TL;DR — I like to build things.

This is where I share the projects, experiments, and ideas I'm working on.

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I've always been fascinated by how things work — and why people care.

I started my career as a video-first entrepreneur, creating content that made people stop scrolling and pay attention. That curiosity led me to build Take Detroit, my first online platform, shaped by the early momentum of Facebook and Instagram.

Over time, Take Detroit grew into one of the city's most recognizable creative brands. We produced stories that helped define Detroit's modern food and culture scene — generating more than 25 million organic video views and evolving a simple Facebook page into a fully formed business discovery platform.

But platforms shift. Algorithms change. TikTok rises. And you learn quickly that you can't build a lasting business on borrowed land.

That realization shaped how I build today.

Marketing taught me how people think.

Development lets me build what they need.

Now I design and build tools, platforms, and systems that merge storytelling, design, and technology — not the favor of the social media gods. I still draw from my background in video production and live online broadcast, but thefakezach.com is where I share what I'm creating now.

I'm also a believer in vibe coding — building by intuition, creativity, and context, not just convention. It's equal parts strategy, story, and system design.

These days I'm exploring ways to merge technology and culture:

experimenting with AI tools

rethinking how local economies connect

building more human-feeling digital experiences

and creating things that solve real problems for real people

This site is where it all lives.