Carol Monroe

Research

Started in April 2025. Documented since May 2025.

What happens when AI gives a person more room to recover, build and live?

An ongoing study of what intentional AI adoption can make possible in a life.

ReclaimBuildConnectSustain

The premise

The goal was not simply to work faster. It was to create more room for life.

Velora began with a practical commitment: automate as much as I could. I wanted to test whether AI could help me recover time, improve my quality of life, create more ways to earn, and spend more of my days doing work I enjoy.

By adopting these tools intensely and intentionally, then combining them with community and building in public, each result could compound into the next.

This page documents part of the evidence. The study is still alive.

MAKE ROOMBUILD SYSTEMSSHIP WORKKEEP LIVING

The full record

Browse the public record by year and month. Open a month to see what was being tested, learned or built at that point.

2026

January to May

77 public observations
May 202615 entries
  1. After watching an Anthropic talk on hill climbing and evals, built an eval suite from scratch to test AI skills systematically. Runner script, history tracking, 19 tests. Ran first evals and caught a real bug on the first try. A new practice is born.

    Learn
  2. Investing in personal wellness. New routines in place.

    Recover
  3. Reframing what growth looks like on the personal side. Not about fixing - about leveling up.

    Recover
  4. Investing in personal wellness. New routines in place.

    Recover
  5. Lovable MCP testing from Claude Code - project management, security monitoring, feels more connected to systems

    Build
  6. Started using Codex (Claude background agent) combined with Claude Code - testing skills, Lovable MCP, new workflow patterns

    Build
  7. Personal tracking system completed its first full cycle without gaps.

    Recover
  8. Personal optimization in progress. Checking in on the foundation.

    Recover
  9. Class trimester block completed clean - 11 consecutive dual-cycle days, longest streak since independence

    Learn
  10. Personal optimization in progress. Checking in on the foundation.

    Recover
  11. Created Publisher agent - automates content drafting. Reads daily reports, drafts one post per day, rotates across platforms.

    Build
  12. Polished CID: tightened security permissions, fixed scheduling bug. Now sends separate branded emails for each intelligence type

    Build
  13. Personal optimization in progress. Checking in on the foundation.

    Recover
  14. Major fleet overhaul: consolidated the agent fleet to fewer, more focused agents. Less noise, better results.

    Build
  15. Started the month with a decision: invest more in the foundation that makes everything else possible.

    Recover
April 202627 entries
  1. The shift is complete: from writing scripts and manual automations to directing an autonomous agent fleet. Agents scan sources, manage projects, track wellness, draft content, and report to phone. I decide, agents execute.

    Build
  2. Carol Ships #4 newsletter published.

    Connect
  3. Fixed morning agent reliability - agents now wait for WiFi before running. No more failed morning briefings

    Build
  4. Polished COO: switched delivery to phone-first. Agent updates arrive directly now.

    Build
  5. Personal optimization in progress. Checking in on the foundation.

    Recover
  6. Set new personal goals. Small shifts, steady progress.

    Recover
  7. Clearer picture of where the real leverage is. Less reacting, more designing.

    Learn
  8. Weekly review: progress on the business side. Momentum building.

    Build
  9. Polished Claudio: optimized from 10 to 6 daily check-ins. Same coverage, less noise

    Build
  10. Full agent fleet migration to subscription billing completed. Added safeguards so agents always use the right billing method

    Build
  11. COO ran 6-day continuous session. Key insight: the shift from passive monitoring to proactive execution was the turning point. Calendar + phone reminders together are the winning combo

    Build
  12. Created system design skill that automates generating design docs for client projects

    Build
  13. First client project landed. Multiple websites for a company.

    Connect
  14. Discovered agents had been silently failing for 7 days. Migrated everything from API billing to Max subscription. All agents now run on Opus at no extra cost

    Build
  15. Festie field-tested at a live festival - real users, real-world validation.

    Ship
  16. Checked off something from the bucket list.

    Learn
  17. Showed up for a lifelong dream. Made it work.

    Recover
  18. Created CID (intelligence system) - multiple desks covering radar, business, content, and strategy. Scans dozens of sources and runs multiple times daily.

    Build
  19. Created Coach agent - handles personal routines, planning, and daily check-ins. Runs twice daily.

    Build
  20. Blog published: Claude Code API vs Max subscription real math - $200 Max = $2,900 Opus value (14.6x)

    Connect
  21. Overhauled content agency triggers for reliability. Rewrote all 3 daily flows: Morning Brief, Growth Marketer, Evening Strategy. Much more stable now

    Build
  22. OpenClaw lessons learned: simple scripts beat complex frameworks for agent tasks. Moved to standalone bash + ollama approach

    Build
  23. Marcus agent upgraded to Gemma 4 E4B - runs local on M4, $0 cost, native function calling

    Build
  24. Marcus upgraded to Gemma 4 E4B - runs local on M4, $0 cost, native function calling. Monitors websites, databases, SSL certs, security audits, and disk space. Weekly deep scans. Replaced old shell scripts with a proper agent

    Build
  25. Created VA (Virtual Assistant) - on-demand terminal agent. Type "va do X" from anywhere. $0.50/call on Sonnet. Quick tasks without opening a full session

    Build
  26. Created COO agent - owns project health, revenue accountability, and autonomous execution. Auto-closes stale tasks, reschedules overdue items, creates deep work blocks. Runs morning + end of day

    Build
  27. Polished Claudio: first agent delivering reliably to phone every day.

    Build
March 202611 entries
  1. OpenClaw update broke existing config. Constant friction with the framework

    Build
  2. Created brand strategy system + content agency with 8 AI specialists in 5 departments. Three autonomous content flows running daily. All on Max subscription, $0 extra cost

    Build
  3. Created Claudio - first comms agent. Reads all project data and sends morning briefings directly to phone.

    Build
  4. Festie has paying users - opened LLC to formalize and monetize apps via Stripe

    Ship
  5. Festie: auth + 4 features completed in one session. Built in under 2 months

    Ship
  6. Tried OpenClaw as agent framework - too much overhead for what was needed. Permission issues running overnight

    Build
  7. Claude Command Center article + carousel published on blog, LinkedIn, and Instagram

    Connect
  8. Built a semantic memory system from scratch - bilingual, searchable by meaning. Two sessions, zero to production.

    Build
  9. Started recording YouTube again - channel turns 20 years old (created 2006)

    Connect
  10. New chapter. Shifting focus to what compounds.

    Learn
  11. Completed Stanford Continuing Studies course: No-Code AI: Unlocking Business Potential (TECH 78). 6 weeks of machine learning, Feb 4 - Mar 11. Stanford credential earned

    Learn
February 202610 entries
  1. Program benefit activated. Meaningful savings on key tools.

    Financial Improvement
  2. Started my Stanford Continuing Studies course this week - No-Code AI: Unlocking Business Potential. 6 weeks to go deeper into the intersection of AI and business

    Learn
  3. Started 6-week course at Stanford Continuing Studies: "No-Code AI: Unlocking Business Potential" (TECH 78). Machine learning content, packaged for business. Online, Winter quarter

    Learn
  4. Business milestone: key legal step completed.

    Financial Improvement
  5. My prototype for Anheuser-Busch InBev was accepted, this is one of the largest scale projects I've done and it was finally accepted! It's an internal tool for restaurants.

    Ship
  6. Today I joined the Lovable creators program!

    Connect
  7. Using and exploring the new parallel agents of Claude Code, it's also important to know that for a few months (December) I've been paying for the maximum version of $200 and it's like having 2 more people working with me

    Build
  8. updating the entire site again, creating the landing page has taken a long time, but I've thought about it as best as I could.

    Working on rolo.pet
  9. I became a Champion in Lovable!!! I feel very happy, that same week I also became an ambassador and I feel very happy about it.

    Connect
  10. I am grateful for all the things that happened in January, the cursor hackathon, etc.

    Learn
January 202614 entries
  1. Wrapping up a strong recovery week

    Recover
  2. Set up business banking

    Grow
  3. Incorporated LLC

    Grow
  4. End of week recovery session

    Recover
  5. Deep tissue work on shoulders and back

    Recover
  6. Blog and SupaSquad support work in full swing - carolmonroe.com active with regular field notes

    Connect
  7. Selected for WTM Latin America & Caribbean Sub-Council. Official welcome as Ambassador 2026

    Connect
  8. Started the week with recovery work

    Recover
  9. Accepted co-host invitation

    Connect
  10. Applied to ambassador program

    Connect
  11. We held the Cursor hackathon with AI Collective, personally and as AI Collective we supported the Cursor community in their first hackathon in the country, it was great!

    Connect
  12. Accepted ambassador role

    Connect
  13. Been working on creating more automations for my work to have more time. I feel very ahead compared to what others are doing around me. But I don't want to stop because in the end it's a way to save time. Something curious: I haven't felt stressed about deadlines because I feel like I'll always be able to meet them, even with very short timelines.

    Build
  14. Resting and thinking. Sometimes it is important to let your mind think without so many new things. Because sometimes I open Twitter and the first thing I see is something new to try or something new to do.

    Recover

2025

May to December

132 public observations
December 202520 entries
  1. Launched #ProjectVelora - Mac app for personal daily journal with automated prompts at 5pm, Supabase backend, Claude Code integration

    Ship
  2. I improved the entire rolo.pet flow, started debugging old code and updating everything, hoping that in January we will have the real beta version to launch to users. What I learned in six months is going through the entire project, allowing me to improve and optimize it.

    Working on rolo.pet
  3. I improved Velora Project, the project in Lovable. Now, at the end of the day, a pop-up opens on my computer asking for my progress. I upload it (like now) and it sends it directly to Velora Project.

    Learn
  4. learning how to use more Claude Code

    Build
  5. Built WrapMe - Christmas wrapping paper generator with custom designs

    Ship
  6. Claude Code runs daily automations - files, reminders, reports paired with macOS Shortcuts

    Build
  7. Added two new designs to ugly sweater generator - Claude and Claude Code themed, improved my reach as a vibe coder.

    Ship
  8. Reflection on fitting a whole month of activity into one week

    Learn
  9. Shared appreciation for Lovable team creating their own ugly Christmas sweaters

    Connect
  10. I participated in the Lovable She Builds hackathon, it was a great experience, having the opportunity to be part of these great events has made me very happy!!!! and especially to meet other women and work with my mom

    Build
  11. Attended Cafe Cursor San Salvador event, Meeting new people and engage with local people in El Salvador

    Connect
  12. Launched SheBuilds project with mom - transforming 25+ year family business with Lovable

    Ship
  13. Repost celebrating Gilberto Balderas announcement as Regional Manager for Central America at The AI Collective. Carol highlighted as AI Strategist, creator of rolo.pet, collaborator with Supabase and Lovable. People: Gilberto Balderas, Alex Barnes, Mary Grygleski, Chappy Asel. Location: Central America

    Connect
  14. Celebrated 200+ ugly sweaters generated through uglysweater.xyz

    Connect
  15. Reflection on changing mindset towards programming

    Learn
  16. Updated uglysweater.xyz with Shipped with section - Lovable, Supabase, Nano Banana logos

    Ship
  17. Expressed appreciation for user creation with ugly sweater generator

    Connect
  18. Launched uglysweater.xyz - AI-powered Christmas ugly sweater generator

    Ship
  19. Got accepted to SheBuilds on Lovable Season 02, planning to build with mom

    Ship
  20. Started using Claude Code - integrated with macOS Shortcuts for daily automations. Game changer for workflow

    Build
November 202526 entries
  1. Session with The AI Collective - El Salvador. Technical and non-technical people building with Lovable, Supabase and Cursor. Promoted upcoming Supabase Meetup with Luma link. Location: El Salvador. People: Nelson Zepeda. Companies: The AI Collective, Lovable, Supabase, Cursor

    Connect
  2. Repost from Daniela Huezo thanking for opportunity to speak about El arte de hacer buenos prompts at The AI Collective event. Location: El Salvador. People: Daniela Huezo. Event: The AI Collective El Salvador

    Connect
  3. Organized first Supabase Meetup in El Salvador. Planned for 25 people, expanded to 50 attendees. Combined Cafe Cursor + The AI Collective + Supabase Meetup. Officially invited to Supabase SupaSquad. Location: San Salvador, El Salvador. People: Nelson Zepeda, Walter Morales, Daniela Huezo, Steven Granados. Companies: Supabase, Cursor, The AI Collective

    Connect
  4. Updated Hushh - music app with ambient layers beyond vocals

    Ship
  5. Expressed concern about limited tokens/credits for ambitious ideas

    Learn
  6. Mom making stickers with weird Claude Code loading words, planning to vibecode something

    Learn
  7. Articulated core value: creative freedom is building something just because you want to experiment

    Learn
  8. Accessed ElevenLabs Music API, mixing voice with ambient layers

    Build
  9. Thanked wmoralesdev, ireneh26, devopensource for supporting Supabase meetup

    Connect
  10. Lovables 1 year birthday - expressed joy seeing friends sharing their own projects

    Connect
  11. Summarized Gemini 3 Pro capabilities - real agentic coding, multi-agent, one-prompt apps

    Learn
  12. Announced role as El Salvador chapter lead of The AI Collective. Organizing Buildathons, Hackathons, discussion spaces and demo nights. Session Vibecoding Essentials: from PRD to Supabase with speakers: Carol (AI Strategist/Datasphere), Daniela Huezo (Tech Lead/Agora), Steven Granados (Quality Consultant/Testlio), Walter Morales (Cursor Ambassador). Location: El Salvador

    Connect
  13. Organized first Supabase Meetup in El Salvador - exceeded attendance, received official SupaSquad invitation

    Connect
  14. Shared vision about 2026 - niche apps like TikToks built by non-coders

    Learn
  15. Claude Code slipped /stickers to order swag command into terminal - tested it and it worked

    Build
  16. Attended Cafe Cursor San Salvador - praised coffee, people, and organization

    Connect
  17. Published complete November tech events calendar in El Salvador: Nov 8 - Cafe Cursor (coworking with mentorships and demos, host Walter Morales), Nov 15 - Vibecoding Lab (The AI Collective community), Nov 22 - Supabase Meetup (hosts Nelson Zepeda and Carol Monroe). Location: San Salvador, El Salvador

    Connect
  18. Shared excitement about visiting San Salvador - Cursor Cafe

    Connect
  19. Discussed importance of freedom to create without selling/proving - experimenting as core value

    Learn
  20. Accessed ElevenLabs Music API with ambient mixing capabilities

    Build
  21. Reflected on future looking brighter

    Learn
  22. Built Hushh - app for vibecoding asmr, meditations with rain, forest sounds, tibetan bowls

    Ship
  23. Reacted to Claude Code web with surprise

    Connect
  24. Started decorating for holidays early - activated holiday mode

    Connect
  25. Became AI Collective Central America Regional Lead

    Connect
  26. Women Techmakers Ambassador role active - organizing WTM La Libertad events

    Connect
October 202513 entries
  1. Brought synth-loving, funk-obsessed personality to community after settling in

    Learn
  2. Built product that got 15 people trying it immediately, drained tokens, added updates within 20 mins

    Ship
  3. Attended founders meetup organized by Anthropic during TECH WEEK by a16z. Saw panel with Benjamin Mann (Anthropic co-founder) on Future of Autonomous Work and Agents. Chatted with Fabian Hedin (Lovable co-founder) who genuinely asked for feedback despite NVIDIA CEO recent mention. That kind of humility and curiosity is what truly makes founders stand out. Location: San Francisco, CA. People: Benjamin Mann, Fabian Hedin, Rene Nuila. Event: Anthropic Founders Meetup - TECH WEEK by a16z

    Connect
  4. Weeks in San Francisco for Dreamforce and TECH WEEK by a16z. Vibecoding at Gap Inc., founder sessions with OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, chat with DeepMind researchers. Heard Anthropic founder say 90% of their code is written with AI. Met Supabase community people. Location: San Francisco, CA. Companies: Dreamforce, a16z, Gap Inc., OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, DeepMind, Salesforce, Supabase

    Learn
  5. Invited by Salesforce as Industry Analyst and Media for Dreamforce 2025. After incredible SF TECH WEEK with visits to Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google. Goal: connect Salesforce agentic solutions with industry needs - productivity, trust and security. Described Dreamforce as Coachella for B2B SaaS. Location: San Francisco, CA. Companies: Salesforce, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google

    Learn
  6. Repost from Anton Osika (Lovable founder) with video of Jensen Huang (NVIDIA CEO) at Nasdaq saying 100% of our engineers is now assisted by AI coders and our productivity has gone up incredibly... I love Lovable. People: Anton Osika, Jensen Huang. Companies: Lovable, NVIDIA, Nasdaq

    Build
  7. Returned from Tech Week and Dreamforce - visited OpenAI, Google, Anthropic

    Learn
  8. Attended Dreamforce - called it Coachella of B2B SaaS

    Learn
  9. Reacted to Marc Benioffs charisma at Dreamforce keynote

    Connect
  10. Thanked vincent_koc at Tech Week event

    Connect
  11. Shared emotional moment about being on stage at conference where colleagues thanked her

    Connect
  12. Heading to different energy/location

    Connect
  13. Became Lovable Champion, Ambassador, and Creator - recognized for community contributions and product builds

    Connect
September 20255 entries
  1. Expressed joy about Claude Sonnet 4.5 announcement

    Connect
  2. Attended ai_collective El Salvador Launch Breakfast, An event that I organized.

    Connect
  3. Repost from CAFI about memorable breakfast in Antigua Guatemala - exclusive meetup with regional founders. Multiple event photos. Location: Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala. People: Walter Morales. Companies: CAFI. Event: CAFI Founders Breakfast

    Connect
  4. Podcast automation nearly complete - integrated scheduling, editing, publishing, and social distribution. The company can now run on what was built

    Build
  5. Continued automating Service Business Mastery operations - CRM flows, guest outreach templates, episode planning pipeline. Everything the company needed to run without manual intervention

    Build
August 20256 entries
  1. Repost from Adam Silverman about Lovable GPT-5. Tested projects over weekend. Opinion: model has more holistic view of project. People are building full products in a weekend without touching a line of code. People: Adam Silverman. Companies: Lovable, Agency

    Build
  2. Thanks to Lilinoe Harbottle for TechLovers FM Substack mention as masterclass in modern entrepreneurship. Highlighted journey using Lovable to build rolo.pet and finishing #Top10 for Americas in #LovableShipped Showcase. People: Lilinoe Harbottle. Event: Lovable Shipped Showcase

    Connect
  3. Built automated content repurposing for podcast episodes - clips, social posts, show notes generation. Reduced manual work significantly

    Build
  4. Recovering from two weeks of illness, hoping to be back stronger

    Recover
  5. Automated podcast production workflow for Service Business Mastery - editing pipeline, scheduling, distribution. Intense month rebuilding processes from scratch

    Build
  6. GPT-5 landed on Lovable - curious how it will handle existing projects

    Learn
July 202529 entries
  1. Epic Win with rolo.pet - #LovableShipped culmination

    Ship
  2. Thanked lovableshipped for enabling success

    Ship
  3. Shared difficulty of launching on TikTok vs arriving at market - reached 1000 views in hours

    Working on rolo.pet
  4. Attended OpenAI event for 7 months as community member - met Joaquin head of recruiting

    Connect
  5. Praised diversity of OpenAIForum events - networking with Stanford folks, big tech, indie founders

    Learn
  6. Invited to #BlankSpace podcast by Ximena Cruz for conversation about using no-code and AI to launch startups. JOIN XIMENA AND CAROL, AI STRATEGY ENTREPRENEUR. People: Ximena Cruz. Companies: TORC.COMMUNITY. Event: BlankSpace Podcast - July 24th 1 PM EST

    Connect
  7. Playing around with Pika AI - Love how specific these AI tools are getting

    Learn
  8. Shared special day - UK professors invited her to dinner

    Connect
  9. Celebration of 6 weeks of #LovableShipped closing with 5,800+ projects from around the world. rolo.pet featured in global showcase (image of grid with rolo.pet highlighted in red). Companies: Lovable. Event: Lovable Shipped Showcase

    Ship
  10. Upgrade necesario - una semana desde mi telefono

    Connect
  11. Repost from Lovable about Demo Day: from 5,800 ideas to 10 final founders in 6 weeks. Link to Luma for event. Companies: Lovable. Event: Lovable Shipped Demo Day

    Learn
  12. Connected with pet tech founders - chatted about future of intelligent pet care

    Connect
  13. Personal philosophy: if I want to learn something I want to understand it in community

    Learn
  14. Lovable is one of those companies following closely - huge fan, part of the journey

    Connect
  15. Women Techmakers La Libertad event with Sonia Baschez, Founder of Bend Growth Co, about Silicon Valley Marketing Strategies for Early-Stage Startups. Thursday July 17, 4 PM PT / 5 PM SV & MX / 6 PM CO. Location: La Libertad, El Salvador. People: Sonia Baschez. Companies: Women Techmakers, Bend Growth Co

    Connect
  16. Attended Supabase meetup in CDMX - vibecoding from Lovable

    Connect
  17. Paid Stripe Atlas full price ($500) to incorporate LLC in Delaware. The startup discount was $250 but arrived after payment

    Financial Improvement
  18. Google for Startups approved - unlocked Google Cloud credits ($2K/yr). Lovable Shipped program unlocked the rest: Mixpanel ($5K), Intercom ($3.1K), Datadog ($1.5K), Miro ($1K), Make ($636), Linear ($384). Total: $14,310/year in free tools

    Financial Improvement
  19. Google for Startups Approved - startup services unlocked ($14K+ annual value)

    Ship
  20. Return from CDMX after 5 super intense days of knowledge and work on rolo.pet. Image shows Lovable Shipped Americas ranking: rolo.pet #8 regional, #57 global, El Salvador, 2,990 points. Photos of Mexico City. Location: Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico. Event: Lovable Shipped

    Learn
  21. Visited La Condesa for research - understanding local perspective beyond digital products

    Learn
  22. Expressed contentment about something positive

    Connect
  23. Monday = full focus. This month is full-on experimentation

    Learn
  24. Shared success case: Datasphere automated 92% of customer conversations using Tiledesk AI Agent. Carol works with Tiledesk for Datasphere Consulting clients. Companies: Tiledesk, Datasphere Consulting

    Build
  25. Celebration of applying to #LovableShipped S1 with 3500+ people globally, being accepted with rolo.pet. Image shows ranking: #18 regional, #143 global, El Salvador, 1,425 points. Location: El Salvador. Event: Lovable Shipped S1

    Ship
  26. Had incredible session with Jorge Ferreiro SMASHSEND - grateful for feedback

    Connect
  27. Ending the day feeling grateful, inspired and totally wiped. Tomorrow is salon day

    Connect
  28. Netlify AI Shipper - accepted into 1st Cohort

    Learn
  29. #LovableShipped intense sprint - Building rolo.pet + new client

    Ship
June 202523 entries
  1. #LovableShipped intense sprint - Building rolo.pet + new client

    Ship
  2. Launched rolo.pet with deep personal story. Lost cat Miausy to kidney failure. Wrote everything that went wrong at vet: slow response times, no triage, scattered medical records, zero emotional support. Promised to build something from the heart. Pivoted original Lovable Shipped project. In less than 24 hours received signups from Peru, Mexico, Chile, US, France, Italy, El Salvador, Japan. Applied to OpenAI research grant to make rolo.pet a research tool. What we are building goes beyond SaaS — its a glimpse of where AI is taking us. Companies: Lovable, OpenAI, rolo.pet

    Ship
  3. Promotional video for rolo.pet: Your pet has a soul, a story, and a life. Its time they had a digital space that reflects all of that. Video: Where your pets story lives forever with app UI showing Verified Digital Identity and options for pet owners, veterinarians, veterinary clinics. Companies: rolo.pet

    Ship
  4. Turning Anthropic study flowchart into podcast episode - visual structure helps prep mind

    Learn
  5. Finally got podcast ready - consuming content: flowchart first, then podcast + notes

    Ship
  6. Thanked NotebookLM for enabling longer podcasts

    Learn
  7. Organized event Build without code on Lovable - Virtual Session with Talisha White (Community Lead on Lovable). Collaboration Women Techmakers La Libertad x Lovable. Wednesday June 25, 11 AM ET / 10 AM MX & CO / 9 AM SV. People: Talisha White. Companies: Women Techmakers La Libertad, Lovable. Event: Build without code: Live demo + prompt workshop

    Connect
  8. LinkedIn Live: WTM La Libertad x Lovable.dev — Build Without Code, Live Demo + Q&A. Video duration 1:06:24. Companies: Women Techmakers La Libertad, Lovable. Event: WTM La Libertad x Lovable.dev Live

    Connect
  9. Reacted to Pixel Flow achievement

    Connect
  10. Reflection on several months as OpenAI Forum member and incredible networking. Repost from Fabian Acuna Hernandez about Inaugural Global Networking Event of OpenAI Forum, July 16. Speakers: Mehul Smriti Raje (ML Lead/Coactive AI), Cezary Gesikowski (Senior Executive Advisor on AI/Government of Canada), Josiara Barbosa (Brazil Public Policy/OpenAI), Fabian Acuna (Founder/9punto5). Event: OpenAI Forum Inaugural Global Networking Event

    Connect
  11. Launched rolo.pet - intelligent health and wellness system for pets

    Ship
  12. In week 6 of ProjectVelora - personal experiment to recover 7 years in 24 months using AI

    Learn
  13. Community acceleration & strategic positioning week

    Learn
  14. Focused on 4 Lovable projects with potential - thinking about TechLoversFM future

    Learn
  15. Repost from Sary Libreros about AWS She Builds Mentorship Program 2025. FREE 12-Weeks 1:1 Mentoring. Applications NOW OPEN until June 30. Program available globally. People: Sary Libreros. Companies: AWS, AWS Women Colombia. Event: AWS She Builds Mentorship Program 2025

    Learn
  16. Repost from Allie K. Miller (#1 Most Followed Voice in AI Business, 2M followers, Former Amazon/IBM) about Claude-4 crushing data analysis and data enrichment. People: Allie K. Miller. Companies: Anthropic

    Build
  17. Reflection on using Lovable in April to create high-conversion site that became launchpad for fresh ideas, including mini research sprint #ProjectVelora. Video of WTM Livestream with Maria Becerra asking about best practices for prompting in Lovable. People: Maria Becerra. Companies: Lovable. Event: WTM Livestream

    Ship
  18. Joined first lovableshipped cohort - building AI maps workflows and automation suggestions

    Ship
  19. Analyzed Apples biggest design update since iOS 7 - unified interface, Liquid Glass

    Learn
  20. Reflected on Apple WWDC25 - Liquid Glass adapts in real time to environment

    Learn
  21. Attended AI Gatherings @ Google I/O. Still feeling the spark. Repost from Matt Ridenour (Head of Startups @ Google DeepMind, IDEO Alum) about the event: I really believe NOW is the best time to build. AND now is the best time to build with Google. Multiple event photos showing conferences and networking. Location: San Francisco, CA. People: Matt Ridenour. Companies: Google, Google DeepMind. Event: AI Gatherings @ Google I/O

    Learn
  22. Repost from Francesca Sala MBA about Women Techmakers (WTM) Pre-Google I/O Mixer. Photos of networking with WTM community. Location: San Francisco, CA. People: Francesca Sala. Companies: Women Techmakers, Google. Event: WTM Pre-Google I/O Mixer

    Learn
  23. Already playing with new Anthropic feature Research and Integrations

    Learn
May 202510 entries
  1. Can now create websites in less than 10 mins with AI - spent more time buying domain

    Learn
  2. Trip to San Francisco exploring how AI connects with physical world. Visited Waymo and took photos of presentation showing safety metrics: 88% and 92% compared to human drivers over 25.3M miles. Multiple conference photos. Location: San Francisco, CA. Companies: Waymo

    Build
  3. Planning first AIalGrano event - expects sponsor, will have snacks and beverages

    Connect
  4. Tool stack evaluation due to obsolescence from May 19 updates

    Build
  5. At 4:52 am: committing to bringing this energy to El Salvador - weekly free semanales

    Learn
  6. Created invitation for AIalGrano - post-Google I/O express conversatorio for May 31

    Connect
  7. Understanding why Google I/O was special

    Learn
  8. Travel-with-peace workflow (pre-scheduled tasks during SF trip)

    Build
  9. Designed 2×2 Ops System (Mon-Tue execute → delegate)

    Learn
  10. Compressed-week test (finish by Tue night?)

    Learn

The operating system

The tools are not the story. The roles they play are.

Lovable · Supabase

Make

Ideas become working products before the momentum disappears.

Claude · agents

Operate

The repetitive parts have somewhere else to go.

Support · field notes

Learn

Real builder questions become better systems and clearer explanations.

Community · Contextual

Share

What works leaves the room and becomes useful to somebody else.

The investment loop

Investment in AI compounds when every new tool has a job to do.

The stack grows because the work grows. A useful result makes the next gap visible, then the next tool earns its place by creating time, clarity or capacity. It is not a shopping list. It is an operating system learning what it needs.

a constraint

Start with what unblocks you

The first tools turn uncertainty into a draft, prototype or explanation.

ChatGPTGeminiClaudeLovable
a result

Let the work reveal the next gap

Once projects move, the next tool is chosen for a real bottleneck, not novelty.

SupabaseMakeLinearElevenLabs
more surface area

Reinvest in the system

More products and people create a need to learn, support and improve with more care.

MixpanelIntercomDatadogMiro
proof

Earn more room to experiment

Some capacity comes back as program benefits and community support earned by shipping.

Lovable ShippedGoogle for Startups

Field note The best signal is not how many tools are in the stack. It is whether the next one lets the work, and the person doing it, breathe a little more.

Investment, documented

The stack began at 100%. It grew when the work gave each next tool a reason to exist.

Each month is indexed against May 2025, the 100% starting point. The chart shows the relative scale of direct investment and capacity earned through programs. It does not publish prices.

0%500%1,000%1,500%2,000%2,500%May 2025: 100% of the starting stackMay ’25June 2025: 359% of the starting stackJuly 2025: 654% of the starting stackAugust 2025: 113% of the starting stackAugSeptember 2025: 175% of the starting stackOctober 2025: 185% of the starting stackNovember 2025: 185% of the starting stackNovDecember 2025: 545% of the starting stackJanuary 2026: 500% of the starting stackFebruary 2026: 481% of the starting stackFebMarch 2026: 481% of the starting stackApril 2026: 919% of the starting stackMay 2026: 2,315% of the starting stack, including 1,420 index points earned through programsMay100%2,315%
direct investment capacity earned by shippingdocumented through May 2026

The stack started at 100%. Its largest direct-investment month reached 919%. By May 2026, the complete stack indexed at 2,315% of the starting point.

What this says More tools were added after the system showed where the next bottleneck was. By May 2026, the stack had reached 2,315% of its starting point, with most of the final expansion earned through Lovable Shipped and Google for Startups.

The field log

A study only becomes useful when you can see it change over time.

Each month holds a different kind of evidence: a system trial, a trip, a community room, a product test, a low-energy period or a new way of working. The notes below are read against the daily record, which currently holds 223 observations across the study.

  1. 01May 2025San Francisco → El Salvador

    Make room before the opportunity arrives.

    A compressed-week test and a travel workflow made the Google I/O trip possible without work spilling into the journey. The return trip became the seed for IA al Grano.

    LearnedAutomation is not about working through a trip. It is what lets a trip become research, rest and a new local conversation.

    11 logged observations

  2. 02June 2025Google I/O, UCA, online

    Bring the signal home.

    The energy from Google I/O turned into an IA al Grano roundtable, a UCA talk, a refreshed TechLovers, Build Without Code with Women Techmakers and the first Lovable Shipped sprint.

    LearnedCommunity is not an afterthought to learning. Shared questions make the research sharper and give an experiment a life beyond one person.

    24 logged observations

  3. 03July 2025CDMX → El Salvador

    A prototype needs a world around it.

    rolo.pet moved through a Lovable Shipped sprint while on-the-ground research in Mexico City and a Supabase meetup added context no screen could provide. Program support expanded the tool budget too.

    LearnedThe best product research happens where people already live their lives. Travel turned observations into better product decisions and stronger relationships.

    29 logged observations

  4. 04August 2025Back at the operating desk

    Turn a one-off win into a repeatable system.

    The attention shifted to podcast production, scheduling, distribution and content repurposing. The work was less visible, but it made the next months possible.

    LearnedA useful system proves itself when energy is low. Repetition is where an experiment either becomes infrastructure or disappears.

    6 logged observations

  5. 05September 2025Antigua → El Salvador

    Use the time for people, not only output.

    A completed podcast operating system freed attention for regional founders in Antigua and the launch of The AI Collective in El Salvador.

    LearnedThe return on automation can be a room full of people. Time recovered is most interesting when it is reinvested in belonging and local momentum.

    5 logged observations

  6. 06October 2025San Francisco

    Treat travel as a field lab.

    SF Tech Week and Dreamforce created a concentrated period of conversations, sessions and visits across the AI ecosystem. Community contribution was recognized with a Lovable Champion role.

    LearnedTravel is not a reward after the work. In the right room, it is an input to the work: a faster way to notice what is changing and who is building it.

    14 logged observations

  7. 07November 2025El Salvador

    Continuity is a community system.

    The work became more local and more consistent: a public tech-events calendar, AI Collective sessions, Women Techmakers work and the first Supabase meetup.

    LearnedA community does not appear because one event was good. It grows through invitations, useful repetition and a reason for people to come back.

    27 logged observations

  8. 08December 2025Home, with a smaller radius

    Design for the hard months too.

    During recovery, the research held space for a She Builds hackathon, a family-business automation project and new product launches. The system bent instead of stopping.

    LearnedResilience is not squeezing more from a difficult month. It is having a practice that can change shape when life requires it.

    24 logged observations

  9. 09January 2026El Salvador

    Let each gathering widen the circle.

    A Cursor hackathon with The AI Collective brought newer builders into the room while Women Techmakers expanded from local organizing into regional leadership.

    LearnedThe compounding effect of community is not audience size. It is a bigger number of people who can see themselves building next.

    18 logged observations

  10. 10February 2026The tools get roles

    Capacity needs a clear job description.

    Deeper experiments with Claude Code happened alongside new Lovable community roles and the foundations for independent work.

    LearnedMore capability only helps when every tool has an owner, a constraint and a reason to exist in the system.

    10 logged observations

  11. 11March 2026From workflows to an ecosystem

    The question changes from task to system.

    Semantic memory, communications agents and an early agent fleet shifted the practice from isolated automations toward an environment that could observe, remember and help direct work.

    LearnedThe second phase of AI adoption is not doing more tasks faster. It is designing feedback loops that can make better decisions with you.

    11 logged observations

  12. 12April 2026Coachella → client work

    Field-test the work in real life.

    Festie was tested at a live festival while the agent fleet became more deliberate and the first client project landed. The study moved between personal experience and applied systems work.

    LearnedA real-world test gives a system its most useful feedback. It replaces a nice theory with a specific next decision.

    27 logged observations

  13. 13May 2026A practice that can evaluate itself

    Build the feedback loop, then keep learning.

    A publisher agent, a leaner fleet and a first evaluation suite made the systems more intentional. New AI environments were tested as working partners, not as novelty.

    LearnedThe study stays alive when it can question its own tools, notice what failed and change the next experiment.

    16 logged observations

The log is not a victory lap. It is a record of how the next experiment was chosen.

Income, month by month

Recorded monthly income as a percentage of the target used for this study. No absolute amounts are published.

Income progress from January to August 2026
MonthProgress toward monthly targetStructure
Jan 2026
55%
one income
Feb 2026
50%
one income
Mar 2026
55%
transition
Apr 2026
50%
independent
May 2026
90%
multiple streams
Jun 2026
59%
multiple streams
Jul 2026
50%
multiple streams
Aug 2026
95%
multiple streams

The record moves from one income through the transition and into multiple streams. August reached 95% of the monthly target.

beforeone job
support

Where I learn directly from builders every day.

client work

Strategy and systems for teams ready to move.

products

Small ideas with a real life outside a deck.

community

The conversations that keep the work grounded.

It is a more resilient shape of work, and a more human one.

What moved

rolo.pet found a place on Lovable Shipped’s global leaderboard.

A travel workflow stopped being a maze of manual coordination.

The work grew from a job into support, client work, products and community.

Projects still shipped during recovery, because the system could bend around real life.

The body keeps score

Recovery is not a side note to the work. It is the reason the operating system had to change in the first place.

The goal is not to squeeze more out of every day. It is to build a way of working that can make room for surgeries, physio, rest, ambition and a full life at the same time.

What numbers cannot hold

Some progress is visible in a chart. The meaningful kind changes the chart itself.

Building a community, landing remote clients, going independent and walking without pain are not tasks with a neat unit of measurement. They are the result. What has been recovered is already more interesting than a metric.

What I’m building toward

  • Foundation Setupcompleted
  • Automation Frameworkcompleted
  • AI Integration Peakcompleted
  • System Optimizationin-progress
  • Network & Communityin-progress
  • Full Recoveryin-progress
  • Financial Targetsin-progress
  • Goal Achievementplanned

The products behind this field study live on the ships page.

© 2026 Carol Monroe · Services delivered through Moonshot Labs LLCPrivacy · Terms · RSS · X · LinkedIn ·
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