004 Writing/ Musings ↓
1024/Accidental Moats
In 2015 Slack released it's developer API.
To sandbox it, we built a task timer.
It tracked how long team members spent on tasks.
Since then, a ton of data has been collected.
A few years ago AI happened.
So We decided to use it to ask the data questions:
How long should this branding task take?
Is x hours for this task optimal for a new hire?
What is the utility % for the Y team?
It's been a game changer.
0924/ Hypnopompic Hack
No matter what I try- I can't meditate.
My mind just refuses to downshift.
Yoga Nidra taps into the Hypnopompic State.
This state happens right before natural waking.
Hack: Sleep at 10:30, wake at 6:30, laze till 7:30.
Drift in and out of sleep.
This gets me into this Hypnopompic State.
Clarity comes—no distractions, ideas flow.
It's now routine, and I highly recommend it.
0624/ Nostalgia
Nostalgia is one of my favorite concepts.
Defined as a sentimental longing for the past.
We're losing the ability to create these moments.
Today, it’s 140 characters,
A filtered image, or a swipe left.
The one-to-one has shifted to the one-to-many.
Now, everyone is influenced to become an "Influencer."
We’ve lost the habit of writing postcards to each other.
Let alone writing them to ourselves.
I suppose that's why I built this website...
A collection of postcards to myself.
0824/ Holy Coffee
I’ve been 'rabbit-holing' Tulsi.
Tulsi is proving it's more and more legit:1,2,3,4,5
So I’m growing 5 varieties in our garden.
-Ram, Shyam, Kapoor, Vana and Laung.
I keep a few leaves in 1L of water overnight.
Extracts more phytochemicals and ups bioavailability.
I mix ¾ cold brew with ¼ Tulsi water.
The taste is basil-y, peppery. surprisingly good.
Benefits: Immune support, detox, anti-inflammatory.
Why isn’t this a thing in India yet?
1123/ Micro-Farming with AI
Our daughter started solids recently.
The new place has a size-able garden patch.
Figured -Why not micro-farm?
I built "Maali GPT" to help me optimize planting.
Inputs: City, Hrs of Sunlight, Month, Bedding Type.
We’re growing fruits, veggies, greens, and herbs.
Plan is a three season rotation.
Nit's isn't a fan of the spinach yet,
-But loving her new friends (Buttah-fliees).
0523/The Paradox of Imperfect AI
Masochism?
Visualizing a mathematical paradox.
The Banach–Tarski paradox is A Fun one.
For kicks I prompted Midjourney v5.1
The result? Abstract, cool-looking.
But off.
Maybe it's fitting.
This paradox defies conventional visualization.
It’s rooted in the axiom of choice, beyond reality.
A fun telling weekend experiment.
1022/ B-School Buds
Three B-school buds each raise $10MM for their funds.
2/20 Standard structure.
Bud A and B co-lead a $25MM Pre-Series A round.
Bud C is brought into Series A at $50MM Post valuation.
Bud C and A co-lead another Pre-Series A at $50MM Post.
Bud B joins Series A at $75MM Post.
This cycle continues.
Each bud’s fund AUM grows.
The buds easily raise their next $50MM funds.
Unf. the Investments don’t do too well.
To cheer themselves up, they take their 2%
-And settle on red, white, and blue for their Ferraris.
0123 /Tiny Hands
A few days ago, I became a dad.
I think many of us "boys" carry an image
-An image of transformation into fatherhood.
But To actually experience it,
Is a profound moment of truth.
Nothing can fully capture this feeling.
Nitara was born early morning on January 14th.
Her name means "deeply rooted" in Sanskrit.
Both baby and mommy are doing well.
0722/ Failure
Always be a case study.
—How to do / not do something.
Routine failure acts as a great "system check."
I've learned that failure is temporary.
Once you accept that, you'll learn to fail better.
Always celebrate the small wins along the way.
Your business failing doesn't mean *you* are failing.
Sometimes it's better to change vessels.
VS patching leaks forever.
You can't control luck.
The odds of your existence are 1 in 10^2,685,000.
There are 10^80 atoms in the universe.
In other words, you’re already incredibly lucky.
0322/ Business Models
Early business models should focus on gross margins.
Know the average gross margins in your industry.
Understand your fixed vs. variable costs early.
Use tech to cut or eliminate fixed costs.
Link variable costs to key business KPIs.
Study revenue per employee benchmarks in your field.
Keep gross margins and Rev/Emp high for your industry.
Know your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
-And Lifetime Value (LTV).
Run small A/B tests to lower CAC.
Evolve your model to boost LTV over time.
0621/ Chatbots
Chatbots won’t replace apps;
they’ll work together.
The trifecta: App, sensor/hardware,
and notification UI.
Chatbots are an evolved UI for notifications.
One-way notifications: email, SMS, push, haptics.
Now we have two-way notifications via messenger bots.
More apps will shift to background services.
Think: install, set parameters, then forget the app.
Notifications will be based on data and user goals.
Users will interact with these via messenger bots.
Messenger bots could one day evolve into Samantha
-from *Her*.
1121/ Work Hours
Global workweeks are now under 40 hours.
AI and automation will keep shrinking them.
Full-time workers only work 3.5 hours a day.
The traditional 9-to-5 model is fading.
Nordic countries use flexible work models.
Employees there split time across companies.
Service DAOs offer a new flexible work option.
SMEs will join DAOs for shared talent.
This will boost employee quality of life.
-Hence company efficiency.
0820/ FIRE Notes For A Cousin
Calculate your necessary monthly expenses
-Rent, groceries, etc.
Let’s call this total INR A.
Your ideal monthly income should be 2x INR A.
If not, reduce expenses or increase income.
Allocate 30% of income to investments.
Use 20% for discretionary spending (shopping, etc.).
Aim to grow the 30% investment into a FIRE AUM.
FIRE AUM = 25 times your annual expenses
-(INR A * 12 * 25).
Once you reach this, you can withdraw 4% yearly.
You’re financially independent and can retire.
0220/ S-Curves
Design involves aesthetic and functional constraints.
Economics: structured incentives to influence behavior.
Combine design and economics with an existing S-curve.
Result: Disruption.
This disruption changes market behavior
and accelerates adoption.
Over time, the disruption becomes a utility.
The utility then forms a new S-curve.
0219/Bear Markets
70/30 split where 70% is a stable coin (eg. USDC).
Lock stable coins into 30 day FDs (~12.7% APY).
Keep 30% as FIAT on exchange.
Set daily dip buy triggers for 10%,5% price drops.
Stay heavy on the 10% buys vs the 5% buys.
Weigh the buy-in amount based on price volatility.
Focus on a basket of at most 5 coins.
Set triggers and forget about the market
-if you want any sleep.
Rebalance monthly. Take gains,
and push 50% into stable coin FD pool.
Sell balance and push into FIAT pool.
Let dip triggers keep doing their thing.
Please DYOR.
This is what has worked for me since 2014.
1019/Labs
Have a "lab" as early as possible in your company.
It serves as a great whetstone.
Have betas live there.
Betas can be products, processes and business models.
In the Lab test, and fail quicker
-without risking core business / brand.
Labs is a great place to test new hires and collaborations.
Each experiment should also be a marketing opportunity.
Make the kitchen diverse (blockchain dev + architect?)
Allow participants to own a part of what is created.
a dynamic input equity model (eg. Slicing the Pie).
0918/Flexi-Working
The Nordics have modeLled flexi working.
CXOs (esp. in design,tech) oftentimes get bored.
Mitigation: Side gigs/projects
if non-competes permit.
Recently I've noticed an interesting trend:
-The Flexi-CXO.
ie. A CXO spreading time (remotely) across 2-3 coS.
Finding talent is hard.
So I see this becoming the norm.
DAOs are now starting to mature and take form.
Service / Venture based DAOs are leading the pack.
Soon a CXO will join multiple Service based DAOs.
The CXO will own equity from multiple vs. one.
ie. If you are great at what you do,
the future is looking mighty interesting.
0318/ $ vs INR
US Economy is growing (-2.5%)
Less 'Quantitative Easing'
-no $ being printed.
Bond yields have increased demand for $.
India doesn't allow countries to hold/trade with INR.
Over-dependance on inflows, no convertible currency.
Institutionally- index futures are being sold by FIIs.
Individually- high inflation rates
= NRI $ staying away from India.
US interest rates may decrease soon.
This will help the INR.
0117/ Ideas
It's ok if it's not an idea, rather idea(s)
It shouldn't be a statement, rather a question.
NDAs are NDA-ed.
Be the opposite of secret, ask your question.
Note the criticism. Ignore the praise.
-Start.
You will screw up (more than once if you are lucky).
Learn, evolve - don't become a Lotus Eater*
0317/ Co-Founders
To avoid politics, steer clear of odd numbers.
Test relationships in zero-sum situations.
Prioritize integrity, energy, and intelligence
—in that order.
The "hacker" and "painter" roles should overlap.
Concert Masters must face the crowd.
Conductors work with their backs to the crowd.
Define KPIs and split ownership from day one
—no empty titles.
Set up equity, vesting schedules, and prenups early.
Don’t pull a Harrison Ford…
