), while investing and advising startups to go from zero to one.
I am excited to launch First Principles Studio to focus on meaningful problem spaces that help us live more purposeful and healthier lives. It’s time to be a maker again!
in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science have instilled in me how to break down complex problems into solvable elements → solve each element and reassemble them from the ground up → synthesize and simplify the result into clear takeaways. This approach is also known as “first-principles thinking.”
In pursuit of quick results, today’s workplaces unintentionally encourage hacks and copycatting than critical thinking. I have witnessed first-hand how half-baked strategies, combined with poor execution, result in repeated subpar outcomes. Similarly, in our personal lives, the TikTok culture fills our minds with noise, shoddy reasoning, and false experts.
We can do better. Here we strive to apply first-principles thinking to everything we do—how we diagnose problems, evaluate investment opportunities, and build products.
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.
Our time is precious. We should strive to make an impact across three dimensions: ourselves, our communities, and our environment.
Self
Any progress we want to make begins with personal accountability and growth.
Critical thinking:our mind is a great gift and a greater responsibility
Longevity:Healthier habits for longer productive years. (I witnessed firsthand Parkinson’s effect on my mother and our family for the last twenty-plus years.)
Purpose:Lead more purposeful and less distracted lives
It’s easy to exist in a silo, but to thrive, we must invest in our communities.
Families: If first principles were the building blocks of knowledge, families are the building blocks of our society. Our relationship with our family sets the baseline for how we perceive and interact with others. As a father of three mixed kids in a multigenerational household, this is a lifelong journey.
Work: How can we be better coworkers and leaders at work in this remote-first world? What tools and best practices can we adopt at work to minimize unnecessary friction?
Culture: As a first-generation Asian American, what can I do to support the AAPI community?
Environment
Lead a more self-reliant lifestyle to build a more sustainable future through our everyday decisions: what we eat, what we wear, how we travel, our energy use, etc.
Quote to ponder on (emphasis is mine):
We can do things for ourselves or we can pay others to do them for us. There are the two “systems” that support us; we might call them the “self-reliance” system and the “organization system.” The former tends to produce self-reliant men and women; the latter tends to produce organization men.
In the modern world ... there has been an enormous and historically unique shift: away from self-reliance and toward organization. As a result, people are becoming less self-reliant and more dependent ... They may claim to be more highly educated than any generation before them; but the fact remains that they cannot really do anything for themselves.
It is in the essence of self-reliance that you start now and don’t wait for something to turn up.
Media tends to either glorify or castigate individuals. People are put on pedestals on their way up, and torn down when they inevitably prove to be flawed humans after all—from heroes to villains.
I believe most of us are neither heroes or villains. We are all work in progress—living out our purposes and honing our gifts as best as we can.
The “work-in-progress” podcast distills and source wisdom from successful-yet-under-the-radar makers: many of them are operators at private companies, and many of them local in our own communities.
“Success” in this case is not defined by outsized revenue or wealth. Instead, it’s defined by individuals’ impact in their respective communities, and their thoughtful approach to life.
This podcast is not about sensational headlines; it’s about curiosity and wisdom. Its voice is casual, heartwarming, and insightful.
It does not make you feel bad about wherever you are in life, but instead it challenges and sharpens your perspective, your mindset, and hopefully nudges you to take the next right step.