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Maestro David Itkin conducting the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra. Image courtesy of the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, used with permission. Designing a founder studio where ambition and reality align. This essay was originally published on Substack in February 2026. I’m republishing the early Dispatches on LinkedIn to create a complete archive before continuing the series with new essays. As a military veteran, I am comfortable in highly structured environments. I thought

Section gang working on railroad tracks for the Texas and Pacific Railway, Abilene, Texas, c. 1968-69. Shel Hershorn Photograph Collection, e_sh_230, Part I: Bones – Why Building From Scratch Doesn’t Mean Doing It Alone This essay was originally published on Substack in January 2026. I’m republishing the early Dispatches on LinkedIn to create a complete archive before continuing the series with new essays. The Abilene Paradox teaches us that groups can go astray when people f

Part II: Soul – How Stewardship and Place Bring Structure to Life This essay was originally published on Substack in February 2026. I’m republishing the early Dispatches on LinkedIn to create a complete archive before continuing the series with new essays. In Part I, I described the bones of an emerging startup ecosystem in Abilene, Texas —the structures, governance, and discipline needed to turn entrepreneurial ambition into something durable. But as those structures begin t

From Dyess to downtown, Abilene has always had the spirit to dream—and deliver. This essay was originally published on Substack in January 2026. I’m republishing the early Dispatches on LinkedIn to create a complete archive before continuing the series with new essays.