Posts by Michael Earls
The Mystery Key We All Carry
I was staring at my keychain the other day and noticed a key I’ve been carrying around for years. No clue what it opens. At some point, it was important enough to add, but is it still relevant now? It’s just a weight in my pocket. It hit me: this is how routine creeps in.…
Read MoreFinding Forward Motion… and Why My Walk-Out Deck Matters
Not all scars are visible, but every one of them tells a story. Some are easy to see, like a skinned knee after pushing all-out on a treadmill. Others are hidden, shaped by giving 150% and still wondering if it’s enough. Both kinds matter. They remind us we’ve been tested, and that we’re still moving…
Read MoreAzure AI Foundry: The Everyday Router for Your AI Life
In my role today, I support AI workloads for customers across industries. That means I spend a lot of time looking at toolsets—what’s hype, what’s real, and what will make life easier for the people building with AI. Here’s what I keep seeing: A customer falls in love with a new LLM—let’s say OpenAI’s latest.…
Read MoreGoodbye, Dial-Up: From AOL Beeps to Gigabit Dreams
News alert: On September 30, AOL will officially shut down its dial-up internet service. Yes, it still existed. And yes, I’m just as surprised as you are. For some of us, this is more than a footnote in tech history—it’s the end of an era. The Song of My Youth I can still hear it now:…
Read MoreFrom Coffee to Deep Talks: How a Startup Teammate Changed My View on Life
Yogesh Patel and I met years ago working at a Bay Area startup—bonding over miles of work travel, long days at conference booths talking about why our product mattered, me drinking coffee… and Yogi drinking hot water (still not sure about that choice). We became friends the way good friendships happen, through shared stories, late-night…
Read MoreBuilding AI Muscle Memory: Learning Fast to Implement AI in the Workplace
AI is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s here, transforming how we work, collaborate, and deliver value. As I lean into Microsoft’s OpenAI and AI platform, I’ve realized that staying ahead isn’t just about knowing what AI can do; it’s about learning how to learn at the speed of change. I’m applying Jim Kwik’s speed reading…
Read MoreTame the Teams Tsunami: Time Management Tricks to Reclaim Your Focus
We all love Microsoft Teams. Until we don’t. It starts with one ping… then a channel mention… then a group chat… then a reply in a thread from a meeting you weren’t even in… and suddenly it’s noon and you’ve spent your entire morning reacting. Sound familiar? Good news: Microsoft Teams isn’t the problem. It’s…
Read MoreNew year at Microsoft, new team, and a fresh perspective.
It’s been outstanding sharing our core values, vision, heroes, and even failures to build genuine connections. It inspired me to share my heroes here—because in a world that moves so fast and keeps us glued to our phones, we need reminders of what truly matters. We need more heroes. Not capes-and-comic-book heroes but real ones.…
Read MoreProgress Over Perfection: What Homemade Pasta Taught Me About Learning
This weekend, I made homemade pasta—flour, eggs, and patience. It wasn’t perfect (the first batch was too thick, the next too thin), but each one got better. My mom is Italian, and my dad’s Irish—so pasta and potatoes are in my DNA. Traveling the world inspired me to learn how to make bread and pasta.…
Read MoreLearning Faster: Memory, Senses, and My Brother’s Story
Here’s how a personal story reshaped how I think about learning in tech. A few weeks ago, I shared the story of my brother surviving a life-changing accident. What I didn’t mention is one of the most fascinating parts: After damaging his right temporal lobe, his memory was impacted, yet he could still remember and perform…
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