About

I’m Dave Lockie. I build things that make sense.

Currently: Corporate Strategy & Growth at Automattic (the folks behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr). Previously: founded and advised early-stage companies, spent a decade in digital product development.

Location: Portugal (formerly Brighton, UK for many years).

What I Do

I recognize patterns others miss. Across domains, scales, time horizons, modes.

Day job: Strategy for WooCommerce at Automattic. Building commerce tools that millions of people use. Figuring out what merchants actually need vs. what they think they need.

Side work:

  • AI agents and autonomous systems
  • Personal knowledge management (PKM) infrastructure
  • Systems thinking applied to… everything
  • Web3/crypto (when it’s not bullshit)
  • Speaking
  • Advising & mentoring

How I Think

I hold uncomfortable tensions without resolving them prematurely. Most people see binary choices. I see complementary opposites.

Not: Scarcity vs. Abundance
Actually: Scarcity ↔ Reciprocity

I execute under uncertainty better than most. High openness (97th percentile) + high conscientiousness (94th percentile) = rare combo. I can explore new territory AND ship things.

I value things before others see the value. Stochastic value. Infrastructure work that seems pointless for 500 days then becomes critical in 1 day.

I trust long latency periods.

What I Write About

  • Technology as leverage – How to use tools to create time for what matters
  • Systems literacy – Why everything connects and what that means
  • Pattern recognition – Seeing what’s actually happening vs. what people say is happening
  • Product strategy – Building things people actually want
  • AI agents – What happens when software gets agency
  • Personal infrastructure – Automating life so you can focus on living it

Background

Professional:

  • 20+ years in digital product development
  • Built and advised early-stage companies
  • Product & Strategy at Automattic (current)
  • Focus: WooCommerce, digital commerce, platform strategy

Philosophy:

  • ENTJ personality type (for what it’s worth)
  • Systems thinker, pattern recognizer, synthesizer
  • “The only way out is through” – no shortcuts
  • Execution > perfection
  • Open source when it makes sense
  • Decentralization when it’s not just cosplay

Interests:

  • AI and autonomous agents
  • Personal knowledge management (Obsidian enthusiast)
  • Web3/crypto (the signal, not the noise)
  • Systems design
  • Family (two kids, partner)
  • Technology, nature & gardening, fitness, health optimization, cooking, music, scuba diving

What This Site Is

An integrated, holistic digital presence. Professional writing + personal reflections + creative work + whatever else makes sense.

150+ posts. 85,000+ words. About tech, strategy, life, patterns.

Written for:

  • People building things
  • Systems thinkers
  • Pattern recognizers
  • Anyone trying to make sense of complexity
  • Future me (my most important reader)

Working With Me

I’m good at:

  • Multi-scale pattern recognition (seeing connections others miss)
  • Execution under uncertainty (shipping things when path isn’t clear)
  • Strategic synthesis (connecting disparate ideas into coherent frameworks)
  • Making complex ideas accessible without dumbing them down

I’m not good at:

  • Small talk
  • Pretending to care about things I don’t care about
  • Following processes that don’t make sense
  • Being impressed by credentials over competence

My style:

  • Direct. Concise. No bullshit.
  • I care about outcomes, not optics.
  • I value clarity over politeness.
  • If you want encouragement, I’ll give it. If you want truth, I’ll give that too.

Contact

Email: divydovy@gmail.com
X (Twitter): @divydovy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidlockie

I respond to interesting questions and thoughtful proposals.

I don’t respond to:

  • Generic pitches
  • “Quick chats” without context
  • Requests for free consulting disguised as “picking my brain”
  • AI-generated outreach (I can tell)
  • Crypto scam podcasters

About This Site

Built with WordPress. Content strategy powered by AI (Claude). Design philosophy: Clarity over cleverness.

Future plans: Radical redesign with 3D/algorithmic/biological interfaces. Context-aware experiences that adapt based on what you’re reading and why.

For now: Words on a screen. Which is fine. Content > container.