Field Notes by Ryan J. SmithEssays on AI, work, fear, and Chicago.https://ryanjeffreysmith.com/Stanford, Logistics, and the Quiet Work That Actually Changes Healthcarehttps://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/stanford-logistics-and-the-quiet-work-that-actually-changes-healthcare/https://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/stanford-logistics-and-the-quiet-work-that-actually-changes-healthcare/A visit to Stanford Hospital and a long conversation about freight. The AI work that changes healthcare is mostly unglamorous, and that is the point.Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTI’ve Never Seen the Bears Win, and I Still Believehttps://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/i-ve-never-seen-the-bears-win-and-i-still-believe/https://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/i-ve-never-seen-the-bears-win-and-i-still-believe/The Bears haven't won a Super Bowl in my lifetime, and I still watch every press conference. On Devin Hester, Chicago, and the long game.Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTShowing Up Mattershttps://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/showing-up-matters/https://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/showing-up-matters/I went to Latinos Making Moves in AI & Cybersecurity to listen, not to speak. What allyship looks like when none of the attention is coming your way.Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTI Sat Alone in a Room and Spoke to the Futurehttps://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/i-sat-alone-in-a-room-and-spoke-to-the-future/https://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/i-sat-alone-in-a-room-and-spoke-to-the-future/I recorded the audiobook for Punching Above Your Weight by myself, with one microphone and no engineer. What it's like to read your own words out loud, and why I had to.Mon, 14 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTA Shelf, A Turtle, and a Quiet Victoryhttps://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/a-shelf-a-turtle-and-a-quiet-victory/https://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/a-shelf-a-turtle-and-a-quiet-victory/Book Bin in Northbrook agreed to carry three copies of my book. I didn't expect it to hit me as hard as it did.Fri, 11 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTWhat Fear Teaches Me About AIhttps://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/what-fear-teaches-me-about-ai/https://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/what-fear-teaches-me-about-ai/What my dad taught me about fear, why so many people are afraid of AI, and the book I finally stopped putting off.Thu, 10 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTWhy I Created the Book Club Guidehttps://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/why-i-created-the-book-club-guide/https://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/why-i-created-the-book-club-guide/Reading a book alone can change your mind. Reading it with other people can change your life. Why I made a free discussion guide for Punching Above Your Weight.Sat, 05 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTProof of the Supermindhttps://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/proof-of-the-supermind/https://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/proof-of-the-supermind/I woke up to find my book at #8 on Amazon's new releases in artificial intelligence. What a book written in a week says about people and machines working together.Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTHow I Wrote a Book in a Week and Released It in a Monthhttps://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/how-i-wrote-a-book-in-a-week-and-released-it-in-a-month/https://ryanjeffreysmith.com/fieldnotes/how-i-wrote-a-book-in-a-week-and-released-it-in-a-month/Everything it took to get Punching Above Your Weight from an idea to a published book in under thirty days, including the parts nobody talks about.Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT