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Rhys

📍 Amsterdam

The data problems in sustainability

We have mountains of data on sustainability. Yet problems persist. The pattern I see is that 80-90% of our work tackles data problems, not implementing actual solutions. This one's about why I think we're stuck solving the old problems, and what needs to change.

Building a personal AI operating system

Most AI advice is generic. But what if you could create an AI coach that understands your specific personality traits, communication style, and ways of working? By feeding Claude personality test results (and reflections), you can build a system that provides more tailored guidance.

Digital Product Passports 101

The EU's new Digital Product Passport system will require data on products. The data, consumer demand, and the tech exists. We're just missing the systematic effort to connect them. Let's discuss.

Invisible supply chains and increasing need for data awareness

Through investigating my own everyday items, I thought about how deliberately invisible modern supply chains are, despite mounting consumer demand. The data exists, but connecting it to consumers remains a challenge.

System change through multi-level perspectives - sticky graphs

Another stick graph - a framework showing how complex systems actually change through three interacting layers. It's messy, non-linear, and (but) useful for understanding system change.

Modularity dividends - Why standardisation beats customisation in IT

An Oxford study reveals that IT projects have uniquely infinite risk and the data suggests why. I want to propose another reason standardisation isn't limiting but the key to reliable success.

The gap between good intentions and systematic delivery

Every impact organisation I've worked with faces the same challenge: they know exactly what change they want to make, but the gap between good intentions and systematic delivery keeps tripping them up. Here's why this pattern exists and what systematic execution could look like.

Why I'm starting StudioRhys

After helping organisations like Earth Action, Ubuntu, and South Pole bridge the gap between vision and execution, I'm starting StudioRhys to focus on solving the execution challenges that mission-driven organisations face.

Solar capacity - sticky graphs

This, is my friend Mentor’s favourite graph: It shows that between the years 2006 and 2018, when the International Energy Agency (IEA) made projections about the future capacity of photovoltaic cells (PVs) - solar panels - in their report ‘World Energy Outlook’, they were, year after year, very wrong.

Graphs to stick on your wall

I have a friend called Mentor (his real name), and many months ago now he was showing me around his new apartment. When we were in his office, he pointed out a graph that he had stuck on his wall, this was that graph: I loved this. I’ve written