Learning, Upgraded
I write a newsletter for L&D leaders on learning technology, content systems, and measurement, without the vendor hype. Everything here is built from direct field experience, not secondhand research.
What I write about
AI tools, LMS platforms, authoring tools, and analytics, evaluated from real implementation experience, not vendor briefings.
Building repeatable content operations that scale without burning out your team. From intake to QA to publishing.
Moving beyond completion rates and quiz scores to measurement that actually shows business impact.
Building and managing global L&D teams, hiring for operations mindset, and scaling with limited headcount.
Free guides
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Claude AI & Cowork: The L&D Professional's Complete Guide
A 15-part field guide to using Claude and Cowork in daily L&D work: setup, Projects, 10 real-world scenarios, and prompt engineering for instructional designers.
Free PDF GuideMicrosoft 365 Copilot: The L&D Leader's Complete Guide
A 37-part guide to using Copilot across every M365 app (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Copilot Studio, Power Automate, Viva, and more) with prompt libraries and real L&D scenarios.
Free PDF GuideGoogle Gemini: The L&D Professional's Complete Guide
A 27-part implementation guide for the full Google AI ecosystem (Gemini, NotebookLM, Canvas, Deep Research, Gems, and Workspace integrations) with real L&D scenarios.
Recent articles
From Learning, Upgraded
L&D is Back Under the Microscope
☕ 10-minute read There’s a number I can’t stop thinking about that goes through my mind on almost a daily basis. 96% of executives say they want L&D to connect learning to business results. Only 8% of them say they’re getting that data. This gap isn’t a method...
7 min read · April 16, 2026What's new for L&D in Microsoft Copilot in March
☕ 11-minute read Microsoft shipped more than a dozen updates to Microsoft 365 Copilot across February and March 2026. Some of them are useful for L&D teams right now. Most of the coverage you’ll find online is written for IT admins or general knowledge workers...
10 min read · April 9, 2026I Gave Claude Code a Brain. It Changed How I Work.
☕ 7-minute read Think about the last time you started a new training project. How much time did you spend re-researching things you already knew? Tracking down that article about spaced repetition you read six months ago? Rebuilding the same context for your A...
6 min read · April 8, 2026Why I write this
Most L&D content falls into one of two traps: vendor marketing dressed up as thought leadership, or academic theory that dissolves on contact with a real SME, a real LMS, and a real deadline.
Learning, Upgraded is the newsletter I wanted when I was building a learning function from scratch. Practical. Systems-focused. Honest about what doesn't work.
No affiliate links. No sponsored content. No "10 tips" listicles. Just real systems, tested workflows, and honest takes on what actually changes behavior and shows results.