There is something about product management and product thinking that sits uneasily with the act of creation. Creative opportunities are suddenly viewed through an analytical lens, in an effort to min–max the path to revenue. When we wear the product management hat, we shift from creating to judging. To embody the product mindset as an individual — rather than simply create — requires restraint and conscious control. Trying to create and judge at the same time becomes a self-censoring act: the creator’s mind is occupied not with the work itself, but with how that work will be received.

Building MealDeck — a game-like way to decide what’s for dinner — in short, focused bursts has been less about speed and more about learning how to work with an AI that’s quick, occasionally clumsy, and always in need of a steady hand. Two weeks into building MealDeck in my spare time, I’ve settled into a rhythm — part curiosity, part experiment. I’m not chasing speed for its own sake, but I am interested in seeing how far I can get working alongside an AI for just eight hours a week.

I’ve recently carved out a small window of time each week to return to hands-on coding, with the help of AI tools. This post is a reflection on what it means to re-engage with a long-standing side project — MealDeck — while balancing the demands of work, life, and everything in between. It’s also the beginning of an experiment: how far can I get with just eight focused hours a week?