Mere Mortals Conversations

This is my August Codex, five ideas, plus one bonus, that kept surfacing as I reviewed a month of daily notes, training, family life, work, reading and trying to live a little better.

The idea behind the Codex is simple: instead of collecting notes forever, I want to periodically compress them into principles I can actually use.

This month:

Capacity is not readiness — leaving some capacity unused creates room for recovery, exploration, serendipity and the unexpected.
Recovery is where adaptation happens — rest isn't the absence of the program. It is part of the program.
We before the world — family and the people closest to you shouldn't continually receive whatever capacity is left after everything else.
Childhood is made in the transitions — the big holidays and milestones matter, but so do the hundreds of ordinary moments between them.
Not every inefficient behaviour is mine to own — seeing a better way doesn't automatically make it my responsibility to intervene.

And the bonus:

The goal isn't to fit everything in. It's to know what belongs.

00:00 The August Codex
00:33 1. Capacity is not readiness
04:09 2. Recovery is where adaptation happens
07:13 3. We before the world
10:02 4. Childhood is made in the transitions
12:24 5. Not every inefficiency is mine to own
16:55 BONUS: The goal isn't to fit everything in
20:05 Why I make the Codex

Connect with Mere Mortals:
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It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.

Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?

Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals

Timeline:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:03) August goals review and content creation habits
(00:08:23) August reset, work hours and handstand progress
(00:10:31) Yoga teacher training and finding a better rhythm
(00:16:42) September goals for training, nutrition and content
(00:27:01) Choosing a physical boss battle and robot investing
(00:33:01) September goals on dating, meaning and finances
(00:48:31) Cleaning, moving plans, AI projects and book chat
(00:59:08) Wrap up and ideas for the next conversation 

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
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Another birthday, another refocus.

In Episode #527 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: becoming stronger, faster and more resilient without constantly chasing peaks, aiming to make Mere Mortals a more serious creative institution, build greater career and financial optionality, create a personal “codex” to better retain, apply and share what learnings, being more deliberate about marriage/daughters’ childhood experiences and showing up calmer, warmer and three bigger “boss battle” goals for the year: one major physical challenge, one flagship Mere Mortals project and one unforgettable family experience that creates a defining memory rather than just another busy season.

Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals

Timeline: 
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:00:30) Kyrin's yoga training update
(00:03:46) Why annual goals still matter and how to frame them
(00:09:01) Body goals: strength, speed and staying hard to break
(00:14:51) Mind goals: creativity, content and building a codex
(00:29:30) Soul goals: marriage, fatherhood and staying present
(00:37:29) Boss battles: a big challenge and a flagship project
(00:40:02) Creating unforgettable family memories
(00:49:50) Final reflections and what is coming next 

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
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Robots can already walk, lift, manipulate objects and drive through major cities, but when do they become reliably useful?

Welcome to the first episode of Mere Mortals Robotics: a monthly, plainspoken exploration of robotics, physical AI, automation and the future of work.

In this August 2026 state of play, I look beyond backflips, boxing demonstrations and futuristic marketing to ask where robots are beginning to perform useful, repeatable work.

We explore:

• Why robot intelligence is moving from “see and act” towards “see, plan, check and recover”
• What Gemini Robotics 2 suggests about whole-body control and embodied intelligence
• Whether robotaxis are becoming an ordinary part of life in American cities
• Why 2026 may be a year of convergence for AI, hardware and robotics
• How to separate edited demonstrations from pilots, paid deployments and real fleets
• Where Figure, Agility Robotics, Boston Dynamics, 1X and other humanoid companies currently sit
• Why warehouses remain the clearest economic proof point
• China’s speed in manufacturing and commercialising robots
• The difficult reality of robots inside homes and healthcare
• Australia’s potential advantage in mining, remote operations and space robotics
• The four-part equation for useful robotic labour: capability × reliability × economics × trust

The key idea is simple: watch the work, not just the robot.

00:00 Why I’m starting a robotics podcast
01:39 Working Robots: August 2026
02:24 The robotics signal is getting stronger
03:56 Three developments defining August
06:43 How robot intelligence is changing
08:10 Are robotaxis becoming ordinary?
10:16 Is 2026 the year of convergence?
11:26 From imitation to orchestration
12:14 The robotics evidence ladder
14:05 Industrial robots versus spectacle
14:51 Why warehouses are the economic proof
15:43 China’s robotics manufacturing advantage
16:38 The difficult reality of home robots
17:49 Australia, mining and space robotics
19:52 The equation for useful robotic labour
22:01 What to watch through the end of 2026
24:36 Where Mere Mortals Robotics goes next

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
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It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.

Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?

Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals

Timeline: 
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:21) A rough July of sickness, cleaning and winter slump
(00:05:03) AI pet owl, Clippy vibes and motivation systems
(00:07:59) August body goals: training, recovery and turf prep
(00:11:21) Mind goals: content creation, money review and codex notes
(00:16:54) Soul goals: marriage, fatherhood and staying calm
(00:19:41) Boss battle, robotics podcast and holiday planning
(00:22:00) No new goals, house cleanup and yoga training
(00:24:39) The dream of frictionless livestreaming with AI
(00:28:31) Getting back into training and closing reflections 

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
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 Juan's going to teach us about robots and stuff, beep boop.

In Episode #526 of 'Meanderings', Juan and I discuss: when robots might actually arrive in everyday life, the difference between software progress in AI and the much tougher challenge of getting machines to move reliably in the physical world, why humanoid robots are so compelling yet so difficult, how the earliest large-scale robotics wins will likely happen in high-value/dangerous/efficiency-driven industries, thoughts on autonomous vehicles/robotic lawn mowing/nanobots/giant industrial machines and the economics that determine whether a robot is genuinely useful or just expensive theatre.

Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals

Timeline: 
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:03:16) Will robots actually take jobs or just shift work?
(00:07:26) Why tech adoption is slower than the hype
(00:12:29) What counts as a robot and why AI matters
(00:16:00) The hard engineering behind real world robotics
(00:22:01) Robot fighters, humanoids and the money flowing in
(00:27:30) Where robots will first make economic sense
(00:34:22) Nanobots, giant machines and robot form factors
(00:41:36) Movement data, manufacturing limits and home robots
(00:49:28) A new monthly robotics podcast and final thoughts 

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
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At some point, doing harder things stops being growth.

The more important question becomes: Is your ambition creating more life, or slowly consuming the life it was supposed to improve?

In this Mere Mortals philosophy episode, I work through 17 personal lessons from the first part of 2026. These ideas have come from documenting my daily life as a husband, father of two young daughters, athlete, engineer, podcaster, business owner and someone still trying to understand how all those identities fit together.

00:00 Introduction
02:13 Life is a system
05:57 Stop proving you can do hard things
09:02 Strength should be useful
10:58 Recovery is part of ambition
12:23 Visible love beats assumed love
14:50 Attention is the rarest wealth
16:49 Build routines for bad days
17:53 Maintenance is deferred respect
18:38 Reduce fragility, not just cost
20:18 Wealth is reduced helplessness
21:13 Long-term games pay in capability first
23:27 Mere Mortals as a public curriculum
24:43 Curiosity needs a calendar
25:14 Why the access layer may matter
26:44 Family is the reason, not the interruption
28:11 Calmness is infrastructure
29:18 Tiny shifts need big meaning
30:31 Is your ambition creating more life?
31:39 Maximum intensity is not the goal
33:25 Final thoughts

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
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 How do celebrations differ in their rituals, level of fun & meaning?

In Episode #525 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: where celebration can start to feel more like obligation, a run of weddings for close friends, the difference between meaningful commemoration and going through the motions, what makes effort feel worthwhile and the idea that the most memorable celebrations tend to be less complex and more intense.

Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals

Timeline:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:54) Wedding rituals, obligation and finding meaning
(00:04:42) Marathon medals and commemorating effort
(00:09:03) How much do you really celebrate achievements
(00:11:28) Three weddings compared: fun versus obligation
(00:19:14) Half marathon, marathon and the Kokoda challenge
(00:28:28) Joy, choice and having a strong why
(00:35:31) What makes events memorable: intensity or complexity
(00:46:46) How to design better celebrations and future plans 

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
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Are we buying Bitcoin to compensate for our fragile masculinities?

In Episode #524 of 'Meanderings', Juan and I discuss: are young men drawn to Bitcoin and crypto because of masculinity, how easy it is for commentators to analyse online language to cherry-pick the loudest voices and build a sweeping narrative from that, our personal journey with Bitcoin and why we still find it compelling today, whether Bitcoin’s future is as a widely used currency and what actually gives something value.

Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals

Timeline:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:02:07) Bitcoin Bros and the masculinity angle
(00:06:54) Where the book gets Bitcoin right and wrong
(00:15:35) From NFT jokes to why they would buy Bitcoin today
(00:23:22) Their personal Bitcoin journeys and travel lessons
(00:30:04) Is Bitcoin mainly a financial asset or something more
(00:40:16) Will Bitcoin usage shrink as tech and payments evolve
(00:47:51) Bear market mood, volatility and long term adoption
(01:05:12) Australian digital dollars, VC trends and market scepticism
(01:17:01) Could energy or compute become the next currency?
(01:19:49) Next week: celebrations, milestones and obligation

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
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Value 4 Value Support:
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It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.

Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?

Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals

Timeline: 
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:24) Marathon recap and keeping the running going
(00:05:37) Book reviews, annual goals and June reflections
(00:07:40) Dating, Stoicism and June goal progress
(00:13:08) Kangaroo Point living and thoughts on attraction
(00:18:54) World Cup distractions and missed financial focus
(00:20:14) Simple July goals and annual review planning
(00:25:02) AI work, podcast systems and workflow automation
(00:32:39) Open versus closed AI and where to focus
(00:37:09) Human connection in an AI heavy future
(00:43:45) Fitness updates, planche training and prehab
(00:46:41) World Cup chat and next week's book teaser 

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts

Value 4 Value Support:
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