2025 Lipoprotein(a) Update
I recently ran another round of bloodwork and wanted to share a brief follow-up focused specifically on my lipids, building on my last update. Here’s a summary of my latest...
Michael Karnjanaprakorn
Latest posts
Advice
“Takeaways: • Don’t ask for advice if you’re really just looking for permission. • The only advice worth seeking is the kind that might actually change your mind. • Most...
Playing to Win
There’s a fundamental difference between playing to win and merely playing to avoid losing. It sounds obvious, yet I’ve seen many founders—especially when things get tough—shift into survival mode. While...
Rate of Learning
Since I started playing Magic the Gathering competitively. I’ve noticed one thing that separates great players from good ones — their rate of learning. The best players aren’t just good...
How to Get Hired at a Startup
Most people approach job applications the wrong way — especially for tech startups. They send out a hundred resumes and hope to land an interview. That can work, but it’s...
Energy
I used to think that when you’re stuck, the answer is to step back. Rest. Recharge. Go on vacation or even a sabbatical. Give yourself time to think. That’s what...
Lipoprotein(a) Update
I just got some follow-up bloodwork done, and I wanted to share the results as a follow-up to my previous article on tackling high Lipoprotein(a). Here’s a quick look at...
Ideal Work Lifestyle
A lot has been written about designing an ideal life or lifestyle, but rarely do we consider designing our ideal work life. Why don’t we treat work the same way?...
Minimalist Finances
I keep my finances as simple as possible because I’ve learned that when it comes to money and investing, less is more. For tracking, I use two tools: • Tiller for...
Tackling High Lipoprotein(a) aka The Silent Heart Killer
“Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or an expert. I’m just some random guy who decided to look into heart disease for myself. I am sharing what I learned along...
Multi-Faceted Identity
I recently had Kevin Dahlstrom on my podcast, and one of his quotes resonated deeply with me: “"When you're young, work may constitute 80% of your identity, as you need...
Phone Addiction
A few weeks ago, I wrote about dopamine addiction. Since then, I’ve come to realize that the problem runs deeper. It’s not just about dopamine; I am addicted to my...
Retirement Number
“TLDR: Early retirement is more achievable than many people realize. The goal isn’t to stop being productive — it’s to gain the freedom to live life on your own terms.” What's...
Ego Tax
“Takeaway: "Ego Tax" is the hidden cost of prioritizing external validation over personal fulfillment.” The "Ego Tax" is the price we pay when we chase external validation at the expense...
Life Portfolio
“Key Takeaway: investing time and energy into a diversified life portfolio yields a higher return on investment in terms of overall happiness and life satisfaction than focusing narrowly on any single...
Post-Exit Maze
I've been navigating the post-exit maze for 18 months, so I thought I would share some lessons I've learned for those looking to climb their second mountain (While I'll write...
Modern Status Symbols
Traditional status symbols focused on displaying wealth through luxury items like homes, cars, and designer clothes. However, modern status symbols have shifted towards freedom: time, location, financial independence, mental peace,...
Otis Careers Page
People often ask if I still have the Otis Careers page link—so here it is. This document was initially written after a candidate interview. The candidate withdrew at the final...
Local Politics
I was looking into GrowSF and was impressed (and inspired!) by their work. GrowSF is a Political Action Committee (PAC) based in San Francisco that wants to “create a San Francisco that...
Is Software Dead?
Two articles are circulating about what happens in a post-AI world. Chris Paik's article, The End of Software, argues: “SaaS, ARR, and magic numbers are remnants of an old business...
Seed Stage Philanthropy
(This is a proposed project idea.) Last night, I went down a deep rabbit hole in the world of grants. These grants range anywhere from $1,000 to $100,000, and are...
Career Advice
If I were in my 20s today, here’s what I’d do: 1. Get good at spotting and generating novel ideas. This is the most valuable skill in a post-AI world....
Founder Diversification
I'm noticing a trend with young founders who categorize their software ideas into two buckets: 1. Cashflow Bet: generates income ranging from $10K to $1M+. These are simple and boring...
Calm Ambition
It drives me nuts when people think a lifestyle business means you’re not ambitious. Just because you want more balance in your life and prefer a slower, calmer approach doesn’t...
Family Values
I am currently reading “The Secrets of Happy Families” by Bruce Feller, and I highly recommend it. He borrows principles from agile development and the tech industry and applies them...