Spoiler alert! At the end of Season 5 of HBO's Silicon Valley, Richard Hendrix, the CEO of Pied Piper whose company built the world’s first “decentralized Internet,” steps into his massive new headquarters and pukes. It’s a running theme in the season: Richard is deathly afraid of public speaking. When the CFO-type executive on his… Continue reading The case for decentralized workforces
My next 10 years
I started writing this post back in July 2019. Since 2020 is almost up, I figured now would be a good time to finish it. These past ten years have been all about myself: My education, my companies, my career, my health, and my family. The ten years before my 25th birthday I was more… Continue reading My next 10 years
How chess and entrepreneurship are the same
I’ve always been a decent chess player, but recently I’ve started playing a lot more. Like, a lot more. I am happily addicted to the beautiful game once again. I learned to play when I was really young and have always enjoyed chess despite the fact that I haven’t improved all that much in the… Continue reading How chess and entrepreneurship are the same
Read Write Play: Q3 2019
In just a couple of months I will have been tracking my RWP for two years. Not bad for a silly little trope that nobody (except me) cares about. I try to be consistent in what I do, though, and being conscious of the RWP is just as important to me as the RWP itself.… Continue reading Read Write Play: Q3 2019
Becoming a better public singer
Public speaking is for wimps. Try public singing. This past Sunday I invited a dozen of my neighbors and their families to our house. They started to arrive around 3pm, just as a few select neighbors pulled up with their guitars and bass amps. I’d spent the preceding several weeks acquiring some new equipment: Two… Continue reading Becoming a better public singer
Why I’m applying to be an instructor at DVC
Here’s the cover letter for my application to be a part-time adjunct marketing instructor at Diablo Valley College (DVC). In essence, I’m doing this because I’ve really enjoyed every opportunity I’ve had to speak, volunteer, and recruit at DVC. Prior to reaching out to a professor there just over a year ago, I didn’t know… Continue reading Why I’m applying to be an instructor at DVC
A few days of radioactive seclusion
Part 1: My Thyroid Got CancerPart 2: My Thyroid Got Cancer: 1 Year LaterPart 3: The Thing That Won't Go AwayPart 4: Here I Go AgainPart 5: And Now A Bit of Certainty The pill is smaller than you’d think. It’s oblong with red and white caps. It comes in a cylindrical container, tapered at… Continue reading A few days of radioactive seclusion
Dealing with public speaking panic attacks
There are people who can talk and talk and talk. You know who I’m talking about. They have opinions on pretty much everything and can relay facts and anecdotes on any topic. And they like to share it all. Then there are people who write prolifically. It’s their main medium of communication. Ask them to… Continue reading Dealing with public speaking panic attacks
Four simple truths about entrepreneurship
I'm going to give a solo speech this week at Diablo Valley College. I'm the headliner of the event. It's going to be an hour and a half (!) and is part of a "Business Beyond the Classroom" series that the business department has been doing annually for three years. I'm excited about it. Scared… Continue reading Four simple truths about entrepreneurship
Back to the office and back again
I'm just going to say it. Offices should be optional. They are a tool to be used when you need them, not a mandate, not an expectation, not an assumption that the tool is always needed. I'm not saying that offices are useless and face-to-face interactions are not worthwhile. I want to be clear --… Continue reading Back to the office and back again