Kishau Rogers

Issue 02 | August 14, 2025

Issue #02: On Quilting, AI and Choosing the Right Tools

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Hello again.

Last week, I sent my first newsletter in several years. A few people replied to say they were pleasantly surprised and wanted to know what I’ve been up to. Here are a few answers for anyone else who might be wondering.

Q: Where have you been?

A: tl;dr I’ve been busy.

• Exited a company and launched others.
• Scaling a venture-backed startup that has deployed intelligent software to more than 100 of the nation’s top hospitals in under five years, while maintaining 0% customer churn.
• Advising entrepreneurs and teaching technology and business students.
• Partnering with leading organizations on innovation and collaborating with brilliant minds across industries.

Outside of that, I have been raising children, paying college tuition, speaking across the country, and writing in my well-worn work journals with stories I’m now ready to share.

Q: Why a newsletter? Why not [Substack, Patreon, LinkedIn] etc.?

A: I miss subscribing to what I want and actually seeing it without algorithms in the way. This newsletter gives me a direct line to people who want to hear from me. I’m not against tools like Substack or LinkedIn, I may even use them, but I am against losing control over reaching an audience that opted in. This is one of many experiments, and we’ll see what works.

Q: What is this about?

A: This newsletter is for entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial, people working to make big ideas real, looking for more creative ways to navigate challenges, reimagine resources, and reshape the future. My goal is to reclaim the word “innovation” and redefine who shapes the future. I will share content from my own website and, sometimes, from others, covering systems thinking, creativity, and yes, sometimes technology.

Q: How can I help? ​
A: Read, hit reply with your thoughts, and share it with someone who might enjoy it. If this was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here.

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In this issue, I share new stories from my creative sabbatical, lessons on choosing the right tools, how to decouple "innovation" from "tools", and practical tips on prototyping and MVPs.

If any of this is helpful, reply to the email and let me know what you think!

In this issue: ​

Behind The Scenes: Creative Practice Notes On Quilting, AI & Selecting Right Tools Tips 3 Ways to Be Innovative With Any Tool Don't Miss! From the Inbox Series What's The Key to a Successful MVP

BTS: Creative Practice Notes

On Quilting, AI, & Tools

In my last newsletter, I shared how I took a collage class as part of my creative sabbatical. Recently, I added quilting to the list, something I hadn’t tried (as an adult).

A few days before my first class, the instructor casually reminded us to “bring your sewing machine.” Bless her heart for assuming I owned one. I borrowed my mother-in-law’s, got a crash course (with her son playing the role of overly helpful assistant), and showed up to class with a big plan… that unraveled within minutes.

This post applies just as much to AI as it does to sewing. Click to read my adventures and insights from quilting class.

Tips

3 Ways to Be Innovative With Any Tool

01 Use What You've Got Before chasing the newest or trendiest option, work with what’s accessible. This gives you time to learn how it works, where it fails, and whether you truly need something more advanced. ​ 02 Align Goals & Skills Choose projects that let you practice fundamentals without the pressure of perfection. Mastery grows from experience, incrementally building skills & responding to your environment and other inputs. ​ 03 Make Space to Play Treat practice as essential. Create time and space to experiment where mistakes are low-stakes, giving yourself room to test, explore, and refine before the work truly matters.

From The Inbox

What’s the key to a successful MVP?

From the Inbox is where I share my candid responses to questions from readers and followers. Your questions fuel this space, keep them coming!
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In this post, I answer a question about building a minimal viable product (MVP). I share how I approach the early stages of product development, including what to focus on first, what to avoid, and how to move from idea to market.

Read More →