We’re accustomed to social network dangers: doomscrolling, the media feedback loop, polarization, etc. Their currency is attention, and thus are naturally designed to addict by providing spaced dopamine hits. Many social networks also have incredible value, but self-control in the moment fails. Instead, it’s up to you to control them so that you pick what you get out of them. I’ve spent the past several years building systems to maximize social network value, while minimizing natural feedback loops. I’ll start with YouTube, which I consider the most valuable social network to have ever existed... (more) →

My default disposition is fairly rationalist—or at least, rationalist-informed—and have a gut distaste towards “the woo”. I also have plenty of curiosity and believe that wisdom is often lossily encoded in culture, so have tried and experienced quite a few things that I initially met with a wave of skepticism. Many have become significantly meaningful in my life. Scientific reductionism is the modus operandi of thought in Western, educated circles. For it’s flaws, this approach has pushed the boundaries of our knowledge of how the world works, but consistently has blindspots between domains, with significant consequences... (more) →

Angel investing is—for most people—a bad investment. As such, accreditation is rarely the limiting factor to being able to realize outsized investment returns, because variance is incredibly high while median performance is tepid. However, it can have very net positive externalities that include networking opportunities, learning about venture, getting involved in exciting companies, and honing your startup skillset. If you’re interested in angel investing, but don’t yet have a portfolio large enough to support diversified meaningful bets, there’s a few options to start down this path and capture a lot of the value you’re after... (more) →

For several years, I’ve developed a strategy that I use to stay on top of all my personal and work projects, while not getting overwhelmed by infinitely-growing lists. Using this strategy, I’m able to regularly surprise people about how I remembered to do some passing request they had, and am able to bring back concepts after weeks of dormancy. It’s quite simple, and adaptable to many different tools. Guiding Principles: When a task arises, it’s hard to know the absolute priority and allocate time effectively... (more) →

Eric Bahn, general partner at Hustle Fund, gave a talk about pitching investors, focusing on pre-seed/seed companies. Here’s my editorialized notes of his talk. .. (more) →

Last year, I outlined some investment theses for 2019. With the year wrapped up, I’ll quickly review how my predictions played out, and outline future investment areas I’m interested in. Writing these has helped me refine my own thoughts, and intentionally deploy capital aligned with macro views. .. (more) →

In light of the SEC re-evaluating accredited investor laws, Anthony Pompliano recently wrote a piece titled Accreditation Laws Are Violating The American Dream And Discriminating Against Millions. In it, he surveys how accreditation laws are keeping everyone but the already-rich from investing in startups. The argument is simple: the wealthy are capturing returns that most of America doesn’t have access to and average investors are missing out. Instead, big tech companies are getting dumped on public markets after most of their appreciation has happened... (more) →

Social networks work because they form habit loops. You visit, and get a boost of dopamine, fueled by novelty. It’s always new, and randomly rewards. Even if you’re disappointed with what you see, it’s too late. But, what if you do get value from them, and just want to be in control? Remove social apps from your phone that have become the default filler to stillness. Remove the default feeds with an ad blocker. Here’s my Facebook homepage:.. (more) →