Building since 2009—
now shipping software.
Started in real estate in 2009. Founded my own firm in 2014. Now I design, code, and architect software with AI — documenting the whole climb: the faith, the books, the miles, the work. Every day, in the open.
How I got here
- 2009 Licensed in Manhattan. Cold calls and open houses — learned the market block by block.
- 2014 Founded my own firm. Botensten Properties International. Broker to broker-owner: a business that taught me discipline.
- 2026 Became a builder. Started designing, coding, and architecting software with AI. Did not stop. Now shipping in public.
- Daily The swim, bike, run. Triathlon keeps the body honest. The books keep the rest honest. Every mile on Strava, live.
- Now The whole climb, documented. Faith, pages, code, and deals — the journey of building something worth building. In the open.
In the feed
Such a blessed Thanksgiving, one we’ll never forget! First hosting at my parents in some t
Elon Musk’s Secret Texas Empire Will Shock You 🤯 #ElonMusk #Texas #Tesla #SpaceX #Starbas
Jay-Z Just Lost BILLIONS to a Guy Voting From Zoom Hashtags: #JayZ #NYC #Casino #Queens #M
LA Just Spent $3 BILLION on This Right Before the Olympics 😳 #LA #LosAngeles #Olympics #C
We discuss the recent acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate by Compass for $1.6 billion in a
Attendees came for the kitchen or love island…
If you’ve got a backpack and dreams… pick one.
My bike wants closure and quads know this isn’t Zwift.
Live & long-form
2:29:17
Day 53 - Vibe Coding Apps & SaaS Sites + Sober Day 29
1:38:37
Day 52 - Vibe Coding A Community Of Builders (Fable 5) + Sober Day 25
2:47:56
Day 51 - Vibe Coding A Community Of Builders | Sober Day 22
1:53:16
Day 50 - Vibe Coding A Community (Opus 4.8 High) + Sober Day 15
2:42:23
Day 49 - Vibe Coding A Community (Opus 4.8 High) + Sober Day 12
2:28:23
Day 48 - Vibe Coding A Community (Opus 4.8 High) + Sober Day 8
In your ears
Vibe coder.
Designer. Data architect.
This platform, the writing engine, the training feeds — designed and built by me, paired with AI. Everything shipped in public. The business lives at Botensten, where we help builders own their software instead of renting it forever.
The writing, always growing
New essays on health, money, faith, and habits publish here continuously. Free to read, no funnel.
6 Lead Gen Strategies That Fill Your Pipeline
What's the single biggest lead generation mistake most businesses make?
Most businesses don't have a traffic problem. They have a conversion problem wearing a traffic costume. Thousands of monthly visitors can still leave a pipeline empty if there's no system connecting those clicks to an actual path toward becoming a customer.
The strategies below are drawn from leapyn.com's breakdown of lead generation tactics that connect marketing activity to real revenue—not vanity metrics like impressions or clicks.
How does SEO compare to outbound for lead quality?
SEO leads close at a 14.6% rate. Traditional outbound methods close at just 1.7%. That's not a marginal gap—it's a different category of lead entirely.
The reason is intent. When someone searches a question and finds your content, they've already identified themselves as someone with a problem you solve. They came to you. That changes every conversation that follows.
Articles
See all
How Do I Create a Consistent Daily Routine?
Build a consistent daily routine by fixing your sleep and wake times, then adding one small 10-minute habit at a time, anchored to cues you already keep.
How to Remember What You Read: the Evidence-Based Answer
You forget 80% of what you read in a day. Use active recall, spaced repetition, handwriting, teaching, and sleep to remember far more.
How to Create a Budget That Actually Works
A budget that works names every dollar, uses your real take-home pay, tracks spending weekly, and adjusts. Here is the exact method.
Best Morning Routine for Productivity: The Honest Answer
The best morning routine for productivity: 7-9 hours sleep, a fixed wake time, morning light, movement, and your hardest task first. Protocols inside.
What's the Best Way to Test a Business Idea?
The best way to test a business idea is to sell it before you build it: run customer interviews, then get a pre-order, deposit, or paid pilot.
Bootstrapping vs Venture Capital: Pros, Cons, and the Math
Bootstrapping vs venture capital: bootstrapping keeps control and profit; VC buys speed for equity. Compare pros, cons, and real numbers to choose.
Best Pricing Strategies for Subscription Services
The best subscription pricing is value-based: charge on a value metric, price to outcomes, and use three tiers. A builder's operator guide with real numbers.
Botensten · Venture Studio
Ideas, built fast.
The studio behind BPI, iCharles, Todd & the AI council — idea to clickable prototype in ~5 minutes.
Explore BotenstenMost read by crawlers
What the AI & search bots fetch most.
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Join the iCharles community
Building in public — AI, real estate, triathlon, faith. One dispatch when something ships.
Follow the journey.
Training, deals, faith, building — documented daily. Pick a channel.