Substack Weekly Finds for 10/31/25

Happy Halloween! This week’s finds are about finding your way back to things (and people) that make work and life meaningful.

You’ll learn how one author turned their ghost-town LinkedIn profile into a recruiter magnet, another who realized sunlight beats supplements, and one who built a thinking blueprint to make AI work with them instead of against them. We wrap it up with a reminder that sometimes the best innovation starts with an old friend and a whiteboard.

Grab your coffee (and rectangle of choice) and let’s dive in.

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Modern Life Made Us Comfortable, Weak, and Weird by Invisible Gains

I happened across the writing of Invisible Gains this week, and found one of their most recent articles interesting. It’s related to another article I read recently over at HBR about how we need to be bored. In this article though, the arguement is that modern life has made humans sedentary, disconnected, and overly dependent on technology. We’ve traded adventure, connection, and purpose for convenience and screens — becoming “museum exhibits” who scroll instead of live. Their message is a wake-up call to return to our natural instincts: seek sunlight, movement, real conversation, and challenge. The cure for our malaise isn’t digital—it’s rediscovering what makes us human.

Modern Life Made Us Comfortable, Weak, and Weird

I found this article relatable as I’ve started running again, I’ve consciously chosen not to wear any headphones or listen to any music or podcasts or audio books while running. It’s the one part of my day where I can recenter myself and take in the world around me.

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Why Recruiters Aren’t Finding Your LinkedIn Profile by Sam Powell

Sam Powell of LeadtheGame's Career Locker Room, explains the critical difference between simply being on LinkedIn and actually being findable on it. After being laid off, they realized that neglecting their LinkedIn presence left them invisible to recruiters. They highlight how LinkedIn has evolved from a social platform into a powerful search engine for professional talent.

Sam discusses how users must treat their LinkedIn profiles like an SEO-optimized website in order to become a magnet for recruiters.

Why Recruiters Aren't Finding Your LinkedIn Profile

Sometimes, the difference between “no one’s hiring” and “we’ve been looking for you” is just a few well-chosen words.

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Your Thinking Plan: An Introduction to Cognitive Workflow Architecture by The AI Rabbit Hole

It seems as though everyone has a tip, trick, or hack on how to build a better prompt for AI. I found this article by The AI Rabbit Hole refreshing for taking a step back and sharing that perhaps it’s less about your prompt and more about your thought process.

In the post, you’ll be introduced to Cognitive Workflow Architecture (CWA) — a structured 12-step method for thinking clearly before, during, and after working with AI. The idea is that poor AI results often come from unclear human thinking, not bad prompts. CWA helps you organize your thought process into three phases. You really should read the article to learn about the phases and how to make AI your collaborator instead of your crutch.

Your Thinking Plan: An Introduction to Cognitive Workflow Architecture

If the output of AI is only as good as the prompt, it’s only logical that the prompt is only as good as how we organize our thoughts to come up with the prompt.

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The Intentional Power of Building a Trusted Circle by The Intentional Innovator

We’re becoming fans of André Blackman at The Intentional Innovator. In this post André reflects on a meaningful in-person reunion with a long-time colleague after years apart, using the experience as a lens to explore trust, growth, and intentional collaboration. What began as a casual catch-up evolved into deep reflection on shared values, personal transitions, and the power of relationships built on time and respect.

André goes on to describe how reconnecting with trusted peers can spark clarity, creativity, and renewed purpose—especially during career transitions. The post underscores that innovation isn’t only about building new things, but also about rebuilding old connections with fresh understanding.

The Intentional Power of Building with a Trusted Circle

André’s article resonated with me because it reinforces something I tell my kids (one in college and one is out): one of the most important things you can do early in life (both professionally and personally) is cultivate strong relationships. Jobs and companies will come and go, but the connections you make with people are what will last.