Inspired by Derek Sivers’ Now page. What’s been happening and top of mind.

~May 2022

Just Shoot

I’ve been writing somewhat consistently since I graduated college, often publicly but not publicized. After starting and (one year later) ending a personal newsletter in 2020, I realized the ease that comes with leaving thoughts out when they come rather than pushing them on a schedule and inducing consumption.

I enjoy writing to this isolated island on the internet, yet I explored some more public writing apps this past year - I joined Contrary’s Research arm at the end of 2023 and wrote guest posts for my friend Justin’s Technically newsletter. I just finished my last article for Contrary and my third for Justin (and have currently exhausted the ‘company breakdown’ writing muscle).

Some Takeaways:

• Both opportunities stemmed from outbound outreach: Opportunities can be hidden! Be honest and intentional with search.

• There are usually positive externalities: The work with Contrary opened up some conversations with some of their venture and talent partners, who gave some very helpful and apt advice on career options and paths. In the future, it also opens up conversations with future fellows and helps expand my network into an amazing pool of operators who write.
• Platforms Help to Start: Platforms and brands carry weight! Both the blog and newsletter have strong readership and quality brand. Opportunity begets opportunity, and having that ‘platform’ does give a stamp of approval at a pre-vetted quality bar for later items/tasks.
• It Almost Always Left Something on My Plate: There is no true done state when it comes to writing (and even more so for articles that are going out publicly/representing a brand). Work has duly ebbed and flowed, and I began both writing initiatives right before my move to NY. There was always a background ‘todo’ for either writing or revising, which added some stress when work picked up.

Related:

Ran the Brooklyn Half

I had been (under) training for the Brooklyn half but finally came around. Similar to my second half in SF, I slept just a few hours. This was likely a mix of nerves and knowing how early I was to be up. Luckily, most of my race/game days were driven off adrenaline, so I didn’t think much of it. Despite showing up two-plus hours early, the weather was beautiful and I felt more driven by excitement than anything else.

I ran with three friends, and while it was my first running with anyone, I found it wonderfully refreshing to have a group next to me. I had no trouble leading to mile nine, though hit my first wall at 10.5. I walked a bit to recover and found a second wind to finish it out on the boardwalk (with a finish in Coney Island!).

I don’t think I have a marathon in me, but I enjoy the feeling and working up to and staying in ‘half-marathon’ shape.

Equally excited to be done with running for a bit and get back into sports and other activities.

My Sister is Pregnant (and Nearly Due)!

My sister is about to conceive a fucking child. It’ll be a baby boy, and I will be the corrupting uncle.

We did the gender reveal a few months back when I visited home, and I got to secretly attach balloons to her dog as it ran out (more so, I carried her out when she didn’t want to move).