I took a step back, planted my left foot and pressed hard off. I felt someone kick the back of my leg. A mini seismic shock crawled up the back of my calf. I thought a ball hit my leg but when I turned around, nothing. For the first few minutes, I was in denial but I watched enough sports to know what happened. It was serious. I just tore my achilles playing pickleball. The next day was a frenetic…
2024 Wrapped In 2024, I mostly did the same trips as I did in 2023. I started off 2024 in Niseko, Japan, quenching my snow powder addiction, only to have too much snow so the lifts shut down. I came back to the US and went straight to Salt Lake City for a month, doubling down on snowboarding and community, highlighted by getting a concussion :( In March, we headed to Chamonix, France, where we…
For five full days, I didn’t eat a single piece of food; I consumed only water, coffee, and electrolytes. I don’t do intermittent fasting, nor have I ever done a 24-hour fast. Here’s the story. Every year, I do a “Misogi.” A misogi is a challenge that pushes the limits of what you believe is possible. It’s a challenge that pushes the edge of your potential. It’s hard. It’s a grind. It’s pure…
What do I want to be when I grow up? When we hear this question as kids, we say things like "become an astronaut," "become a pro athlete," "become a firefighter," etc… When I hear this question as an adult, I realize that it’s not binary. It’s a question I have to keep asking myself. It’s not a question of becoming but of reinvention. I’ve become a Scientist. Now, what do I want to be next year?…
In January 2024, I went snowboarding in Niseko, Japan. Flying back to NYC was a looonnggg flight, so it 100% made sense to make a pit stop: Honolulu, Hawaii. More importantly, I got to spend time with my grandmother. She was 98. We couldn’t do much, but we did the simple things. We ate chinese food. We watched TV. We had simple conversations. When I left to head back to NYC, I gave her a kiss on…
Imagine yourself sitting on a canoe in the middle of the ocean. You feel a slight tint of wind, grazing the skin hairs on your cheek. As you stare out into the large, blue abyss, you can see the force of the current gently rock the side of your canoe, as the current pushes you north. The question then becomes, do you let the ocean just keep pushing you north? Or do you grab the oar, stick it in…
It’s the end of Q1-2024 and I’m finally posting my 2023 Year-In-Review. I’m late but within the swirl of all my travels, I’m finally able to squeeze in some time to write this out. In 2021, I read a book called The Amazing Development of Man . It’s actually a dating advice book for women. The book highlights multiple stages of life men go through, offering advice on how a woman should approach a…
In 2021, I stepped into my “prime .” I felt happier than ever. I was a better surfer than ever. Made more money than ever before. Made a ton of new friends. I was rolling on all cylinders. But like an annoying alarm clock, 2022 shocked me awake from my dream and back into reality. But that’s life. Like stocks, our lives don’t always live in a bull market. We have great runs, crumble back to earth,…
Reading Length: 22 minutes (this is long!) Shoutout to Andy Tran for giving me this idea! 2012 (19/20 Years Old) The stiff smell of booze swarmed my nostrils as I knelt down to take another shot. Gulp. Gag. Burp. Another one. Gulp. Gag. Burp. If 2012 were a broken tape record, that sequence replayed every weekend. Gulp. Gag. Burp. In high school, I was anti-drinking and smoking. I judged “those”…
My broken collarbone While working at DoorDash, my CEO, Tony Xu, said something that altered my perspective on the world. Rewind to February 2020, China enforced crippling lockdowns across the country. Covid-19 ran rampant and the virus had swam across the Pacific and onto U.S soil. The United States was not prepared for a pandemic. My initial emotion was worry. Worried if my parents would be okay…
Source: Bios If you'd like to know what it feels like to bang your head on concrete, read a technical paper. Random math symbols, archaic jargon, dry prose, all mixed together, is the perfect cocktail of frustration. As Elon Musk says, “ It is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree — make sure you understand the fundamental principles, ie the trunk and big branches, before you get…
If you’d like to read my 2021 annual review, check it here . If 2021 was the year I entered my prime , then 2022 is the year I start building the kingdom . Imagine a thriving kingdom. Happiness and fulfillment permeate the air. As you walk around, magnificent buildings are like mini-paintings that litter your senses with awe. Rivers flow through the city and glisten with sparkles of gold dust.…
If you’d like to read my 2022 goals, check it here . In 2012, Steph Curry signed a 4 year, $44 million contract with the Golden State Warriors. Knowing Curry’s value today, $44 million was a steal for the Warriors (his contract is $215 million today). Analyst's considered this $44 million contract "risky business.” Curry showed promise, but had multiple ankle injuries from 2009 to 2011 that raised…
Source: Tampa Bay Times Bill Walsh is one of the greatest football coaches of all time. When he joined the 49ers in 1979, they were the worst team in the league. Within two years, he rebuilt the franchise to win the Super Bowl. His core philosophy was his standards of performance. Standards of performance are a set of principles that guide his team’s behaviors and attitudes. If his team could…
In 2014, the irresponsible, 21-year old version of myself had to sleep homeless for a night, in the dark, chilly 30 degree air of Maastricht, Netherlands. Graduating college jobless gnawed on my conscience. Usually, I could use party-ing to escape feelings of embarrassment, but in the dark, cool Dutch night, my thoughts had nowhere to be but front and center. Perfect. As negative thoughts chained…
I ignore 99% of these messages. Here’s why. Hi I'm a recent graduate from ____. Can we chat about your experience at ____? I ignore 99% of these messages on LinkedIn. Here’s why. Finding a job and dating are like close, family cousins. The common genes? Rejection and validation. Rejection is like a heavy-weight boxer, constantly jabbing blows at our emotions and resilience. Validation is like a…
It's 2021. I'm sitting in a studio apartment. The apartment overlooks bright gold marbled tourist shops & shiny tropical beaches. Clouds streak through the blue sky, like icing on birthday cake. The blistering sun plants patches of red, crusty sun burn on my skin. Ouch. Last night I ate delicious Omakase, filled with fatty toro, vibrant oysters and crunchy tempura. The chef said, 99% of the people…
Introduction I got seven data science job offers during the worst job market in U.S history. I’ve completed over a hundred data science interviews, ranging from giants like Apple, Google, Facebook to four person startups. No, I don’t have a Masters or PhD. Sometimes, my imposter syndrome asks me what the hell these companies are thinking. I don’t deserve it. Other times, I quietly whisper in my…
Fuck. Fibonacci Sequence? I hadn’t heard of that since high school. I didn’t remember what that meant. I didn’t have an analytical degree in college and now I was being tested on it in the interview. I felt stupid. I botched the interview, using a buggy, inefficient solution. It wasn’t until years later that I learned that fibonacci sequence is standard topic you learn in any data structures &…
Now that we're two weeks into 2020, the "New Year New Me" motivation wave has crashed. Gyms are no longer crowded. Many have forgotten their new year goals and continue with their merry ways. Perfect time to publish the annual review post. During every year review, we cycle through our memories, reliving that amazing adventure we had through the jungles of Thailand, that amazing conversation we…