As we continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the web, it's worth pausing to reflect on our experiences and how they've shaped the world we live and work in. This is the start of a new series of personal stories and case studies exploring the impact of one consultant's experiences over the last thirty years and more.
As we continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the web, it's important to reflect on our experiences and how they've shaped the world we live and work in. That's why I'm excited to announce a new series of personal stories and case studies, where I'll explore the impact of my own experiences on the world around me over the last 30 years or more.
Starting this week, I'll be sharing a new post every week, both as an individual and from the perspective of my consulting business. Each post will be a combination of personal reflection and professional analysis, focusing on the theme of value and how it relates to our lives, relationships, ethics, and boundaries. The term value can mean radically different things depending on the perspective of both the observer and the audience, and it changes for each of us over time. As I develop my personal and professional goals for the next several years, I thought it might be a conversation that others would value as well.
As I embark on this journey, I invite you to join me and share your feedback and criticism. Many of you have been friends, associates, and colleagues for decades, and I value your insights and perspectives. Let's continue the conversation and explore the power of our experiences together. Stay tuned for the first post in the series!
Each entry pairs a personal story with the professional lens of three decades in consulting and design. Here's what's already underway and what's coming next:
Published 4/12/2024 — the first entry in the series, examining how honesty shapes trust in both relationships and business.
Published 4/22/2024 — a reflection on how small, deliberate actions accumulate into lasting structures, in architecture and in life.
Coming soon — exploring how embracing change, rather than resisting it, creates room for growth.
Coming soon — what loss teaches us about what we truly hold dear.
Coming soon — patience as a discipline, not a weakness, in business and in life.
Coming soon — reframing experience as an asset rather than a liability.
Coming soon — how Iterative Intelligence and thoughtful automation preserve human judgment while scaling operations.
The series is already underway. Dive into the first two published stories, each blending memoir with the practical lessons of running a consulting and design practice for over thirty years:
New posts arrive weekly. Explore the full archive of Articles to follow along from the beginning.
This series is written by Shaun McNicholas, founder of PSM Design, a consulting practice focused on human-guided AI, digital architecture, and custom automation systems that replace legacy software with intelligent, adaptive operations. His work spans Consulting Services, case studies including a look at CTO leadership at a professional services firm, and the ongoing development of Iterative Intelligence (IteraOS) — the new operating system for small business. Value, in his view, is not a fixed number on a balance sheet; it is a living theme that touches ethics, relationships, boundaries, and the very systems we build to support them.
Whether you've known Shaun for decades or are discovering this work for the first time, your insights and perspectives are welcome. Explore the full Articles archive, review PSM Design's Case Studies, or reach out directly to start a dialogue about what value means in your own life and work.