Enduring value

History fascinates me. It's a lived experiment of humanity's attempt at creating longevity, and ultimately something (a manuscript, empires, or entire governance systems) that outlives.

There is no natural reason to do this. Our animalistic instinct tells us to do things just to survive. Yet in its midst, we have masters (be it da vinci, napoleon, or the like) that have a grudging, irrational desire to create a legacy that ripples beyond their generation.

This is a core ethos I want to bring into my work. I want to build systems that endure beyond myself: wether that be software products, new human-ai collaboration frameworks, or hosting the first crafter community at uci.

Mastery

My favorite book is Mastery. In a culture that galvanizes prestige, quick wins, and flamboyant displays of accomplishment -- I firmly believe that the next era will elevate deep thinkers, masters of their field, and enduring systems (see point 1).

We should promote commitment over optionality, specialism over generalism, focus over shallow achievement -- all while maintaining our ethos over adaptability. My goal is to master the art of human experience, and right now there is a gap between ai capability and user experience.

Seriousness

Seriousness is deep engagement and caring about creating enduring value. Katherine Boyle comments on "shields of irony" that dull seriousness.

I strongly believe that once you enter a venture, you should fully commit to it and treat it as your life's mission, even if it fails. I don't treat work as a fun game to optimize. I don't believe in "playing hard, working hard". What I work on is an extension of what I value and who I am. I want to cultivate this like a garden, not a forest left to grow wild without care.

Self-Creation

Self-made success is one of the most peculiar and incredible human phenomena. Growing up without a silver spoon (money, connections, successful parents, etc) puts your odds of success at near 0. Yet, some of the most exceptional individuals in history -- Rihanna, Turing, etc -- have risen from nothing to one of the most legendary figures in history.
This deeply fascinates me. I think this is one of the root nodes of what makes humanity exceptional: the raw drive, determination, and pure obsession to create something -- to literally go against the natural mechanics of the world.
I'm always excited to hear stories about this, and it deeply motivates my work.

Build the ladder

In school, we are conditioned to climb a pre-made corporate ladder. Why not build our own and live on our own terms?

This isn't about building a venture or business, but designing a life that deeply resonates with who you are. For me, that means spending less time grinding without purpose and more time visiting art museums and sketching in my notebook. It means spending less time optimizing for summer, spring, and winter internships and more time iterating over a single project I care a lot about. It means ditching the "drop-out founder" and "swe intern" titles and focusing more on the legacy I am trying to build.

hard won lessons in life.

inspired by “principles” by nabeel.

Your time estimates are always wrong. Always multiply your expectations by 2x at minimum. You always need more time than you think.
Regret is an intoxicating force. It can either kill you or push you to prove yourself. Always choose the latter.
Get really good at reading b.s. in people. this is often disguised as prestige and status. Cultivate awareness when people are putting up a front, but don’t try to fix it. Never interrupt your enemy when they’re making a mistake.
You know much, much less than you think. You only realize this when you start surrounding yourself with the top 1%. Aim for this.
Chasing achievement/quick wins is a losing game. Always aim for the long-term.
Select close friends with the same criteria lvl of scrutiny as you’d use to eval a romantic partner. Ask: “would i be satisfied if i became them?”. Never exceed 3-4 close friends.
Stick with your convictions ruthlessly. If the group does not align, leave rather than conform for the sake of harmony (there’s some nuance in this. the baseline of any opinion should be a combo of intuition + reason).
Sticking with habits means creating artificial routines for yourself: drink the same coffee, wear the same clothes, eat the same thing, run every morning. Most people are too flexible with this, you need to stick to this like military doctrine.
Being a good leader means being boots-on-the-ground with everything that happens in the team. Delegation does not work unchecked.
Bad environments can make you second guess truths. We must critically curate our environments.
Many groups, especially in university, underperform and will dilute your attentions. You must find pockets of exceptional individuals (ex:research labs and engineering groups) or leave entirely.
Prioritize fulfillment (note this is different from pleasure and happiness) over optics early on. Passion and obsession will naturally lead to recognition, must more than the other way around.