Dan Kildahl Media Studio

06/10/2026

Something's been on my mind, and I think a lot of people in tech feel it but don't say it out loud.

Using AI to work faster can feel like cheating. Like you're less legitimate because something that used to take hours now takes minutes.

I've been there. I wrote a piece about why that guilt is real but pointing at the wrong thing — and why your experience makes you *better* at using these tools, not obsolete because of them. There's also a story involving a nap under a desk that I think captures the old world pretty well.

You aren't being lazy. You're leveling up.

06/08/2026

Just finished watching the WWDC keynote and I have thoughts.

I worked Apple keynotes back when they were at Moscone West in San Francisco. Still have the shirts from those days. Even years after leaving Apple, going back for WWDC always felt like a reunion. Today's was bittersweet for a reason I didn't expect: Tim Cook's last keynote as CEO. He didn't say goodbye. He didn't have to. That one hit different for those of us who were part of that era.

The keynote itself was quieter than most. But quieter doesn't mean less important. Siri finally looks like what Apple promised two years ago. homeOS signals Apple is serious about the home hub space. And macOS Golden Gate officially ends the Intel era.

Full Top 5 take is on From the Trenches:

The keynote is over. Here's what actually matters

06/03/2026

Finishing out the Vibe Coding series with a bonus Q&A — 13 questions, honest answers, no fluff. The one about whether AI will replace developers. The one about whether the free tools are actually free (spoiler: they aren't). And one question I had to include even though nobody technically asked it.

Nobody emailed me. That's fine. I know what you're thinking anyway.

06/02/2026

On May 31, Peninsula Girls Chorus performed The Space Between the Stars at Chabot Space & Science Center.

I’m proud to share a playlist of six videos from the concert. I shot and edited all six, and I also created the original video artwork that accompanied each song during the performance.

This project brought together music, image, space, and storytelling in a way that felt deeply connected to the setting. I’m grateful to everyone who helped make the concert possible, and especially to the singers for bringing such care and imagination to the performance.

Watch the full playlist here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgZfxHmGqyrWJ2r9tfCGELC_GVLyiZ1C1&si=eMx2DxoFYHsNWyy3

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

06/01/2026

Last Sunday night the Peninsula Girls Chorus performed "The Space Between the Stars" at Chabot Space and Science Center Planetarium — and I got to watch 13 videos I built play on a dome for the first time.

A friend from high school I hadn't seen in 38 years came to the show with his family. Girls in the chorus were sneaking looks at the dome when they should have been watching their conductor. I took a bow at the end.

I wrote about what it was actually like in the room. Link below.

13 videos. A planetarium dome. 38 years. One night that didn't go exactly as planned and was perfect anyway

05/31/2026

All packed and ready for my voyage across the bay to Chabot Space & Science Center tonight.

I’ll be there for the sold-out performance of "The Space Between the Stars" with the Peninsula Girls Chorus — and if you’re going, you’ll see 13 original videos I created for the concert.

Pretty great way to spend a night under the dome.

05/26/2026

I spent part of this morning doing remote tech support for a friend. Final Cut Pro full of red, broken references, nothing connecting.

The fix wasn't complicated. The prevention is even simpler. Twenty minutes at the start of a project — or twenty hours in the middle of a crisis.

New piece on From the Trenches on the workflow habits that keep creative projects from falling apart.

The workflow habits that separate professionals from people with very messy desktops.

05/19/2026

The Vibe Coding series is done. Seven parts, one winter, a lot of honest writing about what actually happened when I rebuilt three sites using AI tools.

The finale is for the people who've been following along thinking "this sounds amazing but I'm not a developer." Creative directors. Marketing managers. Content leads. CMOs.

You were never the wrong audience. The tools finally caught up to the skills you've already got.

Link in comments — and if you've been waiting to start something, there's a section in this one just for you.

Keep building. 🔗

You've been watching from the sidelines. The window is open. Here's what it means for you

05/12/2026

If you've ever sat in a meeting and watched an inflated number get cited like gospel — while knowing the real one — this one's for you.

New piece on From the Trenches about what analytics actually means, why reach is mostly a lie, and why the people keeping the real numbers are the most valuable people in the building.

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The number is the starting point. The story is the strategy.

05/10/2026

Filed my FCC comment on the DJI drone ban this week. The public comment window closes Monday May 11 — two days from now.

If you fly commercially, work in public safety, or depend on DJI gear for your work, your voice belongs in the record. It takes about ten minutes.

Full breakdown of what happened and exactly how to file is at the link. Proceeding number 26-22 at fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/standard.

https://dankildahl.substack.com/p/the-drone-industry-has-two-days-to

The FCC banned new DJI drones. The comment window closes May 11. Here's what happened, why it matters, and exactly how to file