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Before we dive in, can I just say—it’s been a week. One of those where you look up and realize you’ve had the same three tabs open for 48 hours straight, your kid has asked the same question 37 different ways, and you still haven’t texted your buddy back about golf.

We made this week’s episode a bit of a wandering conversation (per usual), but three things stuck: friendship, fatigue, and that nagging voice in your head about what you’re supposed to leave behind when all this is over.

So we wrote the newsletter to match.

Let’s unpack it all, one messy thought at a time.

And while you’re at it, check out the full episode and please, please, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. We’re on a sprint to reach 1k YouTube subscribers and we need your help!

This episode is maybe our best one yet. I promise you’ll leave feeling inspired.

Let’s talk about the weirdest part of being a dad that no one warned us about: making new friends as a grown man.

You can blame geography, kids’ schedules, remote work, or just plain social rust, but the result is the same—most of us dads are out here winging it when it comes to friendship. And if we’re honest, it can be kinda lonely.

This week’s episode drifted into this topic almost by accident. But once the gate opened, it poured out: that tension between wanting to build community and feeling like an absolute weirdo trying to make dad friends via daycare drop-off or playground small talk.

It’s not just logistics—it’s vibes.

How do you walk up to another parent and say, “Hey, our kids seem to like each other. Wanna be friends?” without sounding like you’re asking them on a date?

BUT… when you do push through the awkwardness, it’s worth it. The payoff isn’t just golf invites and BBQs—it’s sanity, emotional backup, and a sense that you’re not raising a family in isolation.

A few ways we’ve hacked this:

It’s not smooth. It’s not always successful. But it’s real. And honestly, that’s what most of us are craving anyway.

We’re both in tech. We love tech. But also? We’re tired.

Not tired of innovation, or the work itself—but of the ambient pressure to be always on. Between the pings, the endless tabs, and the sense that you’re falling behind if you’re not scrolling at midnight, something’s gotta give.

In the pod, Daniel shared how he’s been using this app called Opal (not a sponsor, just something he’s trying) that literally locks down the phone during work hours or evenings. You can override it—but only after breathing through a countdown and asking yourself three times if you really want to.

He’s found he feels lighter. Not like floating-on-a-cloud lighter, but more present. More willing to walk to the park with the kids. Less itchy to grab the phone during dinner.

We’re not Luddites. But there’s a growing itch among dads in tech who are realizing that boundaries aren’t weakness—they’re sanity savers.

A few moves we’re experimenting with:

There’s a lot of noise right now about legacy. Hustle influencers telling you to build something immortal. To “leave your mark.” But let’s be real—most of us aren’t trying to get our name on a stadium.

We just want to raise good humans.

Legacy has to mean some big public thing. Troy said it best: “Legacy isn’t followers. Legacy is bedtime stories.”

It’s about showing up when you don’t want to. Reading the book even though you’re half asleep. Letting your kid stay up ten minutes later because they really want to build one more LEGO tower with you.

Nobody remembers your tweets six months after you’re gone. But your kid will remember if you were there.

So yeah, maybe your legacy isn’t going viral. Maybe it’s just being a steady presence in a very noisy world. And maybe that’s more than enough.

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If you’ve made it this far, thanks for sticking with us. We know the world is noisy—between all the newsletters, newsfeeds, and algorithm-fed content out there, it’s easy to scroll past. So we don’t take your time for granted.

Our hope every week is that this little corner of the internet helps you breathe a little deeper. Maybe laugh, maybe nod in agreement, maybe even shoot a text to another dad to grab coffee or hit the park.

Everything we talk about here—from tech burnout to friendship awkwardness to what legacy actually means—isn’t just talk. It’s what we’re living through right alongside you. So if this resonated? Hit reply. Tell us how you’re navigating it all. Or just say hey.

We’re grateful you’re here.

—Troy & Daniel

We love to hear from you. Please reply to this email with your own story, or if you disagree with a take, or if you just want to say hi. We read every reply and are always looking for ideas to chat about in the podcast.