Groove Theory #19 - Three Sets of Spiders and a Purple Foam Hand](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-19-three-sets-of-spiders-and-a-purple-foam-hand.md) - What London 2012's experience designer knew about the moments you can't script.
- [The Meta Post](https://www.howardgray.net/the-meta-post.md) - What Claude Code saw after reviewing dozens of my blog posts. TL;DR: A lot.
- [The Return of Oral Culture](https://www.howardgray.net/the-return-of-oral-culture.md) - Speech is becoming the skill that matters. What do we need to get better at?
- [My A.I stack - February, 2026](https://www.howardgray.net/my-a-i-stack-february-2026.md) - Tools come and go. Here's where I've landed on the AI stack - for now.
- [It’s not their fault](https://www.howardgray.net/its-not-their-fault.md) - Most feedback feels useless. But that's not on them - it's on us to extract what they really mean.
- [There is no Goose](https://www.howardgray.net/there-is-no-goose.md) - There's a lot of Clay Davis energy in AI right now. People selling the golden goose. But real results come from the unglamorous work nobody wants to talk about.
- [Groove Theory #18 - Does Grand Theft Auto’s sewer system go anywhere?](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-18-does-grand-theft-autos-sewer-system-go-anywhere.md) - Why 1.3m people watch a man examine video game drainage systems.
- [Notes on Claude Code](https://www.howardgray.net/notes-on-claude-code.md) - Reflections on six weeks on the Max plan
- [Three types of tough crowd](https://www.howardgray.net/three-types-of-tough-crowd-2.md) - "Tough crowd." You've heard someone say this after a gig, a presentation, a workshop. But there's a few different flavours of tough crowd. The first: arms crossed, screwface, tuned out. Elsewhere. The second: people who aren't sure why they're there — or worse, they all have different reasons. This…
- [A Quiet Way to Know Someone](https://www.howardgray.net/a-quiet-way-to-know-someone.md) - On receiving a book someone's already read
- [Groove Theory #17 - Directing Robert Pattinson by Text Message](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-17-directing-robert-pattinson-by-text-message.md) - A rush-hour subway, a hidden camera, and commuters who had no idea they were extras
- [Now - 30 Dec 2025](https://www.howardgray.net/now-30-dec-2025.md) - Star date: 30 Dec 2025. * Having my mind blown by the capabilities of Claude Code running on Opus 4.5 (especially with MCP plugins to Notion) * Seeing in the new year from Brooklyn * Easing through jet lag via a hench shawarma pita from Shawarma Mia * Feeling quietly excited about 2026 * Protecting…
- [How to run a retrospective that actually works](https://www.howardgray.net/how-to-run-a-retrospective-that-actually-sticks.md) - Six months after a project you can barely remember what you learned. Here's a one-hour framework that fixes that - using conversation, transcription, and AI to capture the insights that usually vanish.
- [Groove Theory #16 - The Beautiful Map Nobody Wanted](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-16-the-beautiful-map-nobody-wanted.md) - What Massimo Vignelli learned when elegance wasn't enough
- [Mike Tyson and the accidental punch](https://www.howardgray.net/mike-tyson-and-the-accidental-punch.md) - The other week I dropped a Mike Tyson quote into a session on adaptive leadership. Didn't think much of it - until it took on a life of its own. You may know the quote: "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." I usually avoid the big names and their big quotes. But this one's a pa…
- [The thing about teaching A.I. skills](https://www.howardgray.net/the-thing-about-teaching-a-i-skills.md) - Why most people have it backwards
- [The new company department? Storytelling](https://www.howardgray.net/the-new-company-department-storytelling.md) - Notion merged their internal comms, external comms, social, and influencer teams into one. They're calling it the Storytelling Team. And the co-founder is running it himself. 0:00 /1:16 1× (For context, Notion is valued at $10 billion and used by millions. This isn't a small bet.) A few years ago t…
- [Christian Bale kept training for a role he didn't have](https://www.howardgray.net/christian-bale-kept-training-for-a-role-he-didnt-have.md) - Christian Bale got fired from American Psycho, and responded by... continuing to prepare for it. Director Mary Harron wanted him, but Lionsgate pushed for Leonardo DiCaprio - fresh off Titanic. The studio fired Harron, brought in Oliver Stone, and Bale was out. The role was gone. No Bateman busines…
- [Groove Theory #15 - The woman who built The French Laundry (before it was The French Laundry)](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-15-the-woman-who-built-the-french-laundry-before-it-was-the-french-laundry.md) - Sally Schmitt was doing farm-to-table in 1978. Nobody got it.
- [Checkin' Chess at WSJ Doha](https://www.howardgray.net/checkin-chess-at-wsj-doha.md) - Pawn to c3. Knight to f6. Andrew Beaton’s playing chess on stage at WSJ Tech Live in Doha - while interviewing Danny Rensch from Chess.com. Andrew moves the pieces. Danny plays blindfolded. While answering questions from Andrew and the audience, Danny’s tracking the entire board in his head. He eve…
- [Same book, different you](https://www.howardgray.net/same-book-different-you.md) - Why it matters to play it again
- [Groove Theory #14 - Jmail](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-14-jmail.md) - Two developers rebuilt the Epstein files as Gmail. Here's why it worked.
- [Intensity, not Tempo](https://www.howardgray.net/tempo-not-intensity.md) - What fabric's resident DJ can teach the rest of us about experience design
- [Groove Theory #13: West on 27th](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-13-west-on-27th.md) - How two DJs with opposite approaches convinced NYC to trust their groove - and what small teams can learn from it.
- [What Ableton taught us about AI and the future of coding](https://www.howardgray.net/what-ableton-taught-us-about-ai-and-the-future-of-coding.md) - In 2001, Ableton turned bedroom producers into festival headliners. Now vibe coding is doing the same for software. The parallels run deeper than you'd think.
- [Groove Theory #12 - The Maze Maker](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-12-the-maze-maker.md) - How a French TV producer mastered the barely possible
- [Groove Theory #11 - The One-Inch Picture Frame](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-11-the-one-inch-picture-frame.md) - When the whole thing feels too big, make it smaller than you think.
- [Worksheets and Worksheets](https://www.howardgray.net/worksheets-and-worksheets.md) - Dealing with the tension of using physical and digital assets in learning environments
- [How Nintendo taught 40 million people without a manual](https://www.howardgray.net/how-nintendo-taught-40-million-people-without-a-manual.md) - It’s 1985. Nintendo is either about to save the gaming industry or disappear. Everything depends on getting one thing right: the first 90 seconds. In Kyoto, Shigeru Miyamoto plays the same level over and over. Not because it's broken. Because it needs to be perfect. He's already created Donkey Kong…
- [Cold Open](https://www.howardgray.net/cold-open.md) - We made a 100-year family saga video with AI tools and a laptop. No film crew, no time machine. Cold opens beat long explanations every time.
- [33/45?: Carl Craig's cross-scene connections](https://www.howardgray.net/33-45-carl-craigs-cross-scene-connections.md) - For months, two South London DJs had been playing a Detroit music producer’s track at the wrong speed - 45rpm instead of 33rpm. Somehow, it was working. The question was: would he see it as innovation or disrespect? It’s 1992 in Detroit. Carl Craig’s made his name with ethereal techno, but he’s res…
- [Movie bets: Judge by the peak](https://www.howardgray.net/movie-bets-judge-by-the-peak.md) - The producer behind "The Social Network" ignores the flops and the recent work. He asks one question: what's the best thing you've ever seen them do?
- [When Malcolm Gladwell found Dr. Dre's Empty Chair](https://www.howardgray.net/when-malcolm-gladwell-found-dr-dres-empty-chair.md) - How to create the environment where people feel the appropriate emotions for any experience
- [Groove Theory #10 - When your song becomes someone else's](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-10-when-your-song-becomes-someone-elses.md) - What Trent Reznor learned when he gave away his most personal work
- [When Guatemala invented the Happy Meal](https://www.howardgray.net/when-guatemala-invented-the-happy-meal.md) - One franchisee saw kids struggling with adult portions and created something smaller with a toy. McDonald's rolled it out worldwide.
- [What if business school taught you the wrong skill?](https://www.howardgray.net/what-if-business-school-taught-you-the-wrong-skill.md) - Taylor sent 2,000 applications in six months with her MBA. She can dissect any case study. But the job market needs people who can decide under pressure, not study someone else's choice from 1987.
- [Groove Theory #9 - Dishoom’s Main Character Energy](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-9-dishooms-main-character-energy.md) - Why the beloved brand is built more like a game than a restaurant.
- [What I've learned from evaluating 1000+ SXSW proposals](https://www.howardgray.net/what-ive-learned-from-evaluatreading-1000-sxsw-proposals.md) - Every year, I find myself deep in proposal evaluation mode. Fortune 100 CEOs, ambitious VPs, indie strategists, even actors and athletes - they all end up on my screen with their big ideas and bigger hopes to secure a slot to speak at SXSW. After evaluating thousands of submissions, a few patterns…
- [Is it Sivers? Because this is just one of many options](https://www.howardgray.net/is-it-sivers-because-this-is-just-one-of-many-options.md) - Derek Sivers once had a voice teacher who made him sing the same song as if it was 4am and a friend had just woken him up. That singing lesson somehow changed everything for our company. You might know Derek as founder of CDBaby. He famously gave away his fortune when he sold the business. He's sin…
- [Groove Theory #8 - Three Timetables and a Microphone](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-8-three-timetables-and-a-microphone.md) - How two comedians created a fresh format that bends both art and time - and the underrated power of a heckler-partner
- [Groove Theory #7 - Hedonistic Sustainability](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-7-the-yes-and-approach-to-business-strategy.md) - How architect Bjarke Ingels uses improv principles to turn constraints into competitive advantages
- [Groove Theory #6 - The One Person Orchestra](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-6-the-one-person-orchestra.md) - Tash Sultana builds entire concerts alone. Here's how rhythm becomes your operating system.
- [The Playground Inspector](https://www.howardgray.net/the-playground-inspector.md) - Permits filed, invoices paid. But the general contractor keeps showing up on Friday afternoons
- [Groove Theory #5 - The One Level Up Principle](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-5-the-one-level-up-principle.md) - How Josh Upton built a three-year community ritual - and why your next project might be hiding in plain sight.
- [The 30-year-old track that became a digital confessional](https://www.howardgray.net/the-30-year-old-track-that-became-a-digital-confessional.md) - How a forgotten 1994 ambient track accidentally became one of the internet's most unlikely shared spaces
- [Why is no one talking about the job thing...?](https://www.howardgray.net/why-is-no-one-talking-about-the-job-thing.md) - Err, can we talk about the job thing? Y’know, the thing no one’s talking about? Brushing under the carpet? That thing? You know the thing. The work thing. The wtf-existential-holy-mackerel-could-this-be-it thing. Yeah. It’s a thing. I’m hearing stories everywhere. Laid-off smart people out of work…
- [Groove Theory #4 - Nothing Business](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-4-nothing-business.md) - How Marina Abramović built a global phenomenon by doing literally nothing - and why your next big moment might need less doing, more being.
- [The truck stop where Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Hendrix met](https://www.howardgray.net/the-truck-stop-where-led-zeppelin-the-who-and-hendrix-met.md) - The Blue Boar at Watford Gap was just a motorway service station. But it accidentally became the nerve center of British rock. Sometimes the best creative breakthroughs happen by accident.
- [If it's new to you, it's still new](https://www.howardgray.net/if-its-new-to-you-its-still-new.md) - In a quiet NYC coffee shop on July 4th weekend, the 90s electronic music playlist kicks in - along with the late afternoon cold brew
- [Meet the person you could have been: What a $150B CEO does on weekends](https://www.howardgray.net/meet-the-person-you-could-have-been-what-a-150b-ceo-does-on-weekends.md) - Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke races cars not for fame or money, but to close the gap between who he is and who he could become. His approach to finding fascination and practicing at 99.99% offers a path for anyone looking to meet their future self
- [The hidden layer in Spotify's CTO's take on AI vs. machine learning](https://www.howardgray.net/the-hidden-layer-in-spotifys-ctos-take-on-ai-vs-machine-learning-2.md) - Gustav Söderström's insight reveals why creative professionals need to master the feedback loops AI can't touch.
- [The $2.5M Decision That Changed Everything](https://www.howardgray.net/the-2-5m-decision-that-changed-everything.md) - A screenwriter turned down Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise for unknown actors. He had no way of knowing if he was right. But he trusted his vision anyway.
- [Swimming](https://www.howardgray.net/swimming.md) - Friday afternoon. Hot, sticky, NYC summer. Early pickup. We hot footed across hot streets, eased past the lulling construction site. Workers winding down. We bumped and bashed over paving cracks, stroller swerving, my wrist jarring, his hand clutching toys tight. Down two floors in double quick tim…
- [Always do a run-through. No exceptions.](https://www.howardgray.net/always-do-a-run-through-no-exceptions.md) - 24 hours before our big workshop, we spotted a problem that could've killed the room. One case study had to go. Here's why the final check saved us from disaster.
- [Groove Theory #3 - The Empty Stage Test](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-3-the-empty-stage-test.md) - What UK rapper Loyle Carner learned from indifferent festival crowds - and how to find what really works when nobody knows who you are.
- [The case for all-age everything: lessons from PBS Kids](https://www.howardgray.net/the-case-for-all-age-everything-lessons-from-pbs-kids.md) - I'm shopping for my 4-year-old and keep thinking "I wish they made that in Dad size." Kids get the coolest stuff. Better fashion, cooler TV shows, more playful everything. Why do we assume adults want boring? Maybe we become boring, but that may be because of our surroundings. Take "City Island" on…
- [The question I immediately stole (and you should too)](https://www.howardgray.net/the-question-i-immediately-stole-and-you-should-too.md) - A new collaborator asked me something that cuts through all the noise: "Send me the most interesting article in your space." Simple question, powerful results.
- [Making it in America: What international founders & creatives actually need to know](https://www.howardgray.net/making-it-in-america-what-international-founders-creatives-actually-need-to-know.md) - The cultural paradoxes, identity costs, and hidden rules nobody explains
- [Groove Theory: #2 - The street food rebellion at a Michelin restaurant](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-2-the-street-food-rebellion-at-a-michelin-restaurant.md) - Most of us deliver what's expected without noticing what's actually needed. Here's how to change that.
- [The Creative Technologist comeback](https://www.howardgray.net/the-creative-technologist-comeback.md) - How a misunderstood role from the digital agency era is becoming essential for the AI age
- [Pascal's Wager for AI (and why you should bet on Scenario 2)](https://www.howardgray.net/pascals-wager-for-ai-and-why-you-should-bet-on-scenario-2.md) - Dan Hockenmaier just cut through all the AI noise with a simple framework. Here's why his "scenario 2" bet makes perfect sense.
- [What happens when you collapse the talent stack?](https://www.howardgray.net/what-happens-when-you-collapse-the-talent-stack.md) - Adobe's Chief Strategy Officer says the magic happens when designers code and engineers hack growth. But here's what he doesn't say: the specialist roles are about to dissolve.
- [What Brian Eno knows about learning (that we've forgotten)](https://www.howardgray.net/what-brian-eno-knows-about-learning-that-weve-forgotten.md) - The ambient music pioneer's new theory about art as "adult play" reveals why case studies don't stick - and what does.
- [The AI displacement wave is here (and it's not what you think)](https://www.howardgray.net/the-ai-displacement-wave-is-here-and-its-not-what-you-think.md) - Real professionals are losing work to AI right now. But the solution isn't just learning new tools—it's becoming harder to replicate.
- [Groove Theory: #1 - The accidental breakthrough that changed everything](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-1-the-accidental-breakthrough-that-changed-everything.md) - How chaos in a London classroom taught me everything about finding your groove
- [From Wavetable (with something new)](https://www.howardgray.net/from-wavetable-with-something-new.md) - Quick note: This is Howard, founder of Wavetable, emailing about something new I'm launching
- [Adventures… #67: Back in the Groove](https://www.howardgray.net/adventures-67-back-in-the-groove.md) - After 66 editions of "Adventures" and a long hiatus, I'm returning with something new. Groove Theory blends cultural stories, practical frameworks, and real-world applications for creative professionals navigating the moments that matter most.
- [Groove Theory: A new lens for creative professionals who want to find - and hold - their rhythm](https://www.howardgray.net/groove-theory-a-manifesto-for-creative-professionals-who-want-to-find-and-hold-their-rhythm.md) - You know your stuff, but when the spotlight hits, something goes sideways. Groove Theory helps creative professionals find their rhythm in high-stakes moments - from pitches to keynotes to career pivots. Discover the five elements that transform ideas into experiences people actually feel.
- [The 80-hour reality check: What actually happens when you build with AI](https://www.howardgray.net/the-80-hour-reality-check-what-actually-happens-when-you-build-with-ai.md) - Everyone's talking about AI magic, but what's the messy reality behind actually building something? Here's my 6-week journey through format fails, bad vibes coding, and the breakthrough moments that made it all worth it.
- [Crystal Palace’s finest FA Cup moment (and it wasn't the goal)](https://www.howardgray.net/crystal-palaces-finest-fa-cup-moment-and-it-wasnt-the-goal.md) - Crystal Palace pulled off one of the great FA Cup upsets this weekend - beating Manchester City to win their first ever major trophy. But the moment that stuck with me? Not a goal. Not a tackle. Not even the final whistle. It was something that didn’t happen. Marc Guehi, Palace’s captain and an Eng…
- [Now - 17 May 2025](https://www.howardgray.net/now-17-may-2025.md) - Star date: 17 May 2025 * Developing 'Involver' * Gearing up for NYC summer * Learning about game design * Starting in person events * Ramping up pilates * Continuing Friday night football
- [Step into the room where you're the amateur](https://www.howardgray.net/step-into-the-room-where-youre-the-amateur.md) - What happens when you take your work into a room where you're clearly the least qualified person? I found out at a game developers' co-working space in NYC.
- [Joy, humour, and caring: Jony Ive & Patrick Collison in conversation](https://www.howardgray.net/joy-humour-and-caring-jony-ive-patrick-collison-in-conversation.md) - Why joy and humor are underestimated in design and business... and the magic of making breakfast for each other vs. sitting in conference rooms
- [Ojisan magic: The trading card game that’s reviving a town](https://www.howardgray.net/ojisan-magic-the-trading-card-game-thats-reviving-a-town.md) - From robotics experts to soba chefs, this analog game from rural Japan is turning everyday people into heroes—and sparking a movement rooted in joy, connection, and recognition.
- [Yale's Bad Bunny course reveals the future of learning](https://www.howardgray.net/yales-bad-bunny-course-reveals-the-future-of-learning.md) - Pop culture becomes the doorway, not the destination. When you're vibing to the rhythm but absorbing something deeper.
- [Two Pilates studios - and the great capability divide](https://www.howardgray.net/two-pilates-studios-and-the-great-capability-divide.md) - One teaches craft, one delivers product. In an AI-driven world, the gap between human expertise and scalable systems is widening fast.
- [Why creative blocks don't solve themselves at your desk](https://www.howardgray.net/why-creative-blocks-dont-solve-themselves-at-your-desk.md) - In-person connection is 4,367 times more potent than Zoom. Yesterday reminded me why stepping away from screens matters.
- [Desert Island Ive: What Apple's design legend reveals when stripped of the corporate context](https://www.howardgray.net/desert-island-ive-what-apples-design-legend-reveals-when-stripped-of-the-corporate-context.md) - How a 1942 radio format brings fresh insights from Jony Ive on creativity, education, and the struggle to be present
- [The secret ritual behind Brentford FC's success (that has nothing to do with data)](https://www.howardgray.net/the-secret-ritual-behind-brentford-fcs-success-that-has-nothing-to-do-with-data.md) - What childhood photos reveal about peak performance that analytics can't capture.
- [What a DJ's 4,500 parties teach us about creative longevity](https://www.howardgray.net/what-a-djs-4-500-parties-teach-us-about-creative-longevity.md) - What Tiga's 25-year DJ journey teaches us about staying true to your creative passion while others expect you to "grow up"
- [Why great event design doesn't need to be complicated](https://www.howardgray.net/why-great-event-design-doesnt-need-to-be-complicated.md) - Simple conversation cards and a glass of milk turned a networking event into an adventure worth remembering.
- [New business: The commercial alchemy that defies systematization](https://www.howardgray.net/new-business-the-commercial-alchemy-that-defies-systematization.md) - The elusive art that isn't quite sales, marketing or biz dev - and why we all need to master it.
- [How on earth are people cranking out so much content?](https://www.howardgray.net/how-on-earth-are-people-cranking-out-so-much-content.md) - Between client work, parenting, and trying not to lose the plot - when does all this 'content' actually happen?
- [An antidote to AI tinnitus](https://www.howardgray.net/an-antidote-to-ai-tinnitus.md) - Sam Altman says agency and adaptability will be extremely valuable. But what does cultivating them actually look like?
- [The Art of the Interview: What Makes a Great Interviewer?](https://www.howardgray.net/the-art-of-the-interview-what-makes-a-great-interviewer.md) - Unpacking the elusive skill set behind unforgettable conversations—and how Sam Fragoso of Talk Easy exemplifies it.
- [MSCHF's secret weapon isn't what you think](https://www.howardgray.net/mschfs-secret-weapon-isnt-what-you-think.md) - The viral collective behind Satan Shoes has something unexpected: a curriculum that turns everyone into creators.
- [The punk path to landing Nike as a client](https://www.howardgray.net/the-punk-path-to-landing-nike-as-a-client.md) - How two broke agency founders landed Nike by skirting the line between genius marketing and lawsuit-worthy audacity
- [Lemon automation: How Chick-fil-A processes 20% of America's lemons... and what it means for your career](https://www.howardgray.net/lemon-automation-how-chick-fil-a-processes-20-of-americas-lemons-and-what-it-means-for-your-career.md) - The unexpected career insights hidden in a chicken restaurant's remarkable lemon-squeezing operation
- [Er... how are people keeping up with the content machine? No. Really.](https://www.howardgray.net/er-how-are-people-keeping-up-with-the-content-machine-no-really.md) - Seriously—how do you stay creative, keep it flowing, and not lose your mind (or soul) to the algorithm?
- [What's your dream project? (No, your real one)](https://www.howardgray.net/whats-your-dream-project-no-your-real-one-2.md) - Simple question, difficult answer. But the follow-ups reveal everything: What am I really chasing? How am I complicit in creating what I don't want?
- [Paul Newman's four career stages (and what they mean for you)](https://www.howardgray.net/paul-newmans-four-career-stages-and-what-they-mean-for-you.md) - Every career follows the same arc: unknown, essential, replaceable, forgotten. The real work happens in the spaces between.
- [Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: Going beyond the book](https://www.howardgray.net/last-night-a-dj-saved-my-life-going-beyond-the-book.md) - What if books didn’t just tell stories but let you live them? From audio companions to VR club nights, here’s how we can remix the reading experience.
- [The Hidden Curriculum of First Jobs](https://www.howardgray.net/the-hidden-curriculum-of-first-jobs.md) - Why your first job probably taught you a lot more than you realised.
- [The McCartney Method: Mastering the Magic of Audience Connection](https://www.howardgray.net/the-mccartney-method-mastering-the-magic-of-audience-connection.md) - Paul McCartney’s secret to staying timeless: meticulous details, unforgettable fan moments, and a generosity that creates magic every show.
- [The underrated skill that'll define collaboration in 2025](https://www.howardgray.net/the-underrated-skill-thatll-define-collaboration-in-2025.md) - Most teams waste hours in poorly designed digital sessions. Learn why mastering whiteboard experience design is your new superpower.
- [What's your dream project? (No, your real one).](https://www.howardgray.net/whats-your-dream-project-no-your-real-one.md) - Simple question. Often difficult to answer. But well worth it. I was at dinner recently when someone posed this. As we all sat there searching for words (or mumbling "good question..."), the questioner – who runs a design agency – went first: "Design an airport." So, we asked them why. What followe…
- [Behind the Scenes of Premier League Football (RefCam)](https://www.howardgray.net/behind-the-scenes-of-premier-league-football-refcam.md)
- [Jeffrey Katzenburg's magical 4am question](https://www.howardgray.net/jeffrey-katzenburgs-4am-question.md) - It’s 4am in Los Angeles. Somewhere, a phone rings. On the other end is Jeffrey Katzenberg, co-founder of DreamWorks, architect of Disney’s animation renaissance, and, by many accounts, an unrelenting force of nature. Jeffrey is on his treadmill. The question is always the same: “What do you need?”…
- [What Matthew McConaughey Can Teach Us About How Work - and Education - Really Gets Done](https://www.howardgray.net/mcconaughey-alt-education.md) - You probably know Matthew McConaughey from Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club, or a bunch of 90s rom coms. But here's something wild: he also teaches one of the most interesting classes you're likely to find.
- [Weaving Threads: The Great Compression of Mid-Career](https://www.howardgray.net/weaving-threads-the-great-compression-of-mid-career.md) - Early career is all about loose threads. But mid-career? That’s when the weaving really gets tricky…
- [Act or artist?](https://www.howardgray.net/act-or-artist.md) - A small distinction I noticed as a talent agent that applies far beyond the music industry—and changes how you approach your work.
- [Nov 6: new roles available](https://www.howardgray.net/nov-6-new-roles-available.md) - Looking for a new gig? Certain roles are suddenly thriving post-election week...
- [Yes, Chef](https://www.howardgray.net/yes-chef.md) - Most knowledge workers dive straight in. But what if we borrowed from the chef's secret weapon - mise en place? Some prep tips...
- [What Hot Ones, Masterclass, and Liquid Death have in common](https://www.howardgray.net/what-hot-ones-masterclass-and-liquid-death-have-in-common.md) - They all won by breaking the rules of format. The best formats feel obvious after the fact, but they're hard to get right.
- [Shakepeare & Co's Proustian Questions](https://www.howardgray.net/shakepeare-cos-proustian-questions.md) - In Paris, there's a bookstore called Shakespeare and Company (hey, who said the Brits and French don’t get along?). Next door is Bob's Cafe. Together, they do something wonderful.
- [Delta's $120 seat choice, but no subtitles? The curious priorities of airline CX](https://www.howardgray.net/deltas-120-seat-choice-but-no-subtitles-the-curious-priorities-of-airline-cx.md) - When airlines charge premium prices for basics but miss fundamental accessibility features.

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