37 things I learned in 2023

Deciding fast will make me happier than trying to make the best decision. Best is an illusion. Aim for better.

Going to bed early is hard but it’s the key factor for me to get good sleep. My hack is setting an alarm clock to go to bed, instead of an alarm to wake up. 

Meetings are for making decisions, not for sharing updates.

I love building products and learning new things. Being in crypto offers lots of opportunities to do both. And also brings the possibility for asymmetric returns.

Any choice is better than no choice.

I use the clock timer on my phone to be more focused at work. It’s easier to commit to no distractions during a predefined time slot. 

A great product is much more than just combining design and tech.

Do at least 1 week of time-off to retrospect & recover after 3 months of intense work.

An hour before 9 is worth 2 after 5.

Social media is a place to perform, not a place to connect.

Capitalism is not just an economic system, it’s also a social philosophy that says a person is as valuable as their output.

The best pressure test of our own thinking is to write it down. If it only makes sense in your own head, it’s probably not a great idea. If it can be read aloud and easily understood, it’s probably a better idea. Writing gives poor thinking nowhere to hide.

Leadership is not making everyone happy today, it’s the ability to get us to a place where more of us will be proud to be in the future.

Being a founder is like being a parent. No one likes being the bad guy, but good parents know they need to do it.

Culture = wanted behaviors you celebrate - unwanted behaviors you tolerate.

Speculation can also be seen as an irrational shared belief in a better potential future. That’s why speculative bubbles can bring energy, talent, money and motivation to a space. Yes, bubbles are often overinflated, but once the dust settles the foundational projects continue on, adding real value. This is how I feel about crypto.

Bad times create strong founders, and strong founders create good times.

It’s OK to feel hungry sometimes. Food cravings are normal. They are not real hunger. If you’re just slightly hungry, go for a walk or drink a cup of tea. We should all eat way less. Not to lose weight, but to live longer.

Optimists are the gas, pessimists are the breaks. Breaks are important, but they won’t lead you anywhere. Too much breaking and you won’t move. That’s why pessimists rarely make history. Optimists are the ones that shape our future.

It’s not the aesthetics but the context that makes art interesting. AI will never have our pain and suffering, and thus they will never have a story behind their art. 

Too many people care more about being right than being happy.

Schools are good at measuring intelligence but not great at measuring passion, endurance, and character, which tend to be more important than intelligence in the long run.

The most important communication skill is knowing when to shut up.

Don't feel like you have to build things that will become startups. That's premature optimization. Just build things.

There’s a food stall in Singapore with a Michelin star.

Startups are a game of who can survive the longest. If you can just not die, then you stand a good chance of success. 

Not feeling hungover feels better than being drunk (at least after 35).

For most decisions you don't need more information, you need more courage.

Travel is most valuable as a finite experience. If you’re always traveling, you stop getting the benefits from it. 

Bragging has become an implicit sign of low status. The more you flex the less cool you are. Counter-signaling status is the new ultimate flex. Just think of billionaires wearing hoodies.

Work, Love, Friends, Family, Health, Hobbies. Choose 3.

Good design is as little design as possible.

User feedback is usually right about what’s wrong, but wrong about how to fix it.

When you feel overwhelmed by the number of problems in your organization, the optimal solution is not to hire more, but to do less. Prioritize, focus, ignore

Success is like surfing. Big waves don’t come often, but when they do you need to be ready. And to be ready you need to practice with the small waves, paddle for hours and fall hundreds of times. Otherwise the big wave will destroy you.

Life is like a scrapbook. If you keep seeing and doing the same things, the book remains empty – life passes you by.

Border control is an historic anomaly. Before World War One, borders existed mostly as lines on maps. Countries that issued passports, like Russia, were regarded as uncivilized for doing so.