The Fight Journal · Est. 2025
Thoughts of a
Mastermind
in Pajamas
Systems, scars, and selfhood: written from the corner, not the commentary booth.
Essays on governed AI, building teams, and the lessons that only become clear after the bell. I'm Marc, founder of MAD Software, fighter, actor, and dad, and this is where the three lanes of that life meet.
Current Bout
The Skills Router: Governing AI Coding Instead of Hoping It Behaves
Why bigger models aren't the answer, and how a deterministic Skills Router architecture turns AI coding from probabilistic guessing into governed execution.
Read the essay →- Lane
- systems
- Format
- essay
- Date
- Reading time
- 19 min read
- Topics
- #ai #governance #engineering
Start here
New? Begin with one per lane.
- systems · 2 minHow to Add OpenRouter.ai to CursorStep-by-step guide to integrating OpenRouter.ai into your Cursor IDE and unlocking custom LLMs like GLM-4.5.
- operators · 5 minHow Not to Hire: Lessons From My Self-Inflicted HeadacheA brutal, first-hand account of how misplaced trust, ignored red flags, and weak hires can burn you, tank your reputation, and steal months of your life.
- life · 4 minThe First BellEvery fight starts with a bell. This is your cue to step forward, swing, and keep swinging: in business, in life, in everything worth showing up for.
Three lanes
Every essay belongs to one of them.
- systemsModels do not govern themselves.AI, governance, engineering, and the tools worth keeping in your corner.5 rounds →
- operatorsBad decisions usually look reasonable at first.Hiring, leadership, and the expensive lessons of building a company.1 round →
- lifeThe other fights count too.Relationships, creativity, boxing, acting: the fights that shape a person.4 rounds →
Recent rounds
Full record →Stay for the next round
New essays when there is something worth saying.
No content treadmill. When a round matters, it lands in the archive and in the feed.