Author: jamesmcaulay
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Getting closer to the 3hr barrier… Brighton Marathon 2024
Chip time: 3:08:27 “Avoid and reduce stress in the week leading up to your race.” – textbook marathon advice đ Brighton đ was hillier, windier, and a few degrees cooler than Milan, but I still got what I came for: a tan (borderline sunburn), a new PB, fleeting moments of mushin no shin (çĄĺżăŽĺż) and…
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Encore in the Cambridge Computer Lab Hall of Fame
I honestly had no idea Encore had been engraved in the William Gates Computer Lab Hall of Fame until I saw this photo posted to LinkedIn yesterday! One of the things I found most inspiring about my time at Cambridge was the long list of founders who had gone before me. It’s still a pinch-me…
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GPT-4: accelerating Customer Support at Encore
We integrated GPT-4 into our Customer Support flows in January, and the results have been astonishing. I honestly didn’t believe these stats were true when I was first shown them, but they are…
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An unplanned break from Triathlon and an abandoned Ultra. What the hell happened?
I first got into triathlon in 2019. And when I say I “got into triathlon”, what I really mean is: I fell down a rabbit hole and became completely obsessed. In my first year, I completed my first Sprint, Olympic and Half Ironman races. I was hooked, and entered my first Ironman. This was postponed…
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4 Marketplace Lessons after 40,000 Bookings
We recently booked gig number 40,000 at Encore! How have we done it? 4 strategies for marketplace founders đ ď¸ Automate everything: your team will thank you for it We’ve spent years streamlining every single part of our business. Our developers play a core role in this, and our Ops team use tools like Zapier religiously.…
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My Focus Stack for 2023
Over the last ten years, I’ve experimented with a myriad of approaches to maximising my focus while working, writing, or creating music. My hunt for the best way to focus has been fuelled by a simple reason: being ‘in flow‘ is immensely satisfying. Flow is a state of mind that yields meaningful progress and breakthroughs,…
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Ironman Wales 2022: Full Debrief
How do you even begin to describe one of the most incredible days of your life? To understand why this race meant so much to me, we need to go back to 2018. I’m 24 years old, and I’m in Hyde Park. I’ve just finished a small 10k race in the snow, and I’m standing…
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6 Lessons Learned from Paris Marathon 2022
This weekend I ran Paris Marathon, my fifth attempt at the marathon distance (if you include the Ironman) and my third marathon race. Overall, it was awesome! Hearing thousands of people chanting “Allez, allez, allez!” made me feel like I was in the Tour de France, and parts of the course were stunning. I felt…
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Triathlon Changed My Life
3 years ago I was inactive and generally unhappy. I wasn’t looking after my body, and I wasn’t really enjoying running at all. Photo on the left was taken during a 10k race in October 2018 that I struggled through and finished in 46:17. đŠ In 2019, I discovered triathlon and fell deeply, madly in…
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53x climbs of Swains Lane (Fuji Ascent)
In May 2021, I decided to climb Swains Lane 53 times in order to complete the elevation of Fuji in a day. A lot of friends came out to support, with JH completing the entire challenge with me. It was honestly one of the most meditative, fulfilling days of my life. It’s hard to explain…
