Hey 👋
This newsletter is for independent creators, expression-minded solopreneurs, and makers who want to build meaningful work without losing heart in the process.
This is my last full week in Da Nang.
Next Tuesday I'm flying to Ho Chi Minh City. New chapter incoming.
It's been an intense week. Half of it spent deep in terminal windows, setting up security for my own AI assistant. The other half in music, movement, and thinking.
Somewhere between writing code, talking to AI, and DJing at night, a few things clicked for me.
🧠 Reflection of the week
The world is moving faster than my plans (😅).
While building my AI assistant (ClawdBot) this week, something shifted.
For a long time, when I thought about developing my business, I thought about people. Hiring virtual assistants. Delegating tasks. Building small teams. A few weeks ago I was seriously looking at hiring VAs in the Philippines.
Now? I'm not so sure.
After spending days setting up AI agents that work 24/7, remember context, and never get tired, it's pretty clear how fast things are changing. We're still early (it's only 2026!), but the direction is obvious.
Operational work. Repetitive tasks. Research. Creating code.
Most of this will be handled by AI agents sooner than we think.
So what's left for us?
For me, it means my role is changing. Less doing. Less operating.
More being the front-face. More creating. More holding the vision.
I'm not trying to compete with AI on efficiency anymore.
I'm leaning into what AI can't replace: presence, energy, intuition, expression, human connection.
💡 Inspiration of the week
Breaking the "I'm not enough" story through creating.
I listened to a Polish podcast this week that really stuck with me.
It was about breaking that internal voice saying "I'm not enough."
One idea landed very hard:
Creating and expressing yourself is one of the most nourishing things you can do. Not for likes or validation. Just because expression is life force.
Two questions keep coming back:
- What can I give to the world that's real and true to me?
- How can I turn that into something that feeds both me and others?
When I look at my life right now, the answer is clear.
It's not one thing. It's the mix.
DJing and music.
Dancing and being in my body.
And at the same time, sitting for hours learning how to build AI systems, understanding how this stuff actually works.
This weird bridge between worlds (tech and body, structure and flow) feels like my path.
🔧 Tool of the week
ClawdBot: my own AI assistant in the cloud.
Main project this week was setting up ClawdBot, my personal AI assistant, to be sure as possible as I can, that it is secure.
In simple terms, it’s an AI system I fully control:
- Can run locally, in the cloud, or on managed platforms
- I put it on a cloud VPS in Hostinger
- Connects through Telegram, WhatsApp, another messengers
- Works with multiple AI models, with every tool that has API
- Can use a browser to search, do whatever you want in internet
- Keeps long-term memory
Most of this week wasn't about cool AI features.
It was about making it secure enough to actually use daily.
That's what I learned, and what I did:
- Cloud VPS instead of a local machine
I run ClawdBot on a cloud server, not on my personal laptop. This keeps my private devices separated and gives me a controlled environment that’s online 24/7.
- Docker-based isolation (sandbox)
Every part of the system runs in its own container. This means no single component has full access to the server, and problems stay contained instead of spreading.
- Reverse proxy (Traefik) as a single entry point
All traffic goes through one controlled gate. Internal services are never exposed directly to the internet.
- Custom domain with HTTPS (SSL)
Access happens through my own domain, not a raw IP address. All communication is encrypted, so data doesn’t travel in plain text.
- Authentication layer (Authelia)
Before anyone can access the AI panel, they must log in. No anonymous access, no accidental exposure.
The server blocks everything by default and only allows the minimum required access. Random scans and noise are ignored automatically.
- Fail2ban (automatic blocking)
If something keeps trying to guess logins, it gets blocked automatically. This mainly protects against bots and brute-force attempts.
- No public IP + port access to the AI panel
The panel is not reachable via a simple IP:port. Everything is hidden behind domains and security layers.
- API keys stored outside the application
AI API keys are not saved in the ClawdBot config or visible in the interface. They live as environment variables on the server.
- Portainer for secret management
I use Portainer to manage containers and environment variables, so sensitive data stays outside the app and out of chat history.
- Separation between AI access and server admin access
Using the AI assistant is completely separate from managing the server itself. Different access, different responsibilities.
I'm not a developer or IT security guy, but I think basic security I did, and now I can start setup Clawdbot with tools and start using it :)
If you want to use it, do your own research please!
I also created my first YouTube video in English about this setup and why I'm doing it.
It's not perfect. But it's honest. And it's me creating instead of waiting until I'm "ready." I will do post-edit, and publish then.
📈 Business development
AI will handle operations. Humans will create experiences.
The more I work with AI agents, the clearer this gets.
Digital execution will get automated. Fast.
Which means my perspective of where I can give value shifts to:
- Physical experiences
- Real presence
- Events
- Working directly with people (1-on-1, 1-to-many)
- Spaces where people actually feel something
That's why DJing, events, and human connection don't feel like "side projects" to me. They feel practical. Real. Future-proof.
AI runs in the background.
Humans show up in front.
🎧 DJ Journey 🌏
Last week I played a B2B set here in Da Nang with an Argentinian DJ, Rama Lumo.
It was my 13th set in Saga Club, Da Nang. And last one in this moment.
Playing together b2b is special in many ways.
The week before, I heard Ramiro (Rama Lumo) playing at Saga club and felt we had similar energy. I knew it would be fun to play together.
We didn't even talk before or prepare our music for the set. Just pure flow and taking as much fun from it as possible.
The set is up:
💬 Any thoughts or reflections? Text me back!
Thanks for being.
Have a good week and see yaa next Sunday ✌️
Bart
