Paul Welty
@aristotle.bsky.social
Digital transformation leader with agile and DevOps expertise, focused on higher ed. Built Emory's faculty info system. Launched Emory's Center for Innovation. Currently improving career-focused learning in continuing ed. https://www.paulwelty.com/
We optimize away all friction like it's universally bad. But some friction is load-bearing. "Are you sure?" is noise. "Are you sure you want to delete all 47 files?" makes you look before you let go.
https://www.paulwelty.com/sometimes-friction-is-your-best-friend-post/
https://www.paulwelty.com/sometimes-friction-is-your-best-friend-post/
January 28, 2026 at 9:27 PM
We optimize away all friction like it's universally bad. But some friction is load-bearing. "Are you sure?" is noise. "Are you sure you want to delete all 47 files?" makes you look before you let go.
https://www.paulwelty.com/sometimes-friction-is-your-best-friend-post/
https://www.paulwelty.com/sometimes-friction-is-your-best-friend-post/
Many teams fear shipping more than failing. Drafts feel safe but help no one. Shipping turns private work into learning. It takes courage, then brings feedback and relief. -
Start, ship, close, sum up: rituals that make work resolve - Paul Welty, PhD
Most knowledge work never finishes. It just stops. The start, ship, close, and sum-up methodology creates deliberate moments that turn continuous work into resolved units.
www.paulwelty.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Many teams fear shipping more than failing. Drafts feel safe but help no one. Shipping turns private work into learning. It takes courage, then brings feedback and relief. -
Most knowledge work never ends. It just fades. Without edges we confuse motion with progress. Deliberate starts and finishes give work shape. Endings make learning possible. -
Start, ship, close, sum up: rituals that make work resolve - Paul Welty, PhD
Most knowledge work never finishes. It just stops. The start, ship, close, and sum-up methodology creates deliberate moments that turn continuous work into resolved units.
www.paulwelty.com
January 25, 2026 at 8:42 PM
Most knowledge work never ends. It just fades. Without edges we confuse motion with progress. Deliberate starts and finishes give work shape. Endings make learning possible. -
Automated reflection feels good until it turns into performance. Even a private audience changes what you say. Infrastructure becomes a stage. The risk is ritual without honesty. Discern which friction protects thinking. -
Infrastructure shapes thought - Paul Welty, PhD
The tools you build determine what kinds of thinking become possible. On infrastructure, friction, and building deliberately for thought rather than just throughput.
www.paulwelty.com
January 24, 2026 at 1:42 AM
Automated reflection feels good until it turns into performance. Even a private audience changes what you say. Infrastructure becomes a stage. The risk is ritual without honesty. Discern which friction protects thinking. -
You can tell what a team thinks by what its tools reward. Email breeds paragraphs. Chat breeds fragments. Tickets turn ideas into requests. Infrastructure is philosophy with a budget. Tools shape thought before culture does. -
Infrastructure shapes thought - Paul Welty, PhD
The tools you build determine what kinds of thinking become possible. On infrastructure, friction, and building deliberately for thought rather than just throughput.
www.paulwelty.com
January 21, 2026 at 1:36 PM
You can tell what a team thinks by what its tools reward. Email breeds paragraphs. Chat breeds fragments. Tickets turn ideas into requests. Infrastructure is philosophy with a budget. Tools shape thought before culture does. -
Ideas vanish because the path from thought to page has too many toll booths. Titles, folders, templates. High friction trains your mind to wait for complete thoughts. Infrastructure edits which ideas you ever get to have. -
Infrastructure shapes thought - Paul Welty, PhD
The tools you build determine what kinds of thinking become possible. On infrastructure, friction, and building deliberately for thought rather than just throughput.
www.paulwelty.com
January 18, 2026 at 8:42 PM
Ideas vanish because the path from thought to page has too many toll booths. Titles, folders, templates. High friction trains your mind to wait for complete thoughts. Infrastructure edits which ideas you ever get to have. -
A junior dev once waited days for feedback. Now the loop closes in seconds. Scarcity shaped how we learned. AI flips that. Learning becomes continuous when feedback is abundant. Build for the loop, not the lecture. -
Build for the loop, not the lecture - Paul Welty, PhD
Helping organizations adopt AI without surrendering human judgment
www.paulwelty.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:42 AM
A junior dev once waited days for feedback. Now the loop closes in seconds. Scarcity shaped how we learned. AI flips that. Learning becomes continuous when feedback is abundant. Build for the loop, not the lecture. -
Most organizations treat learning as a scheduled event. But skill development often happens in gaps: the quick question, the five-minute search, the moment of confusion that resolves through trial. -
The 90% of Education We’ve Never Tried - Paul Welty, PhD
Unlock the full potential of education with AI, breaking free from outdated constraints to redefine learning and foster growth for all.
www.paulwelty.com
January 4, 2026 at 8:42 PM
Most organizations treat learning as a scheduled event. But skill development often happens in gaps: the quick question, the five-minute search, the moment of confusion that resolves through trial. -
Writing did not start as poetry. It started as accounting. Most writing still freezes information so systems can run. Emails and reports are paperwork by design. Clarity is the job. -
Writing was always work - Paul Welty, PhD
If writing is authentic human expression, why does everyone hate doing it? Writing began as bureaucracy and remains system-interface work—important, necessary, but never sacred.
www.paulwelty.com
January 3, 2026 at 1:42 AM
Writing did not start as poetry. It started as accounting. Most writing still freezes information so systems can run. Emails and reports are paperwork by design. Clarity is the job. -
Writers did not panic because AI was bad. They panicked because it worked. When a tool threatens output, you debate quality. When it threatens gatekeeping, you moralize. AI bypassed initiation. -
The slop panic - Paul Welty, PhD
Merriam-Webster named 'slop' its Word of the Year. Writers won the branding war against AI. But the panic isn't about creativity—it's about a professional class defending their monopoly on the written...
www.paulwelty.com
December 31, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Writers did not panic because AI was bad. They panicked because it worked. When a tool threatens output, you debate quality. When it threatens gatekeeping, you moralize. AI bypassed initiation. -
The old idea of loyalty came from a slower world. Skills expire fast now. Staying put can be the reckless move. Gen Z gets that learning is the real asset. Job changes become discipline, not impatience. -
Gen Z's job-hopping: smart strategy for growth - Paul Welty
Gen Z's job-hopping isn't reckless. It's a calculated strategy. This article argues they're not being disloyal but rational, and I concur. In a world where skills quickly become obsolete, Gen Z's relentless...
www.paulwelty.com
December 27, 2025 at 1:42 AM
The old idea of loyalty came from a slower world. Skills expire fast now. Staying put can be the reckless move. Gen Z gets that learning is the real asset. Job changes become discipline, not impatience. -
The McKinsey layoffs are not a consulting story. They are a leadership story. AI exposed where judgment got handed off to process and prestige. When that scaffolding falls, only real discernment remains. -
Redefining Leadership: Embracing Human Judgment Amid AI Disruption - Paul Welty
The claim that 100 million white-collar jobs may become obsolete due to AI is an alarm bell, not just for employment, but for how we perceive work itself. This article argues that the commoditization...
www.paulwelty.com
December 25, 2025 at 2:31 AM
The McKinsey layoffs are not a consulting story. They are a leadership story. AI exposed where judgment got handed off to process and prestige. When that scaffolding falls, only real discernment remains. -
Job hopping is not the problem many employers think it is. It is a mirror on the workplace. When people keep leaving, the work usually stopped stretching them. Ambitious people go where they can grow. -
Gen Z's job-hopping: smart strategy for growth - Paul Welty
Gen Z's job-hopping isn't reckless. It's a calculated strategy. This article argues they're not being disloyal but rational, and I concur. In a world where skills quickly become obsolete, Gen Z's relentless...
www.paulwelty.com
December 24, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Job hopping is not the problem many employers think it is. It is a mirror on the workplace. When people keep leaving, the work usually stopped stretching them. Ambitious people go where they can grow. -
Letting machines take the boring tasks frees people up for bigger problems and fresh ideas. Real resilience pops up when folks can actually shape the work, not just follow a script. Anyone else seeing this? -
Is Automation the Key to Organizational Resilience? - Paul Welty
Automation as the backbone of resilience? This article argues it's essential, but let's not forget the human element. While automating routine tasks can indeed free up resources, it's the strategic deployment...
www.paulwelty.com
December 20, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Letting machines take the boring tasks frees people up for bigger problems and fresh ideas. Real resilience pops up when folks can actually shape the work, not just follow a script. Anyone else seeing this? -
Will AI lift us up or leave us behind? Judgment and trust matter more than algorithms. Machines crunch data, but only people bring others together. Funny how human skills keep showing up as the real edge. -
Influence in the AI Era: Why Human Skills Still Matter - Paul Welty
I read this and couldn't agree more: human skills are the linchpin in the age of AI. The article argues that while AI can automate tasks, it can't replicate empathy or the nuance of genuine human interaction....
www.paulwelty.com
December 18, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Will AI lift us up or leave us behind? Judgment and trust matter more than algorithms. Machines crunch data, but only people bring others together. Funny how human skills keep showing up as the real edge. -
Faster isn’t always better. If automation isn’t balanced with human skills and insight, it just feels like running in place. Real resilience needs tech plus the stuff only people can do. Anyone else noticing this? -
Is Automation the Key to Organizational Resilience? - Paul Welty
Automation as the backbone of resilience? This article argues it's essential, but let's not forget the human element. While automating routine tasks can indeed free up resources, it's the strategic deployment...
www.paulwelty.com
December 17, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Faster isn’t always better. If automation isn’t balanced with human skills and insight, it just feels like running in place. Real resilience needs tech plus the stuff only people can do. Anyone else noticing this? -
That one-person company moving quicker than your whole team? It’s possible now. No org charts, no meetings, just rapid results. If one person can do what five did, what does a team even mean anymore? -
The one-person company advantage: why coordination overhead is the new competitive liability - Polymathic
Digital transformation, higher education, innovation, technology, professional skills, management, and strategy
www.paulwelty.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:36 PM
That one-person company moving quicker than your whole team? It’s possible now. No org charts, no meetings, just rapid results. If one person can do what five did, what does a team even mean anymore? -
Leadership teams don't fail at execution. They fail at alignment. You can't execute your way out of misalignment. The hard work is forcing uncomfortable conversations about trade-offs before you start.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonygambill/2025/11/04/why-leadership-teams-fail-at-strategy-exec...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonygambill/2025/11/04/why-leadership-teams-fail-at-strategy-exec...
December 6, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Leadership teams don't fail at execution. They fail at alignment. You can't execute your way out of misalignment. The hard work is forcing uncomfortable conversations about trade-offs before you start.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonygambill/2025/11/04/why-leadership-teams-fail-at-strategy-exec...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonygambill/2025/11/04/why-leadership-teams-fail-at-strategy-exec...
Senior leaders aren't blocked by old beliefs, but by new complexities they haven't named. Industrial-era frameworks don't solve AI-era problems. Stop unlearning. Start asking: What new capability does this moment require?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nelldebevoise/2025/10/28/why-senior-leaders...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nelldebevoise/2025/10/28/why-senior-leaders...
December 5, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Senior leaders aren't blocked by old beliefs, but by new complexities they haven't named. Industrial-era frameworks don't solve AI-era problems. Stop unlearning. Start asking: What new capability does this moment require?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nelldebevoise/2025/10/28/why-senior-leaders...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nelldebevoise/2025/10/28/why-senior-leaders...
The New AI Leadership Matrix: Building Trust Through Controlled Chaos
In the dynamic world of AI leadership, finding the right balance between control and creativity can feel like conducting a symphony.
www.paulwelty.com/the-new-ai-l...
In the dynamic world of AI leadership, finding the right balance between control and creativity can feel like conducting a symphony.
www.paulwelty.com/the-new-ai-l...
The New AI Leadership Matrix: Building Trust Through Controlled Chaos - Polymathic
In the dynamic world of AI leadership, finding the right balance between control and creativity can feel like conducting a symphony. I recently experienced this firsthand while observing a conductor…
www.paulwelty.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:36 PM
The New AI Leadership Matrix: Building Trust Through Controlled Chaos
In the dynamic world of AI leadership, finding the right balance between control and creativity can feel like conducting a symphony.
www.paulwelty.com/the-new-ai-l...
In the dynamic world of AI leadership, finding the right balance between control and creativity can feel like conducting a symphony.
www.paulwelty.com/the-new-ai-l...
Grateful to the Rotary Club of Decatur for the opportunity to share my thoughts on AI and the education crisis on Friday.
Thank you for the warm reception and engaged discussion.
Full piece here:
Thank you for the warm reception and engaged discussion.
Full piece here:
The Education Crisis Nobody Can Ignore - Polymathic
If you want a glimpse of the future, start with the numbers.
www.paulwelty.com
August 20, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Grateful to the Rotary Club of Decatur for the opportunity to share my thoughts on AI and the education crisis on Friday.
Thank you for the warm reception and engaged discussion.
Full piece here:
Thank you for the warm reception and engaged discussion.
Full piece here:
what happens when you move dashboard data-fetching server-side?
I now serve static dashboard pages with dynamic data pulled via python
📎
I now serve static dashboard pages with dynamic data pulled via python
📎
Server-Side Dashboard Architecture: Why Moving Data Fetching Off the Browser Changes Everything - Polymathic
How choosing server-side rendering solved security, CORS, and credential management problems I didn't know I had
www.paulwelty.com
August 6, 2025 at 12:36 PM
what happens when you move dashboard data-fetching server-side?
I now serve static dashboard pages with dynamic data pulled via python
📎
I now serve static dashboard pages with dynamic data pulled via python
📎
just published a piece: how to connect AI agents directly to your personal notes.
i walk through how i set up an MCP server with Trilium Notes can search, create, and update my notes programmatically. no extra UI. just direct agentic access.
i walk through how i set up an MCP server with Trilium Notes can search, create, and update my notes programmatically. no extra UI. just direct agentic access.
Connecting AI to Personal Knowledge: Building the Trilium MCP Server - Polymathic
Personal knowledge management suffers from a fundamental interface problem. Complex note-taking systems like Trilium Notes offer powerful organizational capabilities, but accessing that information…
www.paulwelty.com
July 30, 2025 at 12:36 PM
just published a piece: how to connect AI agents directly to your personal notes.
i walk through how i set up an MCP server with Trilium Notes can search, create, and update my notes programmatically. no extra UI. just direct agentic access.
i walk through how i set up an MCP server with Trilium Notes can search, create, and update my notes programmatically. no extra UI. just direct agentic access.
The Docker Tailscale sidecar pattern resolves security issues, transitioning from traditional VPN/reverse proxy models to mesh networking. It preserves Docker's containerization benefits and offers remote access securely. -
How I eliminated networking complexity: Docker Tailscale sidecar patterns - Polymathic
After years of wrestling with port forwarding, certificate management, and firewall configuration for my containerized services, I discovered something that fundamentally changed how I approach…
www.paulwelty.com
July 23, 2025 at 7:57 PM
The Docker Tailscale sidecar pattern resolves security issues, transitioning from traditional VPN/reverse proxy models to mesh networking. It preserves Docker's containerization benefits and offers remote access securely. -