personal development
Heading to My First Burn — and Finding Joy in the Ephemeral
In a few days, I'll be heading out to my first Burning Man and joining 80,000 people in a temporary metropolis in the middle of the Nevada desert. I'm feeling super excited. My wife and I decided just a week ago that we'd
Chasing Freedom
I spent much of my life chasing freedom. Growing up, I chased the freedom of escaping my family’s roots in San Francisco Chinatown and living a richer life. I felt so proud when I graduated from MIT and landed my first engineering job at Google — they were my golden
Build Your Tension Muscle and Create the Success You Want in Life
Several years ago, I committed to a daily Uncomfortable Conversation challenge. At the time, I was working with an amazing coach on taking up more space in conversations. I'd been struggling with telling engaging stories, with interrupting when I had something to add, and with being more vulnerable
5 Lessons Nomadic Travel Taught Me About How to Spend My Energy
One year ago, my wife Candace and I started traveling the world as nomads, with just a carry-on and a small backpack each. It'd been both a dream and fear of mine for a while. I dreamt of the freedom — an opportunity of a lifetime to create an
I'm Quitting Engineering and Taking My Next Big Leap
The conversation that would change the trajectory of my life's work happened just before the pandemic hit. My dear friend Elenna and I were celebrating at E&O Kitchen and Bar in downtown San Francisco — we had just finished running a workshop for leaders in tech on
Making Your Way Toward More Acceptance and Inner Peace
Dear Friend, I know what it’s like to be feeling a deep sense of inner turmoil inside, as if there’s a battle being waged inside of you that you don't know how to stop. I know what it’s like to have a part of you
