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Explore Nathan’s latest ideas, articles, blog posts, and press features about CTRL ALT SURVIVE.

Latest Features

Be More Daring Than AI

Be More Daring Than AI

LLMs, as we've discussed, are talented at consensus, because they are designed to average concepts together. This means that we're seeing a flood of "generated" concepts that are boring, derivative, consensus ideas. Writing and artwork that is offensively inoffensive....

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LLMs are very good at Family Feud.

LLMs are very good at Family Feud.

Hey.We need to have a talk about “AI.”Large language models use algebra and predictive text to generate responses to prompts. The grandfather of this technology was the predictive text on your Nokia phone in 2006. You would say “I am going to the-“ and like magic -...

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5 Ways to Force AI to Color Outside the Lines

5 Ways to Force AI to Color Outside the Lines

Tragically for creatives, the value of novelty is often eclipsed by the safety of consensus. This is especially true when you're working with AI, where overvalued consensus is a barrier to innovation. As users of what is popularly called "generative AI" and what...

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9 Ways To Jump-start Communication At Your Company

9 Ways To Jump-start Communication At Your Company

Create Informal Communication Channels Set up casual communication channels where employees can share non-work-related interests. These informal spaces help build personal connections and foster a sense of community. I've seen co-workers bond over love of food, pets,...

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Unconventional Results Require Unconventional Strategy

Unconventional Results Require Unconventional Strategy

If you want unconventional results, you have to do unconventional things.16 years ago, my friend Bret Johnson asked me to pause my IT career and help him build a church in Las Vegas. The church was meeting in a strip mall, but he had a big vision to create community...

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Four Stocks You Can’t Buy

Four Stocks You Can’t Buy

There are four stocks I wish I could own. But I can't, because these companies are privately held. These are great businesses. So great that they aren't interested in taking money from investors, because they know what they've got, and they're probably not going to...

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What People Are Saying

“Nathan shares here a blend of hard-won insights and practical strategies for entrepreneurs who understand that people and relationships are key to business success.”

– Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI and NY Times Bestselling Author

“Nathan Phinney’s insights are profound and actionable. This book is a must-read for any entrepreneur.”

– Sarah Thompson, Founder of Startup Hub

“A compelling read that challenges conventional wisdom and inspires innovation.”

– Michael Lee, Business Strategist

Nathan Phinney

Nathan is a distinguished technologist and Chief Information Officer, possessing extensive experience in spearheading information management teams across organizations ranging from small startups to large enterprises with over 1,000 employees. In the 2010s, he co-founded an IT service provider, guiding the company to a multi-million dollar valuation and acquisition in 2020.

For inquiries on M&A, SOC2 compliance, cloud computing services, and IT security measures, Nathan offers his expertise. He is well-versed in leveraging these protocols to fortify trust and catalyze growth within your enterprise.

Nathan articulates his ethos with clarity: “I like my work, but I love the people I work with. Technology is a fulcrum. It’s a tool. I’ve always said that we should use technology to move information to help people, and that’s what I get to do every day.”