Why do I start a startup?
Reflections on why I left Corporate America to start a company: seeking unpredictability, feeding curiosity, a sense of ownership, and impact on my surroundings.
Random Walk
Recent content on Random Walk
Latest posts
How to use an under-utilized Claude Max plan to save API cost
Use 'claude -p' headless mode as a pseudo Anthropic API to run requests through an idle Claude Max plan, and the trade-offs that come with it.
Paris is less AI centric than NYC
Notes from a week in Paris: why Google's AI search summaries, weird AI subway ads, and the general AI hype feel lighter here than in NYC — and what EU regulation has to do with it.
9 insights from talking to 50+ CX leaders and practitioners
Nine key takeaways from 50+ conversations with CX leaders—on hybrid AI-human operations, data visibility gaps, tooling challenges, and why customer experience is still wrongly treated as a cost center.
Why and how to turn a dusty old MacBook into a home server
Repurpose your dusty old Mac as a home server: install Ubuntu Server, set up Docker, run Plex and Miniflux, and access your services securely from anywhere
How to give feedback at work: make it concrete and actionable
Why feedback matters for growth, what makes feedback good (concrete and actionable), and how to build a healthy feedback cadence at work.
Kafkaesque customer experience
A personal story about a Kafkaesque government service journey—and what it reveals about bureaucracy and customer experience.
A year of coding with AI
A senior engineer reflects on a year of coding with AI tools like ChatGPT and Cursor—what worked, what failed, and how AI actually fits into real-world infrastructure, frontend, backend, and analytical workflows.
How much money is Cursor losing to keep users?
Estimate Cursor’s 2025 LLM API costs from token usage reports (Claude pricing + discounts) and compare to subscription revenue to examine sustainability.
Convenience vs agency: I cut back on Amazon, Instagram, Netflix, and Google
On stepping back from Big Tech: why I minimized Amazon Prime, Netflix, Instagram, and parts of Google—and what I learned about convenience, privacy, and agency.
Working 996 or 007 is not a competitive advantage for AI companies
Why the 996 and 007 overwork culture spreading from China to Silicon Valley AI companies undermines innovation. Creativity, not long hours, drives competitive advantage.
Updates from September
September updates: getting married, starting a business, and dealing with AI coding assistants. Personal reflections on life changes and technology.
Reflections on LeetCode and LSAT in my 30s
Reflections on LeetCode interviews and LSAT preparation in my 30s. Finding value in standardized tests despite their limitations.
How do LLMs and AI coding tools solve new problems when Stack Overflow is dead?
Exploring how LLMs and AI coding tools navigate new problems as Stack Overflow declines. How can AI providers adapt when traditional Q&A forums are dying?
Get out of mainstream and personalized movie recommendation
Escape mainstream streaming algorithms with this random movie discovery app. Find hidden gems across genres, regions, and eras without personalization filters.
Will our next generation lose their own writing voice because of LLMs?
Will the next generation lose their unique writing voice because of LLMs? Reflections on creativity, self-expression, and AI's impact on writing.
Why is it hard to evaluate GenAI applications?
Why evaluating GenAI applications is harder than traditional ML systems. Understanding challenges from unstructured outputs to foundation model unpredictability.
Rebuild my website with GenAI's assistance
How I rebuilt my personal website using Hugo, Cursor, Claude, and GenAI tools. A guide to modern web development with AI assistance in 2025.
A Random Walk
Why 'Random Walk' perfectly captures the intersection of statistics, AI, life choices, and Borges' labyrinth. An introduction to this blog.