42

Progress 84/2

Years ago, I started and ran a small networking company. We built workstations, server racks, ran cable, installed security cameras, and set up software to make companies operate more efficiently and effectively. What was once done on paper invoices moved to spreadsheets and calculation software. Inventory was managed by machines. Advertising shifted from word-of-mouth to online.

Progress.

We transformed mom-and-pop businesses into well-oiled digital machines. The desk clerk's role evolved. Gone were the days of pencil sharpeners scraping away space for another entry—replaced by the rhythmic clicks of data entry.

Were we hated? Was I doing a bad thing? Had I replaced someone who'd been doing that job successfully for 30+ years? Did the owner even care?

These are the questions that come with progress.

You Suck 21×2

Progress can be ugly. Efficiency often replaces roles that once fed families, defined careers, and gave people purpose. Humans aren't built for change at this speed—we're creatures of habit. So when the ground shifts beneath us, you become the villain simply for keeping up.

So what do you do during times like these—when change is accelerating faster than comfort allows?

You decide: Do you adapt? Do you resist? Do you stand still?

Decisions *

If I had a magic button that enforced a Dune-style law—"Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind"—I might be tempted to press it.

Why? Isn't AI just progress? Why fear something that promises to solve humanity's biggest challenges?

Because the issue with algorithms, models, and systems designed for a single optimized outcome is that they're binary by nature. They don't understand morality—they reinforce what they're told is "good."

Reality

We're at a turning point. The workforce—especially in tech—is expected to deliver more, faster, with fewer people. AI-augmented engineers are not the future; they're the present.

No matter how you feel about it, progress doesn't wait for your opinion.

Does this mean we stop writing code or creating altogether? Not at all.

The new reality is this:
English is the new programming language.

AI isn't here to replace us—it's here to amplify what we can do. But like any powerful tool, it requires a skilled pilot. The challenge now isn't using AI—it's getting it to do what you actually want.

AI isn't perfect. It won't replace your curiosity, creativity, or your satisfaction in solving the problem yourself.

Because in the end, if AI does all the work for you, you may reach the destination—but you'll miss the journey. That's where the real joy lives.

So yes, the answer might be 42.

But maybe it's time we start asking better questions.

The Hunt

Justin Posey's Fenn treasure hunt was more than a game—it was a reflection of how curiosity, creativity, and technology intersect. He built tools, analyzed data, and connected dots in ways that fascinated some and frustrated others. People were divided not because of what he found, but because of how he found it.

This is all my opinion, based on what I've seen, read, and experienced—like everyone else trying to understand the mind of a hunter and the intent of the one who hid the treasure.

What would Justin do today, standing where we are now—in an age where anyone can summon models, maps, and information that once took years to collect? Would he use AI to chase someone else's treasure? Would he feel the same thrill, or maybe a strange emptiness because the path became too easy?

We can't know. But it's worth asking.

As Justin once said:

"Here's what I learned after a decade of treasure hunting: it's not about the gold. It's about understanding the mind of the person who hid it—their story, their obsessions, the places that shaped them."

And that's the part so many people miss when they tell an AI, "Solve this hunt for me." They're asking for the destination, not the discovery. They're skipping the one thing that gives meaning to the chase—understanding why the treasure was hidden at all.

AI isn't a solver—it's a searchlight. It lets us explore the archives, codebases, data, and stories we once thought were inaccessible. I've seen junior developers become seniors in less than a year, and principal engineers multiply their capabilities tenfold. But the ones who truly grow aren't the ones who ask AI for the answer—they're the ones who learn to ask better questions.

So maybe the real treasure isn't the answer. It's the curiosity that pushes us to find one.

The Caterpillar once asked Alice, "Who are you?"

And like Alice, after changing so many times, she wasn't sure anymore. Maybe that's the point. Progress keeps asking that same question—and if we're brave enough to keep answering it, we stay part of the journey.

The Tool

Which brings me to why I built Obsession Tracker ™.

I'm currently chasing Beyond the Map's Edge—a treasure hunt that demands everything treasure hunts demand: research, organization, boots on the ground, and countless hours piecing together clues.

But I kept running into the same problem. I was bouncing between apps—one for land ownership data, another for photos, a separate folder for documents, a different map for GPS tracking. My research was scattered across a dozen places, and every time I went into the field, I'd forget where I'd stored something critical.

And then there was the privacy issue.

Most GPS apps send your location data to their servers. Every breadcrumb, every waypoint, every path you take—stored on someone else's computer. When you're hunting for treasure, your location data is the treasure. I didn't want my search patterns sitting in a database somewhere, waiting to be sold or leaked.

So I built what I needed:

• All data encrypted on my device—not uploaded to any server
• Land ownership data at my fingertips (BLM, Forest Service, private property)
• Photos, documents, and notes organized by hunt
• GPS tracking that stays on my phone
• Everything in one place, ready when I need it

I built it for myself. But after months of using it in the field, I realized other hunters might want the same thing—a tool that respects both the hunt and the hunter.

So now it's available to anyone who wants it.

obsessiontracker.com
Download for iOS · Download for Android

Because sometimes the best tools are the ones built by someone who actually needs them.