I m Rob, an engineer, tinkerer, and plant enthusiast. Over the years I ve dabbled in everything from BMX, composting, drift RC, fingerboarding to vermiculture, but what really hooked me recently is plant tissue culture. Not just the plants themselves but the data, tools, and processes behind it.

Outside of plants and code, I ve worked at Microsoft and Spotify, built websites for brands like Best Buy and Peloton, and travel the world with my little schnauzer. I m excited to connect with this community, share what I ve been building, and learn from other makers and enthusiasts!

Over the past year, I dove deep into plant tissue culture, not just because I love plants (bonsai, composting, vermiculture, etc.), but because I got hooked on the data, the processes, and the challenge of optimizing growth. Every explant, every medium, every condition

That obsession led be to build xPlant, a dashboard for hobbyists and small-scale growers to log, analyze, and optimize their plant experiments. It s designed to make your plant projects feel as satisfying as a good puzzle or a winning board game.

Hey everyone,

Thinking about future-proofing my skills and I'm curious to hear from the pros in this community. We all have our core skills, but what's one skill that wasn't a big deal a few years ago but you now see as essential for your role in late 2025?

For Marketers: Is it data storytelling? AI prompt engineering?

For Designers: Is it prototyping with real data? Designing for AI?