Posts on Brenden's Blog

On the Edge

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:42:55 -0400

I like to stand right on the edge of the subway platform. I stand right atop the yellow tactile paving they install at the edge of the platform for blind people. I stand there, facing outward toward the trains, staring into the abyss. It’s my morning ritual now. And evening. And whenever I take the train.

On Evidence

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 17:05:17 -0500

Images are interesting because, in the digital world, it’s trivial to alter them, and yet we still tend to treat images—photographs, video—as a kind of proof. If you see a photograph in a news article, most people don’t really stop to ask whether the thing actually happened. The photograph is the thing, or at least it stands in for it. Light hit something, a camera was there, therefore this event occurred. That association feels almost automatic, and it’s been reinforced culturally for a long time.

Who Are You When No One Is Watching?

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 15:52:10 -0500

If a “true” self exists at all, it probably only appears when no one is watching.

The rest of the time, we’re adapting to context. At work, we perform the professional self. With friends, we’re relaxed, funny, interesting. With family, something else entirely. Online, where the audience is abstract and potentially infinite, we often project an idealized version of ourselves—the highlight reel.

Doubling Down on Here and Now

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 15:41:20 -0400

What exactly does it mean to be present? It’s a question I’ve written about before, yet here I am again—writing another version of it. Maybe that’s the point. Presence isn’t something you figure out once and move on from. It’s a practice, a remembering.

It’s a tricky concept—hard to describe, slippery to pin down. Presence seems to have layers. So I keep ending up at the same place: noticing what pulls me out of it.

Falling Out of Love With Computers

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 15:31:36 -0400

I’ve been thinking about when I first fell in love with computers. It started early—somewhere around the third or fourth grade. Our first family computer was a 486, running some version of Windows and, more importantly, MS‑DOS. I remember typing random commands into that black screen, trying to make sense of it. I wasn’t very good at it, but it felt like magic.

Nice vs. Kind

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 20:38:52 -0400

Kindness and niceness aren’t the same thing. This may sound like I’m splitting hairs, but once you notice the difference it’s hard to unsee. I first bumped into this idea through the New York stereotype—how people who don’t live here love to say New Yorkers are rude. I don’t buy it. New Yorkers just have a different concept of what counts as rude.

Every Day Is a Gift

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 14:30:21 -0400

It’s easy to be negative, cynical, and pessimistic. What’s incredibly admirable are those who manage to stay positive in difficult times. Everyone’s version of “difficult” is different, and what’s easy for some may be incredibly challenging for others.

I think one reason we might go down the path of negative thinking is that we forget to put things into perspective. At any moment, there are an infinite number of things that could go wrong, which could suddenly turn your delightful Sunday afternoon into a weekend disaster.

Fake Connection

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 08:57:12 -0400

The sales pitch of various “social” websites is that they provide you with human connection in the form of “friends,” “followers,” and so forth. I definitely bought into this idea once upon a time, but I no longer buy into this narrative.

A hardy begonia from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden—real, tangible, alive. No filters needed.

Do a Bad Job

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 10:26:01 -0400

As a recovering perfectionist, I’ve been learning to embrace a radical idea: it’s better to do a bad job of something than to do nothing at all. The wisdom is everywhere—you miss every shot you don’t take, perfect is the enemy of good, done is better than perfect—but living it is another matter entirely.

Wrapped Up in Our Identities

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 21:17:55 -0400

I’ve always been wrapped up in the idea of my own identity. Lately, though, I’m trying to let that go.

Identity is a curious thing. It’s tricky to define, yet most of us carry some concept of who we are, some internal story we tell ourselves. This reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend who’d spent time at an ashram in India. He went there to meditate, to simply be, perhaps to do nothing at all.

Analogue Joy in a Digital World

Wed, 14 May 2025 06:23:55 -0400

As a child of the internet age, I have barely known a world without it. Although I grew up in a transitional time—computers were commonplace but the internet itself was far from ubiquitous in my childhood—I still find it difficult to imagine life without instant access to the boundless information, entertainment, and superficial connection we all get from the internet.

On Beauty

Sun, 11 May 2025 13:30:06 -0400

I, like most people, have a great appreciation for beauty in all its forms. When we see something beautiful, it can trigger an emotional response that transcends mere recognition—be it a sunset painting the sky in impossible colors, a face that catches our eye in a crowd, a landscape that makes us pause mid-stride, or a painting that captures that ineffable quality of light. We’re naturally drawn to beauty, which begs the question: is it beautiful because we are drawn to it, or are we drawn to it because it’s beautiful?

Slow Flow

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 06:59:45 -0400

At the yoga studio, many people come and go. Often, you encounter newcomers who treat their first yoga class like a HIIT workout. They rush through transitions, sometimes literally jumping between poses (āsanas). In their minds, yoga seems less like a deliberate flow and more like a race to the finish line. They might substitute five rapid pushups for a single, controlled chaturanga (often missing the pose’s subtleties), and fly through their upward-facing dog without syncing movement to breath.

Consistent Mediocrity

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 07:39:21 -0400

Every January gym attendance spikes by nearly 150%, yet by mid-February about 90% of those new faces have vanished.¹ Everyone wants the big reset. The part that actually does something is sticking around once it gets dull.

Showing up regularly with “good enough” effort often outperforms sporadic bursts of perfectionism. I admire people who are consistent, dependable, and reliable. And I think you’ll find, if you can simply show up consistently, you’re more likely to achieve mastery slowly than someone who tries something a few times, gets frustrated, and gives up.² But mastery isn’t always the goal, and that’s perfectly fine. Sometimes, being just okay at something and enjoying the process is rewarding in itself.

Taking Pleasure in Others' Success

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 07:35:32 -0400

There’s a TV show called Love on the Spectrum. It’s one of my favourite TV shows–for a number of reasons–but I think the reason I like it so much is that I really want to see everyone on the show succeed. And it feels really good when they do succeed, often bringing tears.

The Economy is a Heat Engine (Mostly)

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 07:57:05 -0400

Economics is a strange beast. We treat it like a hard science, expecting precise predictions, but it often feels more like math stirred together with psychology, constantly trying to explain the past rather than foreseeing the future. If economists could reliably predict market crashes or booms, wouldn’t they all be relaxing on private islands by now?

Defining Success

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 07:47:59 -0400

When most people talk about success, they’re usually referring to the accumulation of money, power, or material possessions. A bigger house, a fancier car, an advanced degree from a prestigious university, a high-paying job with an impressive title. Maybe you’re so successful that you’ve retired from your day job and now you spend your time doing high-profile non-profit work, partly to impress your friends.

More Is Worse

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 07:14:03 -0400

You’ve heard the phrase “less is more,” but have you ever considered its mischievous cousin: “more is worse”? It’s the same idea, just with a sharper edge. My favourite example? Restaurant menus. The worst restaurants always seem to have the most options. When I go out to eat, I want the chef to present their best dish—no decisions, no stress. The chef already knows what’s good. Just put it in front of me (ideally, a steak). The ultimate luxury is when someone knows exactly what you want and simply delivers it.

The Arduous Path to Mastery

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 07:04:06 -0400

I have a deep appreciation for mastery. It takes an extraordinary amount of time and effort to become truly masterful at something. It doesn’t matter so much what that thing is, whether it’s a sport, a musical instrument, a language–spoken, written, or programming computers. In every case I’ve seen up close, it eats years of your life and asks for more.

Stop Catastrophizing

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 03:57:13 +0000

I was recently banned from Rover, a specialized craigslist website for finding pet sitters and dog walkers. They didn’t specify why exactly, though I know the walker claimed my dog bit her. I find this claim suspicious since my dogs have never bitten anyone before, certainly not hard enough to break skin, and her story contained several inconsistencies.

Who Is an Artist?

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 09:40:33 +0000

Yesterday, I took a walk to the Brooklyn Bridge, a notorious tourist trap but also a beautiful and marvelous feat of engineering. I wanted to photograph it (a cliché, I know) so I can make a print for someone as a gift. Hours passed in what felt like minutes. This experience, this immersion in creation for its own sake, is what makes me call myself an artist. So when a friend of mine–who reads this blog–made an off-hand comment critical of the fact that I call myself an artist, I wasn’t offended, but it did get me thinking about: who is an artist? What makes someone an artist? Is it enough to just make art? Do you have to show it? Sell it? Call yourself an artist on your LinkedIn profile?

How I Lost $7 Million

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 15:53:26 +0000

The year is 2025. I’m turning 40 soon, sitting in a cramped 450-square-foot apartment with thin walls, $50,000 in credit card debt, and a credit score of 646. My financial worth: $100 in liquid assets. My net worth: deeply negative.

Five years ago, I was worth over $7 million.

I didn’t lose this money in one crash or one bad year. I lost it through my own greed, overconfidence, and inability to leave well enough alone. If you’re looking for a cautionary tale about the psychological pitfalls of sudden wealth, welcome. I’ve lived it all so you don’t have to.

The Great Disconnect: Our Digital Addiction

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 09:51:07 -0400

I was sitting on the subway the other day and glanced up from my book to notice something that shouldn’t be remarkable, yet somehow was: every single person in my line of sight was staring at their phone. This wasn’t the first time I’d observed this phenomenon, but something about this particular moment struck me differently. Everyone had the same blank, thumb-scrolling look, like the train car had gone quiet in a way that felt off.

The Art of Productive Boredom

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 09:28:17 +0000

I’ve been thinking a lot about boredom lately—specifically, how we’ve become so good at avoiding it. We reach for our phones at the slightest hint of downtime, filling every possible moment with scrolling, tapping, and consuming. It’s as if we’ve collectively decided that being alone with our thoughts is some kind of punishment to be avoided at all costs.

Write About Writing

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 08:06:54 +0000

I like to write, and sometimes I like to write about writing. There’s a touch of irony here—similar to artists who teach because they can’t sustain themselves solely through their art. In my case, I’m neither successful enough to earn a living from my writing nor from teaching it, but I genuinely enjoy both activities nonetheless. Writing about it helps me see what I’m actually doing instead of what I tell myself I’m doing.

Kill Your Ego

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:53:57 +0000

Looking back at my mistakes, I keep seeing the same thing: moments when my ego took over and pushed me off course. The abstract concept of “staying humble” sounds straightforward until we’re faced with real-world situations that challenge our self-image. Only when something valuable slips away do we fully grasp what humility might have preserved.

Performative Existing

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 03:03:07 +0000

Sometimes we do things because we want to, sometimes we do things because we must. You might tackle that tedious spreadsheet at work not because you love Excel, but because it’s your responsibility. Or you might blast that 80s power ballad for the twentieth time simply because it brings you joy. Simple enough, right?

High Hopes, Low Expectations

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 10:25:33 +0000

Although I have written about this idea before, I feel like it’s one worth elaborating on. We live in an age of instant gratification, which I think leaves us often feeling underwhelmed. In most cases, this disappointment is due to our expectations being too high.

The conclusion I’ve come to is less glamorous: lower your expectations. You might hear that and think “why should I lower my standards?”, and I’ll try to make the case for why you should.

Seasons

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 09:54:12 +0000

Last January, I found myself trudging through slush-filled streets, my fingers numb despite gloves, mentally calculating how many more weeks until spring. A bitter wind whipped between Manhattan’s buildings, creating urban wind tunnels that cut straight through my layers. I don’t love winter. It’s certainly my least favourite season. While I grew up in a relatively cold place with an unpleasant winter, I wouldn’t say I’m better adapted to it than anyone else. I do, however, have an appreciation for the seasons and I try to (begrudgingly) enjoy winter just as much as summer.

Feel Bad Feels

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 09:32:05 +0000

A lot of effort goes into avoiding bad feelings. While uncomfortable emotions are generally unpleasant, avoiding them isn’t the whole job. Building resilience matters more—the ability to bounce back from difficult emotions and move through hard stretches with the same effectiveness as we do the good ones.

The Resilience Deficit #

Although speculative, there seems to be a societal shift away from teaching resilience toward eliminating anything that might cause discomfort. Take bullying: rather than equipping children with tools to handle difficult people, we often focus exclusively on eliminating bullying. While this is certainly a worthy goal, it might not fully prepare young people for life’s inevitable challenges.

Everyone Is Beautiful

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 09:06:32 +0000

There’s a subreddit called r/amiugly where people post pictures of themselves and ask the community to rate their appearance. It’s a place where people seek validation, reassurance that they are beautiful, or at least not ugly.

After spending time on this subreddit, I’ve noticed something striking: most people posting aren’t ugly at all. They’re generally normal-looking individuals who skew young and presumably struggle with low self-esteem. It’s a fascinating window into the minds of people who are deeply insecure about their appearance despite—in most cases—having nothing to worry about.

Luck Isn't Just Luck

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:16:55 +0000

When examining extraordinary success stories, we often find that behind many achievements lies a powerful combination of circumstances and opportunities. While talent and effort matter, research consistently shows that success frequently stems from two significant factors: advantageous starting conditions and luck. By “advantageous starting conditions,” I mean having access to resources and opportunities that others don’t. The reality is that exceptional talent faces significant barriers without access to basic opportunities.

How to Be Human

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 11:40:25 +0000

Take a walk on any given day these days, and instead of staring at your phone, try looking around. If you want to do this on hard mode, leave the phone at home if you can manage. You’ll probably notice more than you expect.

Comparing Instagram followers

Exercise as Meditation

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 11:31:30 +0000

Yoga sits right in that overlap between exercise and meditation. When most people think of yoga, they picture the physical practice of āsanas (poses) and vinyāsa (flowing sequences)–the aspects that provide a workout. But that’s only part of it; it also carries its own philosophy and a way of paying attention that feels different from exercise alone.

Know Less

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 10:20:52 +0000

“I don’t know.”

Three words that usually tell me someone is thinking straight. Yet they’re among the hardest words for many of us to say.

There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Few have mastered the art of walking it, and fewer still have the wisdom to know when to step back. People with enough self awareness to recognize their fallibility are–in my experience–a rare breed.

Travel Obsession

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 10:42:48 +0000

At some point in recent history, travel stopped feeling optional and started feeling like something you’re supposed to do. The rise of social media has dramatically changed how and why we travel. A 2019 study found that 40% of millennials choose travel destinations based on “Instagrammability” rather than cost or cultural experience¹. While technology has proliferated travel information and made the world more accessible, it has also shifted our motivations in subtle ways.

Mind-Body-Gut Connection

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 12:33:26 +0000

You’ve heard of the mind-body connection, and maybe also the brain-gut connection, but have you considered the interconnected mind-body-gut system? These systems overlap more than the language around them usually suggests.

The term “mind-body connection” has been a staple in wellness circles for decades. The gut-brain connection entered mainstream research much more recently. Only in the past 20-30 years have researchers begun to unravel the complex communication network between our digestive system and our brain.

Make Art

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 08:31:20 +0000

We are all artists, in one sense or another. Our society, unfortunately, does little to cultivate this innate creativity beyond the occasional obligatory art class in school. I dabble in creative pursuits myself, though I don’t identify as particularly talented or skilled in making art. Yet I still create, because the act itself brings its own rewards.

Embrace Imperfection

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 12:04:44 +0000

“High hopes, low expectations” has become something of a personal mantra for me. I could probably build an entire comedy routine around this concept. Many people navigate through life perpetually disappointed for one simple reason: their expectations tower far above reality. Whether in relationships, careers, or personal endeavors, they set themselves up for endless disappointment by expecting perfection in an imperfect world.

Speak Last

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 11:13:00 +0000

Personal growth requires honest assessment of our blind spots, biases, and behavioral patterns that might be holding us back. In my many conversations with strangers, I’ve recently made a conscious effort to listen more and speak less. It changes the conversation almost immediately, and it shows me things about myself I’d usually miss. People reveal extraordinary depths when given adequate space and your attentive silence. Strategic questions help navigate the conversation, but what truly matters is creating space for others to express themselves—and most people will naturally fill conversational gaps if you allow them.

Good Habits, Bad Habits

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 10:11:54 +0000

Forming habits is surprisingly easy. Breaking them is often less difficult than we initially believe, with notable exceptions like nicotine addiction, which is notoriously challenging to overcome.

I read Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, which despite its verbosity, presents a solid core concept: begin with small, manageable actions and gradually build until behaviors become automatic. The inverse applies to breaking habits—quitting abruptly frequently fails, while incremental reduction often proves more effective.

When You're Authentic, Rejection Is a Gift

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 11:40:38 +0000

Rejection stings in a way that’s hard to brace for. Whether or not it gets easier with age and experience remains an open question—the anticipation of rejection rarely prepares us for how it lands when it actually happens.

I’ve developed a certain expertise in rejection through abundant experience. I’ve been rejected by educational institutions, potential employers, friends, family members, and romantic partners. I’ve faced rejection from people I’ve deeply admired and respected, people I’ve loved and trusted, and even complete strangers.

Writing Things Down

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 10:42:15 +0000

Writing is not easy, and it’s easier for some than others. Personally I don’t find it hard to write about things that interest me, but I know some do. Different types of writing come more naturally to different people—I find writing fiction challenging, so I rarely attempt it. Perhaps that’s an opportunity for growth rather than avoidance.

Biology Is Self-Correcting

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 10:25:47 +0000

Thought leaders worldwide have been weighing in on the AI mania that has gripped the world. There are many fascinating predictions spanning from doomsday scenarios to utopian futures. My bias is that biology will do what it always does and correct for it.

Biology is the original technology—it has been around for 3.7 billion years and has had a remarkably long time to refine itself. Evolution is self-correcting in the bluntest way: what doesn’t work dies off, and what does tends to stick around. Humans have certainly influenced this process, but the fundamental principles remain operational. We often attempt to predict winners and losers in this evolutionary race, but ultimately nature has the final say.

Being Present

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 10:20:04 +0000

Being present is what it feels like when your mind is where your body already is. Buddhism, Stoicism, and cognitive behavioral therapy all circle this in their own way: pay attention to what’s in front of you instead of getting dragged around by regret, anxiety, or whatever story your brain is spinning up next.

The Stoics Invented CBT

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 10:25:13 +0000

While many modern psychological approaches have come and gone, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the few that gives people a clear way to catch bad thought patterns and do something about them. Its core idea shows up much earlier in the Stoics.

CBT is among the most well-researched and effective forms of therapy available today, with countless studies demonstrating its efficacy for treating depression, anxiety, and other conditions¹. Yet long before modern psychology existed, Stoic philosophers like Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius were advocating remarkably similar techniques.

Believe It or Not, Reality Is Real Life

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 10:10:15 +0000

In the bygone era, we had résumés—and today, many of us still maintain these professional summaries (or curriculum vitae, for the academically inclined). But now we also curate digital identities through social profiles, which are often the first thing an employer or stranger sees now. For the professionally ambitious, these digital personas have become the initial point of contact, the thing people look at before deciding whether to take you seriously. In the context of employment, hiring managers often size you up from your online presence long before any interview. Best hope those recruiters don’t unearth your anonymous Reddit alter ego.

Cities Are Technology

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 09:36:02 +0000

When most people contemplate technology, their minds immediately conjure sci-fi spectacles: humanoid robots, sentient AI, and interplanetary travel. But technology extends far beyond these futuristic tropes. I think cities count too: large systems we built to solve human needs at scale.

It’s not the future we wanted, but what we got. The backward cars and other weirdness are good examples of why we are not ‘AI’ yet.

AI Animal Spirits

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 13:36:29 -0400

John Maynard Keynes coined the term “animal spirits” to describe the human emotions that drive consumer confidence. You can see a new version of it in the AI boom: people cheering for an algorithmically-driven future filled with generated clickbait, mediocre art, fabricated “facts,” and an endless stream of low-quality content.

Growth vs. Grind

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 08:14:32 +0000

The difference between growth and grind matters. Growth usually looks like getting better at something, learning faster, and finding work that compounds. Grind is what happens when you just keep pushing, usually until you’re fried. I’ve gotten a lot more out of the first one than the second.

Our cultural apparatus largely conditions us toward grinding rather than growing. As I’ve discussed previously, albeit from a different angle, the grind mentality takes root early in our educational systems. We face the relentless machinery of homework assignments, standardized testing, grade-based assessments, and other performance metrics designed to reward diligence over insight. This conditioning intensifies when we enter professional environments where working excessive hours often generates a fraction of the value we create for our employers (unless you navigate into executive positions where compensation more closely aligns with value creation).

You Might Be Dumb If You Think You're Smart

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 06:14:51 +0000

Okay, the title is clickbait, and I am ashamed of that. So, I’ll give you the bottom line up front: the Dunning-Kruger effect is (in my experience) spot-on, and even though it’s a bit of a pop psychology trope these days, I’ve encountered this effect countless times. There’s a fascinating interplay between Dunning-Kruger and imposter syndrome where these two psychological phenomena can work together in surprisingly complex ways.

It's Never as Bad as It Seems

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 08:30:03 +0000

We humans are complex animals, and our brains developed over hundreds of thousands of years to survive on a rugged unforgiving planet. We invented technologies that became luxuries, and for many (in the West, at least) we live relatively easy lives, by historical standards. It wasn’t until the late 1800s in the US that indoor plumbing was commonplace, which is surprisingly recent¹.

Passive vs. Active Philosophy

Sat, 24 Feb 2024 04:52:25 +0000

Speaking broadly, there are two ways to think about life: passively or actively. Passive philosophy amounts to letting things happen, whereas active is about making things happen.

I generally try to stay active. If I want something to happen, I need to make it happen. Sitting around waiting for something to happen or for someone to come along and tell you what to do is passive.

Laziness Is a Virtue

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 10:07:16 +0000

Young people are often fed some variation of the belief that hard work will be rewarded; therefore, it’s good and virtuous to work hard. While I do agree with this sentiment, I think the same is also true of laziness. Unlike hard work, laziness is generally regarded as a negative attribute, but this is just a misunderstanding about what laziness truly is.

Climate Feedback Loops

Sat, 03 Feb 2024 08:36:45 +0000

If you pay much attention to the mainstream media, you’ve likely heard the phrase “energy transition” thrown around, which alludes to an ongoing global effort to transition away from fossil fuels and move toward so-called “green” energy sources¹. But if you look at the data, fossil fuels are still doing most of the work².

Contributing Positively

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 16:13:07 +0000

Maybe being a good neighbor matters more than we like to admit. In a time when roughly 75% of Americans with a high school education or less report that they seldom or never attend local community events or meetings¹, positive contribution starts to look less like a nice extra and more like basic social glue.

Eat a Slice of Humble Pie

Sat, 09 Dec 2023 06:48:25 +0000

When I look back on my life, I’ve made countless mistakes, some more costly than others. One theme I’ve noticed is that in my younger years—my 20s and early 30s—I let my ego grow a little too large. This is a note to my younger self, and a few things I wish I’d understood sooner.

Fluidity vs. Rigidity

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 10:45:12 +0000

Fluidity and rigidity show up everywhere once you start looking for them. You can see it in materials, markets, buildings, and in the way people deal with stress. Some things survive by giving a little. Others stay stiff right up until they snap.

The Nature of Fluidity #

A fluid is anything that flows, which includes gasses and liquids. Some fluids even exhibit both properties of solids and liquids, such as in response to shocks (i.e., water with corn starch, a “non-Newtonian fluid”). Ketchup is an example of a substance that does the opposite: it exhibits solid properties until it’s disturbed, after which it flows, which is why shaking or pounding on the bottom of an upturned bottle of ketchup will make it pour out.

Do Look Up

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:24:01 -0400

There’s a trope in New York City that you can identify tourists from their propensity to walk around staring up at the tall buildings. This isn’t necessarily meant to be interpreted literally, but rather it’s more about the fact that the tourists are fully present—taken aback by everything to look at, much of which is in the upward direction depending on where you are in the city.

Perfect Is the Enemy of Good

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 09:17:48 +0000

When someone asks me, “s’whattaya do?”, I have a difficult time providing a straight answer. These days, I suppose any of these would be acceptable answers:

Software Artisan
Philosopher
Amateur Blogger
Author
Investor
Entrepreneur
Human With Two Dogs
Computer Person
Techie
Nerd
Former Lyft Driver
Autodidact
Potato Farmer

People often get too attached to job titles and labels, but in truth, you can put whatever you want on your résumé and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop you. (They could verify your employment history or other facts, but you are free to identify with whichever profession you choose.)

The Subtle Art of Genuine Self-Expression

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 11:26:17 +0000

Most of us experience life through the lens of social expectations—the generally accepted norms and implicit guidelines about appropriate behavior in various contexts. They shape what we show, what we hide, and how much of ourselves feels safe to reveal.

Most people want to be real, but that gets complicated fast in places where polish gets rewarded. Professional networking platforms make that obvious: career pressure pushes people to highlight their wins and smooth out the parts that don’t fit the story.

Lack of Imagination

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 11:53:52 +0000

Humans have accomplished remarkable things throughout our history. Yet today, despite these achievements, we appear to be backsliding while the world burns. We face enormous challenges with little evidence of meaningful progress beyond political and corporate greenwashing campaigns designed to keep consumption—“business as usual”—humming along.

Van Gogh’s Starry Night

Bad Incentives, Bad Outcomes

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 10:09:38 +0000

When examining human behavior, you can usually answer the “why?” behind most phenomena by analyzing incentives. This principle applies universally—from economics to politics, where elected officials often prioritize certain interests over broader constituent needs. There’s a reason the phrase “follow the money” has become ubiquitous.

Many people skip the step of examining incentive structures, then express confusion when others act in ways that seem counterintuitive. Yet once you look at the underlying incentives, motivations typically become clear. Most of the dysfunction we see in modern capitalism can be traced to poorly designed incentive systems.

Learning to Love Boredom

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 13:52:33 +0000

I’m learning to get better at being bored. There have been times when I actively avoided boredom, in particular in my childhood I thought of boredom as a bad thing. I still tend to fill free time with “activities” more than I should. My go-to boredom fillers include reading, writing, taking walks, watching TV or movies (as much as I hate to admit it), and occasionally a video game (which, unlike TV, requires some degree of active participation).

The 10x Engineer Is a Myth: It's More Like 100x

Sat, 12 Aug 2023 07:42:38 +0000

In the Linux kernel project, Linus Torvalds has made over 70,000 commits since 1991¹. That’s an average of over 2,000 commits per year, or about 6 commits per day, every day, for 30 years. Meanwhile, the average contributor makes fewer than 10 commits total. This isn’t an anomaly—it’s a pattern we see across the entire software industry.

You've Probably Never Had an Original Idea

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 07:20:48 +0000

I’ve never liked the word “invention”; instead, I prefer the term discovery. Nobody has ever truly invented anything—rather, we come upon discoveries, and some people are fortunate enough to figure out how to monetize them.

Every time I think I’ve had a brilliant, original insight, a quick internet search reveals dozens of people who’ve already explored the same concept, often more thoroughly than I have. It’s a humbling experience that repeats itself with remarkable consistency.

Bullshitters Always Have Answers

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 06:57:45 +0000

We often must judge others, such as when hiring, choosing who to work with, or selecting friends and partners. I find that there are two attributes most desirable in people I associate with: authenticity and intelligence.

I’ve ended up relying on two rough tells.

Detecting Inauthentic People #

Inauthentic people are surprisingly easy to detect because they have a very difficult time using the phrase “I don’t know.” They always have answers, even when they shouldn’t.

Neuroticism

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 07:58:15 +0000

The most challenging relationships I’ve experienced, both personal and professional, have involved highly neurotic individuals. By neuroticism, I mean a tendency toward emotional instability—characterized by inconsistency, excessive anxiety, disproportionate reactions to minor issues, and sometimes aggressive responses to everyday stressors.

Understanding Neuroticism #

Neuroticism exists on a spectrum. A moderate level of concern about potential problems can be productive—it helps us prepare and plan. But when these feelings become overwhelming or trigger reactions that damage relationships, they cross into problematic territory.

Failing Upwards

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 08:57:32 +0000

Survivorship bias often gets discussed as a cautionary tale. For example, someone might point out a person’s or company’s success, and another will retort with, “But that’s just survivorship bias!”

What’s less discussed is what to do with survivorship bias once you take it seriously. If you know that most success stories (whether in business, investing, dating, or even the actual lottery) are primarily the result of luck rather than skill, how can you use this information to your advantage?

Thinking Slowly

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 10:33:10 +0000

In Daniel Kahneman’s influential book Thinking, Fast and Slow, he argues that we have two distinct systems for thinking. System 1 operates automatically, quickly, with little effort and no sense of voluntary control. System 2 allocates attention to effortful mental activities, including complex computations and deliberate choice-making.

While Kahneman’s work became wildly popular in the early 2010s, I still find myself coming back to it whenever I make a decision too fast and then have to invent a story about why it was “obvious.” If you haven’t read it, Wikipedia offers a solid overview, but I’d still recommend the full book for anyone interested in understanding why we think the way we do.

Software Developers Aren't Special

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 03:02:57 +0000

Software engineers tend to be smart people. Writing software is hard, and it’s entirely a discipline of exercising your brain cells to write the correct commands to make the computer do what you want it to do. Add in the layers of complexity that come with dealing with humans who want software to do something without necessarily knowing or understanding precisely what they want, and what you end up with is a fairly complicated practice.

The Value of Tools

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 08:32:10 +0000

Tools are often cited as an example of what separates humans from most other animals. And while it’s true that other animals also use tools, humans are a bit unique in that we’ve also developed tools that make tools. My dogs (I have two, Doge and Walter) occasionally utilize tools, but due to their lack of opposable thumbs their tool usage is quite limited. My dogs’ use of tools tends to be limited to acts which involve food or play.

Why We Lie to Ourselves

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 06:22:57 +0000

Lies are easy. It’s easy to pretend your problems are someone else’s fault. It’s easy to pretend when things don’t go your way, that it’s the other party’s fault. We tell ourselves many lies to get through the day. Being honest is very challenging, and it’s especially hard to be honest with ourselves.

Remember to Forget

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 03:35:31 +0000

Companies collect an absurd amount of private data about you, sometimes with your consent and sometimes by burying it in defaults and dark patterns. Governments usually do more to normalize that than stop it, but there are still ways to give away less.

You’re not going to get complete privacy unless you unplug entirely. You can still cut down how much data you hand over.

Do as I Say, Not as I Do

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 07:44:32 +0000

I can write about a philosophy a lot more easily than I can live it. Certainly there are people who do as they say they do, but I suspect the majority of those who (like myself) write blog posts on self-help themes don’t practice much of what they preach.

Consider fitness gurus. A lot of physically fit people started with advantages that make staying fit easier in the first place. Research suggests that fitness outcomes are influenced by genetics anywhere from 40-70%, with one twin study finding that genetic factors account for 47-80% of fitness trait variation. My unscientific observations align with this research.

What's the Deal with Yield Inversion?

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 10:38:32 +0000

You may occasionally hear about “yield inversion”, which is usually referring to the difference in yield between the 10 year and the 2 year US government treasury bonds. This number often gets mentioned in the news because when the value goes negative, it’s often interpreted as a sign that we’re either in a recession, or about to be in a recession.

Random Walks

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 09:55:20 +0000

Life is a series of random walks. Even if you walk the same path every day (in the literal sense), your individual steps on every walk you take are essentially random, and for the most part you aren’t even conscious of them because this is handled by muscle memory.

When I say the steps are random, what I mean is that if you could precisely measure every step you take—where your foot lands, how much force you apply with your individual muscles—the data would reveal a pattern from a statistical perspective, but each individual step would follow a normal random distribution. In fact, research on human gait variability confirms this, with studies showing that step-to-step fluctuations follow statistical patterns characteristic of complex systems.

What Is the Metaverse?

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 10:08:57 +0000

I realize this is a click-baity subject, but I couldn’t help myself. There’s so much confusion online about VR, the “metaverse,” Facebook’s pivot, and the cringeworthy marketing content (which you can skip unless you love buzzwords and egregious use of terms like “collaboration” and “AI”). The whole thing is oddly reminiscent of an episode of Star Trek.

Recency Bias

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 05:48:25 +0000

I remember when my first serious girlfriend broke up with me decades ago. Her chief complaint revolved around some recent incident, the details of which have faded from memory, but our conversation remains vivid. I pleaded with her, explaining how she was clouded by recency bias—focusing on the recent negative experience while overlooking all our positive history together.

Precious Brain Resources

Sat, 08 Oct 2022 10:09:38 +0000

We’re told early on in life that memorization is the path to success. Education systems seem to be largely based on this idea. Most school lessons involve some degree of memorization, and creativity is generally discouraged in core curriculums.

I’m pretty sure this is a bad idea, because there’s not really that much benefit to memorization. Instead, I think critical thinking and the ability to quickly find information is much more valuable.

My Worst Predictions

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 11:03:54 +0000

I’ve made my share of bad predictions. I’ve had plenty of good ones too. But being right often doesn’t matter, because few people will remember if you were right or wrong, and when it comes to placing bets on your predictions, timing is incredibly difficult to nail down.

Some of my best predictions include my general bullishness on software and the internet since the 90s (when the dot-com bubble saw the NASDAQ rise over 400% from 1995-2000¹), betting on Airbnb (now valued at $86B+), and Bitcoin (up over 30,000% in the last decade). In the case of Bitcoin, I was right about the bet, but got the timing wrong. Bitcoin went from $0.09 in 2010 to nearly $69,000 in November 2021. A $100 buy in 2010 would have been worth over $76 million at the top.

The Weird Story of Standard Oil

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 07:02:10 +0000

Once upon a time, the US government enforced antitrust legislation. One of the most famous examples of this is the case of Standard Oil, which remains the textbook example of monopoly breakup taught in economics and law schools worldwide.

To understand what happened to Standard Oil, we need to take a short walk back in time through history. The year is 1890, and the US Congress is a well-functioning body with rational officials whose brains still function at a high enough level to pass sensible legislation.

When Bureaucracy Is the Goal

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 06:13:43 +0000

I had the recent pleasure of speaking with someone from a big tech company about their interview process. They wanted to put me through the funnel to run the gauntlet and see if I “had what it takes” to make it to the offer stage. I declined, but (against better judgement) I gave them 30 minutes to pitch their company to me anyway.

The Hidden Costs of Car-Centric Cities

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 09:19:27 +0000

Photo by Denys Nevozhai

Cars kill 1.3 million people every year, eat up huge chunks of our cities, and pump out a depressing amount of pollution. We’ve built everyday life around them anyway.

Skills Compound

Sat, 24 Sep 2022 05:26:19 +0000

Humans are pretty bad at intuiting about exponential growth. Whether it’s pollution, population growth, or the way a virus spreads, our brains struggle to grasp the impact of such growth.

Nobody Wants to Hire Anymore

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 07:07:43 +0000

You’ve probably heard about the “labour shortage” everywhere. But what’s really happening in the job market? People point to early retirements, COVID deaths, or stimulus checks, but the numbers don’t neatly support any one of those stories.

Let’s explore what the numbers actually show about the current state of the labour market.

Humility Is Less of Ourselves

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 08:17:46 +0000

We’re neck-deep in self-promotion and personal branding. You can see it most clearly in the rise of “influencers”—a term that says plenty on its own. A lot of them aren’t influencing much of anything; they’re just calling attention to themselves.

Consider this: when someone uses carefully curated photos of themselves on vacation to promote products, are they truly influencing, or are they themselves being influenced by sponsors? In many cases, they’re posting ads with their own face attached. The platforms and brands they represent are often the true beneficiaries of this arrangement.

Can Memes Save Your Startup?

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 09:01:10 +0000

I’ve noticed a trend amongst startups (particularly those in the financial-ish space) which amounts to some variation of “hey guys, maybe we can get customers if we use memes?”.

This is not dissimilar to the “viral” craze of the early 2010s in startup land, where a number of companies raised mountains of VC cash entirely on some silly app gaining millions of users overnight. One of my favourite examples is the Yo app.

Good Friends, Not Therapists

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 07:46:56 +0000

I’ve been thinking about the relationship between friendship and therapy in our modern world. It’s become increasingly common to suggest therapy as the default solution for nearly every emotional challenge, as if talking to a professional is the obvious answer whenever life starts to hurt.

Therapy can be valuable and sometimes necessary, especially for people dealing with clinical conditions or trauma. But I think we’ve gotten too used to professionalizing emotional support and forgetting what good friends are for.

The SEX Theorem of Hiring

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 12:40:00 +0000

Software engineers are likely familiar with the CAP theorem, coined by Eric Brewer. In essence, the CAP theorem states that distributed databases can have at most 2 of 3 attributes: consistency, availability, or partition tolerance (fault tolerance).

In other words, you can have a database that is consistent and highly available, but not fault tolerant. Or, you can have one that’s fault tolerant and highly available, but isn’t always consistent (especially during network failures).

If You're Not Struggling, Maybe You Should Be

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 07:54:55 +0000

One harmful myth perpetuated by the various cultural medias is the idea that there exists some people in the world who have it easy, and aren’t struggling their way through life. I’ve always thought of myself as someone who has mostly managed to fail upwards, which is probably the best outcome anyone can hope for. Even the billionaires claim to be having a real tough time getting through every day (although my advice to them would be to retire and let someone else get some money, because you guys have enough and at this point you’re just greedy).

Play the Metagame

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 08:10:58 +0000

There are 2 ways to go through life: you can either play the game, or you can play the metagame. The game is 1-dimensional chess, and the metagame is N-dimensional chess.

You can apply this idea to just about everything in life. The easiest way to move from playing the game to the metagame is to think about every interaction in terms of incentives. Examining incentives is the easiest way to figure out what people want and how to turn win/lose or lose/lose transactions into win/win.

Tech Pessimism

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 06:29:04 +0000

For a long time I was a futurist, and an optimist about technology in general. I agreed with the thesis that technology makes everything better over time. These days, I’m older and (maybe?) wiser, and I’ve become a lot more pessimistic about technology in general.

Can our fossil fuel machines save us from the problem created by fossil fuels? 🤔

Leetcoding Interviews

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 05:45:50 +0000

I still remember a time when leetcoding interviews were less common, and then all of a sudden, they became the norm. Even for jobs that have nothing to do with leetcoding, it seems that most “tech” companies have galvanized around the idea that before you can hire anyone they must first prove that they can adequately impress someone with their skills at coding during an interview.

Stability

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 09:03:14 +0000

The big news today is the US Federal Reserve’s big FOMC meeting. The expectation is that the Fed will announce a big rate hike, one of the biggest in decades. The previous rate hike amounted to 0.5%, and the expectation for today is 0.75%.

While it’s entertaining watching Jim Cramer and his ilk share their opinions on various matters which–I think–they likely have no clue about, it’s even more interesting learning about how institutions like the Fed really have no clue what they’re doing.

Do Nothing; Save the Planet

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 06:14:51 +0000

By 2050, scientists predict there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by weight. Last month, I found myself wandering around Muji, phone in hand, about to buy yet another kitchen gadget I didn’t need. That moment of consumer autopilot made me question: how much of my consumption actually improves my life versus simply contributing to our ecological crisis?

Nobody Is Coming to Save You

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 05:33:44 +0000

One thing that stood out to me around the 2020 Biden election was how many people seemed to think normalcy would just snap back into place if their guy won. As if someone in charge finally had the answers and the rest of us could go back to sleep.

This appeal to authority pulls people away from what’s in front of them. They get hung up on personalities and characters instead of facts, outcomes, and systemic issues. Whether it’s Trump, Biden, Elon Musk, or any other public figure, the fixation makes it easier to ignore the actual problems.

Being Right Doesn't Matter

Sat, 06 Feb 2021 04:27:57 +0000

One truth we all eventually have to face as we become fully formed adults (“grown-ups”) is that being right doesn’t matter. The only thing that really matters is appearances, being in the right place at the right time, and your connections.

This is an idea that has been floating around in my head for a while, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to describe it. To do so, I can only think in terms of storytelling so that’s what I’ll do.

Monster Eats Itself

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 04:57:39 +0000

Yesterday an interesting thing happened, where disenfranchised folks walked right up into the US capitol after Donald Trump told them to do so. They weren’t welcome there, and a few people ended up dead in the scuffles, and a lot of people were mad for a variety of reasons.

Where the people who run the ~~USA~~ world meet

Don't Expose Yourself to Ads

Thu, 24 Dec 2020 04:40:01 +0000

The Invisible Influence #

One important (and mostly non-mainstream) concept is the idea of manufactured consent. The idea was originally described in a book authored by Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman in the 1980s. For a quick summary, check out this video on YouTube which provides a great overview (use yt-dlp to completely avoid the ads).

Transcend the Bullshit

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 04:34:13 +0000

I was recently trolling someone on Reddit, and in a brief (and regrettable) fit of passion I made a remark only I could love about “transcending the bullshit”. I have often repeated that I intend to one day publish a book titled “Everything is Bullshit”, in honour of the late David Graeber’s Bullshit Jobs, but extending to pretty much all facets of society.

No Jerks Policy

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 04:31:33 +0000

Over the last 5 years of my career I’ve shifted my priorities in life. When I was younger, I was willing to deal with a lot of bullshit at work so long as they kept paying me a salary. Nowadays, I care more about my own happiness, and I’m not willing to work with people who are jerks.

Being Malleable

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 06:19:34 +0000

I was reading Hacker News comments and someone was complaining about how they weren’t able to find a job in computers anymore due to ageism in tech. Reading this, something occurred to me which I thought was worth writing about, which is the idea of malleability.

First of all, I agree that ageism in tech is a thing and it’s a problem for experienced people trying to find a new job. In a capitalist society you want to hire the cheapest employees who can “get the job done”, and experience is often grossly under weighted. My hypothesis for why it occurs has to do with the fact that some people perceive more experienced technologists as more expensive and less malleable.

Why Be an Entrepreneur?

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 07:04:30 +0000

I saw a discussion on Reddit about entrepreneurship recently that got me thinking. What’s the point of being an entrepreneur when the odds of success are incredibly low? This is especially true if you’re low on resources or clout.

Beyond the Silicon Valley Narrative #

The dominant narrative about entrepreneurship has become increasingly narrow: raise venture capital, grow at all costs, aim for a massive exit, and hopefully become a billionaire. It’s the script that’s celebrated in tech publications, glorified by accelerators, and drilled into the minds of computer science graduates.

Always Be Learning

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 05:51:53 +0000

As a kid growing up, I studied music in school and played a few different instruments. One instrument I always wanted to learn was the guitar, which I never did because I could only play what the school had available for free, since my parents couldn’t afford to buy me my own.

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 05:10:11 +0000

I’ve always tried to be an optimist, but I think my natural state tends toward realism with a hint of pessimism. Sometimes, optimism is at odds with the current state of reality.

Wall of Vets, from Reddit

Platform Wars

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 07:16:05 +0000

One of the basic concepts of capitalism is the idea that competition is good for consumers. I think in most cases this is true. One famous example is the history of General Motors, a company that became so powerful and dominant that the US government considered breaking GM into separate companies.

Startups Are a Beauty Contest

Wed, 20 May 2020 05:44:57 +0000

One of the hard truths in startups, especially VC funded startups, is that perception matters more than reality. Many people are able to raise vast amounts of money at high valuations on little more than excitement about the prospect of a viable business some time in the future.

Being Honest with Yourself (When Things Aren't Going Well)

Tue, 19 May 2020 09:58:15 +0000

I really wanted to be a founder of a successful startup (where successful to me means the company can pay its own bills, and pay employees well). However the reality hasn’t matched my ambition and I’ve decided to find a job like a regular chump.

I assumed that with work ethic, skills, persistence, and plenty of trial and error I could eventually find success. That hasn’t happened, and I’m nowhere close to making that happen. Being good at computers and working hard doesn’t cut it.

The State of Commercial Real Estate in Manhattan (in Photos)

Mon, 04 May 2020 16:25:09 +0000

Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed an increase in commercial real estate vacancies around Manhattan, especially ground level retail. Tonight on my walk, I took some photos around Flatiron, NoMad, and Union Square. A few of these places were vacant before the pandemic began, such as the Belgian beer spot, but many are recent casualties.

Mass Hysteria

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 05:28:04 +0000

We’re living in some interesting times, and I’ve been wondering how psychology plays into the current doomsday phenomenon. It’s fun to study history about previous events related to mass panic and hysteria.

Understanding Mass Hysteria #

Mass hysteria, also called collective obsessional behavior, occurs when large groups of people experience similar physical or psychological symptoms that spread rapidly through social suggestion. These events often emerge during times of social stress or uncertainty, which might explain why they’ve appeared throughout human history.

Holiday Reading List 2019

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 07:38:58 +0000

Doge loves snow. At Bethesda Fountain.

Such a joy, the holidays. Long car rides, waiting around airports, packed flights, family squabbles. Cold, short, dark days with nothing to do. And yet, people still get excited about the holidays.

Startup Ideas

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 05:42:24 +0000

Starting any company is hard. Startups are even harder. If you want to start a company but don’t have a business idea, then the first step is figuring out what to build.

Is this…a startup idea?

The Internet's Identity Crisis

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 07:18:40 +0000

The ISOC recently sold the .org TLD registry to a private equity firm for $1.1b. What this means, in the grand scheme of things, remains to be seen, but many people around the web have expressed disapproval.

Doge contemplating the Internet, and squirrels

If You Care About Privacy

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 07:19:24 +0000

It’s hard to maintain privacy these days, ever since we started carrying around the ultimate Internet connected surveillance device in our pockets. So what can you do about it? Here’s a brief guide.

My pup cares about privacy. This photo has nothing to do with this post.

Reduce, Don't Recycle

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 17:24:44 +0000

Recycling has become a bit of a crutch these days. It’s a way for people to feel good about what they’re doing (“saving the planet”) without changing their behavior. It gives people a free pass on generating waste; it allows them to save face.

Mountain of trash generated by my apartment building. Where does it go? No one knows.

How to Talk to People, for Engineers

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 19:52:41 +0000

I’ve never been great at talking to people, especially strangers, but I’m much better than I used to be. In this post I’ll share some of the things I’ve learned in my quest to be a better human.

It’s good to have friends

Dopamine

Sun, 17 Nov 2019 17:23:51 +0000

Dopamine is a chemical in our brains associated with good feelings and reward. Jonathan Haidt discusses this connection in his book “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion”, drawing on pages 102-103:

All animal brains are designed to create flashes of pleasure when the animal does something important for its survival, and small pulses of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the ventral striatum (and a few other places) are where these good feelings are manufactured. Heroin and cocaine are addictive because they artificially trigger this dopamine response. Rats who can press a button to deliver electrical stimulation to their reward centers will continue pressing until they collapse from starvation.

Skin in the Game Startups

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 17:35:44 +0000

I don’t like making predictions, but one prediction I do have is that many future big companies will be what I call “skin in the game startups” (you heard it here first).

Having skin in the game simply refers to sharing risk and rewards with a counterparty. In startupland, angel investors have skin in the game: they give money to founders to help them start a business in exchange for equity with the hope that the business will become more valuable in the future. The investor is sharing the risk of the company (by outlaying their money), and if the company does well the investor will eventually reap grand returns.

"Can I Pet Your Dog?"

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 01:29:06 +0000

I get asked all the time by strangers, something to the effect of “Can I pet your dog?”. People see her, think she’s cute, and feel a sudden strong urge to touch her. Some people will just reach out without asking, but the majority of people ask first.

My pup at the Union Square dog run in Manhattan

Making Something People Want

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 07:11:40 +0000

Make something people want

Y Combinator has a famous motto: make something people want. The first reference I could find to that motto was this blog post from Paul Graham.

New Blog: First Post

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 11:19:50 -0500

I recently decided to start a new blog and rebuild my website. It’s something I’ve been planning to do for a while, and now, here it is. I’ve decided to publish on my own site rather than using a platform like Medium.

Technical Foundation #

For those who are interested, the site is built with Hugo for content management and Netlify for deployments. Hugo is a fantastic and very quick static site management tool. Netlify is a great product for deploying and hosting a website from Git.