61 | The 30-Hour Nomad Workweek – Games, Tech, AI Art and Freedom

What happens when an early video game developer, AI artist, fractional CTO and digital nomad decides to redesign his life around creativity, exploration and freedom?

In this in-person episode, Palle Bo meets Steve Tietze at his new office in Chiang Mai's Nimman neighbourhood. They begin by exploring why Chiang Mai remains one of the world's strongest digital nomad hubs – from its surrounding nature and affordable lifestyle to its unusually active community of entrepreneurs, artists and technology enthusiasts.

Steve then takes us back to the early days of 3D video games, when portfolios were delivered on VHS tapes and floppy disks. He shares how he worked on the early development of Duke Nukem 3D, collaborated closely with the creators of Doom and co-founded Nihilistic Software, where a small team created Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption.

Today, Steve combines several very different careers. He works remotely as a fractional CTO for two companies, while also creating surreal AI visuals, music videos and large-scale projection-mapping installations through Dreaming Computers.

His work has appeared behind DJs at major venues, on an enormous pyramid at Burning Man, across iconic buildings in San Francisco and on 50-foot statues in Koh Samui.

Steve also explains why he deliberately reduced his working week after years of working 60–80 hours. Living in Chiang Mai allows him to spend less, work around 30 hours a week and leave more time for friendships, creative projects and spontaneous scooter trips into the mountains.

This is a conversation about technological reinvention, creative curiosity and building a nomad career that supports your life instead of consuming it.

Key Takeaways

• Chiang Mai's combination of nature, affordability and active communities continues to make it a powerful base for digital nomads.
• Local meetups can provide friendships, professional connections and access to specialised knowledge that would be difficult to find elsewhere.
• Steve entered the video game industry during the early days of 3D gaming and worked on projects connected to Duke Nukem 3D, Doom and Strife.
• Combining artistic and engineering skills has allowed Steve to communicate across different teams and move between industries.
• Location-independent work can make it possible to hold senior technical roles without being tied to a company headquarters.
• Steve's AI artwork requires far more than writing a prompt – individual 15-second visuals could take a week of experimentation and refinement.
• Sharing his work online led to collaborations with musicians, projection installations and opportunities around the world.
• Reducing his cost of living allowed Steve to step away from 60–80-hour workweeks and design a healthier balance between work and exploration.
• Creativity can help counterbalance the mental fatigue that comes from intensive engineering and programming work.
• Steve's next goal is to develop his characters and visual worlds into a short science-fiction film.

Relevant Links

• Steve Tietze on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stietze/
• Dreaming Computer's website: https://dreamingcomputers.com
• Demo Reel: https://youtu.be/b7STsZ181WY?si=_Ea3KX3wbmMZSdSc
• Steve's Instagram with art: https://www.instagram.com/dreamingcomputers
• Music Video, No Mercy: https://youtu.be/dPPR5NSGxo4?si=cBgiUN5mHkIxU3Sk
• Nomad Summit: https://nomadsummit.com
• Episode produced by RadioGuru: https://radioguru.co.uk