April 2025
Welcome to the world, little dude.
It’s been a few months since my last newsletter, but I have an excuse!
Welcome to the world Ford Michael.
On February 13, just after noon, Jenelle and I welcomed Ford Michael into the world. The past two months have brought incredible changes that nothing could have fully prepared me for.
Watching Jenelle become a mother is quite possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed. It's difficult to put into words how much joy it brings me to see her embrace this new role with such natural grace.
Oh, and did I mention she’s already back to her pre-baby weight and even sporting a few abs? Meanwhile, I’m still hanging onto several pounds of baby weight—and I never stopped going to the gym! Jenelle is an absolute superstar.
As for Ford, he's been the best little guy we could have hoped for. He’s been a champion sleeper right from the start, waking up promptly at 0700 each morning to spend his first hour kicking his feet and smiling at the world. He began smiling about two weeks ago, and the first time he did, it absolutely took my breath away.
He also insists on leaving the house every day around 1500. A walk around the neighborhood, grocery shopping, a coffee run, even a trip to the car dealer—it doesn’t matter. He just loves getting out and about.
One important lesson he’s taught me already: I can never say I wish I'd done anything differently in life. Every misstep, every boneheaded choice I've made—they've all led me straight to him.
Modularity & AI, oh my!
At the SAFe Summit in Sorrento, Italy, the Scaled Agile team was excited to share how we’re evolving our IP to focus on modularity and deliver greater business outcomes—powered by AI. We’re reshaping the framework architecture to make it easier for enterprises to apply the tools in the SAFe Toolbox in ways that best align with the challenges they face today.
Beyond launching ARTs, we’re also expanding our support to help organizations improve their entire system of work.
Curious?
Check out the SAFe Explained ebook and the Product Operating Model at Scale white paper for a glimpse into where we’re headed.
Having a little FOMO? Be sure to join us for our next event, SAFe Summit, Denver later this year.
Experiment, complete.
A few months back, I shared that Jenelle and I were investing in a service business called Bean’s Power Clean, which she planned to run after Ford arrived.
Well, at this point, all I can say is that Codie Sanchez nailed it: buy vs. build is absolutely the way to go—especially when life decides to crank up the intensity.
Between Ford’s arrival and the unforeseen challenges around hiring, training, and holding onto dependable team members in this space, it quickly became obvious that the daily grind was more than we were prepared to juggle alongside new parenthood. Instead of forcing it, we decided to close Bean’s and refocus our energy where it matters most right now—family and our core professional commitments.
We learned some valuable lessons around timing, clarity of vision, and why established businesses command a premium. Turns out, skipping over those startup potholes is worth a lot.
Stay tuned—I’ll share this whole experience in a detailed blog post soon. Hopefully, our story helps you dodge a pothole or two of your own.
A great small business: Ballerì Sorrento
Heading to Sorrento, I knew I wanted to find some nice Italian shoes for Jenelle. What I discovered was a fantastic small business crafting high-quality products right there in Sorrento, paired with an outstanding brand experience.
Ballerì Sorrento is located just outside the tourist district, tucked among charming cafés. What makes this place truly special? The thoughtful, personalized customer experience.
I ended up grabbing two pairs of flats for Jenelle—check them out!
Until next month…
I'm finishing this newsletter from the Delta One lounge at JFK (if you haven’t experienced a D1 lounge, you’re seriously missing out), and all I can think about is getting home to my little dude.
I always suspected that becoming a parent would shift my perspective, but I could never have imagined just how deeply.
Regarding the newsletter, I’ve decided to move this content to Substack. In fact, I’m considering moving my blog there as well. Over the last two years, I’ve found the LinkedIn crowd to be a bit too toxic for my liking. Substack, by contrast, feels rich with thoughtful ideas and meaningful conversations.
I hope this platform pivot leads you to something genuinely cool.
Until next month, ciao!
-AM
Latest nerdy content:
Business Agility Now Podcast: Product Management at Scale
White Paper: Product Management at Scale
eBook: SAFe Explained
This will keep you busy for now, and it is a perfect time to create awesome memories that you and your wife will cherish for long, long time :) Enjoy!
So sorry to hear that you decided to close the business. Building a team that you can rely on is indeed the biggest challenge, and I’ve also been through many cycles of hiring & firing people because I didn’t feel they showed even a minimal interest that’s fundamental to building the projects at the level where they need to be. Funny enough, as much as I wanted to build a team around me, I ended up learning how to master the use of AI tools to reduce time needed for content editing (I never outsource content creation). It’s worked better than any VA and social media manager ever before. For work that requires physical help, I now rely on family and freelancers / other businesses.