This website is a work in progress - like all good things in life should be.
I'll come back to update this as I see fit. It's a place to track my thoughts, my projects, and things that interest me.
By entering this site, you agree to join me in curiosity.
This is legally binding, of course. /s
Welcome!
ryanphelan.me
This is my personal corner of the internet. I built it to share what I care about, push myself to keep learning, and stay focused on the things that matter. The world [and life] is moving fast — family, work, AI, and everything in between — and this is where I process all of it. Pull up a chair and stay a while.
It's a playground for me to test building a website from scratch. My current no-cost tech stack: Using VSCode as my IDE, OpenAI and Claude to write code, Github as my repo, Netlify for hosting.
A Little About Me
I’m wired for curiosity - it drives me in my daily life.
Whether I’m googling a sports fact I didn't know, researching a new business strategy, testing a quick business idea, or pushing AI to see what it can actually do, I can’t leave questions alone. Instead, I turn them into projects that expand what I can do.
Below, you'll see a little about what makes me...me. And some of the current things I find interesting.
Running on caffeine
Ctrl+Z enthusiast
Constantly asking questions
Leaving people on read, unintentionally
Frequent fridge-checker
Gets every last drop out of the toothpaste before throwing it out
Parallel parks on the first try
Movie lover
Absolutely no idea how to pick a good avocado
Overpacker
Will try any food once
Multi-tasking pro...until a great song comes on and then I have to sing along
Laughs at own jokes
Aisle Seat. Always.
Current Projects
Always working on something. Otherwise, my mind will endlessly contemplate the complexity of Interstellar.
Ever since my grandmother was generous enough to pay for my trip to France in high school, I've been obsessed with the world and what's out there. I've been fortunate enough to travel to many places. As I continue to travel, I'll add my trips and favorite moments here.
LondonUK — 2024 & 2025
Madrid & SevillaSpain — 2025
Lisbon & SintraPortugal — 2025
ParisFrance — 2017
AmsterdamNetherlands — 2024
MunichGermany — 2016 & 2024
PragueCzech Republic — 2019
ViennaAustria — 2024
BudapestHungary — 2024
Florence, Rome, Milan & VeniceItaly — 2019
Aruba2022
CancunMexico — 2026
Mont-TremblantCanada — 2015
Seattle & Vancouver2023
LA, San Francisco & San DiegoCalifornia — multiple trips
BreckenridgeColorado — 2015
ChicagoIllinois — 2024
AustinTexas — 2019
OrlandoFlorida — too many times to count
Visting my 3rd Grand Slam
Had to take a trip to Wimbledon while in London. I've been fortunate enough to go the French Open and the US Open many times. Next up: The Australian Open!
Feeling on top of the world
A friend of mine was living in Paris after college. Of course, I had to take the opportunity to visit - even if that meant cramming into his tiny (and I mean TINY) one bdrm apartment.
A fairytale land in Portugal
In the hills of southern Portugal is Sintra - a magical place to explore castles. Be prepared to get your steps in! (Okay, you get your steps in all throughout Portugal - but this place is so cool.)
Zoley
I built a solo-operator consulting company to help non-profits and small businesses harness the tools of big business (data and analytics, customer outreach, strategic decision making, etc.) It's named after my Grandfather, who had a profound impact on me growing up and gave me my love of solving puzzles. It all started with helping a few friends successfully grow their businesses.
I always have music playing. While I'm working...while I'm doing the dishes...while I'm driving in the car. Music just makes life better. Here's what's been on repeat lately.
What I'm Reading Now
I've never been able to read one book at a time. I always have to have a few on rotation to fit the mood I'm in (mixing business and pleasure.)
SPQR
Mary Beard
A History of Ancient Rome that throws everything we know out of the window and approaches the history from a point of questioning.
The Master
Christopher Clarey
A biography with never-before-heard insight into the life of Roger Federer and how he mastered his craft.
The Psychology of Stupidity
Jean-Francois Marmion
A fascinating read about how different individuals think and how to be cognizant of this.
Random
Don't take this section seriously. Or do. Up to you.
Hot Takes
Most podcasts are absolutely terrible.
Most meetings could just be an email.
The first pancake is a sacrifice.
Camping is just paying to be uncomfortable.
Everyone is winging it. Every day.
Things I Was Wrong About
Absolutely nothing.
Sports Accomplishments
2025 Spark Social PickleBall Champion
2016 High School Tennis Captain
Undefeated in PingPong since like 2003. Timothee Chalamet - if you ever see this...I challenge you.
I guess I'm only good at racquet sports.
// changelog
AI thoughts
Before ChatGPT took the world by storm in 2022, I started studying the underlying structure of AI to learn how it works. My obsession of "what's possible" with technology definitely comes from watching too many sci-fi movies. I've been continously testing and building with AI and documenting my journey - here are my thoughts.
