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I've done a lot of different things over the years, from a start as a full stack…
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Articles by Nate
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Why Every Small Business Needs a Sales “Fitbit”
Why Every Small Business Needs a Sales “Fitbit”
One of the hardest choices facing small business leaders is “how much time do I spend on activity X” when there are so…
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Good technology decisions: A framework for CFOs and other non-technical leaders
Good technology decisions: A framework for CFOs and other non-technical leaders
Increasingly complex technology decisions can make or break your organization, but you don’t have to be a technologist…
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Want to make your job, life, and small business better?
Want to make your job, life, and small business better?
Learn the the incredible super power that almost no one teaches you, mostly because it looks boring and involves…
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Feeling anxious about time away from work? Here’s how to ditch the stress and embrace your holiday bliss!
Feeling anxious about time away from work? Here’s how to ditch the stress and embrace your holiday bliss!
A process for “putting it down” when you feel like vacation will put your business or career success in jeopardy. As…
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What business leaders should learn from the worst and still ongoing hack in American history
What business leaders should learn from the worst and still ongoing hack in American history
Even the slow moving US government is acknowledging that it’s time to change how we do business. You could be forgiven…
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The Action Economy and the rise of the AI Agents
The Action Economy and the rise of the AI Agents
Get ready for tension with your coworkers What is the Action Economy Action Economy is a term of art in the game theory…
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Five steps executives should take for the ethical use of AI
Five steps executives should take for the ethical use of AI
After 20 years of consulting across seven industries, I have seen a variety of novel technologies be discovered and…
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Nonprofits should engage with AI
Nonprofits should engage with AI
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to proliferate across industries, it's crucial that nonprofits are involved…
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Create practical and sustainable change with an Engagement Platform Roadmap
Create practical and sustainable change with an Engagement Platform Roadmap
Ever have that acute feeling of miasma that comes from having identified a problem but knowing that you’ll need to…
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Growth is in the air!
Growth is in the air!
Spring is a time when the cold starts to recede, green buds start to push out of the soil and the world seems to come…
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Nate Parsons shared thisThree decisions. Same shape every time. A competent person proposed something reasonable. Nobody was wrong on the technical merits. And in every case the better business decision came from a question that had nothing to do with technical skill — and everything to do with context the expert simply didn't have. That's the part most leaders get backwards. You'll never win the "know more than my engineers" game. But you own the context they're missing: your real size, your real risk tolerance, your real constraints. They optimize for technical correctness. You optimize for *fit.* Three questions do that, and none require code: **Scale** — "Whose situation is this built for?" **Evidence** — "Is this number measured or assumed?" **Reversibility** — "If we're wrong, will we know, and can we undo it?" Ask them as a collaborator, not a prosecutor — you're handing your expert the context that makes their design better. And treat them as a stress test for any vendor. One who can't tell you whose scale they assume, where their numbers come from, or what happens when they're wrong is a dependency to deepen slowly. You can't out-engineer your experts. You don't need to. You just need to out-question them. → Full article: https://lnkd.in/grypsFgF → If this resonates, let's talk: pathpractical.com
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Nate Parsons shared thisThe system raised a tempting option: automatically merge records it *thinks* belong to the same person. It's faster. It's cleaner. It's what the efficient design does. We deliberately chose not to — at least not yet. Here's why. This is a donor organization, and the whole relationship runs on trust. If the system silently merges two different people, that error is nearly invisible. No alarm. The data just quietly becomes wrong — wrong history, wrong communications, maybe one person's information exposed to another. By the time anyone notices, the damage is done. So instead of automatic merging in the fast path, uncertain matches go to a person for review. Slower. Less elegant. But every merge is deliberate and reversible. **The executive insight:** "Faster" and "more automated" are not free upgrades — they cost you in reversibility. Before you automate a decision, ask what happens when it's wrong, whether you'll even notice, and whether you can undo it. Where errors are silent and damage is hard to reverse, a slower human-checked process isn't inefficiency. It's insurance. The question that mattered: *"If this gets it wrong, will we know — and can we take it back?"* → Full article: https://lnkd.in/grypsFgF
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Nate Parsons shared thisWhen the project was scoped, everyone agreed on the number: about 2 million events a month. It was in the proposal. It shaped the budget, the architecture, the timeline. Nobody questioned it — because it had been repeated enough to feel like a measurement. It wasn't a measurement. It was a guess. When we actually counted the live data from a single source, the real number was 23 million events — *per day.* Roughly a 300x miss. The fix was almost embarrassingly cheap: before committing to anything, we ran a query that simply counted the data. An afternoon of work caught a problem that would have cost months. When nobody researches the real load, you're exposed in both directions — you either build a fortress against traffic that never comes, or you get flattened by traffic you never saw. **The executive insight:** A number that gets repeated is not a number that's been verified. Before you let a figure drive a budget or a build, ask what it's actually based on — and whether anyone has measured the real thing instead of guessing. The verification is almost always cheaper than the mistake. → Full article: https://lnkd.in/grypsFgF
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Nate Parsons shared thisWe needed a system to recognize the same person across email, web, and phone. The team came back with the textbook design: dedicated database, caching layer, automatic merging. Clean, professional — and what every senior engineer reaches for, because it's *correct*. The problem wasn't correctness. It was scale. That architecture is built for thousands of lookups per second. We were going to do single digits. The "standard" version ran $60–250/month. The right-sized one ran $5–70. Here's what's really going on, and it happens constantly: absent hard numbers, a good engineer designs for the unknown. The instinct is honorable — make sure nothing ever breaks. So they build an industrial bridge rated for tanks, when what the situation needed was someone to weigh the traffic and post a sign that reads *weight limit: 5 tons.* **The executive insight:** "Industry standard" almost always means standard for a company much bigger than yours. Sometimes you don't need the bridge — you need the sign. Your job is to push for the research, and insist on the version sized for the business you actually run, with a written path to upgrade when reality demands it. The question that unlocked it wasn't technical: *"What size of company is this built for, and how does that compare to us?"* → Full article: https://lnkd.in/grypsFgF
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Nate Parsons shared thisThe most expensive technical decisions I've watched executives make weren't made by executives. They were made by a smart engineer or a trusted vendor — confidently, with a slide deck — while the leader nodded along. Not out of carelessness. The proposal *sounded right*, used words they didn't fully own, and came from someone they'd hired precisely because that person knew more than they did. Here's the trap: your experts are almost never *wrong*. They're answering a different question than the one your business is actually asking. You will never out-engineer the people you hired. That's not the job. The job is to ask the question that exposes the unexamined default — and you don't need to write a line of code to do it. This week I'm breaking down three real decisions from a recent engagement, and the three questions that turn "trust me" into a decision you can actually stand behind. → Full article: https://lnkd.in/grypsFgF
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Nate Parsons posted thisPartially collapsed lung, seven broken ribs, shattered clavicle... how's your week going so far? A Monday reminder to appreciate the little things!
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Nate Parsons reposted thisNate Parsons reposted thisTo my marketing & comms friends: are you looking to grow your client portfolios and take on any new projects? I'd like to make a few introductions for contract / project-based opportunities across marketing and communications. My healthcare and health equity work continues to grow and I would love to connect some of the exceptional people in my network in areas like messaging, content development, copyediting, social media/influencer relations, brand strategy, graphic design, sales enablement development, Hubspot strategy, etc. for some exciting work! Feel free to DM me and let me know the type of work you've been doing and what you're looking for. Please feel free to share this with anyone in your network who may be looking for new opportunities! (Photo by Samantha Gades on Unsplash)
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Nate Parsons reposted thisNate Parsons reposted thisWe are one week out from our Folk Tech Showcase! Featuring amazing projects such as Roundabout, Semble, Mirlo, Flotilla, OpenHaven, Spacious, The Protopian Prize, Moss, Inkverse, The Governance Memory System, and more! Interested in emerging community tech, creative platforms, and other non-extractive technologies? Join us for a cool spacial expo and learn more. Hosted by WorkAdventure ! Register here: https://luma.com/h0o701wf
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Nate Parsons shared thisThe businesses that thrived after Uber's price normalization were the ones who used the cheap-ride window to build their own logistics muscle. They didn't just enjoy the $1.50 ride. They used it to build something. AI is giving you that window right now. Costs are low enough to experiment. Switching costs are still manageable. The architecture decisions that will protect you in 18 months are the ones you make today. Take 30 minutes this week. Map your AI spend against the three layers. Where are you building dependency? Where are you building capability? One will age well. The other won't. → Full article: https://lnkd.in/dtcqjZEa → If this resonates, let's talk: pathpractical.com
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Nate Parsons liked thisNate Parsons liked thisSo I curated the Solidarity Tech track at #DWebCamp2026 and it felt so rewarding! First of all, we mostly had workshops and discussions rather than big talks and panels and that felt really relational and thought-provoking. I came away thinking about how we might dream into existence a new event that still came with the grounding of decentralised, p2p, and community-owned technology, but centred the people with long histories of truly liberatory social technologies who know what interdependence, relationship to place, and non-carceral governance structures actually feel like. And there is also just so much to process and take into the way we practice together in this work. I want to thank the amazing people who showed up to bring these sessions, including Riley Wong (pictured), Bruno Caldas Vianna, Hiure Queiroz, Calum Bowden, Brad Hutcheson, ⁂ Tommaso Marmo, Matthew Lorentz, Blake Stoner, Madelynn Martiniere, Pumsuanhang S., Luandro Vieira, Richard Ng, Nádia Coelho Pontes, Esther Jang, Rose Regina Lawrence, Yisi Liu, Dan Visel, Tara Merk, Guo Liu, and other folks who do not LinkedIn. 😇 Also so much appreciation to the space stewards Anh L. and Will Howes and to really everyone who showed up and made the conversations happen. How can we take these threads and weave them into the future that sustains living systems? Much more to explore!
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Nate Parsons reacted on thisNate Parsons reacted on this🚀 Just published a deep-dive guide on Custom Event Enrichment using Segment Functions! If you're working with customer data and want to enrich or transform events in real time without spinning up new infrastructure, Segment.io has a powerful tool for you: Destination Functions. 🔧 In this article, I cover: 1. What Segment Functions are & when to use them 2. Real-world enrichment logic (e.g., adding customer tiers, filtering test users) 3. Full code examples with explanations 4. Step-by-step deployment guide 5. Best practices to keep your data clean, scalable, and useful 📊 Whether you're in data engineering, product analytics, or marketing ops, this is a must-read if you use Segment in your stack. #CustomerData #SegmentIO #DataEngineering #EventEnrichment #CDP #SegmentFunctions #MarketingOps #ProductAnalytics #JavaScript #DataQuality #GrowthEngineering #DataStackMastering Event Enrichment in Segment: A Deep Dive into Custom Functions for Real-Time Data TransformationMastering Event Enrichment in Segment: A Deep Dive into Custom Functions for Real-Time Data Transformation
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Nate Parsons reacted on thisNate Parsons reacted on thisMy group program is starting next week, and I cannot wait to start helping my cohort show up with real confidence and embrace visibility in a whole new way. There's still 2 slots open if you're ready to take a leap.
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Nate Parsons liked thisNate Parsons liked thisIf you just stepped into a marketing director role, this one is for you. The pressure hits fast. You have to use the budget before the fiscal year closes, clear the backlog, show the new team you have a handle on things. Performance and SEO feel like the right place to start. They show up in reports. You can point to them. What's harder to see is what's underneath them. We're working with a director right now who inherited exactly this situation. They had a backlog they couldn't prioritize and a budget they needed to protect before the fiscal year closed. They knew things needed attention but couldn't get a clear read on where to start. When we dug in, we found outdated modules, an implementation far more complex than the goal it was built to serve, and spaghetti code that caused regressions every time a fix went in. The site looked like it was running. The foundation had real problems. I went out to my garden this morning and found dragonflies moving through the wildflowers I planted along the edge of my vegetable beds. That border wasn't decorative. Wildflowers attract dragonflies. Dragonflies eat up to 100 mosquitoes a day. The companion work was quietly doing its job. Security, compliance, and code quality are the wildflowers of a Drupal site. They don't drive headline metrics. They protect everything that does. Bright Plum, Inc. - A white-glove, certified Drupal support shop guarantees diagnosing and fixing the core issues in the first 30 days and handed her our full set of 30+ playbooks so she could see exactly how the whole system fits together. We focus on what's priority, what's companion work, and what the system is actually doing for their audience. For the first time, they had a clear picture of what needed attention and why. What would a 30-day diagnostic surface on your Drupal site? https://lnkd.in/gWny8EG8 #Drupal #highered #websecurity #webdevelopment
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Nate Parsons liked thisNate Parsons liked thisIf you've been following what we've been sharing on the enterprise intelligence layer, and you want to keep that thinking coming directly to your feed, Chris Johnson is the person to follow. As Phase2's Principal Technologist, Chris leads our AI and data strategy work. He's the one writing and speaking about what it takes to build AI that performs in complex and regulated environments. Connect with CJ on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/eYArAes8
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Nate Parsons liked thisNate Parsons liked thisIt’s an honor to be in included in Voyage Baltimore https://lnkd.in/e3z6BgT5
Experience
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Georgia.gov
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Hired by the Georgia Technology Authority to migrate 65 websites off a mixture of Vignette 6 & 7 legacy websites to a Drupal platform based architecture. Georgia.gov, the entry portal site to other agency sites was built with a responsive design and made heavy use of a suggestive search centric IA making use of a Google search appliance and custom OneBox development and integration with Drupal.
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John Siefert
"I started to realize there was a major overlap between SEO best practices and accessibility best practices," said Taylor Dorward CPACC when I asked him about some of the recent revelations and innovations that are shaping the state of accessibility in business, on the Cloud Wars AI Agent & Copilot Podcast. Tune in for my favorite moment below Dynamic Communities, and check out the entire podcast here: https://lnkd.in/gEr4zviZ
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Kristen Wiltse
Maintaining the health and security of open source tools is more important than ever, especially in the age of AI. Excited to see two of my clients, Drupal Association and Sonar, featured in The New Stack's article where writer Bill Doerrfeld expertly discusses what teams should do when critical open source projects reach end of life. https://lnkd.in/eHcr46SZ
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Fredric Mitchell
A quick thought on makers and takers that I've been sitting on for awhile, especially given that #DrupalConVienna is this week. As it's framed, there are two sides. Yet, we are one #Drupal community. To me, that is the story of open source, especially after being in it for 17+ years. ↳ I have seen the #Drupal community grow from a handful of dreamers to a global force. ↳ I have watched as some build, code, and give their time for free. ↳ I have seen others use, benefit, and sometimes never give back. But here’s something to consider: ↳ Both makers and takers are needed. ↳ Makers of #Drupal push the limits, create new tools, and keep the engine running. #Drupalcon Vienna is a testament to that. ↳ Takers spread the word, use the tools, and show the world what’s possible. Is this is a battle? Perhaps it's a strive for balance. Here’s what I’ve learned after years in open source: 1. Makers are the heartbeat: ↪ We write code, fix bugs, and answer late-night calls for help. 2. Takers are the proof: ↪ They use what’s built, find the gaps, and show what works in the real world. 3. Both sides teach us: ↪ Makers learn what people need. Takers learn how things are made. 4. Growth comes from both: ↪ When makers and takers talk, share, and listen, the whole #Drupal community gets stronger. 5. Investment is key: ↪ Time, money, and care must flow both ways. We must invest in local #Drupal communities, their ecosystems, and in each other. 6. The microcosm matters: ↪ Every open source project is a small world. What works here can work anywhere. 7. The future is shared: ↪ The best ideas come from many hands, not just a few. I have seen projects fail when one side is missing. I have seen magic happen when both sides show up. Open source is not just about code. It’s about people. It’s about building together, using together, and growing together. If we want #Drupal — and any open source project — to thrive, we must keep investing. To me, this looks like a more robust connection with the local #Drupal communities in the U.S., like Pacific Northwest Drupal Summit, MidCamp, BADCamp, Florida DrupalCamp, Drupal Camp Chattanooga, Drupal 4 Gov, etc. Keep investing in the technology. And in each other. That’s how we get through the storm. That’s how we all win.
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