The Analogue Pocket and Playdate Are Delightful Products

August 31, 2023 by Stephen Hallgren in Life, Reviews

After watching the September 2023, Apple Keynote I realized that we’ve all become so accustomed to the Apple’s products that nothing really feels new or exciting. Or maybe I should say, compelling enough that the current product isn’t already more than good enough. Consumerism needs consumers to feed on the new and shiny, which is what got us the iPhone in the first place, but consumerism mixed with capitalism is what causes products to plateau and for companies to play it safe. Yes, yes, there are technical reasons for this as well, but it’s not an excuse. I recently bought two electronics that I think are great examples of companies not playing it safe…

Ten Entrepreneurial Lessons From the World of (Ultra)Marathons

August 28, 2023 by Stephen Hallgren in Life, nonfractional, Races

If you couldn’t tell, I’m obsessed with running. Throughout the years, running has been my mental lifeline, particularly in some of my darkest moments. Running has also brought about some of the most impactful ideas and lessons I’ve been able to apply to life. While running shorter distances are powerful for freeing my mind to ideas, I’ve found that the longer distances are what have pushed me beyond the normal limits of mind and body.

Upcoming Podcast Release: Breakin' Hearts

August 22, 2023 by Stephen Hallgren in nonfractional, Life

When Luke Brawner told me about his podcast idea Breakin’ Hearts, I was immediately sold on the concept. I had no clue that breaking was officially added to the 2024 Summer Olympics event roster or that it was even being considered in the first place. This is why Luke’s idea is the perfect opportunity for him to tell the compelling and actively unfolding story about B-boy Jeffro, one of the many b-boys competing to be on the US Olympic breaking team. It’s also a great opportunity for us non-breakers to get ourselves educated prior to the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Not All Anxiety Hits in Quite the Same Way

July 29, 2023 by Stephen Hallgren in nonfractional, Life

Venturing off into the land of freelance was a scary path to take. I was giving up the security of a consistent paycheck for the uncertainty of finding work on my own. Bills don’t care if you have a steady income, the bills must be paid. Big company long-term incentive programs are there for a reason. It’s a carrot on a stick. Carrots on a stick are meant to lure you ever onward, down paths that you might not normally take on your own free will. They are referred to as “golden-handcuffs” for a reason. It took my longer than I’d like to admit, but there came a day when I realized that I was being led down a path I didn’t want to be taking.

Say Hello to Nonfractional 👋

July 10, 2023 by Stephen Hallgren in nonfractional, Life

Sometimes taking a massive step begins with a gentle nudge, combined with seeing a glimpse of how the sum of life’s past experiences culminate into the genesis of something new. This is why I’m insanely excited to present to you |⫮| nonfractional, a multidisciplinary tech studio helping startups evolve their craft from idea to reality. |⫮| nonfractional represents the convergence of 20+ years of experience into a single company.

Doing Scary Risky Things

July 05, 2023 by Stephen Hallgren in Life, nonfractional

I’m 43, going on 44. It’s surprising how many of those years I look back on with regret. I’ve been a person, son, husband, dad, friend and employee, each with varying responsibilities, expectations and roles. I have definitely not lived up to who I’ve wanted to be or even who my family has needed me to be. Possibly one of the greatest things I’ve learned in the previous few years is that despite how I feel about my past, none of that dictates my future. Change is possible.

In a Different Life

May 19, 2023 by Stephen Hallgren in Life

In a different life I would have been some sort of architect, mechanical draftsman or other equally artistic, yet precise version of artist. When I was a teenager I would visit the library and check out floor plan and landscape architecture books. I’d spend hours reading Architectural Digest and anything else that was related. I even had my own drafting table. I was obsessed. The only problem is that I never pursued it. Needless to say, my love for architecture, mechanical illustrations and any kind of technical drawing never waned.

 Apple Watch Ultra – Goodbye Garmin (forever)

December 20, 2022 by Stephen Hallgren in Life, Gear

It’s been almost 2 years since I bought a Garmin 735XT to supplement my Apple Watch for running workouts and racing. It was a painful, yet necessary, decision back then. Today, I’m pleased to announce that I am officially Garmin free once again, with one watch to rule them all.

Let me recap the two main issues I had with Apple Watch…

This Year I Got a Coach and a Clue and It Was Amazing

November 30, 2020 by Stephen Hallgren in Life

When I was in high-school I played on the Freshman basketball team. I’d argue that I was a pretty decent basketball player, I wasn’t bad, but I also don’t think I was great. Somewhere in skilled mediocre. While most of the players had better shooting and dribbling I was one of the better rebounders on the team, so I did a lot of rebounding, layups, passing and the occasional free throw. Seared in on brain though was my lack of motivation to try hard. I did the workouts, but wasn’t fully committed. I never put in additional work at home, because I didn’t see the point of more practice…

 Apple Watch - So Close Yet So Far

November 18, 2020 by Stephen Hallgren in Life, Gear

When I first started running I bought an Apple Watch to track my running, 5+ years later I’m still using an Apple Watch. I love its simplicity and while I’ve upgraded versions over the years, it has been a really solid watch for both normal wear and workout tracking. Each time I would start “growing” out of the Apple Watch–features were falling behind, or battery life wouldn’t last long enough–the next iteration of the watch would solve these problems, until this year. This year I started being coached by Nark Running & Strength and for many of my coach’s workouts it’s important for him to be able to see “splits.” Unfortunately, this Apple Watch feature is extremely sub-par and difficult to use…