Blog Posts
Explore Ben's thoughts on Sales Engineering, web development, leadership, and technology.
Featured Articles
My most important posts on Sales Engineering, career development, and technology leadership.
- On job applications
Considering joining my team (at Vercel)?
All Articles
Complete archive of all blog posts, organized chronologically.
- Building an AI Chatbot with Vercel AI SDK and AI Gateway
How I built a professional AI chatbot for my personal site using Vercel's AI infrastructure, Next.js, and a custom floating interface. A deep dive into the technical implementation, RAG considerations, and the benefits of Vercel's AI ecosystem. - Optimising for AI SEO with Next.js and Vercel
A comprehensive approach to making your website AI-friendly using Next.js App Router, Vercel's edge infrastructure, and modern web standards. How I transformed my site for better AI discoverability and search rankings. - The 5 Levels of Authority
It's essential for the expectations of the manager and the team member to be aligned. - Bluesky profile update automation
Automating Bluesky profile updates with Next.js and Vercel Cron - New Site Photos, powered by Flickr, created by v0
It's day 1 of 2024, and I've already done what will be one of my favourite activites for the year - Day One
It's day 1 of 2024, and I've already done what will be one of my favourite activites for the year - The Technical Presales Triangle
Capability, Value, Implication - Touched By An Angel
a beautiful poem by Maya Angelou - The Poem Tree
From an engraving made on a tree in 1844... - Starting a new role
... is like starting a new game - Error ‘unable to verify the first certificate’
…this error left npm and many of my CLI tool inoperable - How to measure the Sales Engineers
... though not everything that matters can be measured - Story Collecting
One of my favourite hobbies - On job applications
Considering joining my team (at Vercel)? - Why care?
On the benefits of compassion. - Chambers encyclopaedia, 1890
1890, on 'flight' - My Flight Album
Dreamer on the run - Top 5s
Books, Music, Films - Changing Sundays
How we spend our time, energy and attention are perhaps the most fundamental of our choices. - On Hobbies
I've been wondering about new hobbies for a while - The 2020 Web Almanac
Co-Author of the Media chapter - Better Nextjs Responsive Images using Sizes
Give the browser the information it needs - Better Nextjs Responsive Image Breakpoints
More considered image candidate lists - Image Art Direction
Leveraging the Picture element - Careers Thoughts
How do you quantify the value of a job? - Drexler Sibbet model
Orientation, trust, goals, commitments, implemetation, high performance, renewal - Short Lessons for the Kids
Some thoughts while in-flight - Cloudinary Images
- Essential First Aid
- Fight or Flight
Everything you ever wanted is on the other side of your fears. - The Struggle
Sometimes help is a hindrance - Responsive Images in Jekyll without a plugin
- Embedding Videos into Jekyll without a plugin
- Getting Kids Into Coding
It's never too early to start - NaBloPoMo Finale
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back - Live Fully Now
'Now' is both immeasurably small, and utterly all there is - Blog Posts - Categories & Tags
A guide to organizing blog content with categories and tags for better discoverability and SEO. Covers best practices for content structure and taxonomy. - Sales
Is discovering that one of the walls, turned out to be a curtain that you can step beyond. - Content Consumption & Sharing Workflow
A personal workflow for managing content consumption and curation using Twitter, Feedly, Pocket, Evernote, and Pinboard for effective information management. - Moving To Mac
- Another Lap of the Sun
- The Ratchet
A ratchet is a mechanical device that allows continuous linear or rotary motion in only one direction while preventing motion in the opposite direction. - What Motivates Us
Autonomy : Mastery : Purpose - Capturing Whiteboard Photos
- Focus
Distractions stop us from becoming who we want to be. - Alan Watts
Alan Watts was a British philosopher, writer, and speaker best known as an interpreter and populariser of Eastern philosophy for a Western audience - Home Photography Workflow
Curation is an act of love - Curation is an act of love
Maybe in curating photographs, we are curating our own identity, both for ourselves and our family and friends. - Making the most of your fears
Mortal fear, even when unwarranted, is a great opportunity for a life audit. Which are the things you would wish you had done... if this was the end? - Halfway
- We're In This Together
Share what you learn - Reflecting On The Weekend
- Photo365 - Flickr API
- Dynamic Images 101 - NaBloPoMo 10
- Responsive Images 101 - NaBloPoMo 9
An introduction to Responsive Images, srcset & sizes, and the picture element. - Jekyll Responsive Images without plugins - NaBloPoMo 8
- Mobile Git with Git2Go - Jekyll workflow - NaBloPoMo 7
- URL Schemes and 1Writer - Jekyll workflow - NaBloPoMo 6
- Jekyll Markdown Skeleton automation with Workflow App - NaBloPoMo 5
- Migrating Existing Content From Wordpress to Jekyll - NaBloPoMo 4
- Getting Started with Github Pages - NaBloPoMo 3
- Jekyll Static Site Generator - NaBloPoMo 2
- Getting back into blogging - NaBloPoMo 1
Starting NaBloPoMo 2016 with a commitment to daily blogging, exploring mobile-first content creation and Jekyll workflow improvements. - Assert Your Freedom of Attention
Insights on protecting your attention and focus in a world of constant digital distractions, inspired by talks from Christopher Murphy and James Williams. - Be A Better Me
Personal development goals and strategies for continuous improvement, focusing on becoming a better version of yourself through intentional growth. - Practical Responsive Images : Book
The power of images isn’t just about improving website conversion. - You can't manage what you don't measure
As you may have read my previous posts on healthy working, I have been endeavouring to better manage some of my day-to-day lifestyle habits. - Healthy Working : Standing-Desk Edition
- Azure Like It
Getting started with Microsoft Azure Websites - Over Engineering : 800 years of Operation
The Hook lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in the world. - The Apprentice Bowl
If you have not succeeded after 3 attempts you have two choices... - Healthy Working
In lieu of a sit/standing desk, I’m going to give this a bash... - Lightening Review of 2013
Inspired by @rem’s review, but lacking the time to do a proper post, here is my lightening review of 2013, (sorry I didn’t have the time needed to make it shorter - Node.js : hour 1
During half term, Em and the kids were off visiting family for a few days. - Terminal Velocity
I had one of those problems to solve, that initially had me toying with blowing the dust of some Python, but in the end it struck me as the perfect time to.. - Web Performance Optimisation: hour 3
Following on from the 1st, and 2nd hours spent, on improving the performance of one of my websites… the obsession continues… - Web Performance Optimisation: hour 2
After Saturday’s rather fruitful hour, I set myself the follow up challenge to see how much more could I improve the Web Performance given a second hour. - Web Performance Optimisation: hour 1
On Saturday morning, I gave myself a challenge. How much could I improve the performance of one of my websites in 1 hour? - Change
absorb - accept - adapt - respond - optimise - Dalai Lama: humanity and money
The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, said... - 20 more years
If you could only work for 1 more year - what would you do with that time? What about 20 years? - What motivates us
Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose - Jetlag survival
Try to force yourself to the new eating patterns as soon as you can - (Commercial) Engagement
If you don’t care, why would I spend my time with you…? - Simplify
- Life is Feeling
A little poem